Huricanes at the Fort

[ram101]

I am knocking on wood while I am typing this but....

I am curious as to how the Fort handles huricanes and the guests/campers at the Fort? We will be there Sept 14-21st which is still huricane season right?
I have read posts on the other boards and understand that WDW is very good to the guests durring these times.
Guess I would be a little worried about being in the camper should trees start falling and such! :scared: Altough it would make an exciting ride! :crazy2:

[Gatordad]

we were at port orleans for floyd.... they put the campers up there (at least the one family we were talking to)

[iradi8]

We will also be there in Sept. and I am a bit worried about going then:) We have two large dogs and I was thinking -- what will we do if a hurricane comes? I don't want to leave my dogs anywhere!

I'm from Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina hit where I live.:headache:

[algg]

When is hurricane season in Orlando? We will be going in August and never thought about it.

[Gatordad]

6/1-12/1

[AuburnJen92]

6/1-12/1

Aww, be nice to the non-native folk...:rotfl2: the hurricanes are most numerous stating mid August to mid October, but they have been known to hit before, during and after the dates Gatordad posted. Disney takes very good care of their guests during a crisis situation. I remember running the generator (when we were out of power for 29 days) and reading on the boards how good they were being. I was so impressed, I left everything here and went up there to cool off in one of their rooms!)

[Duane]

We were there 2 years ago when Wilma went through... Arrived late Saturday night, got a knock on the door early Sunday morning telling us the the campground was closing at 7pm. We were to dump our tanks, fill our water tank, check out of the campground and check in to the All Stars Sports. We spent 2 nights at the AS and were allowed to return on Tueday at noon.

Just like anytime someone is "inconvenienced" there were folks that complained the entire time. "It took too long to check out of the fort". "It took too long to check in to the All Stars" "What do you mean you're putting me up at a Value resort, I would rather be in my camper"

I for one thought Disney went over and above the call of duty to do what they did. For something that there is no real notice for, they get the "props"

The parking lot at the All Stars looked like an RV show....

[marybrat]

Hmmm... maybe I should toss a duffel bag or two into the camper, as a just in case.:idea:

[jaxpooh]

During Hurricane Charlie the parking lots at POFQ looked like RV sales lots! We talked to several of the families and they all agreed that were well taken care of, even receiving food vouchers since they were unable to cook the food they brought in their campers. One family even said they gave her a voucher to get her son some clothes since they were told to pack enough for one-two days and it was over double that.

[dizneydiva2005]

I was at Ft. Wilderness in 1999 when Disney was closed due to Hurricane Floyd. We were moved to Wilderness Lodge- The entire campground gets closed so they either try to move you or ask you to leave. They asked us if we could leave and I said no- I wasn't going to try to get home to NC the traffic in Fl was crazy. Disney was shut down and we had to stay in the resort- no leaving.
As it turned out - Floyd missed Fl and headed to NC where we live.

[mickeymouse1017]

I would not want to leave either until after the hurricane since they are so unpredictable. But, what would happen to people like us that have our pets with us? Where do they put families with pets?

[iradi8]

what would happen to people like us that have our pets with us? Where do they put families with pets?

This is a big concern for me as we have two trips scheduled during hurricane season. I mean, what do I do with two golden retrievers?

[MomOfDisneyBoys]

Do they evacuate the cabins as well, or just the campers?

[jdvm]

While there have been lots of cost cutting measures at WDW, hurricane preparedness does not appear to be one of them. We were staying at Old Key West when Charlie came through and we were amazed, not only at how we were taken care of, but at how efficiently a good deal of Fort Wilderness seemed to have been evacuated to OKW. I think you're in safe hands!
John

[tungpo1]

I think hurricane season ends Nov6

[Gatordad]

Hurricane season does not end 6NOV. I was wrong, it runs from 1JUN to 30NOV

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/G1.html

[AuburnJen92]

I think hurricane season ends Nov6

I am confused. I thought hurricane season started June 1st and ended November 30th. Don't tell Mother Nature that though. She doesn't adhere to the official season.;)

[Princess Stitch]

I would not want to leave either until after the hurricane since they are so unpredictable. But, what would happen to people like us that have our pets with us? Where do they put families with pets?

I would assume they could accomodate the pets in the kennels no? I mean, where do you keep your dog when you go to the parks?

[tungpo1]

I stand corrected!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:banana: Nov 30th

[mickeymouse1017]

I would assume they could accomodate the pets in the kennels no? I mean, where do you keep your dog when you go to the parks?

Our dogs stay in our motorhome when we go to the parks. I am like you and would think that they would try to put them in the kennels if possible but have not gotten an answer.

[Gatordad]

when floyd almost came thru in 99, the people with us in port orleans snuck their dog in the room..... with all the commotion, no one paid attention to them.

[iradi8]

I would assume they could accomodate the pets in the kennels no? I mean, where do you keep your dog when you go to the parks?

Our dogs stay in the camper when we are in the parks. I can't imagine they could accomodate all of the dogs from FW in the kennels? That's a lot of dogs.

I think most dogs stay in the camper and not in the kennel during the day.

[ram101]

when floyd almost came thru in 99, the people with us in port orleans snuck their dog in the room..... with all the commotion, no one paid attention to them.

Boy I think I would have a hard time sneaking all 110lbs of Rohan into a hotel... unless I dressed him up in clothes, had him walk on his hind legs and gave him a good shaving!:lmao:

[Princess Stitch]

Our dogs stay in the camper when we are in the parks. I can't imagine they could accomodate all of the dogs from FW in the kennels? That's a lot of dogs.

I think most dogs stay in the camper and not in the kennel during the day.

Oh ok, I would have thought that a motorhome would have been a little small for a dog to stay in all day without being walked or anything. I suppose people come back in the afternoons to take breaks. What about those in tents though? I would assume that someone wouldn't leave their dog in a tent all day alone?

I'm sure that Disney has some sort of plan for pets. I would hope they woudln't allow them to be brought into the hotel rooms though. I'm sure they don't steam clean all the rooms after and I can't imagine the smell and dog hair that must be all over the place.. yuck!

[Duane]

Do they evacuate the cabins as well, or just the campers?

When they evacuate the campground, everyone has to go.... If you think about it, the cabins are actually "manufactured" homes, so they would be just as susceptable to high winds and flying debris as RV's would be. Plus the fact that there are so many trees around.

[iradi8]

Oh ok, I would have thought that a motorhome would have been a little small for a dog to stay in all day without being walked or anything. I suppose people come back in the afternoons to take breaks.

Actually, the inside of some campers can be quite large. We have plenty of space -- we have a 40' toy hauler (garage in back) with 3 slides so plenty of room for our two big dogs.:thumbsup2 We always come back somewhere between 12-3 to walk the dogs and play with them a bit before we go back to the parks.

What about those in tents though? I would assume that someone wouldn't leave their dog in a tent all day alone?


No, it's not allowed. Dogs cannot be in a tent or a pop-up camper -- they have to be boarded at the kennel.

[DougY]

I am knocking on wood while I am typing this but....

I am curious as to how the Fort handles huricanes and the guests/campers at the Fort? We will be there Sept 14-21st which is still huricane season right?
I have read posts on the other boards and understand that WDW is very good to the guests durring these times.
Guess I would be a little worried about being in the camper should trees start falling and such! :scared: Altough it would make an exciting ride! :crazy2:

September is not only still IN hurricane season, it is PEAK hurricane season!
Hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th.
But as a WDW fan, I wouldn't let that stop me from going...enjoy and have a Magical Vacation.

[stillh2o]

September is not only still IN hurricane season, it is PEAK hurricane season!
But as a WDW fan, I wouldn't let that stop me from going...enjoy and have a Magical Vacation.

Your replying to a post from 4yrs ago

[DougY]

Your replying to a post from 4yrs ago

I didnt realize that, however, its still information that others may find helpful regarding camping at the WDW Wilderness Campground during hurricane season.

[dudelydude]

Your replying to a post from 4yrs ago

:lmao:That's very funny, but the guy's right...we need this info.

[FLDisneyFan]

Your replying to a post from 4yrs ago

We still go through the same thing every year though! This is actually good information that I hadn't even though about!

I'm not the local weather man by any stretch of the imagination - but, Hurricane "Season" has more to do with the warmth of the water surrounding Florida than any other factors. The hurricanes don't look at the calendar! The faster the waters cool down in the late fall, the less likely we will have major hurricanes.

[poohbear22]

Anybody know if they are predicting a worse than normal hurricane season this year because of the excessive heat we've been having this summer?

[jimjeanandmac]

We've been to the Fort and been evac'd for 3 hurricanes in two years. The short answer is - Disney does a fine job - they get you into a room and get you safe. HOWEVER - if you want to preserve some ability to have some fun during the unexpected - here's my advice.

1) You will likely be offered a value resort (or at best a moderate) - RESIST. If you have the means try for a discount on a luxury resort - the Lodge was our choice. Here's why - you will be restricted in movement for your safety. If you're not in a Hotel with a central lobby, you're pretty much in your room. Ugh. In a central lobby you have food services, bars, characters, CMs that entertain the kids, and your fellow hurricane ride out guests - it becomes an ad hoc party of sorts.

2) We have a fifth wheel - stayed hitched and requested parking in the valet lot (it wasn't going to be used anyway). If you have a fiver, park in such a way that the trailer and truck are at sharp angles to one another, it provided protection against tipping in high winds.

3) Speak with Guest Services, our annual passes were extended six months at no charge so we could return for a magical vacation some other time. Win win - if I come back, don't worry - i'm still spending plenty of $ :)

Hope this helps,

[Nature Mom]

I didnt realize that, however, its still information that others may find helpful regarding camping at the WDW Wilderness Campground during hurricane season.

I'm glad you bumped it. I was unaware of how they handle it and we will be there for much longer this upcoming trip than last time, so it is good to know. :thumbsup2

[ftwildernesspopup]

I checked the past tracks of Hurricanes on the National Hurricane Center Website and Sept and Oct tracks are not very destructive or all that common. Likelihood of getting hit is minimal at best. Most of the storms are tropical storms or have weakend considerably by the time they hit Orlando. Just lose steam being over land.