Driving home a few days ago, I stopped at my favorite Caesars Palace bar and then restaurant for a pit stop. While in the bar before being seated for dinner, a couple nearby was telling the bartender how silly SoCal can be in inclement weather. They had several examples, but one of them was "all the big rides at Disneyland were closed in the rain!". Their specific example was Radiator Springs Racers, which they incorrectly labeled as "Cars Ride" and positioned it somewhere inside Disneyland Park, but the point and the actual ride was quite clear based on the conversation's point of reference. They were talking about Radiator Springs Racers.
Quite frankly, the wife annoyed me and the husband seemed douchey, so I didn't engage with them. But I listened to them. And then when I got home I looked online.
While their nomenclature and geography were off, their complaint was alarmingly correct. Radiator Springs Racers in DCA's Cars Land apparently no longer operates in the rain! How?!? Why?!? What changed?!?!
Here's today at DCA, compliments of the very accurate folks at Queue Times, where it shows the pathetic operating schedule of Radiator Springs Racers. Looking at the hyper-local and very accurate records of wunderground.com ,on Thursday, January 5th, light rain fell in the Anaheim Resort District through late morning, then returned in early evening as a passing shower around 5:45pm. Each time it rained, it closed the ride during and for about an hour afterwards.
DCA was open from 8am to 10pm on Thursday, and Racers was closed from 8am until 3:46pm. Then it only operated from 3:46pm to 5:51pm until light rain began again for a short time. Racers was closed for 5:51pm until 8:31pm, when it stayed open under clear, starry skies until the park closed at 10pm.
January 5th, 2023, Anaheim Resort District, 1.38 Inches Rain For The Day
Looking back earlier in the very busy Christmas vacation weeks, the story is even more pathetic. On New Year's Eve, one of the busiest days of the year, DCA was open from 8am to 1am. But there was light sporadic showers during the morning, followed by a dry break mid-day, and a steady moderate rain in the evening on December 31st. Which meant... Radiator Springs Racers was only open for less than 90 minutes that entire day!
During the afternoon dry spell, the DCA team decided to open Radiator Springs Racers at 1:51pm, before closing it due to a light rain shower at 3:17 pm. Which means this major E Ticket attraction and headliner DCA ride was only open for 87 minutes on one of the busiest days of the year. Due to.... sporadic, light rain showers.
December 31st, 2022, Anaheim Resort District = 0.43 Inches Rain For the Day
Other days that have been drier, but with passing light showers, are not much better. Even though it's during the two busiest weeks of the year when ticket prices are highest and crowds are biggest. Monday, January 2nd dawned clear and sunny, but light rain arrived by early evening. Predictably, Racers closed at 5:51pm for the day the very moment light rain arrived in Anaheim and then never bothered to reopen for the last four hours of park operation.
January 2nd, 2023, Anaheim Resort District = 0.03 Inches Rain For the Day
What the heck is going on there? This ride is barely a decade old, and was designed to operate in the rain. It operated in the rain just fine in previous winters. What changed? Is it bad maintenance and budget cuts to maintenance equipment and staffing? Are parts and machinery worn out after not being replaced on schedule, even though DCA was closed entirely for just over a year during the mandatory Covid shutdown by Sacramento's experts?
What the heck is going on in Cars Land??? Is TDA broken, or are they just so broke they can't afford regular maintenance for E Tickets now?
Quite frankly, the wife annoyed me and the husband seemed douchey, so I didn't engage with them. But I listened to them. And then when I got home I looked online.
While their nomenclature and geography were off, their complaint was alarmingly correct. Radiator Springs Racers in DCA's Cars Land apparently no longer operates in the rain! How?!? Why?!? What changed?!?!
Here's today at DCA, compliments of the very accurate folks at Queue Times, where it shows the pathetic operating schedule of Radiator Springs Racers. Looking at the hyper-local and very accurate records of wunderground.com ,on Thursday, January 5th, light rain fell in the Anaheim Resort District through late morning, then returned in early evening as a passing shower around 5:45pm. Each time it rained, it closed the ride during and for about an hour afterwards.
DCA was open from 8am to 10pm on Thursday, and Racers was closed from 8am until 3:46pm. Then it only operated from 3:46pm to 5:51pm until light rain began again for a short time. Racers was closed for 5:51pm until 8:31pm, when it stayed open under clear, starry skies until the park closed at 10pm.
January 5th, 2023, Anaheim Resort District, 1.38 Inches Rain For The Day
Personal Weather Station Dashboard | Weather Underground
Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weather reports, maps & tropical weather conditions for locations worldwide.
www.wunderground.com
Looking back earlier in the very busy Christmas vacation weeks, the story is even more pathetic. On New Year's Eve, one of the busiest days of the year, DCA was open from 8am to 1am. But there was light sporadic showers during the morning, followed by a dry break mid-day, and a steady moderate rain in the evening on December 31st. Which meant... Radiator Springs Racers was only open for less than 90 minutes that entire day!
During the afternoon dry spell, the DCA team decided to open Radiator Springs Racers at 1:51pm, before closing it due to a light rain shower at 3:17 pm. Which means this major E Ticket attraction and headliner DCA ride was only open for 87 minutes on one of the busiest days of the year. Due to.... sporadic, light rain showers.
December 31st, 2022, Anaheim Resort District = 0.43 Inches Rain For the Day
Personal Weather Station Dashboard | Weather Underground
Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weather reports, maps & tropical weather conditions for locations worldwide.
www.wunderground.com
Other days that have been drier, but with passing light showers, are not much better. Even though it's during the two busiest weeks of the year when ticket prices are highest and crowds are biggest. Monday, January 2nd dawned clear and sunny, but light rain arrived by early evening. Predictably, Racers closed at 5:51pm for the day the very moment light rain arrived in Anaheim and then never bothered to reopen for the last four hours of park operation.
January 2nd, 2023, Anaheim Resort District = 0.03 Inches Rain For the Day
Personal Weather Station Dashboard | Weather Underground
Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weather reports, maps & tropical weather conditions for locations worldwide.
www.wunderground.com
What the heck is going on there? This ride is barely a decade old, and was designed to operate in the rain. It operated in the rain just fine in previous winters. What changed? Is it bad maintenance and budget cuts to maintenance equipment and staffing? Are parts and machinery worn out after not being replaced on schedule, even though DCA was closed entirely for just over a year during the mandatory Covid shutdown by Sacramento's experts?
What the heck is going on in Cars Land??? Is TDA broken, or are they just so broke they can't afford regular maintenance for E Tickets now?
Disney California Adventure
Live wait times, historical data, and crowd recommendations for Disney California Adventure, which is located in United States, North America
queue-times.com
Disney Parks’ Ride Stoppages and Wait Times Grow as Ticket Prices Rise
Visitors to Disney’s theme parks are facing unplanned disruptions and longer lines at popular attractions. Disney says ride reliability remains strong.
www.wsj.com
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