Walt Disney World has informed Cast Members that all theme parks and water parks will close ahead of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, September 28, and Thursday, September 29, 2022. Disney Springs will be closed on Wednesday, with a decision to be made for Thursday later today. At this time, there is no information on whether the Parks will remain closed longer than Wednesday and Thursday. Many factors go into the decision to close and the duration of the close. This announcement comes out of an abundance of safety for Cast Members and Guests. The Parks will remain closed until conditions are safe to resume normal operations. Find out what happens when the Parks are closed here.
To date, the longest Walt Disney World has kept Parks closed due to a hurricane is 2.5 days, which occurred due to Hurricane Irma in 2017. That hurricane made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Florida Keys and plowed north directly through Orlando. Disney escaped the storm with minimal damage.
Disney’s first ever Hurricane closure was in 1985 for Hurricane Elena. Since then 7 other hurricanes have forced the Parks to close, for at least part of the day: Hurricane Floyd on 1999, Hurricane Charley in 2004, Hurricane Francis in 2004, Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, Hurricane Mathew in 2016, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando has never been hit with stronger than a Category 1 storm. Since Orlando is several hours inland, the storms typically have weakened by the time they reach the Orlando area. Don’t let the name fool you though, a Category 1 hurricane is still dangerous and capable of causing harm and property damage.
Hurricane Ian struck landfall in Cuba early today as a Category 3. It is expected to gain steam in the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen to a Category 4 storm before making landfall in Florida. On Monday the storm experienced rapid intensification with winds increasing from 57mph to 125 mph in 24 hours. Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a direct warning that Floridians should evacuate if at all possible saying, “Our recommendation is to heed evacuation orders. The storm surge can be life threatening…that is not something that you want to be a part of.”
Florida National Guard Adjutant Gen. James Eifert said, “We are assessing constantly the location and path of the storm, and repositioning and prepositioning our resources and our people to be able to most immediately and effectively respond once the landfall has passed. We are here. and we are ready.”
Orlando’s MCO airport closed on Tuesday to all but emergency flight traffic.
Hurricane Ian is projected to impact operations at Walt Disney World this week. While it’s still uncertain whether the storm will greatly impact Central Florida, out of caution, Disney has announced a few closures and is lifting certain cancellation penalties.
Here is the statement from Disney from September 26:
Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service. We continue to put the safety of our Cast Members and Guests first and will share updates as we monitor Hurricane Ian.
Current Updates:
Disney Resort Hotels: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort since these locations will temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Sept. 30 due to the weather. We are contacting Guests with current and upcoming reservations.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will close temporarily Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29. (Disney’s Blizzard Beach is currently closed).
Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will also temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.
Reservations for Dining and Other Experiences: Effective immediately, we will not enforce cancelation policies until further notice for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
We are currently monitoring weather conditions and will communicate any changes to park operating hours or special events at a later time.
The most up-to-date information about temporary closures and impacts will be available via the My Disney Experience app, DisneyWorld.com/Weather.
Please note that all reopening timelines are tentative, and subject to safety conditions.
We are more than three months into Florida’s hurricane season and, so far, things have been quiet. While there has been some wild weather at the Walt Disney World Parks, the state has had to deal with nothing more than severe storms, and hurricanes have been non-existent. However, things are now changing, and several storms have formed recently, and one of them could be headed right for the Sunshine State.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Depression Nine is making its way through the Caribbean, and it is strengthening. The National Hurricane Center is reporting that Tropical Depression Nine is expected to form into Hurricane Ian — and they expect it to hit Florida as a Category 3 storm. The announcement prompted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to issue a State of Emergency for 24 counties in the state.
Tropical Depression Nine formed in the Caribbean on Friday with a path that could bring it to Florida next week as a major Category 3 hurricane prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in 24 counties.
“This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations,” he said. “We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm.”
DeSantis also requested a federal emergency declaration ahead of landfall that would free up funding sources for emergency protective measures. The counties in the order are Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and St. Lucie.
Not in the order are Orange, Lake, Seminole or Volusia.
It should be noted that Walt Disney World Resort lies in both Orange and Osceola counties. So, based on what counties are a part of the State of Emergency, it appears that Disney World could be on the outskirts of the worst parts of the storm.
If you are at Disney World when a hurricane hits, Disney has plenty of procedures in place to keep you safe. Outdoor rides — like Test Track, Slinky Dog Dash, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — will shut down until the weather clears up. If things get bad, Disney will shut the Parks down and keep Guests inside their hotels until things are safe, and they can open back up.
Fall family fun is brewing throughout Walt Disney World. This year, there are so many ways to celebrate fall and Halloween with new flavors, sights, and experiences, plus the return of fan-favorite events.
1 – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has returned and has kicked off a fall full of fun at Walt Disney World. The special ticket event is offered at Magic Kingdom Park on select nights from August 12 to October 31 after normal park hours from 7 p.m. to midnight. Guests can dress in their happiest or most-haunted Halloween costumes to get in the spirit of the season! Guests can trick-or-treat their way through the park and indulge in delicious sweets like SKITTLES, SNICKERS, and M&M’s.
Frightfully fun entertainment abounds in “Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade,” the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show featuring the Sanderson Sisters, and “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular” nighttime extravaganza hosted by Jack Skellington, featuring fireworks, projections, iconic Disney characters and more.
New for 2022, partygoers awaiting “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade” can ‘Stand Out’ and dance their way onto Main Street U.S.A., with a majorly awesome 90’s crew led by Max Goof cosplaying as Powerline – his favorite pop superstar!
Also new this year, guests can join Zombies and Cheerleaders at the ZOM-BEATZ BASH! as they BAMM out to music inspired by the ZOMBIES original movies on Disney Channel.
Several classic Magic Kingdom attractions offer a Halloween-themed overlay, including Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
The most wicked snacks of the season with specially themed fall and Halloween treats are available to savor throughout the park. Click here for the Foodie Guide to fall and event-exclusive items.
Guests can even bring home the memories with an event-exclusive, step-in photo experience, plus a reusable trick-or-treat bag and commemorative print that all guests will receive to round out the special Halloween offerings.
2 – Immersive Fall-Festive Décor at Magic Kingdom Park
What’s Halloween without some Disney magic? Summer transforms to the spooky season with festive fall decor at Magic Kingdom Park. Guests can stroll down Main Street, U.S.A where pumpkins and scarecrows are seemingly everywhere and where Disney characters are dressed in their Halloween best. Shops are festooned with fall foliage and garlands, and there are plenty of tricks and pumpkin-spiced treats making the season feel even more magical at this Walt Disney World Theme Park. Guests can enjoy festive fall decor through October 31 and other autumn-themed offerings at select locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort.
3 – Enjoy Global Flavors at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE
Now through November. 19, guests can sip, savor and repeat across six continents at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE. The festival offers new experiences for foodies and families alike as part of the “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” honoring the Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary.
More than twenty-five festival food and wine marketplaces located throughout EPCOT celebrate the best in global food and drink.
This year, the creative Disney culinary teams have dreamed up unique dishes as nearly one third of the menu offerings are new.
Guests can enjoy live musical performances at the America Gardens Theatre as part of the Eat to the Beat Concert Series presented by Florida Blue Medicare. Internationally recognized artists perform Friday through Monday and local bands rock the house Tuesday through Thursday.
New this year! From September 29-October 31 (or while supplies last), special Halloween fun for the whole family is available in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit. With the purchase of a map and stickers, guests can search around EPCOT for hidden decorative pumpkins themed to Disney characters. Whether they search for the pumpkins or not, guests can return their maps to redemption locations in the park to receive a festival keepsake.
4 – Race into Fall with the Disney Wine & Dine Half-Marathon Weekend
The 2022-23 runDisney race season kicks off November 3-6 with the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend presented by Shokz. The popular race weekend features a 5K, 10K, and half marathon, as well as the Disney Two Course Challenge (10K and half marathon) and Post-Race Party. While the races on property are sold out, you can still participate in the Virtual runs, click here for more details.
Guests can experience the blend of music, stories, and culinary delights found during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary celebration.
The weekend features a Coco-themed 5K, a Raya and the Last Dragon-themed 10K and a half marathon celebrating the music and magic of Soul.
Guests can also experience the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, including the opportunity to buy merchandise and gadgets for runners.
Olympic track and field champion and reality TV star Sanya Richards-Ross will be among the thousands of competitors at this year’s race weekend.
The magical weekend will be capped off with a unique Post-Race Party at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Half Marathon and Challenge registration includes entry to this after-hours event. Friends and family can purchase Post-Race Party tickets to join in the celebration with their favorite runners.
The Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend is the first of four race weekends during the 2022-23 runDisney season. Next is the 30th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Jan. 4-8), the 15th anniversary Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend (Feb. 23-26), and the runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend (April 13-16).
When you take a Walt Disney World vacation, you know that it will be pretty easy for Disney to know what you are up to. They know where you are staying, what Parks you are visiting on what days, and even what attractions you are riding — between Disney Genie+, PhotoPass, and the Disney MagicBand. Disney also keeps track of your watching habits when you use its streaming platform, Disney+.
However, what if you were told that Disney plans on actively tracking you, then combining the data that they have from you — from your time in the Parks and your Disney streaming habits — to customize both your Disney vacation and Disney+?
Well, according to a recently leaked investor call, that is exactly what Disney is planning on doing. Disney CEO Bob Chapek was on a call with Disney shareholders and said:
If we can have a universal Guest experience, recognize that a person who spent seven days in the Park, 24 hours a day, and we know all that information about them, is the exact same person who watches XYZ on Disney+. We can identify that person as the same one and they give us the ability to use the data that way, we can now customize and personalize an experience way beyond anything we’ve ever been able to do before, bringing now the two pieces of the Walt Disney Company into one for one common Guest experience that will give us a competitive advantage. Because who else has got the physical, deep physical data that you get on somebody if they spend 7 days and they essentially live with you for a week? And then how does that affect what they see on Disney+?
So, Disney+ will be conscious of what you do in a Park and will then feed you information, not on people that look like you in terms of viewing habits, people that watch this watch that, therefore, we’ll feed you this — we’ll do it specifically on what you did during your seven days and visca versa. What you watch on Disney+ will have an impact on your Guest experience at the Parks.
And I think that’s going to put us in a tremendous position of competitive advantage.
Even though Disney is capable of tracking your movements in the theme parks and your watching habits on Disney+, the company has not said how they will combine the two to customize the Guest experience.
