A Walt Disney World Resort guest recently admitted that she once caused a shutdown of EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth attraction—completely by accident.
Spaceship Earth is no stranger to occasional downtime. The omnimover-style ride, which has been operating since EPCOT’s opening day on October 1, 1982, takes guests on a slow-moving journey from prehistoric cave paintings to the modern digital age. At the end of the attraction, riders can even create their own digital future using interactive screens inside the ride vehicle.
But even though technical issues happen from time to time, guest-related disruptions are another matter entirely.
TikTok user Stevie Wilde (@wildeabouttravel_) recently shared a throwback story about a time she and her cousin were riding Spaceship Earth, one of EPCOT’s most iconic attractions, when something unexpected happened. According to the guest, the incident occurred near the end of the ride, during the part where the vehicles tilt backward and descend slowly.
@wildeabouttravel_ Replying to @Maia #disney #disneyparks #disneyrides #spaceshipearth
“My cousin was lying back because you kind of have to; it tilts you back,” she said. “Her sunglasses were up on her [head] like this, and I knocked them off.”
The moment quickly turned into a minor disaster.
“They fell into the track and the ride broke down,” Wilde explained. “This was my first time going on a ride in a car separate from my parents, so they kinda freaked out.”
While the attraction likely resumed operations shortly after, this kind of ride stoppage isn’t unusual across the Disney parks. Disney cast members frequently have to pause or even evacuate rides due to lost items, especially on slower-moving omnimovers or newer trackless rides like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
To avoid similar mishaps, Disney Park guests are reminded to secure all personal items before boarding any attraction, even the ones that don’t seem fast or intense.
Has a ride shutdown impacted your visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your story with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
