As Hurricane Milton surges toward the west coast of Florida, travel disruptions are spreading across the state, with airports and amusement parks announcing closures, airlines adding and canceling flights, and cruise companies altering ship routes.
Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism organization, warned that Hurricane Milton is expected to grow and remain “extremely dangerous” as it approaches land. The storm is forecast to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region on Wednesday..
In a travel advisory issued on Tuesday, the organization warned of damaging winds and a life-threatening storm surge. “This is an extremely life-threatening situation,” Visit Florida said, and advised that those in the surge warning areas, “should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”
Florida is one of the world’s most popular vacation hot spots. According to Visit Florida, the state received a record 140.6 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 2.3 percent from 2022.
Here’s how travel is being disrupted by the hurricane.
Closed airports, canceled flights
Multiple airports in Florida have closed or will do so ahead of Hurricane Milton’s anticipated landfall. Tampa International Airport and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport closed on Tuesday, as did St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which will remain closed through Thursday. Others announced plans to close Wednesday: Orlando International Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport will close at 8 a.m.; Melbourne Orlando International Airport will close at 2 p.m. and reopen at 9 a.m. on Friday; Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers will close through Thursday.
Other airports announced that they were monitoring the storm, and advised travelers to brace for flight disruptions and to contact their airlines for the latest information.
Several hundred flights departing from or arriving to Florida airports have been canceled on Tuesday. American Airlines will operate 11 additional flights from Melbourne Orlando airport on Tuesday evening, an airline spokesman said Tuesday, for those who wish to evacuate.
These flights can be booked by contacting the airline by phone. Passengers can check two bags for free. These last-minute flights come after American offered additional flights from the Tampa and Sarasota Bradenton airports on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Many airlines, including American, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines, have issued waivers that allow passengers with travel to or from a number of airports in Florida to rebook their plans without incurring any change fees.
Temporary closures at amusement parks
Many theme parks and resorts in Central Florida — including Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort — are continuing to monitor the projected path of the hurricane on Tuesday and are basing operating decisions on storm updates.
Walt Disney World Resort announced that it would continue to operate under normal conditions through Tuesday, but would make adjustments for later in the week based on storm developments. However, the company already announced temporary closures, from 11 a.m. on Wednesday, at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which plan to remain closed until Sunday. Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will also close on Wednesday, and plans to reopen Friday.
Disney’s cancellation policy notes that if a traveler had plans to travel to one of its locations and a hurricane warning is issued for the area by the National Hurricane Center, that guest may be able to reschedule or cancel without any cancellation or change fees imposed.
On Tuesday, Universal Orlando announced that Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk will remain open until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, weather permitting, and then will be closed through Thursday. The park encouraged guests to continue monitoring its website for updates. The hotels, the announcement noted, will remain operational.
Other parks like SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando will remain open on Tuesday, but noted they will close on Wednesday and Thursday. Busch Gardens Tampa will be closed through Thursday, according to the website of United Parks and Resorts, the company that operates the parks. Park-goers are encouraged to check the company’s website for updates. LEGOLAND Florida theme park in Winter Haven will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, according to an update on its website.
And ZooTampa has announced closures from Tuesday through Thursday, according to its website.
Diverted cruise routes
Major cruise lines operating out of Florida’s west coast have altered their itineraries to avoid the direct path of Hurricane Milton and ensure that they can sail a safe distance from the storm.
Carnival Cruise Line canceled port stops at Cozumel in Mexico, scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday for several ships, and said it was closely monitoring other itineraries that could be adjusted further.
“Guests on upcoming cruises departing from home ports that could be affected by the storm’s path are encouraged to opt-in to text alerts when checking in and to monitor emails,” the cruise line said in a statement.
Royal Caribbean has also adjusted several itineraries, including for its Grandeur of the Seas ship, which sailed out of Tampa on Monday and will call at Nassau in the Bahamas, instead of Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico.
MSC Cruise Lines’s Seashore ship, currently in the Bahamas, may face delays returning to its home port of Port Canaveral on Thursday, the cruise line said in a statement. While Port Canaveral is currently open, the United States Coast Guard designated it “condition Yankee” on Tuesday, meaning sustained gale-force winds are predicted within 24 hours.
Waived cancellation fees at hotels and resorts
Some hotels and resorts on the state’s west coast have announced closures as well.
The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, in Longboat Key and owned by Marriott, announced that it is currently closed and would waive cancellation fees for guests through Oct. 14. In the city of St. Pete Beach, the Don CeSar hotel, the Sirata Beach Resort and the TradeWinds Resort have announced temporary closures and ask guests to contact the properties.
An evacuation order issued in the town of Fort Myers on Monday caused many hotels, including the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina, Margaritaville Beach Resort Fort Myers Beach and DiamondHead Beach Resort, to pause their operations, according to their websites.
And travelers who may have booked stays in affected areas with short-term rental companies, like Airbnb or Vrbo, should check to see if those travel operators offers emergency policies that allow for refunds or cancellations related to extreme weather events. Airbnb offers a “major disruptive events policy,” while Vrbo has an “extenuating circumstances” policy.
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