Credit: DisneyWalt Disney World Resort has officially canceled tomorrow’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party as Hurricane Helene barrels towards Florida.
With the storm currently en route to strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane before it makes landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region tomorrow, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, and experts have warned about the possibility of tornadoes. A storm surge warning is also in effect in the Florida Keys and for most of Florida’s west coast.
Unsurprisingly, theme parks across the state are being forced to make some urgent decisions about their operations. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced that it will close for the entire day.
Both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are set to close their respective water parks (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Volcano Bay) ahead of heavy rain and wind. Disney will also close its mini golf courses.
Now, Disney World has confirmed that it has axed Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for tomorrow.
The annual Halloween event is held on select evenings at Magic Kingdom Park through August, September, and October.
Running from 7 p.m. until midnight, it involves park-wide trick-or-treating, special entertainment such as Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, and Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, and, of course, the opportunity to ride attractions with shorter wait times than usual.
Sadly, guests hoping to attend the event on September 26 are out of luck.
Disney has shared a notice about the event’s cancellation, emphasizing that guests will be refunded (via Blog Mickey).
We are always looking to deliver a great and enjoyable experience for our guests. Due to forecasted weather and the impact to our outdoor entertainment offerings, we are canceling Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 26. Guest tickets will be refunded.
The silver lining is that Disney has decided to extend Magic Kingdom’s operating hours. Instead of closing at 6 p.m. as planned, the park will now close at 8 p.m., giving guests an extra two hours to enjoy popular attractions such as TRON Lightcycle / Run, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Space Mountain.
Disney has emphasized that it’s monitoring the storm’s impact on Central Florida, posting a notice on its website that it “is currently operating under normal conditions; however, some experiences will be canceled or unavailable on September 26. We are closely monitoring the path of the storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Hurricane Helene’s impact on Florida theme parks.