Disney announces plans to close Walt Disney World theme parks as Hurricane Ian approaches

Sep 27, 2022 in "Severe Weather impacts to Walt Disney World"

Posted: Tuesday September 27, 2022 3:27pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has just announced that Walt Disney World will close all four of its Florida theme parks on Wednesday, September 28, and Thursday, September 29, 2022, due to expected severe weather from Hurricane Ian.

Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom will be closed for at least two days. In addition to the closure of the parks, Disney Springs will be closed on Wednesday September 28, with a decision still to be made about operations on Thursday September 29.

Disney previously announced that Typhoon Lagoon water park would be closed for the same period, along with Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser and several of its resort hotels. See below for a full list of Walt Disney World hurricane closures.

Nearby Universal Orlando and Seaworld have both announced closures for the same period.

Walt Disney World's last weather related closure was for Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

Walt Disney World Closures due to Hurricane Ian

Walt Disney World theme parks

All four main Walt Disney World theme parks will be closed on September 28 and 29 2022.

Walt Disney World Resort hotel closures

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, September 28 through Friday, September 30 2022.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages departing Tuesday, Sept. 27 and Thursday, Sept. 29 have been canceled.

Transportation Closures

Walt Disney World Transportation will stop operating Tuesday night after Disney Springs and the Walt Disney World theme parks close.

Limited Minnie Van and Mears taxi service will be available to Walt Disney World resort Guests with existing breakfast reservations.

Waterpark and Recreation Closures

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will close temporarily Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29. (Disney's Blizzard Beach is currently closed for refurbishment).

Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will also temporarily close Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29.

Dining and Experiences

Effective immediately, Disney will not enforce cancelation policies until further notice for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have been cancelled Sept. 28 through Sept. 30 in light of the temporary closure of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Guests with pre-paid reservations will be automatically cancelled and refunded.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is canceled for September 29, 2022.

Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil & Disney will be cancelled on Wednesday, Sept. 28, Thursday Sept 29, and the 5:30pm performance on Friday Sept. 30.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29.

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donsullivanOct 15, 2022

One more step towards recovery. They are finally reopening after the flooding from Ian.

donsullivanOct 14, 2022

A little update that the flooding behind the Magic Kingdom has finally dissipated and Reams Road has now re-opened. The impact of these storms last much longer than the national news coverage. Bay Court is the entrance road for the residential community in the city of Bay Lake to the east of the North Service Area. Floridian Place runs along the west side of the CM parking lot.

JoeCamelOct 13, 2022

Hero's all, they come from all over leaving their families behind to help people they don't know in terrible conditions because they know if the situation was reversed locals would be at their door asking to help.. The cooperation agreements and planning for major disruptions is amazing to see. Thank you from me to them

Vegas Disney FanOct 12, 2022

It’s amazing how quickly we can do things when the will is there, the news was saying it would take months to restore the bridge, they managed it in just over a week. It’s also encouraging to see how good people really are, we usually highlight the bad people so it’s easy to forget the majority truly are good people.

drizgirlOct 12, 2022

Truly heartwarming. I'm tearing up.

drizgirlOct 12, 2022

That's amazing. The cavalry has arrived. 😍

DryerLintFanOct 12, 2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0S9XoNHGw9veKtXer5tAEtdpzPevBw1wLk9HZ781Tde5FXsdHwfHguQPMfAtonFXWl&id=1522890978 Not sure if FB videos work here but this was really moving ❤️ One by one they go, restoring power and hope.

DryerLintFanOct 12, 2022

The bridge to Sanibel Island yesterday morning ❤️

SoFloMagicOct 07, 2022

Too busy fighting the largest private employer in the state during special sessions of legislature instead of using those special sessions for insurance reform as previously announced.

John park hopperOct 06, 2022

I posted this before after hurricane Hugo we were inundated with supposed roofers and contractors that did shoddy work and then left the state. Th homeowner was left holding the bag not getting what they paid for.. Beware and know who you are hiring to do the work and never ever pay up front.

LilofanOct 05, 2022

Your example of $20K check from the insurance company is reality. Then enter the crooked money hungry roofers who prey on the desperate homeowners. To get the roof done it won't cost $20K but $30K. Dont like it? Then hope that blue tarp that covers the open gaps of the damaged roof doesn't leak water into the house in future rain storms.

Vegas Disney FanOct 05, 2022

I don’t know the specifics but why aren’t they mirroring the regulations of the other 49 states that aren’t resulting in 80% of lawsuits? The articles I’m reading say Florida accounts for 9% of policies but 79% of lawsuits, and the insurance companies spend billions every year fighting those lawsuits so they lose even if they win. Mirroring the regulations of the other states that aren’t bankrupting insurers seems a good place to start.

DryerLintFanOct 05, 2022

How do you propose they fix it? Right now in PG and FMB and Naples you have hundreds of people with damage to their property. Before Ian hit the area already had labor and material shortages for construction and new builds took years. So there's a huge influx of help coming from arround the country. General contractors, electricians, plumbers, and crooks. You have a ton of desperate home owners who want to get their homes restored, and a ton of strangers in the area who SAY they are legitimate construction workers. There's no way to really check references, no way to ask your neighbor if they're any good, and if they screw up they can't be contacted again because they aren't from the area. So the homeowner gets a check for $20k from insurance for a new roof, let's say, and they get a new roof from a perfectly legitimate looking company that charitably came all the way from Texas to help the area recover. But they do such crappy work that the insurance company, upon inspection, will not reinsure the home unless the roof is replaced again, but now the homeowner has no money. They can't get the money back because that company ghosted them and their contact information now goes nowhere. At least this is the scenario I'm hearing is playing out again and again. We plan on waiting before replacing our pool cage until the company that put it up can replace it. So we'll spend this winter with the alligators and snakes and noseeums 😭😭 but it sure beats being swindled.

DryerLintFanOct 05, 2022

Well now that it's allowed it's no fun 😂