September Hurricanes?

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We have went every Sept since 2002 and don't give much thought to the hurricaines. We have never purchased travel insurance and have weathered a few hurricaines and tropical storms at WDW, one year 3 during our trip. It wasn't that big of a deal, the parks were empty and we got some rain a day or two and were on lock down at the resort one night but WDW handled it well and it wasn't really a big issue. WDW has a very liberal cancellation policy when the hurricaines are in the area, my mom and dad chickened out after Katrina and watching all the media coverage and cancelled he day we were arriving, no fee was charged. We will be going again in Sept this year, still no insurance, don't see a need for it.

If it is bothering you now I would highly recommend you do not watch news reports or come here and read hurricaine threads when the season starts it is totally blown out of proportion. I remember our big hurricaine year how Jim Cantory was reporting from the hilton in orlando acting like the building was practically ready to fall in on itself from damage, when we arrived we were shocked that the wee bit of damage to only one side of the building was all we saw that was the tv angle they shot the whole time and we understood why when everything else seemed to be perfectly fine.

 

[RMulieri]

When is the last available date before your trip to add insurance?

On a Disney Pkg? I add it at the 45 day out mark.Right before I pay off the package in full.

 

[fla4fun]

When is the last available date before your trip to add insurance?

That varies depending on the insurance you purchase. Every company has their own requirements - some you have to buy before the trip is paid in full, some you have to buy when you put down a deposit, some you have to buy within so many days of booking the trip.

I have gone to WDW in September for decades. There have only been two years that there was a threat of a hurricane hitting the area while I was there, and otherwise, we haven't had any problems. I do think it's a good idea, especially if you are flying instead of driving, to get trip insurance that will cover you in the event of a hurricane. But shop around and read the fine print. Just because you choose to cancel because a hurricane is predicted to hit a certain area, doesn't mean the insurance company will pay up.

One thing, as much as I love Fort Wilderness and the cabins, I never book one during hurricane season. If a hurricane does come, they will evacuate the campground. Most of the time they will move you to a value or moderate, but who wants to be dealing with a move like that with a storm bearing down on you? Not me. I remember once that they moved some of the FW guests to the convention center at CR - nothing better than the average evacuation shelter as far as I'm concerned, although it was at least safe. I'd rather be in a resort that I could ride out the storm in if I have to.

 

[Jennifer S]

We went during Hurricaine Jeanne, in 2004 I think? We stayed off site, and the hotel did go on lockdown for a day or two, but we made the best of it.

The BEST part about it was we were actually able to do more than we would have in good weather. Everyone flew home before the bad weather and/or were not able to fly in. The parks were empty!!!

I don't thnk I would PLAN a vacation knowing that there would be a hurricaine (and frankly I could go my whole life without every seeing another one) but living through it in Disney wasn't so bad.

We were there too during Jeanne. It was awesome. The parks were closed one day- then the next day they were open and it was the most beautiful weather ever. Absolutly no crowds at all. We went on Buzz in MK 5 times in a row.

We thought it was one of the best trips ever- except for the tornado warnings during the hurricane-

 

[Satchmo128]

Weather can affect any trip, any where, at any time. Go have a great time.

I agree with this.

We went the first week of September 2010 (and are in the pre-planning stages of possibly going at the same time this September !!) and even though it was crazy HOT and it rained for a little while each afternoon, it was a great time to be in the parks.

Actually, for the first half of our trip there was a hurricane off the Atlantic Coast and it actually brought the temps down slightly (and made things a little but more bearable). Remember to bring ponchos and have an amazing time!

 

[carlah]

We are planning our trip for Sep 15-22 and I'm praying for fabulous weather.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

Disney isnt that close to the coast so even if a hurricane hits it wouldnt be too bad i wouldnt worry to much about it... actually those of us who live here in tampa or other places close to the coast often go to orlando/disney if there is a hurricane because there are so many hotels there.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Get insurance protection for hurricanes June through early October. The worst ones I have seen through the last decade were in September.

Of course I have it regardless in those months when we are in Texas, just in case we have a storm at home or in FL. Would be terrible to have to deal with the loss at home plus lose out on trip expenses because you can't go.

NEVER think you can ride one out

You are so correct, you can get them on either end that is a double whammy for those like you.. I live here in FL and I had ressies for Disney for the weekend when Charley hit my home (as well as for Labor Day Weekend).. I had to cancel because I had damage to my home. Roof, windows, doors.. water system... you name it.. my roof was still on my home, but torn up. No water or electric for 3 weeks! Those that have never really really experienced one don't know...and I don't mean playing in the park the day after.. I mean really going through it and suffering a loss... My house is just miles from where the eye came in

 

[disnut8]

Honestly - do you have a pair of dice? If you do, throw them down now and them start calculating the chances of a hurricane based on what you throw.

Hurricanes are formed by nature. They don't know a calendar, they don't know anything except by the forces around them (kind of like a preteen but I digress). No one will know what is going to happen.

On the other side, I've been at Disney World before, during, and after a hurricane. If there is safer place to be or a more responsive destination, I'd like to hear about it because I've certainly never heard of one.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-charley-storms-5-year-anniv-080909,0,2515820.story

Older story but worth reading as a reminder that YES, Orlando did have some major widespread damage from a Category 2 Hurricane.. It may be inland but it isn't completely out of a hurricanes range...

I have no clue where some of you get your information from that Orlando doesn't get hit .... They won't get the storm surge that the coastal areas will get, but they will get winds and damage..

 

[A Mickeyfan]

The OP was wondering about insurance.. and yes, she should get it.. you can never tell when one will hit.. Hurricanes can and have hit that area and have shut down the roads, airports and mass transit.. that is the question here.. no one was asking if it is safe or will they die.. If you want to protect your expensive vacation, get your trip insurance.. it is like having collision insurance on a car that is say 4 years old.. it is your choice.. you can be stranded and out your money without it.. insurance is a gamble.. it is the name of the game... No one here is saying not to go, just to protect your investment... that is all..

 

[ZoZo]

We went during Hurricaine Jeanne, in 2004 I think? We stayed off site, and the hotel did go on lockdown for a day or two, but we made the best of it.

The BEST part about it was we were actually able to do more than we would have in good weather. Everyone flew home before the bad weather and/or were not able to fly in. The parks were empty!!!

I don't thnk I would PLAN a vacation knowing that there would be a hurricaine (and frankly I could go my whole life without every seeing another one) but living through it in Disney wasn't so bad.

I had a very similar experience with Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Knew the hurricane was likely to hit about three days after our arrival date. Decided to go anyways, and (weirdly enough!) was glad I did!

We also "went into lockdown" for several hours the morning of the storm. By the time it reached Orlando, the hurricane had dwindled down to more of a tropical storm - about 60 to 70mph winds and rain. We were instructed to stay inside our hotel until notified that we could leave. We stayed at Shades of Green, which had a wonderful system of sending "broadcast" voice mail messages to all guests. Magic Kingdom and Epcot opened up at 2:00 that day, and the parks were so empty! The rest of the week, we had beautiful weather - upper 70s with low humidity (a rare thing in early October in Orlando!). We never lost electricity (WDW has its own power source), and we felt very safe. If you have to be stuck somewhere during a hurricane, WDW is the place to be!

So I would say . . . the chances of you having a hurricane during your stay are very, very small. If it's something that totally freaks you out, you might want to change your plans to a non-hurricane time of year. Otherwise, know you'll probably be okay and go ahead and go!

 

[Laura_Lewis]

Thanks everyone for your help! I think we will go with trip insurance. you guys are great!

 

[ZoZo]

I do think it's a good idea, especially if you are flying instead of driving, to get trip insurance that will cover you in the event of a hurricane. But shop around and read the fine print. Just because you choose to cancel because a hurricane is predicted to hit a certain area, doesn't mean the insurance company will pay up.

This is excellent advice. Before purchasing insurance, be sure you know what would happen in specific circumstances in the event of a hurricane. I think with some policies, if you choose to cancel because you're nervous about going (as opposed to having your flight canceled by the airline due to weather), you might not be covered. Make sure you know what would happen if in either case.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

you realize that buying things like travel insurance is like playing a slot machine in a casino. Sure things can happen but its highly unlikely that’s why the insurance company is willing to take your premium (bet) because they are very unlikely to have to pay it out and that’s how they make profits. sure they have to pay out sometimes but most of the time they don’t. so when you buy travel insurance you are betting something will happen and the insurance company is betting nothing will happen and in the end the house always wins.

 

[Liv4Dis]

I have a story that will put a positive spin on this ... but I am sure it was one in a million.

In 2006 we went to Disney flying by Westjet (we are from Canada) and had insurance. It was our day to leave, a Wednesday, and I called around 8am to get our luggage picked up and the gentleman that answered the phone asked me if I had called the airline as most flights were cancelled due to Hurricane Ernesto. I did as he suggested and found out that Westjet had been trying to get a hold of me at home (I had only booked air with them so they did not have an alternate number). They let me know because of the impending Hurricane that our flight was cancelled and the next available flight was Friday evening at 11:00 p.m (remember this is Wednesday at 8 am). So here I am on the phone in my room being told that I am going to HAVE TO STAY AT DISNEY FOR THREE MORE DAYS. Westjet asked if I could give them a number where I could be reached. I told them no because I did not know if I was going to be able to stay at the hotel that I was at but I told them, don't worry, we will be at the airport for the flight on Friday night (in three days) .

My husband says that he has never seen me look so happy. We went to the front desk who let us continue to stay in the same room at Riverside and gave us a cheaper rate. We called the insurance company and they said that our insurance covers this and they would pay for our food and hotel, just to submit the receipts when we got back. We still had two days left on our park passes as well.

The best part is the Hurricane never happened -- was just one day of rain.

I would say that a special kind of pixie dust was sprinkled that day!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

you realize that buying things like travel insurance is like playing a slot machine in a casino. Sure things can happen but its highly unlikely that’s why the insurance company is willing to take your premium (bet) because they are very unlikely to have to pay it out and that’s how they make profits. sure they have to pay out sometimes but most of the time they don’t. so when you buy travel insurance you are betting something will happen and the insurance company is betting nothing will happen and in the end the house always wins.

and that is the same with collision insurance on your car as well.. but most carry that .... as I said, insurance is a gamble .. one that the companies hope to never have to pay out on. Look at homeowners insurance.. I have been paying for over 20 years now in this home alone.. and only had one claim (so far).. Hurricane Charley.. and had I not had insurance then.. I would not have had the money to repair my home.. it was in the range of $40-50K to repair and replace all that was lost.. not chump change..

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I have a story that will put a positive spin on this ... but I am sure it was one in a million.

In 2006 we went to Disney flying by Westjet (we are from Canada) and had insurance. It was our day to leave, a Wednesday, and I called around 8am to get our luggage picked up and the gentleman that answered the phone asked me if I had called the airline as most flights were cancelled due to Hurricane Ernesto. I did as he suggested and found out that Westjet had been trying to get a hold of me at home (I had only booked air with them so they did not have an alternate number). They let me know because of the impending Hurricane that our flight was cancelled and the next available flight was Friday evening at 11:00 p.m (remember this is Wednesday at 8 am). So here I am on the phone in my room being told that I am going to HAVE TO STAY AT DISNEY FOR THREE MORE DAYS. Westjet asked if I could give them a number where I could be reached. I told them no because I did not know if I was going to be able to stay at the hotel that I was at but I told them, don't worry, we will be at the airport for the flight on Friday night (in three days) .

My husband says that he has never seen me look so happy. We went to the front desk who let us continue to stay in the same room at Riverside and gave us a cheaper rate. We called the insurance company and they said that our insurance covers this and they would pay for our food and hotel, just to submit the receipts when we got back. We still had two days left on our park passes as well.

The best part is the Hurricane never happened -- was just one day of rain.

I would say that a special kind of pixie dust was sprinkled that day!

paid off for you~~ also love your avatar.. is that your dog? looks like one of mine..

 

[Liv4Dis]

HiMickeyFan -- Yes that is my awesome dog. He is a Newfoundland and Bernese Mountain Dog mix (150lb) who we got from a rescue group as someone didn't want him when he was 18 months.

He is the only one who loses out when we go to Disney ... he visits his cousin "Hank" a Bull Mastif!

 

[heyitsmejosh]

and that is the same with collision insurance on your car as well.. but most carry that .... as I said, insurance is a gamble .. one that the companies hope to never have to pay out on. Look at homeowners insurance.. I have been paying for over 20 years now in this home alone.. and only had one claim (so far).. Hurricane Charley.. and had I not had insurance then.. I would not have had the money to repair my home.. it was in the range of $40-50K to repair and replace all that was lost.. not chump change..

Home and auto insurance are one thing... auto insurance is mandated and so is collision if you have a loan on your car as in homeowners assuming you didn’t pay cash for your house. Things like travel insurance and extra warranties on electronics and things like that are a waste of money…
What are you betting that will happen?? In this case a hurricane coming?? Something that has happened, what a grand total of 3 times in 40 years? Disney lets you reschedule for free if one does come. Sure you might have to pay fees to change your airfare or whatever. I like to gamble but when I gamble I’ll take the best odds.