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Spaceship Earth Evacuated After EPCOT Malfunction Traps Riders

Guests were led down emergency stairs under work lights during a roughly 40-minute disruption.

Overview

  • The attraction malfunctioned around 7:20 p.m. on January 21, halting vehicles and stranding riders, including some near the top of the sphere.
  • Passengers waited about 15 minutes before an evacuation was announced, after which cast members opened vehicle doors one by one and guided a 10-minute descent.
  • Reddit user u/splendidsandpiper posted rare photos showing the illuminated upper interior and the backside of the geodesic dome’s triangular tiles.
  • Evacuated guests received complimentary Lightning Lane passes that excluded Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
  • Guests said the passes expired within about an hour near park close, and Spaceship Earth had resumed normal operation by the time reports were published.