Walt Disney World Hurricane Ian Q&A
Okay, Walt Disney World just confirmed that it will close its theme parks and select hotel rooms due to Hurricane Ian.
I know that you have questions. So, here are all the answers you need about this evolving situation.
Is the Airport Closed?
Yes. As I said earlier, airplanes won’t fly during hurricanes. That’s just common sense.
I recognize that’s frustrating for those of you flying into or out of Orlando.
One of my dearest friends has a niece celebrating her honeymoon at Disney tomorrow. Naturally, situations like this leave everyone scrambling.
The Orlando International Airport (MCO) doesn’t have a choice, though. Hurricane Ian could reach Category 4 status by the time it makes landfall in Florida.
No plane should be flying in a Category 2, much less a Category 4.
Technically, some pilots have experience with flying over them, but it’s the stuff of viral videos. You want no part of it.
For this reason, MCO won’t operate any flights past 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 28th.
So, whether you’re flying into or out of Orlando, that’s the cutoff point for Wednesday and likely Thursday.
You should keep reading MickeyBlog to learn when MCO reopens. I’ll say anecdotally that I have another friend scheduled to fly into MCO on Saturday.
This person asked whether he should expect that flight to happen. My honest answer to him – the advice I would give to a friend – is that we don’t know yet.
Everything depends on how much of an impact Hurricane Ian has on the area. Unfortunately, we probably won’t know that for another 24-36 hours.
You can also follow the official MCO Twitter feed for updates:
Operational Update – Hurricane Ian
Commercial operations at MCO will cease at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, 09/28/22. Entry to all parking facilities will be closed at that same period. Please contact your airline for flight updates. pic.twitter.com/P75DooP2EA— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) September 27, 2022
Here’s a tweet that indicates the airport likely won’t operate on Thursday, either:
We are expected to resume operations on Friday, after assessing all damage to airport property and facilities.
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) September 27, 2022
Are the Parks Closed?
Yup, this week joins the very short list of momentous occasions when Walt Disney World has closed its theme parks.
I have another article that will post soon that discusses all the times this has happened due to inclement weather. Suffice to say that it’s rare.
To Disney’s credit, the company has gotten more proactive about protecting guests, though.
This is the third time since 2017 that Disney has closed the parks early to avoid potentially endangering guests.
Walt Disney World will close its theme parks on Wednesday and Thursday. However, you shouldn’t interpret that as the various theme parks reopening on Friday, at least not yet.
What happens next will depend on the weather. Unfortunately, hurricane Ian has become one of those weather events that seemingly gets worse with every update.
I’m an optimist by nature, but even I must admit that Hurricane Ian sounds dangerous. It’s already Category 3, which makes it a “major hurricane.”
Meteorologists expect the worst, and most tourist locales in Florida have already announced their closures. It’s definitely not just Disney:
Walt Disney World Resort Update on Hurricane Ian – For the latest information, visit: https://t.co/tFCa0Atuj5 pic.twitter.com/2HikYFXRU6
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) September 27, 2022
Here’s Universal Orlando Resort:
Universal Orlando Resort, including CityWalk, will close on Sept. 28 & remain fully closed on Sept. 29. We anticipate reopening on Sept. 30 as conditions permit. pic.twitter.com/nPgsmv6TUv
— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) September 27, 2022
Other locations like SeaWorld Orlando and The Wheel at ICON Park have also closed.
Simply stated, everybody knows this is bad and won’t risk the safety of employees.
What Do We Know about Hurricane Ian?
My wife, whom I lovingly call Weather Nerd, has been watching Weather Channel all day. That’s never a good sign.
Local meteorologists in South and Central Florida seem confident that Hurricane Ian will reach the coastline sometime Wednesday.
Some were hedging their bets about early Thursday morning, but the hurricane has strengthened since then.
Generally, recent hurricanes have dissipated in strength as they have approached Florida. Ian is doing the opposite, which is worrisome.
First of all – and I cannot stress this enough – if you are in the impacted area, PLEASE be safe. MickeyBlog cares about you and wants you to take care of yourself.
Second, you should know that the likeliest spot for landfall is in the area of Naples and Tampa.
Early projections have collapsed as the storm keeps pushing inward, meaning that it’s likely to blanket Florida, a state with a narrow width.
We don’t know how powerful it’ll be, but some experts describe it as a “generational storm.” So, seriously, be safe, friends.
We also know that Orlando resides less than 100 miles from Tampa and 200 miles from Naples. So, it doesn’t have much distance from the landfall.
As such, ridiculously strong winds and rain will hit Central Florida late on Wednesday.
Even worse, Hurricane Ian has done the unthinkable by slowing down. So, it will take a more gradual path across Florida, potentially causing flooding due to consistent rain.
I just don’t have any good news here at the moment. Please take this seriously.
Are Walt Disney World Hotels Closed?
You may have read reports suggesting that several Disney resorts are closing. That’s mostly inaccurate, at least thus far.
Instead, management is closing specific sections of various hotels. Specifically, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa has shuttered its Treehouse Villas.
Those standalone hotel rooms are octagonal buildings surrounded by forestry. A tree could feasibly fall and hit the villa’s roof or shatter a window.
For this reason, Disney has proactively moved guests from these rooms.
Similarly, the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort won’t operate for at least two days.
These deluxe accommodations are right on the water at the hotel. Technically, they’re IN the water.
So, the hurricane’s waves could be a problem here. They could possibly flood the Bungalows. Of course, we’re talking about low odds, but Disney is taking preventive measures.
At Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the Cabins must also close. The issues here are a combination of the two I just mentioned.
These Cabins reside by the water, and they’re in heavily forested areas. As such, Disney must keep guests out of these Cabins until the storm blows past the area.
Are All Disney Hotels Open?
Okay, the answer here is no, although it’s a technicality more than anything.
Disney unexpectedly closed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser on Wednesday morning.
Guests arrived for their Star Wars adventure. Then, cast members informed them that Disney had chosen not to host this engagement during the hurricane.
Realistically, Disney didn’t have a choice here. Think about the matter from this perspective.
Let’s say that the people at the hotel are in the middle of a dramatic moment. They may not realize that the storm has reached the area.
Also, part of the Galactic Starcruiser experience involves a visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Since the parks are closed on Wednesday and Thursday, guests would miss that experience.
That’s a problem for the Galactic Starcruiser cast members as well. They don’t schedule events during the theme park visitation window.
So, they’d need to create a new itinerary on the fly to fill the gap for those missing hours.
That’s asking way too much of people who live in Orlando and are already worried about their friends, family, personal safety, and belongings.
Closing the resort is the only viable decision here. Disney has proactively canceled the next Galactic Starcruiser experience on Friday as well.
For this reason, it’s not accurate to say that all Disney hotels have closed.
However, one resort has, albeit a special engagement property that hosts only a small number of guests.
FEATURE IMAGE: Str/Xinhua/Zuma