UPDATE Monday 1:47PM ET:
Love these updates from Jeff_EMT on twitter. He was part of the Irma ride-out crew in the Magic Kingdom. Very interesting twitter stream from yesterday and last night.
UPDATE Monday 3:50PM ET:: According to this sign in the lobby at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney World theme parks will reopen Tuesday morning! And, guests can enjoy Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom!
Disney World theme parks reopening September 12!
___________
Disney World closed those big purple theme park gates on Saturday night, September 9th, in preparation for Hurricane Irma. This was only the fifth time that Disney World closed its theme parks since it’s opening in 1971. And while guests were still accommodated at Disney World’s many resorts, the theme parks were shuttered and anticipated to re-open on Tuesday, September 12th.
Contemporary Resort in Disney World after Hurricane Irma
Now guests who weathered the storm in Orlando, and those who have trips scheduled for this week and the coming weeks, are wondering when Disney World will re-open.
According to Fortune, Walt Disney World is working with experts to assess the damage from Irma, plan for clean-up efforts, and determine when it’s safe to re-open Disney’s parks and attractions.
The Orlando Sentinel shares more details, saying tropical storm-force winds will remain in and around the Orlando area until afternoon Monday. Orlando is under a curfew until 6PM to protect citizens from aftermath like live downed power lines.
“We are beginning an initial assessment of our property,” a Disney World spokeswoman said Monday morning. “While we experienced high winds and rain, we maintained power throughout the storm.”
Disney World and the rest of the entertainment attractions in the Orlando area are still aiming for a Tuesday re-open, but they are assessing damage and determining what is best for the safety of their guests and employees. Disney’s official website says they are still hoping to resume normal operations on Tuesday, September 12, but we haven’t seen any other announcements from Disney.
Do you have stories from Irma? Let us know in the comments below!
photo credit: thanks to Johnny B for tagging DFB in his instagram photo here.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Thanks for this! We rescheduled our flights for tomorrow afternoon, and this is the first Disney update I’ve seen. Fingers crossed.
Was watching the CNN guys riding out Irma and hoping it wasn’t going to destroy any of the Disney parks or hotels so glad to hear they seem to have escaped relatively unscathed.
If you’re going to be in the area this week, give the Cast Members a HUGE thank you! Some of them have been working as part of the Hurricane Ride-out crew and have been on the property and on-call for 34 straight hours so far. They’re putting together snack bags and entertaining guest and handling complaints from disappointed folks and cleaning and repairing everything to get the parks open as soon as possible. They’ve put in a massive amount of work and deserve serious appreciation.
Thanks for the update. We have a trip planned in 15 days . I can’t wait to get there.
We have reservations from Sep 20 till Sep 27. We would appreciate any updates. Thanks.
Of those other four times, I believe one of them was after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. It’s so strange that it’s the same date.
We have a trip planned for the 28th hope all is well
Thank you for the updates. We will be arriving the 22nd. Kudos to all who went all out to help.
Is Shades of Green, the military resort at Disneyworld, open for business now?
YAY!