Is Disney World Closing for Hurricane Milton?

Last Updated: October 8th at 3:45PM ET

A major storm is heading straight for Disney World.

Hurricane Milton is forecast to hit Central Florida later this week with heavy winds and rain, and many people are preparing for the conditions the storm will bring. Because of the forecast, many people have been debating if they should cancel their Disney World vacations. But will Disney World actually close?

As of Monday, October 7th at 6PM ET, Disney World has announced the following closures and updates for its hotels.

• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will temporarily close beginning at 11AM on Wednesday, October 9th.
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are likely to remain closed until Sunday, October 13th.
• The Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will likely reopen on Friday, October 11th.

On October 8th, Disney World announced closures to its parks, Disney Springs, special experiences, transportation, and more beginning on October 9th at 1PM. Here’s a full breakdown:

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will close at 1PM.
• Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs will close at 2PM
• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been canceled for October 10th. Event tickets will be refunded.
• Disney World Transportation will stop operating on Wednesday, October 9th after Disney Springs and the theme parks close. Limited Minnie Van and Mears taxi service will be available.
• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed on Wednesday, October 9th.

Disney mentioned it is likely that the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday, October 10th. However, Disney Springs may reopen in the late afternoon on Thursday with limited offerings.

The first big update is that fees are being waived for those who want to cancel or change their Disney World vacations. Change and cancellation fees for guests with check-in dates of October 6th through October 14th will be waived due to potential weather impacts to travel plans.

Disney is not enforcing cancellation policies for dining and other experiences. Pre-paid bookable experiences will be automatically refunded. Most trips can be modified online, or you can call (407) 939-5277.

Disney World has also restricted reservations for hotels and parks ahead of the storm. Disney has stopped taking hotel reservations for October 8th through October 10th. Reservation options begin again on October 11th. For Disney Park Passes, the calendar has been “blocked out” for Wednesday, October 9th. If you don’t already have a Park Pass for that date, you won’t be able to make a new one at this time.

As of the latest report, after Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm, it decreased to Category 4, and a state of emergency has been declared for Central Florida. The forecast calls for some very rainy days in the Orlando area this week, and the roadways have been crowded with people preparing for the storm or evacuating.

If you’re wondering what it’s like when Disney World closes for a hurricane, we experienced this back in 2022 with Hurricane Ian. The theme parks and Disney Springs were closed for two days due to that storm, and then on the third day, Disney began a phased reopening. During that time, Disney World got more than a foot of rainfall.

Disney World’s policies will likely be updated as the storm gets closer to making landfall, so we’ll make sure to keep you in the loop if any closures are announced. Stay tuned to AllEars.

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