Hi all ... we were at WL during Francis. I was not too sure I wanted to stay but my thrill-seeking hubie and son won the rock-paper-scissors. So I hunkered down and prepared for the worst. And was AMAZED.
There was a lot of strong winds and the rain came down in barrel fulls. But amazingly enough we did not hear much in the rooms ... would not have known it was storming outside had we not had the curtain opened. I was a bit nervous about a lamp pole that was outside our 3rd floor room so I asked at the front desk if we could be moved to a room closer in towards the main lodge. They were more than happy to accommodate our request and our new room seemed in a much more sheltered area. But my fears about the lamp post were for nothing ... it was still standing after two days of fierce winds and rain.
We never lost power during the storm ... which was good. My kids quickly would have gotten bored with playing games by flashlight ... which Disney delivered to each room. I also requested 4 more blankets and pillows so that we could be comfy ... not a problem. Delivered with a smile.
Great thing about staying in the WL was that all the rooms opened to a corridor instead of to the great outdoors like at the value and moderates. We could at least walk around the hotel and get to dining areas ... that make this two day experience doable in my book! I cannot imagine being stuck in 300 square feet!!
As a matter of fact, I did tell my dear hubie that IF we ever went to WDW during hurricane season again ... we would be staying in a resort that had corridors like the WL or Contemporary. But my preference is to stay clear of Florida during hurricane season ... while we were fine, I cannot believe we paid for the experience of being stuck in a hotel.
During the height of the storm, we were sent to our rooms and told to stay away from the windows. Thankfully, it was only four hours and just long enough for a nap.
The morning after Francis came through only Magic Kingdom and EPCOT were open. And both places were doing a hopping business ... it was Labor Day and the crowds did come out to the parks. The more popular rides had longer lines which was a major difference from the day before the hurricane ... there were no lines that day. It was a simple walk up and get on for all rides. And the best part for my kids was being told on Test Track that we could just re-buckle our seat beats for another ride ... they went three times in a row. I had my fill after two times!
Safe at home in Atlanta
