Last week, Hurricane Milton slammed into the state of Florida, bringing with it damaging winds, storm surges, flooding, and even tornadoes. Milton was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, quickly turning from a Tropical Storm into a Category 5 hurricane. When it hit the Orlando area, it had weakened to a Category 3 storm, with wind speeds of approximately 120 miles per hour.
Despite the deteriorating weather conditions, Disney World continued operations until late afternoon, when parks like Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom closed at 1 p.m., and Magic Kingdom and EPCOT followed at 2 p.m. Attendance at some parks reportedly dropped to approximately 10% the day the parks closed early. The situation raised concerns about the balance between guest experience and cast member safety.
Related: Hurricane Aftermath: Floods, Roof Damage, and More Strike Walt Disney World
A few Disney World cast members shared their stories with Business Insider, revealing their disappointment with how the situation was handled. As heavy rain began early on October 9, the parks remained open despite forecasts indicating severe weather. Many employees felt pressured to stay due to financial constraints and fear of management repercussions.
The cast members stated that management insisted they remain on the premises long after the park closures, which led to heightened anxiety as weather conditions worsened. Cast members described a lack of adequate communication from supervisors, leaving many feeling uninformed about their safety and the storm’s developments.
Cast members expressed their frustration that management appeared to prioritize guest enjoyment over staff safety. Reports highlighted that employees were instructed to aid in storm preparations even after the parks closed, which left many questioning the adequacy of Disney’s safety measures during hazardous conditions. As storm warnings were issued, managers reportedly required staff to remain on site longer than necessary, increasing anxiety among workers about their well-being at work.
A Disney spokesperson released a statement to The New York Post and maintained that safety was the company’s primary focus, stating that employees received updates to facilitate their safe return home.
“Safety is always our first and most important factor when making decisions that will affect our cast members and guests and throughout the storm, we provided frequent and timely updates on our changes to make sure they returned home hours before the worst of the weather reached Central Florida,”
Related: Hurricane Milton Devastates Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: Disney’s New Signage in Jeopardy
Following Hurricane Milton’s impact, cast members were expected to participate in post-storm recovery efforts, which involved cleaning tasks across the park premises. As conditions improved, internal communications indicated that staff were called back to assist with cleanup, leading to discontent among employees who felt uncertain about returning to work so soon after the storm.
Reports surfaced that some employees chose not to participate in cleanup efforts, citing safety concerns and the psychological toll of working under such perilous circumstances. The experiences of cast members during Hurricane Milton raised significant questions about the management strategies used in response to natural disasters and the responsibilities owed to employees during such events.
Do you think Disney mishandled the Hurricane Milton situation? Were cast members treated unfairly? Should the parks have remained closed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Geez I had to work through a major storm near blizzard that dropped 3ft of snow !!!! Come on sensationalize a little more!!!!