Rain is a given on a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. After all, Walt Disney chose to build his Theme Parks on thousands of acres of land in swampy Florida!
Related: Guests Evacuate Outdoor Disney Ride Due to Severe Thunderstorm
Because they’re located in Central Florida, the Disney Parks are well-equipped for extreme weather, so much so that some Orlando locals book hotel rooms at Walt Disney World Resort to shelter from the worst storms!
However, we’ve recently reported multiple videos of ankle-deep and higher flooding at the Disney Parks, particularly EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. It seems like the Disney Park drainage system isn’t working as intended. On Monday night, there was an unusual, nearly three-hour-long thunderstorm in the Orlando area. It was captured on video by one of our reporters:
Related: Brutal Thunderstorm Leads to MORE Severe Flooding at EPCOT
During this storm, Guests dining and staying at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel were forced to evacuate the building due to a fire alarm. @taxidiadventures shared a video of Guests sheltering in a small, covered area from lightning and torrential rain:
@taxidiadventures so this is Florida weather? #florida #disneyworld #fyp #lightning
Related: “it’s a small world” Flood May Be MUCH Worse Than Expected
According to the Guest, they were stuck outside for 30 minutes, just trying to stay safe and dry. There are no reports of a fire at the Walt Disney World Swan or its sister hotel, the Walt Disney World Dolphin, this week, so it seems that the fire alarm was activated in error.
Unfortunately, more severe storms like this could be in Walt Disney World Resort’s future. Rainfall in Florida has increased 28% since 1958, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The trendis expected to continue due to climate change. The Disney Parks and Disney Springs will need to prepare for more severe weather conditions.
Have you ever been caught in the rain at a Disney Park?
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Parks operations.