Disney Announces Phased Closures for Hurricane Milton
As expected, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort will experience some closures due to Hurricane Milton. Here’s the information you need to know about Orlando theme parks during the storm.
Every Orlando Theme Park Will Close
By Tuesday afternoon, several local theme and amusement parks in Central Florida had announced closures. Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa, Discovery Cove, Gatorland, Legoland Florida, and SeaWorld Orlando all announced that they would close on Wednesday and Thursday, October 9th and 10th.
So, tourists waited for word from the big two, Disney and Universal, about their plans. As has been typical lately, Universal announced first. Here’s the Tweet:
Update from Universal Orlando Resort.
For more information and FAQs, visit https://t.co/4NqV4mCDt4 pic.twitter.com/ReZ565xKi5
— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) October 8, 2024
If you no longer have access to Twitter, the gist is that Volcano Bay will close on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, will close early at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9th. Then, they’ll remain closed on October 10th.
Currently, Universal Orlando Resort expects all three parks to reopen safely on October 11th, and the park has a strong track record in this regard. Remember when the Incredible Hulk Coaster flooded and Jurassic Park River Adventure had part of the wall collapse two years ago? The park still opened as scheduled that day.
The other Universal change of note is that it has canceled Halloween Horror Nights for October 9th and October 10th. At this time, Universal expects the October 11th event to occur as scheduled. So, that’s the Universal side, but you’re in DVC. Here’s what you need to know about Disney…
Disney Will Perform a Phased Closure
On Tuesday, October 8th, at 3:30 p.m., Disney World updated its official Weather Updates page. On that morning, I’d listed the DVC resorts that were closing during Hurricane Milton. Now, we know that the parks will join them. Here’s the new schedule.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9th, and remain fully closed on Thursday, October 10th. EPCOT and Magic Kingdom will remain open until 2 p.m. on Wednesday but then follow the same pattern. So, they’ll stay closed on Thursday as well.
Please note that Disney is using the term “likely” for Thursday, which is a polite way of saying that management would really like to open the parks if possible. Based on the announcement, Disney officials sound cognizant of how unlikely that is, though. The report notes, “We will consider opening Disney Springs on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings.”
Realistically, for tourists at Disney World on Thursday, your best hope is that Disney Springs opens for a time, thereby allowing you to leave your hotel for a while. Given the current ferocity of Hurricane Milton, staying inside may prove to be the safest choice, though.
Recently, hurricane tracking registered a wind force of 155 miles per hour as Milton hovers near Florida. It’s expected to reach Tampa sometime after 8 p.m. but before 8 a.m. overnight on Wednesday. The current projected arrival time for Orlando is 8 a.m. on Thursday, but plenty could change before then.
What to Do If You’re Already in Orlando
Amy Krieger wrote an article on hurricane tips at our sister site, DVC Fan. It’s definitely worth a read. I’ll quickly add a few other things you may know about a Disney stay.
Disney trains Cast Members to entertain and protect guests during stormy weather. So, you’ll discover a surprising amount to do during a DVC hotel stay during a hurricane. Costumed Cast Members will appear as some of your favorite characters. For example, the Country Bears are known to visit Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. They’ll entertain the troops and boost morale.
Similarly, Disney lobbies will feature board games and interactive competitions like trivia contests. So, you’ll find plenty to do. Meanwhile, Disney stocks its cupboards for events like this.
You can expect box lunches to be sold at the various hotels. Even better, some Disney restaurants will operate as usual. Historically, they’ve offered huge discounts, too! For instance, Whispering Canyon Café sold its regular bottomless skillets for more than half-off during Hurricane Ian.
In short, Disney tries its best to make the best of a bad situation. If you are at a Disney World hotel during Hurricane Milton, it’s probably the safest place you can be in Central Florida. Also, the entertainment should be great! Good luck and best wishes, my friends.
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