Disney World and Orlando Airport to Shut Down Services Ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole

Walt Disney World and the Orlando airport are both taking major precautions ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Nicole. Per Deadline, Walt Disney World has begun closing various outdoor attractions, including golf courses and water parks such as Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, Fantasia Gardens, and Fairways Miniature Golf for Thursday while the City of Orlando has declared a state of emergency Tuesday and the Orlando International Airport announced that commercial operations at the airport will cease at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9th and remain stopped until “circumstances permit operations resume.” Thus far, Universal Orlando has not yet announced any closures, instead noting earlier on Tuesday that they are “closely monitoring the weather”.

“Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions,” a statement on the Walt Disney World website reads. “We are continuing to closely monitor Tropical Storm Nicole and are making necessary operational adjustments to maintain the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”

Nicole was upgraded to Tropical Storm status on Tuesday and a Tropical Storm Warning was issued for the Orlando area. The storm is currently projected to be a strong tropical storm or potentially a Category 1 hurricane by the time it reaches Florida Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Tropical Storm Nicole comes less than two months after Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida and forced both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando to close. Hurricane Ian was at least a Category 2 storm when it hit Orlando, causing some damage to both resorts. Both parks fully reopened in early October.

In addition to the closures at Walt Disney World and the Orlando Airport, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also announced a state of emergency in 37 of Florida’s 67 counties ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole. Orlando is currently under both a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Warning ahead of Nicole’s arrival.