Hurricane Ian expected to impact Florida (updates and related discussions)

[Trekkie101]

Per the latest update, Springs is partially open tomorrow (Friday) at least.

Parks seem to be opening… as there’s nothing mentioned for closure. Info was updated at 1:30pm

 

[JenniferS]

My God you are correct! I’m so out of it! The whole Covid years put a fog on my Disney trips memory before. We were actually in WDW right before Irma came too. I don’t recall if the airport closed then or not but I know we were on a flight out the day before. And I recall parks were very empty as with Dorian. Then Dorian a year or two years later 2019? But we were on the last Disney cruise that was at castaway and then the next day the Bahamas got leveled by Dorian.

I have a friend who is always joking on Facebook why do I always go to Disney when there’s a hurricane coming. She was referring to my post during Irma and Dorian. I actually wrote to her yesterday and said I feel like I’m kind of missing out on something by not being there right now.

I was at Coronado for both Irma and Dorian … in an RV in Fort Pierce for Ian. (You guess which was a tougher ride. )

 

[LAKid53]

No, you pack up and leave, but you keep the news on. You need to know what's ahead.

But if you're really smart, you pack up and leave the minute you realize you're in the danger zone... you don't wait for the government officials to announce a mandatory evacuation.

No, if you're smart, you have your hurricane kit prepared every June when the season starts. Water, non-perishable food, batteries, flashlights, etc. The state even gives you a tax-free week to buy supplies, including generators.

There are individuals who cannot evacuate, for many reasons. Or can't even get to shelters because they lack transportation. Was glad to hear local authorities were taking the homeless to shelters. I've never understood why those school buses couldn't be used to get those without transportation to shelters. The sight of school buses covered in water up to their roofs after Katrina was infuriating. They could have been used to get people out of the lower parishes.

 

[NYwdwfan]

So we’ve seen WDW/Uni/BG updates - any info on how Legoland fared?

 

[plutofan15]

Wonder if they would prioritize opening the other 3 parks and springs for tomorrow and delay DAK. Hollywood studios in my mind would be the easiest to get show read (smallest park and least amount of foliage I would think). However, priority would probably go to MK (main park/MNSSHP) and EPCOT (large capacity to take in additional people if some parks are closed).

After Floyd in 99, AK was the first and only park to open the day after the storm.

 

[LAKid53]

Do Cast Members at the hotels get to shelter at the hotels? I assume they can't really leave ... are they offered to or required to stay for a few days starting right before the storm? If they choose to stay home with their families or evacuate, is that permitted?

Yes.

 

[flynnibus]

On top of what is allegedly hundreds in Lee County that have yet to be confirmed?

I know Biden made some real open ended statements where everyone is fearing the worst... but I really hope it doesn't get anywhere near that. It would be really sad for that many people to have been trapped in what is an otherwise escapable place.

It's not like the past storms where people were trapped on the keys while being completely swamped, etc.

 

[mkt]

Yup

I'm very tempted to walk over to the Ocoee Waffle House and have a traditional Floridian post-Hurricane meal.

But we have plenty of food at home, and don't feel right potentially taking away someone else's meal who needs it.

 

[LAKid53]

Preliminary report from National Weather Service suggests Walt Disney World was largely spared from high wind speeds​

Preliminary report from National Weather Service suggests Walt Disney World was largely spared from high wind speeds

Preliminary report from National Weather Service suggests Walt Disney World was largely spared from high wind speeds

www.wdwmagic.com

The eye moving a little further south was fortuitous.

 

[mkt]

If a person lives in Florida and does not have a basic understanding of hurricane size and impacts, they are a lost cause.

 

[Disney Analyst]

You see this on the news after every storm, “we survived (insert storm name) so we thought we’d be fine this time too”.

I think it’s human nature, the more times we do something the more comfortable we get with it.

Any disaster that we have time to prepare for has people like this for sure, and it's always disheartening.

 

[mf1972]

spoke to my cousin who lives outside tampa & he was extremely lucky. only some minor damage & he never lost power. he’s very fortunate.
also just read about disney resorts with no open food courts or restaurants. any idea what’s being done for feeding guests on property?

 

[mickeyfan73]

s

I was at Coronado for both Irma and Dorian … in an RV in Fort Pierce for Ian. (You guess which was a tougher ride. )

During Dorian I don’t recall seeing so many crowds by the food courts like I’ve been seeing on Twitter for this one. I know the lobby was full with people checking in. But when I walked over to the conference center where they were showing movies and activities. the food court was kind of dead. actually one of the few things in my memory and seeing a bunch of highliners they had shipped in from Canada they were staying there. Maybe my memory serves me wrong but I remember thinking how lucky we were a P in the tower and have internal hallways to move about I believe there was technically a curfew not to go outside. So those in the other rooms ( old resort) were stuck. Pre-Covid we were free dining Labor Day week before the week after regulars.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Based on the hole in Jurassic Parks building, the flooded Hulk coaster, and hearing Velocicoaster is also flooded, I can't imagine UO opening tomorrow.

 

[LAKid53]

You see this on the news after every storm, “we survived (insert storm name) so we thought we’d be fine this time too”.

I think it’s human nature, the more times we do something the more comfortable we get with it.

After Hermine in 2016, I no longer think that. The damage a weak Cat 1 storm can cause was mind boggling. And the eyewall only sat over town for 90 minutes. Ian was over Ft. Myers & Naples for several hours.

 

[cjack300zx]

Wonder how the Epic construction site is

Wondering the same thing with all the construction going on there

 

[mkt]

Do Cast Members at the hotels get to shelter at the hotels? I assume they can't really leave ... are they offered to or required to stay for a few days starting right before the storm? If they choose to stay home with their families or evacuate, is that permitted?

Yes. This is the standard for all hotels, not just Disney, during hurricanes.

 

[larryz]

No, if you're smart, you have your hurricane kit prepared every June when the season starts. Water, non-perishable food, batteries, flashlights, etc. The state even gives you a tax-free week to buy supplies, including generators.

There are individuals who cannot evacuate, for many reasons. Or can't even get to shelters because they lack transportation. Was glad to hear local authorities were taking the homeless to shelters. I've never understood why those school buses couldn't be used to get those without transportation to shelters. The sight of school buses covered in water up to their roofs after Katrina was infuriating. They could have been used to get people out of the lower parishes.

I'd suggest that if you don't have the means to evacuate, you shouldn't live in a potential storm surge zone.

 

[mkt]

what is the hurricane crew? does that include the people working at the restaurants, front desks, etc?

Yes.

 

[mickeyfan73]

And if my memory serves me correctly. The one high liner I spoke to said they drive all night from CA. And I believe in the end weren’t really needed