While Disney World strives to be all sunshine and rainbows for everyone, it isn’t always the case.
That’s especially true during hurricane season, which we got to witness firsthand last year during Hurricane Ian. If you’re planning on visiting Disney World this summer or fall, it’s a good idea to be prepared for a potential storm.
AccuWeather recently released its early predictions for the 2023 hurricane season, and this year is expected to be less active than most seasons since 1995. Meteorologists say the season will likely have a similar number of storms compared to 2022, but you should still be prepared.
Breaking Down the Predictions
According to AccuWeather, there will be between 11 and 15 named storms for the 2023 hurricane season. Four to eight of them are predicted to reach hurricane strength and one to three are expected to achieve “major hurricane” status. A major hurricane is one with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or greater.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season lasts from June 1st to November 30th, but we’ve seen storms form before and after those dates. Meteorologists believe that there will be direct impacts to the United States — but so far none are set to come to Disney World.
“We are also projecting two to four direct impacts on the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,” said Senior Meteorologist and Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.
A few of the factors that are expected to impact the 2023 season include the potential transition of El Niño, plus sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and the African Easterly Jet.
Storm Names for 2023
The storm names for the 2023 Hurricane Season will be Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harold, Idalia, Jose, Katia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, and Whitney.
Storm names recycle every 6 years and names are removed if a storm causes significant death or destruction. There is also a set of spillover names used if there are more than 21 named storms in a hurricane season.
How This Could Affect Your Trip
Disney has closed due to hurricanes before — we saw it happen twice last year. Hurricane Ian stopped by the Most Magical Place on Earth, and later, Tropical Storm Nicole did the same. Luckily, Disney had plenty of procedures in place to ensure that all guests on property were safe. Not only that, but the hotels were offering hurricane meal kits to folks stuck in their rooms.
It’s important to be prepared whether or not a hurricane may be impacting Disney World during your stay. Bring some rain gear or ponchos (don’t buy them at Disney unless you want to pay more!), and keep an eye on the weather forecasts ahead of your trip. Disney World Cast Members are prepared for situations like this and are trained to keep you safe.
We’ll continue to monitor the hurricane season, so stick with AllEars to stay up to date on the latest hurricane season projections as they are released!
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Have you been to Disney World during a hurricane? Tell us in the comments.
All my life I’ve lived a few miles from the Texas coast. Most long timers here don’t care about the early hurricane predictions…..good or bad. I’m sure the people in Florida are the same. Heck, the weather gurus have a difficult time just trying to predict the next day’s weather.