Hurricane Matthew

[LAKid53]

Is there a way to get a direct line to a hotel to speak with someone there or should I just call the generic line? I know my TA spoke with them yesterday and there wasn't anyone manning reservations or cancelations at that time. I technically wasn't due to check into AKL until today anyway.

Call your resort directly. Each hotel has a direct line. If you go to the hotel's page on WDW's website, the street address and direct phone number are listed, bottom right, down where directions to the hotel are.

Good luck!

 

[JohnD]

There will be a lot of check outs today. Everyone is waking up here and looking out side and at the radar and thinking that it's ok to drive home. I predict at least one park open before or at 3pm.

I'm not so sure. If there is, probably only to resort guests. The last thing they want to do is encourage people to hop in their cars and drive through hazardous conditions. But my thinking is all parks will remain closed today out of caution.

 

[21stamps]

It's interesting watching the local news. They have all been preparing us for the worst. And for the last 6 hours they have shown drizzle rain. Even torrential rain on the coast is no different than a tropical storm. Now they look like dupped, they been reporting rain. Im waiting for the bad weather.

I think it was Gilbert Gottfried that said "it's the media's job to make a mouse's fart sound like a nuclear explosion." They are pretty good at it too. Given a real event like this they can go non-stop. Still dark here in Kissimmee (at 7:08 am EDT) but from what I can tell looking out my "accu-window" it's presently just very windy with some rain. I think we might have gotten lucky here as the radar show folks to the north are getting beat up a lot worse (at least right now). I don't think you can be too prepared or over react to something like this. A lot easier to stand down than ramp up too late. We are pretty well prepared as are my neighbors I spoke with in the last few days.

Matthew hasn't been a fraction of what he was predicted to be... Which is WONDERFUL news!!

I still want to give major props to the State of Florida, FPL, and everyone else involved in the preparations for Matthew's arrival. They were ready.
Florida has been spared it seems, still a little time to go, but it won't be anywhere near what the Bahamas and other islands received.

Nobody was wrong, you just experienced the beneficial side of the probability curve. A comparison would be if you play russian roulette and 5 of six chambers are loaded. The gun fails to go off and you proclaim "I knew the gun was empty!! Here, it's your turn."

Yes, they were wrong. They are wrong the majority of the time. It doesn't mean that they misinformed us, or that everyone shouldn't have been prepared. All that means is that we're dealing with Mother Nature, and she plays by her own rules. There's a reason why they put almost the entire east coast of FL under a warning, when it wasn't possible to hit that large of an area, it's because you have to anticipate the worst.

I said this yesterday- hurricanes move at any given second. That is why it is so imperative to be ready, but don't panic.

Everything about this has been so different than the past.. Florida was spared this time, but if it a strong hurricane really does come next time, I'm confident that we will never see the power outages and other issues of years prior.

To those who have moved to Florida in the last 10 years-

Please don't let this mislead you into thinking that next time you may be as lucky. You can never count on that. Just do what you did this time..and all will be good

 

[cjgren]

Call your resort directly. Each hotel has a direct line. If you go to the hotel's page on WDW's website, the street address and direct phone number are listed, bottom right, down where directions to the hotel are.

Good luck!

Unfortunately, the number now listed as their line on WDW's website is the generic customer service number. They advised to complete online check-in if I hadn't already. So I did that.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I wonder do people who travel to Orlando during hurricane season even realize its hurricane season?

Nope.

 

[21stamps]

Waiting for this afternoon for the storm to clear, but hopefully I'll be able to get to property this evening! I'm extremely greatful that I had a place to stay tonight - thank you to those that suggested I get a place in Tampa!

Yay! Have a indeed up trip!!!

 

[Princess Leia]

Time to bring this back.
Good morning, Orlando! Hope you're alright.

 

[LAKid53]

Unfortunately, the number now listed as their line on WDW's website is the generic customer service number. They advised to complete online check-in if I hadn't already. So I did that.

I just checked a couple of resorts and the direct line is listed. PM me your resort and I will check TripAdvisor for the direct line for you. Checking in online isn't going to tell you if rooms taken by evacuated guests will be vacated and readied in time for your arrival this evening.

 

[Minthorne]

I find those box lunches for $12.99 to be such a fail on Disney's part. Bad show.

 

[21stamps]

The media loves to make a huge production out of these things and scare the **** out of people. Coastal areas always get slammed because they're on the coast, but inland areas are fine because the storm weakens as it progresses over land. Nothing's going to happen other wind and rain. It wouldn't surprise me if one or two of the parks opens later in the day.

My closest friend, who SHOULD have evacuated but didn't, was sending me videos and snapchats all night of the hurricane damage in Palm Beach from her home.
One was - "Oh No!!" With a photo of 1 downed dead Palm frond. Another was a video of her acting like she was blowing away, light drizzling rain behind her, background trees not even moving.., and another with her 100 Jesus candles that she had bought (only candles left) to prepare for a power outage, asking what she should do with them.
They were pretty amusing. I am soooo glad that it didn't go the other way. So glad. I was frightened for a moment.

I still think she was wrong for not leaving, but I'm extremely thankful that it all ended ok.

 

[21stamps]

Still here at All Star Movies. Going to drive home to Key West in a few hours. Much weaker than predicted. Went to get beer and sandwiches yesterday at 5 pm, we filled the Jeep with gas on Wednesday. 2 stores closed, the 3rd had beer, and snacks. Went to wawa for sandwiches, place was packed, heard it was a 40 minute wait. While there, they ran out of all gas, and watched almost all food disappear. After over an hour, they locked the doors so no new people could come in. I think they were scared of a riot when they ran out and people had been waiting for an hour. It was very close to ugly. I was real close to having to hurt the pushy guy trying to get his order #787 before my 745. I assured him there was no way he was going to cut in front of me. Wife saw it in my eyes too.

When we got to ASM, the line was out the door for food. 2 hour wait. The $12.99 emergency lunch looked pathetic. If you ever think disney will take care of you, forget it. Almost all food and drinks gone from the gift shop.

Good news, yesterday we walked on toy Story twice, RR twice, Tower once, then did Everest 4x, followed by pirates, haunted and space. This took 6 hours.

I am so extremely envious of your second sentence.

Have a safe trip home!

 

[LAKid53]

My closest friend, who SHOULD have evacuated but didn't, was sending me videos and snapchats all night of the hurricane damage in Palm Beach from her home.
One was - "Oh No!!" With a photo of 1 downed dead Palm frond. Another was a video of her acting like she was blowing away, light drizzling rain behind her, background trees not even moving.., and another with her 100 Jesus candles that she had bought (only candles left) to prepare for a power outage, asking what she should do with them.
They were pretty amusing. I am soooo glad that it didn't go the other way. So glad. I was frightened for a moment.

I still think she was wrong for not leaving, but I'm extremely thankful that it all ended ok.

Glad she's okay and sounds like she had a good time, lol. How were the cookies?

I know those candles, our local Publix carries them in the internatonal foods section. Yeah, they work. She can use them during Halloween. ;-)

 

[matt9112]

Power went out here in Deltona about two hours ago. Wind ks getting bad. Some trees have been snapped in half. Hope and pray for the best.

 

[21stamps]

OMG, if I lived in the projected cone of impact, heeded warnings to prepare for sheltering in place or evacuate and the dang thing shifted slightly, meaning winds of 50 mph, instead of 100 mph, I'd be doing a happy dance, rather than ******** about the "media loves to make a huge production out of these things and scare the **** out of people" You know, they need to. Too many people with the "nothing will happen to me, I can ride it out" mentality.

I don't think he's saying that they shouldn't do it..just that it is one of the reasons why people should prepare but shouldn't go into panic.

It is one of the reasons, like I stated yesterday, that it makes a tough decision if you really want to leave your home or not. Mandatory evac zones- yes you really should get out. Voluntary zones, that's a tough call. It isn't as easy of a decision as so many here think.

Edited to add- also something I said yesterday.. TWC extreme forecasters really do sometimes act almost comical. There was one in Ft Pierce who did look like he was getting some heavy gusts..but the ones in Palm Beach were pretty funny.

 

[rawisericho]

Got into AKL yesterday. Nothing's happened so far, some wind and rain. We swam in the pool yesterday for a few hours because it was sunny.

 

[21stamps]

Glad she's okay and sounds like she had a good time, lol. How were the cookies?

I know those candles, our local Publix carries them in the internatonal foods section. Yeah, they work. She can use them during Halloween. ;-)

Oh I will never hear the end of those cookies. I had plenty of snapchats of them with smart lip captions.
I still don't agree with her decision to stay, but I'll take the sarcasm with a grain of salt... Just so glad that everyone is safe!

I'll tell her to use them for Halloween! Ha ha

 

[MOXOMUMD]

They've already announced parks are closed today. I wouldn't count on it. CMs will probably be in them at the earliest "all clear" but then they'll need the entire day to prep them for Saturday opening.

His post was referencing a Saturday opening, not Friday.

 

[LAKid53]

I don't think he's saying that they shouldn't do it..just that it is one of the reasons why people should prepare but shouldn't go into panic.

It is one of the reasons, like I stated yesterday, that it makes a tough decision if you really want to leave your home or not. Mandatory evac zones- yes you really should get out. Voluntary zones, that's a tough call. It isn't as easy of a decision as so many here think.

Sorry, must disagree. I just lived through the previous hurricane that hit Florida. If I lived on a barrier island, like St. George, or Alligator Point, and was under even a voluntary evacuation, I'd be hauling my butt off the island. Especially since I saw what Dennis did to Panacea, Alligator Point, Carabelle and Eastpoint. My daughter's then boyfriend's grandparents lost their home on Carabelle Beach. Dennis flattened the dunes on St. George. There were folks who decided to stay on St. George during Hermine...and they rode out Dennis on the Island.

 

[cjgren]

I just checked a couple of resorts and the direct line is listed. PM me your resort and I will check TripAdvisor for the direct line for you. Checking in online isn't going to tell you if rooms taken by evacuated guests will be vacated and readied in time for your arrival this evening.

Thank you for the offer, but someone in a Facebook group I'm in actually is staying there and talked to the front desk for me. You've been so kind to this newbie, it means a lot!

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

Matthew hasn't been a fraction of what he was predicted to be... Which is WONDERFUL news!!

I still want to give major props to the State of Florida, FPL, and everyone else involved in the preparations for Matthew's arrival. They were ready.
Florida has been spared it seems, still a little time to go, but it won't be anywhere near what the Bahamas and other islands received.


Yes, they were wrong. They are wrong the majority of the time. It doesn't mean that they misinformed us, or that everyone shouldn't have been prepared. All that means is that we're dealing with Mother Nature, and she plays by her own rules. There's a reason why they put almost the entire east coast of FL under a warning, when it wasn't possible to hit that large of an area, it's because you have to anticipate the worst.

I said this yesterday- hurricanes move at any given second. That is why it is so imperative to be ready, but don't panic.

Everything about this has been so different than the past.. Florida was spared this time, but if it a strong hurricane really does come next time, I'm confident that we will never see the power outages and other issues of years prior.

To those who have moved to Florida in the last 10 years-

Please don't let this mislead you into thinking that next time you may be as lucky. You can never count on that. Just do what you did this time..and all will be good

Have to tell you....I love this post. Full of perspective and intelligence.