Earthquake Causes Disneyland Ride Closures — What To Do If It Happens To You

Disneyland might be the Happiest Place on Earth, but Mother Nature doesn’t really care about happiness.

Disney World has to deal with hurricanes and Disneyland has to deal with earthquakes (and the errant hurricane, too!) We’ve seen multiple earthquakes impact Disneyland over the past few months, and now we’re sharing what to do if it happens while you’re there.

Southern California was hit by a magnitude 4.1 earthquake around 1:50PM on May 1st, 2024, according to the Los Angeles Times. The earthquake occurred just three miles from Anaheim, and Disneyland Resort was affected by the hit.

Rides were closed for several hours with Disney taking precautions to make sure guests remained safe while inspecting rides before opening things back up again.

But, this isn’t the first time an earthquake has impacted Disneyland operations. In fact, it’s not even the first time this year. KMPH reported on February 9th that a magnitude 4.6 earthquake had struck Southern California, causing rides at Disneyland to be “stopped for several minutes” before resuming.

And, in early December 2023, yet another earthquake caused chaos at Disneyland. On December 4th, a 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit one mile east of Fullerton, California. Visitors at Disneyland reported feeling brief shaking at the time, while a whopping 35 attractions were closed in the parks.

Luckily, in the cases of each of these earthquakes, no one at Disneyland was hurt and there was no damage. The California Department of Conversation reports that typically, moderate damage to structures can occur with a magnitude 5.5 or higher earthquake. But, it does seem as though we’re seeing more and more impacts at Disneyland.

Unlike Florida’s hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th, earthquakes can occur at any time of year, during any season. So, while it’s not likely you’ll be in the parks when one hits, there are still some things you can do to be prepared.

First things first — follow all Cast Member instructions! They are specifically trained to keep you safe in situations like this and want to make sure both you and Disneyland remain unharmed, so listening to them is essential.

Because California is prone to earthquakes, the state has early warning technology that can alert smartphones when there’s been a strike and how close to you it was, which can give you time to prepare.

Here are some general tips for what to do if you find yourself in an earthquake, courtesy of Ready.gov. If you feel shaking, move away from anything that could drop on top of you. If inside, stay where you are and try to avoid doorways. If outside, stay outside and away from buildings. You’ll want to 1) Drop; 2) Cover; and 3) Hold On if you can find something stable like a table or desk.

Hopefully, you’ll never need to use these tips — especially at Disneyland. But, it’s always good to be prepared!

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

Stay tuned to AllEars for the latest news from Disneyland and more!