Disney World Says Theme Parks Will Reopen Friday After Hurricane Milton

Topline

Walt Disney World’s theme parks will reopen Friday, it announced on its website, after the popular theme parks closed Wednesday afternoon and Thursday as central Florida was hit by Hurricane Milton.

Key Facts

Big Number

$150 million to $200 million. That’s how much Hurricane Milton and the resulting closures could cost Disney’s parks division this quarter, Goldman Sachs projected Tuesday before the storm made landfall. That would surpass the $100 million toll Disney reported Hurricane Irma took on the company in 2017, when the parks were closed for two days.

Did Walt Disney World Flood During Hurricane Milton?

Images purporting to show severe flooding at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park went viral on social media Thursday morning. While Disney has not yet commented on the extent of any flooding or damage it suffered during the storm, no flooding has been reported and those images are fake: the view it depicts of the park’s Cinderella Castle is false, and the theme park was closed to guests when the hurricane was underway, so no photos could have been taken. Community notes have been added to posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing the images to note they’re AI-generated.

Surprising Fact

Walt Disney World’s theme parks are at low risk of suffering severe damage during hurricanes, with Orlando Weekly reporting in 2019 that the theme parks’ buildings are subject to special building codes that are more stringent than for traditional structures. Major Disney structures like the castle and Epcot’s Spaceship Earth are designed to withstand at least a Category 3 storm with no preparation, according to Orlando Weekly, and project manager Elaine Schomburg-LaFleur told the Orlando Sentinel that new additions to the castle made for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary were designed to “handle any hurricane.” Disney’s power lines are also located underground, decreasing the likelihood of power outages. The resort and its hotels have become a well-known place for Floridians to evacuate to during hurricanes given the property’s ability to withstand severe weather.

News Peg

Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm, passing through central Florida—where Walt Disney World is located—before leaving the state and going back out to sea Thursday morning through the state’s eastern coast. Millions are still without power Thursday in the state and at least 10 people have died from the storm and tornadoes that preceded landfall. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday the state avoided the “worst case scenario” of the storm’s impacts, but the full scope of the storm’s impact is still being assessed.

Further Reading

ForbesHurricane Milton Live Updates: 3 Million Without Power, Final Hurricane Warning DroppedBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
ForbesWalt Disney World Closing Tomorrow As Hurricane Milton Projected To Take $150 Million TollBy Alison Durkee