Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld will all close before Milton

ORLANDO – Orlando's tourism machine ground to a halt Tuesday as at least three major theme parks and the main airport announced their closures ahead of Hurricane Milton's turn to hit Florida as a major storm.

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld will all close their theme parks and respective entertainment properties on Wednesday, with the latter two also closed on Thursday and Disney expected to remain closed.

Universal has also canceled Halloween Horror Nights scheduled for both days.

The theme parks join Orlando International Airport, which announced Wednesday morning that it would be suspending operations. The airport is the seventh busiest airport in the country and the busiest airport in Florida.

Disney World had said earlier in the day that it was open and planned to close only its campgrounds and rental cabins ahead of the storm.

The only indication that a hurricane was impending at Disney Springs was the closure of a hot air balloon ride. “Closed due to hurricane,” an electronic sign read. “Stay safe.”

All other stores and restaurants in the outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex within the resort were open and thriving.

Milton, which is expected to come ashore on Wednesday, threatened to ruin the vacation of tens of thousands of tourists at Disney World.

Nicole and Zeb Downs arrived Monday after a 21-hour drive from Arkansas, expecting a 12-day vacation in Florida with their three young sons. On Tuesday afternoon, they considered packing up their car and driving back.

“We're disappointed, but at this point it's kind of out of our control,” said Zeb Downs as he strolled through still-bustling Disney Springs with his family.

Neither of them had experienced a hurricane before and weren't sure if they wanted to try it.

The Orlando region is the most visited destination in the United States due to Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and other theme parks, attracting 74 million tourists last year alone.

October is also one of the busier times for theme parks due to Halloween celebrations, which have become major money-makers over the past few decades. Universal Orlando hosts Halloween Horror Nights with spooky haunted houses based on slasher films and other pop culture horror films, and Disney hosts its tamer Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

While Disney rarely closes its doors — aside from dangerous hurricanes in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Sept. 11 attacks — its hotels are often havens for coastal residents fleeing impending storms. A check of Disney World's online reservation system Tuesday morning showed there were no available seats.

Those who have been lucky enough to snag a hotel reservation have experienced unexpected surprises during past storms. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, guests at a hotel on Disney property were stranded with actress Kristen Bell, who played the role of Anna in the popular Disney film “Frozen.” While in Orlando, the actress found time to sing songs for evacuees at a nearby hurricane shelter.

Once a hurricane passes, theme parks try to resume operations as quickly as possible. After Hurricane Charley left a devastating path through Orlando in 2004, Disney World had fallen tree branches picked up and the streets cleared within an hour in the pitch black of the night.

By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press

• • •

5 things forecasters say you should know about the 2024 hurricane season.

Meteorologists are predicting an “extremely active” 2024 hurricane season. Here's why.

Could flood insurance go up in Tampa Bay after a hurricane? A warning about Hurricane Ian

Want to know which areas in Tampa Bay are flooding? Here's where to look.

Checklists for building all types of storm kits.