Credit: Jamie S., Inside the MagicWalt Disney World Resort recently announced another cancellation before Hurricane Milton’s landfall on Wednesday afternoon.
Related: Disney World Imposes Strict Access Restrictions Following Hurricane Helene
On Tuesday, the Central Florida Disney park faced criticism for being the last in the industry to shut down ahead of the incoming Category 5 storm. Hours after LEGOLAND Florida Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Universal Orlando Resort announced modified operations on Wednesday, October 9, and Thursday, October 10, Walt Disney World Resort followed suit.
On October 9, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are scheduled to close at 1:00 p.m. EST. Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, and Disney Springs will close at 2:00 p.m. EST.
All four Disney parks will likely remain closed on Thursday, October 10, but Disney Springs could reopen later in the day with limited offerings. Thursday’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been canceled.
Before deciding to shut down the Disney parks, Walt Disney World Resort canceled a parade performer open call scheduled for October 9 in Atlanta, Georgia. Disney Auditions shared this post on their Instagram story:
“Walt Disney World Audition Update: Due to Hurricane Milton, the Walt Disney World parade performer open call on Oct. 9 in Atlanta has been cancelled.
Interested candidates can attend our Disney College Program character performer open call on Oct. 8 in Atlanta to still be considered for this opportunity!”
Disney Auditions holds open calls year-round in Central Florida and throughout the United States. For more information, click here.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hurricane Milton will make landfall on Florida’s Gulf coast on Wednesday afternoon. Initially a tropical storm, Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane between Sunday and Monday. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 51 counties and issued evacuation orders for the most vulnerable areas.
As Hurricane Milton moves inland, meteorologists say it will lose strength. Orange and Osceola counties, home to Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort, are under a Hurricane Watch. The Central Florida theme parks could see up to Category 2 level winds (110 mph).
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