what happens when space mountain breaks down?

[msmileyface]

This question reveals my anxious nature... I realize that Space Mountain breaks down quite a bit. When this happens, do people have to get evacuated from the cars? Or do you just sit until it starts again? How do you get out if they make you- ladders, walking on paths beside the track, something else? I am nervous that I will be on that ride when it breaks down. I am not sure how well I would handle being in there with the lights on and being escorted out of a car on the tracks.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

First of all, I've never been on the ride when it broke down, but I was on Peoplemover when SM broke down. They do turn on the lights, so you will not be in the dark.

When we went through, we saw some people patiently waiting for people to come and get them. It's safe.

 

[DavidNYC]

First - breaking down "quite a lot" is a bit of an overstatement in the way you're talking about it. This is a roller coaster where gravity and physics rule so for the most part, when you start the ride, you finish the ride. If you're "stuck" it's most likely waiting to unload - it's not like suddenly the ride stops in the middle of a track. I would think those that require evacuations are exceptionally rare - most breakdowns result in the cars that are on the track finishing the ride and no one else being loaded until the problem is resolved. So I wouldn't worry about that too much.

 

[bearloch]

I have ridden space a lot and live nearby Yes it seems like its closed a lot but not always because of a breakdown!! they can pretty much manually move the cars to a safe place on the ride to unload!! and don't worry they do turn lights on!! its really not that high of a ride its more mouse trap than anything else!!!

 

[Spork24]

I've never had to been evacuated from a ride either. My guess is that more often than not (depending on what's broken) they can bring you back into the station to unload. However, it's pretty standard in roller coasters to have stairs and platforms next to anywhere their are braking stations where the cars can actually stop. You would not be able to raise the safety bar until a cast member came up to assist you. And as other poster stated, they will turn on the lights inside of it breaks down. I wouldn't worry about this at all. The odds of getting stuck are pretty remote.

 

[rapunzels]

I have not been on SM when it has broken down.... but someone on here before posted that when they were riding SM once, the ride broke down, and they flipped on the lights... and he was shocked at how close all of the tracks were. He said he would NEVER raise his arms on the ride again. Too freaked out he would get seriously injured! Maybe that's one ride you would prefer to sit in the dark if it broke down.. so you wouldn't see how compacted the actual ride is!

 

[Son of Gadsden]

I have not been on SM when it has broken down.... but someone on here before posted that when they were riding SM once, the ride broke down, and they flipped on the lights... and he was shocked at how close all of the tracks were. He said he would NEVER raise his arms on the ride again. Too freaked out he would get seriously injured! Maybe that's one ride you would prefer to sit in the dark if it broke down.. so you wouldn't see how compacted the actual ride is!

I hesitate to lift my arms on a lot of the rides now. I've seen someone hit the raccoon on BTMR with their hand once. Looked like it hurt. lol.

I've thought the tracks seem close on Space Mountain, too.

 

[Cais]

I've ridden it with the lights on and I still keep my hands up as high as I can get them. If I really try I can brush the tops of the tunnels but I have to be actively trying to reach as far as humanly possible.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[ewalshslp]

My Daughter and I were on Space Mountain in Novemeber of 2012.....half way into the ride the lights came on, and about 10 seconds after that we came to a gently stop. We waited about 5 minutes and a cast member came to where we were, and then we waited another 10 minutes while they decided what to do. We were stopped right by a set of stairs, and I really wanted to just get off and walk. But the cast member reached under the car and pulled some type of lever, gave us a push, and gravity pulled us the rest of the way. When we got off they said we could go around to the front of the line and ride again. Of course my DD wanted too, but I had enough of Space Mountain for one night!! It was pretty cool to see it with the lights on!

 

[Hannathy]

What happens when space mountain breaks down?

They fix it!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I think it always important to consider what one might do in the event of a ride breakdown. they are rare, but it is smart to consider the possibility. I've never been stuck on SM, but I've been on the Peoplemover a number of times (back when you could see SM), where they had the lights on due to a stoppage.


I think the biggest risk on any ride that stops is people doing dumb things. I suppose some people suffer panic attacks, or just get frustrated.

Some years ago, we were stuck on Splash...before it had lap restraints. People around us were talking about jumping out, even though the PA was telling everyone to stay put.

The very next day, a man died after hopping out of the flume.

On BTMRR, they adjusted the raccoon so that it is no longer in reach.

I'm pretty sure Disney keeps track of these things, so that guests can't hurt themselves by touching things on the rides.

 

[msmileyface]

First - breaking down "quite a lot" is a bit of an overstatement in the way you're talking about it. This is a roller coaster where gravity and physics rule so for the most part, when you start the ride, you finish the ride. If you're "stuck" it's most likely waiting to unload - it's not like suddenly the ride stops in the middle of a track. I would think those that require evacuations are exceptionally rare - most breakdowns result in the cars that are on the track finishing the ride and no one else being loaded until the problem is resolved. So I wouldn't worry about that too much.

See, that was all I needed Thanks David

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

I think it always important to consider what one might do in the event of a ride breakdown. they are rare, but it is smart to consider the possibility. I've never been stuck on SM, but I've been on the Peoplemover a number of times (back when you could see SM), where they had the lights on due to a stoppage.


I think the biggest risk on any ride that stops is people doing dumb things. I suppose some people suffer panic attacks, or just get frustrated.

Some years ago, we were stuck on Splash...before it had lap restraints. People around us were talking about jumping out, even though the PA was telling everyone to stay put.

The very next day, a man died after hopping out of the flume.

On BTMRR, they adjusted the raccoon so that it is no longer in reach.

I'm pretty sure Disney keeps track of these things, so that guests can't hurt themselves by touching things on the rides.

Have they changed something in the last year, because it was still going through SM last year, or am I misunderstanding what you are saying?

 

[msmileyface]

My Daughter and I were on Space Mountain in Novemeber of 2012.....half way into the ride the lights came on, and about 10 seconds after that we came to a gently stop. We waited about 5 minutes and a cast member came to where we were, and then we waited another 10 minutes while they decided what to do. We were stopped right by a set of stairs, and I really wanted to just get off and walk. But the cast member reached under the car and pulled some type of lever, gave us a push, and gravity pulled us the rest of the way. When we got off they said we could go around to the front of the line and ride again. Of course my DD wanted too, but I had enough of Space Mountain for one night!! It was pretty cool to see it with the lights on!

This was exactly what I wanted to know When I was a kid, my friend's parents took us to an amusement park (six flags) and they rode the Ferris Wheel. It broke down and they had to CLIMB down this little ladder. Someone would have to tranquilize me to do that, because I'm really afraid of heights. I was just wondering if SM shut down, if you would have to climb around on tiny ladders and such. Thanks for all the awesome info!!

 

[Ozzygirl]

I was on EE last April way at the top of the ride right before you go down backwards and we stopped there, which was normal, but then we just sat there. After awhile the lights went on and a voice went on to stay seated. I could see there was a narrow walkway along the side and there was an emergency door near us. We sat there for awhile and eventually CMs came up and they came to each car and asked us to get out and stand along in single file along the walkway. We all walked down 24, I believe, flights of stairs together and through the center of the mountain. It was pretty cool to see the inside but jeesh it was a long hike down. If you were infirm or ill I'm not sure what they would have done. We got another FP to ride again later. It was down for 3 hours after that.

 

[prgal0715]

I was on SM this past December when, just as we were about to enter the first tunnel, the rocket stopped. We sat there for a few minutes then the lights came on and a CM came over and started chatting with us. About 15 minutes later, another CM joined our "party" and informed us we need to exit the rocket. It wasn't a huge deal and I can now cross "shimmying over the side of a Space Mountain rocket" off my bucket list. And hey - we got complimentary FPs for a ride of our choice!

 

[The Hub]

Space Mountain is one of the safest attractions in all of Walt Disney World. Most Cast Members in the area refer to it as Breakdown Mountain and check-in on Facebook at Breakdown Mountain when it goes down. Leaders, coordinators and Space Cast Members consistently go through Breakdown Classes and trainings. When Space goes down, it is usually caused by the guests.

The most common breakdown usually happens at unload. During a busy day, rockets come as quick as 21 seconds between each other. If guests are slow or need extra time to exit the rocket, there will be a backup of rockets at the station. After a couple of rockets getting backed up, the ride will have an automatic emergency stop because the rockets will eventually be too close to each other. This will have the shortest amount of downtime, usually just over an hour.

When this happens, the coordinators need to dump the queue. After the queue is empty, the Cast Members at load will reset the ride on both A Side and B Side and they will RAC out and begin track walking. Once the Cast Members meet up, they will then begin to cascade the rockets. Cascading the rockets means manually pushing them to the next zone and eventually to unload. This needs to be done for every rocket on the track.

If there is a 104 party (wheelchair party,) Space Cast Members may need to contact the fire department, Reedy Creek, to assist with the evacuation. There is an elevator inside Space Mountain on B Side, the side we send guests with disabilities. On a related note, the top of Space Mountain is an extendable roof and can open in the event of a Signal 25 (fire) inside the mountain.

Another common breakdown is when a guest drops something on the ride. If it lands on the track or passes through an intrusion sensor, it will trigger another emergency stop. The closing track walkers at the end of the night will be able to retrieve the item that was dropped. For this, Ride Access Control procedures must be taken and Cast Members will have to make sure everyone is still seated in their rockets and figure out what caused an intrusion in that zone. They then have to cascade the rockets, etc.

Occasionally, Cast Members inside the tower can cause an issue. Sometimes it is a station stop, guest standing up or even a guest getting out of their rocket. Once, a Cast Member advanced a rocket without seeing a hand signal from another Cast Member signaling he was about to cross the track. The restraint Cast Member hit the E-Stop just in time, as a Cast Member could have been seriously injured. Oddly enough, Space will always go down whenever a certain coordinator steps foot in the mountain for the first time in a while.

Also to note, if one side goes down, it affects both sides. Other attractions like Tower of Terror have separate ride systems for each side, but Space only has one. If Reedy Creek needs to be called, Space can be down for 3-4 hours. If it is only a minor issue, it should be up about an hour and a half later.

 

[RnbwSktles]

Space Mountain is one of the safest attractions in all of Walt Disney World. Most Cast Members in the area refer to it as Breakdown Mountain and check-in on Facebook at Breakdown Mountain when it goes down. Leaders, coordinators and Space Cast Members consistently go through Breakdown Classes and trainings. When Space goes down, it is usually caused by the guests.

The most common breakdown usually happens at unload. During a busy day, rockets come as quick as 21 seconds between each other. If guests are slow or need extra time to exit the rocket, there will be a backup of rockets at the station. After a couple of rockets getting backed up, the ride will have an automatic emergency stop because the rockets will eventually be too close to each other. This will have the shortest amount of downtime, usually just over an hour.

When this happens, the coordinators need to dump the queue. After the queue is empty, the Cast Members at load will reset the ride on both A Side and B Side and they will RAC out and begin track walking. Once the Cast Members meet up, they will then begin to cascade the rockets. Cascading the rockets means manually pushing them to the next zone and eventually to unload. This needs to be done for every rocket on the track.

If there is a 104 party (wheelchair party,) Space Cast Members may need to contact the fire department, Reedy Creek, to assist with the evacuation. There is an elevator inside Space Mountain on B Side, the side we send guests with disabilities. On a related note, the top of Space Mountain is an extendable roof and can open in the event of a Signal 25 (fire) inside the mountain.

Another common breakdown is when a guest drops something on the ride. If it lands on the track or passes through an intrusion sensor, it will trigger another emergency stop. The closing track walkers at the end of the night will be able to retrieve the item that was dropped. For this, Ride Access Control procedures must be taken and Cast Members will have to make sure everyone is still seated in their rockets and figure out what caused an intrusion in that zone. They then have to cascade the rockets, etc.

Occasionally, Cast Members inside the tower can cause an issue. Sometimes it is a station stop, guest standing up or even a guest getting out of their rocket. Once, a Cast Member advanced a rocket without seeing a hand signal from another Cast Member signaling he was about to cross the track. The restraint Cast Member hit the E-Stop just in time, as a Cast Member could have been seriously injured. Oddly enough, Space will always go down whenever a certain coordinator steps foot in the mountain for the first time in a while.

Also to note, if one side goes down, it affects both sides. Other attractions like Tower of Terror have separate ride systems for each side, but Space only has one. If Reedy Creek needs to be called, Space can be down for 3-4 hours. If it is only a minor issue, it should be up about an hour and a half later.

Wow, excellent info. Thank you!

And to those saying they couldn't touch the top of the tunnels or anything else if they tried, my friend was able to easily. He is quite tall, which isn't average, but he thought he could have easily broken his fingers or hand if his arms had been up when he entered the tunnel.

 

[ZoZo]

I was on Space Mountain one time when it broke down. We went about eight feet into the tunnel, and just stopped. After a couple of minutes, the CMs told us they would "come and get us." Because the part of the track we were on was elevated (about six feet off the ground), we couldn't climb out on our own. The CMs helped us climb out of our cars - it wasn't scary at all.

Not to freak you out, but I saw photos on the DIS once where Expedition Everest broke down on the part of the ride where you have the really steep climb. The car got stuck part way up the "hill." Apparently the CMs had to climb up and help the guests walk down the ramp on the side of the "hill." That would have freaked me out - I have a fear of heights. And you don't realize just how steep that particular part of the ride is until you see the photos - yikes! I still ride EE, though - what are the chances that something would happen exactly when I'm riding it??

Check out this blog for some photos and this guest's experience of getting stuck on EE:
http://www.keystothemagictravel.com/2012/06/expedition-everest-what-happens-when-it.html

 

[lazer]

I'd rather get stuck on EE or SM than Pooh! Pooh broke down once when we were about halfway through...we had to listen to tigger for a good 10 minutes, then got unloaded and walked thru the ride. So annoying. Tigger's voice was annoying, not that the ride broke down. Another time, as we were getting on pooh, someone fell onto the track and clearly broke her leg. It was awful, but worse was the rude people complaining about the ride going down and "what did some idiot do now". Sorry for the tangent. I have seen SM with the lights on (via the people mover), I wasn't expecting it to be so shiny and clean looking!