Here’s what happens when Disney World is hit by a hurricane

1 month ago 15

As Hurricane Milton swirls toward Florida as a Category 4 storm, residents in the hurricane's path — including in Central Florida — are preparing for the storm by stocking up on necessities like food, water and fuel. For those visiting Disney World, however, there's a different list of decisions to think through, like whether they should return home early and what to do if they get stuck at Disney.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) has announced it will shut down ahead of the storm starting at 8 a.m. on Wed., Oct. 9, 2024. And Disney has now said that their parks will close on Wed., Oct. 9, in phases. First, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park will close at 1 p.m. Then Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney Springs will close at 2 p.m. Disney says the theme parks will likely remain closed on Thurs., Oct. 10.

If you are supposed to visit Disney tomorrow, you should cancel, it is not the right time to go. However, if you're already in Orlando, there is some important information to know.

Back when Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Florida's southwestern coast in 2022, reports quickly came in of flooding, power outages, high winds and dangerous storm surges on the coast. While the Orlando area is not on the coast, the storm's impact was still felt in Central Florida.

Like Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Milton is expected to affect other parts of the state, including Orlando, when it makes landfall on Wednesday. You should avoid traveling to Central Florida if you can. However, if you know you'll have to be at Walt Disney World for this storm, here's a look at the current situation for guests already on the ground and who have a trip booked in the coming days, plus what it's like to ride out a hurricane at Disney.

Current closure information for Disney parks

Since opening in 1971, Disney has only closed nine times due to hurricanes. Closures have lasted anywhere from a few hours to several days, with the longest weather-related closure coming during Hurricane Frances in 2004 when portions of Disney remained closed for three full days. Milton will now officially be the tenth.

In addition to the park closing info, above, note that Disney has announced that Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort (including dining and recreation locations), the Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will temporarily close beginning at 11 a.m on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024.
According to Disney, Fort Wilderness Resort and the Treehouse Villas are likely to remain closed until Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024; the Copper Creek Villas & Cabins will likely reopen Friday, Oct. 11, 2024.

And Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom park on Thurs., Oct. 10, is canceled and event tickets will be refunded.

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Disney will provide further updates on its dedicated "Weather Updates & Information" page.

Hurricane cancellation policy for Disney World

According to the Disney website, if a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area and/or your place of residence within seven days of your scheduled arrival date, you may reschedule or cancel your Disney vacation packages and most room-only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees. Most room-only and vacation packages can be modified to change travel dates or canceled online.

If you booked services like flights, hotels or car rentals via other companies, you will be responsible for working directly with them to learn about their cancellation policies.

Disney will also refund all Lightning Lane passes that were purchased as part of your canceled trip. You will need to call the resort directly at 407-560-2428 to cancel these passes. Keep in mind that there may be a long wait time (we're hearing about a 35-minute hold time currently), but once your call is taken, a cast member will be able to cancel and refund all purchases.

What happened at Disney during Hurricane Ian

During Hurricane Ian, Disney requested that all guests check in to their hotel by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, and then shelter in place at their resort for the duration of the storm. They also made guests aware that dining options would be "very limited" and that dining reservations were not necessary at restaurants that were open.

Based on reports on social media, Disney made boxed meals available at Disney resorts, with prices that range from $5 to $7 for sandwich and wrap boxes. Guests reported long lines that snaked on for a couple of hours at some locations for packaged meals and dining.

Flashlights and tarps were also delivered to guest rooms to accommodate power outages and leaks, and outdoor patio furniture was brought indoors, sometimes into guest rooms and hallways.

Disney still made guests smile during the storm

Believe it or not, the Most Magical Place on Earth can still sprinkle in touches of magic if you are stuck there during a hurricane. Of course, Disney's first priority is the safety of guests and cast members, but the experience is not without a bit of pixie dust.

While guests were sheltering in place at their hotels during Hurricane Ian, Disney arranged indoor activities like movie marathons, games and crafts at the resort hotels.

Disney kept the pools open as long as was safely possible, likely to lessen the crowds inside the hotel buildings and to keep guests occupied until they were forced inside.

In lieu of visiting characters inside the parks, Disney brought the characters to the hotels to entertain guests. In some cases, it looked like the characters were having just as much fun as the guests.

At Disney's All-Star Sports Resort, Chip, Dale, Goofy and Goofy's son, Max, were seen watching Mickey cartoons with a group of children in the lobby.

While Disney can't control the weather, it still wants to make your vacation as magical as possible by keeping spirits high and providing fun activities to combat boredom (and, frankly, hurricane anxiety) by bringing Mickey and his friends directly to you for as long as possible.

It's very possible some of the parents were actively working on keeping in touch with family members or homes in the path of Hurricane Ian, but thanks to Disney, the kids got to focus on characters and cartoons.

Disney is one of the safer places to be during a hurricane

If you are forced to shelter in place, there aren't many better places to do it than Disney World. Though far enough inland to dodge the most severe tropical weather events, Central Florida is no stranger to hurricanes and tropical storms. As such, Disney has a detailed plan for inclement weather — and yes, even the castle is built to hurricane standards.

Should you ever be in this situation, it's still important to get some supplies ahead of time, as some hotel rooms at Disney require a walk outside to get to the lobby, which may not be possible during the worst of the storm when you need to shelter in place in your room.

Most Disney resorts, save for Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, the Bungalows at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, are well equipped to weather a hurricane. When those locations closed during Hurricane Ian, guests moved to other Disney resorts.

Reports from that storm showed debris, flooding and some damage around Walt Disney World Resort.

The parks usually aren't as crowded when they reopen

With Hurricane Milton tracking toward the Orlando area, many guests understandably canceled their trips or pushed them out to a later date.

Because of this, guests who do visit when the parks reopen likely won't be dealing with the large crowds of people that are common on a Disney vacation.

Disney has a hurricane policy if you need to change your plans

Guests who do choose to wait for sunny skies to return before visiting Disney World are able to take advantage of Disney's hurricane policy. The policy went into effect as soon as a hurricane warning was issued for the Orlando area. Any guest with a planned arrival date within seven days of the hurricane warning was able to call to reschedule their Disney vacation package or hotel reservation without cancellation or change fees.

Guests are still responsible for any rate differences, and discounts or special offers may not apply to new dates, but you will not be charged Disney's standard cancellation fee: $200 per package if you cancel between two and 29 days prior to arrival (after that, you are responsible for the full package price).

This, of course, only applies to tickets and hotels booked directly with Disney. If you purchased tickets through a third-party vendor or are staying off-property, you would need to contact that company directly.

Also keep in mind that regardless of what the parks do, the airports and roads may be seriously affected by storms — and related evacuation traffic. If you are planning to visit in the days after the parks reopen, be sure that your flight wasn't affected and that the roads in the area are safe.

Bottom line

Disney World — along with other major Orlando-area theme parks — are currently assessing Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida's west coast as a dangerous Category 5 storm. Although Disney has not yet announced it will close its theme parks, it has made a decision to shutter several free-standing villa and cabin accommodations. MCO has already said that the airport will close as of 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.

While experiencing a hurricane during a visit to Disney World is far from the ideal scenario, Disney has various safety precautions in place and never totally runs out of pixie dust. From lobby character appearances to the arcades switching on the "free" switch, it's probably the most fun you — or, at least, your kids — can have while weathering a storm.

For more helpful tips on navigating travel during hurricane season, read:

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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