Disney hasn't yet closed its Florida parks ahead of Hurricane Dorian. Here's what you need to know if you have a trip planned.
- Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall in Florida over the next few days and many are wondering if Walt Disney World will be closing its Florida parks.
- Disney has not yet posted news of closures to the newly opened Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge or its other Florida parks and they may not do so until early next week.
- Some guests, primarily those who booked their trips through Disney, may be able to refund or rebook their vacation without paying extra fees, but it may take them around an hour or so to do it.
- It might be surprising if the park does shut its doors considering only seven hurricanes since 1971 have caused Disney World to close.
- Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc., an Ohio-based consulting firm, told Associated Press, that this storm's impact could cost Disney an estimated $60 million to $90 million as Florida locals steer clear of the park and others cancel their bookings.
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Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall in Florida within the next few days and it has some Walt Disney World vacationers nervous.
Disney has yet to post news of closures to the newly opened Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge or its other Florida parks, but the news that the storm could intensify to a category-4 hurricane by the time it reaches the state's eastern coast already has many park-goers looking for alternate plans.
Here's what you need to know about the current threat and what it means for attendees should Disney decide to close its gates.
Currently, Hurricane Dorian poses a 'significant threat' to Florida, but parkgoers may not know if the park will be closed until early next week
It seems likely that if Walt Disney World is going to make the call to close down for Hurricane Dorian, it will be announced early next week when the hurricane makes landfall.
In the past, including for Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Disney closed parks early on the day the hurricane made landfall in Florida.
But whether parks are open or not, those traveling to Florida and those in Florida should proceed with caution. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Dorian poses a "significant threat to Florida and the Northwestern Bahamas."
And, on Thursday, Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, expanded the state of emergency to include all counties and those in charge of the state's emergency response advised inhabitants to make sure they have a week's worth of supplies and continue to watch the news.
The storm is currently spinning at around 115 mph but is expected to hit southern Florida with 140-mph winds by Monday or early Tuesday.
Walt Disney World has a hurricane policy that allows some guests to reschedule or cancel some of their reservations and bookings without any added fees
According to Walt Disney World's hurricane policy, if a hurricane warning is issued by the NHC for the Orlando area or your place of residence, you can call ahead to reschedule or cancel room-only reservations that were booked through Disney or "Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort Hotel Packages" without any added cancellation fees or changes fees from the company.
That policy only applies when the warning is within seven days of a family's scheduled arrival date.
For other services purchased through third-party vendors including flights, hotels, and rental cars, guests will "continue to be responsible for any non-refundable payments, as well as cancellation or change fees assessed by those suppliers."
As of Friday, it seems like a number of individuals are canceling and rescheduling their plans. A source told Insider that it took them about an hour and a half just to rebook their Disney-World trip, likely due to the volume of others who were trying to do the same.
Others on Twitter have reported that although it has been an exhausting, time-consuming experience, they were successful in getting Disney to refund their money or re-book their trip.
Disney doesn't close the park often and the impact of this storm could cost them tens of millions of dollars
Per the Orange County Register newspaper, since 1971, only seven hurricanes have caused Disney World to close down. Most recently, the park closed for two and a half days during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
And, with so much money on the line and hundreds of thousands of guests at the park each day, it's unsurprisingly rare for Disney to close up shop.
Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc., an Ohio-based consulting firm, told Associated Press, that this storm's impact could cost Disney an estimated $60 million to $90 million as Florida locals steer clear of the park to prepare for the hurricane and visitors from out of town cancel their bookings.
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