Hurricane Milton Strengthens Into Category 4 Storm, Expected to Hit Walt Disney World and Universal Thursday

Brit Tuttle

Updated on:

People in rain ponchos walk and take photos near a large red guitar sculpture at an outdoor attraction with palm trees and overcast skies, reminiscent of the scenes at Walt Disney World during Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Milton Strengthens Into Category 4 Storm, Expected to Hit Walt Disney World and Universal Thursday

A special 9 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center has confirmed that Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a Category 4 storm.

Hurricane Milton Now a Category 4 Storm

Weather map showing Hurricane Milton's projected path in the Gulf of Mexico as it strengthens into a Category 4 storm, featuring a probable track cone, storm categories, and forecast details.

Based on the most recent cone map, which was released for the 8 a.m. advisory on Monday, October 7, the storm is forecasted to hit Central Florida, including the Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort areas, in the early hours of the morning on Thursday.

Per the update, maximum sustained winds are estimated to be 150 miles per hour, with the minimum pressure falling to 940 mb (27.76 inches).

At this time, neither Disney nor Universal have made any announcements regarding closures for Hurricane Milton. Both of the resorts’ web pages for weather updates have not been updated since Sunday, October 6. For the time being, both resorts are operating under normal conditions, but closures of some sort seem all but imminent.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a State of Emergency on Saturday, October 5, when Milton was still a tropical storm. Milton strengthened into a hurricane on Sunday, October 6.

Walt Disney World paused hotel reservations on the following day for Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday, October 10. Shortly afterward, park reservations at Walt Disney World were blocked out for Wednesday, October 9 for Annual Passholders and guests with day tickets. Walt Disney World has also waived hotel cancellation and change fees for guests having to reconfigure their vacation plans due to the approaching storm.

Walt Disney World released its first official statement on Hurricane Milton on October 6, confirming that the resort is still operating as normal.

Stay tuned for more updates as Hurricane Milton approaches.

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