Disney World joins theme park closures ahead of Hurricane Milton

Walt Disney is joining other theme parks including SeaWorld and Universal that are battening down the hatches and readying to close before Hurricane Milton hits Florida.

Walt Disney parks in Orlando are slated to start shutting down in phases beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, with its resorts likely to remain shuttered on Thursday, according to the company. A water park, miniature golf facilities and campgrounds will also be closed.

The Magic Kingdom's announcement came after United Parks and Resorts said it would close its Florida theme parks, including SeaWorld Orlando, on Wednesday and Thursday. Busch Gardens Tampa was closed as of Tuesday and will remain so through Thursday, United Parks said.

The Orlando area is the most visited destination in the United States due to Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and other theme parks, attracting 74 million tourists last year alone. October is also among the busier times for theme parks because of Halloween-related celebrations, which have become major money generators over the past couple decades

Among those tourists are Nicole and Zeb Downs, who arrived on Monday after a 21-hour drive from Arkansas, expecting a 12-day Florida vacation with their three young sons. By Tuesday afternoon, they were contemplating packing up their car and heading back.

"We are disappointed but it's kind of out of our hands at this point," said Zeb Downs as he strolled with his family along a still-bustling Disney Springs shopping and restaurant district at the park resort.

United Parks said it would rely on safety protocols to keep its animals safe during Hurricane Milton.

"A dedicated team of animal care experts, including veterinarians, will remain onsite 24/7 to monitor the animals, safely housed in buildings designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes," a United Parks spokesperson stated in an email. "Once weather conditions improve, our recovery team will ensure the habitats are safe for the animals to return."

Universal Orlando Resort said it would close Universal Studios Florida and other locations.

Florida cruise ships and travel disruptions

The storm is disrupting many other Florida industries and travel, including cruise ship operations, with the port in Tampa already closed and the Jacksonville port set to close as of Wednesday. The storm's track means some ships will extend their calls in Mexico and other locations, while other voyages will not depart on schedule.

The port in Miami is currently open but will likely close as conditions worsen.

Airports in Tampa halted operations on Tuesday while airports in Clearwater, Fort Meyers, Orlando and Sarasota are scheduled to cease operations on Wednesday.