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Disney has seemingly addressed storm damage at one of its Florida theme parks.
Credit: Disney
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Earlier this year, Walt Disney World, along with the rest of Florida, endured tropical storm Debby, which swept through the popular theme park resort, ripping one small item to literal shreds. The strong winds from Debby tore a flag from its pole in EPCOT, with Disney now addressing the damage in a new update for the park.
Hurricane Debby caused harsh conditions, high winds, and increased rainfall this August for most of Northern Florida. Debby specifically wreaked havoc on the Walt Disney World Resort, prompting outages and closures of several rides and modes of transport.
Debby also caused Disney to briefly close its Typhoon Lagoon water park, as well as the Walt Disney World Monorail. Universal Studios also limited its operations as Hurricane Debby moved through. Each theme park resort made it out pretty much unscathed, though EPCOT saw some of its decorations damaged, with Disney now replacing them in a new update.
Credit: @bioreconstruct via X (formerly Twitter)
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EPCOT’s pavilion logo flags went missing due to Hurricane Debby’s effects but have since returned. At least one of the original flags was torn apart, and the others were seemingly taken down as a precaution.
A video of the ripped flag was shared on Twitter/X earlier this month by riderover_, which revealed the extent of the storm damage.
Epcot during during the morning of Hurricane Debbie. One of the outer bands is coming through which is creating some higher winds. Spaceship Earths flag is ripped to shreds this morning
Epcot during during the morning of Hurricane Debbie. One of the outer bands is coming through which is creating some higher winds. Spaceship Earths flag is ripped to shreds this morning. 🌎 pic.twitter.com/elgLT30Pdv
— RideRover (@riderover_) August 5, 2024
EPCOT’s flags have since returned. Not only are all the original pavilion flags back, but the PLAY Pavilion flag has also reappeared, a flag that represents what was assumed to be an abandoned location at EPCOT.
Pavilion Flags Return to EPCOT’s Main Entrance (Including PLAY Pavilion)
Pavilion Flags Return to EPCOT’s Main Entrance (Including PLAY Pavilion) https://t.co/hAlGe3UAJU
— BlogMickey.com (@Blog_Mickey) August 23, 2024
EPCOT’s PLAY Pavilion was Disney’s plan for its shuttered Wonders of Life pavilion, an indoor exhibit that featured several rides and attractions. The pavilion closed in 2007 and has sat unused and empty for the last 17 years.
Disney intended to reopen the location as the PLAY Pavilion in 2021, but like other projects announced for EPCOT, these plans seemingly got lost in the shuffle as The Walt Disney Company dealt with COVID-19, inflation, and controversy surrounding its choice of CEO.
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The flags at the front of EPCOT represent the park’s four main areas: World Showcase, World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature. These lands feature unique rides and attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Soarin’ Around the World, and EPCOT’s now-closed Test Track.
Although the thought of being inside Walt Disney World during a hurricane may seem frightening, guests can rest assured that Disney’s Florida theme parks are prepared to handle storms, rainfall, and high winds.
The Walt Disney World Resort is specifically equipped with hurricane-proof hotels, multiple generators, and ample food and water supplies. It’s also reported that Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle is built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.
Have you ever been inside a Disney theme park during a storm? What’s your favorite Disney theme park?
