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How often does Disney World closed due to hurricanes?

The Walt Disney World Resort is in central Florida, not on the coasts, and has only closed seven times for hurricane since opening in 1971: Hurricane Floyd -September 15, 1999/ Hurricane Frances – September 4 & 5, 2004 / Hurricane Jeanne – September 25, 2004 / Hurricane Matthew – October 7, 2016 / Hurricane Irma - ...



While Central Florida is frequently impacted by tropical weather, full closures of Walt Disney World Resort are historically rare. Since opening in 1971, the resort has only closed its theme parks roughly a dozen times due to hurricanes. Most closures are brief, typically lasting only one or two days, and are often "precautionary" to ensure the safety of guests and cast members during peak wind speeds. Notable closures occurred for Hurricane Floyd (1999), Charley (2004), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Ian (2022), and Nicole (2022). Disney is considered one of the safest places to be during a storm because the resort has its own power grid, a sophisticated drainage system, and buildings engineered to exceed Florida's strict hurricane codes. When a closure is announced, Disney typically waives cancellation fees and works with guests to reschedule dining and park reservations. The resort often remains "open" in a limited capacity for hotel guests, providing indoor entertainment and meal kits if the parks are shuttered. For travelers, the statistical likelihood of a hurricane closing the parks during a week-long trip, even in September, remains low, but the possibility is high enough that Disney maintains a specific "Hurricane Policy" on its website.

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It is very rare for Disney World to entirely close for a storm. Typically, the park stays open while certain rides or attractions will close as the weather requires.

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On Monday and Tuesday, Disney posted a hurricane update online: Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions.

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Disney World was closed for a record 116 days
  • Hurricane Floyd: September 15, 1999.
  • Hurricane Frances: September 4-5, 2004.
  • Hurricane Jeanne: September 26, 2004.
  • Hurricane Matthew: October 7, 2016.
  • Hurricane Irma: September 10-11, 2017.
  • COVID 19 Pandemic: March 16, 2020 ? July 11, 2020 (116 days)


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Considering hurricanes of Categories 1 to 5, the most secure regions in Florida include Central Florida (for instance, Orlando), Northeast Florida (such as Palatka), Central West Florida (Tampa), and North Central Florida (including Gainesville).

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We'll begin with an important caveat: Disney World's hotels are all generally considered safe when it comes to hurricanes (though limited spots like Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, or the Treehouse Villas may be evacuated in some situations for certain safety concerns).

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Worst Times to Visit Disney World Despite this, prices and crowd size both hit a peak in June, July, and August — so if you want to save money and avoid unpleasantly long lines, you may want to plan your trip for another season.

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Health & Safety We remain intentional in our commitment to health and safety, and will continue to operate with this in mind. Face coverings are optional for Guests in both indoor and outdoor locations. However, face coverings are not permitted while experiencing water slides or in the water.

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Every Disney World Ride Closure in 2023
  • Mine Train!
  • Splash Mountain.
  • Merida meets at the Gazebo now.
  • Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
  • Typhoon Lagoon.


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Florida is known to be incredibly rainy during the summer months, and June through November is also considered hurricane season. Although a hurricane may sound scary for many who are not familiar, Disney property is actually one of the safest places to be in the middle of a hurricane.

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The good news is that Walt Disney World Resort is located in Central Florida, approximately 40 miles from the ocean at its closest point, so it rarely gets shut down for hurricanes because hurricanes lose strength and speed as they travel over land.

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Just like there are more expensive times, there are also times of the year when it is cheaper to go to Disney World. As a rule, January, February, August, and September are the cheapest seasons, as long as you avoid any holidays in those months.

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The Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World is the most visiting theme park in the world so one of the other most popular questions we receive is, which day of the week is the slowest at Magic Kingdom? And as a general rule of thumb Tuesdays tend to be the slowest day at Magic Kingdom park.

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If the local authorities issue evacuation orders or the hotel deems it unsafe to stay due to potential hazards like flooding, high winds, or structural damage, they have the legal right to ask guests to leave. In such cases, hotels often work closely with emergency management agencies to guide and assist their guests.

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NOAA's update to the 2023 outlook — which covers the entire six-month hurricane season that ends on Nov. 30 — calls for 14-21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which 6-11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater). Of those, 2-5 could become major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater).

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