NeverForget | Daily Disney News

The 9/11 Aftermath & The Closing of the Disney Parks-#NeverForget

Disneyland has only experienced three unexpected closures in it's history since park opening, they include: the national day of mourning after JFK was killed, the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, and after the terrorist attacks had happened on the United States on 9/11. On September 11th, 2001 Disney Parks announced it would be closing the parks for the first time since 1994. Due to the time difference, guests had already started filling the parks at Walt Disney World but on the West Coast Disneyland simply did not open that day. After the horrific terrorist attack that shook our nation, the Walt Disney Company announced the park closures immediately. Interviews with cast members and guests at Walt Disney World tell a grim tale of what happened that day. One of the cast members describes that day and the instructions they received for closing Walt Disney World to well-known entertainment writer, Jim Hill, at the Huffington Post: We were told not to tell the guests what had happened unless they asked us. I remember one guest asking me and — after I told them — they just stood there blank faced and didn’t move for a bit. By the way, the announcement that was made (over the public address system in the theme parks that morning did NOT mention anything about what had happened…