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.

 

[SorcererMC]

Ok, no. I have to disagree with you.

They price for many income levels. Disney is not and has never been priced for the poor. It is a luxury.

I did not say they 'price for the poor'. I literally said that they price to attract consumers of all income levels - it's pricing strategy according to supply and demand. Therefore, consumers of all income levels who are willing to pay attend their parks.

Edit: Why are you disagreeing with me when we are saying the same thing?

 

[21stamps]

I did not say they 'price for the poor'. I literally said that they price to attract consumers of all income levels - it's pricing strategy according to supply and demand. Therefore, consumers of all income levels who are willing to pay attend their parks.

Edit: Why are you disagreeing with me when we are saying the same thing?

I'm disagreeing with the original statement of "Poor middle Americans who can't afford a meal", and your statement that a Disney vacation can accommodate all income levels.
If someone is truly poor, they won't be at WDW. Disney does not have a price point for them.

Not arguing, just pointing that out.

 

[Zipadeelady]

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.

Very well said to someone who judges others. What a nice and giving thing you did for a guy that was extremely stressed out, he will remember the "magic' you gave him forever.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Nice! Are you some kind of 'beer fairy'?

I am!

 

[SorcererMC]

I'm disagreeing with the original statement of "Poor middle Americans who can't afford a meal", and your statement that a Disney vacation can accommodate all income levels.
If someone is truly poor, they won't be at WDW. Disney does not have a price point for them.

Not arguing, just pointing that out.

I did not say that Disney 'accommodates' all income levels, and that original statement you are referencing is not mine I don't think. Disney offers different pricing tiers that will attract consumers of all income levels - yes, that includes lower income segments (eg household income <$25,000). It is up to the consumer to decide if they are willing or able to pay a given price point. Lower income consumers may not be traveling out of state or staying on property to go to WDW, but I am sure that there are in-state tourists of lower income levels who visit WDW. They might not be Disney's largest consumer segment or core market, but Disney does offer FL resident passes with payment plans that might accommodate a consumer in the lower income bracket, for example. It's possible that they stay on-property for a getaway weekend.

ETA: Actually I think that the same could be said for the middle income segments (median household income $25-50,000) who may be taking a WDW vacation 'on the cheap'.

 

[21stamps]

I did not say that Disney 'accommodates' all income levels, and that original statement you are referencing is not mine I don't think. Disney offers different pricing tiers that will attract consumers of all income levels - yes, that includes lower income segments (eg household income <$25,000). It is up to the consumer to decide if they are willing or able to pay a given price point. Lower income consumers may not be traveling out of state or staying on property to go to WDW, but I am sure that there are in-state tourists of lower income levels who visit WDW. They might not be Disney's largest consumer segment or core market, but Disney does offer FL resident passes with payment plans that might accommodate a consumer in the lower income bracket, for example. It's possible that they stay on-property for a getaway weekend.

ETA: Actually I think that the same could be said for the middle income segments (median household income $25-50,000) who may be taking a WDW vacation 'on the cheap'.

Food for thought- if the "poor" people that we are talking about are not middle Americans, but actually from the state of Florida, then their expenses were much less at WDW than what they would have been at home.
This is one of the biggest things with hurricane readiness, it happens every time.. You have truly low income families, living paycheck to paycheck, who go out and spend money to get ready for a hurricane- money that was probably already allocated for rent or a utility, and they are the loudest when complaining that it doesn't hit. It's sad, because they really can't afford all of the supplies. That said, if we are assuming that one of these families were at WDW- then a $13 meal box would have been a heck of a lot less money than stocking up on water, candles, batteries, ice, non perishable foods etc..and most importantly- That $13 box was not their only option!

I'm just saying let's not go too crazy with the assumptions, and dial back on the Disney criticism with this one. People were better off at a Disney resort than most other places in Florida on Thursday.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I know many sandwiches I get at WDW are in that $13 range. I didn't read every page of this, so I don't know precisely what was in the box, but either way, I can't really get upset about this. I don't know why everybody thinks they get to tell Disney what they are obligated to give away for free. Is the law that if you are in a hotel for a hurricane, the hotel has to feed you? No. Does Disney owe you anything? No. Would it be nice if they gave you a free box lunch? Sure. But from other posts it seems there was free breakfast, other food, etc., so just how much are they obligated to give away for free?

And there is no way in the world a $13 sandwich at WDW can be considered price gouging and it would not be investigated by the state.

The storm was not overhyped, it was just taking unexpected (but fortunate) turns. The projected path cannot be exactly pinned down, there are too many variables. That's why we have a "cone" showing a range of where the storm is most likely to go. If you are in the cone, then you prepare as if it's coming, and only fools are disappointed if it doesn't come.

I've lived in South Florida for 20 years and been through plenty of hurricanes, tropical storms, etc. Better safe than sorry. Always. Sometimes the tropical storms do more damage (lost a car in one around 1998 or so.) Had Matthew hit us as a category 4 (as it just as easily could have done vs. what it did) it could have been devastating. And if it did take that path towards us, by the time anyone could know it for certain, it would be too late to do anything about it. So you have to prepare.

After Wilma (during which I was fortunately on a business trip) water was out for days, power was out for weeks, the stores only took cash, but the ATM's were empty or had very strict limits, gas couldn't be pumped due to loss of power, and life was generally miserable. And Wilma was "only" a category 3. A desperate former employee of mine stole money and merchandise from me. Fortunately I realized it early and was able to put a stop to it before it became a bigger loss.

Since then, supermarkets and gas stations were required to install generators, so theoretically it wouldn't be as bad. Our Publix was exceptionally well organized and stocked. A day or two before everybody started going nuts, I stocked up on what I thought I would need on the off-chance we got hit, and filled both cars with gas. As it got closer and closer, a direct hit or something close to it looked more and more likely, up to and including the morning it hit (the 8AM report.) So the few days' worth of food & water I bought earlier looked like it might not be sufficient. I went to Publix at 7:30AM and there was plenty of water, ice, and everything else I needed except D batteries. The lines were short, the staff were on point, and the store was packed. It was too late to find a portable generator anywhere. Our shutters were up, we had extra jugs of tap water at the ready, and we waited - second guessing everything - should we have taken the dog with us to a pet friendly hotel in Naples? Should we have gone to a pet friendly shelter? Should DH have not gone to work that morning even for a few hours, even though he was expected there? Should we have taken the patio table apart to fit it inside the house because it might get blown into something? Did we have enough x,y,z? and on and on.

As it was coming our way, it jogged to the East - just enough that we were out of reach of the worst winds. That was unexpected and very fortunate. I didn't care if we had extra cans of soup leftover or a garbage can full of ice in the dining room. Any inconvenience was outweighed by the relief of not having to get a roof fixed or sit in the heat for days.

Our Governor was a jerk, IMO. I have never before seen a Governor of our state yelling at people on the TV to "Get out!" and belittling them saying things like, "What have you got to prove" and what not. "This storm will kill you!" Way to keep people, calm, jerk. You can get your point across without inducing panic and hysteria, and I can see how visitors in Orlando who were not used to this could take that. (But this is not new, our Governor is always a jerk.) Here he was on the news the day of Matthew's near miss:

 

[Dead2009]

Boxed Lunches. I was disgusted that Disney could charge $13 for emergency rations, because that is what they were selling. People were told that there would be nothing available on Friday, and Disney wanted to make a 500% profit. I bought a 6pk for a stranger, and one day out of 10 years Disney can't buy a sandwich for its trapped customers. I was prepared and had extra, I can not imagine how it would have felt for some on a tight budget (poor) family from middle America to be stuck in this situation. We have been coming to Disney for 20 years and now that we live in Florida have an AP. This was an opportunity for Disney to really take care of its guests, and it's response is a $13 sandwich.

Id hate to see your reaction if you had to go to a Walmart the day before.

 

[21stamps]

I know many sandwiches I get at WDW are in that $13 range. I didn't read every page of this, so I don't know precisely what was in the box, but either way, I can't really get upset about this. I don't know why everybody thinks they get to tell Disney what they are obligated to give away for free. Is the law that if you are in a hotel for a hurricane, the hotel has to feed you? No. Does Disney owe you anything? No. Would it be nice if they gave you a free box lunch? Sure. But from other posts it seems there was free breakfast, other food, etc., so just how much are they obligated to give away for free?

And there is no way in the world a $13 sandwich at WDW can be considered price gouging and it would not be investigated by the state.

The storm was not overhyped, it was just taking unexpected (but fortunate) turns. The projected path cannot be exactly pinned down, there are too many variables. That's why we have a "cone" showing a range of where the storm is most likely to go. If you are in the cone, then you prepare as if it's coming, and only fools are disappointed if it doesn't come.

I've lived in South Florida for 20 years and been through plenty of hurricanes, tropical storms, etc. Better safe than sorry. Always. Sometimes the tropical storms do more damage (lost a car in one around 1998 or so.) Had Matthew hit us as a category 4 (as it just as easily could have done vs. what it did) it could have been devastating. And if it did take that path towards us, by the time anyone could know it for certain, it would be too late to do anything about it. So you have to prepare.

After Wilma (during which I was fortunately on a business trip) water was out for days, power was out for weeks, the stores only took cash, but the ATM's were empty or had very strict limits, gas couldn't be pumped due to loss of power, and life was generally miserable. And Wilma was "only" a category 3. A desperate former employee of mine stole money and merchandise from me. Fortunately I realized it early and was able to put a stop to it before it became a bigger loss.

Since then, supermarkets and gas stations were required to install generators, so theoretically it wouldn't be as bad. Our Publix was exceptionally well organized and stocked. A day or two before everybody started going nuts, I stocked up on what I thought I would need on the off-chance we got hit, and filled both cars with gas. As it got closer and closer, a direct hit or something close to it looked more and more likely, up to and including the morning it hit (the 8AM report.) So the few days' worth of food & water I bought earlier looked like it might not be sufficient. I went to Publix at 7:30AM and there was plenty of water, ice, and everything else I needed except D batteries. The lines were short, the staff were on point, and the store was packed. It was too late to find a portable generator anywhere. Our shutters were up, we had extra jugs of tap water at the ready, and we waited - second guessing everything - should we have taken the dog with us to a pet friendly hotel in Naples? Should we have gone to a pet friendly shelter? Should DH have not gone to work that morning even for a few hours, even though he was expected there? Should we have taken the patio table apart to fit it inside the house because it might get blown into something? Did we have enough x,y,z? and on and on.

As it was coming our way, it jogged to the East - just enough that we were out of reach of the worst winds. That was unexpected and very fortunate. I didn't care if we had extra cans of soup leftover or a garbage can full of ice in the dining room. Any inconvenience was outweighed by the relief of not having to get a roof fixed or sit in the heat for days.

Our Governor was a jerk, IMO. I have never before seen a Governor of our state yelling at people on the TV to "Get out!" and belittling them saying things like, "What have you got to prove" and what not. "This storm will kill you!" Way to keep people, calm, jerk. You can get your point across without inducing panic and hysteria, and I can see how visitors in Orlando who were not used to this could take that. (But this is not new, our Governor is always a jerk.) Here he was on the news the day of Matthew's near miss:

I know many sandwiches I get at WDW are in that $13 range. I didn't read every page of this, so I don't know precisely what was in the box, but either way, I can't really get upset about this. I don't know why everybody thinks they get to tell Disney what they are obligated to give away for free. Is the law that if you are in a hotel for a hurricane, the hotel has to feed you? No. Does Disney owe you anything? No. Would it be nice if they gave you a free box lunch? Sure. But from other posts it seems there was free breakfast, other food, etc., so just how much are they obligated to give away for free?

And there is no way in the world a $13 sandwich at WDW can be considered price gouging and it would not be investigated by the state.

The storm was not overhyped, it was just taking unexpected (but fortunate) turns. The projected path cannot be exactly pinned down, there are too many variables. That's why we have a "cone" showing a range of where the storm is most likely to go. If you are in the cone, then you prepare as if it's coming, and only fools are disappointed if it doesn't come.

I've lived in South Florida for 20 years and been through plenty of hurricanes, tropical storms, etc. Better safe than sorry. Always. Sometimes the tropical storms do more damage (lost a car in one around 1998 or so.) Had Matthew hit us as a category 4 (as it just as easily could have done vs. what it did) it could have been devastating. And if it did take that path towards us, by the time anyone could know it for certain, it would be too late to do anything about it. So you have to prepare.

After Wilma (during which I was fortunately on a business trip) water was out for days, power was out for weeks, the stores only took cash, but the ATM's were empty or had very strict limits, gas couldn't be pumped due to loss of power, and life was generally miserable. And Wilma was "only" a category 3. A desperate former employee of mine stole money and merchandise from me. Fortunately I realized it early and was able to put a stop to it before it became a bigger loss.

Since then, supermarkets and gas stations were required to install generators, so theoretically it wouldn't be as bad. Our Publix was exceptionally well organized and stocked. A day or two before everybody started going nuts, I stocked up on what I thought I would need on the off-chance we got hit, and filled both cars with gas. As it got closer and closer, a direct hit or something close to it looked more and more likely, up to and including the morning it hit (the 8AM report.) So the few days' worth of food & water I bought earlier looked like it might not be sufficient. I went to Publix at 7:30AM and there was plenty of water, ice, and everything else I needed except D batteries. The lines were short, the staff were on point, and the store was packed. It was too late to find a portable generator anywhere. Our shutters were up, we had extra jugs of tap water at the ready, and we waited - second guessing everything - should we have taken the dog with us to a pet friendly hotel in Naples? Should we have gone to a pet friendly shelter? Should DH have not gone to work that morning even for a few hours, even though he was expected there? Should we have taken the patio table apart to fit it inside the house because it might get blown into something? Did we have enough x,y,z? and on and on.

As it was coming our way, it jogged to the East - just enough that we were out of reach of the worst winds. That was unexpected and very fortunate. I didn't care if we had extra cans of soup leftover or a garbage can full of ice in the dining room. Any inconvenience was outweighed by the relief of not having to get a roof fixed or sit in the heat for days.

Our Governor was a jerk, IMO. I have never before seen a Governor of our state yelling at people on the TV to "Get out!" and belittling them saying things like, "What have you got to prove" and what not. "This storm will kill you!" Way to keep people, calm, jerk. You can get your point across without inducing panic and hysteria, and I can see how visitors in Orlando who were not used to this could take that. (But this is not new, our Governor is always a jerk.) Here he was on the news the day of Matthew's near miss:

I want so badly to "Like" your comment.. But I can't due to your last paragraph. Lol

What I will say is this, a lot of people in this country don't realize how miserable and horrible it was after Wilma. The news was so full of the flooding in New Orleans that there wasn't much air time left for anything else. Had Wilma happened any other time it would have been the main story, but regardless, I just think most Americans just do not have a clue what we went thru in 2005.

Even being out of Florida now, I am very impressed with the preparedness for Matthew, from everyone I spoke to they were shocked at how different it seemed this time.

I am so extremely thankful that Matthew stayed east, but I do think that Florida was ready to deal with the aftermath.. much more than we were 11 years ago.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I want so badly to "Like" your comment.. But I can't due to your last paragraph. Lol

What I will say is this, a lot of people in this country don't realize how miserable and horrible it was after Wilma. The news was so full of the flooding in New Orleans that there wasn't much air time left for anything else. Had Wilma happened any other time it would have been the main story, but regardless, I just think most Americans just do not have a clue what we went thru in 2005.

Even being out of Florida now, I am very impressed with the preparedness for Matthew, from everyone I spoke to they were shocked at how different it seemed this time.

I am so extremely thankful that Matthew stayed east, but I do think that Florida was ready to deal with the aftermath.. much more than we were 11 years ago.

Completely agree. The only point I was making is the Governor was publicly behaving unlike any previous Governor by making irresponsible statements, which to me was irksome. That didn't make us more prepared. Hysteria is not part of preparation.

 

[21stamps]

Completely agree. The only point I was making is the Governor was publicly behaving unlike any previous Governor by making irresponsible statements, which to me was irksome. That didn't make us more prepared. Hysteria is not part of preparation.

Here's a few excerpts from text convos I was having with 2 different PBC residents...one during the storm, the other right after. They agree with you.

 

[SorcererMC]

Food for thought- if the "poor" people that we are talking about are not middle Americans, but actually from the state of Florida, then their expenses were much less at WDW than what they would have been at home.
This is one of the biggest things with hurricane readiness, it happens every time.. You have truly low income families, living paycheck to paycheck, who go out and spend money to get ready for a hurricane- money that was probably already allocated for rent or a utility, and they are the loudest when complaining that it doesn't hit. It's sad, because they really can't afford all of the supplies. That said, if we are assuming that one of these families were at WDW- then a $13 meal box would have been a heck of a lot less money than stocking up on water, candles, batteries, ice, non perishable foods etc..and most importantly- That $13 box was not their only option!

I'm just saying let's not go too crazy with the assumptions, and dial back on the Disney criticism with this one. People were better off at a Disney resort than most other places in Florida on Thursday.

I think that you are confusing my statements with others made in this thread re: $13 boxed lunches. The only point I've been making is that consumers of all income brackets go to WDW.

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

As usual, too many people waited until the last minute to prepare. I got some sandwiches in "to go" containers and some drinks on Weds/Thursday and I had no problems.

 

[WishIwasatEPCOT]

4 people died from the storm in Central FL. One, about 30 miles from WDW.

Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. They make the call when the storm is about 500 miles out. It missed being worst case scenario by 15 miles. The authorities absolutely made the right call.

We long-term Kissimmee residents were concerned, some to the point of hysteria, that Charlie's badass big brother was coming. Personally, I was without power for 5 full days after Charlie...in August... in Florida. A last-hour wobble to the east prevented Matthew from doing much more damage here.