Disney World in rare closure as Florida tourist attractions ready for Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.

While the storm had previously weakened, the US National Hurricane Center said Tuesday that Hurricane Milton was once again a Category 5 storm.

“Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the hurricane center said.

The news forced Orlando’s tourism machine to grind to a halt on Tuesday with at least three major theme parks and the main airport announcing closures ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld have closed theme parks and respective entertainment facilities today (Wednesday), with the latter two also closed on Thursday and Disney likely to remain closed.

open image in gallery

Universal also canceled Halloween Horror Nights scheduled for both days.

The theme parks join Orlando International Airport, which ceased operations Wednesday morning. The airport is the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked.

Earlier, Disney World had said that it was open and planned only to close its campgrounds and rental cabins ahead of the storm.

The only indication at Disney Springs that a hurricane was coming had been the closure of a hot air balloon ride. “Closed due to hurricane,” an electronic sign read. “Stay safe.”

All the other stores and restaurants in the outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex inside the resort were open and doing brisk business.

Milton, which is expected to come ashore Wednesday, threatened to ruin the vacations of tens of thousands of tourists at Disney World.

Nicole and Zeb Downs arrived on Monday after a 21-hour drive from Arkansas, expecting a 12-day Florida vacation with their three young sons. By Tuesday afternoon, they were contemplating packing up their car and heading back.

“We are disappointed but it’s kind of out of our hands at this point,” said Zeb Downs as he strolled with his family along a still-bustling Disney Springs shopping and restaurant district at the park resort.

Neither of them had experienced a hurricane before and weren’t sure they wanted to try it.

open image in gallery

The Orlando area is the most visited destination in the United States due to Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and other theme parks, attracting 74 million tourists last year alone.

October is also among the busier times for theme parks because of Halloween-related celebrations, which have become major money generators over the past couple decades. Universal Orlando hosts “Halloween Horror Nights,” with ghoulish haunted houses based on slasher films and other pop culture horror, and Disney has its tamer “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.”

While Disney rarely shuts its doors — save for dangerous hurricanes in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — its hotels are often havens for coastal residents fleeing impending storms. A check of Disney World’s online reservation system on Tuesday morning showed no vacancies.

Those lucky enough to get a hotel reservation have gotten unexpected treats during past storms. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, guests at a hotel on Disney property found themselves stranded with actor Kristen Bell, who voiced the role of Anna in the beloved Disney film “Frozen.” While in Orlando, the actor found time to sing songs for evacuees at a nearby hurricane shelter.

Once a hurricane passes, the theme parks try to return operations to normal as quickly as possible. After Hurricane Charley charted a devastating path through Orlando in 2004, Disney World had utility vehicles picking up downed tree limbs and clearing roads on its property within an hour in the pitch-dark night.