Current:Home > ScamsDisney World and Universal Orlando remain open ahead of Hurricane Milton -Summit Capital Strategies
Disney World and Universal Orlando remain open ahead of Hurricane Milton
View
Date:2025-04-14 06:09:53
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Major theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal remained open Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton ’s expected hit as a major storm in Florida even as other parts of Orlando’s tourism machine shut down.
Disney said it was operating under normal conditions and planned, for now, only to close its campgrounds and rental cabins in wooded areas.
Both theme parks said they would continue monitoring the weather and adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, other parts of Orlando were shutting down — including Orlando International Airport, which said it would cease operations Wednesday morning. The airport is the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked.
The Orlando area 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 among the busier times for theme parks because of Halloween-related celebrations, which have become major money generators over the past couple decades. Universal Orlando hosts “Halloween Horror Nights,” with ghoulish haunted houses based on slasher films and other pop culture horror, and Disney has its tamer “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.”
While Disney rarely shuts its doors — save for 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 on Tuesday morning showed no vacancies.
Those lucky enough to get a hotel reservation have gotten unexpected treats during past storms. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, guests at a hotel on Disney property found themselves stranded with actress Kristen Bell, who voiced the role of Anna in the beloved Disney film, “Frozen.” While in Orlando, the actress found time to sing songs for evacuees at a nearby hurricane shelter.
Once a hurricane passes, the theme parks try to return operations to normal as quickly as possible. After Hurricane Charley charted a devastating path through Orlando in 2004, Disney World had utility vehicles picking up downed tree limbs and clearing roads on its property within an hour in the pitch-dark night.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP.
veryGood! (8384)
Related
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Kirk Cousins' trip to visit Jon Gruden with teammates says plenty about QB's leadership
- Takeaways from the AP’s investigation into how US prisoners are hurt or killed on the job
- Inflation eases to 3.4% in boost for the Federal Reserve
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- After a 3-year search, suspect who texted 'so I raped you' to US college student arrested
- Like a Caitlin Clark 3-pointer, betting on women’s sports is soaring
- How Caitlin Clark's Boyfriend Connor McCaffery Celebrated Her WNBA Debut
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- A cricket World Cup is coming to NYC’s suburbs, where the sport thrives among immigrant communities
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Cancer claims Iditarod champion Rick Mackey. His father and brother also won famed Alaska race
- Motion to expel Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell over felony burglary charge fails
- These ACM Awards Red Carpet Looks Will Impress You Much
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Meta to shut down Workplace app for business
- 'Wicked': Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo sing 'Popular' and 'Defying Gravity' in new trailer
- Donte DiVincenzo prods Pacers' identity, calls out Myles Turner: 'You're not a tough guy'
Recommendation
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
Cale Makar scores twice, Avalanche stay alive with 5-3 win against Stars
Inflation eases to 3.4% in boost for the Federal Reserve
Takeaways from the AP’s investigation into how US prisoners are hurt or killed on the job
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
Honda recalls Ridgeline pickup trucks because rearview camera could fail in cold weather
WATCH: 'Nimble' the dog wins Westminster Masters Agility Championship with blazing run
Eminem 'eulogized' in faux-obituary in Detroit Free Press ahead 'The Death of Slim Shady'