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Are Florida’s theme parks open as Hurricane Milton aims for the state’s Gulf Coast?
Here’s what to know, with the Orlando airport set to close on Wednesday:
Walt Disney World’s theme parks in Florida will start closing on Wednesday, Oct. 9 as Hurricane Milton nears landfall.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom theme parks will start closing at 1 p.m. Wednesday, the company said in a statement. Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney Springs will close at 2 p.m.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom park on Oct. 10 also is canceled. Disney said event tickets will be refunded.
The theme parks and Disney Springs will remain closed on Oct. 10, the company said.
Typhoon Lagoon water park, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will also be closed on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10. The company’s Blizzard Beach remains closed but that had already shut down for refurbishment earlier this year.
Disney said it had no events planned at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex until this weekend.
Disney Resort hotels will also be affected.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will close starting at 11 a.m. Oct. 9. Both “are likely to remain closed” until Oct. 13.
The company also said its transportation system will stop running on Oct. 9 after Disney Springs and the Walt Disney World theme parks close.
Disney said on Wednesday that it will not enforce cancellation policies until further notice. Prepaid bookable experiences will be automatically refunded within 7 to 10 business days.
SeaWorld Orlando will close on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, according to its website. No decision has been made about reopening on Oct. 11.
The Universal Orlando Resort is closing some theme parks as Hurricane Milton nears landfall. Volcanco Bay will be closed on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, the company said on Tuesday. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida is also canceled both of those days.
Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk will all close early on Oct. 9, at 2 p.m., and be closed all day Oct. 10. Hotels will remain open, the company’s vice president of public relations Alyson Sologaistoa said in an emailed statement.
It also said that hours of operation are subject to change again and that visitors should check the website for updates.
Universal said it expects “a full reopening” on Oct. 11 at “our normal operating hours pending the outcome of storm impacts.”
Busch Gardens in Tampa is closed Oct. 8-10, the Tampa area attraction said on its website.
Also, Howl-O-Scream is canceled for Oct. 10.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024, 10:56 AM.