Disney World Closures Due to Hurricanes Are Becoming More Frequent

Walt Disney World rarely closes. But shutdowns caused by extreme weather have become more frequent in the past 10 years.

The Florida theme park has either closed partly or completely at least 12 times since 2016 due to hurricanes, according to a Skift analysis of Disney's financial statements, details of closures in news reports, and data from the firm International Theme Park Services.

Between its opening in 1971 and 2000, the park closed only three times because of hurricanes, according to the records.

Between 2000 and 2016, it closed four times – once because of Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Jeanne and twice because of Hurricane Frances.

Aside from hurricanes, the only other times the park has closed was due the coronavirus pandemic and the September 11 attacks.

In 2024, Hurricane Milton forced the park to close for around two days, which resulted in a loss of $120 million dollars, Disney said in a report last month.

In an impact report from 2023, the company estimated that future storm-related closures could result in losses of between $0 to $100 million in operating income. This figure is based on losses suffered during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Disney said that Irma caused losses of over $100 million dollars. 

In 2022, the landfall of Hurricane Ian resulted in Walt Disney World Resort closing for two days, which Disney estimated had an impact of approximately $65 million in operating income.

Ripple Effects From Park Closures

Dennis Speigel, chief executive of International Theme Park Services, has tracked Disney’s theme park operations for over 25 years.

“Hurricanes have forced Disney and other theme parks to close in the last 10 years or so more than ever before. That seems to be normal now,” he said.

“I used to run parks and have been tracking them in my history. Weather has changed so much and has such a huge impact that parks are having to factor it into their annualized budgeting.”

Speigel says closures mean an impact on overall ticket sales, as well as other operations such as hotel bookings, retail sales, restaurants and dining. 

Using figures from these sources, Speigel estimates that the park loses around $45 million each day it closes, not including any losses from damage to park infrastructure.

“Imagine wooden roller coasters and hurricanes ripping off wood. The damage and the cost of inspecting the park after a storm are huge,” Speigel said.

He also pointed out the ripple effects. “People can’t get there because of the bad weather. Flights get canceled, travel plans get disrupted, and hotels fill up as people stay longer because they can’t leave.”

Hurricane Threat Projected to Get Worse

The threat of hurricanes in the region is expected to get worse. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), future storms will likely be more intense, with stronger winds, heavier rainfall, and more severe storm surges.

Disney did not respond to Skift's request for a comment or for more information about the closures, but referenced the IPCC’s findings in its own climate impact report.

“A large portion of property held by Disney theme parks, resorts, and signature experiences is located within active hurricane/cyclone basins. According to the IPCC, it is virtually certain that the frequency and intensity of such storms have increased since 1970,” the report stated.

“Protecting and insuring against these events may reduce the profitability of Disney’s theme parks, resorts, and other experiences.”

Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team.