Disney Announces First Closures for Walt Disney World Due to Hurricane Helene

Sep 25, 2024 in "Severe Weather impacts to Walt Disney World"

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Hurricane Helene

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Posted: Wednesday September 25, 2024 11:36am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Updated 2:45pm: Since publishing this article, additional closures have been announced at Walt Disney World due to Hurricane Helene.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, originally scheduled for September 26, 2024, has been canceled, and guests will receive refunds. Additionally, Typhoon Lagoon and all miniature golf courses will be closed for the entire day. At Disney's Animal Kingdom, the following Enchanting Extras Collection experiences are also canceled: Savor the Savanna, Up Close with Rhinos, Walking with Giants, and Wild Africa Trek. To accommodate guests, Magic Kingdom's operating hours have been extended until 8 pm on September 26.

Original Article:

As Hurricane Helene strengthens and moves closer to Florida, Walt Disney World has announced its first closures in preparation for the storm.

Walt Disney World's mini-golf courses and Typhoon Lagoon Water Park will not operate on Thursday, September 26, 2024, as the resort takes precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its guests and Cast Members. Disney's Blizzard Beach is already closed for its annual refurbishment.

Disney has confirmed that Typhoon Lagoon will remain closed for the entire day on September 26, as Tropical Storm Helene is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, and potential flooding to the area. The decision to close the water park comes as the National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Central Florida, including Orange and Osceola counties, where Walt Disney World is located. The storm is expected to bring gusts of up to 60 mph and several inches of rainfall, making it unsafe for outdoor operations.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon will be closed September 26, 2024 due to Storm Helene

Additional Closures Possible

While only Typhoon Lagoon has been confirmed for closure so far, Disney is closely monitoring the storm and may announce additional closures or changes to park operations in the coming hours. Guests planning to visit other Walt Disney World parks, such as Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, should stay updated through Disney's My Disney Experience app for any real-time changes or closures.

Disney emphasized that it is prioritizing guest and Cast Member safety during the storm. In a statement, the company said, "We are continuing to monitor the path of Tropical Storm Helene and will make operational decisions accordingly. The safety of our Guests and Cast Members is our top priority."

Hurricane Helene's Impact on Central Florida

Hurricane Helene, is forecast to bring dangerous conditions to Central Florida. Wind gusts, heavy rain, and localized flooding are the primary concerns, with outer rain bands expected to hit the region as early as Wednesday night. The storm is expected to make its closest approach to Central Florida on Thursday, prompting Disney to take these early precautionary measures.

September 25 - 10 am

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The MomOct 05, 2024

Helene is no longer a WDW threat, so this thread will be moved to Chit Chat where the discussion can continue.

John park hopperOct 05, 2024

Looks like that disturbance in the Gulf will develop into something over the next week and is heading east. I know it is early but the spaghetti models have it going right over south Florida. Anyone headed to the Bubble in the next week should keep an eye on it. Kirk and Leslie in the Atlantic don't appear to be a threat to the East Coast

cranbizOct 04, 2024

Absolutely! There are many worthwhile organizations will use Helene disaster donations well. I just touched on a few of them. People just need to stay away from the huge national organizations (cough, cough Red Cross/United Way) as funding received almost always goes to overhead and not to the victims. A couple of years ago, we had severe coastal flooding and wind damage in the New Bern area. The Red Cross came into town, held a big press conference and then left, never to be heard from again.

Vegas Disney FanOct 04, 2024

This is also why I chuckle when I read comments asking “why didn’t they evacuate”though, in most these forecasts the projected path is hundreds of miles wide, it’s unrealistic to evacuate the entire area. You look at the forecast and make a calculated guess at your risk. It makes sense for the people in high risk areas (along the coast, flood zones, etc) to evacuate but for those that are in low risk areas you just don’t expect complete devastation like this. I was watching the news the other day and one of the people interviewed mentioned that many of the areas hit hardest by Helene are areas people often evacuate to because they are considered safe, unfortunately nowhere is immune to Mother Natures wrath.

JoeCamelOct 04, 2024

Can I add to your list that World Central Kitchen is serving in the area as well, Chef Jose is selfless in his desire and ability to feed people that need to be fed

cranbizOct 04, 2024

My area got heavy rain, winds and a tornado or 2. Fortunately there was only minor flooding but lots of trees down. I'm a Volunteer Fire Fighter for Wentworth, NC in Rockingham County. Compared for Western NC, we got nothing and we were busy for close to 24 hours for storm related emergencies. Our county has been running equipment, pet and livestock feed and emergency supplies out to Boone, Marion and other areas. One just can't comprehend the devastation out there. The biggest issue was the fact the area has been getting heavy rain for several weeks prior to Helene and the ground was so saturated there was no place for the water to go. There are towns that got wiped off the map. Monetary donations are best sent to an organization like Samaritan's Purse, Mercy Chefs, Local County Gov., WNC Regional Livestock Center or many of the church organizations. The Red Cross and the United Way are jokes and money sent to them will most likely end up in places other than Western NC.

LilofanOct 03, 2024

The worrisome storm I hope the forecasters are wrong is next week going across FL again. Hopefully it will just be a rain event but the friends I know who lost their homes in the Tampa area due to floods don't need anymore. Wait and see and pray.

JoeCamelOct 02, 2024

There is nothing bad to say about Asheville it was a wonderful place to visit and probably to live as so many did. Sounds like your Uncle is being cared for and conditions are easing quickly in the population centers, the nooks and hollars will take much longer. Help is pouring into the area so the work has started to recover from the hit they took Sad that many have chosen to inject politics into a natural disaster playing who can I blame rather than asking "WHO CAN I HELP"

mf1972Oct 02, 2024

i have an uncle who lives in asheville. he retired there 16-18 years ago i believe. he’s now in a assisted living facility. my sister is his POA & what i read the facility, staff, & their residents are doing fine. they’re doing ok with food, water, etc. they did lose phones, power, etc but have generators. they haven’t listed anything yet as far as making any donations. i already donated to red cross & a food service/shelter through amazon. i’ve never had the chance to visit asheville myself. my dad has, & both he & my uncle had nothing bad to say about it.

AylaOct 02, 2024

The previous invest is now tropical depression 13.

AylaOct 02, 2024

John park hopperOct 02, 2024

Both storms in the Atlantic according to the NHC will track north in the mid Atlantic --nothing so far off the Yucatan. Month of October hurricane tapper off.