UPDATED! Hurricane Ian WDW Park Closures, Cruise Delays, Cancellation Policies & More

(UPDATED: 9/28 10am EDT) Hurricane Ian is set to make landfall near Fort Myers on September 28th, with weather reports predicting devastating winds up to 155 miles per hour. Later in the day, the brunt of the storm will pass close to Walt Disney World with high winds and torrential rain, potentially causing flooding and even tornadoes. This is a big deal for Florida’s theme parks and the many out of town tourists who don’t know what to do in a major storm such as this.

Ian is a massive storm with current wind gusts up to 155 MPH. It will hit the state as a high Category 4 (very close to a Cat 5) and is projected to continue toward the Orlando theme park zone as a Category 1. The current path makes strong storms and damaging winds very likely for Central Florida and shelter in place orders are now in effect: 

As with any major storm, being prepared is extremely important, and Florida residents have been busy boarding up windows and stocking up on water and other supplies, but what should theme park visitors do?

If the storm is exceedingly strong, guests will likely be instructed to remain in their hotel rooms for extended periods, so it’s a good idea to stock up on snacks that don’t require refrigeration, water, and anything else you’ll need. That might include ways to keep you and your family entertained, including cards, books, puzzles, and non-electronic games.

It’s also a good idea to fully charge all mobile phones, devices, and portable chargers/battery packs. This is particularly important for Walt Disney World guests who don’t have Key to the World cards or MagicBands because you’ll need your phones for room entry.

Hurricane Information for Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Walt Disney World hotels will lock down by 3 p.m. on September 28th. Here is the information from Walt Disney World (as of 10 a.m. on the 28th):  

For the safety of our Guests and Cast Members, all Guests including our Disney Vacation Club Members must check in to our resorts on Sept. 28, by 3 p.m. Guests may reschedule their trip or cancel their stay with us; any customary cancellation fees will be waived. Check in will not be accepted on Thurs Sept 29. For Guests with a Friday, Sept. 30 check in, please arrive at your resort no earlier than 3 p.m. ET; Guests who arrive before 3 p.m. will not be able to check in. Guests that are checked in by 3 p.m. Wednesday will be asked to shelter in place at their resort for the duration of the storm, this includes any resort-to-resort transfers.

Guests are strongly encouraged to enjoy food and beverage offerings at the parks and Disney Springs before returning to their Resort hotels.
Dining options for Guests staying in our Resort hotels will vary, and in some cases may be very limited. Where available, restaurants will accept walk-ups only; Guests will not need dining reservations.

Characters will not be available in character dining locations on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Grand Floridian Spa will close at noon Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will temporarily close Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Sept. 30 due to the weather. We are contacting Guests with current and upcoming reservations.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Dining (Updated Sept. 29, 2022)

Only these select Walt Disney World Resort dining options are currently open:

• Disney’s All Star Movies Resort – World Premiere Food Court
• Disney’s All Star Music Resort – Intermission Food Court
• Disney’s All Star Sports Resort – End Zone Food Court
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Landscape of Flavors
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village – The Mara, Boma – Flavors of Africa, Sanna, Sanaa Lounge, Kilimanjaro Club Level, Victoria Falls Lounge, Zuwadi Traders (Jambo House), Jahari Treasures (Kidani Village), Club Level (available for Club Level Guests)
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas – Belle Vue Lounge, Club Level (available for Club Level Guests), Convention Center Buffet
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – Centertown Market, Banana Cabana
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort –
• Contempo Café, Chef Mickey’s, Outer Rim, Cove Bar, Steakhouse 71, Steakhouse 71 Lounge, Club Level (available for Club Level guests)
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood Buffet, Barcelona Lounge, El Mercado de Coronado, Rix Sports Bar & Grill, Chronos Club Level (available for Club level guests)
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort – Olivia’s Café, Good’s Food To Go
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – Capt. Cook’s, Kona Island, Tambu Lounge, Lobby Bar, Club Lounge (grab n’ go items available for Club Level guests)
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort – Everything Pop Shopping & Dining
• Disney’s Riviera Resort – Primo Piatto, Le Petit Café
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – The Artist’s Palette
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort, Boulder Ridge at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort –
  Roaring Fork, Whispering Canyon Café, Territory Lounge, Boulder Ridge, Club Lounge (available for Club Level guests)
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort – Ale & Compass Restaurant, Ale & Compass Lounge, Beach Club Marketplace, Cape May Café, The Market at Ale & Compass, Martha’s Vineyard, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Club Level Lounges (available for Club Level guests)

You can read the latest info from Disney HERE. 

As of 9/28, these are the additional planned operational changes around Walt Disney World…

Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Disney Springs

• Walt Disney World transportation will stop operating on Sept. 27, 2022 after Disney Springs and the theme parks close.
• All Walt Disney World theme parks and water parks will be closed on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022. Partially used multi-day park tickets with a usage window impacted by the hurricane will automatically be extended to through Sept. 30, 2023.
• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom for Sept. 29, 2022 has been canceled. If you purchased event tickets directly from Disney using a credit card, a refund will automatically be processed within 7 business days.
• Disney Springs will be closed on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022.
• Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil & Disney has been canceled for Sept. 28 and Sept 29, 2022. The 5:30 p.m. show on Friday, Sept. 30 will be rescheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m.
• The Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, Fantasia Gardens, and Fairways Miniature Golf courses will be closed on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022.

As a result of the closure of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have been canceled for Sept. 28-30. Pre-paid reservations will be automatically canceled and refunded.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (Updated Sept. 27, 2022): Voyages departing Sept. 27 and 29, 2022 have been cancelled. Guests with reservations for these dates are being asked to call 407-939-5209 for help modifying their plans.

Cancellation Policies

Cancellation policies for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will not be enforced for the time being, and the following will apply to Disney resort and room-only reservations booked directly with Disney Destinations or The Walt Disney Travel Company:

Hurricane Information for Universal Orlando Resort

Updated Sept. 27, 2022:

• Universal Orlando Resort theme parks and Universal CityWalk will be closed on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022. The resort will reopen on Sept. 30, 2022, “conditions permitting.”
• Halloween Horror Nights has at Universal Studios Florida has been canceled for Sept. 28 and 29, 2022. Universal will be adding additional dates for Premier Passholders to choose from for their one free Halloween Horror Nights benefit.
• Universal’s hotels are currently at full capacity and will remain open.

Hurricane Information for Other Florida Theme Parks

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay – The closest theme park to the hurricane’s projected landfall will be closed on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022. The park has extended tickets for guests who planned to visit on those dates, allowing them to return before the end of the year. Annual passholders whose tickets were set to expire on Sept. 30 will be able to visit through Oct. 16.

• SeaWorld Orlando (Updated Sept. 27, 2022) – SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove will all be closed on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022. All date-intended tickets for Sept. 27 (at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay), Sept. 28, and Sept. 29 (at all listed above parks) have been extended through Dec. 31, 2022. Annual Pass Members’ guest tickets with an expiration date of Sept. 30 and Oct. 2 have been extended through Oct. 16, 2022. Discovery Cove will reschedule or refund reservations booked online or from the call center (no cancellation or change fees will be applied). Reservations made through a third-party reseller can also be rebooked you will need to work through your reseller to request refunds. Call 407-513-4600 for additional information.

• Legoland Florida (Updated Sept. 27, 2022) – Legoland Florida Resort will be open until 5pm on Sept. 27, 2022. The Resort will be closed Sept 28 and 29, 2022, but Resort Hotels will remain open to guests with existing reservations. Peppa Pig theme park will be closed Sept 28. – Oct. 2, 2022. All dated park tickets will be automatically extended through Dec. 31, 2022. Vacation stays during that time can be rebooked without penalty.

Hurricane Information for Airports

• Tampa International Airport (TPA) – All operations will be suspended beginning at 5 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2022. They recommend following @FlyTPA for updates and checking with your airline for the latest flight information.
• Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Commercial operations will stop at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2022. MCO issued the following statement:

Disney Cruise Line (Updated Sept. 27, 2022)

DCL originally stated that they expected the Disney Wish, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Dream to sail as scheduled this week; however passengers currently aboard the Wish have reported that the Captain announced their trip will be extended at least one extra day, returning to Port Canaveral on Sunday instead of Friday as originally scheduled.

Due to the ship’s delay returning to Florida, the Disney Wish cruise scheduled for departure from Port Canaveral on Sept. 30, 2022 has been canceled. Passengers will automatically receive a full refund and a 20% future cruise discount.

 

For Florida Residents (Updated Sept. 27, 2022):

Reduced Hotel Rates – Rosen Hotels & Resorts has activated its Florida Resident Distress Rates to help locals safely ride out Hurricane Ian.The reduced rates are $69 per night (plus tax) at Rosen Inn International, Rosen Inn Closest to Universal, Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando, and Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista; $99 per night (plus tax) at Rosen Plaza; $109 per night (plus tax) at Rosen Centre; and $119 per night (plus tax) at Rosen Shingle Creek. Additional pet fees will not be applied; proof of residency in affected areas is required. To reserve a room, call 866-33-ROSEN (76736).

Free Parking at City of Orlando Garages – Starting at 2 p.m. on Sept. 28, 2022, the City of Orlando will waive fees for residents’ cars at the Central, Jefferson, Orange County Administration, and Library parking garages. Passenger vehicles only. No oversized vehicles, campers, boats, trailers, watercraft, etc. will be permitted to enter. Click here for more information.

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Stay Safe Out There!

Our thoughts and best wishes are with all of you in harms way. 

Have you ever weathered a major storm at Walt Disney World or another Florida theme park? What advice do you have for travelers currently in the Orlando area? Share your tips and thoughts in the comments below. 

 

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