11 Rides That Have Struggled to Stay Open in Disney World This Year

Some Disney World attractions are riding the struggle bus BIG TIME this year. ?

Disney World rides are sometimes scheduled for closures that allow Disney’s teams to go in and do some necessary refurbishment. Those are closures that are typically announced ahead of time which you can prepare for. But some rides may close totally unexpectedly in the parks due to weather, technical problems, or other issues. Some rides are particularly guilty of suddenly closing…a LOT. These are ones that we’ve seen temporarily close over and over…and OVER again. So what rides have struggled to stay open this year? We’ve got the data!

To form this list, we looked at some of our data indicating the percentage a ride was DOWN from the start of the year through now. Basically, these are the rides that suddenly shut down a LOT.

When we sorted the data through this lens, we saw that the winner for closures is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which has been closed about 11.89% of the time. We have seen the ride go down quite a bit (even after its lengthy refurbishment) so this is not all that surprising!

If you’re hoping to get on this ride, be aware that there’s a slightly higher chance it could close during your trip, so you may want to prioritize it in the morning (catching it potentially before it closes) or keep a close eye on its status in the My Disney Experience app.

Following that (in terms of the highest percentage of closures) is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance which has been down around 9.92% of the time. This is another ride that is OFTEN temporarily shut down, so its position on this list is no surprise.

Rise of the Resistance is made of several different ride portions, all of which have their own complex technical features. That can make the ride particularly prone to complications that force it (as a whole) to shut down.

Following that we have The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (percentage down: 9.72%) which is another one that we’ve seen having MAJOR issues recently. You might be thinking “But this is just your classic spinning attraction — what gives?!” Well, the attraction has faced some problems this year that seem to have really complicated things, causing it to be closed for multiple hours or even most of the day on some occasions.

One Cast Member told us that the ride sometimes closes due to problems with birds and insects. We can’t really confirm the extent to which that has impacted things, so do with that information what you will, but it’s still interesting to note.

Following the Magic Carpets of Aladdin are the following in terms of the highest percentages of closures:

Test Track — Percentage down: 9.66% (this is one we’ve seen have lots of closures so it’s not all that surprising!)
Kali River Rapids — Percentage down: 8.71%
Space Mountain — Percentage down: 8.17%
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel — Percentage down: 8.07%
Slinky Dog Dash — Percentage down: 7.94%
Pirates of the Caribbean — Percentage down: 7.86% (lately, we’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean struggling in the mornings so that’s something to keep in mind!)
Expedition Everest — Percentage down: 7.76%
Liberty Square RIverboat — Percentage down: 7.35%

Below, you’ll find a chart displaying the 20 rides with the highest closure percentages based on our data. These include Liberty Square Riverboat, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and others. Out of this list, the majority of the rides with the higher closures do appear to be in Magic Kingdom (though that park has a lot of rides so that could be contributing to things). Do any of these surprise you?

While these are some of the rides that might be STRUGGLING to remain open (as compared to other attractions in the parks), that doesn’t mean they’re the only rides that close in Disney World. The truth is any attraction is subject to a sudden and unexpected closure in Disney World due to a number of reasons — severe weather (mainly lightning), technical issues, or other problems.

If you encounter a sudden closure in Disney World, here are some of our tips:

Continuously check the My Disney Experience app for updates (if the ride reopens, you should see a wait time posted for it!)
Ask a Cast Member outside of the attraction for information (sometimes they have a better idea of what is happening and when the attraction is expected to reopen)
Ahead of your trip, come up with a plan “B” in case you encounter a closure (that can help you shift your plans quickly)
Also ahead of your trip, mentally prepare kiddos for potential closures by discussing the possibility with them (that may help them also adjust more smoothly)
Use closure time wisely! (Opt for your plan B if you have one, or take advantage of nearby rides that might have shorter waits, grab a snack, do some shopping, or otherwise make the most of the time)

We’ll keep an eye out for more closure information so we can keep you updated as to what to expect when you visit the parks next. For more helpful information, be sure to check our daily and weekly wait times updates. Those can help you know just how the lines are in Disney World right now so you can get those plans in place!

And stay tuned for more Disney news.