Hurricane Helene may now technically be a tropical storm, but her effects are still being felt at multiple theme parks – including Six Flags.
After hitting Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph, Helene brought heavy rain, winds, and even tornado watches across the Sunshine State. While Central Florida sat outside the hurricane’s path, Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and more were all affected by inclement weather.
Universal Orlando Resort made the decision to cancel Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida for the evening and decided to close Universal CityWalk early, having already shuttered its water park, Volcano Bay, for the day.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney World Resort canceled multiple tours and experiences as a precautionary measure. Just hours later, it reversed this announcement, revealing that some tours would proceed as planned after the storm’s trajectory shifted slightly, and the worst of Hurricane Helene’s impact skipped the immediate Orlando area.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and both miniature golf courses—Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf and Winter Summerland Miniature Golf—remained closed for the whole day, while Magic Kingdom Park’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was also canceled on Thursday.
Fortunately, things are back to normal at Disney’s theme parks now. The Disney Cruise Line, which was also forced to amend some voyages, is also gradually getting back to normal now that Port Canaveral is once again open.
Further afield, however, some parks are still struggling. Six Parks Over Georgia has announced that several of its iconic roller coasters are unable to run today due to the storm.
The park shared an update on its X, formerly known as Twitter, account.
Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, BATMAN: The Ride, THE RIDDLER Mindbender, Camp Slasher, and our Lickskillet area attractions and facilities, including Oktoberfest, will be closed this weekend.
Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, BATMAN: The Ride, THE RIDDLER Mindbender, Camp Slasher, and our Lickskillet area attractions and facilities, including Oktoberfest, will be closed this weekend. pic.twitter.com/QGuv0QCMSK
— Six Flags Over Georgia (@sfovergeorgia) September 28, 2024
This comes as the Austell, Georgia park – which closed due to the storm yesterday – delayed its opening time to 12 p.m. today due to the impact of the storm.
It’s also warned guests that its parking lot remains affected. “Our guest parking lot will be operating at limited capacity and we strongly encourage all guests visiting the park to utilize rideshare or public transit,” it said. “All updates pertaining to operations, including ride availability, will be communicated via our website and Six Flags mobile.”
Hurricane Helene has had a heavy impact on Georgia. At the time of writing, 11 people were reported to have died during the storm while over a million were without power in Atlanta alone.
Did you visit a theme park during Hurricane Helene?