Was anyone at Disney 0n 9/11/01?

[KnK]

We were in MK for 9/11. While eating breakfast at Crystal Palace we noted one of the cast members crying and saying that her husband worked near "there." Did not mean much to use cause we did not know what had happened.

Headed over to Space Mountain, and as we were exiting we noted lots of suited cast members with walkie-talkies. We headed over to use our fast past at Peter Pan. About the time we got to Dumbo, they came over the speakers and said that the park was closing and evacuation plan ? was in effected.

We had been there in 1999 when they had closed for the hurricane. And we kept commenting that it was a beautiful day, and the tropical storm was not expected until later in the week.

As week are walking out, this guy next to use was talking on his cell phone and the parts we could hear were 'The plane hit the Pentagon and a PA crash.' My husband and I kind of looked at each other but ignored it. Just thought we would go to another park. When we got on the Boat to back to Wilderness Lodge, several us were still trying to figure out what the problem was.

It was not until we got in to the Lodge, and saw the bar packed with people watching the news that we realized what happened. Still in shock at this point. Took several days to were off.

After that the parks were dead. At one point, when we were eating in Epcot, one of the cast members was saying they only had 1,000 people in the park, and I beleive it. We made it halfway around the world showcase with seeing anyone. It was almost like having the park to ourselves.

A couple of days later at MGM we say three military helicopters flying very close to the ground. I had been in the bathroom and it was so loud the bathroom was shaking. By the time I got out, they were just passing over.

We were very lucky. We had just started out trip, and were able to fly out the following week with no problems.

 

[Lynx04]

I was suppose to fly home on Sept 11, 2001. Disney was great with providing a place to stay for us.

 

[billybluenose]

9/11/01

i actually called out for a "entertainment" shift at the contemporary that night. the parks were closed, but they obviously had resorts full of guests. i couldn't imagine performing that night without wondering what was going to happen next.

the following days, wdw was a ghost town. there was a ceremony the day after (maybe later) and it was eerie to look down main street at the flag and the couple of hundred people. i don't think the legend of the lion king was performed before more than a dozen people at any one time for the rest of the week. it was incredible to look out and see a family and an operations person and that's it.

the scariest part what never knowing if something was going to happen at the park. a fence was erected around the magic kingdom just prior to the 2000 new years party because osama bin ladin named disney (world or land) as a target. i thought about that everyday i walked beneath the castle.

-billy

 

[nyfrenchy]

osama bin ladin named disney (world or land) as a target. i thought about that everyday i walked beneath the castle.

-billy

Thanks for mentioning his name! I almost forgot about him.... hey remember the "wanted: dead or alive"?

 

[billybluenose]

Thanks for mentioning his name! I almost forgot about him.... hey remember the "wanted: dead or alive"?

you know, when i was writing the post it took me about a minute to remember what his name was. al quida? no...

it doesn't matter, anyway. osama's old news. now we're looking for some chick named katrina who's been gas-n-going something fierce and now we have to pay $2.50 a gallon because of it.

at least i think that's what's going on. local news in orlando is not so good.

it has something to do with the rain going sideways and wind tunnels, i think.

-billy

 

[robynchic]

Not Disney-related, but I remember where I was.

I was in my 2nd period trigonometry class, and the principal came over the intercom that everyone should remain calm, please stay quiet in the halls, and if you have any family that may be around what happened, you may use your cell phone. My teacher turned on the TV, and we saw it. Over and over and over.
When I was walking in the halls, people were crying (I live right outside of Washington, DC). I could see the smoke from the Pentagon from the windows of my school. It was so eerie. The county gave us off on September 12, like a snow day.
For the next few days or so, it was eerily quiet outside. I also live by Washington Dulles International Airport, so I heard airplanes all the time, and thought nothing of it. But when there were none, it was eerily quiet. Then we heard loud airplanes above us. Not the usual type. But loud ones that made our house shake. My dad (who used to do security with the military) walked outside, looked up, came back in, and said "They're doing surveillance. Those were F-15s or F-16s."

You know, with how we're all talking about it, it seems almost surreal that it happened at all. Like a bad dream, or a scene from a thriller movie.

 

[jmicro59]

My family and 4 others had planned a Disney vacation for two weeks after the attacks. When the attacks happened we canceled our airfare and rented a 25' RV and drove from Boston to Orlando in 24 hours straight through. The parks were empty and I mean empty. No lines no waiting. The strange thing is, it didn’t feel like we were at Disney without the crowds. We walked on all of the rides and were often asked by CM’s if we wanted to stay on rides and go again. The thing I will never forget is we were going across the Tapanzi bridge on our way down and when we could see the smoke rising from where the towers used to stand everyone was quiet, including the 3 children, it was just a creepy feeling to see that. Something I hope to never see again in my life time...

 

[One Dream]

i was there on Sept.10 nd left the same day..but it would of been scary if my family would of left the next day..we were goin to stay until the next day but i had school so thank goodness we didnt stay.

 

[Connor002]

You know, with how we're all talking about it, it seems almost surreal that it happened at all. Like a bad dream, or a scene from a thriller movie.

A bad dream that never seems to end...
Even as a little freckled fith grader, I understood that day, and I will never forgot it. It really puts things in perspective; if they showed thoes videos every day, I don't think anyone would be arguing over the pettly little things we somtimes consider "important."

 

[Ergens2]

We were there. We flew in from Richmond VA that morning. We didn't know what had happened until we landed and got into the airport! Then when we got over to Disney they said they were not sure if they would have a room for us! What a stressful trip. Then we were hit with heavy rain that same week. We walked around Epcot in ankle deep water.

 

[roninbrian]

I wasn't working at Disney at that time, but I was still living in Orlando. I was working at AT&T and listening to my favorite morning radio show when the DJ said someone had flown a plane into a tower in NYC. At that point I ( and the DJ) thought it was a small plane into a radio tower or something like that. Then the information started coming in. I remember all noise in the office stopped, except for the radios at the worker's desks, as they stopped working to just listen. I sat near a woman who's brother is a firefighter in NYC and heard her crying as more and more info came in. Everyone except for myself and 3 others went home that day. We stayed in case emergency phone lines were needed. One of the managers gave me his B&W portable TV before he left and we were all crowded around it and watched the second tower fall. I'll never forget what I saw that day, nor should I.

 

[SpenceMan01]

My parents were at AK the morning of the 11th.

Everything was fine. They got there at opening (8am that day, I believe). They saw what they wanted to see and decided to park hop to another park. Around 11/12 they exited AK and noticed people trying to enter exclaiming (what do you mean the park is closed?!). Not even thinking about it they went to guest relations to inquire about a problem with my mom's ticket. The person helped them, and then they asked why the park was closed. The CM responded, "Oh you haven't heard? We're not supposed to talk about it, but a plane flew into the WTC. All the parks are closed today." She refunded my parents admission for that day and their parking as well.

I remember being a freshman at college and having a class that morning. I was waiting in the hall and someone mentioned that a plane flew into the WTC. I figured it was just a small one and it was by accident. After class I went back to the dorms and everyone had the news on. It was very surreal. I was watching it and they mentioned that WDW was evacuated, and at that point I started worrying about my parents because I knew they were at the parks that day. I got a hold of them on the phone and everything was fine with them.

You know, I think it's good for us to be talking about this. Almost therapudic in a sort of way.

 

[Ergens2]

Even more scary is the fact that my mother worked at the Pentagon Credit Union sometimes. She was scheduled to be up there that day but the training was cancelled. I never, ever want to experience the fear that I felt that day ever again in my life. I could not reach her and she could not reach me. She thought that we didn't make it down. We left Richmond at 7:00 that morning. We landed without any warning. Tray tables down, flight attendants standing and everything.We got off the plane to total chaos. People running through the terminal. Pay phones 20 people deep. Every tv in the terminal showing a scene of black smoke. We met our driver at baggage and he informed us of the events of the morning. We were on our way to POR when we heard the second plane had crashed. The next week we sat with coffee and bagels and a tissue because the images that followed that week were very depressing. My best friends husband is a NYC police officer and I had not heard from them all week. I cried and prayed every night that they were safe. My prayers were answered by a phone call from her saying they were safe. You never really know the value of a friendship until that friendship is in danger. Since that event not a day goes by that we don't check in with each other.

 

[Ashitaka]

I wish I was at WDW that day.

But I was home in New York City. Let's just say it truly sucked and leave it at that.

 

[Pixiedust1393]

katrina who's been gas-n-going something fierce and now we have to pay $2.50 a gallon because of it.

Wow- that's it? Up here it's $3.01 +



Anyways, I wasn't in WDW at the time but a week after, I went to New York City ( YIKES- I know) to visit family.. Then once we made it back to VA, we took another trip to NYC to watch the Yankees play in the World Series.. I was very nervous in Yankee Stadium!

 

[Zack Attack]

I was at the Animal Kingdom that day and had know idea that was going on until they told us that the country was under attack. All you could do the rest of the day was watch T.V and go to the other resorts. The nice thing at Fort Wilderness was that they showed two movies that night at the Theatre Under The Stars.

 

[ConstanceIrene]

I wish I was at WDW that day.

But I was home in New York City. Let's just say it truly sucked and leave it at that.

I'm with you.

 

[JLW11Hi]

I can only imagine what it might have felt like to be in the World that week and in the following weeks. How empty the parks were, the patriotism being displayed by the guests.

Did anyone have a chance to view shows like the American Adventure or The Hall of Presidents in the following weeks/months? I could just imagine the standing ovations those shows got in those times.

 

[bgraham34]

Since I live in the NY area I am not going to talk about my events that day but I will say that I had a trip planned 10 days later for Disney.

My whole family begged me not to go. My girlfriend at the time family told us not to go but I told my girlfriend we had to go. We have to be strong. And it was very strange flying. No one spoke to each other on the plane or boarding it. But everyone made eye contact and you really tried to look into their souls. The parks were dead and everyone asked if I was from NY area why were we here. Because we showed we were not afraid. Seeing things first hand gave me a new perspective on life.

 

[Nemo14]

We also were supposed to go to WDW two weeks later - our first trip without our kids (2 teens). We left it up to them whether we should go, and much to my relief, they begged us to stay home. In a way, it was like the terrorists had won, but I never could have enjoyed the trip that year. It all seems like a big nightmare now, but we can never forget what happened to us all that horrible day!