Stuck Riders Removed From Ferris Wheel At Disneyland's California Adventure
ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — A Ferris wheel at Disneyland's California Adventure stalled Thursday afternoon with riders aboard after experiencing technical difficulties.
The theme park confirmed that Mickey's Fun Wheel was experiencing technical difficulties.
In a written statement, the 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."
The incident was initially reported to the CBS2 newsroom by a viewer, who called around 5:18 p.m.
Riders, like Anthony Sanchez, were stranded for more than two hours.
"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," he told KCAL9's Michele Gile.
The Disney trip was a mini-vacation for Sanchez as well as for his young nieces and other relatives visiting from Northern California. The girls slept through most of it as the adults, suspended in two cages, worried.
Mickey's Fun Wheel had to be manually rotated so riders could get off. As of 6 p.m., all passengers had been removed, according to Sky9's Stu Mundel.
"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 will be open to riders Friday.
