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Disney Park Battered by Storm, Dramatic Damage Unveiled Across Resort

in Hong Kong Disneyland

Posted on by Chloe James
Hong Kong Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. at dusk

Credit: Arist Xiong, Flickr

A Disneyland park has been battered by a recent storm, with pictures revealing damage to the resort.

Disney might be able to control a lot of things within the “Disney bubble,” but unfortunately, the weather isn’t one of them. Over the years, numerous bouts of inclement weather have hit Disney’s theme parks, sometimes even forcing total closures.

Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort after a rainstorm
Credit: Brett Kiger via Flickr

Once upon a time, these were rare incidents at Disney Parks. Despite being based in the hurricane hotspot that is Florida, Walt Disney World Resort only faced its first closure in September 1999 when Hurricane Floyd hit. Since then, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom have closed on eight more occasions due to oncoming storms.

Further afield, Tokyo Disney Resort, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland have all also faced hurricane-related closures (although, as the storms were formed in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons).

Thunder and lightning clip art superimposed on a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse outside Hong Kong Disneyland's train station with thte now retiring Disney's Mickey Mouse
Credit: Disney

Just like hurricanes, typhoon season typically runs from summer through to the autumn – although typhoon season ends in October, not November. That puts us in peak typhoon-hurricane season, which is evident from recent storms at Disneyland Resort (Hurricane Hilary), Disney World (Hurricane Idalia), and the ongoing storm at Hong Kong Disneyland (Typhoon Saola).

The latter has put Hong Kong and Southern China on high alert since Friday (September 1). As trees fall and fl0oding occurs across the region, Hong Kong Disneyland has now been closed for two days, meaning guests have been shut out from attractions such as Hyperspace Mountain, Mystic Manor, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, and “it’s a small world.”

Mickey and Minnie in front of Hong Kong Disneyland's castle
Credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

According to an announcement on its website, Hong Kong Disneyland plans to reopen tomorrow (September 2).

Due to the inclement weather, the Park remains closed on Sep 2 and will reopen on Sep 3. Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre remains closed until further notice. Please check the website for the latest information. Please see the Weather Arrangement details.

Pictures have also emerged of post-hurricane damage to Hong Kong Disneyland. X (previously known as Twitter) user @HKDLFantasy shared photos of fallen trees around the park entrance, which will presumably be cleared before it reopens.

Due to typhoon Saola, HKDL has been closed for 2 days. Many fallen trees can be seen at the Resort after the typhoon, the park will reopen tomorrow.

User @The_hkdg also shared pictures of the aftermath, showing the extent of broken trees around the resort.

Hong Kong Disneyland in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Saola

#typhoon #supertyphoon #saola #aftermath

While the damage looks dramatic, it’s fortunate that the situation isn’t worse. Typhoon Saola approached Hong Kong as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, battering the city with winds of up to 120mph. Fortunately, the resort has strict safety protocols, keeping guests safe and minimizing property damage.

Have you ever been at a Disney resort during a hurricane? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments!

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