2017 Solar Eclipse And How It Will Affect Walt Disney World Parks And Attractions

On Monday afternoon, the 2017 total solar eclipse is set to take place and it is going to affect schools, places of employment, sporting events, and even Walt Disney World. As it is still summer and a lot of people are on vacation, guests have been wondering what kind of things may take place in the parks in Orlando. Well, nothing celebratory is currently planned, but there will be some parks and attractions which will be affected.

As reported by Live Science, there will be a great American eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, as the moon moves in front of the sun and blocks the rays from getting to Earth. Some areas will see a total eclipse, while many others will see a partial eclipse, and again, that does include Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Orlando is expected to get around 88 percent coverage of the sun, and that will cause Disney to alter some hours and operation. Here are all the known changes and effects at Walt Disney World for the solar eclipse on Monday.

The hours for Tom Sawyer Island almost never amount to a full day as it closes at dusk, but on Monday, that will be much earlier. On Monday, the island will open at 11 a.m., but as the official website of Walt Disney World shows, it will close at 2 p.m. during the eclipse and stayed closed for the remainder of the day.

The Festival of Fantasy Parade at 2 p.m. is not expected to be delayed at all and will take place as scheduled.

Since Animal Kingdom became a bit of a night park with the debut of Rivers of Light and opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar, most of the park will be unaffected. According to WDW Info, the animal trails are going to temporarily close during the beginning of the eclipse and start up again as light begins to return.