On September 28, Hurricane Ian hit Central Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. There were strong winds, flash flooding, and power outages across the area — including at the Walt Disney World Resort. While some Guests had managed to get out of town before the storm hit, other Guests decided to stay and ride out the storm, while others found themselves stranded at the Most Magical Place on Earth because all Orlando airports were closed.
Because of Hurricane Ian, Disney shut down its theme parks on September 28 and September 29 — and may extend it to September 30 — so Guests staying on property were stuck in their hotels. However, Disney still wanted to make sure they had the most magical time possible.
Enter some classic Disney characters.
Multiple Guests took to social media to share pictures and videos of the characters that came out to interact with Guests in the lobby area of various Disney World hotels.
Wilderness Lodge was not the only place Disney characters were spotted. Disney’s All-Star Sports saw Goofy, Max, Chip, and Dale sitting down with Guests to enjoy a movie.
Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck were seen hosting another dance party at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, much to the delight of Guests.
In addition to closing the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, Disney also closed Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney Springs. Disney Springs was originally scheduled to reopen on September 29, but Disney chose to keep it closed.
