Strangest Issue on an Attraction

HonorableMention

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Every so often, an attraction will have a strange issue that guests are able to see. What are some of the weirdest mishaps you've seen on an attraction? I'm talking strange things with animatronics, NSFM things happening on a ride, etc. I don't think this is very common, but some stories could be very interesting!
 

Vinny

Member
This was nearly 20 years ago, on the Tower of Terror. After the drop sequence and our elevator car exited the drop shaft, the doors closed, and we only had backed up out of the shaft, but our car stopped just outside of the drop shaft doors. So we were facing those drop shaft doors as the next car was in the drop sequence, so that was kind of worrying because we were so close to that high speed machinery. And then their car was brought down to our basement level and so the drop shaft doors opened, and then they started to back up towards us! Thank God, and the computer system, we started to move too and as we started turning, again I was worried that they were going to hit us because we both were moving at the same time and our car was now parking in the exit. Thankfully they did not hit us, but it was strange to be facing the drops shaft as it was working and then to be watching the next cabin moving towards us, right in front of our view.
 

_mickey_

Active Member
This was nearly 20 years ago, on the Tower of Terror. After the drop sequence and our elevator car exited the drop shaft, the doors closed, and we only had backed up out of the shaft, but our car stopped just outside of the drop shaft doors. So we were facing those drop shaft doors as the next car was in the drop sequence, so that was kind of worrying because we were so close to that high speed machinery. And then their car was brought down to our basement level and so the drop shaft doors opened, and then they started to back up towards us! Thank God, and the computer system, we started to move too and as we started turning, again I was worried that they were going to hit us because we both were moving at the same time and our car was now parking in the exit. Thankfully they did not hit us, but it was strange to be facing the drops shaft as it was working and then to be watching the next cabin moving towards us, right in front of our view.

That ride already scares the crap out of me, if I had experienced what you had, I probably would have legit had a heart attack!
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
This was nearly 20 years ago, on the Tower of Terror. After the drop sequence and our elevator car exited the drop shaft, the doors closed, and we only had backed up out of the shaft, but our car stopped just outside of the drop shaft doors. So we were facing those drop shaft doors as the next car was in the drop sequence, so that was kind of worrying because we were so close to that high speed machinery. And then their car was brought down to our basement level and so the drop shaft doors opened, and then they started to back up towards us! Thank God, and the computer system, we started to move too and as we started turning, again I was worried that they were going to hit us because we both were moving at the same time and our car was now parking in the exit. Thankfully they did not hit us, but it was strange to be facing the drops shaft as it was working and then to be watching the next cabin moving towards us, right in front of our view.

That ride already scares the crap out of me, if I had experienced what you had, I probably would have legit had a heart attack!

You'll be glad to know it's not unheard of that happening. Nor would one AGV collide with another.

I did ride PotC in Paris when every single A100 on the left side of the ride path had a pressure loss.

We've also ridden Splash in WDW when one of the geese on the riverboat had its head fitted backwards.

Oh, and one of the Omnimovers of AUA got confused and rotated 180 degrees to what it should have faced. It faced downhill when going downhill, walls instead of show scenes and the like.
 

KraftServices

Active Member
This should come as no surprise, but I've had issues with the video at the end of Spaceship Earth. It kind of freaked out once I guess, and the photos of our faces were of the top of our scalps, so it was just hair and a dark spot. Really freaky to watch the video when it's just basically a dark patch for a face on the cartoon people.

And I think this happened on PoTC, but at least one animatronic wasn't moving but the audio for it was still being played. Really creepy when that happens. Although a patch of silence might be creepier.
 

KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
One time when riding CoP, the AAs of the fathers in almost every scene had a pressure leak around their faces. So everytime he moved his head you would hear air pressure letting out. Sounded freaky.
 

KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
Also, one time riding SSE, none of the videos were running during the ascent Theater scene that is on the right side. It was eerily quiet.
 

GVentola

Well-Known Member
Once on Snow White's Scary Adventures, my cart stopped right before closed doors. The cart behind me didn't stop, but ran into my cart. Fortunately, it wasn't a very violent crash--it just had the effect of finally getting my car going again and through the doors. It's hard to remember the rest now--I think a cast member asked me if I were okay as I disembarked.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Once rode Splash with all the audio running including dialogue, but all animatronics stationary. Obviously this meant that all the show animation had been disabled, but I was surprised they were operational without realizing this.
 

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
Once rode Splash with all the audio running including dialogue, but all animatronics stationary. Obviously this meant that all the show animation had been disabled, but I was surprised they were operational without realizing this.
Of course they didn't realize it. they are animated.

By the way, years ago I heard you being paged. I can't remember where but it was on a ride. Hah and all this time I thought it was a joke. Stupid me there really is a Tom Morrow.
 

Vinny

Member
That ride already scares the crap out of me, if I had experienced what you had, I probably would have legit had a heart attack!
You'll be glad to know it's not unheard of that happening. Nor would one AGV collide with another.

I did ride PotC in Paris when every single A100 on the left side of the ride path had a pressure loss.

We've also ridden Splash in WDW when one of the geese on the riverboat had its head fitted backwards.

Oh, and one of the Omnimovers of AUA got confused and rotated 180 degrees to what it should have faced. It faced downhill when going downhill, walls instead of show scenes and the like.

Yeah, at the time, it was really scary when it was happening, because I had been on the Tower Of Terror so many times and never had that happen before. I was telling my friend with me on the ride, "this is not supposed to happen!!."

But looking back at it, Martin your right, they probably can not collide because of all the redundant computer technology that controls their movement. Probably what happened was the car ahead of us was taking way too long to unload at the exit, and I guess they built in enough extra room in that distance between the drop shaft and exit dock, for that purpose, so that it can hold an extra car or two there. It just had them really close together and it was startling at first to see another car coming at you, exiting the drop shaft. My worst fear as it was happening was that the high speed lift system was going to activate with half off a car in it, or underneath it or anything, because of the back up of cars, but much thankfully, it was all just a pre-programmed extra parking maneuver to keep things moving
 
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KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
Rode Journey of the Little Mermaid and saw Under the Sea Ariel with some neck malfunction issues. Stuff nightmares are made of.
Last time we rode this, my hubby actually stopped and spoke with the CM outside about what we witnessed. There was unusual stitching all over Ariel's arm in the Under the Sea scene. Turns out the covering for the AA was coming apart. o_O
 

danyoung56

Well-Known Member
A couple of years ago, on CofP, one of the turntables didn't turn. The scene went on, with the speakers in the scene facing the wrong way. The system didn't turn on the lights in that scene, so it was just an odd, muffled section of the show.
 

Tavernacle12

Well-Known Member
I rode SSE during a torrential down pour once, and found out:

1. The ceiling leaks
2. The systems rebooted and the screen showed the SSE Windows desktop (the wallpaper just said 'reconnecting to Spaceship Earth'). The applications I could see were SSE Update Utility, Vshow, and Vehicle Diagnostics.
 

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