This week, we noticed multiple carpets on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom were unavailable, apparently due to mechanical issues. On Tuesday, December 12, four out of the total 16 carpets were covered in tarps. On Wednesday, December 13, one of the carpets had been repaired but three were still unavailable. The ride continues to operate with somewhat limited capacity during the busiest time of the year.

Magic Carpets Grounded

Carpets 1, 2, 3, and 8 were all covered in aqua-colored plastic sheets and not in use on Tuesday.

Carpet 3 had a red “RRR” tag on one of its tassels. This is the carpet that was repaired overnight and is now operating again.

Carpets 1, 2, and 8 remain unavailable, still covered in tarps, and with the red tag now on carpet 1.

The Cast Member we spoke to did not know the exact problem with the carpets.

When the ride starts, carpets 1 and 8 lift part of the way on their own. Carpet 2 does not.

At the end of the ride, when all the carpets lift to the top together, carpets 1 and 8 do lift while carpet 2 remains grounded. This suggests there are problems with the vehicles’ lift mechanisms.

On Tuesday, carpet 3 was not lifting at all, just like carpet 2.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin does not usually have a very long wait time. On Tuesday — when there were fewer guests because of the early closure for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — it was consistently 5 minutes.

Still, December is one of the busiest months of the year for Walt Disney World and Magic Kingdom in particular as guests visit during the holidays, and even The Magic Carpets of Aladdin is sure to be busy. And three or four broken carpets will cut it into the capacity and extend wait times.

As of writing at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the ride has a 30-minute wait time, which is a little longer than usual. According to Thrill-Data, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin usually has a 15 – 17 average wait time and it’s longest recorded wait time ever was 90 minutes.

Hopefully, carpet 3 being fixed overnight means the other three carpets will be fixed quickly.

How do you feel about the current state of The Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin opened in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom in 2001. It didn’t replace an old ride, instead taking over an empty courtyard space in front of Aloha Isle Refreshments. The next year, a version called Flying Carpets Over Agrabah opened with Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. It’s the final opening day ride still operating at the park. A third version of the ride, Jasmine’s Flying Carpets, opened at Tokyo DisneySea in 2011.

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