ORLANDO, Fla. — If you planned a Florida vacation to either Disney World or Universal Studios this week you may have to change your plans. Both amusement parks announced their severe weather plans ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall on Wednesday.
The most magical place on Earth will still be open but their hours will be slightly adjusted.
"We continue to closely monitor the path of Hurricane Milton. Based on the latest projection, we are making additional operational adjustments for the safety of our Guests and Cast Members beginning Wednesday, Oct. 9," the Walt Disney World website said.
Walt Disney World
Disney Parks
On Wednesday the theme parks and Disney Springs will be closed in phases beginning at 1 p.m.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park will close at 1 p.m.
- Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT and Disney Springs will close at 2 p.m.
Officials said theme parks may close on Thursday. They plan to consider opening Disney Springs on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park was planned for Thursday but is now canceled. Event tickets will be refunded.
Disney Resort Hotel Closures
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will temporarily close beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. They will stay closed until Sunday.
Transportation and Recreation
Walt Disney World Transportation will stop operating on Wednesday after Disney Springs and the Walt Disney World theme parks close.
Limited Minnie Van and Mears taxi service will be available to Walt Disney World Resort guests.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed on Wednesday.
If you made reservations for dining or other experiences the park will not enforce cancellation policies until further notice. They said prepaid bookable experiences will be automatically refunded within 7 to 10 business days.
For more updates, you can check their website.
Universal Studios Florida
On Wednesday, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk will be open until 2 p.m. and will be closed all day on Thursday.
They say hours of operation on Wednesday may change due to weather.
Volcano Bay will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Also, Halloween Horror Nights is canceled for Wednesday and Thursday.
The park plans to fully reopen, including Halloween Horror Nights, on Friday for normal operating hours pending the outcome of storm impacts.
Hotels
Hotels will remain open to care for guests.
What if I bought tickets for Wednesday or Thursday?
If the park is closed at the time of your booking, you will be able to use your tickets to visit any day through Wednesday, December 18, 2024. You won’t need to call or visit Guest Services – you can go directly to the entrance gate on the date of your choosing and present your ticket for admission.
Similarly, if you have tickets for Halloween Horror Nights tickets dated for entry on Wednesday or Thursday you will be able to use your tickets on any one of the remaining nights of the event.
What if I have a VIP booking?
You can contact the VIP Experience team at (866) 346-9350 to reschedule a tour or other experience. But note that tour dates are based on availability.
You can keep up with updates on the Universal Studios website.
