Hurricane Matthew Disney World Closures & Cancellations
Hurricane Matthew has caused a number of closures and cancellations around Walt Disney World. While we have been keeping track of Hurricane Matthew with updates in our Tips for Storm Season at Walt Disney World post (which is otherwise more aimed at making the most of your vacation time on rainy days during storm season). We wanted to post some additional info and warnings here out of an abundance of caution, particularly for those of you out-of-towners (like us) who have no firsthand experience with hurricanes.
At the time of this post (see the “Updates” section for current info), the eye of Hurricane Matthews is less than 200 miles from the Florida coast; it is forecast to gain strength, making landfall as a category 4 hurricane overnight Thursday night into Friday morning. The storm will continue moving north towards Orlando early Friday, with models differing as to the extent it will impact the area. (We are seeing wind predictions of 85-130 MPH in Orlando…even the low end of that range is deadly.)
Overnight last night, Hurricane Matthews strengthened, with forecasts continuing to show it as one of the most potentially-devastating hurricanes to approach Florida in decades. Florida Governor Rick Scott has pleaded with coastal residents to heed evacuation orders, warning that the damage will be catastrophic, and that “this will kill you.”
Meteorologists were originally forecasting Hurricane Matthew to come within 50 miles of Florida as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane–but not make landfall. The latest projections show it moving farther inland and likely to make landfall on the Florida coast. While it’s not presently expected that the storm will hit Walt Disney World directly, it is expected to be close enough that winds and rains will pose a significant danger. (Orange County currently has a hurricane warning.)
This website’s official position on science (and I’m told meteorology is a form of science) is that “it’s bad,” so I won’t continue playing amateur meteorologist here. I’m just trying to underscore how serious this is, and that you shouldn’t take it lightly just because you’re at–or are going to–the ‘most magical place on earth.’
You can find the latest updates on Hurricane Matthew on the National Hurricane Center’s website or on your weather station/website of choice. While computer models are differing slightly on the details, the prevailing theme among forecasts is that this will be the worst storm to hit Florida since 2004.
Hurricane Matthew could end up drifting east from the coast, but not treating this as a serious threat would be foolish.
Updates
UPDATE (October 6, 2016 – 12:05 p.m. EST) Information is trickling out via Cast Members that all Walt Disney World parks will close at 5 p.m. tonight, will stay closed all of Friday, and won’t reopen until Saturday morning at the earliest. We have not yet received any official confirmation of this (so it’s rumor at this point), but it’s highly plausible.
Additionally, the voluntary evacuations at the Poly bungalows and Saratoga Springs Treehouse Villas (discussed below) have now turned mandatory.
UPDATE (October 6, 2016 – 12:48 p.m. EST) Above info confirmed. See screenshot below.
UPDATE (October 7, 2016 – 8:00 a.m. EST) Hurricane Matthew weakened to a Category 3 hurricane overnight. It also shifted slightly to the east, and is now not projected to make landfall in Florida. The storm will likely stay 20 to 30 miles offshore, which means Orlando will more likely than not be outside of the hurricane’s main cone, which is great news for those at Walt Disney World. This does not mean that the weather is okay–just that the potential for catastrophic damage inland is now unlikely.
The Orlando International Airport closed at 8 p.m. yesterday and Orange County remains under a curfew until 7 a.m. Saturday morning, so travel to and around Walt Disney World will remain impacted/impossible until Saturday. Unless the storm loops and returns to Florida next week (as some models suggest), the worst should be over by midday Friday.
Many readers have reported long lines at the food courts at resorts to purchase boxed lunches and other food. While these waits when you’d prefer to be having fun in the parks are irritating, please be mindful that front-of-line Cast Members have no control over staffing. Additionally, they are away from their homes and families during a very stressful time, so make sure to not take out your frustration on them.
UPDATE (October 7, 2016 – 2:45 p.m.) Disney has announced that all theme parks will reopen tomorrow at 8 a.m. Additionally, there are persistent and reliable tumors that Disney Springs will reopen at 5 p.m. (the curfew has been lifted) to resort guests only. This would mean no parking structures will open; it will be bus transport only. Reopening Disney Springs seems logical, especially since demand at hotel restaurants has been intense, leading to long lines.
UPDATE (October 8, 2016 – 1:40 p.m.)
The parks are all open and operations have returned to normal. Although we expected heavy crowds today due to pent up demand, wait times actually have not been too bad. Unless the storm loops back, this is our final update!
We’ll keep you posted with further updates at the top here…
Walt Disney World’s Response
Walt Disney World has issued a notice on the main page of its website, which provides info on the current status of Hurricane Matthew and advises guests to monitor news outlets for the latest weather information.
Disney is also waiving cancellation fees for guests with travel dates that include October 5-13, 2016. (Some pre-paid experiences—like Cinderella’s Royal Table—are not officially included in this cancellation fee waiver policy, but Disney will issue refunds there, as well.) For more information on this, read Walt Disney World’s hurricane cancellation policy.
If you are scheduled to visit Walt Disney World in the next several days, we’d encourage you to rethink those plans. We hear a lot of talk about the hurricane safety, and how Walt Disney World hotels are rated to withstand high-intensity winds and storms. That very well might be true, but you’re still undoubtedly safer in Chicagoland or New York (or wherever) during Hurricane Matthew than in Central Florida.
Beyond that, with Orlando International Airport already announcing that many flights will be cancelled and delayed, you may have a difficult time getting to Florida in the first place. Finally, while the forecast beyond Friday was initially sunny, the latest Hurricane Matthew models are showing it potentially looping back, potentially approaching Florida again. (At the very least, it will cause more rain next week.)
In short, if you have the ability to reschedule, that is probably the best option. With that said, here’s an update on the latest cancellations and closures at Walt Disney World…
Fort Wilderness has a mandatory evacuation, with guests needing to leave the resort by 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 6. Following that, Fort Wilderness will remain closed through Sunday. This includes all restaurants and entertainment at the campground, including Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue and Mickey’s Backyard BBQ.
The Spirit of Aloha dinner show at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has been cancelled for Thursday and Friday, and guests in the Poly Bungalows are being encouraged to (voluntarily) move to accommodations at other resorts.
Blizzard Beach is closed both October 6 and October 7, 2016. Typhoon Lagoon will close only October 7. The Characters in Flight balloon at Disney Springs is closed through Sunday; other merchants at Disney Springs might have reduced operating hours, as well.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has been cancelled for October 6, and guests are being given the option to switch to an alternate Halloween Party date, switch to a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party date, receive a 1-day Park Hopper ticket, or receive a full refund.
As noted above, the four theme parks at Walt Disney World closed on Thursday (by 5 p.m.), and will remain closed all-day on Friday. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld have announced similar closures of their parks, as well.
By closing Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, Disney has erred on the side of caution. I know it stinks for those in the midst of their annual or even once in a lifetime trips to Walt Disney World, but guest and Cast Member safety are priority #1. Being proactive and keeping guests apprised of the weather situation is the best course of action. I know it’s not the best marketing, but guests occasionally need a reminder that Walt Disney World also exists in a place called “Realityland.”
We will continue to monitor Hurricane Matthew’s progress and update this post as more information becomes available. If you’re currently at Walt Disney World and receive and updates directly, please share in the comments!
For comprehensive tips, tricks, and ideas for planning your vacation, we recommend reading our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
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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? Post any of your thoughts, questions, or anecdotes in the comments.
We were supposed to be checking into Bay Lake right about now, but decided a Cat4 hurricane was not worth it. We just finished calling in all our cancellations, and I have to say although hold times were a bit long (which is understandable) all of the Disney people we had to speak with were beyond helpful and polite.
I want to thank you for the updates you’ve been providing over the last 48 hours or so. You’ve been a huge help.
Also – since our Not-So-Scary-Halloween is now canceled, one of the options was to change the tickets to Christmas Party tickets. A quick read through your write-up on that and we started re-booking plans for December!
Thanks Again!
What # did you get through on for WDW? would they rebook your character meals and fast pass reservations?
Multiple numbers. We canceled resort reservations through DVC; 1-800-800-9800; it was about a 30 minute hold. With the hurricane warning there were really no questions asked and no penalties, they just put all our points back where they came from. From my understanding, any Disney resort will be the same, except money is returned instead of points. I do not know about third party accommodations.
The Not-So-Scary tickets we called 407-566-4985, option #5. Dialed a few times and got a busy signal before it finally rang, and then the hold time was an excruciating 97 minutes…. But the operator we finally spoke to was able to transfer the credit to for the couple Christmas tickets we wanted and refund the rest of them.
Be patient. There are 10’s of thousands of people calling those phone numbers right now.
Thanks for the info, TomB.
To anyone else impacted by this–remember that the policy applies regardless of when you call. If you don’t want to wait in a long phone queue, consider calling over the weekend.
When was the last time the parks closed like this? 9/11?
We are supposed to arrive Saturday and are driving from Atlanta. Still unsure if we are going but leaning towards yes unless there is major damage and power outages. I’ve tried to call Disney but can’t get through. Does anyone know how late you can cancel your reservations for a refund? We really want to reevaluate the situation after the storm hits.
Tom, firstly THANK YOU for hosting such a great blog. I have been visiting your page regularly for months as I planned my family’s very first / possibly only trip to WDW next week. I appreciate all of the info you have provided to guests and your candid tone in this post. I’m definitely keeping an eye on the storm’s potential damage and path as my trip draws near.
Oh man we’re supposed to be there Sunday the 9th through Tuesday the 18th and it IS our once in a lifetime trip since we’re coming from Seattle. Been reading your blogs for years (DL is my “home” park), so I appreciate this update for being realistic. For now we’ll continue to monitor, and hopefully we don’t have to make a really tough decision.
You will be fine. Enjoy.
We were staying at the Old Key West resort when hurricane Charley hit. Disney opened the parks that morning for onsite guests only with a hard close at 12 to get guests back to resorts and allow cast members time to get home. There was water and a flash light left in our room and they put recent Disney movies on the TV for the rest of the day. We were left updates on the phone the day before, that morning and when we woke up the following day there was another message saying they were assessing damage to the parks and they would let us know when they would open. We went for a walk around the resort and the downed trees were already being cleared, as were the swimming pools. About an hour later we saw buses going to Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom did not open that day as they obviously had to check all the animals and the enclosures to make sure everything was safe. EPCOT opened with a few things shut that had been damaged, including Ellen’s World of Energy because the solar roof that provides the power had been damaged.
I hope this one passes quickly and everyone keeps safe.
My husband and I are due to arrive on the 12th, do you think we’ll be in the clear by then? I am most concerned about the potential damage to WDW than the traveling. Thoughts? Thanks!
I think you’ll have more rain than normal the first couple of days, but beyond that, anything would be speculation. If the storm moves closer to Orlando and damages the parks, there could be after-effects weeks (or months) from now. If not, things will be back to normal within a few days…
I’d recommend staying posted on what happens in the next couple of days, and then making a decision following that.
I know they are waiving cancellation fees (and hopefully will refund for Cinderella) BUT will they rebook your meals that you had to book 6 months ago if you reschedule for November?? I have been trying to call but cannot get through to any of the WDW numbers.
My guess (and this is very much a guess) is that they will *try* to help, but that probably won’t be much help at all in restaurants that are fully booked. Their hands are sort of tied in that regard, as squeezing displaced guests in would mean having to cancel other ADRs.
There’s no good way for Disney to deal with that problem, but hopefully they try to figure out something. Good luck!
We just left Ft Wilderness this morning and the campground was virtually empty. They were going around and encouraging everyone to be out by 11. The staff was working to get those staying to alternate resorts and everything seemed to be going smoothly. I was impressed with their efforts and execution. The roads out of town are more crowded than usual, but certainly not bogged down with traffic.
Thank you for sharing your experience, we really appreciate it. Stay safe!
We’re sitting at the Festival Center at EPCOT. They just told us that seminars are canceled after 3pm and the park will be closing at 5pm, closed completely tomorrow.
I am supposed to be arriving this Saturday the 8th in the late afternoon. I’m so torn by whether to cancel or just wait and see what happens tomorrow. Ahh!!!! Praying for those affected!
Same here! we are debating what to do and also worried our flight will be cancelled on saturday
We are on property at the Grand Floridian. We have decided to ride it out here, as the evac routes seem to be chaos now and that has it’s own dangers.
My wife was at the Magic Kingdom today and she was told they would be closing at 5:00 PM today and be closed all of tomorrow. No update from the Floridian staff yet, but I assume those will be coming soon enough. We are making our own preparations as well.
My one time shot at MNSSHP was canceled. We are currently heading home early from our trip. We were offsite and I can tell you that there was not a sense of urgency in the 192 area. No lines at the gas stations or the grocery stores as of last night. I don’t think the situation is being taken as seriously in the tourist areas of town, perhaps because people just don’t realize how dangerous the situation can get inland.
I am currently at a hotel in Orlando with tickets to Disney World. I hope to use the tickets this weekend and Monday. I pray the damage to central Florida is minimal. I’m scared as I’m here on vacation from Minnesota so have to wait out the storm.
My sister and I are set to drive up from Tampa on Saturday. I’m actually flying into Tamp tomorrow evening from Chicago. I would think crowds would be relatively low them, but who knows…
We are at WDW and on property resort. We had a member pf housekeeping come to our door this morning to ask of we are staying. When we said yes we were handed a flashlight and told to be safe. They are currently mowing the golf course.
I am supposed to be flying to the area on Saturday for a 10 day Disney/Universal vacation! Ugh! I can’t decide what to do because nothing for Saturday has really been said yet.
I’m scheduled to arrive on Sunday, but am flying into Tampa and driving to Orlando on Sat. (Was the only way to get to Orlando Sat after my Fri flight was cancelled). I’m a bit nervous to put it mildly. My parents and nieces are on the Dream right now. It was supposed to dock Friday, but they’ve moved that to Sat afternoon. They have been steered well away from the storm and are loving the Disney cruise, so that’s a bonus. I guess we’ll know more tomorrow after the storm makes its landfall. I worry for those currently in FL, it looks so bad.
I’ll be there for my honey moon arriving by Oct 18. Do you think there’s any possibility of getting my trip cancelled?
I guess that the hurricane will be pretty much gone by that time, I’m just hoping no major disasters are done to the parks 🙁
In the event that there is catastrophic damage to the parks, I think you’d have decent success in cancelling. Even with current projections, that seems unlikely, though. I wouldn’t worry about it at this point.
Ok, thanks. I’ll be following any update.
Regards from Mexicali, Mexico 🙂
I was lucky enough to “miss” this by a matter of two days, on my brief trip a few days ago. WDW seemed considerably busy.
Hope it all works out ok.