A $125 Amphicar ride at Walt Disney World Resort took a terrifying turn last week when the vintage amphibious vehicle began taking on water in the middle of a lake, with passengers still inside.
What Happened Out on the Water
TikTok user @gabi.dimattia posted footage last week showing the moment her family's Amphicar ride at Walt Disney World Resort went wrong. Water began flooding into the vehicle through the passenger-side back seat door while the car was still out on the lake.
@gabi.dimattia water up to my knees i love disney springs disneysprings amphicar flood
The driver noticed the flooding and immediately reversed course, heading back toward the dock. “He's panicking,” @gabi.dimattia wrote.
The vehicle didn't make it back to land before the water reached the passengers' knees. Fortunately, no injuries appear to have resulted from the incident, and the clip spread rapidly across social media after it was posted.
A witness dining at a nearby restaurant confirmed the scene from the shore. “If that was you guys yesterday I saw that,” @_haydon_ commented. “I was at the restaurant next to it and we wondered why it was emptying the water for a while.”
What May Have Gone Wrong
Social media users were quick to weigh in on the likely cause. Several pointed to a secondary locking mechanism on Amphicar doors specifically designed to create a watertight seal before the vehicle enters the water.
“Amphicars have a regular door latch and then a second handle that seals it for going in water,” @sicemkg explained. “Looks like he forgot the latter.”
“That's actually a really rare car and for him to not check his stuff before going in the water is kinda wild,” @sznlucqd added. “That car may look old but it ain't cheap by ANY MEANS.”
Walt Disney World Resort has not issued any public statement on the incident or clarified whether the flooding resulted from human error or a mechanical failure. The Amphicar experience at Disney Springs remains operational, according to the My Disney Experience app.
What Guests Should Know About Amphicar Tours
Walt Disney World Resort is widely regarded as one of the only places in the world offering daily guided Amphicar tours. The vintage amphibious vehicles seat one driver and three to four guests for a 20-minute tour priced at $125 per car. Tours run from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., weather permitting, and reservations can only be made in person at the dock podium at Disney Springs or inside the Boatique gift shop connected to The Boathouse restaurant.
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