Walt Disney World was surprisingly crowded on a random weekend in October. After an uneven attendance year, Disney World was finally crowded, but guests were met with some unexpected breakdowns at critical rides that ruined the experience for some.
The constant breakdowns at various rides across the Walt Disney World Resort worsened the weekend crowds. Seven different rides in Magic Kingdom were not operating at one point on Saturday.
For guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the problem wasn’t rides breaking down; it was the absence of one of Disney’s most famous animatronics. Guests who paid for the Lightning Lane pass for Navi River Journey or waited hours for the rides were treated to the absence of the Navi Shaman animatronic.
Disney paid $23 million for the animatronic, but it is frequently being serviced. Rather than the animatronic, guests saw a screen with the Navi Shaman.
According to popular opinion, Na’vi River Journey at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is worth a ride ONLY to see the amazing Shaman of Songs animatro…what! It’s just a SCREEN now?! We get it, stuff breaks down. But is this the most disappointing “B-mode” ever? pic.twitter.com/Ku2lxnehM1
— Parkeology (@Parkeology) October 20, 2024
The screen was only supposed to last a few days at the Disney park, but by then, the crowds would have left the resort. Disney did not comment on the state of the Navi Shaman animatronic.
Animal Kingdom is losing a large portion of the park due to the construction of the Encanto-themed land, so there are fewer rides for guests to enjoy. This puts more pressure on the current rides to function properly for guests every time they ride them.
Guests took to X (formerly Twitter) to complain about the parks’ current state and the Disney Parks’ constant breakdowns. One guest said that the breakdowns made the parks “lame.”
However, other guests griped that they were paying top dollar for a Disney experience and that it had lost something. Beyond the ride breakdowns, guests also pointed to parts of the new EPCOT Communicore Plaza that were held together by tape.
This highlights the larger issue that Disney Imagineering seems to have lost some focus on the rides that are currently in the parks. Guests are constantly pointing out the constant breakdowns and overlooked maintenance issues on the rides. With new projects on the way, guests are also concerned that this level of quality will continue in the new areas of the parks.
With guests spending so much money on their Disney World vacation, there is an expectation that everything will be perfect, and right now, that expectation is not being met.
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