Worst Ride Break Down Story

[JulieWent]

On Tuesday evening of this past week (7/22), we were at e-ride night. DS (age 8) had finally screwed up his courage to go on Splash Mountain. (He had been talking about it for almost a year.) We went on it early in the evening, and he said, "I love that! I want to go on it again before we leave." So we agreed that we would make it our last ride of the evening.

Skip to midnight. We got on the ride and successfully made it through again, much to DS's delight. We were about 7 logs back from unloading when the ride stopped. DS wanted to know what had happened, and I said, "It'll just be a minute." Famous last words. We were there for at least 30 minutes, and DS had a really spectacular melt down. He was screaming and crying and kept saying, " Why don't they get us out of here??? " The people around us were all very patient and kept trying to help me calm him down, but it was a pretty harrowing 30 minutes. I can only imagine what it would have been like if we'd been stuck earlier on the ride !!!

I don't think DS will be going on Splash Mountain again for a lonnnnng time.

Julie

 

[flynnmnstr]

I was about 13 or 14 years old and I want to go on Space Mountain for like the 10th time that day. So my parents told me to go ahead while they sat down with my DS for a snack. I got on immediately so I decided to ride again without telling them. When we went to stop to exit the ride the car kept going into the back service area. Half the car was going up and incline while the other half had a rubber screen (kindof like the things that clean your car in a car wash) in front of them so we couldn't see anything. The worst of it was that there was a small boy in the very front seat and he screamed until they got us out (about 20 minutes).

Pirates of the Carribean- we got stuck for close to half an hour under the pirate sitting over the bridge with the hairy leg.

Small World- as if going through it with no interuptions isn't painful enough. I had to leave the park after this happened to take a break at the pool.

 

[meeko_33785]

The only really bad ride stop I can remember from WDW was at Spaceship Earth. It was the first full day of the trip, and just days before than, a Hurricane had just swept through Florida, causing a lot of things being damaged. The first ride I did was Spaceship Earth. All went fine until I got in the 20th Century room (the one with the papper boys, telephone opperators, etc) and the entire ride just stopped. My first thought was that it was something wrong with the ride caused by the hurricane, but a shrugged it off rationalizing that maybe it was just somebody transfering into a wheelchair. After a while, I began to get suspicious. While I have never been in a wheelchair, I had the feeling that it did not take 15-20 minutes to transfer into a ride vehical. This was not the only thing that went wrong (seems like something was wrong in the Land and maybe American Adventure, but it didn't affect me so I don't remember what it was)

As for my worst ride break-down experience, that distinction goes to Monster Plantation at Six Flags in Atlanta. For those of you not familiar with this attraction, it's a horrible torture device in which you board boats and then go through scenes of merry monsters singing a song that is so annoying and repetative that it makes "It's A Small Small World" sound like "Circle of Life". Anyway, it was raining in the park, so I got on the ride, not knowing what was ahead. No sooner had I got into the first mold-filled room, the boat came to a screeching halt, right in front of the rides "host", a southern belle nammed Missy Scarlet. In a voice that would make Fran Dresser or Gilbert Godfried cringe, she repeats the same phrase over and over. While I sit there in the room listening to Missy Scarelt welcome "little ol' me" to the mansion and saying "Have a good time y'all" about 10 billion times. After a while, a few ride opperators appeared behind me and proceeded in jumping from boat to boat in order to get to where the ride was broken (obviously a problem with one of the boats elsewhere in the ride). Finally, after quite a while, the boats started moving and the ride continued. So for those of you who have gotten stuck on rides like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, or even small world- count your blessings! It could have been you who became Missy Scarlett's new special friend.

 

[brunoflipper]

got stuck at the very highest point of spaceship earth for 30 minutes before they finally came up and had everyone walk out... really narrow dangerous steps with me carrying a two year old... it sucked

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Last August I was with my sister and her family on the Haunted Mansion. We were stuck in the ballroom scene for 25 minutes. It was really great to see all the detail in that room!

 

[bekkiz]

We go stuck on Tower of Terror. It was right at the part where the first doors open to see story with the little people and the stars. Well, our door didn't open and we sat in the dark for about 7 minutes. I was beginning to get a little claustrophobic (okay a lot), but just then the lights came on. We still had to sit for another 8-10 minutes, but then they brought us back down and put us on the other side (the car before us got stuck on the top part, and had to get out and take a real elevator down -- my fiance wished we were in that car).

 

[Alice28]

This wasn't at Disney, but at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in CA. My friend and I were on these ski lift type gondolas- where your feet hand, which take you about 1/2 the length of the Boardwalk. We are on it at night, and wanted to do maybe one more ride or two and then head home. Well, as we're chatting, the gondola's slow to a halt and we see ALL of the lights in Santa Cruz go out, section by section. We were like "OH MY GOD....." We realized we were stuck. We tried not to completely freak out and kept each other calm by telling each other lots of juicy gossip...we watched all the people on the roller coasters be escorted off with flashlights....we wondered if we would have to jump into a fireman's net. After probably about 30-45 minutes, we start slowly chug-chug-chugging ahead. When we got off, we were giddy with happiness- the park worker said this was the only ride in the entire park with a back up generator. Thank God for that! I really didn't want to jump into a fireman's net! The best part was, we got our entire admission refunded, so after we chugged back to San Jose (her car was almost out of gas, and all the gas stations were closed in Santa Cruz cause of the power outage) we got a great meal at Denny's-type restaurant and laughed about our experience!

 

[time101]

I've been stuck on many rides, but two incidents come to mind. The first was on Journey Into YOUR Imagination (before the latest rehab). We got stuck in the PITCH BLACK part of the ride. I haven't been on the newest incarnation of the ride yet, so I don't know if it's still part of the attraction. But it was so dark you couldn't see a THING. We were stuck for at least 5 minutes, which seemed like an eternity.

The second was actually pretty cool. We got stuck on the Tower of Terror as the elevator was at the doors moving into the chute for the drops. The lights came on, and we got to see the inside of the building. VERY COOL. Two CM's came up and opened the doors manually. (It gave me a real feeling of confidence. ) Everyone in the car started begging the CM's to shut the lights off again, but they said..."No, you'll have to enjoy the ride with the lights on." Everything went as it was supposed to from there.

Tim E.
Dreamfinder's Other Concoction

 

[madthemouse]

In 1997, my daughter and I experienced stopage on the Skyway in back of the castle. The ride had stoped for about 15 min. At the time she was 6 years old and it was at night. The saving grace was, we had a great view of the fireworks! She still talks about the time we got stuck and how scared she was. But then I remind her of the view we had of the fireworks...and she smiles

 

[Jackie H.]

Kali River Rapid Ride - it wasn't a "bad" thing, but we were stuck. There was hardly anyone in the parks that day (early September). We had ridden the ride 3 times straight without getting off - my family of 4, 2 teens and 2 other kids. The parents of the 2 kids were waiting on them on the overpass and everytime we went under it they said: don't ride it again, we want to go somewhere else. Well, they and us kept on riding.

After the third go round, we passed under the thing they were standing on and stopped. It was like all the 'boats' were lined up to empty or something. We kept waiting, the kid's parents kept yelling at them. Finally, a CM came by and said there was a problem it would be worked out soon. We were just down from an emergency exit, but he told us not to try it.

Then we could feel the boat lowering. They were letting the water out of the ride. Everything just kinda sunk slowly. After the water was low enough, CMs came and we had to crawl from one boat to another until we were near an exit then climb out. My kids thought it was the best thing yet.

 

[lulu71]

Last year we got stuck on Test Track. It was right after a hard brake and the seat belt snapped me in my seat. I felt like I was in a straight jacket. I don't get claustrophobic, but the seat belt would not budge! We stayed like that for 20 minutes and I couldn't move an inch. Not fun.

 

[bibbidiboo]

In 2001, we had a group of 10 get stuck in BTMRR on the first incline in the bat cave. We got to walk out like the Dwarves in the mine.

 

[Beechparty]

We got stuck on ToT right before the drop. It was completely dark for a long time. Then it seemed to me they had to back us out with some kind of machine-thing. My ds(5 at the time) was terrified. They let us ride again but after that it took like 3 years before he would ride again.

 

[Minniespal]

We got stuck on Big Thunder Mountain last summer. It was just as the ride was starting and it was only for about 5 minutes. We have also been stuck on Kongfrontation.

 

[Tinkbell]

We were also stuck on Spaceship Earth right next to the newspaper boy. During those 15 minutes, we really began to hate the newspaper boy. This was like 6 years ago and we still shudder as we approach that little guy.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

We got stuck on Buzz twice. First time we could still shoot and we racked up awesome points.( I think it maxes out at 999,999) Plus cool for me was even though we could shoot, the carts would not spin, so my boys could not make me puke.


Second time we were stuck maybe 20 min right befor you get off basically. Anyway the ride stops , lights come on, and these chained barriers pop up alongside your cart. Not scarry at all, just kind of neat to see how they fence us animals in

 

[Bex0909]

Last October my family and I got stuck at AK on the Khali Rapids. Right before the big drop, our raft came to a stop. The next two rafts behind us also stopped and bumped into us. We sat and sat hoping we'd start up again. Finally, a voice came on and told us they were experiencing difficulties and to just stay put. Boy, was it HOT! Finally, we noticed the water was dropping rapidly. They were draining the river! We sat and watched it drain dry, and a cm came and led us out. We had to climb through the three other rafts behind us and out through the back of the ride. They politely asked us not to take pictures behind the scenes. It was...interesting, but not something I'd care to repeat!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

It's a Great Big beautiful tomorrow

.........

Shining at the end of every day! It's a great big beautiful tomorrow, tomorrow is just a dream away......A man had a dream and that's the start......hmmmm hmmmm hmmm hhhmmmmmm

I LOVE that song! LOL

Seriously, my friend got stuck in IASW, and she did not find it amusing. They were stuck for so long ( she says 2 hrs, but I find that hard to believe, I would think they could of evacuated) that she noticed all the cracks in the walls, and the music was playing the whole time. Geesh, you think they could at least shut the music down. LOL

I got stuck on TT with my nephew. It was my first time on the TT, but my nephew had been on with my DH before me. We got stuck right at the corner where the mack truck is heading at you with the headlights? I thought it was part of the ride,. like we broke down or something. ( well we DID, but I thought for pretend) But then my nephew said this hadn't happened on his earlier ride, and I started to get scared. How would we get out, ect.

 

[FloridaCat]

I was not on the ride, in 1996 we had been in line for over an hour at Spalsh Mountain. Just as we were the next Log, we waited another 20 minutes and kept asking the CM what the hold up was and he had no answer. another 20 minutes and they annoced the ride closed for the rest of the day.

 

[sarivers]

1980. I'm 13, DSis is 7. First trip to WDW. Rained the whole time. Bad for us. Great for mom, who throws ponchos on us and takes advantage of the uncrowded conditions (uncrowded because sensible people were home DRY). Made us go on IASW six times in a row because there's no wait and its her favorite. This story becomes family history, legend. Sis and I are scarred for life and can't hear the music to IASW without getting hives.

Fast forward to 1999. Sis and I are grown. She's a CM. Its our first trip down to visit her and our first trip to WDW since 1980. We get to IASW, Sis and I reluctantly board our boat, trying to indulge Mom. You guessed it, the ride breaks down, right in front of the little french can-can dancers. 15 minutes later I break out the video camera. Here's the conversation I got on tape:

Me to Sis: Where are we?
Sis: In hell.
Me: How did we get here?
Sis: Mom brought us.

Camera pans over to mom who is happily singing away.

Ride finally gets going after about 20 minutes.

I've never done IASW in the half dozen or so trips since then.