Home » Walt Disney World Theme Parks And Disney Springs Are Fully Operational Again After Hurricane Ian Closures

    Walt Disney World Theme Parks And Disney Springs Are Fully Operational Again After Hurricane Ian Closures

    Natalie Sim029 mins

    UPDATE October 1 – Walt Disney World has confirmed that all four theme parks are now open as well as Disney Springs. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser also resumes voyages today. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will reopen on Sunday October 2. Walt Disney World transportation is also operating as normal.

    Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will remain temporarily closed at this time. Those guests with upcoming reservations will be contacted.

    You can check out opening times on the official Walt Disney World calendar, here.

    UPDATE September 29, 9:25PM EST – We now know for certain that Walt Disney World will begin a phased reopening on Friday September 30. Here is all the information you need about each Walt Disney World theme park as seen on the Walt Disney World’s official weather watch page:

    “Walt Disney World theme parks will reopen at the following times on Friday, Sept. 30:

    • Magic Kingdom Park 10:00 a.m.
      • Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will be offered as scheduled and is sold out at this time
    • EPCOT 11:00 a.m.
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios 12:00 p.m.
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park 1:00 p.m.

    Disney Resort Hotel Guests and Guests staying at other select hotels will receive Early Theme Park Entry prior to the posted times above at each of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Early Theme Park Entry will be available at the following times:

    • Magic Kingdom Park 8:00 a.m.
    • EPCOT 9:00 a.m.
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios 10:00 a.m.
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park 11:00 a.m.

    Please note: Valid theme park ticket or annual pass and a theme park reservation and resort ID are required.

    Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will also reopen on Friday, Sept. 30 at 3:00 p.m.

    ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will be open from 5:00 to 8:00 pm for scheduled events.

    Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park is temporarily closed with a planned reopening on Sunday, Oct. 2. Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fairways Miniature Golf will remain temporarily closed at this time. Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is currently closed for the season.

    Partially used multi-day theme park tickets with a validity window impacted by closure due to Hurricane Ian will be automatically extended to allow use of the remaining unused ticket days through Sept. 30, 2023. In order to enter a park, both a park reservation and valid ticket for the same park on the same date are required.”

    Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom will continue as scheduled on Friday, Sept. 30. Disney Springs will also reopen on September 30, at 10:00AM with the 5:30PM showing of Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil & Disney being rescheduled to 8:00PM.

    For further information about resort closures and policies visit the official website.

    UPDATE September 29, 3:20PM EST – Walt Disney World have now updated their weather updates and information page. The statement reads:

    “We continue to closely monitor weather conditions as we assess the impact of Hurricane Ian on our property. While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening. Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30. Please check back later today for updated Operating hours.”

    For further updates head to the official website.

    UPDATE September 29, 06:00AM EST – The National Hurricane Center has just issued its latest update which tells us that coastal water levels continue to subside along the west coast of Florida and tropical-storm force winds are spreading northward and away from Orlando. We await further information from Walt Disney World regarding reopenings of the resort. 

    Currently, all four theme parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney Springs are closed and hotel check-in have been suspended until 3PM tomorrow, September 30. For a full list of closures and for further information, visit the Walt Disney World’s official weather watch page . We will keep you updated on reopenings on our news and Facebook page. 

    UPDATE September 29, 01:00AM EST – Hurricane Ian is weakening as it moves inland and has been downgraded to a category one storms, with winds of according to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, with the storm’s windspeeds peaking at 90mph (145 km/h).

    The latest update from The National Hurricane Center continues to give warnings of “life-threatening catastrophic flooding, with major to record river flooding, will continue across portions of central Florida with considerable flooding in northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina for Thursday and Friday.”

    Walt Disney World remains closed today and we will update you on the announced plans for a reopening tomorrow when they are confirmed.

    UPDATE September 28, 01:00PM EST – The National Hurricane Center has now issued warnings of high and excessive rainfall across a large portion of central Florida peninsula including Orlando.

    There is also an enhanced risk of tornadoes in the cities of Orlando FL, Daytona Beach FL, Melbourne FL and West Palm Beach FL.

    Walt Disney World Resort hotel check-in is set to close at 3PM today, September 28. We also know that along with all four Walt Disney World theme parks and Blizzard Beach, Disney Springs is closed today and is expected to also be closed tomorrow, September 29.

    Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil & Disney is cancelled on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29. The 5:30 p.m. show on Friday, Sept. 30 will be rescheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m.

    We will bring you further updates as they are announced on our news and Facebook page. 

    UPDATE September 28, 06:00AM EST – All four theme parks at Walt Disney World will temporarily close today (Wednesday September 28) and tomorrow (Thursday September 29) due to Hurricane Ian. As well as the four theme parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf will also be closed. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom has been cancelled for Thursday, Sept. 29.

    For those guests who currently hold tickets during these days, Disney has announced that, “Partially used multi-day theme park tickets with a validity window impacted by closure due to Hurricane Ian will be automatically extended to allow use of the remaining unused ticket days through September 30, 2023. In order to enter a park, both a park reservation and valid ticket for the same park on the same date is required.”

    This is the latest update regarding hotel check in at Walt Disney World:

    For the safety of our Guests and Cast Members, all Guests including our Disney Vacation Club Members must check in to our resorts on Sept. 28, by 3 p.m. Guests may reschedule their trip or cancel their stay with us; any customary cancellation fees will be waived. Check in will not be accepted on Thurs Sept 29. For Guests with a Friday, Sept. 30 check in, please arrive at your resort no earlier than 3 p.m. ET; Guests who arrive before 3 p.m. will not be able to check in.

    • Guests that are checked in by 3 p.m. Wednesday will be asked to shelter in place at their resort for the duration of the storm, this includes any resort-to-resort transfers.
    • Guests are strongly encouraged to enjoy food and beverage offerings at the parks and Disney Springs before returning to their Resort hotels.
    • Dining options for Guests staying in our Resort hotels will vary, and in some cases may be very limited. Where available, restaurants will accept walk-ups only; Guests will not need dining reservations.
    • Characters will not be available in character dining locations on Wednesday and Thursday.
    • The Grand Floridian Spa will close at noon Wednesday, Sept. 28.

    Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Sept. 30 due to the weather. We are contacting Guests with current and upcoming reservations.”

    The latest update from the National Hurricane Center shows that Ian has intensified and is likely to become a category 4 hurricane causing “life-threatening storm surge along the west coast of Florida and catastrophic wind damage near the core of Ian when it moves on shore.”

    The National Hurricane Center has also released a 5-day rainfall forecast which shows 12-18 inches of rain for central Florida.

    The advice for all residents of Florida is to continue to listen carefully to the guidance given over the coming few days and to take appropriate action as Hurricane Storm Ian hits Florida. We will keep you updated on the latest announcements from Walt Disney World on our news and Facebook pages.

    UPDATE September 27, 07:00AM EST – At the time of writing all Walt Disney World theme parks continue to be open as usual with Walt Disney World making the following statement:

    “Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service.

    We continue to put the safety of our Cast Members and Guests first and will share updates with you as we monitor Hurricane Ian.”

    Some areas of the Walt Disney World Resort will be closed, here are the following confirmed closures so far:

    • Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Sept. 30 due to the weather. We are contacting Guests with current and upcoming reservations.
    • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will close temporarily Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29. (Disney’s Blizzard Beach is currently closed).
    • Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will also temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.
    • Effective immediately, we will not enforce cancelation policies until further notice for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
    • Performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have been canceled Sept. 28-30 in light of the temporary closure of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Guests with pre-paid reservations will be automatically canceled and refunded.

    It states quite clearly that these closures and timelines are subject to change and we will keep you updated of any further closures as and when they are announced on our news and Facebook page.

    The latest update from the National Hurricane Warning Center is embedded below. It now seems that Tropical Storm Ian is going to hit central Florida hard with “danger of life threatening storm surge along much of the Florida west coast where a storm surge warning has been issued with the highest risk from Fort Myers to the Tampa Bay region, with hurricane force winds in west-central Florida beginning Wednesday morning and tropical storm conditions expected by late Tuesday.”

    “Heavy rainfall will spread into central and northern Florida Wednesday and Thursday and the Southeast by Friday and Saturday, potentially causing flash, urban and small stream flooding with considerable flooding, including significant, prolonged river flooding likely in Central Florida.”

    UPDATE September 26, 07:00AM EST – Walt Disney World fans have been eagerly awaiting news from Disney regarding its action plan for this week as Tropical Storm Ian approaches. The latest statement which was released late on Saturday evening from Walt Disney World says, “Walt Disney World Resort is operating under normal conditions. We are closely monitoring the path of the projected weather as we continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”

    This statement is confirmed by the current Walt Disney World calendar which shows all parks operating normal opening hours. Based on the latest update from the National Hurricane Center this morning, Tropical Storm Ian is still expected to hit the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week. We will keep you updated on further announcements from Walt Disney World regarding the action plan to keep guests and Cast Members safe as and when they are revealed. Currently, if you are planning to take a trip to Walt Disney World this week the parks are set to be open. 

    Still, the advice from the National Hurricane Center is, “residents in Florida should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officals, and closely monitor updates to the forecast.”

    Walt Disney World castle, Disney

    UPDATE September 25, 11:00AM EST –  According to an update from the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Ian is now expected to hit the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week. Whilst the exact intensity and path is still unknown, “residents in Florida should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officals, and closely monitor updates to the forecast.”

    It also said in the statement from the National Hurricane Center that there, “is a risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle.”

    We still await a statement from The Walt Disney World Emergency Operations Center to detail exactly how Tropical Storm Ian will impact daily operations at the park this week. At the moment, it is predicted that Tropical Storm Ian could be a category 2 hurricane as it hits the Walt Disney World area but this can not be confirmed as the intensity and path of Tropical Storm Ian could change. We will update you as soon as we have further information on this.

    UPDATE 17:00PM EST – It has now been confirmed by Governor Ron DeSantis that a State of Emergency has been declared for the entire of Florida due to the approaching Tropical Storm Ian which is expected to hit land on Tuesday. We reported earlier today that we are waiting for The Walt Disney World Emergency Operations Center to release a statement outlining an action plan of how this could impact Walt Disney World over the coming days.

    Tropical Storm Ian is thought to be strengthening and could hit Florida as a category 3 hurricane. We will update you on the action plan for Walt Disney World when it is released. Residents are being advised to take the necessary precautions and further information will be given as Tropical Storm Ian develops. 

    UPDATE 12:00PM EST – Walt Disney World Resort is currently meeting with partners. The Walt Disney World Emergency Operations Center is set to release a statement outlining the action plan in order to keep guests and Cast Members safe for the approaching Tropical Storm Ian which is building intensity and is set to hit land on Tuesday. 

    Walt Disney World 50th, Disney
    Image: Disney

    September 24, 7:00AM EST – Tropical Depression Nine formed in the Caribbean early on Friday September 24, and is expected to become named as Ian when it reaches the required tropical storm status. It is currently on course to approach Florida early next week.

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a State of Emergency for twenty four counties across Florida. This includes Osceola County where parts of Walt Disney World are located.

    We will keep you posted on updates and the impact this could have on Walt Disney World over the coming days and into next week on our news and Facebook page.

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