Theme Park and Attraction Operational Impacts from Ian

Here’s an overview of the latest operational impacts to theme parks and other attractions in central Florida due to the approach of Hurricane Ian. All information is subject to change and is updated as new information is received. Check directly with each attraction prior to planning your visit.

This post was last updated at 10:44 AM on Thursday, September 30, 2022.


Walt Disney World Resort

Here’s the latest information on impacts at Disney.

  • Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom will be closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29). Partially used multi-day theme park tickets with a usage window impacted by the closure will automatically be extended to use the remaining entitlements through any date through September 30, 2023.
  • The parks will be reopening in phases on Friday (9/30). Theme Park reservations are still required.
    • Magic Kingdom opens at 8:00 AM for Disney Resort Hotel Guests and 10:00 AM for all other Guests. The park closes at 6:00 PM in advance of that night’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
    • EPCOT opens at 9:00 AM for Resort Guests and 11:00 AM for all other Guests.
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens at 10:00 AM for Resort Guests and at Noon for all other Guests.
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens at 11:00 AM for Resort Guests and at 1:00 PM for all other Guests. Tour experiences at DAK for Friday (9/30) are cancelled.
  • Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom has been cancelled for Thursday (9/29).
  • Disney Springs will be closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29).
    • Disney Springs will reopen at 10:30 AM on Friday (9/30).
  • Cirque du Soleil Drawn to Life performances will be cancelled on Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29). The 5:30 PM show on Friday (9/30) will be rescheduled to begin at 8:00 PM.
  • Typhoon Lagoon water park is closed Wednesday (9/28), Thursday (9/29), Friday (9/30), and Saturday (10/01). Blizzard Beach is already closed for the season.
  • Winter Summerland Mini Golf and Fantasia Gardens/Fairways Mini Golf closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29)
    • Fantasia Gardens reopens Friday (9/30) at 3:00 PM.
    • It’s unclear when Fantasia Fairways and Winter Summerland will reopen.
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will be closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29).
    • The complex reopens Friday (9/30) from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM for scheduled events.
  • Walt Disney World Transportation stopped operating Tuesday (9/27) after Disney Springs and the Walt Disney World theme parks closed. It resumes on Friday (9/30), but Resort Guests are encouraged to use their own private vehicles if possible.
  • Limited Minnie Van and Mears taxi service will be offered Wednesday morning (9/28) to Walt Disney World resort Guests with existing breakfast reservations.
  • Some particularly vulnerable resort locations (such as those on a waterfront or in dense tree canopy) are temporarily unavailable:
    • Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground closed Wednesday (9/28); no reopening date has been announced
    • Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge closed Wednesday (9/28) and remain closed through Friday (9/30)
    • Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa closed Wednesday (9/20) and will remain closed until Monday (10/3)
    • The Bora Bora Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort closed Wednesday (9/28) and will remain closed through Friday (9/30)
  • Guests at other resorts, including DVC Members, must be checked in no later than 3PM on Wednesday (9/28); otherwise, they’ll need to cancel or reschedule with no penalty fees. No check-ins will be accepted on Thursday (9/29). Check-ins on Friday (9/30) cannot take place any earlier than 3PM.
  • All Resort Guests will be asked to shelter in place at their resort for the duration of the storm and no resort-to-resort transfers will be available after 3PM Wednesday (9/28)
  • Dining options for Guests staying in Resort hotels will vary, and in some cases may be very limited. Where available (list here), restaurants will accept walk-ups only; Guests will not need dining reservations. Some restaurants will offer boxed meals. Characters will not be available in typical Resort character dining restaurants on Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29).
  • The Grand Floridian Spa will close at noon Wednesday, Sept. 28.
  • Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages departing Tuesday (9/27) and Thursday (9/29) have been canceled due to the potential impact on the guest experience. Voyages resume on Saturday (10/1).
  • Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue performances have been canceled starting Wednesday (9/28) and continuing at least through the duration of the Fort Wilderness closure. Pre-paid reservations for the show will be automatically canceled and refunded.
  • Disney is waiving cancellation fees for many dining and recreation/experiences

Universal Orlando Resort

Here’s the latest from Universal Orlando…

  • Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and CityWalk will be closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29). The resort has announced it will have a phased reopening of portions of the resort on Friday (9/30) starting with hotel guests only; further details were not yet available.
  • Halloween Horror Nights for Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29) are cancelled.
  • Resort hotels are filled to capacity and remain in operation for registered Guests.

Sea World Orlando

Here’s the latest from SeaWorld:

  • Sea World Orlando, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove are closed Wednesday (9/28), Thursday (9/29), and Friday (9/30).
  • SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream tickets for September 30 have been extended through October 31.
  • All date-intended tickets for closure dates have been extended through December 31.
  • Annual Pass Members’ guest tickets with an expiration date of September 30 and October 2 have been extended through October 16.

ICON Park Orlando

All ICON Park attractions will be closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29). Select restaurants will remain open until weather deteriorates; visitors should reach out directly to the restaurant to find out their storm schedule.


Legoland Florida & Peppa Pig Theme Park

Here’s the latest from Legoland Florida:

  • Parks (Legoland, Peppa Pig park, and water park) closing at 5PM Tuesday (9/27) and will be closed Wednesday (9/28), Thursday (9/29), and Friday (9/30)
  • Resort Hotels remain open to guest with existing reservations
  • Tickets dated for 9/28-10/2 will be automatically extended thru 12/31/22
  • Vacation stays during closure can be rebooked without penalty once the call center reopens. See details.

WonderWorks Orlando

WonderWorks Orlando will be closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29). Expected to reopen sometime Friday (9/30).


Disney Cruise Line

Here’s the latest from Disney Cruise Line…

  • Disney Dream: DCL says no changes anticipated at this time for the 10/1 sailing.
  • Disney Fantasy: The Disney Fantasy’s current sailing may arrive into Port Canaveral on Saturday later in the day than originally scheduled, resulting in a later embarkation for the Disney Fantasy sailing on 10/1. DCL will notify Guests should it be necessary to delay embarkation.
  • Disney Wish: Due to expected conditions at Port Canaveral, the ship’s current sailing will not return to Port Canaveral on Friday 9/30 as originally scheduled. As a result, the 9/30 Disney Wish sailing has been canceled.
  • Call Center: The Disney Cruise Line Contact Center is currently experiencing high call volume. DCL asks that Guests who are not sailing within the next 7 days to please contact the call center after October 5, 2022.

Port Canaveral

The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port has set hurricane condition “ZULU” for Port Canaveral. Port Canaveral is closed and has ceased all waterside and vessel shoreside Port operations until further notice.


Kennedy Space Center

Here’s the latest from Kennedy Space Center…

  • Visitor Center closed Wednesday (9/28) and Thursday (9/29).
  • Visitors should “continually monitor our website for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex operating hours as Hurricane Ian continues to shift. We will post updates as we have them on Facebook and Twitter.”
  • NASA has waived off its planned launch of the Artemis I rocket and rolled the vehicle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for safety.
  • ULA Atlas V launch of two satellites has been delayed. The satellites and launch vehicle are secured within the Vehicle Integration Facility at SLC-41. Pending range approval, launch is tentatively re-scheduled for10/4 at 5:36PM.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Here’s the latest from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay…

  • Busch Gardens Tamps is closed Tuesday (9/27), Wednesday (9/28), Thursday (9/29), and Friday (9/30).
  • Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream tickets for September 30 have been extended through October 31.
  • Theme Park & Water Park Admission Tickets have been extended through December 31, 2022.
  • Annual Pass Members’ guest tickets with an expiration date of Sept. 30 will be extended through Oct. 16.

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Commercial operations at MCO will cease at 10:30AM Wednesday (09/28). Entry to all parking facilities will be closed at that same period. Travelers should contact their airline for flight updates. The airport will NOT be open for use as a shelter facility. Operations are expected to resume sometime on Friday, after assessing any damage to airport property or facilities.


Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Here’s the latest from Tampa International Airport…

  • Tampa International Airport is suspending operations at 5PM Tuesday (9/27) so crews can prepare the airfield and terminals, including the securing of jet bridges, ground equipment, and any remaining aircraft
  • The Airport, including the Main Terminal, Airsides, and parking garages will be closed to all visitors at that time
  • Damage assessments will begin as soon as it is safe to do so. TPA will closely coordinate the reopening of the airport with its partners based on roadway safety, facility readiness, and staffing.
  • Passengers should check with their airlines for flight status updates. Those flying on Tuesday before the airport suspends operations are urged to arrive at TPA at least 2 hours before their flight.
  • TPA is not a designated storm shelter and does not have the resources to shelter people or vehicles during a storm
  • To get the latest operational updates, follow @FlyTPA on Twitter

Visitors are advised to check directly with their desired venue before visiting to ensure there have been no last-minute changes.

2 comments on “Theme Park and Attraction Operational Impacts from Ian

  1. Pingback: Tropical Storm Warning for Attractions Area. Don’t Panic. – Meteottractions

  2. Pingback: 12:45 PM Tue – Hurricane Conditions Possible at Disney Wednesday Night and Thursday; Tropical Storm Conditions Before and After. Don’t Panic. – Meteottractions

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