Hurricane Knocks Multiple Six Flags Roller Coasters Out of Action, Closures Confirmed

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Batman: The Ride, an intricate blue and black roller coaster, twists and turns against a clear sky at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Credit: Six Flags

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.

A rainbow crosses the sky over Magic Kingdom's Cinderella Castle
Credit: Disney

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.

An amusement park scene features a tall mountain with a ship perched on top and water slides cascading down. Lush trees and greenery surround the slides. A splash of water is visible at the bottom of one slide, indicating a recent descent. This could easily be one of the coolest Florida parks, perhaps even Disney!
Credit: Disney

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.

Two people, a woman in a pink shirt in the foreground and a man in a green shirt in the background, are enjoying a roller coaster ride at Six Flags. Both are smiling with their hands in the air. The ride is high above green trees and a park area in the background.
Credit: Six Flags

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.

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?

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