**Disney Employees Forced to Stay Despite Hurricane Warning, Leading to Safety Concerns**

In the hours leading up to Hurricane Milton's landfall, The Walt Disney Company reportedly refused to let its employees at the Orlando, Florida, theme parks and resorts leave early, causing significant safety concerns. Workers from Disney World told Business Insider that their supervisors insisted they stay at work even as weather conditions worsened on Wednesday.

According to employees, they were required to stay to help secure the parks, which left them feeling unsafe. These workers also reported poor communication from management, leaving them feeling as though they were "flying blind." Despite the parks being closed early Wednesday - with Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom shutting at 1 p.m. and Magic Kingdom and Epcot at 2 p.m. - staff were still expected to remain on-site to ensure everything was properly battened down.

One employee estimated that Magic Kingdom was only at 10% capacity before Disney decided to close. "I wish the park wouldn't have opened up for the day at all," the employee commented. By the time some workers left at around 2:45 p.m., weather conditions in Orange County had deteriorated rapidly, with tornado warnings being issued at 3:22 p.m.

Despite the severe weather warnings, a few tourists still managed to enjoy a few hours at the parks. Dr. Craig Chavis, a chiropractor from Maryland, posted pictures on Instagram of his rain-soaked family enjoying Magic Kingdom, noting how empty the park was.

Surrounding businesses, including restaurants and gas stations, also remained open, although some employees expressed concerns about their safety. Amy Chavers, a waitress at a nearby family eatery, reflected on how guests managed to get their "precious few hours of fun" while employees worried about the storm's impact.

In response, Disney issued a statement emphasizing that safety is their top priority and claiming they provided frequent updates to ensure employees returned home before the worst of the weather hit Central Florida.

Internal communications revealed that Disney also expected some workers to report for post-storm cleanup on Thursday. Managers communicated through the Cast Life app, asking employees scheduled to work on October 10, even in areas not open to guests, to check their schedules and call hotlines for updates. However, some employees felt it was unreasonable to expect them to travel and work under unsafe conditions.

One such employee remarked on the absurdity of being asked to work the following day, deciding against reporting for duty due to safety concerns. "Orlando is unique because we see scary rain and terrifying winds. Just because we aren't dealing with storm surge doesn't mean it isn't scary," the employee said.

Goldman Sachs has estimated that the financial impact of the hurricane on Disney's theme parks could range between $150 million and $200 million.