Disney Announces Closures Ahead of Hurricane Idalia

With Hurricane Idalia bearing down on Central Florida and the Florida panhandle, Disney announced earlier today that they were monitoring the situation before making any decisions on closures. But now, Disney has announced its first round of closures for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will be closed on August 30. Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will also be closed tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/LE1WxNgqhk

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 29, 2023

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Disney’s Summerland Miniature Golf, and Fantasia Miniature Golf will all be closed tomorrow for Hurricane Idalia.

Hurricane Idalia is expected to make landfall early Wednesday morning as a Category 3 hurricane. Idalia will first hit Florida’s Gulf Coast before heading west toward the Walt Disney World Resort. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to Central Florida. When the storm hits Disney World, it is expected to be downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.

Some major convection firing up over the center of circulation.

Also, starting to see an uptick in lightning strikes around what seems to be a developing eye wall structure. pic.twitter.com/LxJE6xRuxS

— Eric Burris (@EricBurrisWESH) August 29, 2023

Disney announced it would offer considerable discounts to Gulf Coast residents trying to escape the storm. Florida residents and first responders moving inland will receive 50 percent off all Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms from August 29-31.

Disney has also asked all guests staying at Fort Wildness Lodge and Campground to take down any tents, awnings, or outdoor decorations, and if guests are staying at the Campground, they should seek indoor shelter.

The last hurricane to hit Disney World was Ian, making this the second-straight “I” named storm to impact Central Florida. Ian hit the Walt Disney World Resort in late September 2022. While Hurricane Ian came ashore as a category three storm, Disney closed most of the resort while guests stayed in their rooms. 

Thus far, the storm has not affected travel at Orlando International Airport, but Tampa International Airport is closed. Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay is also closed on August 30.

Disney announced it would wave cancellations and change guest fees through September 5.

The National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Idalia to leave Florida by Wednesday afternoon and head north into Georgia before returning to the Atlantic Ocean as a tropical storm. It will come ashore with sustained winds of over 100 miles per hour and is expected to drop between 6-8 inches of rain, with some isolated spots getting a foot.

We will continue to bring you the latest news on Hurricane Idalia at Disney Fanatic.