Credit: SeaWorldSeaWorld officials have confirmed operational changes at several locations following the landfall of Hurricane Milton in Florida.
Hurricane Milton is moving away from Florida, but not before causing devastation across the Sunshine State, leaving millions of homes and businesses without power, causing at least 6 deaths, and triggering hundreds of water rescues, according to an Associated Press report.
As theme parks across the state gear up to resume their operations and welcome millions of families back, SeaWorld officials have confirmed the latest operational changes at several parks, including extended closures and immediate event cancellations.
Related: Hurricane Milton’s Severity Upgraded, Catastrophic Storm Roars Toward Disney World
On October 8, SeaWorld officials (@SeaWorld) released the following statement: SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay would temporarily shut their gates in response to Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Florida.
The statement reads: “After reviewing the latest track of Hurricane Milton and to ensure the safety of our ambassadors, guests, and animals, our Florida theme parks will be closed on Wednesday, October 9 & Thursday, October 10. Stay tuned for information regarding our parks’ reopening following the storm on Friday, October 11.”
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also confirmed an extended closure in a separate statement, adding that the Howl-O-Scream event scheduled for Thursday, October 10, had also been canceled.
Stay safe, Florida
For more information, please visit http://spklr.io/6012vPiA
Stay safe, Florida 💙
For more information, please visit https://t.co/XCMBh9RD6V pic.twitter.com/Tg1EgJggas
— SeaWorld (@SeaWorld) October 8, 2024
Related: Hurricane Milton Hits Walt Disney World: Brutal Damage Assessed and Cleanup Underway
As Hurricane Milton moves past Florida, SeaWorld officials have confirmed the latest updates to the company’s owned and operated theme parks in the area.
SeaWorld Orlando is gearing up to reopen its gates with normal operating hours starting Friday, October 11. Unfortunately, the Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream events scheduled for this Friday have been canceled.
SeaWorld’s statement reads: “Our hearts are with all those impacted by Hurricane Milton. We will resume normal operating hours on Friday, October 11. Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream are cancelled for Friday. We are grateful for our ambassadors who came in following the storm to ensure our park is ready to welcome you tomorrow.”
Related: Active Lockdown: Disney World To Give out $17 Million in Refunds as Extended Closure Announced
Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove are also scheduled to resume operations on Friday, October 11. Adventure Island will remain closed on Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October 12, pending new updates.
On the other hand, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s closure will be extended through Saturday, October 12. The park’s information website suggests it will reopen on Sunday, October 13, with modified hours (1 p.m. through 6 p.m.), but this information could be updated after officials evaluate the theme park’s conditions so that all employees can safely resume their activities.
Additionally, Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream is canceled for Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October 12.
Related: Crisis Reported Near Florida Theme Park, Fatal Injuries Confirmed
Initially, SeaWorld officials offered to honor the company’s Weather-or-Not Assurance policy due to inclement weather in the region. However, an updated statement posted by United Parks & Resorts Inc., formerly SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc., reveals the following:
Following the latest updates on Hurricane Milton, below is the latest information on each of our Florida parks. All date-intended tickets for closure days have been extended through December 31, 2024, and require no action to be taken. Howl-O-Scream tickets may be used for any remaining Howl-O-Scream event nights.
This means that planning a return visit, courtesy of United Parks & Resorts Inc., just got easier for thousands of families.
Related: Will Disney World Reopen on Friday? The Latest on Reopening Efforts
Unfortunately, this is not the first time a SeaWorld-owned theme park has shared an urgent notice affecting its operations.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was forced to close its gates on August 3 due to a severe storm that caused severe weather conditions in Tampa Bay and most of Central Florida. This unexpected closure was extended through August 5 as inclement weather conditions continued.
SeaWorld San Diego was forced to cease all operations on March 30 and 31 due to an active storm warning in California. Similarly, Busch Gardens Williamsburg was forced to shut down in February due to inclement weather.
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Last month, Busch Gardens Williamsburg was forced to end its seasonal operations one week ahead of schedule due to forecasted inclement weather.
Theme park officials sent an email to all guests stating that Water Country USA — Virginia’s largest water park adjacent to Busch Gardens Williamsburg — would shut down on September 22 and would not resume operations until May 10, 2025.
Related: “Demonic” and “Woke”: Critics Express Outrage as Hurricane Milton Misses Disney World
Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, the Orlando International Airport (MCO) released an urgent message confirming that all commercial operations would cease on Wednesday morning.
According to MCO officials, emergency crews remained onsite during Hurricane Milton’s landfall, allowing damage assessments to begin immediately. Operations are expected to resume tomorrow, Friday, October 11, according to airport officials who urged travelers to “check with [their] airline for updates.”
Operational Update #7 – Hurricane Milton
Emergency crews remained onsite overnight, and damage assessment will start taking place now. Once information becomes available about a specific time that commercial operations will resume, we’ll be sure to post about it.
Operational Update #7 – Hurricane Milton
Emergency crews remained onsite overnight, and damage assessment will start taking place now. Once information becomes available about a specific time that commercial operations will resume, we'll be sure to post about it. pic.twitter.com/YH9Ftlv9fc— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) October 10, 2024
Have you ever visited SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, or any other Florida theme park after a hurricane? Don’t hesitate to share your experience with Inside the Magic and our readers in the comments below!