With the approach of Tropical Storm Helene, anticipated to strengthen into a major hurricane in the coming hours, we are closely monitoring the weather and park operations in the Central Florida region, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
UPDATE (9/27/24)
- Walt Disney World is operating normally today.
- On their site, a note reads: “Our hearts are with the communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. We look forward to seeing our Guests today as we resume normal operations at Walt Disney World Resort.”
- Universal Orlando Resort is also operating normally.
- Their site says, “Our hearts are with all those impacted by Hurricane Helene and we are grateful for the hard work of our Team Members during this time. We welcome back our guests as we have returned to our normal operation.”
Previous Closures and Cancelations:
- Walt Disney World:
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will be closed on Thursday, September 26th.
- Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf and Winter Summerland Miniature Golf will be closed Thursday, September 26th.
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has also been canceled for Thursday, September 26th.
- Nighttime shows such as Fantasmic!, Wonderful World of Animation and Luminous The Symphony of Us have been canceled tonight.
- Select tours had been canceled for Thursday, September 26th, but this cancelation is no longer listed on Disney’s site.
- Universal Orlando Resort:
- Universal Volcano Bay will be closed on Thursday, September 26th.
- Halloween Horror Nights has been canceled for Thursday, September 26th.
- Universal CityWalk will close early at 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 26th.
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay:
- Park to remain closed on Thursday, September 26th.
9/27/2024 10:30 AM ET:
- Peppa Pig Theme Park, adjacent to LEGOLAND Florida, will be closed today, September 27th.
- The Park issued a statement saying that the park endured damage during the hurricane, and promised additional operational updates as they become available.
- The park did not specify what was damaged or how extensive the damage was.
- LEGOLAND Florida and its attached water park are operating as normal.
9/26/2024 5:30 PM ET:
- Walt Disney World has canceled a number of nighttime spectaculars this evening, while keeping operating hours mostly the same.
- Among the canceled entertainment offerings are:
- Fantasmic!
- Wonderful World of Animation
- Luminous The Symphony of Us
- Happily Ever After was never scheduled at the Magic Kingdom due to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
9/26/2024 12:00 PM ET:
- Universal Orlando Resort has announced that tonight’s Halloween Horror Nights event has been canceled.
- Additionally, Universal CityWalk will close early at 8 p.m..
- However, at this time, the two theme parks will remain open for their regular hours and the Halloween Horror Nights event for Friday, September 27th is expected to go on.
- Meanwhile, a Tropical Storm Warning for the area continues and a Tornado Watch has been added through 8 p.m. this evening.
9/25/2024 4:45 PM ET:
- Walt Disney World has officially announced that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom has been canceled for September 25th.
- Walt Disney World has stated that “Due to forecasted weather and the impact to our outdoor entertainment offerings, we are canceling Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on Thursday, September 26. Guest tickets will be refunded.”
- With the cancellation, Magic Kingdom has actually extended their operating hours, previously scheduled to close at 6:00 PM, now closing at 8:00 PM for guests to enjoy more time in the park.
- Other area park events, namely Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, are still slated to operate as planned at this time.
9/25/2024 2:15 PM ET:
- Walt Disney World has announced Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will be closed on Thursday, September 26th
- As a result, Beachcomber Shack (cabanas) and Typhoon Lagoon Umbrella rentals for that day have been canceled.
- Additionally, Disney’s miniature golf courses — Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf as well as Winter Summerland Miniature Golf — will be closed on Thursday.
- The following tours and experiences had been noted as canceled for Thursday, but the Walt Disney World site no longer notes their cancelation:
- Savor the Savanna
- Up Close with Rhinos
- Walking with Giants
- Wild Africa Trek
9/25/2024 1:15 PM ET:
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the closest major theme park to the projected path of Hurricane Helene has announced that they have enacted their named storm policy, and will not open the park on Thursday, September 26th.
- The park has emphasized that there are procedures and a preparedness plan in place to protect that park’s animals and ambassadors (staff) at this time.
- According to the park, normal operations will resume on Friday, September 27.
- Adjacent Water Park, Adventure Island, will also be closed on Thursday, September 26th, with normal operations expected to resume on Friday, September 27.
- Sister park, SeaWorld Orlando, has not made any announcements regarding changes in their operation at this time.
9/25/2024 11:00 AM ET:
- Helene has officially become a hurricane.
- All of East Central Florida was upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning last night.
- Universal Orlando Resort has announced that Universal Volcano Bay will be closed Thursday, September 26 but is currently expected to operate its normal hours on Friday, September 27.
- At this time, no other closures for Universal or Walt Disney World have been announced, although both resorts are actively monitoring the situation.
9/24/2024 7:20 PM ET:
- Tropical Storm Helene is currently forecasted to strengthen to a major Hurricane (currently forecasted to become a category 3) and arrive in Florida early on Thursday.
- The forecast is calling for the arrival in what is called Florida’s Big Bend, northwest of Orlando and the Central Florida attractions.
- Though that is where landfall is expected at this time, Helene is expected to bring heavy rain and wind to the entire west coast of Florida, with considerable flash and urban flooding across portions of the state.
- Orange County and Osceola County, home to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando are currently under a Tropical Storm Warning. This means that strong winds and rains are expected in the region as a result of Helene, however the brunt of the storm is further west.
- Under this warning, the forecast for Thursday in this region reads: “A chance of thunderstorms. Showers. Very windy. Some storms may produce heavy rainfall. Highs in the upper 80s. Southeast winds 25 to 30 mph increasing to 30 to 35 mph late in the afternoon and towards sunset. Gusts up to 50 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.”
- Currently, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando have both said that they are closely monitoring the weather, but all operations are as scheduled at this time. This also includes special events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida.
- Other parks, including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (which is nearest the storm’s projected path at this time) and LEGOLAND Florida have not issued updates about park operations at this time.