Visitors at Walt Disney World had more heat than they bargained for when a fire broke out at EPCOT over the weekend. What started as a magical evening of overpriced churros and Mickey-shaped pretzels quickly turned into something out of an action movie, as thick smoke was seen billowing from the France Pavilion.
Guests watching the flames were heard exclaiming, “Oh my God, it’s right there!”—which is exactly what you don’t want to hear at a theme park unless someone’s pointing at a hidden Mickey.
According to reports, Disney staff had to evacuate Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride, meaning poor Remy might have just burned his béchamel sauce beyond repair. Some guests were led to a backstage area, likely getting an unexpected glimpse of the real magic—cast members out of costume and possibly someone named Steve fixing a broken animatronic.
The fire couldn’t have picked a worse time to make its grand debut, as EPCOT is currently bursting at the seams with Spring Break crowds. However, in a rare stroke of theme park luck, officials confirmed that no injuries were reported.
Mickey Mouse has yet to comment on the incident, but we assume he’s somewhere saying, “Oh boy!” while Goofy panics in the background.
Disney has not yet confirmed the cause of the fire, but sources close to the situation speculate that Gaston may have been trying to impress some ladies by lighting something on fire and, well, things got a little out of hand.
Stay tuned for more updates, and in the meantime, let’s all take a moment to appreciate the fact that EPCOT’s next big attraction wasn’t an impromptu firework show.