ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Orlando's bustling tourism scene came to a sudden stop on Wednesday as the main airport and major theme parks prepared for closures ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival. Residents and visitors alike, many of whom had traveled to enjoy attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld, were forced to take shelter in area hotels as the powerful storm approached.
Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall late Wednesday as a major storm, has disrupted the vacations of thousands who had planned to enjoy Orlando’s attractions and events like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Disney and Universal were set to close by Wednesday afternoon, with SeaWorld remaining closed all day. The parks are expected to stay shut through Thursday.
Orlando International Airport, the seventh busiest in the U.S., halted operations on Wednesday morning.
For some tourists, the closures dampened expectations, while others faced the impending storm with nervous anticipation. Linda and Bob Shaffer from Pennsylvania stocked up on essentials at their rental condo, preparing to hunker down. "We're just killing time until we have to stare at each other for the next 24 hours," said Linda.
Meanwhile, Serena Hedrick and her 16-year-old son, Corey, weren’t too discouraged by the soggy weather as they headed into Universal Studios. "It is what it is," said Serena, with Corey finding comfort in the hotel’s promise of nonstop entertainment and food.
The Osborne family from Memphis arrived two days early to get a brief taste of the theme parks before Hurricane Milton's arrival. "It’s not dangerous right now, and I want to enjoy what we can before we’re stuck in our hotel rooms for the next few days," said Alexander Osborne.
Fifteen-year-old Nicholas Gutowski, staying at a Disney hotel with his sister, found reassurance in Disney’s infrastructure. "It’s definitely scary, but Disney has backup power," he said.
Theme park employees were also preparing for the worst. At Universal Orlando, workers in a parking garage hugged and wished each other good luck as Milton approached.
Orlando, the nation’s most visited destination thanks to its world-famous theme parks, attracted 74 million visitors last year. October is one of the busiest months for the parks due to Halloween festivities, making the closures particularly impactful.
While Disney rarely closes its doors, its hotels often serve as safe havens for coastal residents fleeing storms. A check of Disney World’s reservation system on Tuesday showed no vacancies as Milton approached.
Hurricanes are not unfamiliar to the Orlando area. In 2004, Charley, Frances, and Jeanne all impacted the region, and more recently, Hurricane Ian caused flooding as it passed through in 2022 as a downgraded tropical storm.
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