Disney World is shutting down as Florida braces for Hurricane Milton

• Walt Disney World will close early on Wednesday as Florida braces for Hurricane Milton.
• The amusement park rarely shuts down, as hurricanes don't typically hit Orlando.

Walt Disney World will shut down on Wednesday as Florida braces for Hurricane Milton.

Starting at 1 p.m., the park's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will close, followed by closures of EPCOT, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney Springs at 2 p.m.

The parks will likely remain closed on Thursday, though Disney Springs may reopen on Thursday afternoon, the company said.

The Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the TreeHouse Villas will also close and likely not reopen until Sunday. Most transportation will also shut down, though some taxi services will be available.

All prepaid bookings and experiences will automatically be refunded, and the company will not enforce cancellation policies.

"Please know these adjustments have been made to leave plenty of time for our Guests and Cast Members to return to their Resort hotels or homes safely hours before higher winds are expected to reach Central Florida," the company said in a statement to Business Insider.

A closure at Disney World is rare: Most hurricanes don't reach as far inland as Milton is expected to. In its five decades in operation, the park has only closed nine times due to hurricanes, according to WDW Magazine. The most recent was due to Hurricane Nicole in 2022. The park also closed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was evacuated on September 11, 2001.

On Monday, Hurricane Milton was recategorized as a Category 5 storm, the most severe classification, though it has since weakened to a Category 4 storm. It is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday evening and is being called "extremely dangerous" by the National Hurricane Center. AccuWeather experts said that widespread damage from Milton in Florida could cause upward of $200 billion in total damage and economic loss.

Milton follows Hurricane Helene, which battered Florida. The park remained open during that storm, though it experienced poor weather.

Disney is not alone in closing its gates: Universal Orlando's parks, including Universal Studios, will shutter early on Wednesday and remain closed on Thursday. SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando will be closed both Wednesday and Thursday.