Walt Disney World will reopen Friday after shutting down ahead of Hurricane Ian’s wrath, the company said.
Disney shuttered all of its Walt Disney World theme parks and water parks, including the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, on both Wednesday and Thursday before the powerful Category 4 storm made landfall.
“While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. “Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30.”
Disney will provide an update on its planned hours of operation on Friday at some point later in the day. The company said it will also share details about its planned contributions to hurricane relief efforts in Florida.
Earlier this week, the Mouse House asked guests who checked in at its resorts by 3 p.m. Wednesday to shelter in place “for the duration of the storm.” Customers were told to eat before returning to their hotel rooms to wait out the storm due to “very limited” dining options at some resorts.
The company said guests scheduled to check in at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels would be allowed to check in on Friday, but only after 3 p.m. ET. Those who opted to reschedule or cancel their trips are allowed to do so without paying extra fees.
Some resort locations, specifically 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, were “temporarily closed through Friday,” according to the company’s most recent update.
Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction throughout southwestern Florida after making landfall with winds in excess of 155 mph. Approximately 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses lost electricity, while an untold number of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.
Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm as of Thursday morning.
“We’ve never seen storm surge of this magnitude,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference. “The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event.”
The hurricane forced major airlines to suspend operations, leading some wealthy Floridians to charter private jets to leave the state ahead of the storm.
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