The most magical place on Earth was not immune from Mother Nature Thursday as strong thunderstorms moved through Central Florida, creating gusty winds, heavy rainfall and an apparent funnel cloud.
Guests at Epcot captured the stunning sights on video as many sought cover until the inclement weather passed.
“We were attending Epcot to go to one of their concerts. We have been local residents for over 16 years, and we had never seen anything like that in this area,” Disney streamers Adam and Kristen said.
The low-hanging clouds rolled into areas southwest of Orlando around 6:20 p.m.
The National Weather Service warned of the potential for brief funnel clouds in the storm as it lingered over the Orlando metro area.
“These types of funnel clouds are harmless, but on rare occasions, they can briefly touch down, producing wind gusts over 50 mph,” the NWS said.
Since the funnel cloud never touched the ground, it did not gain the designation of a tornado.
The FOX Forecast Center said doppler radar showed a small inflow notch, which is a potential sign of rotation in the clouds.
The apparent funnel did not cause any damage to the parks or nearby resorts but did create quite a commotion.
No other region of the country sees more thunderstorms than Florida. Central Florida averages over 80 days with thunder and lightning, according to the Florida Climate Center.
Meteorologists remind everyone if they spot a funnel cloud to move indoors and report the weather sighting to the NWS.