Disney’s Computer System Goes Down, Hundreds Left Waiting at Gates

Over the years, Disney has had to evolve as people and technology have evolved. In the beginning, there were paper booklets Guests would purchase, and they would tear out a ticket when they wanted to go on an attraction. Then, it became easier just to charge one price for a ticket, and all the rides and attractions were included. Now, technology has advanced so much that, most of the time, Guests don’t even have a physical ticket. Disney is completely accessible with either a cell phone or a MagicBand.

So much of a Disney vacation is reliant on the use of a cell phone, a divisive topic amongst Disney fans and Guests. One of the big problems is that, with an increasing reliance on technology, things can get bad fast if that technology fails. Guests visiting Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, recently saw just how messed up things can get without technology.

On April 20, Disneyland’s ticketing system experienced an outage that lasted more than 30 minutes. Guests were left standing outside the gates to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. It’s estimated that more than 50,000 people visit The Happiest Place on Earth every single day. So, things quickly got congested on the esplanade between the two Parks.

Redditor u/DanceswithPibbles shared a picture of the massive crowds standing around, waiting for the systems to come back online.

While the ticketing system failure may have been a pain in the neck for some, others were able to benefit from it. The system was also unable to process and charge Guests for parking in lots like Mickey & Friends. Disney did not want to turn people away or have them wait and get too backed up there. So, Disney decided to allow people arriving during that time to park for free. That saved each vehicle around $35.

Thankfully, the outage didn’t last too long and Guests were soon able to enjoy their time riding exciting attractions, meeting a number of fun characters, and indulging in the delicious options available at the California Adventure Food & Wine Festival.