Disney World Parks May Close Due to “Severe” Risk, Guests Beware

Guests should take note of these warnings while visiting the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in Orlando, Central Florida.

On May 21, a momentous occasion occurred at the Walt Disney World Resort as all six theme parks opened to guests. This was the first time Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park were all open simultaneously since the pandemic closures half a decade ago.

The opening of all the parks happened just the day before Universal Orlando Resort welcomed its own fourth park, and third theme park gate, Universal Epic Universe. Now, as summer rolls on, Disney World is giving guests its entire portfolio. That said, the Disney World parks, especially the water parks, are always at risk of closures due to Central Florida’s tropical climate.

And looking at the forecast ahead, there’s a chance that some Disney World parks may be forced to close due to a “severe” storm risk.

“A Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) for severe weather remains in place through Friday as storms will have the potential to turn strong to severe,” Click Orlando reports. The storms could pack gusty winds up to 60 mph, along with dangerous lightning, small hail and heavy downpours.

Weather is a significant cause for closures, especially of the water parks, at the Walt Disney World Resort. At the end of last year and into the beginning of 2025, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park shut down multiple times, and sometimes for consecutive days, due to cold fronts sweeping through down the East Coast of the United States and through Central Florida.

“Storm chances increase even more heading into the weekend. Each afternoon, expect scattered to widespread storms, especially where sea breezes collide,” Click Orlando continues. “Friday may see a few strong to borderline severe storms, similar to Thursday. The pattern stays unsettled through Sunday, so keep the rain gear handy and have a backup plan if you’re headed outdoors.”

The severe risk is said to roll over into next week, too, with stormy afternoons on the radar.

At present, there are no closures listed on the Disney World calendar for the Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, but guests should continue to pay close attention to the schedule while at the Orlando resort.

How do you feel about weather-related closures at Walt Disney World Resort? Let us know in the comments down below!