Matthew, my observations

I was at ASM from Monday to Friday. We got gas on Wednesday. Thursday we did 3 parks and hit our favorite rides several times. Got more beer and food at 2 gas stations and watched one run out of gas, and a smart manager lock the door to avoid a riot before they ran out of food. I could not believe how quickly the stress level of the crowd elevated, it was ugly.

Back at ASM, we decided to check the food court. Madness, the line for food was out the door into the bus area. My wife talked to a woman that waited hours for a pizza. Everyone was expecting that they would not be leaving the room on Friday, so they would need food and drinks for a full 24 hours. I saw families with stacks of pizzas, and the infamous box lunches. We ate our sandwiches in the food court just to people watch. I bought and extra 6pk of beer to give away. Found a guy who looked like he needed it, and gave it to him. It was one of the most sincere thank yous I have ever received. The next day, I was up at 7am, and expected it to be bad out. I had planned on taking photos of the storm and it's damage. Wind was 30 or less, rain less than average. Decided to check the food court. Free coffee and breakfast being served. By 9am people were out with small children and packing cars. We left at 11 am, easy drive to Key West.

 

[JohnD]

Well it's easy to sit at home and type this. There are comments here from people who tried to go out and saw chaos. A lot of Disney customers ( they do no treat the majority of their customers like guests anymore) arrive by air and take Magical Express to the resort, so they do not have a car. Additionally, the local traffic was horrible, stores were already overcrowded and stripped of food, so Uber, Lyft and Taxi were not really viable options. Add to all that the municipal curfews and you have one emergency situation.

As for the $13 meal, that was a huge PR mistake. However, simply saying "Free Boxed Lunch" in a pressure filled situation may have caused a pushing and shoving fest of major proportions but that price was insane, even by Disney's already insane standards. They should have been free and possibly distributed floor by floor in each of the resorts. If they had people to sl you the box, they had people to distribute the boxes in a more orderly fashion.

Agree with this. If they can put a flashlight in each room, then they can leave boxed lunches in the rooms too. Be ready with more on hand, if they get the count wrong in each room for example.

 

[NearTheEars]

IDK. Assuming you do not live in Orlando, on Wednesday evening, the local news had us planning for the end. When you keep getting alerts saying "catastrophic, deathly" people here were frazzled. I went to get my supplies Thursday morning and people were fighting over things. There is a large contingent of people who live in central florida (orlando) that say it was severely overhyped. To the governor and major credit, I understand its best to be prepared.

If the storm turned West instead of East, which was absolutely possible, you'd probably be thanking your lucky stars you were prepared for the worst. I'm thankful we didn't get a direct hit.

I know it gets people frazzled, but I'd much rather have that ahead of time, then people in misery in the aftermath.

 

[senor_jorge]

@marni1971 they actually can get into really big trouble over the box lunches. Florida Statute 501.160 states that during a state of emergency, it is unlawful to sell, lease, offer to sell, or offer for lease essential commodities, dwelling units, or self-storage facilities for an amount that grossly exceeds the average price for that commodity during the 30 days before the declaration of the state of emergency, unless the seller can justify the price by showing increases in its prices or market trends. Examples of necessary commodities are food, ice, gas, and lumber.

Sad to say with the $13 dollar box, I've gotten better covering Sea World Media events.

Somewhere they almost certainly have a price list for conventions/conferences with a box lunch listed at $13. I think it was a really bad decision, but doubt there will be any repercussions for price gouging.

Knowing how the parks work, if I take Universal Orlando for example going On-Stage to Back Stage Pricing, that box would have to cost the average person 3.71 to make.

Based on Sysco pricing for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that I can view, $3.71 is high. The labor required to assemble those meals is pennies per box.

 

[21stamps]

The point the matter is that when State of Emergency in Florida, food is considered a necessity and the only defence they can use is that the $13 reflects increased costs, such as running an emergency generator, or hazard pay for workers,

That's not true.
I have been through enough hurricanes in 30 something years that I know 100% that food is not given away for free. Restaurants can charge you full price for a meal, and all you receive is a single piece of chicken. I've done it..not happily.. But wanted something hot to eat because no one had power.

Here's the thing though, IF Matthew would have hit Orlando, then I do think Disney would have provided free food. But it didn't, so we'll never know...I'm betting they would have.

The fact is, the parks closed at 5, breakfast meals were in operation the next morning...and a lot of reports say all of the counter service places at the resorts were open. So what are people arguing about? There wasn't 24 hours without food options besides the box.. Yes, $13 was high.. But how many really had to buy them. Again, IF the hurricane would have actually hit, and people were stranded without any options...and Disney was selling $13 box lunches as the only food option.. Then I would be ranting right along side of you!

 

[Goofyernmost]

If the storm turned West instead of East, which was absolutely possible, you'd probably be thanking your lucky stars you were prepared for the worst. I'm thankfulwe didn't get a direct hit.

I know it gets people frazzled, but I'd much rather have that ahead of time, then people in misery in the aftermath.

Reasonable people with common sense would totally agree with you. People on a vacation mission usually have left their common sense at home, so, try to not expect that degree of logic from them.

 

[JohnD]

My observations on a FB post:

I'm sure CMs treated guests wonderfully. But selling the boxed lunches was a major "fail." This has nothing to do with guests' income levels--they're at Disney so obviously have the ability to pay. No, it should have been a WDW hurricane preparedness incurred cost providing the meals for free, possibly distributing them per room. Redistribute next meal if needed. Fortunately wasn't needed this time.

I heard the quality was poor. All the more reason it should have been free. You hope these are good quality but they are mass produced. Pretty much all you can expect for an emergency provision is for it to be edible.

 

[NearTheEars]

In regard to the $13 boxes, I certainly wouldn't expect them to be free, but yes, $13 was way too much considering the circumstances and the actual contents of the box.

 

[Goofyernmost]

My observations on a FB post:

I'm sure CMs treated guests wonderfully. But selling the boxed lunches was a major "fail." This has nothing to do with guests' income levels--they're at Disney so obviously have the ability to pay. No, it should have been a WDW hurricane preparedness incurred cost providing the meals for free, possibly distributing them per room. Redistribute next meal if needed. Fortunately wasn't needed this time.

I heard the quality was poor. All the more reason it should have been free. You hope these are good quality but they are mass produced. Pretty much all you can expect for an emergency provision is for it to be edible.

Who said it wasn't edible? Would that be because it wasn't steak and potatoes? Again with the hyperbole!

 

[JohnD]

Who said it wasn't edible? Would that be because it wasn't steak and potatoes? Again with the hyperbole!

Did I say it wasn't? Read again. I said it was poor quality. Earlier I said they were edible which is about all you can say about them. Speaking of hyperbole, I won't sing song and verse but you were definitely full of it (hyperbole or maybe something else) earlier.

 

[21stamps]

Can someone please answer my questions-

Did the resort 'convenience stores' remain open? Did the counter service restaurants remain open?
If so, until what time?

 

[psherman42]

Well it's easy to sit at home and type this. There are comments here from people who tried to go out and saw chaos. A lot of Disney customers ( they do no treat the majority of their customers like guests anymore) arrive by air and take Magical Express to the resort, so they do not have a car. Additionally, the local traffic was horrible, stores were already overcrowded and stripped of food, so Uber, Lyft and Taxi were not really viable options. Add to all that the municipal curfews and you have one emergency situation.

As for the $13 meal, that was a huge PR mistake. However, simply saying "Free Boxed Lunch" in a pressure filled situation may have caused a pushing and shoving fest of major proportions but that price was insane, even by Disney's already insane standards. They should have been free and possibly distributed floor by floor in each of the resorts. If they had people to sl you the box, they had people to distribute the boxes in a more orderly fashion.

Ok but don't all the resorts sell things like fruit and little things of cereal? Why not stock up on that just in case instead of waiting until they announce the parks are closed to decide getting food for your room might be a good idea?

Also, distributing something like that floor by floor probably wouldn't have been the best idea either because just imagine how much of it would go to waste. I wouldn't assume that just because they had enough people to sell them, that they had enough to go around room by room distributing them. Some of those resorts are huge, imo that probably would have taken a lot longer.

 

[DinoInstitute]

Who said it wasn't edible? Would that be because it wasn't steak and potatoes? Again with the hyperbole!

Yes because this (just one example) isn't hyperbole:

Hell, they charge upwards of $20+ for paltry counter service, inedible garbage in the parks.

 

[JohnD]

Yes because this (just one example) isn't hyperbole:

Wow. Misquoting me on what's inedible then complaining that WDW food is inedible. LOL.

 

[JohnD]

Ok but don't all the resorts sell things like fruit and little things of cereal? Why not stock up on that just in case instead of waiting until they announce the parks are closed to decide getting food for your room might be a good idea?

Also, distributing something like that floor by floor probably wouldn't have been the best idea either because just imagine how much of it would go to waste. I wouldn't assume that just because they had enough people to sell them, that they had enough to go around room by room distributing them. Some of those resorts are huge, imo that probably would have taken a lot longer.

It was reported they gave out free meals in 2004. Can someone report how that was done? If not by floor, okay, but It would be interesting to know.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Disney could give out free stacks of cash, and someone would figure out a way to complain that it was because they were money grubbing corporate evil people.

 

[beertiki]

I am sure there are poor people at Disney. They pack sandwiches and snacks to go to the parks, they eat at McDonalds and CiCis. Their kids get $20 a day to spend. Some got stuck an extra day, our extra night was not free, but we left and did not need it. $13 does not seem like much until you think about a family of four buying 3 meals each and extending their stay by one day. They might have even lost a day of work. It all adds up. Not everyone is as fortunate as you think. My wife owns her salon, she had to cancel a lot of appointments for Saturday as it looked like we would not be home. I think about the pay check to pay check family and know how difficult it can be.

It figures I would get labeled an alcoholic. I live in Key West. Our views on alcohol might be quite different than yours, just like some countries don't have a drinking age and others it is banned completely. You don't know me, keep your labels and judgements to yourself. The guy that I gave the six pack to, he was grateful, and didn't care that I am an alcoholic.

 

[JohnD]

Orlando Sentinel's take.

 

[JohnD]

Disney could give out free stacks of cash, and someone would figure out a way to complain that it was because they were money grubbing corporate evil people.

"The amount you gave is less than a 1 day stay in my resort and 1 day in a park. You short changed me!"

 

[beertiki]

No traffic to key west, easy drive.

The gift shop at ASM was open on Thursday night, all the food was picked through. At 7pm there was no chips, all the disney popcorn was gone, drinks almost all gone too. I remember seeing people with arm loads of the souvenir type snacks and candy.

 

[marni1971]

Hell, they charge upwards of $20+ for paltry counter service, inedible garbage in the parks. This seems like a treat..

Not during a state of emergency.