ORLANDO, Fla. — Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando issued updates Thursday afternoon, addressing their plans to restart operations after Hurricane Ian brought heavy rain and damaging winds throughout the region.
Other destinations — including SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — have revealed they will remain closed through Friday.
Here's what you need to know about each location's reopening plans:
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World’s update, which was posted shortly before 3 p.m., said their teams will reopen the parks and Disney Springs “in a phased approach” starting Friday.
Here’s Disney’s full statement:
We are seeing the impacts of Hurricane Ian across Florida and are thinking of our neighbors in Central Florida and across the state. We will share more information about our plan to support relief efforts for our Florida neighbors soon.
We thank our first responders and community leaders for their courageous efforts in preparing for and managing the storm’s impact. To our cast members in Florida and in South Carolina, thank you for selflessly taking care of our guests.
We continue to closely monitor weather conditions as we assess the impact of Hurricane Ian on our property. While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening. Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30. Operating hours will be updated later today on DisneyWorld.com/Weather.
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
Conditions permitting, Universal Orlando’s site says they anticipate reopening their location – including Halloween Horror Nights – starting Friday.
Universal released the following update shortly before 1 p.m.:
Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by Hurricane Ian and we stand ready to help our community recover.
As always, the safety of our guests and team members is our top priority. With that as our focus, we remain closed today as we follow our procedures and conduct detailed inspections across our entire destination at this time.
Stay tuned for updates.
Both Universal Orlando and Disney closed their gates on Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the storm.
OTHER DESTINATIONS
These locations will remain closed through Friday with plans to reopen on Saturday, Oct. 1:
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- Adventure Island
- SeaWorld Orlando
- Aquatica Orlando
- Discovery Cove
Click here for more information about these closures.
