ORLANDO, Fla. – On Monday afternoon, the Disney site asked resort visitors to check the weather forecast and committed “to prioritize the safety” of visitors and employees when making decisions related to Hurricane Milton.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared a state of emergency for the city Monday afternoon. According to the National Hurricane Center, Orange and Osceola counties were under a hurricane warning Monday.
Recommended Videos
“Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions,” a spokesperson wrote Monday morning on the Disney site. “We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm.”
WDWMagic, a Walt Disney World fan site, warned Saturday night that visitors “should expect park closures” due to Milton. The fan site warned the severe weather could impact outdoor attractions even before the hurricane lands in western Florida.
It’s unclear if Disney will continue operating on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Disney’s hurricane policy kicked in when the area was under a hurricane warning. The policy waives fees for some visitors who cancel or reschedule.
According to Disney’s site, “if a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area” within a week of the visitor’s scheduled arrival date, visitors may 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 doesn’t apply to third-party suppliers and certain special events or dining experiences. Also, some dates may not be available for special offers when rescheduling.
“All amounts you paid to the Walt Disney Travel Company for rooms, park tickets and other Disney products and services will be applied toward your new reservation,” a spokesperson wrote on Disney’s site.
The WDWMagic fan site’s warning followed Gov. Ron DeSantis’s emergency declaration and the National Hurricane Center’s report that a tropical depression had strengthened into a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico. It strengthened into a hurricane on Sunday.
President Joe Biden’s administration urged Floridians on Saturday to prepare for the next hurricane. This was all while federal and state crews were still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
Tourists in South Florida were already dealing with heavy downpours and the risk of flooding this week and the next ahead of Milton.
Related link: Disney’s hurricane policy
FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, visit Local 10′s hurricane page, the weather page for the hourly local forecast, sign up for the free Talking Tropics newsletter and download the free tracker mobile app on the Apple Store or Google Play.
DOWNLOAD Local 10′s 2024 Hurricane Survival Guide
Correction: An earlier version of this story wrongly attributed a fan site statement to Disney.
Clarification: Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Local 10 News is an affiliate.