Ahead of Hurricane Ian’s landfall later this week, Walt Disney World has announced various closures across its Orlando campus. While all of Disney World’s theme parks are currently scheduled to operate “under normal conditions,” park officials announced Monday several resorts and water parks would be temporarily shuttered. So far, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf are closed on both Wednesday, September 28th and Thursday, September 29th.
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A handful of resorts have also been closed, including Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Businesses in Disney Springs are also operating as normal.
“Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service,” Disney’s weather-tracking website reads. “We continue to put the safety of our Cast Members and Guests first and will share updates with you as we monitor Hurricane Ian.Orlando officials are preparing to take a direct hit from the storm, comparable to 2004’s Hurricane Charley.”
“They should be assuming that we’re going to take a hit from a Category 1 hurricane directly like Charley, and be prepared the same way – if they were – for Charley,” Dyer said Monday (via the Orlando Sentinel). “This is really the height of hurricane season so get prepared for this one and you’ll be prepared for the rest of the season.”
As of this writing, Hurricane Ian is traveling in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 storm.
Outside of the coronavirus pandemic, the last Disney World closure came in 2019 due to Hurricane Dorian. At the time, Disney World shuttered for an afternoon before the storm shifted, allowing the resort to reopen the following day. Prior to that, Disney World was closed for three days in 2017 because of Hurricane Irma, a Category 5.
