Anyone ever at WDW during Hurricane Rains??

[obnurse2003]

I know that WDW is inland, and not DIRECTLY hit (usually) by hurricanes, but I wondered of anyone was ever at the parks during the rains and winds from one on the coast?

Just a concern of mine since we are going during hurricane season. If I see one on the weather channel before we leave at the end of September, I wonder if we should re-schedule our trip!



Don't want to...but would if it would affect being able to do much at the parks!

 

[coli]

WDW has never be directly hit by a hurricane - though I think they have closed the parks once for a very close call?? I live in Bermuda - right up Hurricane Alley and it was a question we asked when on a backstage tour - all the buildings - inlcuding the Castle and Tower of Terror have been built to withstand at least catagory 3 winds. THey have a system of clearing the parks if necessary - but the way tracking is these days with these storms they usually know a good 12 hours out if it's coming their way and will close parks.

I would not worry - all the resorts in the area have an emergency stom plan for their guests - it's part of the safety code.

Enjoy your stay and don't worry about the weather.....

 

[CamColt]

Yep! We were hit by Hurricane Erin on the last night our honeymoon, Aug 1, 1995. The parks all closed down early that night. From what Ive heard they opened late the following morning too, but since we were scheduled to leave then and had no plane, we were too busy finding a way home to notice.
I wouldnt reschedule due to a hurricane.

 

[suemac]

obnurse2003: We went a few years back during hurricane season. Yes, it poured EVERY day! But, never for long. We found a dry place to hang, got a warm drink and relaxed...the next thing we knew it was over and we were back out enjoying everything.
My tip: Don't worry...Have fun...Enjoy the people you are with adn the Magic around you.

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

LOL We woke one moring to find a note from WDW saying all the parks will be closed because of a hurricane, it was the first time they closed the parks.

We knew it was coming prior to leaving, snuck in FL just before and left just after the storm, had no travel issues, but I was on the phone every day with Disney and they assured me if the trip was delayed it would be covered. I think it ended up just skirting the coast, can't remember though, it was a couple of years ago.

We did go and still had a blast. The day the parks closed we just hung out at the hotel and swam, no biggie.

WDW is well inland and wouldn't be effected too much. It was muggier then usual, very sticky out. It also had more rain showers that year. Usually we could set our watch by them, that year they just popped up. Missed several nighttime shows because they got canceled. It was a bit breezier too, but nothing terrible.

It certainly made for a funny trip, made us learn to just go with the flow. We're going again during hurricane season, not sure I'd go any other time of year!! Love the fall in FL, hurricanes or not. LOL

Pam

 

[Figment2]

Been there several times during hurricanes. No problem. You just work around the rain.

You don't say where in IL you're from but you know those storms that have hit near Chicago lately? Well, that's what it's like.

If you don't let those storms stop you from doing things, you'll have no problem at all.

Cyn

 

[obnurse2003]

Nope, storms don't stop me. But big ole "CLOSED" signs on the park entrances do. Have to find a way to get around that, huh?
LOL

 

[Poohbear123]

was about to HIT MIAMI! They closed the Train Tracks from Orlando all the way South, and I had to take a 6 hour Bus trip HOME! Something ALWAYS happens in Miami when I am in WDW! This was in Nov. too!

 

[ProfGoofy]

We were there on our honeymoon when Hurrican Floyd closed the parks in Sept 1999. We were at the Boardwalk Inn and we got a couple memos a day slipped under our door informing us what was going on. They announced that they were going to close the parks early, 3ish. The tv news showed video of the the AK vets running around with large nets attempting to capture the birds so that they could be placed in safe locations. We saw CMs anchoring some of the food carts in Tomorrowland. That night they asked us to bring our patio furniture into our rooms. Since all the restaurants were closed, the BWI kitchen staff set-up a buffet in the lobby. All you could pile on one plate for $5. It was great food and since you could pile it on, my wife and I split a plate. We just brought it back to our room to eat and watch the weather channel and Toon Disney, since we didn't get that at home. We were told that we were lucky, some of the lower lying resorts had to be evacuated to the convention centers where the guests had to sleep on cots and food was scarce. Floyd passed during the night. The next day all of the parks were closed, however the announcement came that DD and AK were opening up that afternoon. Figuring that everyone was going to crowd those areas, my wife and I opted to tour the other resorts in the Epcot area. The following day we left WDW for our cruise on the Disney Wonder. Unfortunately Floyd had seen fit to take out Castaway Cay's dock so we couldn't visit and I think we had to bus down to Fort Lauderdale to meet up with the Wonder. So we lost a day and and a half at WDW and went to Key West instead of Castaway Cay, but it was an adventure and since that's what marriage is all about, my wife and I wouldn't change a thing. Besides, it gave us interesting stories to tell, not to mention we saved all the news clippings and our photo album is a little more exciting than most.

 

[DisneyDiver]

We arrived in WDW following Floyd, before moving down to Vero Beach DVC. The pier was totally trashed, the beaches were all shelved, and the place looked a mess, but the hotel seemed fine.

We then went down to meet the Magic for our cruise, and even when we left port, they weren't sure whether we were stopping at Castaway Quay. We did, but when we got there, the damage to the dock was awesome - the hurricane had removed the concrete dock from the island!

Speaking to the crew of the Magic, they had apparently been at sea on the edge of the hurricane when it was blowing through, and everyone on the ship was being unwell. Spectacularly unwell. All over the place

The closest we've come to any scary weather at Disney was a tornado that touched down near OKW when we were staying there - the trees outside our villa were horizontal, and it was genuinely frightning.

 

[cindyfan]

We are another family that experienced the hurricanes in 1999.

It was Oct, so I don't think it was Floyd.....but we were sandwiched between 2 others

We arrived at the end of the first. So that first day we had constant rain. But we just went with the flow.
Did some shopping, dinner, even swimming since the lightening was gone by then.
After it moved away...
the weather was just AWESOME!!
It was beautiful. I think that such a strong storm just sucks up any and all clouds, etc and makes just one huge storm. Therefore it takes everything with it, leaving absolute clear, beautiful skys!

Then 2 days before we were heading out....another hurricane was headed into us. So again we had constant rain......but we really had alot of fun with those YELLOW ponchos!!! And it cleared the parks.....
rode Test Track 4 times with out even getting off!!!!

So don't worry....no matter what...you will have FUN!!

 

[mickeysaver]

Luckily the hurricane that came up in the Gulf during our visit didn't make landfall in FL. We had some wicked rain everyday, but it was nothing that we couldn't handle.

I briefly lived in Daytona and the "I" named hurricane, a category 1, that came in on us was far worse than I could have imagined. We lived less than a mile off A1A and the winds were just incredible. I doubt that a city as far inland as Orlando would be harmed by a hurricane unless it was a category 3 that landed just right or a higher intensity hurricane that just roared on into FL. Mickey

 

[Disney-Kim]

We were in Hurricane Floyd too. Staying at the Beach Club. This is the only time in history that the parks closed due to Hurricanes. (the only other time is Sept 11th and we were there then too )

Don't worry...we were also in TS Gabby last year...it poured for about 3-4 days....but the parks were open. Just go prepared..

honestly don't worry..watch the weather channel religously because weather can interfere with the airport/travel.

pack shoes that can get wet, ponchos, a hat, and extra socks.

The parks are dead during the big rains but everything still runs.

Have fun and feel free to ask any questions.

PS...I felt 1000% safe being at WDW during Hurr Floyd

 

[skoi]

Never went through a hurricane, just tropical storm Gabrielle. It was really rainy, but everything was open and the park was empty. One thing, they asked the kids to take off their wet ponchos before getting too close to take pictures.

Julie

 

[tci1212]

We were there one yr during the rain from a hurricane, and we took the golf cart and wrapped the windsheil in saran wrap, back then not all carts had windsheilds, it poured so bad, we were drenched but we had a blast!

 

[Aristocath]

We were there for Hurricane Erin in 1995, too. The rain started about 7 pm, we bought our Mickey ponchos at a stand right outside of the Haunted Mansion and kept touring in the rain until they closed the park an hour early, at 11pm. We were staying in Downtown Disney and when we got to our hotel, there was a note in our room to bring the balcony furniture inside. The heavy storms passed during the night and we were awakened by heavy winds a couple of times.The parks opened about an hour late the next morning so we had a leisurely breakfast and then went to Epcot. It rained off and on all day so we have these pictures of us with "rain hair" and touring world showcase with panchos on in one country and off in the next. The next day was sunshine. The best part was the hurricane scared a lot of people away and there were no crowds, not bad for early August!

 

[DebbieB]

It's not just hurricane season that you have to worry about. We had a day last December that it rained hard for 24 hours straight. Never stopped or even slowed down. That was Monday. On Thursday night it started again, torrential rain, we just made it out of Osborne Lights and onto the boat to BW, didn't stop all night, still raining when we left for the airport on Friday morning.

 

[Madi100]

We were there in 1999 for Floyd. My husband thought it was cool. I was scared. I'm from Iowa where when they say there is a tornado coming, it means now. So, I'm thinking that while we were walking through Epcot, that it would all of a sudden get bad. That didn't happen. They magic was just not all there, since the CM's were busy securing benches and umbrellas. It was kinda windy and just muggy . They told us to fill our bathtubs with water, and they closed everything down.

Of course, if you read on the resort board, people tell you "what does it matter what your room is like, you spend the whole day in the park". Well, that statement is only true if there isn't a hurricane coming through It did get kind of boring at the resort. They did open Animal Kingdom the next day, but you can about imagine how busy that was.

Honestly, I don't think that it's ever been that bad before. Going through all I did, I wouldn't hesitate to go in September again.

 

[Uncleromulus]

First thing to remember is that they never are too sure where these Hurricanes are going to go. They predict "landfall" at spot "A" and lo and behold the next morning, it either didn't hit at all, or came ashore at spot "B". So naturally people react to a "worst case Scenario" just in case. That one Hurricane (Floyd?)where they closed down the parks etc, I don't think the Hurricane actually ever "hit" WDW. In fact, I don't believe it actually made land fall anywhere in Florida. Friends of ours in Orlando said the actual wind/rain wasn't much worse than some of the Thunderstorms they get down there (tho it did last a while longer). But the result was almost total park/hotel closure--just in case.
I also recall on a trip (where a Hurricane threatened) when we were walking over from the Boardwalk to play miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens. Staff at the Swan/Dolphin were frantically moving all table and chairs inside, taping windows, etc. WE palyed golf and on the walk back to the Boardwalk it rained and the wind blew like mad--for about 10 minutes. And that was it.
Anyway--we have gone down in Sept. virtually every year since 1975, and a # of those trips were when Hurricanes were "threatening". But never once did any actually spoil a trip.

 

[Juls]

We also were there right after hurricane floyd in oct 1999. We had been at FW for a couple days when one day returning from the parks, our bus driver informed us that all guests at FW would be evacuated to other hotels. There supposedly was another big storm for that evening, and with all the trees in FW, they wanted to be safe than sorry. They were not closing the parks.
All camping people had to pack up all their stuff and tow it to the CSR and all cabin people went to the CR. Well we were in a cabin, but my DB & his family were campers, so they put us all together at CSR.
The storm ended up being a dud, but it was nice to get to experience another resort, but it was a pain and took up a lot of our time moving back and forth.