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Dear Walt Disney World Guests: Stay In The Dang Ride Vehicle!

If you’re a Disney Parks fan, or somebody who follows the latest news and photos coming out of Walt Disney World and the other Parks around the world, you may have noticed a disturbing trend lately – Guests getting out of their ride vehicle. And not just reckless kids, either!

These range from the (seemingly) relatively benign and virtually unnoticeable, like putting your hands in the water on a boat ride in the Magic Kingdom, to actions that are clearly malicious and deliberately ruin other Guests‘ experience, like jumping onstage at the Carousel of Progress.

mr-toad-ride-vehicle

Credit: Heritage Auction

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But no matter how enticing, harmless, or hilarious you may think it will be, we exhort all Walt Disney World Guests, from kids to adults, to keep this key rule in mind: STAY IN YOUR DANG RIDE VEHICLE!

Now, if you’re inclined to break the cardinal rule of Disney attractions and get out of your vehicle, chances are you find it an enticing enough activity that you’re willing to risk the chance of being removed from the property, permanently banned from all Disney Parks globally (and from Universal and Sea World), and possibly even arrested for trespassing. So we’re not going to try to convince you by pointing out these possible consequences. Instead, let’s talk about why getting out of the vehicle can be harmful to the attractions, to you, and to other Guests.

Here’s why what feels like a bit of innocent fun is actually harmful, dangerous, and extremely selfish behavior.

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Intricate Attractions = Delicate Attractions

Though some people may get out of their vehicle to be a daredevil, and because they feel above the rules that Disney lays out for them, there are certainly some who love the Parks so much that they want to experience their favorite attraction up close and personal. What they may not realize, however, is that doing so runs the risk of destroying the very thing they cherish.

The thing about all the lavish, well-designed, intricate show sets you see on Disney World attractions is that it’s very easy to disrupt that intricacy. A magical illusion can be destroyed by something as simple as a fingerprint smudge on a pane of glass, a table-cloth edge being moved to reveal a mechanism at work, or a missing prop creating a confusing story moment.

Haunted Mansion Ballroom Scene

Credit: Disney

For as incredibly expensive and immersive as these rides and attractions are, it’s remarkable how fragile they also are. When a passenger exits their vehicle to walk around in a show scene, they’re more likely than not to break something, perhaps permanently injuring an important part of the show.

But that risk is almost nothing in comparison to the risk of permanently injuring themselves or other Guests

Do You Want To Die At Disney World? Because That’s How You Die At Disney World

Statistically, the most dangerous ride at Walt Disney World is the car ride to and from the Parks (and that’s your own car or Uber; the Disney World buses have a very good safety record!). However, that doesn’t mean there haven’t ever been injuries or deaths on any attractions.

The most common deaths related to Park rides arise from tragic, pre-existing conditions (whether known or unknown) that are exacerbated by the motion of a ride. That’s why you see the warning signs before each queue line with a list of every known medical issue that might be a concern for riders.

But the second most common form of death or injury at Walt Disney World comes from – you guessed it – Guests who exited their ride vehicle. Now, obviously, on a ride like Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain (any Disney mountain, really) the risks are clear, as the speed of your vehicle alone would create a safety hazard should you try to get out. But even seemingly slow-moving dark rides can provide a danger to anybody outside of a vehicle.

big-thunder-mountain-disneyland

Credit: Disney

Take the Haunted Mansion, for example. When you get out of your vehicle, the first thing you risk is that there may not being a platform to stand on. You could drop through an unseen hole and get injured or worse. Then, assuming you’ve found someplace to stand, if you aren’t clear of the passing Doom Buggies you could get caught on one of them and dragged or crushed. And each vehicle is so massive that even a glancing blow to a body part could break bones or cause serious head injuries.

No matter what they may say, the ghosts at the Haunted Mansion don’t actually want your spirit to join them. But if you exit your vehicle, you just might end up as unlucky ghost number one thousand.

jamie-lee-curtis-doom-buggy

Credit: StreamrNews (Twitter)

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Other Guests Aren’t Here For Your Antics

If risking injury to an attraction or to yourself isn’t motivating enough, the final thing to remember when you’re thinking about exiting a ride vehicle at Disney World is quite simple – you’re not the center of the (small) world.

Now, the Disney magic is so effective that it might make you think otherwise. Cast Members make every Guest feel special; attractions are designed to make you the main character of any story; and, well, you certainly paid enough to feel like you deserve special attention. But every person you see at a Disney Park gets that same experience. They’re just as special as you are, they paid just as much to be there, and they deserve to have the experience that has been designed and created for them.

two guests outside big thunder mountain

Credit: Disney

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Nothing ruins an immersive show set more than watching another Guest cavort amidst the scenery and animatronics. You may think you’re hilarious, and your friends might even laugh, but everyone else is trying to enjoy themselves without your interference. Just remember – you’re the background extra in many more people’s videos than you are the star in ones taken by people you know, so don’t force yourself into others’ stories and ruin their experience.

In short, the quickest way to prove that you’re not an actual Disney Parks fan is to try to get onto a show scene and destroy the very tenuous magic that makes Disney World work for all Guests.

So please, kids and adults, we beg you, no matter what, above all else – STAY IN THE DANG RIDE VEHICLE!

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and may not reflect those of Disney Tips as a whole. 

About Andrew Friedenthal