Disney Roller Coaster Under Investigation After Guests Become Trapped
Guests visiting Disneyland located in Hong Kong were trapped on a roller coaster for nearly one hour after a malfunction caused the ride to come to a halt.
At Hong Kong Disneyland, riders were enjoying the popular coaster, Hyperspace Mountain, when they suddenly came to a stop, resulting in the fire department needing to respond.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) has launched an investigation.
Hyperspace Mountain Comes To Sudden Stop, Traps Guests
On Wednesday, February 7, Disney riders encountered an unexpected detour as they were evacuated from Space Mountain after the ride experienced a malfunction.
“Upon notification of [a] passenger entrapment incident involving the Hyperspace Mountain roller coaster by Disneyland at 3.30pm today, EMSD officers immediately conducted an on-site investigation," the Hong Kong Government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said.
"The preliminary finding revealed that nine trains of roller coasters were in service at the material time. Due to delays in the loading and unloading area, the safety system activated and stopped all trains on the track to prevent other trains from entering the loading and unloading area," the department added.
The department went on to say that because "a train was stopped in an area that was difficult to access, the Disneyland followed the operational procedures to firstly notify the Fire Services Department to seek assistance before arranging the passengers to leave the roller coaster."
Hyperspace Mountain Guests Evacuated Following Malfunction
Luckily, the fire department was able to safely evacuate all passengers, and there were no injuries following the incident.
However, the EMSD has still asked Disneyland to complete a comprehensive inspection of the roller coaster to ensure the safety of Guests moving forward. Disneyland must also submit a report on the incident.
Hyperspace Mountain is a dark coaster located at Hong Kong Disneyland and is described as "Dodge blaster fire as you dash through a raging dogfight between Rebel X-wing starfighters and Imperial TIE fighters. It’s an epic scene like something right out of a 'Star Wars' movie!"
Disney's website continues to tell the backstory of the attraction:
"The adventure begins as Admiral Ackbar briefs you on your mission: the Rebel Alliance needs your help flying a reconnaissance vessel to survey an Imperial Star Destroyer spotted near Jakku—a desert planet featured in the new movie, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. An elite X-wing squadron escorts you into hyperspace. You arrive at your destination to find the Star Destroyer waiting for you, surrounded by a swarm of TIE fighters. It’s a trap!"
An Update From Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (Feb 7, 2024):
At about 3 PM, during the operation of the Hyperspace Mountain, a delay in guest boarding at the loading area prevented the train from departing as scheduled. As a safety measure, the ride control system was triggered… pic.twitter.com/5OF3scPQiC
— Disney Magical Kingdom Blog (@DMK_Blog) February 7, 2024
A version of the ride, called Space Mountain, is also located at other Disney Parks including Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.
Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005 and is jointly owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong Government. Last year, the park welcomed its 100 millionth visitor.
This incident comes after Disney announced the coaster was scheduled to close for routine maintenance from February 26 to March 1, 2024.
