With Hurricane Milton taking aim at Florida’s west coast this Wednesday, a number of closures have been announced in preparation for the storm, from schools to airports. And Orlando being along the path of what is described by forecasters as an “extremely powerful hurricane,” those with tickets to Walt Disney World and other Orlando parks may be wondering how it will impact their trip.
Will Disney World close due to Milton?
In an announcement made Tuesday, the resort announced that its theme parks and Disney Springs will be closed in phases beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9. Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will close at 1 p.m. while Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney Springs close at 2 p.m.
Additionally, the theme parks will likely remain closed on Thursday, October 10. Disney Springs might reopen on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings.
This includes the cancellation of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom on Thursday. You’ll be refunded if you have tickets to the party.
In its FAQ for hurricanes, Disney says that in the event that a hurricane warning is issued for the park area or visitors’ place of residence within seven days of arrival, rescheduling or cancellations are possible without any cancellation or change fees. However, this doesn’t cover products and services “provided by third-party suppliers included in your vacation—such as air transportation, hotels, car rental agencies or travel insurance companies.”
With that being said, Disney will not enforce cancellation policies for dining reservations and other experiences until further notice. Prepaid bookable experiences will be automatically refunded within 7-10 business days.
Within the announcement, the park added that Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will close at 11 a.m. Wednesday and are likely to remain closed until Sunday, October 13.
As for transport, Walt Disney World Transportation will stop operating on Wednesday after Disney Springs and the theme parks close.
How often has Disney World closed for a hurricane?
In its 53 year history, the park has only closed 11 times, according to WDW Magazine. Nine of those were due to hurricanes: Floyd (1999), Charley (2004), Frances (2004), Jeanne (2004), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Dorian (2019), Ian (2022) and Nicole (2022).
The park’s closure for Hurricane Milton will mark the 12th time.
How about other Orlando parks?
In a Tuesday weather alert, Universal Orlando Resort stated that it will close its theme parks and entertainment district at 2 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed on Thursday. This includes Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk.
Volcano Bay will also be closed on both days, in addition to Halloween Horror Nights, which will be canceled for October 9 and 10.
“Our hotels remain operational as they focus on taking care of our guests,” the weather alert reads. “We anticipate a full reopening of our destination, including Halloween Horror Nights, on Friday, Oct. 11 at our normal operating hours pending the outcome of storm impacts.”
On a similar note, SeaWorld Orlando will remain open on Tuesday, October 8. However, it will close on Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday, October 10.
“Please check our social media for updates regarding park opening on Friday, October 11th,” a message on SeaWorld’s website reads.