Disney World, Universal Studios to Close as Florida Braces for Hurricane Ian
The company said in a statement that its theme parks and Disney Springs shopping area are "currently operating under normal conditions," but it was prepared to make adjustments
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NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Theme parks and hotels along central Florida’s west coast began closing their doors on Tuesday afternoon as Hurricane Ian approaches the peninsula.
With Hurricane Ian bearing down on central Florida's west coast Tuesday afternoon, both Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios Orlando said they planned to close. Earlier in the day, some surrounding Disney hotel properties began to move guests to other locations in anticipation of the storm that could hit the peninsula early Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of up to 140 mph.
Disney said late Tuesday that Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom would shutter on Wednesday and Thursday.
Universal will close its park as well as CityWalk on Wednesday and Thursday. Its hotels are at full capacity and will remain operational for guests, the company said. The company also canceled its Halloween Horror Nights events on Wednesday and Thursday.
Ian struck Cuba Tuesday morning with sustained top winds of 125 mph, and as much as 14 feet of storm surge was predicted along the country's western coast.
The storm was forecast to strengthen even more over warm Gulf of Mexico waters, reaching top winds of 140 mph as it approaches Florida’s southwest coast and strengthens into hurricane force late Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
Disney said the following additional properties will be closed Wednesday through Friday:
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Performances of "Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue" have also been canceled; the statement said prepaid reservations will be automatically canceled and refunded.
Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort will also be closed through Friday.
In addition, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will all be closed Wednesday and Thursday, the company said.
Disney said it is contacting guests with current and upcoming reservations since these locations will be closing. It also said it is not enforcing cancellation policies for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
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A boat pushes against a Fort Myers apartment after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, Florida. Brenda Brennan, pictured, said the boat floated in around 7pm.
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Boats are left stranded on the shore in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, on Sept. 29, 2022. Hurricane Ian left much of coastal southwest Florida in darkness early on Thursday, bringing “catastrophic” flooding that left officials readying a huge emergency response to a storm of rare intensity.
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Cars make their way through a flooded street in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Sept. 29, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage.
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Lew Hendrix collects palm branches blown down by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian in Tampa, Florida, Sept. 28, 2022.
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Carol Nies, left, and Heidi Smith survey damage left by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, Sept. 29, 2022.
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Streets signs are down in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda, Florida on Sept. 29, 2022.
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Boats are pushed up on a causeway after Hurricane Ian passed through the area, Sept. 29, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage.
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A lit portrait of Che Guevara is seen in Revolution Square during a blackout in Havana, Sept. 29, 2022. Cuba has been left in the dark since September 27 due to a widespread blackout caused by damage to its power grid following Hurricane Ian.
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A woman holds an umbrella inverted by the wind in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 28, 2022.
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An airplane is overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, Sept. 28, 2022, at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph, just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
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An uprooted tree, toppled by strong winds from the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, in a parking lot of a shopping center, Sept. 28, 2022, in Cooper City, Florida.
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A sign limits the sale of water in Tampa, Florida, Sept. 27, 2022, ahead of Hurricane Ian’s arrival.
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Utility poles tilted by Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Sept. 27, 2022.
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People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 28, 2022. Cuba remained in the dark early Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out its power grid and devastated some of the country’s most important tobacco farms when it hit the island’s western tip as a major storm.
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A man on a street in Havana during a blackout, Sept. 27, 2022. Cuba was left in the dark right after Hurricane Ian swept through the western part of the island, causing damage to the power grid and knocking out power for the entire island.
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A blackout triggered by Hurricane Ian in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian knocked out electricity to the entire island when it hit the island’s western tip as a major storm.
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A family surveys their flooded home in Batabano, Cuba, Sept. 27, 2022, after Hurricane Ian made landfall on the island Tuesday.
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People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, Sept. 27, 2022, after Hurricane Ian swept through the area.
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Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba, Sept. 26, 2022.
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Passenger try to reschedule their flights after many were cancelled or delayed due to Hurricane Ian, at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Sept. 27, 2022. Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba as a major hurricane and left one million people without electricity, before it churned on a collision course with Florida over warm Gulf waters.
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People walk the beach at sunset in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 27, 2022, in Treasure Island, Florida.
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A damaged house is seen in San Juan y Martinez, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba after Hurricane Ian swept through the island on Sept. 27, 2022.
A sign reading “Ian Not Welcome Here” is seen in Pinellas County where Hurricane Ian is projected to impact the Florida Gulf Coast in Largo, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022.
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A house is boarded up ahead of Hurricane Ian’s arrival in Indian Shores, 25 miles west of Tampa, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022.
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A shopper attempts to find water amid emptied shelves in Kissimmee, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022. Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 on Tuesday, and is expected to strengthen further before making landfall along Florida’s west coast later in the week.
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A Cuban family transport personal belongings to a safe place in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 26, 2022, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian. Cuba declared an emergency alert in its six most western provinces as fast-approaching Hurricane Ian was moving northwest towards Cuba and the Cayman Islands with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.
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A man carries a sack of food in Batabano, Cuba, Sept. 26, 2022, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
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Barbara Schueler fills sandbags in a vacant lot in preparation for Hurricane Ian in St. Pete Beach, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022.
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Shoppers wait in line outside a retail warehouse as people rush to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian, in Kissimmee, Florida, on Sept. 25, 2022.
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People pull small boats out of Havana Bay in Havana, Sept. 26, 2022, as Cuba is expected to bear the brunt of Hurricane Ian.
