As Hurricane Milton bears down on Central Florida , many theme park observers and influencers are criticizing Disney’s decision to remain open until after lunch today as reckless, irresponsible, and inconvenient. At first glance, one may be inclined to agree; after all, one may think, why does a theme park need to be open this close to an incoming storm of historic proportions? The answer: Disney World isn’t just a theme park.
Unlike other area parks (barring Universal Studios, which also chose to remain open for part of the day today) like SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa, Walt Disney World is a sprawling resort complex with over 25 on-site hotels, each filled with thousands of people who simply can’t leave due to traffic on the roads and the lack of rental cars, flight cancelations, or airport closures. Therefore, Disney needs some way to accommodate not only their need for entertainment but also their basic biological necessities, namely the need to eat.
Although Disney hotels do have dining locations, sometimes multiple at moderate and deluxe resorts, the facilities aren’t large enough to feed every guest staying at the hotel without significant prep time and major changes in operations (read: this means guests likely wouldn’t receive a hot meal, rather a cold sandwich or something that can be assembled quickly, taken away, and eaten in their room). Therefore, in the interest of smooth operations and guest comfort, it is necessary to keep the parks and Disney Springs open as long as possible to do so safely in order to quite literally keep everyone on property fed; the entertainment of experiencing attractions and shows is simply an ancillary benefit.
The Cast Member ride-out crews are in place, and those Cast Members that are working during the storm, as well as their families, are being accommodated by Disney in a safe manner. No one is being put into danger by the parks remaining open a few extra hours.
