NEWS: Orange County Mayor Comments on Potential Closures for Orlando Theme Parks

Hurricane Idalia is nearing Florida, and residents are preparing now in advance of the storm’s landfall.

Storm in Hollywood Studios

The storm is expected to hit eastern Florida on Wednesday morning (August 30th), and it will pass through the state later that day. The Orange County mayor, Mayor Demings, held a press conference today (August 29th) to give an update on the county’s preparations and expectations for Hurricane Idalia.

Orange and Osceola counties (the counties where Disney World is located) have both been added to Gov. DeSantis’s order declaring a state of emergency as Hurricane Idalia approaches Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

During the recent press conference, Mayor Demings stated that the theme parks in the area (such as Disney World and Universal Orlando) are likely going to remain open “for the majority of the time.”

Ponchos Everywhere

He said that they’ll have to make the call based on circumstances, which can change rapidly during a storm like this, but the parks are expecting to remain open as of now.

Mayor Demings said he suspects there may be periods of time when the theme parks close, but the county is expecting to hear more from the theme parks about their plans later today.

Magic Kingdom Entrance

Note that there are four shelters open in Orange County — all of them are pet friendly, and two can accommodate special needs. Mayor Demings urged residents to stay inside: “Better safe than sorry.”

Orange County is expected to get “sustained winds of 40 miles per hour with gusts of 55 miles per hour.” The county could get about five inches of rain, but the wind is expected to be the most problematic element of the storm, at least in the Orlando area.