A week after Hurricane Milton, more Florida theme park damage is surfacing online.
The Category 3 storm, which struck with winds of 120 mph, left widespread destruction across the state. Coastal and inland regions faced heavy rain, storm surges, and powerful winds, causing widespread blackouts and leaving millions without power.
Hurricane Milton’s Impact on Florida’s Theme Parks
As Milton approached Florida, it was feared that Tampa—historically considered one of the U.S.’s most vulnerable cities to hurricanes—would suffer brutal damage. It had already recently faced Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that killed over 200 people just weeks earlier.
Fortunately, the city fared much better than the initial projections of a 12-foot storm surge. However, Tropicana Field’s roof was still ripped to shreds during the heavy winds, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay sustained significant damage. The latter only reopened on Sunday, having suspended both regular park operations and its Halloween events for several days.
Elsewhere, Walt Disney World Resort wasn’t immune to the storm’s impact. High winds destroyed billboards promoting Magic Kingdom Park’s newest ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, while Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Polynesian Resort saw water leaks and minor flooding. At Fort Wilderness Resort, fire alarms blared throughout the night due to storm-induced electrical issues. Maintenance crews worked quickly to resolve the problems, and no fires were reported.
What Happened at SeaWorld Orlando?
Now, attention is turning to SeaWorld Orlando, where the iconic Journey to Atlantis ride was also affected at the Florida theme park.
As per images shared by @SeaworldH on X, formerly known as Twitter, High winds tore a hole in the structure.
There is unfortunately a pretty large hole on the backside of JTA from the strong winds of Milton
https://twitter.com/SeaworldH/status/1845899983070937405
The Florida theme park’s log flume-roller coaster hybrid – which has recently been shuttered on days where attendance is low – luckily seems to have only caught cosmetic damage, which shouldn’t affect the ride’s operations.
SeaWorld has faced challenges in recent years, with the park experiencing declining attendance after the controversial Blackfish (2013) documentary. While visitor numbers have improved since the initial hit, attendance remains down, and the company has also struggled with pandemic-related setbacks.
In 2023, United Parks & Resorts – the parent company of the Florida theme park and other SeaWorld locations, with the exception of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi – saw a revenue drop of $4.7 million, with attendance falling 1.5% to 21.6 million visitors. CEO Marc Swanson attributed much of this to adverse weather, estimating weather-related losses of over 370,000 visits for the year.
Have you noticed any damage at Florida’s theme parks post-Hurricane Milton?
