Disney World Parks & More Closing for Future Hurricane Nicole
All 4 theme parks and more are closing at Walt Disney World due to future Hurricane Nicole. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom won’t reopen until after the storm passes Orlando. Additionally, there are other closures, changes, and cancellations through at least Friday, November 11, 2022. This post provides a rundown of all operational updates to Central Florida attractions.
The system has intensified into Tropical Storm Nicole and is nearing hurricane status on a path towards Central Florida. Along with that inland tropical storm warnings are now in place for Orange and Osceola Counties, which are where Walt Disney World is located. What is forecast to become Hurricane Nicole made landfall in the Bahamas and is targeting Florida tonight with tropical storm force winds already, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The NHC updates its Tropical Storm Nicole Advisory every few hours, at which point it shifts the ‘cone of uncertainty’ representing the range of possibilities for the storm’s center that extends up to five days into the future. All Florida counties are under a state of emergency, and thousands of Floridians are under evacuation orders as a strengthening Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to grow into a Category 1 hurricane today with hurricane warnings in place for the Florida coast.
Walt Disney World is planning to make the following operational adjustments to prioritize the safety of Cast Members and Guests during the storm:
THEME PARKS & OTHER PARKS
Walt Disney World Resort theme parks will have a phased closure today, November 9, 2022 beginning at 5 pm.
The parks will remain closed through tomorrow morning, November 10, 2022. Resort Guests are encouraged to enjoy food and beverage options at the theme parks prior to returning to their Disney Resort hotel. Theme parks will likely not reopen at their regularly scheduled time tomorrow, November 10, 2022.
Here’s the timing of when the parks closed, or will close today:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. with last dining reservations at 5 p.m.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. with last dining reservations at 6 p.m.
Magic Kingdom: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Last dining reservations for Be Our Guest, Liberty Tree Tavern, Diamond Horseshoe and Cinderella’s Royal Table will be at 6 p.m., and last dining for all other dining reservations will be at 6:30 p.m.
EPCOT:Â Closing today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Last dining reservations for Monsieur Paul, Space 220 Restaurant, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and Garden Grill Restaurant will be at 6 p.m., and last dining for all other dining reservations will be at 6:30 p.m.
As previously shared, extended evening theme park hours at Magic Kingdom will be canceled today, November 9, 2022.
To align with modified theme park hours, nighttime spectaculars will be canceled today, Nov. 9, including Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom Park, Harmonious at EPCOT, and Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will close temporarily Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Disney’s Blizzard Beach is currently closed for the season.)
Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf & Fairways Miniature Golf will also temporarily close Thursday, November 10, 2022.
WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORTS
Guests staying at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will be required to depart by 3 p.m. today, Nov. 9. Walt Disney World is contacting Guests with reservations to help them find alternate accommodations.
Guests staying at the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort will be required to depart by today, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. Walt Disney World is contacting Guests with reservations to help them find alternative accommodations.
At this time, all other Walt Disney World Resort hotels remain open to Guests.
Character breakfasts at Disney Resort hotels will not include characters tomorrow morning, Nov. 10, so Disney can accommodate more Resort Guests staying at these locations for breakfast.
Dining & Enchanting Extras
Effective immediately, Walt Disney World will not enforce cancellation policies until further notice for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Guests with pre-paid reservations will be cancelled and refunded to the original form of payment.
Performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground have been cancelled for Wednesday, November 9.
Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise has been cancelled for Wednesday, November 9.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs will close early today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m., with last dining reservations at 6:30 p.m. Disney Springs will remain closed through tomorrow morning, Nov. 10.
Walt Disney World bus transportation from Disney Springs will operate until 8 p.m. today, November 9, 2022.
We don’t have much to add here. What’s currently Tropical Storm Nicole is forecast to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane late tonight or overnight with a path taking it right through Central Florida–directly towards the tourist corridor and Walt Disney World. The system presently has tropical storm force winds extending out 485 miles and gusts of 59 mph–given its size, this will have impacts on most of Florida to some degree, but hopefully it won’t be nearly as devastating as Hurricane Ian.
Nevertheless, if you are at Walt Disney World or anywhere in Florida, be safe. Take this seriously, for your own sake and that of Cast Members and other guests. As accurate as storm forecasting has become, it’s still not 100% certain. It’s only appropriate for Walt Disney World to prioritize human life and safety, erring on the side of caution and closing the parks, relocating guests, and canceling entertainment. Here’s hoping this passes quickly and with minimal damage and harm, and Walt Disney World can resume normal operations, albeit with a delayed opening time on November 10, 2022.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Are you currently at Walt Disney World or Central Florida? Have you visited during past hurricanes? Any additional info, thoughts, or first-hand experiences to share about riding out a hurricane at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
GOOD
It’s 1:45am and I just finished doing my laundry at PVB. So far, my only alteration was to put a towel over my dry, folded clothes for the walk from Moorea to Tokelau. There are already a ton of puddles everywhere and the water level in both the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Rivers of America was extremely high even before the heaviest rain arrives. There’s just nowhere for the water to go given how saturated the grass is at the moment. Still, thus far, this is like our experience with every hurricane from when we lived in Jacksonville: a heavy rain shower surrounded by gentler rain showers and lots of wind.
I’m starting to re-think my retirement destination although the low taxes still entice.
Insurance costs can surprise. Even condo insurance can hit $500 a month or more. We’re looking at Florida for about 10 years from now but if this gets worse it may be a deal breaker.