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Credit: Jeff Krause, FlickrWalt Disney World Resort guests are paying the price for an 84-year-old record that has been broken in the Sunshine State.
Known for its tropical climate, the location of Disney’s flagship theme park in Orlando, Central Florida, is part of the appeal. Who wouldn’t want to spend days or weeks (or years) soaking up the sun while enjoying daily doses of Mickey Mouse magic? But while Florida goes by the Sunshine State, residents and frequent visitors know all too well that storms, rain, clouds, and hurricanes can spoil the fun. Yes, even at The Most Magical Place on Earth.
Despite the risk of a washout, Disney World is visited by millions of fans year after year. In fact, Magic Kingdom, the first park to open at the Disney resort in 1971, is the most visited park worldwide. From the spires of Cinderella Castle and the fireworks that explode over them nightly, to the classic attractions and Mickey-shaped everything, Magic Kingdom brings fans directly into the charm and wonder of a Disney fairytale. It’s not hard to see why Magic Kingdom is one of the most photographed theme parks in the world.
But, for those guests visiting now or in the coming weeks, photographs may not be as aesthetic as they want them to be. And the Sunshine State tagline may be hard to justify as an 84-year-old record has just been broken and all guests will face the consequences.
According to a report from Click Orlando, there is record-high cloud cover in Florida, adding a new layer to the story of the Sunshine State’s wild winter weather events. Earlier this year, potent cold fronts and storms shut down multiple theme parks, such as Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, leaving guests shut out of the experiences while on vacation.
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These cloud cover reports come by the way of climatologist Brian Brettschneider, per Click Orlando. The report notes that “[t]ypically, Central Florida sees around 50% cloud cover for the December-January time period. The winter of 2023-24, however, was 70 to 80%. Diving deeper into the data, we find that over 40% of afternoons last November were cloudy.”
The visual below from Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) highlights the 84-year-old record:
Lol.
Lol. pic.twitter.com/vZDETtnOdS
— Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) February 7, 2024
The 40% of cloudy afternoons is nearly double what it should be, the outlet reports, with grey skies continuing into December and January. The cause of the turbulent weather this winter season in Florida is down to a “very active subtropical jet stream induced by El Niño.”
The National Geographic tells us: “El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Trade winds and atmosphere are also impacted by El Niño.”
Related: Disney Quietly Reveals the Future Wave of Theme Park Attractions, Will Likely Divide Fans
This cloudiest winter on record will surely disturb some vacationers who were hoping to have the sunshine in the Sunshine State, but, alas, the weather has been noteworthy for the last few months and looks set to continue into the 2024 hurricane season.
Of course, it takes more than clouds to disrupt park operations, and resorts like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando will only close water parks, for example, in cooler temperatures or adverse weather. Speaking of Disney’s water parks, in mid-March, Disney’s Blizzard Beach will close once again, paving the way for Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park to reopen for the first time since November. It has been years since both of Disney’s water parks have been open at the same time.
Does high cloud cover ruin your Disney World vacation? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!