There have been several times in the history of Disney World that the theme parks have had to shut down unexpectedly. Let’s take a look at all of the times in the past where Disney World has closed.

A satellite image of a hurricane

How Many Times Has Disney World Closed?

Hurricane are the most common reason Disney World closes. Still, at least statistically speaking, it’s safe to visit Disney World during hurricane season, because unscheduled closures are rare. But they do occur.

Disney World has been operating since October 1971 (equal to more than 19,000 operating days). In that time, Disney World has closed:

  • 13 times for hurricanes (23 days affected)
  • 2 times for other emergencies (122 days affected)

These figures are based on events which forced a delayed opening, early closing, or full-day closure of at least one of the four major Disney World Theme Parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom).

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About Our List

We’re only counting emergency closures which were not previously planned more than, say, a few days in advance. If a park was closed or had shortened hours as part of its regular, pre-published operating schedule, it’s not listed here.

There are many other closures which didn’t make our list.

For example, during the most crowded times of the year (such as Christmas or New Year’s Eve), a park might briefly stop admitting new guests due to capacity concerns. While these are referred to as “phased closures,” the park continues to operate for those already inside.

Disney’s water parks, golf courses, and outdoor recreation often close due to inclement weather (whether it’s an actual tropical system or just typical stormy or cold weather at Disney World).

After-hours events are also occasionally canceled without an associated major park closure (such as the September 2024 near-miss of Hurricane Helene, which forced the cancellation of a Halloween party but did not shorten any theme park hours).

And the risk of an approaching hurricane might cause Disney to preemptively evacuate vulnerable lodging such as the Fort Wilderness Campground or the over-water bungalows at the Polynesian Village Resort, even if the storm doesn’t get strong enough to actually close the theme parks.

Now let’s take a look at the complete list of every time Disney World has closed.

Hurricane Elena (August 31, 1985)

Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center (the only Disney World parks at the time) closed earlier than normal on August 31, 1985 due to the approaching storm.

Hurricane Erin (August 2, 1995)

The storm caused Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney-MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) to open around 11 AM on August 2, a few hours later than originally scheduled.

Interestingly, this happened just a few days before the official groundbreaking ceremony for construction of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

Hurricane Floyd (September 14-15, 1999)

All four theme parks closed early on the afternoon of September 14 in preparation for the storm.

Animal Kingdom reopened to Disney Resort Hotel guests on the afternoon of the 15th, but the other three parks remained closed.

Normal operations resumed on September 16.

National Emergency (September 11, 2001)

The September 11 terror attacks in the northeastern US marked the first time Disney World theme parks closed unexpectedly for non-weather reasons.

The attacks started in New York a little before 9 AM, followed in rapid succession by incidents in Washington, DC and Shanksville, PA. As the scale of the attacks became clear, there was a nationwide flurry of closures and evacuations of potential “high value” targets such as stadiums, governments facilities, large buildings, and tourist attractions.

At around 11:00 or 11:30 AM, public address announcements in the Disney World theme parks began letting Guests know that the parks were being closed, but did not mention the specific reason). You can hear it at around the 2:13 mark in this video taken at Magic Kingdom:

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls — due to unforeseen circumstances, the Magic Kingdom is now closing. Please follow the directions of a Walt Disney World Host or Hostess. Plan A.”

That last line, “Plan A,” instructed Cast Members to implement their predetermined emergency accelerated closure plan, essentially a quick but orderly evacuation of the park using the normal exits. (“Plan B” would have opened up backstage routes if needed, and “Plan C” is an urgent shelter-in-place plan that even uses Magic Kingdom’s famed Utilidor tunnels.)

Within about an hour of the first announcement, the parks were empty. While there’s no evidence Disney World was directly targeted that day, a spokesperson told Orlando’s WKMG-TV at the time that they…

“made the decision this morning as a precautionary measure … we put the safety and the security of our Guests and our Cast as our highest priority.”

The parks reopened the next day with enhanced security procedures such as bag checks. And Disney World received an overhead no-fly zone designation shortly after.

Hurricane Charley (August 13, 2004)

The 2004 hurricane season was notoriously cruel to central Florida, with Hurricane Charley marking the first of three Disney hurricane closures over a seven-week period.

Animal Kingdom was closed all day on August 13th due to the additional logistics needed to prepare the park’s animals for the storm.

The remaining three theme parks opened as scheduled, but closed early around 1PM.

The parks reopened the following day.

Hurricane Frances (September 4-6, 2004)

Hurricane Frances struck the Disney World area just a couple of weeks after Charley, prompting what was at the time the most extensive hurricane-related closure in the parks’ history.

All four parks were closed on September 4 and 5.

Magic Kingdom and EPCOT reopened on September 6th; the other parks remained closed an additional day, reopening September 7.

Hurricane Jeanne (September 26, 2004)

The last hurrah of the 2004 season, at least as far as park closures goes, was Hurricane Jeanne.

All four theme parks closed for one day, September 26.

Hurricane Wilma (October 24, 2005)

All four theme parks were originally supposed to be closed on October 24 in anticipation of the Wilma’s arrival, but the storm’s impact was minimal.

Magic Kingdom and EPCOT were able to open by 1PM, but the other two parks remained closed for the entire day.

Hurricane Matthew (October 6-7, 2016)

Disney closed all four of its parks at 5PM on October 6th in preparation for the storm.

The parks would remain closed all day on October 7th, and a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party was canceled.

The storm wobbled a bit east and skirted up the eastern shore of the state, lessening local impacts; the parks were able to reopen on October 8th.

Hurricane Irma (September 9-11, 2017)

Irma remained a powerful hurricane as it approached Disney World, and its impact led to the most significant hurricane-related closures in Disney World history.

Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom closed at 7PM on September 9, with Magic Kingdom and EPCOT closing at 9PM the same day.

The center of the storm passed just a few miles west of the parks during the overnight hours, at or near Category 2 strength. There was significant damage to trees and road signs around Disney World following the storm.

All four theme parks remained closed on September 10 and 11, and some special events such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the Night of Joy were also canceled.

The theme parks reopened on September 12 (though some individual attractions within Animal Kingdom remained closed).

Disney’s water parks remained closed for several more days, with Blizzard Beach reopening September 14 and Typhoon Lagoon reopening September 16.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground did not reopen until September 20.

Hurricane Dorian (September 3, 2019)

Dorian was a particularly difficult system to forecast, and there was initially some concern that it would directly impact central Florida as a major hurricane.

As a result, Disney World’s theme parks closed earlier than scheduled on September 3.

Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom closed no later than 3PM; EPCOT was supposed to close by then as well, but its hours were extended until 7PM (which was still earlier than a normal closing time) as the storm delayed its approach.

The storm eventually stayed offshore and parks were able to reopen as normal the following morning.

COVID-19 Pandemic (March 16 – July 14, 2020)

The global coronavirus pandemic led to an unprecedented months-long shutdown of Disney World’s theme parks. To date, it is the longest closure of Walt Disney World, and one that is still impacting operations to this day.

The parks closed at their normal time on the evening of March 15, 2020, with the expectation that they would be shuttered for about two weeks.

The closure was eventually extended indefinitely, and most other portions of Disney World — including the water parks, Disney Springs, and resort hotels — also followed suit. Cast Members were furloughed and eventually 28,000 were laid off between Orlando and Anaheim.

I was a local resident at the time and lived just behind Magic Kingdom. It was downright eerie to drive through a completely empty Walt Disney World resort. Roads that were normally packed with tourists were quite simply abandoned. Hundreds of Disney World buses were parked in the Magic Kingdom’s parking lot. Aerial photos at the time showed an unbelievable sight: the world’s busiest theme parks without a single soul around.

Reopening wouldn’t happen for several months.

  • Disney Springs was the first to reopen, with a handful of venues welcoming Guests on May 20. Additional shops and restaurants returned over the following weeks.
  • A few resorts began to reopen on June 22, including Disney Vacation Club properties and the campground. Other resorts would follow in July.
  • Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom began welcoming back a limited number of Guests on July 11 after a 117-day closure.
  • Hollywood Studios and EPCOT reopened on July 15 after a 121-day closure.

But things were very different and would remain so for years to come. Upon reopening, there were several changes, many of which persist in some form to the present day:

  • Face coverings were required for quite some time, but masks are now optional.
  • Disney implemented a Park Pass theme park reservation system to limit the number of Guests in the park at any given time. That system remained in place for most ticket types through early 2024, and still is used for certain undated tickets.
  • The parks reopened without the FastPass+ line-skipping system, meaning everyone had to use the standby line at rides. In 2021, FastPass (which was provided for free) was permanently retired and replaced with paid express lines called Lightning Lane.
  • Only one water park was open at a time, a change from the pre-pandemic days. This pattern has continued ever since.
  • The Disney Dining Plan was suspended and didn’t return until 2024.
  • Shortly after reopening, the free Disney’s Magical Express airport transportation service ended.
  • Shortly after reopening, the Extra Magic Hours perk for Hotel Guests was replaced with a modified perk that offers a bit less extra time in the parks.
  • Parking lot courtesy trams were suspended for a few years, only returning to full operation in 2023.
  • There are still a few things within the parks and resorts that closed during the pandemic and haven’t yet returned.

Hurricane Ian (September 28-30, 2022)

Due to the approach of Hurricane Ian, Disney World decided to close its four theme parks, Disney Springs, and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on September 28 and 29.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on September 29 was canceled, as were the September 28 & 29 performances of Cirque du Soleil.

The theme parks reopened in phases on September 30, starting with Magic Kingdom which opened at 8AM for Resort Hotel Guests and 10 AM for the general public. EPCOT opened next (9AM/11AM), followed by Hollywood Studios (10AM/noon), and finally Animal Kingdom (11AM/1PM). Disney Springs reopened later than normal on September 30.

Typhoon Lagoon water park did not reopen until October 2 (Blizzard Beach was already closed for the season).

Most hotels remained operational, but no one was permitted to check-in between 3PM September 28 and 3PM September 30.

Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground closed on September 28 and did not reopen until October 7.

The Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs, waterfront Bungalows at Polynesian Village, and Cascade Cabins at Copper Creek were also briefly closed.

The September 27 and 29 voyages of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser were canceled.

Hurricane Nicole (November 9-10, 2022)

Due to the nighttime approach of Hurricane Nicole, which was expected to weaken to tropical storm strength at around the time it reached Disney World, all four theme parks and Disney Springs closed earlier than scheduled on November 9.

Animal Kingdom closed at 5PM; Hollywood Studios closed at 6PM; Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs closed at 7PM.

Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs reopened at noon on November 10, followed by EPCOT and Animal Kingdom at 1PM, and finally by Hollywood Studios at 2PM (with Fantasmic! being cancelled).

Typhoon Lagoon water park was closed on November 10 (Blizzard Beach was already closed for the season).

The November 10 voyage of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was cancelled.

The Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs and the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground were also briefly closed.

Hurricane Milton (October 9-10, 2024)

Hurricane Milton caused massive damage to Florida’s west coast and was still strong enough as it passed through Central Florida to affect the Disney theme parks.

Hurricane Milton Theme Park Impacts

  • Magic Kingdom: Closed early at 2PM on October 9. Remained closed on October 10. Reopened at regular time on October 11.
    • Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: October 10 party was canceled, the second such cancellation of the 2024 season. (The September 26 party had also been cancelled due to a “near miss” from Hurricane Helene, but there were no theme park closures from that storm).
  • EPCOT: Closed early at 2PM on October 9. Remained closed on October 10. Reopened at regular time on October 11.
  • Hollywood Studios: Closed early at 1PM on October 9. Remained closed on October 10. Reopened at regular time on October 11.
  • Animal Kingdom: Closed early at 1PM on October 9. Remained closed on October 10. Reopened at regular time on October 11.

Hurricane Milton Resort Hotel Impacts

  • Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground: Closed starting at 11AM on October 9. Remained closed October 10, 11, & 12. Reopened October 13.
  • Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa: Closed starting at 11AM on October 9. Remained closed October 10, 11, & 12. Reopened October 13.
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Winds caused some damage to the roof of the Aotearoa Longhouse (resort room building), reportedly leading to some people being relocated.
  • Other Resorts: Remained operational, with some limited services
    • The status of dining locations varied. Guests were advised to pre-buy their October 9 dinner and October 10 breakfast before the storm. Some resort gift shops were selling “PBJ sandwich kits” (loaves of bread, jars of peanut butter and jelly, and disposable plastic/paper ware for $10) for Guests to take back to their rooms to eat during the storm.
    • The Osceola County Government issued a curfew from 8PM October 9 through at least 10am October 10; Disney’s All-Star resorts are located within Osceola County.
    • Guests in all resorts were asked to remain in their rooms starting at 8:30 PM on October 9 and continuing until the property could be assessed for damage the following morning.
    • Guests were offered free Disney movies in their Resort hotel rooms as entertainment. Some resort gift shops had also offered 25% discounts on some board games just before the storm.
    • Outside of the shelter-in-place hours, character visits and “more family fun” were offered in the lobby, along with free-play in the arcades on October 10, and use of the fitness center (which is a regular amenity).

Hurricane Milton Other Impacts

  • Disney Springs: Closed early at 2PM on October 9. Remained closed on October 10. Reopened at regular time on October 11.
  • Mini golf courses: Closed on October 9 & 10. Reopened at regular time on October 11.
  • Typhoon Lagoon water park: Closed on October 9, 10, & 11. Reopened at regular time on October 12. (Blizzard Beach water park was already closed for the season and not affected.)

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