CNN
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Hurricane Milton is causing the closure of some of Florida's largest and most popular tourist attractions, including the four major theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort. Although it is located southwest of Orlando in inland Florida, Milton's expected path in central Florida is forcing the resort to conduct a rare weather-related closure.
Walt Disney World will close its theme parks in stages starting at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the company said on its website.
Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will close at 1 p.m. ET, while Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and the Disney Springs shopping and entertainment complex will close at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
“It is likely that the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday,” the company’s website states. “We will consider opening Disney Springs late Thursday afternoon, with limited offerings.”
In terms of lodging, Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa closed at 11 a.m. Wednesday and are expected to remain closed through Sunday.
Disney World isn't the only tourist favorite expected to be affected by Milton's project. As of 1:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, this was the status of some of the state's other major attractions:
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was closed Tuesday and is expected to remain closed until Thursday. Howl-O-Scream is canceled for Thursday.
Universal Studios-Orlando
Universal Studios FloridaIslands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk were scheduled to remain open until 2 p.m. Wednesday. All these places will be closed on Thursday.
Universal Volcano Bay will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios will be canceled Wednesday and Thursday. Universal hotels are expected to remain operational.
Sea World Orlando
Sea World Orlando will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
LEGOLAND (Winter Haven)
LEGOLAND Florida will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. Hotel operations expected to continue with limited capacity.
Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral)
THE Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complexlocated on the Atlantic coast, is closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Florida State Parks
Nearly 150 Florida state parks closed ahead of the hurricane. Click here for the full, updated list.
Everglades National Park
In far south Florida, Everglades National Park remains open, but services are limited. Visitor centers are closed. Emergency responses will be extremely limited, the park warns.
Visit the attraction websites above for details on refunds for previously purchased tickets as well as the latest closure and reopening information.
You should check out any tourist destinations located in or near Milton's planned path in advance before setting out.
