NEWS: Visitors Can’t Check Into Disney World Hotels Until Friday Afternoon

By Sara McOmber Leave a Comment

Tropical Storm Ian hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane yesterday, September 28th. As it moves through Florida, it has weakened to a tropical storm but is still causing a lot of destruction with tornado and flood warnings active in many Central Florida counties.

Tropical Storm Ian

In response to the storm, Disney World closed its theme parks and some hotels. In addition, guests cannot check into any Disney World hotels until Friday afternoon (September 30th). If you’re planning to visit the parks in the coming days, here’s what you need to know.

According to Disney World’s website, no guest check-ins will be accepted on Thursday, September 29th, or the morning of Friday, September 30th. Guests who wish to check into their hotel on Friday must arrive no earlier than 3PM EST. If you’re at the hotel earlier than that, you will not be allowed to check in until 3PM.

Art of Animation Lobby

Visitors who are currently staying at Disney World hotels are receiving updates from Cast Members about the current storm. Indoor activities, like character meet-and-greets, dance parties, and movie marathons, are being planned at those hotels to entertain guests.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Lobby

Dining is very limited at some hotels, with few Mobile Order windows available. Some restaurants are only accepting walk-ups instead of reservations. The limited dining availability may be part of the reason that hotels are not accepting guest check-ins until Friday afternoon.

Capt. Cook’s

Some Disney World hotels will remain closed through the entire day on Friday, September 30th. These hotels include Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Disney has said that they are currently contacting guests who have reservations for these hotels coming up soon.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Disney’s announcement that the parks would close only applied to Wednesday and Thursday. However, we’ve noticed that there are no park pass reservations available for Friday, September 30th, either. This may indicate that the parks could be closed on that day as well, though Disney has not confirmed this. It’s possible that they are just not accepting any more guests into the parks than those who already have reservations.

BIG UPDATE: Disney World will officially begin a phased reopening on Friday, September 30th.