Walt Disney World is taking stock after Hurricane Milton hit Central Florida on Wednesday night.
“We are grateful that Walt Disney World Resort weathered the storm and are currently assessing the impact on our properties,” the resort said in a statement released Thursday morning.
Disney is already preparing to reopen its four theme parks, Disney Springs and “possibly other areas on Friday, October 11.”
“Our hearts go out to our fellow Floridians affected by this storm,” the statement concluded.
Disney announced Tuesday ahead of the storm that it would close on Wednesday, October 9 “in phases beginning at 1:00 p.m..” Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom close at 1 p.m., followed by Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Disney Springs at 2 p.m.
At the time, they said it was “likely” that the theme parks would remain closed on Thursday, October 10.
Disney previously announced on Monday, October 7 that its more rustic accommodations would close on Wednesday morning. These include Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (including dining and recreation areas), Copper Creek Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, and Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
What happens if you’re stuck at Disney World during a hurricane, according to people who lived through it
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key, Florida at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 9, after moving through the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Milton was previously downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane early Tuesday after strengthening to a Category 5 storm on Monday.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(3359x0:3361x2)/UOR_Globe_39A9397-98743b9e75ab45aaac339600d1150893.jpg)
Universal Orlando Resort.
Universal Orlando Resort
Disney World Trips Aimed at Homeless Students in New York City, School Employees Reportedly Used Instead: Report
As of Sunday, October 6, Disney World has already paused new hotel bookings for Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of the hurricane making landfall.
However, as of Monday morning, a Disney representative told PEOPLE that the Orlando resort was still operating “under normal conditions.”
“We are closely monitoring the path of the predicted storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and cast,” the statement added.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/disney-closures-hurricane-milton-3-100824-a07edc07d8bf4b6bb110efeef318effc.jpg)
Busch Gardens.
James Borchuck/The Tampa Bay Times via AP
The park closure is the 12th time in Disney World’s 53-year history.
Nine of the past 11 closures were due to hurricanes: Floyd (September 1999), Charley (August 2004), Frances (September 2004), Jeanne (September 2004), Matthew (October 2016), Irma (September 2017). ), Dorian (September 2019), Ian (September 2022) and Nicole (November 2022).
WATCH: Chaos erupts at Disney World after sound of balloons ‘popping’ causes panic in fake active shooters: Police
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The parks were also closed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, marking their longest closures ever. The park closed in March 2020 and reopened in phases starting in July 2020.
Milton is the second major hurricane to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast in the past two weeks.
Hurricane Helena made landfall in the Big Bend area of the state on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and wreaked havoc across the Southeast, also affecting Georgia, South and North Carolina.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education