Disney World Extends Closure, Entire Park off Limits to Guests Today

An entire Walt Disney World Resort park is closed to all guests today.

Both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are renowned for being open every day of the year – holidays included. Guests from all over the world flock to Disney’s theme parks to soak up the holiday magic, with days like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July often delivering the biggest crowds of the whole year.

Mickey and Minnie in festive attire in front of the Christmas tree at Magic Kingdom — Credit: Disney

Disney does its best to cater to crowds. In fact, it hosts several events over the holidays to draw in more. Annually over the Christmas period, Magic Kingdom Park hosts Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – a festive celebration complete with a holiday-themed fireworks display, parade, character meet and greets, snacks, and merchandise (not to mention free cookies and cocoa).

This year has also brought a new celebration to the parks: Disney Jollywood Nights. Held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on select nights throughout November and December, the event features a brand-new show fronted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. It has, however, been plagued by poor reviews since its first night.

Concept artwork for the new Disney World holiday event "Jollywood Nights" taking place at Disney's Hollywood Studios on select nights. — Credit: Disney

Regardless, both parks are pulling in huge crowds. In previous years, we’ve seen Magic Kingdom hit capacity on the holidays themselves, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. While this year has been infamously slow at Disney World (for proof, just look at the dismal Fourth of July attendance), crowds are inevitably picking up as we pass Thanksgiving.

In turn, Disney has raised the price of Genie+ for those looking to skip the lines to a record-high of $35 for Magic Kingdom. Hollywood Studios is priced at $32 per person, EPCOT at $28, and Animal Kingdom at $25. It seems like guests were willing to pay the price, however, as, Genie+ sold out on the day of Thanksgiving (November 23).

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on a float during a parade at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party — Credit: Disney

As if that wasn’t already a major inconvenience for those visiting Disney World over the holiday, another inconvenience struck yesterday with the closure of an entire park. Due to inclement weather in Central Florida, Blizzard Beach – one of Disney’s two water parks – was forced to close for the entirety of November 23.

While this closure was initially only announced for one day, it has been extended to also cover today, November 24. Temperatures are expected to sit between 57 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% chance of rain.

Opening hours are not listed on the Walt Disney World website for the Disney park today. However, Blizzard Beach is listed as opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow (November 25) when temperatures are expected to climb slightly to a high of 74 degrees Fahrenheit with no rain.

A man goes down the slide at Blizzard Beach — Credit: Disney

That meant attractions such as TeamBoat Springs, Melt-Away Bay, Ski Patrol Training Camp, and Tike’s Peak were off limits to all guests (although we can’t imagine many felt like visiting a water park in that weather anyway).

Blizzard Beach only recently reopened at Walt Disney World. Since the pandemic, Disney World seems to have shifted to only opening one water park at a time while the other undergoes refurbishment. While Blizzard Beach returned on November 8, that meant the closure of Typhoon Lagoon, which is estimated to reopen in spring 2024.

What’s your favorite Disney water park – Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon? Let us know in the comments!