BREAKING NEWS: Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and more local theme parks have announced multi-day closures ahead of Hurricane Ian. Airports in the Orlando area are closing as well. Disney World will close its theme parks and water parks on Wednesday, September 28th, and Thursday, September 29th. Disney Springs will be closed on Wednesday, September 28th. They expect Disney Springs will also be closed on Thursday, September 29th, but more updates on that will be coming soon.
BIG UPDATE: Disney World will officially begin a phased reopening on Friday, September 30th.Â
©Disney
Hurricane Ian has gone from a tropical depression to a hurricane in just a few days and Disney World and other Florida areas could be impacted.
A rainy day at Hollywood Studios
A tropical storm warning, hurricane watch, and flood advisory have already been issued for Disney World counties, and Disney has been taking some steps to prepare for bad weather. But now we’ve got another update on just how the hurricane is impacting Disney.
Disney has issued a notice regarding adjusted rules due to Hurricane Ian. When it comes to dining specifically, Disney has indicated that effective immediately they will not be enforcing cancelation policies until further notice for dining.
This will also apply to other special experiences, like Savi’s Workshop or the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Reservation Rules Are Changing Temporarily
Typically, there are certain cancelation policies in place for dining and special reservations, like these. Restaurants in Disney World typically charge a per-person cancelation fee for reservations canceled within a specified period. Usually, reservations must be canceled at least one day in advance to avoid the fee.
But, due to the storm, cancelation policies are not being enforced until further notice. If you’re heading to Disney World soon, keep this change in mind as bad weather could stop or alter some of your dining plans.
Watch Those Dining Reservations
Disney has also announced some closures for select hotels and experiences ahead of Hurricane Ian. You can click here to learn more about that.
In addition, Disney has shared this statement on Twitter.
©Disney
As of September 27th, Hurricane Ian was a Category 3 hurricane emerging off the northern coast of Cuba, and heading toward Florida. Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for all of east central Florida (including the Disney World counties), and Hurricane Watches are in effect for some mainland counties (including the Disney World counties).
©National Weather Service
As of September 28th, the hurricane has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane and winds are expected to reach upwards of 155MPH. A Tornado Watch has also been issued for Central Florida until 5PM. Later in the day a Tornado Warning was issued for Osceola and Brevard counties.
©WESH 2 News
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cayo Costa, Florida with winds of 150 mph — making it officially landing as a Category 4 storm at 3:05PM ET.
On September 29th, Hurricane Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm and significant flooding has taken place around Disney World and Orlando. Due to this flooding, the Orlando International Airport will remain closed today. You can read their most recent statement below.
©Orlando International Airport
Disney has also released a statement. We have shared the park pass reservations are not available for tomorrow but as of now, Disney has only announced that they will remain closed through September 29th.
©Disney
For more updates on Hurricane Ian and how it could impact your trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth, check out our posts below:
- 6 items you need for a hurricane in Disney World
- Some Florida hotels are offering discounted rates for hurricane evacuees
- With Hurricane Ian approaching, Disney World hotels are showing no available rooms this week
- 5 things Disney is doing now to prepare for Hurricane Ian
- What to do if you’re going to Disney World during Hurricane Ian
- The latest news and updates on Hurricane Ian
Stay tuned for more information.
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Here right now bunkered down in our resort villa. Went to Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party last night. Huge disappointment for my first time at Disney! Waiting for Ian to hit our resort later this afternoon/evening. We had picked up groceries for a few days so shouldn’t go hungry. Rainy but not as windy as I expected at this point.