Orlando-area theme parks gradually began to reopen on Friday following the hurricane Ian over central Florida on Wednesday and Thursday.
Posted at 3:00 p.m.
The impressive storm dumped no less than 325 mm of rain on Orlando International Airport on September 28 and 29 – more than double what the region normally receives for the whole month of September. According to data from the US National Weather Service, 255 mm of rain fell in just under 12 hours, from the evening of the 28th to the morning of the 29th.
Universal Studios hit
Of all the theme parks, Universal Studios appears to have suffered the most damage. The building housing the Jurassic Park River Adventure attraction has seen part of its coating torn off by the storm, according to what can be seen in the photos taken by the daily Orlando Sentinel. Also, reporters from the Spectrum News 13 station posted videos on Twitter showing heavy accumulations of water near the entrances to the theme park located southwest of Orlando. However, the recreational tourism complex was able to reopen part of its facilities for hotel guests on Friday, including the section featuring the Harry Potter universe.
Walt Disney World, for its part, did not appear to suffer any damage, so all of its parks were able to start welcoming their visitors again as of Friday morning, with guests of its hotels enjoying extended access in the morning.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park was due to reopen this Saturday; only the Summerland Miniature Golf and Fairways Miniature Golf courses are still closed until further notice. The Disney Springs shopping complex also reopened on Friday, with the only difference that the presentation of the show Drawn to Life, by Cirque du Soleil, originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m., has been postponed to 8 p.m. The vast majority of Disney World accommodations remain open, with the exception of Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which are closed through Monday, and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, which will not reopen until Monday. has not been announced till now.
Somewhere else
Elsewhere in Orlando, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Center and Legoland Park have all planned to resume normal operations on Saturday or Sunday. All the theme parks have also promised to refund customers who have seen their plans upset by the passage of the storm or to find them new dates.
However, vacationers who planned to stay in a residence rented on the Airbnb or VRBO platforms must negotiate over-the-counter with the owners to obtain a refund – Airbnb’s cancellation policy expressly excludes stays in Florida during hurricane season. while VRBO only reimburses the service charge, which is 8% of the bill.