Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort plan to reopen

Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, both outside Orlando, Florida, are back on Friday, October 11, after closing due to Hurricane Milton.

Disney confirmed the news on its official website, stating that the theme parks, Disney Springs (the company's shopping, dining and entertainment complex) and “may also include other areas” will be open on Friday.

Universal also released a statement saying that “all of our theme parks,” as well as CityWalk (Universal's shopping, dining and entertainment complex) and Halloween Horror Nights, their seasonal after-hours event, will reopen before the weekend.

Walt Disney World has only closed a few times since it opened in October 1971. The first closure was in 1985 because of Hurricane Elena, and most closures since then have been because of similar storms. Between 1971 and 2000, the resort closed twice due to hurricanes. The resort has been closed since 2004 10 times due to hurricanes. It was closed four times in 2004 and 2005 alone. If you want a solid argument for our worsening climate crisis, the frequency of Walt Disney World closures is a pretty good barometer.

Other reasons for Walt Disney World's closure include the September 11 terrorist attacks, in which the resort was considered a possible target, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Hurricane Milton, Disney advised guests to seek shelter in the resort's many hotels and listed activities that could also be performed indoors during their stay, such as: B. Character visits in the lobby, free Disney films in their rooms and the continuous operation of the fitness center of the hotels centers and arcades.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's west coast Wednesday evening, bringing high winds, tornadoes, extreme flooding and power outages that affected millions of Floridians.