News Major Hurricane Dorian impacts to Walt Disney World 2019

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
I can never remember when the call is made. So people trying to drive to WDW on Saturday will be out of luck.

I meant for evacuation from the East Coast. The estimate was 35 hours to clear out Amelia Island (only two roads - each going to I-95 in but one is via Talbot island to 95 by the zoo, the other to 95 further north), 26 for St John's county, and about 30 for Duval. Duval beaches have 3 main roads, but still ending up on 95.
 

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
I know no one knows an good answer right now but based on past experience would moving a 2pm flight out of MCO on Sunday to a 745am flight on Sunday be worth it? Or do we think the roads would be closed early Sunday and we wouldn't be able to make it to the airport anyway?
Unfortunately I really dont think you can make that call right now. There is just too much uncertainty.
 

JohnD

Well-Known Member
I meant for evacuation from the East Coast. The estimate was 35 hours to clear out Amelia Island (only two roads - each going to I-95 in but one is via Talbot island to 95 by the zoo, the other to 95 further north), 26 for St John's county, and about 30 for Duval. Duval beaches have 3 main roads, but still ending up on 95.

The two roads out of Amelia Island are A1A South / Hecksher Drive (SR 105) along the St. Johns River to the south. And A1A / SR 200 West to the North.

 

Allyp

Active Member
In the Parks
Yes
We're driving in Saturday morning and staying through the following Saturday. If the parks close. Is there anything indoors to entertain the little ones?
I'd also recommend bringing your own snacks and cases of water. As a other locals have already mentioned, basic food supplies are already going fast here. If you can get the supplies from where you are, you'll have a better time acquiring these items.
 

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
I lost power for 24 hours with Irma. I've got a supply of batteries, water, non perishables. Looking like another nasty Labor Day.

I was without power for 2 weeks with ?Charley (we had 3 come through with varying intensity one year) but everyone else in the neighborhood had it back within a few days. I wasn't home for Matthew, and was only without power for a couple of days with Irma. That one was more of a flooding event locally.

I have a portable generator, so my neighbor and I are loading up his truck with empty gas cans for a gas run tomorrow. Once hurricane season is over, he uses it in his lawnmower.

We have a fully stocked first aid kit, including sutures and casting material.
 

skyphotographer

Well-Known Member
Vacationers, does the resort you will be staying at have backup generators large enough to run the lights and all the air conditioners? If the answer is no, I would not want to be there during/after this storm.
 

ThatMouse

Well-Known Member
Disney power usually does not go out, because the power lines are buried. There are no room back-up generators at Disney. Edit: Just to add, Magic Bands and cards will not work if the power is out. The room locks are battery operated and have a "memory" so they will let you in even if the wifi is down assuming you've already opened the door once.
 

DisneyFreak

Well-Known Member
2PM update has Dorian coming in as a Cat. 3 (115 mph winds) which is the same as when Irma hit in 2017. We suffered a lot of damage with Irma in our old home. We just moved into a brand new construction home with all power lines buried. I'm hoping to fair a lot better this time around.
 

tribbleorlfl

Well-Known Member
Disney power usually does not go out, because the power lines are buried. There are no room back-up generators at Disney.
Buried lines still require above-ground sub stations and transformers, and are suseptable to being severed by uprooted trees.

I live in Winter Park, which has been undergoing line burying since we were hit with major line downage in the '04 season. Despite a lot of the grid being underground, it didn't stop much of the city from losing power with Irma.
 

skyphotographer

Well-Known Member
Good reading material for those considering being at Disney during a hurricane.

 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Buried lines still require above-ground sub stations and transformers, and are suspectable to being severed by uprooted trees.

I live in Winter Park, which has been undergoing line burying since we were hit with major line downage in the '04 season. Despite much of the grid being underground, it didn't stop much of the city from losing power with Irma.
Even underground lines have major feed points fed by... above ground lines.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Yeah. Even if the thing is Cat 1 by the time it reaches us, we'll probably have widespread loss of power because of all the downed trees falling through power lines.

Which will fall because of all the rain we've had over the past few days. You'd think Hermine and Michael would have cleared out all the vulnerable trees.
 

YankeeMouse

Well-Known Member
Usually if it's weather related the airlines won't give you anything since it's not there fault.
But if there is a weather alert, if you rebook before the event, there will often be no charge. So if you want to stay a bit longer and rebook, that's possible. All airlines have different policies, check with yours.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Just want to make a few comments.

1) As a life-ling Orlando resident, I tend to rate storm strength based in how long my home is out of power. When Irma came up the state in '17, she was a Low 1/TS by the time she came through Orlando. I was without power for almost 5 days. Dorian is currently projected to be a 3 when it (tentatively) hits around Daytona. There's not going to be much land to break up the storm this time, so it's likely to be a 2/3 when it (likely) hits Orlando.

I will not be surprised if this isn't the strongest storm to hit out area in quite some time, certainly it will be the strongest since Charley (in which I was out of power for over 2 WEEKS and the stucco in my apartment complex was ripped right off the buildings).

2) Now is the time to seriously consider altering your vacation plans. I'm not going to tell you to cancel, but I also don't think weighing a day or two of closed parks against your total vacation length is the right way to go about it, either.

And if you don't already have a vacation planned and are thinking about booking so you can experience a hurricane at WDW (like certain bloggers did in '17), please stay at home.

3) If you're planning on coming anyway but want to stock up on supplies for your room, note I went out on my lunch break to get a few things for dinner and the grocery store was already sold out of many staples. While there's certainly time for them to restock, just note locals seem to be taking this much more seriously than prior storms, so you will be competing for diminishing supplies with people who are already here. Bring it with you or have it delivered, if possible.

4) Stay safe.

I'm up in Tallahassee....people are getting concerned here. Michael is still too fresh in our minds.

You're right. This storm isn't going to be Irma, which brushed passed Orlando. This will be more like Charley in 2004.

Very good advice.
 

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