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Hurricane Ian set to hit Florida as theme parks prepare for ‘storm of the century’

As Florida prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, here’s how the state’s theme parks are handling the situation

Parts of Florida will have not seen a hurricane of Ian’s magnitude in about a century

Hurricane Ian continues to rapidly intensify, with the Category 3 hurricane about to hit Cuba before moving up towards Florida.

Over the course of 24 hours, Ian's maximum sustained wind speed jumped from 75 mph to 125 mph, meaning the hurricane meets the criteria for rapid intensification.

Some of Ian's worst impacts are likely to occur in Cuba, where a hurricane warning has been in place since Sunday morning with tens of thousands of people told to leave their homes and seek shelter.

Currently unclear where the storm will make landfall in Florida, the world’s unofficial theme park capital is bracing for what is expected to be upgraded to a Category 4, with excessive rainfall, winds and storm surges.

Hurricane conditions are expected along the west coast of Florida on Wednesday morning, with tropical storm conditions possibly starting later this evening. According to reports, some parts of the state will have not seen a hurricane of this magnitude in about a century.

"This is a really big hurricane at this point," said Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis who warned of "broad impacts throughout the state", while urging residents to "remain calm" but "do what you need to be prepared". The governor also declared a state of emergency for all of Florida over the weekend and has activated 5,000 National Guard troops to assist with relief efforts.



Late Monday, Disney World announced that it was closing its Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort from Wednesday through Friday.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will also close temporarily on Wednesday and Thursday, while Disney Springs is currently operating under normal conditions.

For the time being, Disney says its parks will remain open, with guests able to cancel tickets or reservations with no penalty if there is a hurricane warning in effect.

"Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service," said the company in a statement.

Meanwhile, at Universal, park hours are currently unchanged, with the park "closely monitoring" the weather. In the event that a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center or a state of emergency is declared for the Orlando area, visitors are able to change or cancel their advanced bookings with no cancellation or change fees imposed.

Legoland Florida has released a similar statement, saying that it’s "closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Ian and will continue to operate as planned at this time". The park added that it will provide updates on any potential closures in the coming days.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced its closure on Wednesday and Thursday, saying that its weather preparedness plan is in place and extra precautions have been taken to protect the animals at the park.

SeaWorld Orlando has postponed the announcement of its 2023 attraction due to Hurricane Ian making its way toward Florida.

"We look forward to sharing the details of SeaWorld Orlando's new attraction when we can," said the park in a statement.

Stay with Planet Attractions for any updates on Hurricane Ian as the storm approaches Florida