Walt Disney World to close parks for two days as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida

As Hurricane Ian nears the west coast of Florida, the Walt Disney Company is preparing to close all four of its Orlando-based theme parks for at least two days.

The company announced Tuesday that Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom would shutter on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm is headed toward Tampa and will likely pass over central Florida, where the Disney parks are located.

Already, Disney has moved guests lodging at its exterior resort locations, like the campground at Fort Wilderness and treehouse villas at Saratoga Springs, to interior rooms at its other hotels. Additionally, the company has canceled Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages set to depart Tuesday and Thursday due to potential impacts on guest experiences.

The company has also said it will not enforce cancelation policies for in-park experiences like Savi’s Workshop in Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios or the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will also close Wednesday and Thursday and its Blizzard Beach location is already closed.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.