Hurricane Ian: Are Disney World, Universal Orlando closed for the storm? What to know

Emily DeLetter, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

Hurricane Ian is hurtling toward Florida, with the powerful storm expected to make landfall Wednesday.

The hurricane is expected to have maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. It may cause a life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding in the Florida Peninsula, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Live updates:Hurricane Ian nears historic Category 5 status as it nears Florida landfall

Hurricane Ian at 5 a.m. Sept. 28, 2022.
Hurricane Ian at 5 a.m. Sept. 28, 2022.

Hurricane Ian tracker:Where is the powerful storm headed next?

Once it hits southwest Florida, the storm's path is expected to move through central Florida, southern Georgia and the South Carolina coast, bringing rainfall and flooding.

As Hurricane Ian nears making landfall, several tourist destinations have closed in preparation.

Disney World and Universal Orlando

Disney World and Universal will both close Wednesday.

Hotels run by Disney and Universal are open for guests during the hurricane, according to the Orlando Sentinel, although Disney will stop accepting new guests on Thursday and Universal's hotels are already at full capacity.

SeaWorld, Legoland and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will also be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Are airports in Florida closed?

Airports in Orlando, Tampa and St. Petersburg have grounded all flights in preparation for the hurricane. Over 2,000 flights were canceled Wednesday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.com, with the highest cancellations at Florida airports.

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has delays and cancellations but is still operating as of Wednesday morning. Miami International Airport is also open, although flights between the airport and the Cayman Islands, Cuba and Central and north Florida are expected to be delayed or canceled.

Hurricane Ian:Multiple Florida airports close, airlines issue travel waivers in preparation for hurricane

Flights departing Wednesday from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Orlando, Ft. Myers and Tampa have been canceled, according to the CVG's flight status page.

What is the Waffle House index?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency monitors a "Waffle House Index," a color-coded indicator of what restaurants are open, closed or offering a limited menu, to gauge how well an area will recover from a hurricane, tornado or other hazard.

The popular restaurant chain known for waffles and its smothered hash browns is typically a 24/7 operation, closing only for the most severe of weather threats.

"We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and areas within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding," Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss told USA TODAY Wednesday morning.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, 11 locations were closed across Florida, Boss said.

How bad is Hurricane Ian?So bad that Florida Waffle Houses are closing

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hurricane Ian: How Disney World and other travel spots are responding