Hurricane Matthew’s Impact on Disney World: What You Need to Know

Last Updated on: May 26th, 2023

Update 10/8/16: Disney has announced that all Disney Parks which were closed today due to Hurricane Matthew will reopen tomorrow morning. They also confirmed that the hurricane did not damage any Walt Disney World Resort property.

Original Post 10/7/16: With Hurricane Matthew heading straight towards the eastern coast of Florida, the greater Orlando area is sure to be impacted pretty significantly over the next 24-48 hours. With the potential for significant flooding and winds upwards of 140 mph, Disney has done something they’ve only done 4 times in 45 years- They’ve closed Disney World!

Disney has closed all Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney Springs, miniature golf courses, Water Parks and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at 5pm Thursday and will be closed Friday. Obviously, this means Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party scheduled for Thursday and Friday nights are canceled as well.

Additionally, Disney has closed and evacuated Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. You can also pretty much assume that outdoor activities and shows at the various Disney World hotels are canceled tonight and tomorrow as well, but your best bet is to check with your hotel if you were planning on attending an outdoor event.

Many hotel restaurants remain open, but again, best to check first before heading to one.

If you are a Disney Resort guest right now, you will want to monitor Disney’s special Hurricane Matthew webpage that gives closures and instructions.

In case you were wondering the other times Disney World closed were:

  • Hurricane Jeanne (September 26, 2004)
  • Hurricane Floyd (September 15, 1999)
  • Hurricane Frances (September 4-5, 1999)

This is obviously a fluid situation and I will be posting updates to this post as any further announcements are made regarding disney world resorts and parks.

Stay safe everyone!

About the Author

Craig Smith
I am founder and editor of DisneyNews.us. My passion for all things Disney goes pretty far back to my first trip to Walt Disney World in the mid-80's. I have since returned to the magical place more than 20 times. I started this site when I came to the realization that I spent a significant portion of my day reading articles about Disney and watching Disney content with my 8-year old, so it made sense that I would start sharing some of what I read and see and building a little community around it. Other interests include 80's nostalgia, vintage toys, video games, LEGO, Star Wars and tech gadgets. Other sites include DMR and VideoGamesStats.com.

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