Disney Announces Delayed Opening for Hurricane Nicole

Hurricane Nicole Delayed Park Schedule Update

Okay, the entire situation remains fluid since we don’t know what Hurricane Nicole will do. However, Disney has posted its tentative plans for park operations on Thursday, November 10th. Here’s what they’ve announced.

Walt Disney World’s theme parks will operate on a phased opening schedule. Here’s the text straight from the official site:

• Magic Kingdom Park: Noon to 6:00 PM (Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is scheduled for 7:00 PM to midnight.)
• EPCOT: 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM (Fantasmic! will not be presented on Thursday, November 10.)

Putting two and two together for you, the first park to open is Magic Kingdom. If you have a Park Pass there for Thursday, you’ll only have six hours, though. Disney intends to host tomorrow’s sold-out Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party starting at 7 p.m. 

Those of you who want a full park day – and don’t have Very Merry tickets – should consider EPCOT or Hollywood Studios instead. You’ll enjoy eight hours of operation at these two parks. Conversely, you’ll get six at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom.

Hurricane Nicole Park Transportation Information 

In terms of transportation, the buses, gondolas, and monorails will start 30 minutes before park opening. So, the earliest you can catch a ride is 11:30 a.m., and that will only take you to Magic Kingdom. 

Buses will transport guests from Disney Springs starting at 2 p.m. The entertainment complex opens at noon, though. The language isn’t clear about when buses start taking guests to Disney Springs, though. I’d guess 11:30 a.m., but it may not be until 2 p.m. Please ask a cast member if you need a precise answer. 

Disney has also added the following about tickets: 

“Partially used multi-day theme park tickets with a validity window impacted by Hurricane Nicole will be automatically extended within 24 hours to allow use of the remaining unused ticket days through September 20, 2023.” 

Disney has confidently indicated that Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will reopen on Thursday. They must have a lot of faith in the weather reports they’re getting, which is good news for everyone in the area. 

The other operational note involves character meals. Restaurants won’t have characters appear on Thursday so as to serve more customers than normal. 

During character meals, many guests wait until they’ve taken pictures with all the characters, which dramatically slows down the process. Disney must prioritize volume business since more people will hang out at the hotels on Thursday morning due to the delayed park openings. 

Finally, Disney has announced some other modest operational changes, one of which is obvious. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue won’t host performances on Thursday. The various restaurants at Disney resorts have posted their modified hours as well. You can read the full list here.