A sudden mid-morning fire broke out inside Magic Kingdom yesterday, forcing an emergency evacuation of a classic Fantasyland attraction. The incident occurred around 10:30 AM at Walt Disney World’s iconic “it’s a small world” water ride. Thick smoke rapidly filled the indoor boat loading station, sparking immediate safety concerns among nearby parkgoers.
The brief blaze was completely unrelated to Disney’s internal ride mechanisms or complex electrical systems. Instead, the fire was triggered entirely by a guest’s personal portable electronic phone charger. Eyewitnesses reported that a new magnetic external battery pack experienced a sudden thermal runaway failure. The device rapidly began shooting sparks and burst into flames while sitting inside a visitor’s bag.
Quick Actions In Fantasyland
Disney Cast Members acted incredibly fast to contain the situation and protect the guests inside the building. Quick-thinking employees immediately deployed dry chemical fire extinguishers directly into the watercraft vehicle to smother the flaming backpack. This vital emergency response created a large, dense white cloud of fire-retardant residue that temporarily engulfed the entire indoor queue line. The rapid emergency evacuation and the massive cloud of smoke were captured on video by parkgoers, as you can see below:
@coachbragg Turning up the heat on It’s a small world 🔥 #fire #itsasmallworld ♬ original sound – Coach Bragg
The indoor line was quickly cleared as park staff escorted guests out of the building within moments. Nearby boats filled with riders were safely held at various points along the water channel until the air cleared. Cast Members methodically moved from boat to boat, helping families step out of the ride vehicles and guiding them to safety.
Clearing Smoke And Reopening
No injuries were reported among theme park visitors or Disney staff members during the containment process. Maintenance crews quickly deployed the building’s industrial ventilation systems to clear the heavy smoke from the showroom. Workers also deep-cleaned the chemical residue from the concrete dock, allowing the ride to fully reopen just 90 minutes later.
Because there was zero structural or mechanical damage to the attraction, Disney officials cleared the ride for normal operations by midday. The swift response from the park’s staff ensured that a potentially dangerous situation caused minimal disruption to the holiday crowds. The historic boat ride is currently open and running its regular schedule today without any further issues.
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