WTF?! Disney Won't Refund Families After Hurricane Cancellations

If you had tickets to visit Disney World this week, you’re probably not a happy camper. The devastating arrival of Hurricane Ian on September 28 meant the Orlando, Florida, theme park was closed. And it remained closed for several days to “closely monitor” the weather event. As if that’s not enough reason to feel down, Disney will not refund you for any of those missed days.

Hurricane Ian was upgraded to a Hurricane Warning on September 27, after the Category 4 storm swept through Cuba. When the wind and rain hit Florida, Disney World opted to close operations until the hurricane passed.

Even though it was the company’s decision to close its doors, a “hurricane policy” only offers visitors the option to extend their stay with no option for a refund.

“Partially used multi-day theme park tickets with a validity window impacted by closure due to Hurricane Ian will be automatically extended to allow the use of the remaining unused ticket days through September 30, 2023,” the policy on the company’s website reads.

“In order to enter a park, both a park reservation and valid ticket for the same park on the same date is required.”

On September 29, 2022, the company posted another update following the hurricane with vague plans for reopening.

“While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening,” the follow-up tweet read.

“Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30.”

Disney World is offering refunds for special events canceled due to the weather. This includes Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom, which was scheduled for September 29, 2022.

For more details on Disney’s refund policy or how to request a refund for the canceled Halloween party, visit Disney’s weather updates page.