Walt Disney chose Florida for what would become Walt Disney World because the state has pretty nice weather year round, meaning the park never needs to close. Having said that, there is the small problem of the occasional hurricane that invades the state. Hurricane Ian is currently on its way to Florida, and that has had a significant impact on the massive theme park industry.
Several theme parks in Florida have preemptively announced partial or total closures of various aspects of their resorts ahead of Ian making landfall. The Orlando International Airport has announced that it will cease operations beginning at 10:30am on September 28, so even if not everything else closes, getting to it is going to be more difficult. Here’s a run down of what’s closing when and other important updates.
Walt Disney World
The theme parks of Walt Disney World are set to be closed September 28 and 28. In addition, several of the resort hotels are set to be closed from Wednesday September 28 to Friday September 30. These currently include:
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue performances also cancelled)
- Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Possibly the biggest resort change is that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is closed now through September 30. Starcruiser guests are being relocated and will be given a chance to rebook.
In addition to the resorts, Disney’s one open water park, Typhoon Lagoon, and the two miniature golf courses Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens, are set to be closed September 28 and 29.
Walt Disney World has also announced it will not enforce its cancellation policy for dining reservations or other experiences.
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort will close September 28 and 29. That includes Halloween Horror Nights events for those evenings which have been canceled. One change that has been made to make things easier for guests who may be at the resort during the storm, UOR hotels Universal's Aventura Hotel, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Surfside and Universal's newest hotel, Dockside Inn & Suites will all accept pets for guests arriving between September 26 and September 30, with no fees required.
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld has announced that both SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove will be closed September 28 and 29th. A planned announcement this week regarding a brand new roller coaster coming to SeaWorld has also been postponed.
Legoland Florida Resort
Legoland Florida is the most recent park to announce its decision to close. At this point the park is set to be closed on the 28th and 29th, and it will hopefully reopen on Friday.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, where the storm is expected to hit harder, is taking fewer chances than the other major locations. After initially announcing the park would be closed on the 28th and 29th, Busch Gardens has updated guests, and will be closed today as well.
Theme parks like Disney World have experienced hurricanes and while they generally survive, they are built knowing these storms are possible, there is usually some damage and that can take time to repair. Hopefully all the resorts, and most importantly all the people, will get through this safely. If you are currently booked for one of these resorts during any of these dates, contact the resort or your travel agent. All resorts are waiving fees for rebooking.
