While most operations are not being affected at Walt Disney World Resort by Hurricane Idalia, there are a couple of things that are closing. Today it was announced that Walt Disney World Resort will be closing Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park and also Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf on August 30th. The announcement was made on Walt Disney World’s website where it said the following:
Walt Disney World Water Parks and Mini Golf
- Due to the inclement weather, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will be closed on August 30.
- Due to the inclement weather, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed on August 30.
Other announcements on the page include updates about a discount for Florida residents and also first responders. There is also guidance for those staying at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Here are those details:
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
- For Guests staying at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground: As we continue to monitor the weather, we are asking that all Fort Wilderness Guests remove and stow all outside items, including décor, and take in camper awnings by 6 PM on Tuesday, August 29. If you’d like to depart early or discuss alternate options for your vacation, please contact us at (407) 939-2744.
- Travel Flexibility: At this time, change and cancellation fees imposed by Disney will be waived for check-in dates of August 28, 2023 through September 5, 2023. Guests currently staying at our Disney Resort hotels whose travel plans have been impacted by the storm may receive a discounted rate to extend their stay through the evening of August 31, if needed, by visiting the front desk.
- Evacuees & First Responders Support: Florida residents evacuating from the storm and first responders assisting in storm-related recovery efforts may also receive 50% off Disney Resort hotel stays on the evenings of August 29-31, 2023. For evacuees, please call (407) W-DISNEY for details. For first responders, please call (407) 828-3200 (Option 3). This applies to new bookings only and is based on availability.
- Storm Recovery: Walt Disney World is prepared to once again serve as a staging area for storm-related recovery efforts for the state of Florida.
For Guests looking to modify or cancel their Disney Resort hotel reservations, please visit DisneyWorld.com/Plans.
At this point, the four main theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort are set to remain open throughout the storm. Currently, Hurricane Idalia is tracking further north than earlier projections showed. While the area around Walt Disney World Resort will be hit with stormy weather, the real impact of Hurricane Idalia will be futrther north.
At this point, Hurricane Idalia has been upgraded to a Category 2 storm. It is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall on Florida on Wednesday. This will greatly impact the area that this storm hits directly. Officials are asking those in the area to take this storm seriously and get away from areas that could see storm surge.
Last year Hurricane Ian led to Walt Disney World Resort closing its theme parks and modifying its operations at its hotels. Hurricane Ian became a category 1 hurricane on September 26, 2022. The once-in-a-lifetime storm hit Florida on September 28 as a Category 4 storm. It caused massive flooding, storm surge, and other damage. Daps Magic covered the progress of this storm and provided updates on how it impacted Walt Disney World Resort and the Disney Cruise Line. It does not appear that this storm will be impacting Walt Disney World Resort in the same way that Hurricane Ian did. Hurricane Idalia did cause the Disney Fantasy to change its course to avoid the storm.
Daps Magic will continue to follow the progress of this storm and its impacts on the Walt DIsney World Resort area. If you are expecting to visit Walt Disney World Resort in the coming days, check with your travel agent and airlines for status updates on your flights and hotels.
