Getty/NHC
Will Hurricane Dorian hit Disney World? At this time, the storm is heading northwest at 13 mph toward Florida. Dorian is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest update.
As it stands, the latest GFS and Euro computer models disagree on where Dorian will go after he passes north of the Bahamas. The GFS keeps Dorian at sea, moving him up the east coast and keeping him from making landfall in Florida. The Euro, however, suggests a much different path, with Dorian making landfall somewhere near Port Canaveral and traveling westward across the peninsula.
If Dorian follows the Euro track, there will more than likely be some extremely wet weather with increased winds in the Orlando area on Monday, September 2.
Walt Disney World is known for keeping guests apprised of inclement weather and its potential to impact their stays. As of Monday, the company has not issued a statement of any kind in regard to Dorian.
Here’s what you need to know:
Disney World Is Located About 50 Miles from Florida’s East Coast
Walt Disney World is located inland, approximately 50 miles from Florida’s east coast. As it stands today, Dorian appears to make landfall in Florida, somewhere between Port St. Lucie and Port Canaveral. According to the latest Euro model, the storm will travel through Florida, heading toward Tampa.
You can see the latest Euro run below.
Here’s the latest Euro Model on Dorian from 0 to 240 hours via @TropicalTidbits.
That’d be us.
The spaghetti models below show the predicted paths of Dorian. As you can see, most of the tracks take the storm over Florida. There are a couple of outliers, as with any storm, that would see Dorian making a turn south toward Cuba (in pink). These are far less likely scenarios, but still possible.
It’s still possible that Dorian could take a turn and head more northerly, up the coast of Florida. The strength of the storm is still in question and could impact where it goes after leaving the warm Bahamian waters.
If you are heading to Walt Disney World this weekend, plan for a wet Monday and keep your eyes on the forecast. If the weather is going to be severe, there will be information provided for Disney guests.
Will Disney World Close if There’s a Hurricane? Yes.
Although it rarely happens, Walt Disney World will close its parks in the event of a major hurricane. Below is Disney’s hurricane policy directly from the company’s website.
“If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area—or for your place of residence—within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may call in advance to reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Magic Your Way vacation package and most room-only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. If you have products and services provided by third-party suppliers included in your vacation—such as airlines, hotels, car rental agencies or vacation insurance companies—you will continue to be responsible for any non-refundable payments, as well as cancellation or change fees assessed by those suppliers. The policy does not apply to certain special events or dining experiences.”
This coming weekend is a big one for Walt Disney World as the highly-anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is officially opening on Thursday, August 29. Additionally, this weekend will be the first for Epcot’s annual Food & Wine Festival.
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