When you hop on the Disneyland Monorail for a breezy ride between Tomorrowland and the resort hotels, the last thing you expect is to spend the next several hours suspended high above the theme park waiting for firefighters to climb up and rescue you. But that’s exactly what happened to about 60 guests on January 8, 2026, when a power outage brought two monorail trains to a dead stop on the elevated tracks.
According to [multiple news reports](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/60-people-evacuated-from-disneylands-monorail-after-power-outage/), the Disneyland Monorail lost power around 3:30 PM, stranding passengers until approximately 7:00 PM. One train stopped near the esplanade, while another was stuck high above Tomorrowland, close to Space Mountain—hardly the futuristic experience guests had in mind.
## A Rescue Operation Unlike Any Other Disney Emergency
Here’s where things got dramatic. When the monorail’s beam lost power and the trains couldn’t move, Disneyland couldn’t simply restart the system and send everyone on their way. The Anaheim Fire Department was dispatched just before 5:00 PM to execute a ladder rescue operation.
Yes, you read that right. Firefighters brought ladders to the elevated monorail track and helped guests climb down from the train cars, one by one. First responders predicted the evacuation could take up to two hours—and they weren’t exaggerating.
Imagine being a guest on that train. You boarded for what should have been a quick, scenic ride through the park, and instead found yourself part of an emergency rescue operation that required climbing down a ladder from a train suspended stories above the ground. It’s the kind of Disney experience that definitely doesn’t make it into the promotional videos.
## What Caused the Power Outage?
A Disneyland Resort spokesperson confirmed to Eyewitness News that the monorail beam lost power Thursday afternoon, affecting both trains. While the specific cause wasn’t detailed in initial reports, what matters most is that the safety systems worked exactly as intended—the trains stopped safely rather than continuing without power.
The good news? Despite the dramatic nature of the rescue and the hours-long ordeal, no one was injured. The Anaheim Fire & Rescue team executed a flawless evacuation, getting all 60 passengers safely back to solid ground.
## The Monorail Is Temporarily Closed
Following the incident, Disneyland officials confirmed that the Monorail attraction would be temporarily closed for safety inspections. This is standard protocol after any mechanical issue, especially one that requires emergency evacuation. The closure ensures that engineers can thoroughly examine the power system, identify what went wrong, and prevent it from happening again.
If you’re planning a Disneyland visit in the near future, we recommend checking the [Disneyland app](https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/disneyland-app/) for the most up-to-date information on when the Monorail will reopen.
## What This Means for Your Disneyland Visit
The Disneyland Monorail is one of those classic attractions that’s both transportation and experience—a chance to glide above the park and see Tomorrowland, Downtown Disney, and the resort hotels from a unique vantage point. It’s also a convenient way to travel between Disneyland Park and the Disneyland Hotel area without walking.
While it’s closed, you’ll need to rely on alternative transportation:
– **Walking**: The walk from Disneyland Park to the resort hotels via Downtown Disney is pleasant and takes 10-15 minutes
– **Hotel shuttle services**: Check with your resort hotel for shuttle schedules
– **Rideshare**: Uber and Lyft operate throughout the Disneyland Resort area
The silver lining? This incident showcases Disney’s emergency response protocols and the rapid coordination with local fire departments. Every guest was safely evacuated, and the company immediately took the attraction offline to investigate and address the issue.
## Our Take
We’ve all experienced ride breakdowns at theme parks—maybe you’ve been stuck on “it’s a small world” listening to that song loop for 20 minutes, or paused mid-ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. But a multi-hour evacuation requiring fire department ladders? That’s next-level unusual, even for Disney.
What’s most impressive here is how smoothly the emergency response unfolded despite the complexity. Evacuating 60 people from elevated monorail trains using ladders is no small feat, yet everyone got out safely without injuries.
For the guests involved, this was undoubtedly a stressful and uncomfortable experience—being stranded for hours, then having to climb down ladders from a suspended train. We hope Disney provided appropriate compensation and support to those affected. (And honestly, if you were one of those 60 guests, you’ve earned a story that’ll last a lifetime.)
The temporary closure is the right call. Better to take the time to thoroughly inspect the system and ensure it’s 100% safe than to rush the Monorail back into service. We’ll update this post when Disney announces the reopening date.
Have you ever been evacuated from a Disney attraction? What happened? We’d love to hear your story.
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*Source: [CBS Los Angeles](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/60-people-evacuated-from-disneylands-monorail-after-power-outage/)*
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