When planning a trip to a Disney theme park, the last thing you want to hear is that the location is experiencing unsafe conditions. Disney parks do not close unless absolutely necessary. This is not surprising, considering Mickey Mouse makes no money if no one is there to spend it. However, certain situations make vital reasons to bring the magic to a stop. One popular Disney park has been completely shut down for two days due to hazardous weather conditions.
When Disney Shuts Down
Every global Disney theme park has been shut down for specific incidents. While most people expect places like Walt Disney World in Florida to come to a halt periodically due to Mother Nature, the reality is that all locations are at risk of unsafe conditions. Hurricanes have periodically shut down Disney World over the years, most recently with Hurricane Irma in 2017. The company doesn’t do this lightly, as we saw when it decided to remain open amid the approaching Hurricane Idalia this past week.
Furthermore, inclement weather isn’t the only issue that could bring a Disney park to its knees. Special events, terrorist attacks, protests, and even technical difficulties have sometimes been responsible for closures. However, the most impactful shutdown came from the COVID-19 pandemic. The global theme parks are still suffering effects and changes brought on by the prolonged closure.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Closed
While both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida dealt with a hurricane in the past month, now Hong Kong Disneyland faces unsafe weather conditions. Typhoon Saola has been causing havoc across Asia, striking major locations like the Phillippines and Taiwan. It has also made landfall in southern China, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and destruction to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Disneyland completely shut down due to Typhoon Saola on September 1, 2023, and has remained closed through September 2. The park is expected to reopen tomorrow, September 3. While typhoons often bring power outages, it seems Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has avoided this potential circumstance.
Due to typhoon Saola, HKDL has been closed for 2 days. Many fallen trees can be seen at the Resort after the typhoon, the park will reopen tomorrow.#HongKongDisneyland #hkdisneyland #HKDL #disneyparks #disney #香港ディズニーランド #ディズニー pic.twitter.com/l3PWbwbFq9
— HKDL Fantasy (@hkdlfantasy) September 2, 2023
Images on Twitter/X have shown fallen trees and branches severed from their bases. Flooding and debris have also been reported throughout the resort and surrounding Inspiration Lake Recreation Center, which also closed due to the intense winds and rain. The official Hong Kong Disneyland website provided an update for guests:
Inclement Weather Arrangement – Due to the inclement weather, the Park remains closed on Sep 2 and will reopen on Sep 3. Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre remains closed until further notice. Please check the website for the latest information. Please see the Weather Arrangement details.
This is obviously a bummer for any guests planning to visit the park this week. The resort houses unique and fun attractions like Grizzly River Run and Hyperspace Mountain. Furthermore, the closure and weather also brought the construction of its upcoming World of Frozen area to a halt for the moment. This new land is set to open in November.
Here’s hoping those impacted by the typhoon stay safe and guests can experience this fantastic Disney park location again soon. Mother Nature is definitely pulling no punches with Disney theme parks this year!
