Guests at Disneyland were forced to evacuate themselves from the Haunted Mansion after the ride experienced an electrical malfunction late on May 27. According to Disneyland officials, the ride stalled around 11 p.m., leaving riders trapped in their 'doom buggies' until they were instructed to unclip themselves and find the nearest exit.
Evacuation Details
As the ride's lights came on, an overhead announcement directed guests to release themselves from their seats. A male Disney employee was heard saying, 'Once again, all my guests inside the Haunted Mansion, we can no longer assist you at this time. We ask that you get out of your buggy and find the nearest exit.' Riders were told to locate a latch on the ride to free themselves while props continued to activate around them.
Guests were seen filing out of the mansion in a single-file line. All riders were successfully evacuated, and no injuries were reported, according to The Orange County Register.
Unanswered Questions
It remains unclear why employees were unable to assist riders directly. Initially, guests were told to remain seated. Social media users claiming to be former Disney cast members expressed surprise at the self-evacuation procedure. One TikTok user wrote, 'I worked at Disneyland and trust me we would never have evacuated anyone alone like that unless it was an extreme emergency.' Another added, 'As a former cast member, I have never done an evac like this, something must have been VERY wrong.'
Disney has not confirmed whether an emergency existed. The Daily Mail has reached out to Disneyland for comment.
Comparison to Standard Procedures
Typically, a ride evacuation involves a staff member walking along the track and manually releasing passengers from their seats. The self-evacuation method used at the Haunted Mansion appears to deviate from standard practice.
This incident follows a separate emergency in March, when five Disney employees were hospitalized due to a hazmat situation backstage near the Star Tours ride. Building materials used by a contractor caused shortness of breath and dizziness among workers, though no guests were affected.
