Theme parks close in preparation for Hurricane Milton

Eerie footage shows what Universal Studios looks like now, while over at Disney World tourists have been left stranded as Hurricane Milton approaches.

Some of America’s biggest theme parks have shut up shop in preparation for Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida, with some tourists stranded inside Disney World’s resort hours before the catastrophic storm strikes.

Hurricane Milton has doubled in its geographic size in 24 hours and is now a Category 3 storm with winds of 200km/h.

The storm is forecast to make landfall on Florida’s west coast anytime from 10pm on Wednesday US time (1pm Thursday afternoon AEST).

“We continue to closely monitor the path of Hurricane Milton. Based on the latest projection, we are making additional operational adjustments for the safety of our guests and cast members,” Disney World said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Walt Disney World Emergency Operations Center is connected to weather experts and community leaders. Please know these adjustments have been made in order to leave time for our guests and cast members to return to their Resort hotels or homes safely hours before higher winds are expected to reach Central Florida.”

Visitors walk through the Disney Spring shopping centre in Orlando ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. Picture: Giorgio Viera / AFP

Among those staying at the Orlando park are British guests Terence and Cian, who are residing at Disney’s Pop Century resort.

The pair told Sky News they’d been warned that all Disney Parks and Disney Springs would close from 2pm local time and were likely to remain closed throughout Thursday.

Terence said he had heard other guests attempting to arrange early flights home – but now the local airport has been closed.

“It’s early, but it’s quiet,” he said.

“It’s raining quite a bit today, but at the moment it feels fairly normal for Orlando.

“It’s hard to know about the rest of the week until the storm hits and the damage becomes clearer.”

All four of Disney's Florida theme parks closed early Wednesday due to the forecast track of the storm. Picture: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP

But he said staff at Disney had reassured the couple the resort was “one of the safest places to ride out a storm”.

“One cast member told us that when the power goes out in Florida, the first place to get back online are the hospitals, the second place is Disney,” he said.

“The news over here is really talking about the storm as a life and death event, so it is a bit worrying, but we’re keeping positive and making the most of it.”

Guest staying at the resort have been told to remain inside their hotels. Picture: Giorgio Viera/ AFP

Visitors at the Disney Spring shopping centre wearing ponchos. Picture: Giorgio Viera/ AFP

Some have argued the theme park is the best place to stay if you’re facing a hurricane.

“No one ever wants to find themselves in a position where they’re stuck in a hurricane, but if that is something you’re facing, Walt Disney World is probably one of the best places to go through it,” This Fairytale Life blogger Mindy shared of her experience staying at the Epcot-adjacent Yacht & Beach Club Resort during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The “Bucket List Family”, a US family of YouTube creators also rode out the storm in Disney World.

Tourists exit the Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton. Picture: John Raoux/AP

Tourists take in a last minute visit to Disney Springs entertainment complex. Picture: John Raoux/AP

“We are bunkering down and staying in Orlando. @Waltdisneyworld has been incredibly hospitable and caring to our family and all other guests,” the family wrote in a post on Instagram at the time.

According to Global Real Estate, the temporary closure of Disney World will cost an estimated $US200 million – about $A300 million.

It marks the 11th time the theme park has closed in its 53-year history.

Meanwhile, eerie footage of Universal Studios has gone viral showing the theme park preparing for the Category 3 storm.

Orlando-based content creator Annie Magic shared footage on her Instagram page “fastpass_shopping” of what the theme park looks like now after being stripped of all of its props, decorations and magic.

Universal Studios is also temporarily closed.

Eerie footage shows what the theme park looks like now.

“Here’s a little look around Universal Studios Florida this morning. Halloween Horror Nights food booths and bars have been removed along with many scare zone props,” she wrote.

“Things are being tied up or tied down all over the parks.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Universal Orlando said the park will remain closed until Thursday.

Props have also been removed from the theme park as the hurricane is to predicated to be ‘one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida’.

“Our hotels remain operational as they focus on taking care of our guests,” it said in the statement.

We anticipate a full reopening of our destination, including Halloween Horror Nights, on Friday, October 11 at our normal operating hours pending the outcome of storm impacts.”

Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton is likely to hit between Tampa and Fort Myers. It could then streak across the state hitting Orlando, Cape Canaveral, Daytona Beach and the city of Melbourne, named after its Australian counterpart. Six major airports – including Orlando which is the US’ seventh busiest – have closed.

The Weather Service has said it’s now too late to flee.

“It’s time to shelter-in-place,” it said in a statement “Unless a life-threatening situation arises, stay indoors”.