Disney announced this Tuesday that the theme and water parks of Walt Disney World Resort will close on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 28 in September as Hurricane Ian threatens the Florida panhandle.
In an email, a company representative told NBC that the Disney Springs shopping area would be closed Wednesday and likely Thursday.
“We are monitoring weather conditions so we can make timely decisions for the safety of our Cast and Guests, including when it is safe for the Cast to return to the site to prepare for reopening,” the company said.
Early Tuesday, the company announced it would close a variety of nearby properties ahead of the storm. Those included:
- Fort Wilderness Campground and Resort. Performances of “Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue” were also cancelled; the statement said that prepaid reservations will be automatically canceled and refunded.
- Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- The Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort will also be closed through Friday.
Disney also advised that it is contacting guests with current and future reservations as these locations will close. It also said that it is waiving cancellation policies for dinners and other experiences such as Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
In accordance with Disney’s hurricane policy, if the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for the Orlando area within seven days of the date of a guest’s scheduled arrival, the guest may call in advance to reschedule or cancel Walt Disney Travel Company resort hotel packages and most reserved rooms without any Disney-imposed change or cancellation fees.
“The policy does not apply if your stay was not booked through Walt Disney Travel Company”, they warned.
According to The Points Gu travel blog And, much of Disney World, including the iconic Cinderella Castle, is built to withstand hurricanes, and it’s common for Floridians exposed to a hurricane in other parts of the state to spend the storm in the park.
Since its opening in 1971, Disney World has only been forced to close eight times as a result of a hurricane, according to the unofficial Disney Inside the Magic blog. The most recent closure occurred in 1971 as Hurricane Dorian approached.
Also read:
· Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Cuba, while they order the evacuation of at least 300,000 people in Tampa, Florida, facing forecast of devastating impact
· They record a massive blackout in Cuba after Hurricane Ian passes, according to local media
· This is what Hurricane Ian looks like from space