Many potential Disney park visitors have shared on social media that they’ve canceled or postponed their vacations as Hurricane Milton heads toward Florida — but what about visitors who are already there?
Walt Disney World announced late Tuesday afternoon that all of its parks will close Wednesday, as they have for several other major hurricanes in past years, but the resort will still have to accommodate guests staying at its hotels when the storm hits.
Disney hotels have a reputation for being some of the safest places to stay during a hurricane, according to visitors and Florida residents who often evacuate to the resort from coastal areas. Cast members have also been known to book rooms at the property.
Disney World is closing some resort areas, but the parks remain open due to a threatened direct hit from Hurricane Milton
During hurricanes, hotels employ so-called “drive crews,” cast members who choose to stay on site during the storm to serve guests and try to keep everyone safe.
In addition to its inland location and solid infrastructure, Disney World is an attractive place to hide because it also runs on its own electric grid, known as Reedy Creek Energy Services, and uses generators during outages.
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“Nobody ever wants to be in the position of being stuck in a hurricane, but if that’s something you’re dealing with, Walt Disney World is probably one of the best places to go through it,” This life from a fairy tale blogger Mindy shared her experience staying at the Yacht & Beach Club Resort near Epcot during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
However, he notes that guests should expect a few changes in service during severe storms, such as limited food options. Sit-down restaurants often turn to buffet-style or grab-and-go offerings—and with that can come long lines.
Mindy’s Hotel has also suspended its no-pets policy to accommodate local families who have evacuated to the hotel and may choose to leave their pets behind.
A mom is facing backlash for posting a video of packing for a family trip to Disney World as Hurricane Milton approaches
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The situation when the storm actually arrived was the most surprising.
“We were allowed to roam the entire resort until the hurricane began to approach Orlando,” she writes. “At that point Cast members closed all exterior doors of the hotel and asked guests to stay in their rooms.”
Keeping guests inside is, of course, for their safety, given the likelihood of downed trees and exposed electrical components. “We were not allowed to leave the hotel again until cast members made sure the guests were safe,” Mindy writes.
The YouTube famous Gee family, also known as the “Bucket List Family,” also weathered the storm at Disney World.
During the 30 Stays in 30 Days experiment, in which the social media stars stayed at 30 different Disney hotels and tried to experience every offer they had, Hurricane Irma put a damper on their plans.
“We are bunkering down and staying in Orlando. @Waltdisneyworld was incredibly welcoming and caring to our family and all other guests,” the family wrote in an Instagram post. “So, for now, our #30stays30days project has been put on hold so that everyone involved can prioritize the well-being of their families and homes.”
Other park visitors note some shortcomings in the Moderate and Value resorts. On discussion boards such as DISboards and the r/WaltDisneyWorld subreddit, commenters said that at some of the cheaper hotels, guests have to walk outside to get to the only dining area. Others said that staying in the outbuildings instead of the main hotel tower meant they stayed in their room without easy access to the lobby.
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Nicole Wolfe of Fishers, Ind., who is currently at Disney World with her family of four, tells PEOPLE it was business as usual at the parks, except for less crowds and stronger winds on Tuesday.
“Most of the cast said they were expecting a big storm, but they also said they were trying to provide a lot of fun and entertainment for the kids during the hurricane,” she said, adding that she had not seen “any physical preparations” such as removing freestanding furniture or parts of the park or closing and storefront insurance.
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Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty
Before the park closure was announced, Disney World had already paused new hotel bookings for Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of the hurricane making landfall.
Milton will mark the 12th time in Disney World’s 53-year history that the park has closed its doors.
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).
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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.
In a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, Disney said, “We are closely monitoring the path of the predicted storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and cast members.”
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