When a ride shuts down at Disneyland, the first thought usually goes to some sort of malfunction on the machine or track, but a new statistic is on the rise. According to Mickey Visit, guest behavior is responsible for a surprising amount of ride shutdowns.
Natalie Katzka, director of attractions engineering services at Disneyland, told the customer newsletter that shutdowns caused by guest behavior have increased from 10% to 13% in 2025.
‘Guest behavior’
Some of the behaviors cited by Katzka were riders not following safety rules, such as remaining seated during rides or keeping hands inside vehicles.
Other causes include “guests’ loose articles, like mouse ears, water bottles or backpacks” and “falling from a ride vehicle in motion.” These mishaps can sometimes cause delays lasting multiple hours.
The engineering team views these as “unnecessary, preventable circumstances” that disrupt the days of parkgoers, who sometimes have to wait hours before a ride is available again.
Instead of pleading with riders to put their phones away to try and prevent “unnecessary” delays, the park has decided to implement bans for certain rides.
Which rides are changing?
Next time you go to the famous Anaheim park, if you plan to ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway or the Incredicoaster, do not be surprised.
On the runaway railway, the park has introduced a phone ban that is strictly enforced, Parade reports.
“Cast members won’t start the ride if a guest has their phone in their lap or otherwise not stowed in a secure place,” Katzka said.
Because the ride is trackless, if phones are dropped, they can be crushed and cause significant damage to the ride, resulting in obnoxious closures.
At Disney California Adventure, the Incredicoaster has introduced a water bottle ban. The popular ride moves at 55 mph and goes upside down, so heavy, hard water bottles, which are trending right now, could be a clear danger should a water bottle escape the grasp of its owner.
To avoid flying projectiles, a dedicated shelf sits at the loading station for people to place their water bottles before the ride takes off.
Fan reaction
The recent bans introduced brought mixed reactions from fans who celebrated the bans and others who criticized the ban.
“Good luck enforcing it though. The Stanley cup does have it a bit easier to enforce since it’s so big, but how exactly are you going to ban the phone? You can’t exactly do a body search, and literally all it takes is for someone to grab it out of their pocket when the attendant isn’t watching,” Calebg451 wrote.
Another said, “I always laugh when I see someone lose there phones on roller coasters.”
“So many other Theme parks have had these rules in place for ages. Disney is actually way behind in rule implementation. Plus Disney doesn’t enforce rules so is anyone actually going to listen,” dsny_joy said.
Mr.anthonyarts added, “I was there when somebody got hit in the face with a Stanley on the Incredibles coaster.”
“I’m a little sad about the phones, but I 100% understand. Streaming has ruined it for a lot of people, myself included. Good to hear Disney is taking the steps needed!” _magicalxness commented on Instagram.
What other rules are changing?
The famous park recently introduced facial recognition at entry points to prevent fraudulent ticket use, according to The Guardian. The technology can detect if someone has already entered the grounds and also prevent annual pass sharing.
Automated entry points, in theory, should be quicker and allow guests to ride their favorite ride sooner instead of waiting outside the park. However, increased security at gates could counter the automation, as Disneyland takes further action to keep unwanted items, such as vapes, from entering the park, according to Disney Food Blog.
Guests can opt out of having their face scanned, the park says.
Another change Disneyland is introducing will be the ability to hop between Disneyland and California Adventure at anytime. Before park guests with a “Park Hopper” ticket or a “Magic Key” pass had to wait until 11 a.m., but once it is changed, park hopping will be able to take place at any time, according to WDWNT.
What other parks are doing
Parade reports that Universal Orlando has even more strict rules than Disneyland, with plenty of rides requiring unsecured items to be put in a locker before boarding.
For Stardust Racers, VelociCoaster and The Incredible Hulk Coaster, passengers must pass through a metal detector with nothing in their pockets, not even keys. With an upgrade in 2026, passengers no longer need to carry a ticket to retrieve their items in the lockers. Instead, the lockers scan faces and automatically open up when the rider returns.