UPDATE 10/11/24: Most of the Orlando Area Parks including Disney, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, LEGOLAND and Fun Spot are set to reopen on Friday, October 11, 2024 (Fun Spot actually reopened at 3pm on Thursday). These parks sustained minimal to no damage. Busch Gardens in Tampa remains closed through Saturday, October 12, 2024 with the park asking guests to check its website for further updates. There is no word yet on any damage to the park itself, however there was extensive damage to the surrounding Tampa region.

Hurricane Milton is barreling toward Florida’s west coast and appears to have the potential to be a once in a century storm. The path looks to take it across the heart of Florida near most of the state’s theme parks. In response most of the parks have closed for all or parts of today and tomorrow. This only makes sense for guest safety (even for more inland parks with large indoor areas like Magic Kingdom) and to allow the park’s many employees to prepare their homes and potentially evacuate. Here is the latest closing information:

• Busch Gardens: Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• SeaWorld Orlando: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
• Fun Spot: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
• Universal: Closed Wednesday @2pm and Thursday
• LEGOLAND: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
• Disney: Closed Wednesday @1/2pm and likely Thursday

While most parks put out very short and concise messages like Busch Gardens and SeaWorld did below, Disney had the nuanced response with a Disney website dedicated to the storm. Parks and Disney Springs were closing at different times with wiggle room to potentially reopen Thursday along with earlier and longer closing of camping and special events. History will show you Disney doesn’t like to close with only a few handful of closed dates over the last 25 years (other than Covid) with one for 9/11 and the rest for hurricanes.

It appears Busch Gardens is the most at risk with the heart of Milton heading near Tampa Bay. The park is quite a ways inland, however winds and massive amounts of rain are still a huge concern for people, animals and property. In an ironic case of naming based on the new Phoenix Rising roller coaster, a simulation called Project Phoenix modeled a hurricane similar to Milton hitting Tampa and the massive damage it would cause. No one wants to cheer a hurricane going slightly south or north as one area’s gain is another area’s loss, but Tampa is uniquely at risk because of its population and structure.

We will keep all those in Florida in our thoughts and hope for the best, especially the employees that make the parks we love go. Material things like theme park rides can be replaced or rebuilt, but people’s lives cannot.