Riders stranded for hours on Disneyland Ferris wheel

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A Ferris wheel at Disneyland's California Adventure stalled Thursday afternoon with riders aboard after experiencing technical difficulties.

Dozens of riders, including Anthony Sanchez, were stranded for more than two hours on Mickey's Fun Wheel.

"It was definitely hot up there. First 45 minutes was, we had no communication of what was happening. We could hear someone saying, 'Thanks for your patience.' We didn't know what was happening," Sanchez told CBS Los Angeles.

The Disney trip was a mini-vacation for Sanchez, his nieces and other relatives visiting from Northern California. The girls slept through most of it as the adults, suspended in two cages, worried.

In a written statement shortly after the trouble began, the theme park said, "We are working to evacuate our guests as soon as possible. The safety of our Guests and Cast Members is our highest priority."

CBS Los Angeles reported the Ferris wheel was manually rotated so riders could get off.

"We walked out and they had wet towels, water, and ice cream for us. They were very very apologetic about it," Sanchez said.

In addition to those cold towels and water, the stranded guests were given a free one-day pass.

No one was injured.

The Ferris wheel was expected to be open to riders Friday.