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Disney and Universal Defy State-Wide Lockdown Orders Amid Hurricane Milton Threat

in Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World

Posted on by Alessia Dunn 1 Comment
Entrance archway to Walt Disney World Resort

Credit: Inside the Magic

Both Disney and Universal have seemingly decided to go against a state-wide hurricane advisory with their new closure hours.

A large Cinderella-style castle at a theme park, surrounded by trees and lamp posts. People are walking and gathering around the area on a cloudy day.
Credit: Inside the Magic

Disney and Universal Closures

Walt Disney World has announced closures due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton. In a statement shared on Tuesday afternoon, Disney confirmed that “on Wednesday, October 9, our theme parks and Disney Springs will begin phased closures starting at 1:00 PM.”

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will close at 1 p.m., followed by Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs at 2 p.m.

“It is likely the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday, October 10. We will consider reopening Disney Springs on Thursday afternoon with limited offerings,” the statement added.

This closure also affects Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, scheduled for Thursday. The event has been canceled, and ticket holders will receive refunds.

Festive Halloween decorations at Disney World showcase a large Mickey Mouse pumpkin surrounded by autumn leaves. Colorful buildings line the street under a partly cloudy sky, with an American flag visible in the background, capturing the vibrant spirit of the season.
Credit: ITM

Additionally, Disney had previously announced the closure of its more rustic accommodations as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9. This includes Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, the Copper Creek Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, and the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

Universal Orlando also announced its closures on Tuesday. “On Wednesday, Oct. 9, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Universal CityWalk will remain open until 2 p.m., weather permitting, and will close on Thursday, Oct. 10.” Volcano Bay, Universal’s water park, will be closed both Wednesday and Thursday.

Other Central Florida attractions have made similar decisions. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced on Monday that it would be closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, advising visitors to check their social media pages for further updates. SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, which are part of the same parent company, are currently open but are closely monitoring the situation.

Latest Hurricane Milton Update

Hurricane Milton, which reached Category 5 status on Monday, has since weakened to a Category 4 storm. By early Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported sustained winds of 160 mph. The NHC expects Milton to make landfall as a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) in the Tampa Bay area late Wednesday.

On Sunday, Disney had already paused new hotel reservations for Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for the storm’s arrival. Despite this, as of Monday morning, Disney was still operating under “normal conditions.”

People walk in raincoats at a theme park featuring colorful decorations from Toy Story, including large building blocks, a roller coaster, and a statue of a cowboy character. The ground is wet, and some visitors use umbrellas.
Credit: Inside the Magic

“We are closely monitoring the path of the storm and continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members,” a Disney representative said.

This will be the 12th time Disney World has closed in its 53-year history. Nine of those closures were due to hurricanes, including Floyd (1999), Charley (2004), Frances (2004), Jeanne (2004), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Dorian (2019), Ian (2022), and Nicole (2022).

Milton has once again reached the rare Category 5 hurricane status, as confirmed by the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm is currently positioned 480 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, packing sustained winds of 165 mph and moving east-northeast at 9 mph.

Milton initially reached Category 5 strength on Monday at 11 a.m. ET and held that intensity until early Tuesday at 2 a.m.

Forecasters expect the storm’s intensity to fluctuate over the next 36 hours, with a slight weakening projected. By the time Milton makes landfall on Florida’s west coast, it is expected to be a much larger but slightly less intense Category 3 hurricane.

With Milton included, only 42 hurricanes in the Atlantic have ever reached Category 5 strength, according to NOAA records. Prior to this season, only two Category 5 hurricanes had formed in the 2020s: Ian in 2022 and Lee in 2023.

An entrance archway to Walt Disney World with the slogan "The Most Magical Place on Earth." It features images of Mickey Mouse on the left and Minnie Mouse on the right. The road is lined with palm trees under a clear blue sky.
Credit: ABC

Lockdown Advisory Disobeyed

It has been advised that those who are in the path of the hurricane by inside by 2:00 p.m.

Meteorologist Eric Burris shared a video stating that by 2:00 p.m. everyone in Central Florida should be locked into where they need to be to ride the storm out.

“Hurricane Milton is getting stronger again- Come walk and talk with me-“

With Universal and Disney both posting their final closure time at the same time that all residents should be in their shelters, both cast members and team members will be at risk. Not only do employees need to wait for all guests to leave the park, but they will also have to travel home, placing them outside of the shelter and the final hour.

This may also make guests think it will be safe to stay out until 2:00 p.m. instead of making them aware that they should be back in their hotel by 2:00 p.m.

On social media, it is safe to say that many are not thrilled with this decision.

Melanie said, “Damn. I had higher expectations with @UniversalORL. Never thought that @SeaWorld Orlando would be the bigger company when it came to its Team Member safety. I’m actually shocked. 😳” SeaWorld Orlando made the choice to not open at all tomorrow.

Park Hopper Zach said, “The theme parks closing after you are supposed to be sheltered in place is just insane…”

Johnny wrote, “Insane that Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are keeping operations going tomorrow when the storm is going to make landfall that same evening. It doesn’t give your cast members and team members enough time to prepare. Shame on y’all for caring about profit over safety”

DSNY Newscast said, “Considering the amount of preparation that people need to do ahead of Hurricane Milton in Central Florida. I personally believe Walt Disney World should have announced a closure of the theme parks for all of Wednesday & Thursday. Give frontline cast members time to prepare.”

It should be remembered that at this time, Disney has not confirmed they will close on Thursday, forcing cast members to not have the option to evacuate as they may need to be back at work.

Chris shared Universal’s closing notice and wrote, “You should be publicly shamed for this Universal! Opening today was embarrassing enough but being open on the day a category 5 hurricane hits the coast isn’t just endangering your team members but your guests who base their plans on a theme park being open. This is so dumb”.

LEGOLAND Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and SeaWorld Orlando all made the choice to close their park on both October 9 and 10 for guest and employee safety.

Do you think that Disney and Universal should close earlier? 

in Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World

Alessia Dunn

Orlando theme park lover who loves thrills and theming, with a side of entertainment. You can often catch me at Disney or Universal sipping a cocktail, or crying during Happily Ever After or Fantasmic.

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