Fort Wilderness and WDW Parks Closing Tuesday Ahead of Hurricane Dorian

Now that the moody, monstrous storm seems to have better settled on its direction, Walt Disney World announced closings that will begin tomorrow (Tuesday, September 3). Shortly after Orlando International Airport (MCO) announced that it would close at 2 am on September 3, WDW followed with news of adjusted park hours and the shuttering of the Fort.

Modified Park Hours for Tuesday, September 3

It is difficult to predict whether Hurricane Dorian will result in the closing of WDW beyond Tuesday afternoon. The current adjusted hours for the parks tomorrow is:

Magic Kingdom – 8 am – 3 pm (Extra Magic Hour at 7 am)
Epcot – 7 am – ~~3 pm~~ 8 pm (WDW later adjusted to 8 pm)
Hollywood Studios – 9 am – 2 pm (Extra Magic Hours begin at 6am!)
Animal Kingdom – 8 am – 2 pm (Extra Magic Hour at 7 am)

WDW also cancelled or postponed special nighttime events. Those with tickets to events, such as Disney’s Afterhours at Animal Kingdom, may call (407) 939-7818 for redemption options.

Disney Springs will be open until 8 pm on Tuesday, September 3.

wdw to relocate all fort wilderness guests by 3pm tuesday

Guests at Fort Wilderness (or those with reservations this week) have the option to cancel or move to a safer Disney resort, such as Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean, or Coronado Springs. Allegedly, most cabin guests are being relocated to Grand Floridian. Campers may park RVs parked at their new resorts, and Disney is temporarily allowing pets in rooms that are normally pet-free. Presently, it appears that WDW has suspended reservations to Fort Wilderness for one week, until September 10.

In the past, Disney has provided discounted food at hotels and extensive entertainment to those guests while the parks were closed. To get a glimpse of what its like to be a Disney during a major storm event, check out this YouTube video by Bright Sun Films, who stayed at the Contemporary during Hurricane Irma. Disney also tends to lose electricity less than most as its electricity cables are underground. However, these do depend on outside partners to fully function. Many guests note that when they wake up in the morning after a weather event, all fallen trees and debris have been miraculously cleaned up during the night.

Other Past Weather Events at Disney World

It was just two years ago that Fort Wilderness closed due to a hurricane. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused significant damage to the campground, resulting in the loss of a large number of trees. It took nearly two weeks for the campground to reopen. The parks closed for two full days during Hurricane Irma.

August 1985 was the first time that WDW closed its parks due to weather. This was not a full day, but rather a 5pm closing in preparation for Hurricane Elena. In 1995, Hurricane Erin resulted in a delayed opening. The first full-day closing did not occur until the approach of Hurricane Floyd in 1999. In the case of Floyd, the hurricane took a sudden turn, and the parks were spared. Fortunately, I could not find reference to any hurricane-related fatalities in the history of Walt Disney World.

A portrait of dorian (Gray)

Hurricane Dorian is the largest hurricane to hit the Bahamas, causing catastrophic damage whose extent is still to be revealed. Luckily for Florida, its project path moved from going up the spine of Florida to hovering 10-50 miles away from the coast, as it declines from a Category 5. However, significant storm surges and flooding are likely for the Florida east coast, and the odds of tropical-storm force winds are 40 percent or more for Orlando early Wednesday.