Although Disney tests new rides before they open to the public, it is common for big attractions to break down a lot during the first few months of operation. Radiator Springs Racers is no exception and the ride has been plagued with frequent breakdowns since its opening. Many people have been left wondering, “Why Does Radiator Springs Racers Keep Breaking Down?”
For the most part, the closures have been under an hour. With a long wait for Radiator Springs Racers being the norm, Disney employees have just let everyone remain in the queue until the ride starts running again. But standing in place can be challenging, especially if you have small children. It has become common to see people taking a nap in the queue during these lengthy break downs.
There doesn’t seem to be a common reason behind the downtimes, but some have noted that the ride is based on the same design as Epcot’s Test Track which is known for frequent breakdowns. The problems are especially bad any time that it rains, to the point that the Epcot attraction has its own Doppler Radar feed in the control room to forewarn of any storms in the area.
If you happen to be in line when Radiator Springs Racers breaks down, it can be difficult to decide whether to stay or go. Disney has been fixing the ride relatively quickly, so it seems like staying in line is working out in most cases. But if you have your children with you, waiting in a non-moving line can be a nightmare.
Some people have found that if they hover outside of the attraction’s entrance during a downtime that they can speed to the front of the line when it eventually reopens. This approach takes a lot of patience and timing, but it is one way to make the most of a bad situation.
It is never fun when a ride breaks down, but when you’re dealing with a brand new ride these things are unfortunately common.
Photo via Inside the Magic
That has to be one of the worst things. You wait in line for a long time, the ride breaks down, and then you have to decide if it is worth waiting it out.
The racers ride broke down on us twice last week. But like you said, they got it working again pretty fast. It was frustrating, but nice to see that disney’s repair guys were on top of things.
I usually bring along some coloring books or some simple games to help keep my kids entertained in line. These are great to have on hand if the ride ever breaks down. There is nothing worse than an impatient child when you know the line isn’t going to move any time soon.
The breakdowns are expected, however what is happening at Radiator Springs Racers is upsetting and “un-Disney.” In the 3 days my family observed it, it was breaking down about every hour. Each time it was down for an hour. For annual pass holders, the early admission allowed for early access to the ride. In the 2.5 hours in line on Thursday, the ride broke down twice. Without breakdowns the wait would have been less than one hour. That being said, the ride itself is wonderful, but what I consider “un-Disney” is the queue management of the attraction. we rode the ride 3 times during the course of our trip, once with fat pass and twice on standby. My husband and I counted 30-40 fast pass people being let on for every one out two groups from stand by. At one point the cm let 30 fp by and only one family of 3 on! This is despicable and Disney should be ashamed. The people in standby had waited for more than two hours, some in the sun, while many fp had entered the line when it was working again. I love Disney, but it felt as if stand by guests are second class citizens. I rode the ride with a fast pass and it took 12 minutes from the entrance to be on the ride. I realize fast pass is designed to cut the wait time, but if a ride breaks down this often and petiole are allowed to wait in the queue, then greater effort should be made to move the guests in standby. Other attractions seem to follow more of a 50-50 model when loading from the two lines.
I’m waiting at the enterence right now and I guess the attraction has been broken down for over 28 hours now. Cars have been going last the whole time but there is still no word on if they’ll open today or not. It is now 9:10pm.