Apocalypse Disney! Massive thunderstorms and a dark funnel cloud have Epcot guests ducking for cover as Orlando residents say they “have never seen anything like this around this area.”
- EPCOT canceled its Thursday night concerns over inclement weather, including lightning strikes and funnel clouds in the area
- Although Florida experiences more thunderstorms than any other area in the country, tornadoes and funnel clouds are still rare
- The clouds are harmless, according to the NWS, but on rare occasions they can touch down briefly and generate wind gusts of over 80 km/h
On Thursday, guests at Disney’s Epcot Park were stunned and worried as they watched funnel clouds roll through the most magical place on Earth as powerful storms swept through central Florida.
The alien storm clouds were captured on video by guests at Epcot, who ducked for cover as inclement weather threatened to ruin their day at the park.
The clouds, which appear to be hovering very close to the ground, began gathering in Orlando around 6:20 p.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service issued a warning of brief funnel clouds in the storm as it passed over the Orlando Metro area.
The clouds are harmless, according to the NWS, but on rare occasions they can touch down briefly and generate wind gusts of over 80 km/h.
To get the designation of a tornado, the clouds would have had to touch the ground, which they didn’t.
But the lightning strikes and severe weather were enough to cancel events like the Harmonius show at Epcot.
Funnel clouds heading towards Disney’s EPCOT in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, September 15
“We visited Epcot to go to one of their concerts. We’ve been residents for over 16 years and we’ve never seen anything like this in this area,” said Disney streamers Adam and Kristen.
The apparent funnel cloud did no harm, but caused quite a rush at the popular amusement park.
Meteorologists advised people to head inside and report to the National Weather Service if they see a funnel cloud.
The Harmonius show at EPCOT was canceled as funnel clouds swept the area and lightning struck a nearby barge
Storm clouds and inclement weather rolled through the Orlando metro area on Thursday
Florida experiences more thunderstorms than any other area in the country, especially during the summer months. Funnel clouds and tornadoes are much less common in Florida.
Disney’s Magic Kingdom also received significant rain Thursday and experienced some minor flooding.