Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld are set to reopen on Friday following the impacts of Hurricane Milton. After assessing the damage caused by the storm, officials announced that some Halloween events may not be available and the parks may not be fully operational right away, but visitors are invited back.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a significant storm on Wednesday, prompting the three Orlando parks to close their doors, which affected many tourists who had to take shelter in nearby hotels. The parks remained closed throughout Wednesday and all of Thursday.
Orlando International Airport, the busiest in Florida, announced it would resume domestic arrivals on Thursday and departures on Friday after halting operations on Wednesday.
Simon Forster, who was vacationing with his family from Scotland, found their return home delayed due to the airport’s closure. They took advantage of the situation by spending extra time at their hotel along International Drive. Forster described the storm as intense, recalling how the palm trees swayed outside their window. Despite the upheaval, he noted that they found fun and camaraderie at the hotel bar during the storm.
In Tampa, attractions like ZooTampa and The Florida Aquarium confirmed their animals were safe and aimed to reopen by Saturday. The zoo plans to keep its 1,000 animals in protected areas while assessing and clearing debris caused by high winds. The aquarium reported that their animals are doing well, and its facilities survived the storm.
With the theme parks closed, some tourists turned to miniature golf for a change of scenery. Craig Greig, visiting from Glasgow, shared that he would have preferred to visit the Magic Kingdom, but instead found himself playing golf to get some fresh air for himself and his young daughter, who slept through the hurricane.
Orlando remains a major tourist destination in the U.S., attracting 74 million visitors last year. The closure of the parks during the storm highlighted the unusual nature of hurricanes in the area, with notable storms like Charley, Frances, Jeanne, and Ian having impacted the region in recent years.