On October 10, 2024, Walt Disney World said it was assessing Hurricane Milton’s effects on resort property and preparing to reopen its theme parks and Disney Springs on Friday, October 11. The parks and Disney Springs did reopen that day, but the announcement was a reopening plan—not a complete report on property damage or a promise that every attraction and service would be operating normally.
What Disney said about Hurricane Milton
In an October 10 update reproduced by WDW News Today, Walt Disney World said: “We’re grateful Walt Disney World Resort weathered the storm, and we are currently assessing the impacts to our property to prepare for reopening the theme parks, Disney Springs and possibly other areas on Friday, October 11. Our hearts are with our fellow Floridians who were impacted by this storm.”
The statement described an assessment still in progress. It did not provide a comprehensive inventory of damage across the resort. Its confirmed target was Friday, October 11, for the theme parks and Disney Springs, with the wording “possibly other areas” leaving other reopenings conditional.
What closed, and when did it reopen?
| Date | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, October 9, 2024 | Disney closed its theme parks and Disney Springs in phases. ABC News reported that water parks and miniature golf complexes also closed Wednesday afternoon, resort transportation was temporarily halted, and the October 10 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was canceled. ABC News |
| Thursday, October 10 | Disney said it was assessing impacts and preparing for Friday. Its listed closures included the four theme parks, Disney Springs, Typhoon Lagoon, miniature golf courses, Fort Wilderness, and Saratoga Springs Treehouse Villas. Resort transportation and Minnie Van service were unavailable; some dining remained open for resort hotel guests. WDW News Today |
| Friday, October 11 | Walt Disney World and Disney Springs reopened for scheduled operating hours. CBS reported that parts of a theme park were open as early as 7:30 a.m. CBS News |
Did reopening mean everything was back to normal?
No. The Associated Press reported that some special events would not be offered and that parks might not be fully functioning on October 11. A reopening date establishes that guests could return to the parks and Disney Springs; it does not establish that every attraction, hotel, event, or service had resumed normal operations. The Associated Press
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The October 10 closures also show why visitors needed to distinguish the parks’ announced plan from the wider resort’s status: some amenities and transportation remained unavailable during the assessment. The available reporting does not establish the status of every individual facility after reopening.
What happened to affected tickets?
CBS reported that guests unable to use tickets because of Thursday’s closure received an extension through October 11, 2025. WDW News Today separately reported an expiration-date adjustment through that date for partially used multi-day tickets. These are reported adjustments for the described ticket circumstances, not evidence of a universal refund or blanket policy applying to every ticket. CBS News · WDW News Today
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How Disney’s plan compared with other Orlando parks
The Associated Press reported that Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld planned to reopen Friday after assessing storm effects, with possible operating limitations. That comparison describes contemporaneous plans; it does not establish that the parks had identical reopening conditions or services. The Associated Press
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