NEWS: Florida Governor Declares State of Emergency for Disney World Counties As Tropical Storm Milton Approaches

A new tropical storm is expected to make its way to Florida, and residents are preparing for yet another potentially dangerous hurricane.

On Saturday, October 5th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency in 35 Florida counties. Orange and Osceola counties, where Disney World is located, were included in the list.

As of October 6th, the following counties were listed under a state of emergency in Florida: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia.

In a press conference on October 6th, DeSantis stated that Tropical Storm Milton could be “potentially an I-4 storm,” meaning its potential track could rip through a highly populated section of Florida along Interstate 4. I-4 enters Orange County, passes through Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Orlando, and intersects with several major toll roads.

The National Hurricane Center issued several key messages ahead of the storm, warning those living in Florida that the storm is forecast to “quickly intensify.” Residents are encouraged to have a hurricane plan in place and follow advice from officials.

4PM CDT Oct 5: Tropical Storm Milton is forecast to strengthen quickly and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of the west coast of Florida Tuesday or Wednesday. Make sure to check back for updates through the weekend and into next week at… pic.twitter.com/ODXkMcuLAz

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 5, 2024

Meteorologists predict that the storm will become a dangerous hurricane. When the storm hits Florida, it could bring life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding to Florida’s Gulf Coast and potentially even Central and Southern Florida.

The forecast from last night at 11pm in orange to 5am this morning in red has been VERY consistent. A subtle nudge south by about 10 miles is it.

Remember, in models and forecasting- trends are your friends:

Recon is in the storm now, and that data should help the models… pic.twitter.com/iUv3sQxgsO

— Eric Burris (@EricBurrisWESH) October 6, 2024

Current models show the storm progressing towards Florida over the next few days, reaching land between Wednesday and Thursday.

If you’re planning to be in Disney World during the storm, prepare for potential theme park closures. Disney is no stranger to hurricane-like conditions, and Cast Members are prepared to keep visitors safe during the storm.

That said, if a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area — or for your place of residence — within seven days of your scheduled arrival date, you may reschedule or cancel your Disney Resort hotel packages and most room-only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.

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Disney also states that most room-only and vacation packages can be modified or canceled online, including changes to travel dates.

The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30th, and so far this season, there have been multiple major storms in and around Florida. We will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Milton and will share any additional updates as they happen.

UPDATE: 

Disney issued a statement regarding Hurricane Milton, reading, “Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions. We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”

In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

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