Every Floridian knows what August means: the hurricanes are coming.
While the Atlantic hurricane season officially kicks off on June 1 and runs through November 30, it’s the stretch from mid-August to mid-October that packs the most punch. History has shown that Florida, in particular, faces its fiercest storms during this peak period.
It’s no secret that when Walt Disney World Resort shuts its doors, things are getting serious. The resort has only closed a handful of times for hurricanes, and that’s only when the storm poses a real danger. Whether it’s Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom, Disney only pulls the plug and enacts its hurricane policy when guest safety is truly at risk.
Because of this, many avoid Disney World during hurricane season. However, visiting during these months also offers a silver lining—the parks are often less crowded with kids back in school.
If you’re willing to gamble on the weather, these are the times when Disney has historically closed its doors due to storms. Of course, hurricanes are notoriously unpredictable, and storms can always pop up outside of these windows, but looking at the past, this is when they’ve been most frequent.
Mid-August
Early August has historically been calm, but mid-month is when things start to heat up. Hurricane Charley proved that when it triggered an early midday shutdown of Disney World on August 13, 2004. Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and Typhoon Lagoon didn’t even open that day, as the storm forced Disney to act quickly and prioritize safety.
Late August
Hurricane Elena made history in late August 1985 as the first storm to hit Walt Disney World Resort (yep, it took a whole 14 years). Back then, only Magic Kingdom and EPCOT existed, and both closed early—but not for the whole day.
On August 31, 1985, Disney called it quits at 5 p.m., marking the first time the parks had ever shut down due to a hurricane. Elena set the stage for future storm responses at the resort.
All of September
September is Disney World’s most hurricane-prone month by far. After Hurricane Charley temporarily shut down the parks in 2004, Hurricane Frances rolled in and closed Disney World again on September 4 and 5 of the same year.
The longest hurricane-related closure happened when Hurricane Irma hit in 2017, forcing an early closure on September 9 and keeping the parks shuttered through September 10 and 11.
In 2019, Hurricane Dorian caused all Disney parks—except EPCOT—to close early at 3 p.m. on September 4. Mid-September hasn’t been much better. Hurricane Floyd became Disney’s first full-day hurricane-related closure, with the parks closing early on September 14, 1999, staying closed the entire next day, and finally reopening on September 16.
Even the tail end of September has seen its share of storms. Hurricane Jeanne wrapped up a turbulent 2004 for Disney guests, marking the third storm closure of the year on September 26.
In 2022, Hurricane Ian prompted a state of emergency, with Disney World closing its parks on September 28 and 29. Typhoon Lagoon also closed on September 27 due to Hurricane Helene, though the other parks stayed open—except for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which was canceled as a precaution.
Early October
October may be quieter, but it’s not totally free of hurricanes. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew swept in, forcing all of Walt Disney World to shut down early on October 6 and stay closed through October 7.
To keep guests entertained during the storm, Disney brought out familiar characters to the hotel lobbies and made sure everyone was well-fed. The resort also stepped up by waiving cancellation fees and helping guests who booked flights through Disney to reschedule, proving their dedication to guest experience even in the face of a hurricane.
Early November
Hurricanes in November are even more sporadic. However, the parks were also closed from early November 9 through mid-day November 10, 2022. That night’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party went ahead at Magic Kingdom Park as planned, but other performances—such as Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios—were canceled.
Have you ever visited Disney World during a hurricane?