Via CBS News
Hurricane Dorian started to move northward toward the U.S. Tuesday morning after stalling over the Bahamas and causing widespread devastation. Millions of people in Florida and the Southeast were anxiously watching the storm, a powerful and menacing threat sitting miles off the Florida coast.
Dorian was a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph as of 8 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane slammed into the Bahamas as a Category 5 — as powerful as a hurricane can get.
It unleashed massive flooding, shredding roofs, hurling cars and forcing rescue crews to take shelter. By late Monday afternoon, the storm’s top sustained winds fell to 130 mph — down from 185 mph hours earlier — as it crept along on its path of destruction. Storm surges in some places raised water levels more than 20 feet above normal.
Dorian has caused Walt Disney World to adjust its park hours to increase the safety of its guests.
Walt Disney World Resort has issued a statement and is adjusting their operating hours beginning Tuesday, September 3.
- Magic Kingdom Park: 8 AM – 3 PM (7 AM Opening for EMH)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9 AM – 2 PM (6 AM Opening for EMH)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 8 AM – 2 PM (7 AM Opening for EMH)
- Disney Springs: 10 AM – 3 PM
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park: 10 AM – 3 PM
- ESPN Wide World of Sports: Closed
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park: Closed
- Winter Summerland & Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf: 10 AM – 3 PM
Disney Resort Hotels
All Disney Resort hotels remain open.
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will be closing on September 3 at 3 PM and will reopen when safe to do so.
- Guests with current and upcoming reservations at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort have been contacted so they can be relocated to other resorts on property and to help plan for anticipated weather impacts.
Special Events
Disney After Hours at Animal Kingdom – Cancelled on Tuesday, September 3
Guests are able to exchange tickets for different options as listed here.
Dining & Other Experiences
- On September 3, Theme park dining reservations will be honored up to one hour prior to park closing
- On September 3, Resort dining reservations will be honored until 5:30 PM
- Effective immediately, Disney will not be enforcing cancellation policies for dining and other experiences.
- Pre-paid dining and other experiences outside of the modified operating hours for September 3 will be automatically cancelled and refunded.
