What’s Happening at Disney Right Now During Milton Prep?
At 2 p.m. on October 9th, Walt Disney World officially closed its theme parks as a precautionary measure against Hurricane Milton.
Before the shutdown, dedicated Cast Members worked hard to protect guests as well as the parks themselves.
So, here’s what’s happening at Disney World right now.
The Day Before
Given Disney World’s location in Central Florida, Cast Members have been through this many times before.
So, workers can employ a well-established routine to ensure everyone’s safety.
That’s especially important when a hurricane occurs at a time like this.
Currently, the 2024 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is underway.
Even though the parks have closed for Wednesday and will remain unavailable on Thursday, they just go on pause like in a movie.
These are real places that will absorb the brunt of what’s projected to be up to a Category-4 storm in Central Florida.
We’re all hoping it’ll be less, but Cast Members have prepared the parks for the worst.
The last few days have involved hurricane preparations, and there’s a lot happening you may not consider.
You know those festival kiosks we all love so much? Yeah, those aren’t like conventional Disney theme park restaurants.
By nature, they’re temporary, which means they have less stability.
Cast Members must secure these kiosks. Guests at the parks on Wednesday morning noticed plenty of tarp.
Disney took many ordering stations offline, encouraging guests to use Mobile Ordering instead.
Then, the workers stabilized the various kiosks by tethering them to the ground or other, more durable buildings.
If Disney didn’t do that, portions of kiosks might literally fly away.
These are the types of hurricane preparations few consider, but here we are.
Cast Members have spent the past few days securing the fortress, so to speak.
An Unusual Day
Wednesday likely proved memorable for anyone braving the parks.
In case you’re unaware, many Floridians flock to Disney World resorts during extreme weather events.
They do so because Disney properties have proven remarkably resilient during hurricanes.
In their aftermath, temporarily displaced Floridians can enjoy the theme parks, which are a lovely distraction during a trying time.
Some arrive early and spend time at the parks before the hurricane arrives.
Since Disney parks closed early on Wednesday, a hodgepodge of oddities unfolded.
For instance, while the locals await wind forces of potentially 100+ miles per hour, the Disney Skyliner was open today.
I know that’s a bit odd, but aside from stray gusts, it was a perfectly normal day for the gondola system.
Disney appeared to disable the voiceover narration and other audio elements, but it was otherwise business as usual on the Skyliner.
Guests take a risk when they do that, though.
Just because boats and gondolas are working on the way to somewhere doesn’t mean they’ll be operational for the return trip.
Not coincidentally, many guests preferred the buses, which possessed a steady flow of traffic throughout the day.
The crowds, such as they were, swelled at the last minute, with two parks closing at 1 p.m. and the other duo shutting down at 2 p.m.
At that point, Disney was officially closed for Hurricane Milton.
Wednesday by the Numbers
Before then, the Tuesday and Wednesday crowds were quite a bit lower than we’d witnessed during Hurricane Helene.
On Monday, Magic Kingdom registered an average wait time that was slightly higher than the previous week’s data.
My tracking suggests an average wait of 28 minutes, which is five minutes higher than the prior seven days.
On Tuesday, that number dropped in half (!!!), and I’ve tracked Wednesday as the lowest wait times since I’ve been doing this.
The data was so low that I checked a different site, Thrill Data, for a comparison to make sure I wasn’t way off-base.
They listed Magic Kingdom as having the 3,700th wait time average of their 3,702 days of tracking.
In other words, the parks were as empty as we’ve ever seen them. I believe that speaks to the severity of the situation.
Helene targeted other parts of Florida, but it largely missed Central Florida.
So, there wasn’t as much reason for the locals to shelter at Disney. Milton’s a whole different ball game.
Thankfully, Floridians and tourists alike are taking it seriously, as they should.
The byproduct of their well-advised caution is that very few people can say they were at Disney World theme parks the day before Milton.
And let’s be honest: many of the exceptions were influencers hoping to go viral.
What’s Happening at Disney Right Now?
Cast Members are still doing last-minute preparations as they try to safeguard every last piece of the parks and resorts.
By this point, every outside table, chair, and/or bench should either be moved elsewhere or secured by a tether.
If you see videos of the parks from Wednesday and Thursday, you can scan the scene for ropes.
Workers have nobly tied down everything they possibly could. It’s a herculean, heroic effort on their part.
Disney must do this because anything not tied down becomes a potential weapon during a 100 MPH storm.
If you’re ever in a weather event like this, you’d do well to remember that and follow Disney’s lead.
To a larger point, the parks are now closed. So, all the Disney magic moves to the resorts.
Earlier today, I discussed what you can expect at a Disney hotel during a hurricane. It’s a surprisingly uplifting way to spend a catastrophe.
Yes, I realize that’s a conflicting statement, but it’s true. Disney goes out of its way to reduce the stress for its guests.
In past years, MickeyBlog and MickeyTravels staff members have experienced hurricanes while staying at Disney hotels.
To an individual, they rave about Disney’s handling of an impossible event.
Final Thoughts
I can make no predictions about what will happen over the next 36 hours, but I state with confidence that people will smile more at Disney resorts.
Keep checking MickeyBlog, as we’re sure to post more fascinating details about the food and entertainment at the resorts.
Also, if you’re impacted by Hurricane Milton, please know that you’re in our thoughts and prayers.
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Feature Photo: Disney
Since the resorts are safe places for Floridians during a hurricane, it would be wonderful if they provided the same for their cast members.