Disney Park Officially Closes Down, All Guests Immediately Removed

in Disney Parks, Disneyland Resort

If you are ever planning a day when you will be visiting a Disney theme park, you are likely expecting to spend the whole day at the theme park.

Now, imagine flying out to any Disney Park in the world, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland — any of them, paying for your park tickets (which are typically costly, aside from Tokyo Disney Resort), paying for your Disney hotel, only to be told that the theme park is shutting down and you must leave.

Disney Characters posing in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle
Credit: Disney

That is something that we recently saw and reported on within Disneyland Paris due to extreme crowding.

We noted that Disneyland Paris had new signage asking Guests to stay out of the parks between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day if they want to avoid the large crowds that the theme park boasts. A ticket to Disneyland Paris starts at $119 euros with transportation, so it is highly unlikely that leaving the Park for seven hours is feasible or a good idea for Guests who are visiting Paris and do not live there. It also creates panic for tourists who are coming for the first time, expecting to enjoy their day, and immediately seeing that the theme park is advising them to leave for the majority of the day.

Now, we are seeing a semi-similar occurrence at Disneyland, due to the impending doom of Hurricane Hilary, and the fear that the rare California hurricane is causing.

hurricane hilary disneyland
Credit: Edited by Inside the Magic

As reported by NBC last week, “The first tropical threat to the U.S. this season isn’t on the East Coast or in the Gulf of Mexico — it’s in Southern California. Tropical Storm Hilary formed Wednesday morning along Mexico’s western coast and is forecast to bring intense rain to Southern California early next week. If it makes landfall, it would become only the fourth storm of at least tropical storm strength to hit the area.”

The publication continued to expand on how the hurricane will get worse overtime, “Conditions are favorable for Hilary to increase in intensity over the next two to three days. The National Hurricane Center forecasts the storm’s peak intensity Saturday morning as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds. The storm is expected to weaken soon after that due to cooler ocean temperatures and potential land interaction with Mexico’s Baja, just south of California. By Sunday, heavy rainfall is expected to reach Southern California and southwest Arizona.”

Mickey Mouse (pumpkin), Minnie Mouse (cat), Donald Duck (candy corn), and Goofy (haunted tree) in their Halloween outfits at Disneyland in 2022
Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Well, it is now Sunday, and as we shared yesterday, Disneyland Resort has decided to do something about the storm to keep their Guests safe. The theme park resort had decided to officially close down earlier, “due to the coming Hurricane Hilary, Disneyland Resort theme parks will cease operations early tomorrow, August 20, with Disneyland Park closing its gates at 10 p.m. and Disney California Adventure closing at 9 p.m.”

RELATED: Prepare For The Worst: How Disaster Movies Taught Us To Prep For Hurriquakes

This means that all Guests are being removed from the Parks earlier than usual.

At this time, the parks are preparing to officially shut down early as the hurricane rolls in. CNN has reported that, “Tropical Storm Hilary barrels toward California with life-threatening flooding rain and damaging winds”

National Weather Service computer models showing Hurricane Hilary's updated path as it heads towards Disneyland
Credit: National Weather Service

The news outlet claims, “Hilary weakened from a Category 1 hurricane into a tropical storm Sunday morning, but is still expected to slam into Southern California – a rare threat for the region that forced the evacuations of residents and the closures of parks and beaches ahead of potential flooding, fierce winds and heavy downpours.

Hilary has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour as it barrels north-northwest at a speed of around 25 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was about 220 miles south-southeast of San Diego as of about 7:45 a.m. local time Sunday.”

A picture of Main Street, U.S.A., showing a lull in Disneyland crowds.
Credit: Inside the Magic

For all Guests staying on Disneyland property, rest assured that Disney is prepared to handle hurricanes and that their buildings will be more than safe to keep you sheltered from the storm.

Have you ever experienced a hurricane at Disneyland?

Are you looking to visit Disneyland? Considering Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, is the first ever theme park, and the only one that Walt Disney himself was able to walk through, it holds a magical spot in all of our Disney-loving hearts. Seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle is a picture-perfect moment; there is so much to do! When it comes to attractions, Guests can enjoy the spooky adventures in The Haunted Mansion during the year and Haunted Mansion Holiday (featuring the characters from Nightmare Before Christmas) during the holiday season. Pirates of the Caribbean will take you on a swashbuckling journey, and Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain provide thrills like no other. Classic rides like Matterhorn Bobsleds, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish are a must, and dining is excellent with stand-out locations like Blue Bayou and Carnation Cafe. Want to start booking so you can see Mickey Mouse in his home in Toontown? The Disneyland website has everything you need to know about the Disneyland app, hotels, tickets, and the Disney Genie+ service. Click here to check it out. 

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