Why were guests evacuated from Disney World Resort? Possible chemical exposure explained

Hundreds of guests were evacuated from a Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida after a potential biohazard was reported. Disney's Polynesian Village Resort subsequently closed to visitors on October 25, 2023, due to a potential chemical exposure.

A spokesperson from Reedy Creek Fire confirmed to FOX 35 News that an employee was mixing two chemicals that should not have been mixed. Firefighters were soon called to investigate the scene while the employees evacuated the kitchen.

As per People, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances were spotted and guests were not allowed off at the Walt Disney World Monorail’s Polynesian stop.

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Polynesian Disney World Resort briefly evacuated after a possible chemical exposure

On October 25, 2023, this Wednesday morning, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort was evacuated and closed to all guests due to a possible chemical exposure in Orlando, Florida. According to the unofficial Disney news blog, Walt Disney World News Today, the Disney World Resort's guests riding on the resort line of the Monorail were not let off at the resort.

Many emergency vehicles were also spotted in the parking lot of the Monorail. As per Fox 35, guests said that they were immediately escorted out of the building when the fire alarm started going off. The breakfast dining reservations made by the customers were also canceled and no visitors were allowed to re-enter the resort.

The news outlet reported that a few hours, Reedy Creek Fire Department confirmed later that the evacuation was caused by an employee mixing two chemicals that created a reaction. According to People, there were no injuries at the Disney World Resort and firefighters cleared the building to be reopened to guests.

The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is currently building a new Disney Vacation Club tower at the site. The expansion will include villas that are expected to open in late 2024. According to Disney, the villas will be "inspired by the early concepts for Disney's Polynesian Village Resort." The Disney World Resort's official website said,

"As we prepare for the proposed expansion at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you will see and hear construction at certain times of the day. To minimize disruptions during your stay, activities that may create noise will not start earlier than 9:00 AM."

The Reedy Creek Fire Department was built to provide protection for the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Walt Disney World is the largest taxpayer and primary landowner of the department, as per Newsweek.

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Details about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is known to be one of Disney World's original hotels. The resort was opened in 1971 along with the nearby Magic Kingdom. It briefly shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as per People, the Disney park announced that the Polynesian resort would not be immediately reopening due to major renovations.

Disney World officially announced the remodel of the place in September 2020. A year later, in July 2021, the highly anticipated makeover was unveiled with a brand new Moana theme. The rooms in the Polynesian resort were designed with the 2016 animated film in mind. They included photos of the Disney princess and other characters all over the walls.

The wallpaper featured similar designs to the animated tattoos of Dwayne Johnson's character Maui, which many fans seemed to adore, as per the Disney Blog. The Disney World Resort's new theming was a natural fit as Moana is a Polynesian princess and she lives on the fictional island of Motunui in the South Pacific.