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’re here now in the middle of it all and waiting to see what happens. We were supposed to leave tomorrow. We are rescheduled to leave saturday and pray we are able to! I would cancel plans knowing this hurricane is making a loop…it might suck, but it sucks more to be stuck in your room worried about the worst hurricane to ever hit Florida and your safety!! Reschedule and be safe!!
We are planning a trip to WDW for Sunday oct 9 for the week. Trying to figure out if we should cancel ? Suggestions?
The storm seems to have passed and Disney will resume normal operations beginning at 8am on Saturday. Looks like you’re good to go. Have a fun trip!
Couples things…
Disney is asking everyone that is planning a Disney World vacation to not call them until next week – use the website instead. Their phone lines are extremely jammed with current guests and guests that were scheduled to arrive in the next few days.
So if your planning a trip, let’s help out the folks who’s magical vacations are being sidelined by Matthew and not add to the craziness with our questions that aren’t so important right now.
Also, Disney is obviously going to do everything they can to get the parks open as soon possible. They even have “Ride Out Crews” placed at every resort and every park who are staying throughout the storms so they can get things put back together the second it’s safe to do so. But it’s possible the parks could open with fewer than normal cast members. So please, if you’re going to the parks right after they reopen, be patient because a cast member might be doing the job of 2 or 3 cast members that day.
We are off to Disney in 17 days (October 23rd) and are sure everything will be fine by then.
Thoughts from anyone else?
We were r route to Disney the last time they closed the parks for Hurricane Jean. We called from Tifton GA and Dusmey told us to stay put that the parks were on lockdown. We left early the next morning when Jean was reduced to a tropical storm. It was the scariest drive ever coming into Fl. Then like magic it was over… When we got to our Hotel about 7 hours later ( the Caribbean) it was like it never happened. We were shocked and amazed that Dismey was able to put things back together so efficiently. We were not charged for the night we missed and it was a wonderful first visit for my kids. Now here we are some 11 years later and we will be arriving at the park in about a week … Oct. 15. I’m sure that Disney will do everything they can to ensure that everything is back to normal. I just hope and pray everyone is staying safe there now and you are all making the best of a bad situation..
Hi Alyssa! We’re headed to Disney on the 24th! From what we hear, the parks and resorts should be totally fine. The only thing we’re concerned about is the availability of hotels between Texas and Florida (we’re driving through New Orleans and Destin). During Hurricane Katrina, there wasn’t a hotel room available anywhere, and we live in Austin. Just something to think about if you’re driving. Have a great trip!
I was there in June when Tropical Storm Colin was on the way, and even though there was no actual danger to Walt Disney World other than intense rain, we’re from California so extreme weather is scaringly shocking to us. We spoke to the Pop Century hotel staff and they couldn’t have been more friendly. They assured us they have plans (which they seem to be executing now), and gave us a nice briefing on what we should do should a storm hit. Long story short they said if it’s looking bad, get back to the hotel grabbing food along the way and hunker down. If it hits quickly, get to the nearest hotel (like AK Lodge if at Animal Kingdom) and they’ll be of assistance at that point. We felt very assured that they had contingency plans to the best of their ability, so I hope everyone is doing well. It’s basically a city that has shut down.
We are at POP right now. Tom is not a fear monger! This is serious business. There is an Orlando wide curfew and Disney is being responsible about guest and employee safety. Yes, it is a bit chaotic right now, but considering how many people Disney is housing and feeding, things are going fairly well. IMHO
Haven’t experienced a hurricane in FL but my town did get hit with Hurricane Sandy in 2012 (Im in NJ) A giant pine tree literally uprooted and landed on our house and through the window, Final Destination style and our roof blew away.
Stay safe everyone. You can always reschedule your vacation!
Hurricane precautions…
Fill the bath with water. (for washing, drinking etc…)
Keep your bath towels close so that you can use them to stuff in a broken window.
Get a flashlight and batteries. (If you can find one)
Gather food and snacks… one hurricane lasted 3 days!
Sleeping may be difficult… there is often screaming noise through tiny window and door gaps. Don’t let it scare you… it’s just wind.
Floridians will tell you it’s not the rain or wind that kills… it’s the stuff that flies! DON’T leave your room until you KNOW the winds are below 60 mph…. you could get hit by a flying trash can or tree limb. The parks will need some time to clear debris before they will reopen… If you have more holiday time… drive west to St Pete Beach and enjoy one of the world’s top ten beaches! The storm will blow over that area quickly and might not get a drop of rain. If the EYE OF THE STORM goes over you there is no wind, very little rain, no sound at all… complete quiet. Don’t go out! The other side of the eye wall could have 140 mph winds! btw- some storms have tornados inside of them… making it even more damaging. Charge your phones and laptops NOW!!! If it looks like the storm will move quickly… you might want to spend the time in the hotel lobby with other guests… the bar is likely to be open and free! I’m sure the staff will provide food and entertainment. We love all of our UK guests and want you back next fall!
Best wishes… Stay safe… You might be lucky and the Cable TV might not go out! Wendy Rosen Baltimore, Maryland.
(we just escaped WDW a day early… yesterday)
We are currently at WDW staying at OKW and we have been told boxed meals are available for purchase until 10p tonight including a sandwich, chips, fruit and muffin for $12.99. We were told we need to stay in our resort and room, and to plan for that when purchasing food as nothing will be available tomorrow until at least mid day.
We are here at the moment – staying at Disney’s Old Key West. There’s a lot of unanswered questions regarding tickets, dining plans, reservations etc., which I guess is understandable. Having to rely on social media and websites to get information about the closures. Disney staff are remaining very calm, verging on dismissive to an extent – I guess they’ve been instructed to be that way. Feel sorry for staff………and gutted for us………we’re from Scotland and boy, we get rain……..but this is new for us. We just want to be kept up to date with HOW Disney will accommodate us, rather than being told, “we are making the necessary plans” all the time. I just hope that everyone heeds the warnings and stays safe – we can always get another holiday. We don’t want to be a part of history that includes a whole load of loss of life. Be safe everyone and God bless.
Hurricane precautions…
Fill the bath with water. (for washing, drinking etc…)
Keep your bath towels close so that you can use them to stuff in a broken window.
Get a flashlight and batteries. (If you can find one)
Gather food and snacks… one hurricane lasted 3 days!
Sleeping may be difficult… there is often screaming noise through tiny window and door gaps. Don’t let it scare you… it’s just wind.
Floridians will tell you it’s not the rain or wind that kills… it’s the stuff that flies! DON’T leave your room until you KNOW the winds are below 60 mph…. you could get hit by a flying trash can or tree limb. The parks will need some time to clear debris before they will reopen… If you have more holiday time… drive west to St Pete Beach and enjoy one of the world’s top ten beaches! The storm will blow over that area quickly and might not get a drop of rain. If the EYE OF THE STORM goes over you there is no wind, very little rain, no sound at all… complete quiet. Don’t go out! The other side of the eye wall could have 140 mph winds! btw- some storms have tornados inside of them… making it even more damaging. Charge your phones and laptops NOW!!! If it looks like the storm will move quickly… you might want to spend the time in the hotel lobby with other guests… the bar is likely to be open and free! I’m sure the staff will provide food and entertainment. We love all of our UK guests and want you back next fall!
Best wishes… Stay safe… You might be lucky and the Cable TV might not go out! Wendy Rosen Baltimore, Maryland.
(we just escaped WDW a day early… yesterday)
Aww Tony I feel for you (writing from Perth now). I hope you and your family can stay in, have enough food and can keep any little ones calm and amused. Definitely listen to the Americans who are posting tips, sounds like they are pros. Also sounds like this will be something for you to tell everyone about when you’re home and people complain about a windy day here! I hope once it passes you get your holiday back on track. God bless and stay safe.
We are leaving Saturday coming from Tennessee. We are going to continue to monitor as well. I’m worried with traffic coming in along the coast to Disney and worried about damage to the parks. I guess we play the waiting game now. I hope we don’t have to cancel.
as soon as my sister updates me while she is there, I will write in for all to see what’s up first hand…hopefully it will stay to the east…
They ran around Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom today. The staff honored all of their fast passes from the prior days and they let them use the passes they had for today. Disney also allowed for an exchange for their “scary party” to move it to Monday before they leave. It was not offered or run on the weekend apparently, so they’ll use it Monday. Her husband leaves Sunday so they refunded in full his ticket. It was only sprinkling rain showers and all were fine today.
Good luck who ever is travelling there over the weekend as traffic will be tough. Disney is operating and open to play. Hope it’s still magical for those going!
Thanks for the info. I have never experienced a hurricane and don’t want to. Severe thunderstorms were bad enough. My granddaughter is working/school term at Disney and I am extremely worried about her. You mentioned Disney looks after guests and staff, and that’s good. Our granddaughters mom and dad, sister and boyfriend are to be flying down Saturday. I am worried about them also. They have reservations off site (for many reason). Haven’t talked to them today so not sure what they are doing. Main reason they are going is to see their daughter and for the boyfriend to go!
Keep prayers going for all those affected.
Each one of the Disney College Program apartment communities have teams in place staying overnight and throughout the storm to assist the students with any problems that arise during the hurricane. Disney knows that communities full of college aged cast members, most of whom have zero experience with hurricanes, are going to need some guidance and help if anything happens. I lived at one of those communities during my program and honestly I’d be more concerned about the community wide party that I’m sure is going on there tonight 😉
Back in September 2014, we had to cancel our long weekend trip because of bad storms in Chicago and our flight ended up being canceled, despite the irony of clear blue skies in the city we were flying out of. We were on the phone with Disney as soon as we found out that we couldn’t get down there in time and would have to reschedule for the following weekend, and they were more than happy to help us get everything situated. Say what you will about Disney’s customer service in other areas of the company, but we’ve found that they are really good about refunds and rescheduling due to inclimate weather!
We’re supposed to be flying down from CT on Sunday morning. We don’t travel often so I’m really nervous. I don’t want to cancel because we’ve had this planned for so long – I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that we can actually get there. Then I feel like it will be ok! Thanks for the information – I love your blog!
We had to cancel our trip for this weekend as well. It was going to be a once-in-several-decades adults-only anniversary trip while the kids stayed with grandparents, but now we will have to wait a few years before we can all go back as a family. However, the ability to get a full refund took some of the sting out of our disappointment. We were also able to get a full refund from Spirit Air for our flight, though I did have to call to change the airline credit to an actual money refund.
Does anyone know if they will apply credit to a Disney gift card? Thinking about skipping WDW this weekend and heading to DL instead but I would have to by DL tickets
Check the weather and such for the Los Angeles area before you go to Disney Land as well, Cali has been having hundreds of smaller earthquakes this week and some seem to be getting stronger in intensity. Hate for you to trade one disaster for another. Stay safe!
WE are supposed to come down on Monday and stay at a disney hotel. If disney is closed is the resorts and hotels closed as well?
Depends on the damage the hurricane brings and power outtages
My sister said Caribbean Beach is a “hurricane hotel” so they don’t have to evacuate. I’m sure most of their hotels are the same. People in the bungalows at the Poly told to leave and the camp grounds were evacuated as well. My mother in Naples said they have been experiencing lots of lightening for hours now. Hotels and buses are accommodating people to get them from the parks safely. My friend works at the Polynesian and they are open and not closing either.
My Sister is there now. Parks closing at 5pm. All parks are closed for tomorrow. It’s raining on and off now. They are making the best of it and will hunker down in Carribean Beach hotel for all of tomorrow, 10/7. It is what it is. Disney hotels have the ability to keep people safe. They are smart to close and keep staff and guests safe. Refunds will happen for their Not so scary party tomorrow night. Right now, the offer sounds like it is Christmas party tickets or a day pass for another day at the park. Hope all families are safe for the next 48 hours. Be smart if you’re there. Stay safe.
Thank you Tom ,
As a major fan of yours and all things Disney . I have been trying to keep up with what’s going on . You are doing an excellent job! A lot of tourist don’t know what a hurricane is like . I would rather have as much knowledge as possiable to make a good decision. Once the storm hits there will be lots of everything to take care of . Giving people info on refunds & etc helps us feel like we can handle this . It is a serious situation and extra people in Florida or anywhere in the storm paths will tax those who respond to these situations.
Way to Scaremonger. Unfortunately I have a 76 year old friend who has great grandchildren staying in the resort. She can’t sleep and has a heart condition. And the news are acting like Everyone is going to die. Tital waves and second coming. I lived in that area. And basically I am trying to get her to stop freaking. Let’s face some facts. Orlando is inland. Most problems will be wind and rain. Most damage will be caused by flying debris. And this is a place Engineered to withstand category 5 hurricanes. And , yes, tornado winds. That is not to say that there may be issues. Let’s face it , things do happen. But they are well prepared and had decades of real life experience.Backup generators, etc. So most likely the guests will be asked to go to a large , interior room ( no windows in case of breakage) where the kiddies will be entertained by Mickey Mouse and Friends. And being kids they will have a Blast and think that being in the storm is the greatest thing Ever.
What I’ve seen in watching the reaction to this on social media is that most tourists don’t understand the danger here, particularly because weather in Orlando is fairly nice right now. My post is a reaction to *that* and Disney’s initial downplaying of the storm, stating that there “could be” rain and wind. Orlando is inland, but this storm is tracking inland. It poses a serious threat–but (and you are correct with this) one most guests will be safe during if they stay at WDW resorts.
If you disagree with my approach, that’s your prerogative. However, at no point did I use the words “tidal waves” or “second coming.”
This is great coverage, honestly. Truthful, but not sensationalistic in the slightest. People need to be informed, and careful. Even a “regular” storm can cause damage and injury, so in the case of a cat 4 hurricane, it’s best to follow WDW’s lead and prepare yourself for anything.
I think your coverage is very helpful and not at all a scare tactic. People need to understand the seriousness of this. I live in Jackson, Mississippi – about 200 miles inland from New Orleans – and during Hurricane Katrina I watched entire trees blowing across the yard. We were without power for two weeks and buildings and homes were completely destroyed. While there is no storm surge 200 miles inland, I think most people were unprepared for the amount of wind damage that occurred. It’s always better to be safe than sorry – thank you for keeping everyone updated.
It is hard not to be scared. When we moved to Florida about two years ago, we comforted ourselves with the knowledge that we were moving to virtually the exact center of the state, as safe from hurricanes as we could get. This is the first time I’ve questioned that theory. You know things are tough when WDW plans to close the cash register! I think the folks at Disney will be pretty safe as long as they abide by safety directions, but it can sure feel scary…. and annoying to have a hurricane plow thru your vacation.
I write a blog devoted mostly to changes related to retirement, but this week’s post, My Place in the World, discusses tips for enjoying Disney World…. AFTER the storm. You might enjoy visiting http://www.terrilabonte.com.