(This story has been updated with new information.)
There's a hurricane coming , and that undoubtedly means these questions come up: Where is it headed and will Disney World in Florida close?
Tropical Storm Helene was expected to become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast on Thursday, Sept. 26. Here's a look at the Orlando theme park's policies on inclement weather.
When Tropical Storm Helene hits, will Disney World in Orlando close?
As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, Disney had posted a hurricane update on its Disney World weather updates and information page : “Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions. We are closely monitoring the path of the storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and cast members.”
The theme park, which includes Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, created an Disney World FAQ page regarding hurricanes . Regarding cancellations and rescheduling Disney vacations, the theme park giant states this: "If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area — or for your place of residence — within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Co. Disney Resort hotel packages and most room only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. Most room-only and vacation packages can be modified, or cancelled online, including changes to travel dates."
Cancellations and rescheduling due to hurricanes applies to Disney tickets purchased via a third party site: "If you have products and services provided by third-party suppliers included in your vacation — such as air transportation, hotels, car rental agencies or travel insurance companies — you will continue to be responsible for any non-refundable payments, as well as cancellation or change fees assessed by those suppliers. The policy does not apply to certain special events or dining experiences."
The policy also applies to Disney's Vero Beach Resort or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in the event a hurricane warning is issued for those destinations, the site states.
To modify, cancel or get help rescheduling a Disney vacation due to a hurricane warning, guests can call 407-939-7675.
Where is Helene? Will Tropical Storm Helene impact Florida?
Yes. Expect life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along the coast of the Panhandle and Florida West Gulf Coast. Heavy rain, flash flooding, and the potential for tropical tornadoes are also expected.
Don't focus on the center of the storm. It's extremely large, which means impacts will be felt hundreds of miles away, especially on the north and east sides.
➤ For more details on impacts and timing on Florida impacts
Weather radar: Will we get showers, thunderstorms, rain in Florida today?
Shown is the National Weather Service radar for the Southeast United States, which shows conditions in real-time. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache.
Spaghetti models: Latest forecasts ahead of a Florida landfall
Special note about spaghetti models : Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
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Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang . Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper .
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ahead of Hurricane Helene landfall in Florida, Disney World in Orlando is still open
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