Radiator Springs Racers No Longer Works In The Rain?!? Is TDA Broken, or Just Broke?

[Disney Irish]

So, like, they've got some system that scans the immediate area for massing ions about to form a lightning bolt? I don't think Disney does that; they just wait until they see the flash and hear the thunder and say "Ooh, we gotta shut down the Golden Zephyr now!".

I've seen Luigi's for example go down without even a drop falling or a lighting strike in the area all due to the potential of a lighting strike. So they do pay attention to the weather, not just wait for it to strike.

No, looking at the miserable reliability record of Racers for the past few weeks shows something definitely changed. And it appears to be directly correlated with even the slightest of showers moving over the Resort area.

Something has definitely changed with that ride system. Either it physically can no longer operate in damp conditions, or the DCA team is purposely closing it as soon as the slightest shower arrives to prevent further damage or impact to something with the ride system or facility.

I'd love to know what it is, and if the upcoming rehab for that ride aims to fix it and get it back to normal.

Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure wait times

Waiting times, information and statistics for Radiator Springs Racers. View historical average queue length by day, and view ride availability.

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I wouldn't be surprised if after 10 years of constant running without a real refurb has done a number on a lot of the sensors. But I really don't think there is much of a "story" here. Everyone here is pretty much saying the same thing, its not unusual for RSR to shutdown during a rain storm.

Once again I say, just because its new to you doesn't mean there is some huge issue that is new, especially if others are also saying its not new.

 

[TP2000]

I've seen Luigi's for example go down without even a drop falling or a lighting strike in the area all due to the potential of a lighting strike. So they do pay attention to the weather, not just wait for it to strike.

Luigi's Roadsters can't operate in the rain because of the wireless/trackless system. That's been the case since it opened in 2016 and was mentioned quite a bit online as an element of that revolutionary ride system.

I wouldn't be surprised if after 10 years of constant running without a real refurb has done a number on a lot of the sensors. But I really don't think there is much of a "story" here. Everyone here is pretty much saying the same thing, its not unusual for RSR to shutdown during a rain storm.

Once again I say, just because its new to you doesn't mean there is some huge issue that is new, especially if others are also saying its not new.

Something changed. That is simple fact. I'd love to know what changed with Racers, and if the upcoming rehab has plans to fix it and get it back to normal. The ride was designed to run in the rain. It used to run in the rain regularly. It no longer does.

 

[Disney Irish]

Luigi's Roadsters can't operate in the rain because of the wireless/trackless system. That's been the case since it opened in 2016 and was mentioned quite a bit online as an element of that revolutionary ride system.



Something changed. That is simple fact. I'd love to know what changed with Racers, and if the upcoming rehab has plans to fix it and get it back to normal. The ride was designed to run in the rain. It used to run in the rain regularly. It no longer does.

Ok my friend, if you say so. I guess everyone else here is wrong despite their own experiences, and you're the only one who knows for sure. So glad you've kept track of RSR opening/closing through every rain storm that passed through Anaheim in the past 10+ years.

 

[TP2000]

Ok my friend, if you say so. I guess everyone else here is wrong despite their own experiences, and you're the only one who knows for sure. So glad you've kept track of RSR opening/closing through every rain storm that passed through Anaheim in the past 10+ years.

Do you think I doctored up all these YouTube videos from my alternate timeline to show rainfall in your timeline?

And it's very easy to track rainfall in Anaheim with any amateur website, like Wunderground. The weather station a few blocks west of Cars Land tracks all meteorological data for the past decade or so; rain, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction, UV radiation.

Radiator Springs Racers used to operate regularly in the rain. For hours at a time. It no longer does that. Something changed. Why?



Weather Station at the Corner of Katella Ave. and Bayless St., two blocks west of Cars Land

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

 

[Professortango1]

Radiator Springs Racers used to operate regularly in the rain. For hours at a time. It no longer does that. Something changed. Why?

Aliens.

 

[TP2000]

Aliens.

I'll take that! At least it's a reason why it changed.

 

[Disney Irish]

Do you think I doctored up all these YouTube videos from my alternate timeline to show rainfall in your timeline?

And it's very easy to track rainfall in Anaheim with any amateur website, like Wunderground. The weather station a few blocks west of Cars Land tracks all meteorological data for the past decade or so; rain, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction, UV radiation.

Radiator Springs Racers used to operate regularly in the rain. For hours at a time. It no longer does that. Something changed. Why?

No I don't think you doctored up videos (although I will tell you a quick search shows not very many in the first place). But the fact there are a few videos of a couple runs during the rain doesn't provide much evidence of the last 10 years. I've said already that it has indeed run during rain storms, I've personally experienced it. But your insistence that it only started closing recently is what I take issue with. Its has indeed closed down plenty over the last 10+ years during rain storms, again my own personal experience tells me this. Could it be that its more frequent now, sure I concede its possible, but its not unusual enough to say there was a change that requires fixing.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Ex attractions CM here that can speak on the rain thing.

Some attractions go down in the rain, yes. RSR is one of them. If there’s a tiny sprinkle/mist, usually, at least in Fantasyland, we wouldn’t shut down the “rain” rides (Dumbo, Casey, (can’t exactly remember if Teapcups goes down or not)). We’d only close them during heavy rain/downpour. Once the rain cleared, even if the vehicles were wet, we would reopen.

The photos and videos provided as “proof” that RSR runs in the rain actually prove that it doesn’t, as it’s not actually raining in the photos and videos. It’s obvious it rained, but it’s not actively raining, hence why the ride reopened at some point in the day(s).

 

[Parteecia]

Ex attractions CM here that can speak on the rain thing.

Some attractions go down in the rain, yes. RSR is one of them. If there’s a tiny sprinkle/mist, usually, at least in Fantasyland, we wouldn’t shut down the “rain” rides (Dumbo, Casey, (can’t exactly remember if Teapcups goes down or not)). We’d only close them during heavy rain/downpour. Once the rain cleared, even if the vehicles were wet, we would reopen.

The photos and videos provided as “proof” that RSR runs in the rain actually prove that it doesn’t, as it’s not actually raining in the photos and videos. It’s obvious it rained, but it’s not actively raining, hence why the ride reopened at some point in the day(s).

When I walked by on Wednesday Teacups and Alice were both closed.

 

[Californian Elitist]

When I walked by on Wednesday Teacups and Alice were both closed.

Yes, Alice definitely goes down in the rain. Thanks for confirming Teacups does as well!

 

[disneyC97]

Yes, Alice definitely goes down in the rain. Thanks for confirming Teacups does as well!

One of the reasons subsequent tea cup attractions are covered…thought Florida opened without and added one early on.

 

[Phroobar]

I guess the idea is to close all the rides since they are lost leaders anyway. All the food courts are on mobile order only. That way Disneyland becomes a mall that you have to pay and make reservations to get in to.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Every theme park is the same in that weather is a factor, always. Some rides at a park (a marginal number) will close in almost any rain or precipitation. Others will close in heavy rain. Others with lighting. Others based on variable factors.

Test Track closes all the time in rain. In fact, during my 2017 trip, when it rained for hours almost every day of the trip, TT was the ride most often closed due to weather. So it's not surprising to me at all that RSR closes in the rain. JTTCOTE isn't really a factor here because only about two seconds of that ride is outside and uncovered. Two very very very short stretches are outside and everything else is enclosed. Not the same situation as TT or RSR.

But really, adjusting operations of attractions based on rain is something that every park on earth that is outdoors has to deal with. Thus, it cannot be used as proof that DLR is uniquely lazy or negligent when it comes to operating attractions in the rain.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to gripe at TWDC generally and TDA specifically. There is no evidence that this is one of them. None.

 

[TP2000]

Ex attractions CM here that can speak on the rain thing.

Some attractions go down in the rain, yes. RSR is one of them. If there’s a tiny sprinkle/mist, usually, at least in Fantasyland, we wouldn’t shut down the “rain” rides (Dumbo, Casey, (can’t exactly remember if Teapcups goes down or not)). We’d only close them during heavy rain/downpour. Once the rain cleared, even if the vehicles were wet, we would reopen.

The photos and videos provided as “proof” that RSR runs in the rain actually prove that it doesn’t, as it’s not actually raining in the photos and videos. It’s obvious it rained, but it’s not actively raining, hence why the ride reopened at some point in the day(s).

Eh.... in that first video I posted it actually is raining.

You can see the physical raindrops falling as the vehicle approaches the seatbelt check station outside (Pull on the yellow tab!). And it's raining when the car travels up the outside portion of the track past the waterfall. You can even see the windshield coated in water. Then when it goes back outside for high speed race finale' of the attraction, it's still raining and you can hear the water pelting against the microphone and the rider's ponchos. Not only is it actively raining during all that, but it's obviously been raining for some time as the outdoor track is wet, there is standing water alongside the indoors track, and the vehicles actually splash! into the pool of standing water in the sharp drop right before the finish line.

That would obviously take a continued operation in the rain for the vehicles to track that amount of water into those indoor spaces.



When were you trained as an Attractions Hostess on Radiator Springs Racers?

When I walked by on Wednesday Teacups and Alice were both closed.

Yes, those two rides have closed during rain for decades. It doesn't take much rain to close them, just about 10 minutes of light rain or drizzle will do it, as I've observed.

But across the way at Matterhorn Bobsleds, that ride runs in the rain quite routinely since 1959. So does Thunder Mountain, or Splash Mountain, or It's A Small World even though the boats flood with water. Also Astro Orbiter, and Jungle Cruise, even Autopia.

 

[TP2000]

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to gripe at TWDC generally and TDA specifically. There is no evidence that this is one of them. None.

I disagree. This isn't about random downtimes caused by heavy rain or weird, violent thunder storms.

There have been days in the past two weeks where the rainfall in Anaheim Resort District has been measured in less than a tenth of an inch. And Radiator Springs Racers closed for hours at a time on those days the moment that rain arrived at the weather station two blocks west of DCA.

Then today, when it was partly cloudy and no rain happened anywhere near Anaheim, the ride performed nearly flawlessly. There was a 90 minute downtime around lunch, then it ran continually through park closing at 10pm. No rain in sight.

There is no rain forecast for Anaheim on Sunday the 8th. There is rain forecast for Monday afternoon through Tuesday the 9th. It will be interesting to see how Racers performs those days when it is actively raining, however lightly, in the Anaheim Resort District.

Radiator Springs Racers used to operate regularly in the rain back in the 2010's. I'm surprised how many Parks fans don't remember that, or are somehow willing to excuse TDA their willingness to shutter DCA's most popular E Ticket due to a passing light rain shower.

This isn't Orlando, which can have torrential rains of an inch per hour year-round. This is Anaheim, when even on "Rainy Days!" that happen irregularly three months per year, it only rains an inch or less per day. Radiator Springs Racers was designed to operate in the rain, and it used to do that regularly. It no longer does.

 

[TP2000]

By the way, I'm not arguing that some Disneyland/DCA rides don't close in the rain.

As anyone who has had an AP over a winter knows, there's a short list of outdoor rides in both parks that close almost immediately after rain starts falling. They are, in no particular order (remind me if I forgot one)...

• Alice In Wonderland
• Teacups
• StorybookLand Canal Boats
• Luigi's Roadsters
• Davy Crockett Canoes
• Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island
• Sailing Ship Columbia
• Goofy's Sky School
• Gadget's Go Coaster

Did I forget any?

But one of the outdoor rides that used to operate routinely in the rain, just like Matterhorn or Big Thunder or the Fun Wheel or Autopia or Jungle Cruise or Dumbo or Astro Oribter or Mater's Junkyard Jamboree or Casey Jr. or Winnie The Pooh, was Radiator Springs Racers.

But then this winter, something changed at Racers. What was it? And thus we have... this thread!

 

[PiratesMansion]

I disagree. This isn't about random downtimes caused by heavy rain or weird, violent thunder storms.

There have been days in the past two weeks where the rainfall in Anaheim Resort District has been measured in less than a tenth of an inch. And Radiator Springs Racers closed for hours at a time on those days the moment that rain arrived at the weather station two blocks west of DCA.

Then today, when it was partly cloudy and no rain happened anywhere near Anaheim, the ride performed nearly flawlessly. There was a 90 minute downtime around lunch, then it ran continually through park closing at 10pm. No rain in sight.

View attachment 690671

There is no rain forecast for Anaheim on Sunday the 8th. There is rain forecast for Monday afternoon through Tuesday the 9th. It will be interesting to see how Racers performs those days when it is actively raining, however lightly, in the Anaheim Resort District.

Radiator Springs Racers used to operate regularly in the rain back in the 2010's. I'm surprised how many Parks fans don't remember that, or are somehow willing to excuse TDA their willingness to shutter DCA's most popular E Ticket due to a passing light rain shower.

This isn't Orlando, which can have torrential rains of an inch per hour year-round. This is Anaheim, when even on "Rainy Days!" that happen irregularly three months per year, it only rains an inch or less per day. Radiator Springs Racers was designed to operate in the rain, and it used to do that regularly. It no longer does.

It's possible that safety standards simply changed. Cedar Point in Ohio, for example, used to keep running all the trains on its roller coasters in rain if it was able to do so. Then two trains on one roller coaster had a minor collision in rain, and so now they have a tendency to, if their coasters remain open, go down to only running with one train until weather improves. Safety standards change all the time at parks, and we're almost never privy to the reasons. That is not evidence of laziness or ineptitude on the part of the park.

It doesn't necessarily need to be heavy rain to close TT either.

In terms of the videos you present as evidence, I'm not sure what they necessarily prove. You say that they prove the ride operated in rain. But looking at those two videos, both were from years ago, which could simply mean that safety standards have changed, as stated above. We also were not present and thus cannot know the exact circumstances in which the ride was deemed ok to operate.

In the first video, it is indeed clearly raining at the start of the video. However, I dispute what you said about the interiors. With the interiors, it does indeed look like the track is shiny in the way that surfaces reflect light when they have been rained on. But what I noticed is that the same 'rainy-day sheen' look appears visible underneath the cop car at the beginning, Mater, and several of the stationary cars inside the interior version of Radiator Springs. These 'cars' would have no reason to have that rainy day shine as they remain off the ride track. This leads me to believe that this might be evidence of something other than rain seeping into the interior-perhaps hydraulic fluid or some other liquid that runs through AAs.

During the second video, it is unclear to me that it is actually raining at the moment the video it was shot. Sure, the video is called RSR in the rain and the outside track appears wet. However, the only water shown on the screen appears to have already been extant on the vehicles and track; the only time water visibly appears to be falling on the screen is when cars begin the race and first go outside. This means that it may well have simply been dripping down the outside wall, much in the same way as water sometimes drips from trees even after it is no longer actively raining.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the anecdotal opinions of riders either. It doesn't take much for "it was raining and then we rode Radiator Springs Racers [after it stopped raining]" to become conflated into "They rode RSR in the rain."

Again, the "something changed" is almost certainly based on anecdotal evidence or, if a genuine operational change did occur, is almost certainly because some safety rule changed. Disney isn't going to take down the most popular ride at DCA "just because" they feel like cutting some operational costs. Even Disney's not that stupid. And if Disney were one to unflinchingly take rides down for the heck of it, then theoretically they would have fixed Indiana Jones a long time ago instead of visibly doing only the bare minimum to keep the ride running until they finally close it for this imminent grand refurb.

"It operated one way and now it operates another", if it indeed regularly operated in such a way, is not proof of laziness or corporate ineptitude. It's only proof of change.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Eh.... in that first video I posted it actually is raining.

You can see the physical raindrops falling as the vehicle approaches the seatbelt check station outside (Pull on the yellow tab!). And it's raining when the car travels up the outside portion of the track past the waterfall. You can even see the windshield coated in water. Then when it goes back outside for high speed race finale' of the attraction, it's still raining and you can hear the water pelting against the microphone and the rider's ponchos. Not only is it actively raining during all that, but it's obviously been raining for some time as the outdoor track is wet, there is standing water alongside the indoors track, and the vehicles actually splash! into the pool of standing water in the sharp drop right before the finish line.

That would obviously take a continued operation in the rain for the vehicles to track that amount of water into those indoor spaces.



When were you trained as an Attractions Hostess on Radiator Springs Racers?

It’s not raining. I don’t see heavy downpour. I see nothing substantial that would cause the ride to shut down. Also, it’s quite possible that safety standards for the ride evolved over time.

I have said many times that I was a Fantasyland attractions CM. Did you ever work as an RSR CM?

 

[Parteecia]

Has anyone here personally ridden it in the rain? I've been riding it since AP previews and haven't. And, as shown by my earlier post about Screamin', I would've gone on it if it had been open. It was part of our regular rotation.

History: at least once a week visits for decades (minus last few years), rain or shine unless the rain was so scary that it would be stupid to drive there, which was a very few times.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

"It operated one way and now it operates another", if it indeed regularly operated in such a way, is not proof of laziness or corporate ineptitude. It's only proof of change.

Boom. Thread closed. lol