Many situations can cause a Disney park to close, but it is rare that it happens.
The parks, especially Disneyland, will close the gates but still be in operation due to reaching capacity on busy days, but it is rare for the parks to shut down completely to all guests.
The parks have closed due to emergencies on a handful of occasions and only for a day or two, except for the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the parks shut down for months.
Annually, Walt Disney World brings in about 93 million people each year, The New York Times reported when it shut down for the pandemic.
But while the theme parks will go dark, the hotels and the Disney Springs shopping and entertainment district will remain in operation, according to the Times.
The closure of the Orlando-area Disney parks has only happened eight times before now, according to media reports:
- Hurricane Floyd, 1999
- Hurricane Charley, 2004
- Hurricane Frances, 2004
- Hurricane Jeanne, 2004
- Hurricane Matthew, 2016
- Hurricane Irma, 2017
- Sept. 11, 2001, where it was evacuated 30 minutes after the attacks on America, CNBC reported
- COVID-19 pandemic, 2020
- Hurricane Ian, 2022
For Disneyland, the two parks, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, will close at midnight tonight and will stay closed until next month. Those staying in hotels on the property can stay until Monday as they make travel arrangements, Los Angeles Magazine reported. Downtown Disney, the West Coast shopping and entertainment area will remain open.
The park has closed for emergencies only a few times in its 65-year history, the magazine reported:
- Pres. John F. Kennedy assassination, 1963
- “Yippies” protest on Tom Sawyer’s Island, 1970
- Sept. 11, 2001
- COVID-19 pandemic, 2020