Determined to make the most of this weekend!

[sanibellife]

So all the latest reports within the past hour Dorian at a Cat 3 hitting Florida on Monday! So my guess is all Orlando flights will be canceled? We are scheduled to fly out of Orlando on Monday evening and I am seriously thinking of cancelling the entire trip.
Really can't get stuck in Disney as much as I would love to. High school and college kids need to be back in class. Can't miss days waiting to get out.

I have never been in Florida during a hurricane. From most of the models I just watched this past hour it is almost for sure hitting the east coast of Florida somewhere mid to north range. Will Orlando shut the airport down?

Thinking I may be better off moving our trip dates. Would love to hear from locals and people that have experienced this before.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I have altered some of the plans that we had in place, just so we are ahead of the game a little bit. You are right, we can't change it so we are going to be doing lots of going along and getting along I guess.

I understand that if they shut down you are to remain in your room-what about resorts like Yacht and Beach where you can get to the lobby without going outside? I wasn't planning on bringing snacks/drinks since we are on the deluxe dining plan, so getting to the lobby would help with that.

 

[LSUmiss]

This is a Dorian positivity thread! Since I don't control the weather all I can do is stay positive and make the most of my weekend. We're arriving tomorrow night 8/29 and scheduled to depart Monday evening 9/2. Super excited for our trip still, even if some of the outdoor attractions may be closed, there's still plenty to do.

The ONE thing I want to make sure I can do come hell or high water is ride Slinky Dog Dash - haven't been to TSL yet and this is Priority #1. I'll get up at 5am Saturday just to ride it before running over to MK for our 7:45 ADR at BOG. Am I crazy? Probably! But am I trying to make the most of the weekend and still have fun? Yes!

Who's with me???

I won’t be there this time, but we went twice in different years when there was a hurricane in the area. Both times were the only time in any recent history that crowds actually felt light. And sept heat can be brutal, but most of the time the weather cloudy & windy.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

too early to tell. Bring some rain gear. If you're flying, make sure you follow the track closely. I'm not leaving Orlando until Wednesday, but some airlines are allowing changes through Monday.

If it turns out to be strong and hits in the right place, yes, the airport will close, Disney will close the parks. Too soon to tell for this one yet.

If you are told to stay at your resort, and you are at a resort that has a lobby that you can get to without going outside, you can go to the lobby.

I'm at the Polynesian so it'll be the longhouse my room is in and that's it, depending on what happens.

Watch the forecast so you can figure out whether or not you need to stock up on snacks and drinks in your room. As far as I know you will probably need to get the snacks before. The resorts will be working on a hurricane crew - they wont' be fully staffed. Some resorts may have characters and other things going on in the lobbies.

The resorts sold lunches before Matthew. They were pretty gross. I also don't recall losing power during either Matthew or Frances when confined to a resort room. Going to have a microwave this time so it may be possible to stock up on some microwavable stuff from DVC resorts.

If they don't close the parks, they will be empty. If they do close the parks, right when they reopen they will be empty. go out, chat with the cast members who are there, if they are not busy cleaning up.

 

[Bjkandma]

Disney does have a section concerning what happens with hurricanes. I suggest everyone take a moment or two and read Disney's policy. That will help you all decide what to do.

 

[sanibellife]

I would really take a look at the Transportation thread and the updates being posted regarding this storm. As badly as I want it to work this storm is going to be a hurricane and probably a big one. Predictions just moved up to Saturday/Sunday. For us it makes no sense at all to be stuck in a hotel room or 4 days and not be able to get home.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

So all the latest reports within the past hour Dorian at a Cat 3 hitting Florida on Monday! So my guess is all Orlando flights will be canceled? We are scheduled to fly out of Orlando on Monday evening and I am seriously thinking of cancelling the entire trip.
Really can't get stuck in Disney as much as I would love to. High school and college kids need to be back in class. Can't miss days waiting to get out.

I have never been in Florida during a hurricane. From most of the models I just watched this past hour it is almost for sure hitting the east coast of Florida somewhere mid to north range. Will Orlando shut the airport down?

Thinking I may be better off moving our trip dates. Would love to hear from locals and people that have experienced this before.

Bottom line you just don't know. The storm can slow down while over PR so their landfall timing may be off too. Monday is when the models are showing it being off the cost of FL however where is a big area right now and if it ends up over S FL it will have a minimal impact on MCO but it all depends on the cone whether flights will be cancelled. Most locals don't sweat a cat 3 but the potential to derail an already busy travel weekend is there. The flight delays and cancellations are a huge possibility. I'd play it by ear and maybe make the call a day or so prior.

 

[LSUmiss]

So all the latest reports within the past hour Dorian at a Cat 3 hitting Florida on Monday! So my guess is all Orlando flights will be canceled? We are scheduled to fly out of Orlando on Monday evening and I am seriously thinking of cancelling the entire trip.
Really can't get stuck in Disney as much as I would love to. High school and college kids need to be back in class. Can't miss days waiting to get out.

I have never been in Florida during a hurricane. From most of the models I just watched this past hour it is almost for sure hitting the east coast of Florida somewhere mid to north range. Will Orlando shut the airport down?

Thinking I may be better off moving our trip dates. Would love to hear from locals and people that have experienced this before.

Not a local but very familiar with hurricanes. Yes they will shut down depending on tract. It’s about wind speed. I think they won’t take off or land in 45 mph or higher. So, you can look at the wind speed probabilities & see how high winds are forecasted to be for the Orlando area.

 

[MGMmjl]

I would really take a look at the Transportation thread and the updates being posted regarding this storm. As badly as I want it to work this storm is going to be a hurricane and probably a big one. Predictions just moved up to Saturday/Sunday. For us it makes no sense at all to be stuck in a hotel room or 4 days and not be able to get home.

Whose predictions moved up to Saturday/Sunday? The official NHC forecast has it nearing the Florida coast at 8 am Monday morning. Sure, there would be some impacts over the weekend, but on the current forecast track, the worst weather would probably be on Monday.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

There are tons of other threads about the weather and what to do, I'd like to keep this one for those of us who are going, happy about it, and still excited!

 

[Brett Wyman]

EVERY weather report is saying they can't accurately predict this one, so no one knows when or where it will be.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

first of all, it is still too soon to tell what is going on with this storm vis a vis Walt Disney World.

Second, you won't be trapped in your room for four days unless this sucker hits, goes inland, stays strong and then slows down A LOT.

I've been there for two hurricanes, and WDW employees all know what to do.

However, if you are flying to or from Orlando on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, you need to be watching this storm very closely.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

If crowds are so low that I can stay on a ride without getting kicked off then catch me on Haunted Mansion for the afternoon

What rides would you guys pick if you could stay on and ride over and over?

 

[sanibellife]

This is what was posted on one of the other threads. Obviously there is rain expected from Friday-Monday. My other concerns were what does Disney do with the severe winds? Are rides shut down? For us it is more a matter of not wanting to get stuck in Orlando. We were scheduled to fly out tomorrow evening and come home Monday. If planes are being moved out MCO ahead of the storm and if they don't fly if wind is over a certain speed we most likely would have got stuck in Orlando and what others have just told me it can be 2,3,4 days before we might get out!

 

[JETSDAD]

We're driving down and should be arriving Saturday....we are figuring there will be rain and we'll either be out and enjoy lower crowds or spend time relaxing at the resort. Can't change the weather, just gotta go with it and have a fun time no matter what.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

If crowds are so low that I can stay on a ride without getting kicked off then catch me on Haunted Mansion for the afternoon

What rides would you guys pick if you could stay on and ride over and over?

Splash Mountain, I’m already going to be wet. Or the Peoplemover

 

[Brett Wyman]

We're driving down and should be arriving Saturday....we are figuring there will be rain and we'll either be out and enjoy lower crowds or spend time relaxing at the resort. Can't change the weather, just gotta go with it and have a fun time no matter what.

Based on the above map Im guessing any park closures will be Saturday with everything returning to normal(lots of rain is normal) later on Sunday and the rest of the week.

 

[Starbrite]

first of all, it is still too soon to tell what is going on with this storm vis a vis Walt Disney World.

Second, you won't be trapped in your room for four days unless this sucker hits, goes inland, stays strong and then slows down A LOT.

I've been there for two hurricanes, and WDW employees all know what to do.

However, if you are flying to or from Orlando on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, you need to be watching this storm very closely.

We fly in Saturday morning, and out next Wednesday night.

What can we expect as far as park closures? Obviously there's no way to tell right now where, when, or how hard this will hit.
Historically speaking, how often do they close the parks for hurricanes? Has it typically been closed the one day it makes landfall and reopens the next day? How early before its expected to hit would they close - say if its expected Monday evening, would they close all day Monday or start shutting down around noon? What has happened in the past.


I'm prepared for rain and wind. I'm looking forward to a potential break from the heat and crowds. Lol Just trying to plan for the worst, if my flight even gets in.

 

[MATTERHORN]

Best day EVER was the day at EPCOT before Disney completely closed before Irma!! We closed the park down that night and it was magnificent!

 

[butterscotchcollins]

At the very least I should be jazzed for Friday and Saturday, right?