Disney World remains open as Hurricane Ian moves in, but some Disney hotels close

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando remained open Tuesday amid the approach of Hurricane Ian along Florida’s western coast — though some surrounding Disney properties are set to temporarily close.

The company said in a statement that its theme parks and Disney Springs shopping area are “currently operating under normal conditions,” even as it prepares to make adjustments as needed based on weather data.

Among the other properties Disney says will be closed Sept. 28 through Sept. 30:

• Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have also been canceled Sept. 28-30; guests with pre-paid reservations will be automatically canceled and refunded. 
• Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• The Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort will also be closed through Sept. 30.

Two other properties will be closed Sept. 28 through Sept. 29:

• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
• Winter Summerland Miniature Golf
• Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf

Disney said it is contacting guests with current and upcoming reservations since these locations will be closing. It is also not enforcing cancellation policies for dining and other experiences like Savi’s Workshop and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

According to Disney’s hurricane policy, if a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area within seven days of a guest’s scheduled arrival date, they may call in advance to reschedule or cancel Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort hotel packages and most room-only reservations without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.

The policy does not apply if their stay was not booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company.

According to The Points Guy travel blog, much of Disney World, including the landmark Cinderella Castle, is built to withstand hurricanes, and it is common for Floridians exposed to a hurricane elsewhere in the state to ride out the storm at the park.

Since opening in 1971, Disney World has only been forced to close eight times as a result of a hurricane, according to the unofficial Disney blog Inside The Magic. The most recent closure happened in 2019 as Hurricane Dorian approached.