Covered Windows, Sand Bags and Plastic Wrap (Exclusive)

Disney World is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton — preparing the parks, the hotels and the guests who are staying there through the category 4 storm.

Nicole Wolfe, of Fishers, Ind. was at Disney with her husband, their children (ages 8 and 5), her brother and her parents, when it was announced on Tuesday, Oct. 8 that all of the parks would begin closing the next day due to the incoming storm.

The family was planning to end their vacation on Thursday, but in light of the hurricane, opted to change their flights to Friday and got a reduced rate for the extra day at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, where they’ve been staying at the Bay Lake Tower.

“We’re in line for our last ride of the day before Magic Kingdom closes at 2 p.m,” Wolfe told PEOPLE early Wednesday afternoon. “I’ve seen more preparations at the hotel today — window coverings, sandbags at entryway doors, putting up pool chairs.”

While Wolfe says Disney staff had told them the parks would be closed on Thursday, she hadn’t yet received direct communication from their hotel about options for dining and kids’ entertainment (something previous guests who rode out hurricanes there all agreed was a huge life saver for parents).

“All of the park employees we’ve talked to have said the same thing — that staying at a resort is the best place to be,” Wolfe says. 

As far as other preparations the hotel is taking, Wolfe says the staff has put up double-paned glass partitions along the walkway connecting the tower with the main hotel building, which is usually open air.

She also shares she saw “lots of plastic wrap and some caution tape” as the park wrapped up its free-standing merchandize stands.

As of midday Wednesday, Wolfe reported that the Disney’s monorail and riverboats were still running.

While in the hotel’s lobby, the mom of two says she heard that staff will set up food stations in each building if guests are kept from leaving the hotel’s various separate structures during the worst of the storm.

In the family’s room, staff arrived to place the balcony chairs and tables inside, Wolfe said, adding that while the hotel pool was still open, all the outdoor furniture had been stacked up.

Disney had previously announced on Monday that its more rustic accommodations would be closing as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. That includes Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (including dining and recreation locations), the Copper Creek Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, and the Treehouse Villas at its Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

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On Tuesday, Disney made the announcement of the phased shutdown: Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom would close at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Disney Springs will close at 2 p.m.

“It is likely the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday, October 10. We will consider opening Disney Springs on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings,” the statement added.

The closure also means the cancellation of the park’s popular Halloween event, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, on Thursday. Event tickets will be refunded.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on the western coast of Florida sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday, after passing through the Gulf of Mexico, where it has gained increasing power.

The National Hurricane Center has warned that Milton will bring “life-threatening” hazards to Florida, centered on the Tampa Bay area.