Fact check: Were the photos of Disney World flooded during Hurricane Milton real? Explained

Disney World Florida was recently in headlines after Hurricane Milton hit the area in the second week of October. As the torrential rains from the hurricane poured in, a few images surfaced online after October 9, showing that Disney World was underwater as a result. Since the theme park had been closed since the storm alert, many visitors assumed that the park was indeed submerged.

However, it has now been revealed that the circulated images were false. Although the theme park was closed due to strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storms, the waterlogged images were AI-generated fakes.

Disney World also released a statement via their official X handle, clarifying that the park was in operational condition and would resume by October 11:

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Were the pictures of the submerged Disney World in Florida real?

Disney World Florida decorations for its October fall theme, rumoured to be affected by Hurricane Milton (via @waltdisneyworld / Instagram)

Hurricane Milton made its landfall on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 in Florida. In response, Disney's Orlando-based themed parks, including Universal Orlando and SeaWorld shut down their operations keeping in mind the hurricane alert.

During the time that the parks were closed, three images started to circulate online. These images showcased that the Magic Kingdom at Disney World was flooded by the storm water. The images also contained the Cinderella Castle of the theme park in the background.

The images were circulated widely on a number of social media platforms, gaining views on platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Some news portals also included the images in reports about the extent of Hurricane Milton. The source of these images was never clarified.

However, a digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley, named Hany Farid, classified the images as AI-generated and fake. In a statement for AFP Fact Check, Farid said that that all three images had obvious structural defects and inconsistent reflections in the water, which were key indicators that they were AI-made.

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What happened with Hurricane Milton in Florida?

Hurricane Milton caused serious floodwaters in Florida and other areas of the state, leaving many houses and buildings damaged. It also brought high amounts of rainfall since its landfall in the second week of October. Milton caused dozens of waterlogging issues due to 28-foot waves, strong windsand storm surges.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center also warned that hazards were posed by damaged buildings, downed power lines, and floodwaters. They issued multiple notices and red alerts for citizen safety during the hurricane.

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At the time of writing this article, all the wind and storm surge warnings for Hurricane Milton have been discontinued. This is after the hurricane exited Florida’s east coast on Friday, October 11.