As the hurricane Milton advances towards Florida, Orlando’s major theme parks, such as Disney World and Universal Studios, have announced extensive measures to ensure the safety of their visitors and employees. Milton is expected to make landfall as a major storm and both parks are taking precautions to minimize the impact on their operations and protect their guests.
Although Orlando is over a hundred kilometers from Tampa and hurricanes usually lose strength as they move inland, it could reach Orange and Osceola counties with category 2.
Disney and Universal will close their parks
Disney World announced that all its parks will close this Wednesday afternoon.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be closing from 1 pm on Wednesday, just like Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Meanwhile, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs will shut down from 2 pm. In addition, it was reported that the "Micksey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" event that would take place at Magic Kingdom has been canceled and the company will be refunding the visitors who had purchased their tickets for this show.
In addition, the "Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground", along with the "Copper Creek Cabins" and "Treehouse Villas" at "Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa", will temporarily close from Wednesday.
For its part, Universal Studios has announced that it will close its doors on Wednesday afternoon and keep its parks closed until Thursday.
Universal will also cancel the scheduled events for its popular "Halloween Horror Nights". This is one of the main attractions of the fall season in the park, which represents a significant loss for both attendees and the company.
Furthermore, Orlando International Airport has also decided to cease its operations on Wednesday morning.
The closure of the airport will affect the travel plans of thousands of tourists who intended to arrive or depart from the city. This increases uncertainty for visitors, many of whom are considering whether to continue with their vacation or return home before Milton hits.
A Major Blow to Tourism in Florida
Both Disney and Universal have eased their cancellation and rescheduling policies for those affected by the hurricane. Guests will be able to modify their plans without additional charges, although in some cases, services provided by third parties, such as airlines, might impose penalties.
With Milton advancing rapidly, Florida's theme parks are not only taking steps to safeguard their visitors, but also to ensure a return to normality as quickly as possible once the storm passes. The priority remains ensuring the safety of everyone while tourism, one of the main engines of Orlando's economy, faces this new weather threat.