An unexpected fright unfolded on the beloved attraction, “It’s a Small World.”
Guests at Disney World faced an alarming incident during a mid-morning visit to the iconic ride, as a fire reportedly erupted while they were in transit.
Videos captured from within the attraction depict cast members swiftly mobilizing to tackle the situation, even as the boats proceeded on their path.
A TikTok video uploaded by user @Coach Bragg revealed a Disney team member utilizing a fire extinguisher to address the smoke hovering over the boats at Magic Kingdom. Additionally, another perspective was shared by TikTok user “lowkey.lilyana15.”
The uploader commented on the promptness of the response, noting, “Disney Cast Members were fast acting to extinguish the small fire!”
Online accounts circulating alongside the footage claim the incident was caused by a guest’s portable phone charger that allegedly ignited inside a bag during the ride.
One TikTok user wrote that the device, not the attraction, was responsible, saying: “This was a guest’s portable charger exploding – not Disney or the ride. You can blame them for a lot but not this one…”
Another user, Hanna, claimed a family member was involved and described the incident, alleging a child placed a bag containing a new magnetic portable charger between their legs before it burst into flames, forcing an evacuation of guests.
A separate comment from someone identifying as a Disney cast member also circulated online, backing up the account and saying the ride itself was not damaged, writing: “This is correct. SW CM here! Everyone is okay, including the ride itself.”
Disney has not publicly confirmed the cause of the reported fire.
The California Post has reached out to Walt Disney World for comment.
The incident comes as Disneyland in California has seen a separate string of ride disruptions and on-ride incidents in recent months, leaving guests briefly stranded or exposed to behind-the-scenes elements of attractions.
On May 27, the Haunted Mansion reportedly stalled near closing time, leaving riders stuck in the graveyard scene inside “Doom Buggies.”
Guests said they were initially told to remain seated while cast members worked on an evacuation plan before the ride lights were turned on to assist with exiting.
Riders described sitting for several minutes in the illuminated scene before being instructed on how to manually release restraints and exit the ride vehicles.
In another recent incident at Disneyland, a 13-year-old boy reportedly went over a waterfall on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure after allegedly attempting to exit a ride vehicle as it approached a roughly 50-foot drop, according to footage obtained by TMZ.
The ride was stopped immediately.
The teen was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation and later released.
Officials said the attraction was inspected by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and reopened the following Monday without issue.