The Walt Disney World Resort has announced that it will be closing its theme parks on Wednesday and Thursday. Disney Springs will be closed on Wednesday with a decision to be made about Thursday being made later. This comes as Hurricane Ian continues to bear down on Florida and looks to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm. The announcement was made on the Walt Disney World Website and also on social media and comes after Universal Studios Orlando made a similar announcement earlier in the day.
Here is the announcement found on DisneyWorld.com/Weather:
Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Water Parks
Walt Disney World will temporarily close our theme parks on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29:
- Magic Kingdom Park
- EPCOT
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park (Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is currently closed for the season.)
- Winter Summerland Miniature Golf
- Fantasia Gardens
- Fairways Miniature Golf
Partially used multi-day theme park tickets with a usage window impacted by Hurricane Ian related park closure will automatically be extended to use the remaining entitlements through any date through September 30, 2023.
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
For the safety of our Guests and Cast Members, Guests must check in to our resorts on Sept. 28, by 3 p.m. Please feel free to reschedule your trip or cancel your stay with us; any customary cancellation fees will be waived.
- Guests that are checked in by 3 p.m. Wednesday will be asked to shelter in place at their resort for the duration of the storm, this includes any resort-to-resort transfers
- Guests are strongly encouraged to enjoy food and beverage offerings at the parks and Disney Springs before returning to their Resort hotels.
- Dining options for Guests staying in our Resort hotels will vary, and in some cases may be very limited. Where available, restaurants will accept walk-ups only; Guests will not need dining reservations.
- Characters will not be available in character dining locations on Wednesday and Thursday
- The Grand Floridian Spa will close at noon Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Sept. 30 due to the weather. We are contacting Guests with current and upcoming reservations.
Dining, Enchanting Extras, and Special Events
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom has been cancelled for Thursday, Sept. 29.
Effective immediately, we will not enforce cancellation policies until further notice for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have been cancelled Sept. 28 through Sept. 30 in light of the temporary closure of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Guests with pre-paid reservations will be automatically cancelled and refunded.
Transportation
- Walt Disney World Transportation will stop operating Tuesday night after Disney Springs and the Walt Disney World theme parks close.
- Limited Minnie Van and Mears taxi service will be offered to Walt Disney World resort Guests with existing breakfast reservations.
Other Walt Disney World Experiences
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages departing Tuesday, Sept. 27 and Thursday, Sept. 29 have been cancelled due to the potential impact on the Guest experience. Guests with reservations for these dates are asked to please call (407) 939-5209 for help with modifying their plans.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.
Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall near Tampa Bay and cause extreme storm surge. The Walt Disney World Resort area is also expected to see lots of rain and wind throughout the course of the storm. The current track for the storm is expected to see the storm travel over Walt Disney World Resort. Currently, the storm is a category 3 hurricane. It is expected that the storm will strengthen and then weaken in the coming days. As it weakens, this won’t mean that the danger has passed as it will also be slowing down and dumping torrential rain on Florida. This could lead to flooding and other damage caused by influx of water. At this point, the entire state is now in a state of emergency.
Disney has been announcing changes in its operations this week as the storm has grown and knowledge about how it would impact the region became more clear. This has included the closure of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon for Wednesday and Thursday, the cancellation of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser cruises, and more. All the operational changes can be found at DapsMagic.com/Hurricane-Ian.
The last time Walt Disney World Resort was closed due to a hurricane was in 2019. Depending on the severity and length of the storm, the parks could be closed even longer. Daps Magic will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available.
