Flights, theme parks and cruises all affected as Idalia nears Florida

Zach Wichter, Eve Chen and Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
Updated ·7 min read

Idalia grew to a Category 2 hurricane Tuesday as it drives a potentially deadly storm surge toward the Big Bend area of Florida's west coast. It's expect to make landfall Wednesday.

A hurricane warning was issued along hundreds of miles of Florida coastline.

"Everybody on the Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to northwest Florida must be vigilant," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news briefing. "You're going to see some nasty weather."

Idalia is already impacting travel, causing some airports, airlines, cruise lines and theme parks to announce operational changes.

From airport closures and theme park delayed openings to airline waivers and rerouted cruise ships, here’s what you need to know.

Airports

Tampa International Airport closed to all commercial airline traffic at 12:01 a.m. local time on Tuesday, and will remain closed until crews can assess any damage after the storm passes, with a tentative plan to reopen Thursday morning.

“The closure will allow the airport and its partners to prepare the airfield and terminals, including the securing of jet bridges, ground equipment and any remaining aircraft before Idalia’s expected landfall early Wednesday as a potential major hurricane,” the airport said in a statement. “The airport, including the main terminal and airsides will be closed to all visitors and is not equipped to function as a shelter.”

Southwest Florida International Airport near Ft. Myers and Jacksonville International Airport have not announced any closures, but the operators said they are monitoring the storm. Other major airports, including Miami International and Orlando International, have not made announcements about possible impacts but are expected to be outside the storm's central path.

Airlines

The following airlines are offering travel waivers for passengers booked to fly to parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas in the coming days. Check with each carrier for the exact terms of the extra flexibility.

Theme parks

Central Florida’s theme parks are keeping a close eye on Idalia.

▶ Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island water park will both close early Tuesday, at 3 p.m. Busch Gardens will remain closed Wednesday with plans to reopen Thursday. Adventure Bay will stay closed through Thursday and plans to reopen Friday.

“Precautions are in place following the parks’ comprehensive weather preparedness plan to ensure the safety of our animals and ambassadors during this time,” Busch Gardens posted on its website, with a similar warning on Adventure Island’s site. “If this affects your trip, be sure to review our Weather-or-Not Assurance and check back for more updates.”

▶ Their sister park SeaWorld Orlando, hasn’t announced any closures, but also has a Weather-or-Not Assurance policy in place for extreme weather. The new policy, unveiled last week, gives guests a 12-month return window if inclement weather causes parks to close early or adjust operating hours, rides are closed for at least 60 minutes due to weather, or the heat index reaches 110 degrees or more.

▶ LEGOLAND Florida will remain open Wednesday, but its website notes, "While LEGOLAND Theme Park, Water Park, Peppa Pig Theme Park and our LEGOLAND hotels will be open as planned, guests may experience limited park operations on Wednesday due to changing weather conditions."

The resort's hurricane policy allows guests to cancel or rebook visits without penalty if the National Hurricane Center issues a tropical storm or hurricane warning within seven days of guests’ arrival.

▶ Universal Orlando Resort is operating normally Wednesday with one exception: early park admission will not be offered to allow time for additional preparations related to the storm. Universal's hotels remain fully operational.

"We have plans and procedures for significant weather that are both time-proven and constantly updated – and those plans revolve around the safety of our guests and team members," Universal said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The resort's severe weather policy offers penalty-free rebooking and cancellations for vacation packages, hotel stays and tickets booked directly through Universal in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane warning or state of emergency declaration in the Orlando area within seven days of guests’ arrival.

▶ Walt Disney World theme parks are operating under normal conditions, however Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed Wednesday.

Disney's resort hotels remain open, but guests of Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground have been asked to store outside items and camper awnings.

"At this time, change and cancellation fees imposed by Disney will be waived for check-in dates of August 28, 2023 through September 4, 2023," Disney said in a statement. "Guests currently staying at our Disney Resort hotels whose travel plans have been impacted by the storm may receive a discounted rate to extend their stay through the evening of August 31, if needed, by visiting the front desk."

Additionally, Florida residents evacuating from the storm and first responders assisting with it are eligible for a 50% discount on new bookings from Aug. 29 through 31. The resort is also offering to serve as a staging area for the state's storm recovery efforts.

Cruise lines

The storm is also impacting some cruise sailings.

▶ Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady ship will visit Grand Turk on Tuesday instead of Mexico’s Costa Maya “for the safety and comfort” of its guests and crew, a spokesperson said in an email. The ship is currently on a five-day, round-trip sailing from Miami, according to CruiseMapper.

“Our arrival and departure times remain unchanged, giving (passengers) the same amount of time to explore off the ship,” the spokesperson said.

▶ Disney Cruise Line also altered the itinerary for Disney Fantasy, which is currently on a week-long sailing from Port Canaveral.

“Instead of visiting Cozumel, Mexico, George Town, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth, Jamaica, the Disney Fantasy is visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on Tuesday and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Wednesday,” a spokesperson said in an email. The ship will stop at the line’s private island, Castaway Cay, on Friday as planned.

▶ Celebrity Cruises, which is also part of Royal Caribbean Group, is also amending Celebrity Equinox’s current six-day voyage from Fort Lauderdale, stopping in Falmouth rather than Grand Cayman.

▶ Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas — which is currently on a week-long sailing from Tampa — will skip a stop in Costa Maya and postponed its Monday visit to Cozumel until Thursday, according to a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson.

▶ MSC Cruises is also swapping MSC Meraviglia’s visits to Miami and Nassau, a spokesperson said in an email. The ship, which is on a two-week cruise from New York, will now visit Nassau on Wednesday and Miami on Friday.

The line’s MSC Seaside will skip a planned visit to the line’s private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, on Tuesday and extend its stop in Nassau. The ship is on an 11-day cruise from Port Canaveral.

▶ Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Conquest will also change course during its current four-day cruise from Miami, according to a spokesperson. The ship will visit Bimini on Tuesday in place of Key West; spend Wednesday at sea instead of a stop in Cozumel; and stop in Nassau in place of a sea day on Thursday.

Carnival Valor’s planned stop in Costa Maya on Monday was canceled. The ship, which is on a five-day cruise from New Orleans, will visit Cozumel on Tuesday.

Contributing: John Bacon and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Idalia impacting flights, cruises and theme parks