A little nervous about August trip!

[CerysG]

I saw on the news last night that this is suppose to be an above average year for storms! We are going from August 15 to Sept. 1 so now I'm worried as that is prime Hurricane season...and what the heck do I know about Hurricanes...I'm from Western Canada and we do tornados and your chance of getting hit by one of those is slim unless you live in a trailer park...go figure! So all of you who go at the end of August have you been hit by a hurricane before? I know Orlando is a bit higher up the coast and inland so better off then some palces but some of those stroms are crazy big. Now I'm going to obsess over this for the next 3 months! Weather chanel will be stocked! Am I crazy?

 

[Disneylover99]

Try not to worry....

This will be our fourth August trip in a row.
As long as you can get to Disney you will be fine.
Two years ago we were flying home to Toronto the same day a hurricane was scheduled to hit the east coast in New York. I thought for sure our trip would be cancelled. All Boston/New York City flights were cancelled that day.

I swear we had the smoothest flight home ever! Very weird.

 

[jazzyscoob]

We were there last Aug during Hurricane Isaac. I was very worried that we would be stuck in the room. I asked a CM at the resort what happens during a hurricane and he said, "the fun goes on!" He was right. We went to the parks as planned and had a great time. Bunch of times you had to duck into a shop or ride and wait for the crazy rain and winds to die down but that's summer in Florida. We are headed back this Aug and will take the storms as they come.

Have a great time!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

No sense in fretting too much....unfortunately, you really can't change the weather.

Get yourself some good trip cancellation and interruption insurance (just in case), pack a supply of ponchos, and go with the flow. You have a nice amount of time there (two full weeks?), so even if a hurricane blows through and causes a few wet days, I am sure you will have plenty of sunshine in the mix too

I worry a little bit too....not about a hurricane hitting while we're there, but of one delaying us getting there. We arrived in August 2012 just as hurricane Isaac turned toward Tampa, and it was iffy for a while if our plane would leave Syracuse. There are lots of us Canucks who will be watching the weather with you during the month of August!!!

Why don't you join us over on the Team August thread? We're a fun bunch to be around, and we might be able to help diffuse some of your weather anxieties:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2990170

 

[pigletto]

Yep .. join us in the team August thread and you can fret with Gina and I when the time comes

And I agree with the others. If you can get there you're golden. The big concern is flight delays or cancellations. That you just watch closely for in the days leading up to your trip so that if they make a weather announcement on your airline you can book a different flight quickly. Make sure you have ponchos and insurance and watch the weather with the rest of us.
Our Epcot day during Isaac was a torrential downpour. We had a BLAST. We just threw on the ponchos and went about our day. The park was really empty

 

[CerysG]

I got insurance through my Master Card so I think it should be ok. I was going to get it from CAA but it was like $800 and MC was something like $89! Not sure what the difference in coverage is but it looked like it should cover what we needed. I would be so disapointed if we couldn't get there. It's about the only time we can really go that isn't crazy busy and that won't make the 15 year old miss any school. Can't really take a highschool kid out of school for 2 weeks.
I was planning to take some rain gear as I knew it rained most afternoons and we aren't really afraid of any rain. Just hope its ok on the waterpark days and Discovery Cove! Oh well what can you do but be flexable and hope for the best.

 

[LauraJean]

I got insurance through my Master Card so I think it should be ok. I was going to get it from CAA but it was like $800 and MC was something like $89! Not sure what the difference in coverage is but it looked like it should cover what we needed. I would be so disapointed if we couldn't get there. It's about the only time we can really go that isn't crazy busy and that won't make the 15 year old miss any school. Can't really take a highschool kid out of school for 2 weeks.
I was planning to take some rain gear as I knew it rained most afternoons and we aren't really afraid of any rain. Just hope its ok on the waterpark days and Discovery Cove! Oh well what can you do but be flexable and hope for the best.

Our insurance on our mc was around $80. I've read it and it covers much-everything we need.

 

[KandyM]

We arrive on August 15 too. I am trying not to worry too much about hurricane season but it still creeps into my worry list just the same.

 

[CerysG]

We arrive on August 15 too. I am trying not to worry too much about hurricane season but it still creeps into my worry list just the same.

I was doing ok about it until I saw the news story that it was going to be a worse year for storms! But then I did some searching on the internet for the summer forcast for Orlando and I came across a number that said there would be below average rainfall....so go figure! Oh well I will keep my fingers crossed for both of us that we get there safe and sound...now if there has to be a storm it can be the day we are leaving because I don't care if we get stuck in Orlando on the way home! Like I want to get back to work in a big ruch!

 

[keaster]

We will be there August 22-29. We usually go the last week or two of August. Typically you get a thunderstorm mid day that clear up fairly quickly, but any downpour doesn't last very long.

Yes it's hotter than then surface of the sun, but the crowds are good.

 

[meggiebeth]

Disney at August is wonderful. Very hot and very humid, but lovely so long as you can bear the heat and humidity.

There is always the risk of the hurricanes but usually it amounts to nothing. We went in August 2011 and whilst it rained (more like poured!) every day (but only for half an hour and to be honest it was quite refreshing) we had no hurricanes apart from our departure day. What was the name of it...? We flew back home on the 25th and many flights had been cancelled. I was terrified on the journey home- it was so bumpy!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[CerysG]

We don't mind the rain so as long as we can get thtere thats the main thing. I've been expecting hot and humid and storms every afternoon... I can live with all of that. I always worey going as air travel can be a bit hit and miss at times but coming back I don't worry nearly as much. Wish it wasn't two and a half months away. Well it will be more than wirth the risk if the crowds are good.

 

[Sue M]

Disney at August is wonderful. Very hot and very humid, but lovely so long as you can bear the heat and humidity.

There is always the risk of the hurricanes but usually it amounts to nothing. We went in August 2011 and whilst it rained (more like poured!) every day (but only for half an hour and to be honest it was quite refreshing) we had no hurricanes apart from our departure day. What was the name of it...? We flew back home on the 25th and many flights had been cancelled. I was terrified on the journey home- it was so bumpy!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Oh, I remember that storm/ Hurricane! I was staying at Por. The storm was supposed to hit Florida, but then veared off to hit the NE. I kept hearing snippets of conversation from NYers there worried about getting home with all the flight cancellations.

 

[Sue M]

I've been going down to Florida for many years in August. So far, I've been lucky. The closest I came was flying out of MCO early afternoon the day Katrina was coming. I saw the very outer bands, never saw clouds move by so fast. Flights were still taking off. I phoned my husband from Salt Lake where we were getting connecting flight. He said he wasn't sure we'd be able to take off in MCO.

What worries me more is that we will be in Ft Lauderdale for 9 days in a beach hotel before arriving in wdw Aug 17 if there's a hurricane, I'd feel safe in. Wdw resort. My friend did go thru a hurricane at wdw. And they did have to stay in their hotel room, parks were shut down. This was a few years ago.

Tornados in the west coast? Where?!!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

To start off with hurricane season starts June 1 and goes until Nov 1. So that's nearly half the year.....don't sweat it.

We have been going in August nearly every year since 2005. The few times we weren't there in August it was July. In general, the Orlando area only gets wind and rain leftovers of the hurricanes. WDW has been hit a couple of time in the last 20+ years but it was very minor.

I've got a couple of WDW hurricane experiences ....
First one, we were flying into MCO in the early afternoon (Aug. '05) and the sky was as black as if it were midnight. Winds and rains were scary but the plane landed easily. The next 3 days we were there the sky was rather dark and the temp was a good 10 degrees lower than normal. We had a little rain on and off but not any worse than a normal Aug day.

In Aug. '11, we arrived on a Tuesday and on that Friday we were supposed to be hit by a big hurricane(can't remember the name) that the local reports said was actually going to move inland into the Orlando area. The CM's were instructing people to plan indoor activities for Friday or at the very least to go out in the morning to have fun but plan to be indoors from about noon onward. We decided that we would go to AK for RD and then see how the weather was looking as the day went on. Well, turned out to be the most gorgeous day of the entire trip. It was windy and slightly overcast but that kept the temp lower and we stayed at AK until late afternoon. It turned out that the storm took a big change of course that morning and missed FL altogether but hit the coast further north....the Carolina's I think.

Basically, what I'm saying is don't give it another thought. Go and enjoy your vacation. There will be rain nearly every afternoon but it doesn't last long and it cools things down a little. That's what it does in August.

 

[fredgirls]

Don't worry.
Wdw only closed 4 or 5 times ever.
Any hurricanes in Florida will most likely just bring rain and maybe wind. And I LOVE those days! Take a good waterproof and you'll have a great time - so much quieter!
And with 2 weeks, even if you have a flight delay, you still have a wonderful long holiday.
I always discount the first day, incase of delays, and then if we're not delayed it's a bonus!

 

[CerysG]

Yes I've read many places that Orlando usually does't get hit full on and just the edges of the stroms becuase they are inland. I suppose the flying seems to be the big issue though as you can't fly if the weather is terrible! Oh well what's the point of worrying aobut something that may never happen. I hope we just have the regular end of August trip that most people seem to experiance..hot, humid with mid-afternoon rain...I can so live with that.

 

[pigletto]

Disney at August is wonderful. Very hot and very humid, but lovely so long as you can bear the heat and humidity.

There is always the risk of the hurricanes but usually it amounts to nothing. We went in August 2011 and whilst it rained (more like poured!) every day (but only for half an hour and to be honest it was quite refreshing) we had no hurricanes apart from our departure day. What was the name of it...? We flew back home on the 25th and many flights had been cancelled. I was terrified on the journey home- it was so bumpy!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

That would have been Irene. I was still at Disney but so many people where we were staying were stuck there because they couldn't get home. I talked to one lady who showed me pictures on her phone of her completely flooded basement. She was so upset

And I don't even know if I would have been able to get on that horrible bumpy flight home.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

And I don't even know if I would have been able to get on that horrible bumpy flight home.

A rough flight (there or back) is my biggest worry. I am a Gravol girl when it comes to flying as it is .

 

[dvcdisney]

I agree with everyone. Don't worry too much about it. Just be prepared.

Last August was our 8th year in a row that we went in August. And twice was on a cruise - although I will admit that on one of the cruise, we did go during a Hurricane (can't remember which ) and it was very rocky. And we couldn't dock at Castaway Cay for the first part, but we still enjoyed our cruise.

At WDW, there will be lots of rain and you'll likely be caught in it, but just wait a bit and it'll clear up. We've actually had a great time during that time, everyone leaves the park and we can walk on the rides with minimal wait.