ORLANDO, Fla. — Sept. 11, 2001, is a day Americans will never forget.
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
As the news of the attacks spread across the U.S., and the world, so did concern about additional targets and the fear of the unknown.
Included in that category was Walt Disney World, given its status as a highly populated and highly popular tourist attraction.
In the years since, HuffPost has talked to cast members who were working in the theme park on Sept. 11. One cast member told the outlet they remember watching the news in the breakroom when an ABC reporter announced the Walt Disney Company would be closing its parks.
Next, the sound of the manager's beepers went off. About 10 minutes later, the cast members had their marching orders, according to the recollection of the employee.
"We were strictly forbidden from telling them the real reason that we had decided to close the park. Which caused some confusion; and maybe even some irate guests at times. But it avoided quite effectively the cause for panic from our guests," the cast member told HuffPost.
To clear guests out of all four theme parks, a cast member said they shut down attractions, restaurants and shops to force everyone into the street before making a human chain to guide them toward the exit.
The message to guests at the time reportedly went like this: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Magic Kingdom is now closed. Please follow the direction of the nearest cast member."
Following the terrorist attacks, Disney, just like many other companies, upped its security to the stringent protocols park-goers see today.
Guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort are subject to bag screenings, and metal detectors before entering any of the four theme parks or Disney Springs.
Plus, at any given time you can see Disney's "comprehensive approach to security that includes measures that are visible and others that are not" in action as uniformed police officers, hazard detection K-9s and security cameras help keep guests safe.
While the theme park is scarce to share details about upgrades made to its security procedures, in 2015 it did add random selection secondary screenings for guests.