DeSantis Warns of Possible Catastrophic Flooding in Florida by Ian 5:05
(CNN) — As Hurricane Ian made landfall in western Cuba early Tuesday morning, Floridians, including operators of popular Florida theme parks, kept a watchful eye on the rapidly strengthening cyclone.
Here is a report on the situation of the main theme and water parks and other tourist attractions as of 9am Miami time this Tuesday:
Busch Gardens (Tampa)
Ian’s trajectory remains uncertain, but as of Tuesday morning, the Tampa Bay area appeared to be in the crosshairs.
As a result, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said it will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
“Due to the projected course of Hurricane Ian, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has enacted its designated cyclone policy…Precautions have been taken in accordance with the parks comprehensive weather preparedness plan to ensure the safety of our animals and ambassadors during this time,” the park announced on its website.
“All tickets have been extended through December 31,” the park said. Additionally, “Annual Pass member guest tickets with an expiration date of September 30 will be extended to October 16.”
The iconic Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Credit: John Raoux/AP
Discovery Bay (Orlando)
The all-inclusive resort with animal encounters and tropical water environments is also closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
The parks said they will “reschedule or refund reservations made online or through the call center. We do not charge cancellation or modification fees for this service.” For more information, call +1 407-513-4600.
Disney World (Orlando)
Most Disney World houses are still open.
The resort said on its website that it is “currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make any necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service.”
However, these shelters and shelters are closed from Wednesday to Friday:
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Treehouse villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- The Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
From Wednesday to Thursday they close:
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon (Blizzard Beach is currently closed anyway)
- Winter Summerland Mini Golf and Fantasia Gardens Mini Golf
The Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment district will remain open.
Universal Resort (Orlando)
Universal Orlando Resort is still open through Tuesday morning. Credit: John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images
The cinema amusement park continues to function normally. The park’s severe weather policy provides a free rebooking or cancellation policy in the event of a park closure.
“In case the National Hurricane Center [de EE.UU.] If a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued within seven days of your arrival, or a state of emergency is declared in the Orlando area or where you live, you can contact our team in advance to arrange your Universal Parks & Resort vacation package, hotel room and tickets for the Universal Orlando theme parks booked directly with Universal Orlando with no cancellation or change fees,” according to the park’s website.
Other amusement parks
CNN Travel has emailed SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland Florida to get their situation in light of the hurricane. Neither park has responded, but both parks’ websites indicate normal opening hours for that Tuesday.
cruise ships
Florida ports have a very active cruise schedule. Here is the status of some of these shipping routes as of 8:15pm Miami time on Monday, September 26th:
Norwegian Cruise Lines: The company changed five ports in the Norwegian sky, which left Miami on Sunday, the cruise line told CNN. The ship was to dock in George Town, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Cozumel in the Mexican Caribbean and will now stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas to avoid Ian’s trajectory.
“The safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority. Due to the predicted course of Hurricane Ian, Norwegian Sky’s itinerary has been changed as follows. Guests who booked shore excursions at one of the affected ports through Norwegian Cruise Line will be reimbursed for excursions to their onboard account,” said a spokesman for the cruise line.
MSC: The company has changed the route of at least one of its ships and is considering changing others, a spokesman told CNN. That MSC Seashoreoriginally scheduled to be in the western Caribbean was diverted to ports in the eastern Caribbean.
The shipping company also monitors this MSC Divine, which departed Port Canaveral Sunday on a four-night route to Nassau and the Ocean City Marine Reserve. MSC says both cruise ports are outside of Ian’s planned route, but warned passengers ahead of departure that conditions could prevent the ship from returning on Thursday. The cruise line says that if there is a delay in returning, the cruise will be extended at no additional cost to guests.
The shipping company doesn’t expect Ian to influence that MSC Seashorescheduled to leave Miami on Saturday, October 1st.
Carnival Cruise Lines: The company has made adjustments to two of its exits.
boat Carnival Ecstasy, which departed from Mobile, Alabama on Monday for a six-day itinerary, will visit Progreso, Mexico on Wednesday before visiting Cozumel on Thursday. The change reorders visits as the ship was scheduled to visit Cozumel first, the cruise line tells CNN.
That carnival glory She left New Orleans on Sunday for an eight-day sailing cruise and will now dock in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship’s original itinerary was to visit Key West, as well as Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas.
National and State Parks
As of 8:30 a.m. Miami time on Tuesday, Everglades National Park in south Florida was still open. The National Park Service advised people to check the latest weather information before driving into the park, a wilderness area without many evacuation routes.
As of 9:30 a.m. Miami time, dozens of Florida state parks were closed:
- Alafia River State Park (Hillsborough County)
- Anclote Key Preserve State Park (Pasco and Pinellas counties)
- Bahia Honda State Park (Monroe County)
- Caladesi Island State Park (Pinellas County)
- Cayo Costa State Park (Lee County)
- Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park (Charlotte and Lee counties)
- Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park (Hillsborough County)
- Collier-Seminole State Park (Collier County)
- Curry Hammock State Park (Monroe County)
- Dade Battlefield Historic State Park (Sumter County)
- Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park (Collier County)
- Don Pedro Island State Park (Charlotte County)
- Egmont Key State Park (Pinellas County)
- Estero Bay Preserve State Park (Lee County)
- Fakahatchee Beach Preserve State Park (Collier County)
- Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Park (Monroe County)
- Gasparilla Island State Park (Lee County)
- Highlands Hammock State Park (Hardee and Highlands counties)
- Hillsborough River State Park (Hillsborough County)
- Honeymoon Island State Park (Pinellas County)
- Judah P. Benjamin Memorial at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park (Manatee County)
- Koreshan State Park (Lee County)
- Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park (Highlands County)
- Lake Manatee State Park (Manatee County)
- Little Manatee River State Park (Hillsborough County)
- Long Key State Park (Monroe County)
- Lovers Key State Park (Lee County)
- Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Park (Manatee County)
- Mound Key Archaeological State Park (Lee County)
- Myakka River State Park (Manatee and Sarasota counties)
- Oscar Scherer State Park (Sarasota County).
- Paynes Creek Historic State Park (Hardee County)
- Skyway Fishing Pier State Park (Hillsborough, Manatee, and Pinellas counties)
- South Fork State Park (Manatee County)
- Stump Pass Beach State Park (Charlotte County)
- Terra Ceia Preserve State Park (Manatee County)
- Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (Hernando County)
- Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park (Pasco County)
- Wingate Creek State Park (Manatee County)
- Ybor City Museum State Park (Hillsborough County).
Check here for updates and closures of campgrounds and cabins at other state parks that are currently open.
Tampa International Airport
TPA SUSPENDS OPERATIONS: In preparation for Hurricane Ian, TPA will suspend all operations on Tuesday, September 27 at 5:00 p.m. The airport will be closed to all visitors at this time. Read more: https://t.co/RbS1uKuXtf
— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) September 27, 2022
Florida tourists wishing to use Tampa International Airport should arrive as soon as possible.
The airport will cease all operations on Tuesday from 5 p.m. The closure will allow the airport to prepare the airfield, terminals and other locations for the approaching hurricane.
The airport has issued these reminders:
- Passengers should check with their airlines for the status of their flights. Anyone flying on this Tuesday before the airport closes must arrive at least two hours before departure.
- The airport is not a designated storm shelter and does not have the resources to protect people or vehicles during a storm. Click here for a list of open animal shelters in Hillsborough County.
- For the latest operational updates, follow @FlyTPA on Twitter.
— Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.