Disney World closes Orlando theme park as Hurricane Milton set to smash Florida

Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will shut at 1pm, whilst the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs will close at 2pm.

"The Walt Disney World Emergency Operations Center is connected to weather experts and community leaders," the theme park said in a statement shared on social media Tuesday.

This marks only the 12th closure in the park's 53-year history.

Disney World anticipates that the theme parks will likely remain closed on Thursday, October 10.

However, they are considering reopening Disney Springs on Thursday afternoon with limited offerings.

The popular Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, scheduled for Thursday at Magic Kingdom park, has been cancelled. Full refunds will be available for ticket holders.

"Please know these adjustments have been made in order to leave plenty of time for our Guests and Cast Members to return to their Resort hotels or homes safely hours before higher winds are expected to reach Central Florida," Disney stated.

Nearby Universal Studios has also announced its closure, with plans to cease operations at 2pm on Wednesday.

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Hurricane Milton has intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm as of Tuesday afternoon. The hurricane is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area early Thursday morning.

Orlando is bracing for significant impact, with forecasts predicting flooding rains and sustained winds of 60 to 80 mph from Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon.

The severity of the storm has prompted widespread preparations across Florida. States of emergency have been declared in 50 counties, with 14 currently under mandatory evacuation orders.

These extreme weather conditions have also forced the closure of Universal Studios.

As the storm approaches, local authorities and businesses are taking swift action to ensure public safety.

Universal Studios, like Disney, plans to close its theme parks and CityWalk on Wednesday afternoon, with hopes to reopen on Friday, October 11, pending storm impacts.

The widespread closures and evacuations highlight the potential severity of Hurricane Milton, as Florida braces for what could be one of the most significant weather events in recent years.