Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Disneyland Resort’s Autopia ride has been part of the park since its opening in 1955, marking almost 70 years of operations. But last week, two separate accidents halted the attraction in a matter of just a few days.
These days, Autopia is known more for its nostalgic charm and distinct gasoline smell than its modern-day thrills. Despite numerous technical updates and corporate sponsor changes over the years, the ride still uses gasoline-powered cars. These vehicles have become infamous for their unique scent, sparking calls for the attraction’s permanent closure from some Disney Parks fans. Fortunately, that will change in the coming years, as Disneyland Resort has promised to switch to electric-powered cars by the fall of 2026.
Credit: Disney
An overhaul might be just what the ride needs. Last week, Autopia was plagued with several unexpected breakdowns. On Monday, one of the gasoline-powered vehicles broke down halfway through the ride, forcing Disney cast members to step in. The solution? They tied the malfunctioning car to the car behind it and used the working vehicle to “bump” the broken one to the unloading area.
Redditor u/jmtb02, a guest who was on the ride, shared their unusual experience: “Autopia car ahead of mine broke down, so they tied it to my car bumper-to-bumper,” they wrote alongside a photo of a cast member attending to the malfunctioning car. “Lived the lifelong dream of bumping a car all the way back to the station.”
Autopia car ahead of mine broke down, so they tied it to my car bumper-to-bumper. Lived the lifelong dream of bumping a car all the way back to the station
byu/jmtb02 inDisneyland
But that wasn’t the end of the story. Due to the speed of the two cars going downhill, the working vehicle triggered a safety shutdown, and Disney cast members had to manually restart the functional vehicle.
“Took about 15 minutes to fetch a rope and have a cast member supervise the push,” the Disney Park guest explained. “Two Autopia cars going downhill is so fast that the driver car will automatically stall out (safety shutoff?) and need manual restart flipping the switch in the back. 10/10 Autopia.”
Credit: Walt Disney Archives
The issue was just the latest in a series of technical problems with Autopia this week. Just days earlier, another car derailed into the grass, temporarily closing the ride for several hours. Despite these disruptions, the ride was back up and running at the time of this article’s finalization.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve experienced on a Disney Park attraction? Share your story with Disney Tips in the comments!
