DeSantis warns of possible catastrophic flooding in Florida by Ian 5:05
(CNN) --
As Hurricane Ian made landfall in western Cuba early Tuesday morning, Floridians, including operators of popular Florida theme parks, kept an eye on the intensifying cyclone. quickly.
Here is a report on the situation of the main theme and water parks and other places of interest for tourists as of 9 am, Miami time, this Tuesday:
Busch Gardens (Tampa)
Ian's trajectory remains uncertain, but on Tuesday morning, the Tampa Bay area seemed to be in the crosshairs.
Last minute of Hurricane Ian live: trajectory, news and arrival in Cuba and Florida
As a result, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said it will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
"Due to the projected path of Hurricane Ian, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has enacted its named cyclone policy... Precautions have been taken following the parks' comprehensive weather preparedness plan to ensure the safety of our animals and ambassadors during this time," the park announced on its website.
"All tickets have been extended through December 31," the park said.
Additionally, “Annual Pass member guest tickets with an expiration date of September 30 will be extended through October 16.”
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The iconic Cinderella castle at the Magic Kingdom.
Credit: John Raoux/AP
Discovery Cove (Orlando)
The all-inclusive resort, with animal encounters and tropical aquatic environments, will also be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
The parks said they "will reschedule or refund reservations made online or from the call center. We will not charge any cancellation or change fees for this service."
You can call +1 407-513-4600 for more information.
Disney World (Orlando)
Most Disney World properties are still open.
The resort said on its website that it is "currently operating under normal conditions as we prepare to make any necessary adjustments based on the latest information from the National Weather Service."
However, these properties and units will be closed Wednesday through Friday:
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Bungalows at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
From Wednesday to Thursday they close:
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (Blizzard Beach is currently closed anyway)
Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf
Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment area remains open.
Universal Resort (Orlando)
Universal Orlando Resort is still open, until this Tuesday morning.
Credit: John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images
The cinematographic amusement park continues to function normally.
The park's severe weather policy has free reschedule or cancellation policies in the event of a park closure.
"In the event that the [US] National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane or tropical storm warning or a state of emergency is declared in the Orlando area or in your place of residence, within the preceding seven days upon arrival, you may contact our team in advance to reschedule or cancel your Universal Parks & Resorts vacation package, hotel room accommodations, and Universal Orlando theme park tickets booked directly with Universal Orlando, without cancellation or change fees are imposed," the park says on its website.
Other theme parks
CNN Travel has contacted SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland Florida by email to find out their situation in the face of the hurricane.
Neither park has responded, but the websites for both parks indicate normal hours of operation for this Tuesday.
What areas of Florida are threatened by Hurricane Ian?
Cruise ships
Florida ports have a very active cruise schedule.
Here's the status of some of those ships' routes as of 8:15 p.m. Miami time on Monday, September 26:
Norwegian Cruise Lines:
The company changed five ports on the
Norwegian Sky
, which left Miami on Sunday, the cruise line told CNN.
The ship was scheduled to dock in George Town, Grand Cayman;
Roatan, Honduras;
Harvest Caye, Belize;
and Cozumel, in the Mexican Caribbean and will now make stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico;
Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands;
Tortola, British Virgin Islands;
and Nassau, Bahamas, to avoid Ian's trajectory.
"The safety of our guests and crew is always our number one priority. Due to the projected path of Hurricane Ian, Norwegian Sky's itinerary has been modified as follows. Guests who booked shore excursions at any of the affected ports through Norwegian Cruise Line will be reimbursed for excursions to their onboard account," a spokesperson for the cruise line said.
MSC:
The company has changed the itinerary of at least one of its ships and is considering changing others, a spokesperson told CNN.
The
MSC Seashore
, originally to be in the Western Caribbean, was diverted to Eastern Caribbean ports.
The cruise line is also monitoring the
MSC Divinia
, which left Port Canaveral on a four-night itinerary to Nassau and the Ocean City Marine Reserve on Sunday.
MSC says both cruise ports are outside Ian's projected path, but warned passengers before departing that conditions could prevent the ship from returning on Thursday.
The cruise line says that if there is a delay in her return, the cruise will be extended at no additional cost to guests.
The cruise line does not expect Ian to affect the
MSC Seashore
, which is scheduled to leave Miami on Saturday, October 1.
Carnival Cruise Lines:
The company has made adjustments to two of its departures.
The Carnival Ecstasy
ship
, which left Mobile, Alabama, on Monday for a six-day itinerary, will visit Progreso, Mexico, on Wednesday before visiting Cozumel on Thursday.
The change reorders the visits, as the ship was scheduled to visit Cozumel first, the cruise line tells CNN.
The
Carnival Glory
left New Orleans on Sunday for an eight-day sailing, now docking at Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico.
The ship's original itinerary was to visit Key West, as well as Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas.
National and state parks
As of 8:30 a.m. Miami time Tuesday, the Everglades National Park in South Florida was still open.
The National Park Service advised people to follow the latest weather updates before heading to the park, a wilderness area without many evacuation routes.
As of 9:30 a.m. Miami time, dozens of Florida state parks were closed:
Alafia River State Park (Hillsborough County)
Anclote Key Preserve State Park (Pasco and Pinellas counties)
Bahia Honda State Park (Monroe County)
Caladesi Island State Park (Pinellas County)
Cayo Costa State Park (Lee County)
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park (Charlotte and Lee counties)
Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park (Hillsborough County)
Collier-Seminole State Park (Collier County)
Curry Hammock State Park (Monroe County)
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park (Sumter County)
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park (Collier County)
Don Pedro Island State Park (Charlotte County)
Egmont Key State Park (Pinellas County)
Estero Bay Preserve State Park (Lee County)
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park (Collier County)
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (Monroe County)
Gasparilla Island State Park (Lee County)
Highlands Hammock State Park (Hardee and Highlands counties)
Hillsborough River State Park (Hillsborough County)
Honeymoon Island State Park (Pinellas County)
Judah P. Benjamin Memorial at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park (Manatee County)
Koreshan State Park (Lee County)
Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park (Highlands County)
Lake Manatee State Park (Manatee County)
Little Manatee River State Park (Hillsborough County)
Long Key State Park (Monroe County)
Lovers Key State Park (Lee County)
Madira Bickel Mound Archaeological State Park (Manatee County)
Mound Key Archaeological State Park (Lee County)
Myakka River State Park (Manatee and Sarasota counties)
Oscar Scherer State Park (Sarasota County).
Paynes Creek Historic State Park (Hardee County)
Skyway Fishing Pier State Park (Hillsborough, Manatee, and Pinellas counties)
South Fork State Park (Manatee County)
Stump Pass Beach State Park (Charlotte County)
Terra Ceia Preserve State Park (Manatee County)
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (Hernando County)
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park (Pasco County)
Wingate Creek State Park (Manatee County)
Ybor City Museum State Park (Hillsborough County).
Check here for updates and closures of campgrounds and cabins at other state parks that are currently open.
Tampa International Airport
TPA TO SUSPEND OPERATIONS: In preparation for Hurricane Ian, TPA will suspend all operations on Tuesday, September 27, at 5:00 pm The Airport will be closed to all visitors at that time.
Read more: https://t.co/RbS1uKuXtf
— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) September 27, 2022
Florida tourists hoping to use the Tampa International Airport should arrive as soon as possible.
The airport will suspend all operations from 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
The closure will allow the airport to prepare the airfield, terminals and other locations for the approaching hurricane.
The airport issued these reminders:
Passengers should check with their airlines for the status of their flights.
Those who fly this Tuesday before the airport suspends its operations must arrive at least two hours before their flight.
The airport is not a designated storm shelter and does not have the resources to shelter people or vehicles during a storm.
To see a list of open shelters in Hillsborough County, click here.
For the latest operational updates, follow @FlyTPA on Twitter.
-- Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.
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