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Walt Disney World Resort is no stranger to inclement weather, especially as climate change pushes tropical storm and hurricane damage further inland toward Central Florida. However, even the most prepared travelers couldn’t predict the recent flooding at Magic Kingdom Park, which displaced thousands of Disney Park guests.
Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney Springs have closed less than ten times for hurricanes. The Central Florida Disney parks were built to withstand storms, and Disney cast members work tirelessly to keep guests safe during inclement weather. Some Floridians opt to stay at Disney Resort hotels during hurricanes, finding them safer places to weather out storms than their own homes.
Credit: Bill Dodd, Flickr
Rain is practically guaranteed during any Walt Disney World Resort vacation, especially during late summer and early fall. Most showers last a few minutes and provide a welcome break from the stifling Florida sun and humidity. Sometimes, the heat dries everything and everyone within moments after a storm!
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Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. Last weekend, Magic Kingdom Park guests made the most out of rampant flooding throughout the Disney park, especially in Tomorrowland. Videos posted on social media showed some guests running for cover while others played in the rain.
Credit: Becky Burkett, Inside the Magic
In one clip from TikTok user @see.wdw, flood waters were ankle-high for some Disney Park guests. As adults ran for shelter, one little boy lay flat on his stomach and swam through the rainwater. Other families fled to their Disney Resort hotels.
@see.wdw Swimming through Tomorrowland! #waltdisneyworld #tomorrowland #seewdw
Another video from @jadela_ showed the flooding continued toward Cinderella Castle and Main Street, U.S.A. It’s unclear if conditions in Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Adventureland, and Frontierland were as dire.
@jadela_ The Happiest Place on Earth… flooded. Also, props to the guy at the end trying to slide around 😅 #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #florida #orlando #tomorrowland #flooding #rain #disney #magickingdom #fypage
Other Disney Park guests shared their experiences with storms in the comments.
“It’s not a visit to Florida without being inducted by a flooding rainstorm at Disney,” said @bnicole421.
“I wish I had thought to take a video when EPCOT flooded up to my knees and had to be evacuated,” @notevenyourmother recalled. “That was certainly a time.”
Credit: Brett Kiger, Flickr
Most Disney Parks fans said they didn’t mind a little rain.
“Rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at work,” @sedonablazer wrote.
“There’s something about seeing the kids playing [in] the water that lets you know it doesn’t matter the weather, they are having the time of their lives,” @michaelaanorth agreed.
Credit: @waltdisneyworldparks on TikTok
Still, others said the flooding was inexcusable for a world-class destination like Walt Disney World Resort.
“Do they not have a drainage system?” @jgwentworth055 asked.
Credit: Inside the Magic
“They make billions every year so they can definitely improve [their] drainage system if they wanted pretty easily,” @officialdarrenwright echoed. “That’s crazy levels of water.”
Flooding at the Disney parks typically clears up within a few hours.
Has inclement weather impacted your trip to Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort? In the comments, share your story with us.
