Hurricane Irma stress takes back seat, for a moment, at Disney's Magic Kingdom

No Fast Pass for you, Hurricane Irma.

The storm wider than the Sunshine State went to the back of the line — or at least the back of many minds  — at the Magic Kingdom Friday.

Walt Disney World is closing all four of its theme parks for at least two days, shutting down at 9 p.m. Saturday and planning to reopen on Tuesday, according to a statement from Disney officials. Also closing in Central Florida: Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando.

But before the last fireworks show until at least Tuesday wowed the crowd (Saturday's show is canceled), things looked just as Disneyesque as ever at "The Place Where Dreams Come True."

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Cinderella's castle was shining under a bright-blue, cloud-dotted sky — at least until the rain started around 4:30 p.m. or so and continued off and on. The crowd was light. Fast Passes, which guests use to reserve ride times, were available in many cases. Guests didn't wait long to swirl in tea cups or scream on the wildly popular Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, or to find a prime spot for fireworks viewing at the end of the day.

For some, the day at the park came about because they had evacuated to the Orlando area from areas of Florida expected to be smacked around by Irma.

Rick Bartell and his daughters Maddie, 6, and Olivia, 4, dashed into the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor show to get out of the rain around 5 p.m.

Bartell, who lives in Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, said his wife, Amanda, and the girls would remain in Orlando at a hotel, while he'll "head home as soon as the storm passes." He expects that, as with past storms no matter their intensity, there'll be no juice at his place.

"It's gonna be a lot rougher down there, by the time it gets  ... figured we could ride it out in a hotel room and have air-conditioning," Bartell said. "I would've stayed home, but they'll stay until the power comes back on, and then go home."

Under an umbrella and sitting on the pavement in front of Cinderella's castle, Taylor Floyd and Danielle Lobozzo waited in light but persistent rain for more than an hour to see the "Happily Ever After" fireworks show.

"We're all pretty hunkered down at home; our preparations are in place," said Floyd. "So today was really just a good time to come and hang out and kind of forget about the worries."

Lobozzo, who works for Orange County Public Schools, said as soon as school cancellations were ordered, she knew how to fill the day.

"I said, 'Let's go to Disney World,' because who knows when we'll be able to go again?" she said.

And "hopefully the damage isn't too crazy, so we'll be back as soon as we can be," Floyd added.

Not everyone, though, was happy to see the theme park keeping its doors open as the storm loomed.

Posts on a FLORIDA TODAY Facebook Live video from the park around 8 p.m. showed some criticism of Walt Disney World for not closing earlier, and chastised guests for showing up.

Most watching the Facebook feed, however, were not only supportive but even a tad jealous.

“I wish we could have been there today but lots of prep to do and I was afraid of the traffic,” wrote Kristen Ensminger Stewart of Tampa, an annual passholder.

Judy Auman of Oviedo agreed: “Hey If we could go, living an hour away, we would be there! Hugs,” she said.

And Joanne Joseph of North Palm Beach summed up what a lot of Floridians and tourists alike were thinking: Why sit at home nursing cabin fever when you can still get out and revel in a, well, magic place?

“We were in the parks most of the day,” Joseph wrote.

“The crowds were low and the weather was fine, we had short waits for all rides and had a lovely dinner in Animal Kingdom. I am staying in Orlando having evacuated from the (east) coast of Florida. This is the best way to wait out the storm ... having fun is better than watching the weather channel 24/7. Be safe all!!”

Contact Kennerly at 321-242-3692 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @bybrittkennerly or at Facebook.com/bybrittkennerly.