9/11-Was anyone in Disney?

[goin2disneyagain]

I was not at WDW on 9/11 but I am very touched by the stories I am reading on this thread. I am getting a little teary eyed reading them. I work for a major airline and was on my way to work when the attacks happened. I had just booked my trip to WDW for Nov. 2001 on 9/10. Everyone has their own story about 9/11, it is a day none of us will ever forget. It was a very tough time to be working for an airline. A friend of mine was (and still is) in the Air Force and had just arrived in Kuwait. His 25th birthday was 9/12. It sounds like Disney did a good job due to the horrible circumstances of that terrible day.

 

[UncleKyle]

I saw a reference in another post to 9/11 and I remembered this post from last week and wanted to write on it but didn't have time. So now I do.

I was on the CP program at Disney during 9/11. I wasn't supposed to work until 1:00 that afternoon so I was sleeping in. For some reason my cell was turned off that morning, but I heard our apartment phone ring and my mom's scared voice on the other line saying "Kyle, wake up call me as soon as you can" I called her right back and got the news. I woke up my roomates and the next few hours were a blur. I remember being upset at some girls that lived below me because they were just excited to have the day off so they could lay out by the pool, they didn't even grasp the situation. I remember some of my friends were from New York and many were trying to find family members on their cell phones. That day I talked to almost all my friends back home that I hadn't spoken to since I had arrived on the program. It was all very scary.

A few weeks later I remember working my cart right outside Star Tours at MGM and I called my manager to the cart. I asked him to look up and down the street. We only saw 6 people, one of most creepy sights I saw those coming weeks was how empty the parks were. We went to Jellyrolls the Sunday after 9/11 and their were only 6 people there. My friend and I got to talk to the piano guys and get a different experience there but it was still creepy.

All around it was definetly a different WDW College Program.

 

[pw2pp]

It is just amazing how many DISers were there that day. I guess I don't realize just how many people read these boards.
I remember, shortly after 9/11 happened, someone posted a picture of people exiting the Magic Kingdom. It was strange to see the tons of people (with serious, worried looks on their faces) walking out of the park (with the Castle in the backround). Does anyone remember who posted that pic?

 

[cheyita]

I just want to thank you all for sharing your stories from that horrible day.

kramer_clan: I'm afraid to ask, but you never mentioned what happened to your friend's step-siblings.

UncleKyle: How depressing to hear about the girls who were happy for the day off. I assume that they came to realize the enormity of the situation. At least I hope so.

I almost feel guilty saying that I could listen to stories from that day over and over, but I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened, even 2 1/2 years later.

 

[grinningghost]

Really interesting stories. The one thing I remember, being here at home on 9/11, was the crawl on the bottom of the news channels saying that WDW was closing because of the national emergency. I remember being very afraid for everyone in WDW that day.

 

[tmq2766]

WOW!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

There were alot of stupid people here at work who were happy to have the day off. My exH was one of them. It's sad that those girls were just happy to be able to lay out and suntan.

Some people just make me so angry.

 

[sandbar]

We were not there on 9/11 in 2001 but were there on 9/11/2003. We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom and as we were leaving the park they held a memorial ceremony at the flagpole. Many people were there and to me it reflected the strength of Americans who would not allow the terrorists to let fear run their lives. At first, I was a bit squimish about flying again and spending the week of Sept. 11 at such a public place as Disney, but I got the courage up to go. I never thought I would be fearful to be at Disney or fly in an airplane. 9/11 has changed our lives forever.