Disney officials announced that Walt Disney World Orlando Resort will close in its entirety on Thursday, the fourth time in its 45-year history preparations have taken place.

At 5 p.m., the theme park, along with Disney Springs, golf courses, water parks, and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, will close.

These locations remain closed through Friday, October 7, due to the latest forecasts for Hurricane Matthew.

The previous three prepared closings were all in response to hurricanes: Sept. 15, 1999, for Floyd; Sept. 4-5, 2004, for Frances; and Sept. 26 of 2004 for Jeanne.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Walt Disney World quickly evacuated its park and closed off access to guests for the remainder of the day.

Disney World posted several questions on their web page to assist in addressing guests and reducing the currently heavy phone call volume that is expected to last through the weekend:

Q.

My Walt Disney World vacation is taking place at the same time that Hurricane Matthew is expected to impact Central Florida. How may this affect my vacation plans?

A.

Based on the most recent forecasts for Hurricane Matthew, Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs, miniature golf courses and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will all be closed today by 5 p.m. and will remain closed through Friday, Oct. 7.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been canceled for Thursday, October 6, 2016, and Friday, October 7, 2016, due to inclement weather associated with Hurricane Matthew. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause! For re-booking, refunds and other options, please call (407) 566-4985, option 5, between 9 AM and 11 PM (EST). Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call.

We are currently taking precautions for the safety of our Guests and will continue providing updates as the situation evolves. While we make the appropriate preparations, please be aware of the following—in the instance that Hurricane Matthew directly affects your plans:

  • Dining and Disney Resort hotel cancellation fees posed by Disney will be waived for all Guests.
  • If you have any questions about your Disney Resort hotel reservation, please call (407) 934-7639.
Q.

If I reschedule my vacation to a different date because of a hurricane warning, will I be able to get my same accommodations?

A.

If you are scheduled to arrive within 7 days of a hurricane warning, you may call us in advance to reschedule without a Disney imposed change fee. We cannot guarantee availability of similar accommodations for the new travel dates. All amounts you paid to Disney for rooms, theme park tickets, dining plans and other Disney products and services will be applied toward your new reservation.

Any discounts or special offers applicable to your original confirmed vacation will not apply to the rescheduled vacation travel dates. You are responsible for applicable package pricing for the new vacation dates.

The policy does not apply to certain special events and dining experiences.