UPDATE: Walt Disney World closing due to Hurricane Milton
Walt Disney World theme parks will be closed for at least two days, according to officials
8:45 p.m. EDT update - Walt Disney World Resort in Florida has announced that it will close for nearly two days due to Hurricane Milton. The theme parks will close on Wednesday afternoon, and are not expected to reopen until at least Friday.
In addition to the temporary closure of low-lying and outdoor guest accommodations, Walt Disney World will also shut down Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park for the duration of Hurricane Milton. Updates can be found on Walt Disney's website.
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Original article published at 2 p.m. EDT below:
Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying as it nears the Florida coast, with millions of counties under an evacuation order.
But Orange County, home to Walt Disney Resort, remains unaffected so far, with no evacuation orders currently in place -- although the county does fall under a state of emergency declaration issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday.
At the time of this writing, the park remains open, operating as normal through Tuesday.
"We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm, and the safety of our Guests and Cast Members remains our top priority," reads a statement on the Walt Disney Resort website.
"Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions and will continue to be on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Looking ahead, we are making adjustments based on the latest weather forecast and some areas with unique environments."
Guests with upcoming reservations will be able to change their plans without having to pay cancellation fees, according to the park's hurricane policy.
"If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area—or for your place of residence—within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort hotel packages and most room only reservation packages and most room only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney," the policy reads.
Keep up-to-date with the latest Hurricane Milton developments by visiting The Weather Network's hurricane hub.
The park is typically a 365-day-a-year operation. In its 53-year history, it has only closed 11 times so far:
Nine of the closures were due to hurricanes, the most recent being Hurricane Nicole on November 10, 2022. The park closed on September 11, 2001. COVID-19 forced the lengthiest closure of the park, closing in March 2020 and reopening in phases weeks later.
Header image: File photo (Alexandre Breveglieri/Flickr CC BY 2.0
