Why do Disney rides closed so often?

Like anywhere else, Disney closes numerous rides and attractions throughout the parks for routine maintenance and upkeep — so that park visitors like us can be safe and enjoy the rides the same way we did when they were brand new.



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Attractions close for routine maintenance, safety upgrades, improvements, and reimaginings. (Updated November 8, 2023.) While no one wants attraction downtime during their trip to Walt Disney World, refurbishments are necessary to keep the rides looking good (and safe!) for future visitors.

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Rides close down all the time in Disney World — it's just a part of the reality of theme parks! Whether it comes down to the weather, technical malfunctions, refurbishments, or any other myriad of reasons, it's common to see at least one ride unexpectedly closed every day in Disney World.

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Splash Mountain has permanently closed at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. While the structure and ride path will remain the same, the story will be changed to and rethemed to The Princess and the Frog Disney Animated movie based on New Orleans.

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River Country is one of only two Disney parks to permanently close, along with Discovery Island, which is situated parallel to the water park.

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Splash Mountain, one of the theme park's most famous rides, features music and characters from the controversial 1946 film, “Song of the South.” The movie follows a young boy at a Georgia plantation during the Reconstruction era. The film has been criticized for using racist stereotypes and glorifying plantation life.

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Rise of the Resistance! Yes, this attraction broke down 580 times!

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The Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World is the most visiting theme park in the world so one of the other most popular questions we receive is, which day of the week is the slowest at Magic Kingdom? And as a general rule of thumb Tuesdays tend to be the slowest day at Magic Kingdom park.

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Money. Building a ride takes a LOT of money. While the parks division is making some BIG bucks in terms of revenue, there's still a lot of spending Disney has to do on a regular basis just to pay the bills, pay the employees, maintain current rides, etc.

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Post Disney Depression is a real thing. It's that blue, miserable, nothing-will-ever-be-magical-again feeling you get after you leave a Disney park or cruise (or, if you're really hardcore, a particularly emotional Disney movie). Colors seem more dull. Food tastes less delicious.

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After a few different refurbishments and changes to the attraction, The Great Movie Ride was officially closed in August 2017. The focus of Disney's Hollywood Studios had shifted from filmmaking to actual movies and characters created by Disney, and The Great Movie Ride no longer fit that theming.

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Needless to say, Disney has made no official announcements to close any of its wonderful Theme Parks, and as of now, the Walt Disney World Resort is still home to four: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disneys Animal Kingdom with each Disney World Park at the Disney Resort having unique rides, ...

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Off-peak times fall around January, February, September, and early November. Discounts on vacation packages booked directly through Disney (which combine park tickets and hotel stays) can be found year-round, though they're most common at these less-crowded times.

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The WORST times to visit Walt Disney World are:
  • December 26-31. This is the most crowded and most expensive time of year. ...
  • Mid-February through mid-April (or later, depending on the date of Easter). ...
  • Midsummer (June through early August).


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As happens every year around this time, crowds are starting to fall before Fall 2023 at Walt Disney World. This wait times report covers data for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

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The oldest ride at Disney World is Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Even though it was one of Magic Kingdom's opening day attractions, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel is older than other attractions because it was originally built in 1917 by The Philadelphia Toboggan Company.

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Here are the best non-scary Animal Kingdom rides for the less than lionhearted.
  • Toy Story Mania.
  • Alien Swirling Saucers.
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
  • Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid.
  • Peter Pan's Flight.
  • Encourage Your Kids to Try Something New.
  • Use Disney's Rider Switch Service.
  • Do some research before you arrive.


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Dumbo the Flying Elephant is an aerial carousel-style ride located in Fantasyland at six Disney parks around the world. It is based on Disney's 1941 animated feature film, Dumbo. The original attraction opened at Disneyland on August 16, 1955.

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The closing of the 30-year-old ride — which Princess Diana visited in 1993 — follows years of calls for change because it features several characters from Disney's 1946 film Song of the South, which featured racist stereotypes.

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The 1989 ride, popular for its five-story drop but made infamous by the controversial movie that inspired it, would close. Disney said at the time it wanted a more inclusive concept, one free of association with the racist 1946 film “Song of the South” and its white-centered depiction of slavery and stereotypes.

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In the end, Splash Mountain met its demise as the story behind the ride's theme was not right for Disney's image. Splash Mountain featured the Song of the South story of plantation life that resonated as distasteful and needed to be replaced.

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