Hurricane Ian: Disney World among closed parks

With Category 4 Hurricane Ian heading into Florida on Wednesday morning, residents across the state are anxiously watching and bracing for impact. This includes operators of the state’s popular theme parks.

Here’s an update on the situation as of 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday with various major theme parks, as well as other sites of interest to tourists:

BUSCH GARDENS (TAMPA)

The vulnerable Tampa Bay region was on high alert.

As a result, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced it would be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

« Due to the forecast path of Hurricane Ian, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has enacted its Named Storm Policy…Precautions are in place following the park’s comprehensive weather preparedness plan to ensure the safety of our animals. and our ambassadors during this time, » the park said on its website.

“All admission tickets have been extended through December 31,” the park said. Additionally, “Annual Pass member guest tickets with an expiration date of September 30 will be extended through October 16.”

DISCOVERY COVE (ORLANDO)

The all-inclusive day resort with animal encounters and tropical waterscapes also closes Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The parks said they « will reschedule or refund reservations booked online or from the call center. We will not apply any cancellation or change fees for this service. » You can call 407-513-4600 to find out more.

DISNEY WORLD (ORLANDO)

Walt Disney World’s four major theme parks, Typhoon Lagoon water park and miniature golf courses will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, according to Disney’s website.

Disney Springs, a shopping, dining and entertainment area, will also be closed on Wednesday.

« We expect Disney Springs to be closed on Thursday, September 29 and will provide updates as we continue to monitor the storm, » the Disney website said.

“We are monitoring weather conditions so that we can make timely decisions for the safety of our cast and guests, including when it is safe for Cast to return to site to prepare for reopening,” Disney said in a statement. communicated to CNN on Tuesday.

Disney said people staying at its resort hotels must check in by 3 p.m. Wednesday and no check-ins will be accepted Thursday. Guests must arrive no earlier than 3:00 p.m. Friday for check-in.

« Customers may reschedule their trip or cancel their stay with us; all customary cancellation fees will be waived, » Disney said.

UNIVERSAL RESORT (ORLANDO)

Universal Orlando Resort, including CityWalk, will close Wednesday and Thursday, the park said in an email to CNN Travel Tuesday afternoon.

The park said it plans to reopen on Friday if conditions allow.

“Our hotels are currently at capacity and will remain operational as they focus on supporting our customers,” Universal said.

Additionally, the Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Florida will be canceled on Wednesday and Thursday. They also plan to reopen this Friday, conditions permitting. Click here for more information and Universal’s FAQ.

LEGOLAND (WINTER PARIS)

LEGOLAND Florida Resort will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, according to an email sent to CNN Travel on Tuesday.

This closure includes LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park, LEGOLAND Water Park and Peppa Pig Theme Park.

« During this time, resort hotels will remain open to guests with existing reservations. The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority as we monitor the impact of the storm in our area, » the resort said. .

Park tickets from Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Oct. 2 will automatically be extended through Dec. 31, 2022, LEGOLAND said.

People can rebook vacation stays without penalty once the park’s call center reopens. If you have questions about the resort’s hurricane policy, click here.

SEA WORLD (ORLANDO)

SeaWorld Orlando will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

“We are taking all necessary precautions – including implementing our comprehensive weather preparedness plan – to ensure the safety of guests, employees and animals,” SeaWorld spokesman Carl Hensley said Tuesday. to CNN in a statement.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITOR COMPLEX

The NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Merritt Island will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. The reopening will take place after the facility has undergone a thorough property assessment, according to the center’s website.

ICON PARK (ORLANDO)

The wheel at Icon Park and the carousel on the boardwalk closed Tuesday, according to the attraction’s website. Park officials will announce the reopening schedule on the website.

CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE (ORLANDO)

The popular children’s attraction will be closed Wednesday and Thursday due to the hurricane. Details of the reopening will be posted on this website.

CRUISE SHIPS

Florida ports have busy cruise schedules. Here is the status of some of the routes of these ships:

Norwegian cruise line: The company has canceled its 10-day sailing on the Norwegian Getaway, which was due to depart Thursday from Port Canaveral.

The company also changed ports during the 8-day sailing of the Norwegian Sky, which left Miami on Sunday, the cruise line told CNN. Instead of her scheduled stops in the Western Caribbean, the ship will now call in the Eastern Caribbean.

“The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our number one priority,” the cruise line said. Shore excursions booked through the cruise line at relevant ports will be refunded to passengers’ onboard accounts.

MSc: The company has changed course on at least one of its ships and is monitoring the possibility of changing others, a spokesperson told CNN. The MSC Seashore, originally due to be in the Western Caribbean, was diverted to ports in the Eastern Caribbean.

The cruise line is also monitoring MSC Divinia, which left Port Canaveral for a four-night sail to Nassau and the Ocean City Marine Reserve on Sunday. MSC says the two cruise ports are off Ian’s planned route, but advised passengers before leaving that conditions could prevent the ship from returning on Thursday. The cruise line says that if there is a delay in their return, the cruise will be extended at no additional cost to customers.

The cruise line does not expect Ian to have any impact on the MSC Seashore, which is due to leave the Port of Miami on Saturday October 1.

Carnival Cruise Line: The company announced changes to its schedule in an email to CNN Travel late Tuesday afternoon. With the ports of Tampa Bay and Jacksonville closed, these two upcoming sailings have been cancelled:

Carnival Paradise: Four-day cruise departing Tampa on Thursday. Carnival Elation: Four-day cruise departing from Jacksonville on Thursday.

Guests will receive a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit, Carnival said.

The following ships have changed their schedules and port calls to circumvent the storm and its effects: Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Elation, Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Glory.

NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS

Everglades National Park in South Florida was closed on Wednesday. « After the storm passes, staff will assess park conditions to determine when it is safe to reopen, » the park’s website said.

All National Park Service employees were evacuated from Dry Tortugas National Park, at the western end of the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico, before Hurricane Ian approached, according to NPS spokeswoman Allyson Gantt. No employee will come out of the storm.

As of Tuesday afternoon, dozens of Florida state parks were closed, including Alafia River State Park (Hillsborough County), Bahia Honda State Park (Monroe County), Delnor-Wiggins Pass State (Collier County), Don Pedro Island State Park (Charlotte County), and Lake Manatee State Park (Manatee County).

Check here for a complete list of closed state parks as well as camping and cabin closures at other state parks that are currently open otherwise.

ZOOS

Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens: Officials have announced that the zoo and botanical gardens will be closed Wednesday through Friday at least. « Our priority is the safety of our animals, staff and customers. We are following our protocols and monitoring the storm closely, » the zoo said in a Twitter post on its official account.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park: The attraction closed its doors from Tuesday to Thursday, it indicated on its website.

Brevard Zoo: Melbourne Zoo will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, with plans to reopen Friday barring damage. « Boo at the zoo is also expected to start this weekend, » the zoo said in a Twitter post on its verified account.