Driving to beat Irma

[perditax]

I would strongly urge you to reconsider heading to Orlando at all. It's nighttime, now, so the roads are mostly quiet, but during the day, they've been complete chaos. A friend of mine left Fort Lauderdale Wednesday to head north. In 5 hours, she didn't even make it to Orlando. It's usually about 2 1/2 hours.

As of 1:00 am eastern time, Friday, I-75 is totally backed up northbound from the Florida Turnpike entrance (which is the link to WDW), all the way to Valdosta, GA. There's accidents all over the highways between Miami and Orlando. You'd be going the wrong way, so things are clear to Orlando right now, but things may change very quickly.

If an evacuation order is issued The State of Florida, the highways may all point northbound, thereby, you may not actually make it to Orlando without using surface roads, which could double or even triple the time to get there. It's also highly likely that you won't actually make it to Orlando at all.

Gas has been in very short supply in Florida as all of the residents are getting what they can and getting out. If you fill up at the Georgia State line, provided you can find gas, it will take about 1/2 a tank to get to Orlando. There's no guarantee you'll have enough gas to get back to Georgia. If you're coming from Alabama, you won't make it.

No vacation is worth your life. This hurricane has already killed people, and has practically destroyed the country of Barbuda, and has knocked out the entire power system Puerto Rico and The US Virgin Islands. PR is saying it will take 4-6 months for the power to come back. We don't know if Barbuda can recover from this.

WDW is offering full refunds of any cancellations due to Irma. Stay safe, and if you don't HAVE to be in Florida this weekend, please, don't.

Fort Lauderdale to Orlando in 2.5 hours? Don't think so.

 

[kirstenb1]

If you are from up north, and cancel, I can recommend lots of Virginia awesome places to visit. I can help to a lesser extent with the OUter Banks. Both look to be out of the storm's way.

 

[BigAlsGal]

If you are from up north, and cancel, I can recommend lots of Virginia awesome places to visit. I can help to a lesser extent with the OUter Banks. Both look to be out of the storm's way.

Honestly to someone who loves Disney and dreams about going there all the time a Virginia vacation sounds like poop. Lol. Obviously if someone is willing to put their family in harms way this vacation is very very important to them. Please don't offer up a Virginia vacation advise. It's not going to be considered.

I mean this from a place of love.

 

[FelisLachesis]

Fort Lauderdale to Orlando in 2.5 hours? Don't think so.

Alright, closer to 3. I had no point of reference, and last night, Google said the highways were really messed up between the two cities. Thereby, I guessed. I was a little short.

Regardless, it doesn't counter my argument.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I wonder what OP ultimately decided to do. She never came back to report!

 

[dvc at last !]

Maybe a joke !

 

[kirstenb1]

Honestly to someone who loves Disney and dreams about going there all the time a Virginia vacation sounds like poop. Lol. Obviously if someone is willing to put their family in harms way this vacation is very very important to them. Please don't offer up a Virginia vacation advise. It's not going to be considered.

I mean this from a place of love.

I understand. However, as a backup, we have Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens, Historic Williamsburg and Jamestown, and multiple areas of Virginia Beach, Boardwalk and Sandbridge. I'm just trying to offer a best of the circumstances alternative.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I wonder what OP ultimately decided to do. She never came back to report!

She might have found the Irma thread on TPAS. They are all "rah rah" about still having their vacations on that thread. No downers or facts needed.

 

[Miumiu4me]

She might have found the Irma thread on TPAS. They are all "rah rah" about still having their vacations on that thread. No downers or facts needed.

Bizarre. I live in Orlando. I can't imagine being excited about coming here now, but uh, to each their own.

 

[maxiesmom]

I love my trips to WDW as much as anyone, and no way in heck would I drive there now! Seems almost suicidal. And to put your family at risk to see the Mouse? Nope. No way.

 

[MillauFr]

I wonder what OP ultimately decided to do. She never came back to report!

Her family went to Key West instead

 

[KrazeeK120]

Her family went to Key West instead

I hope this is a joke?

 

[MillauFr]

I hope this is a joke?

Of course. I still think the original post may have been a joke.

 

[Miumiu4me]

Of course. I still think the original post may have been a joke.

Doubtful. Plenty of people on here have the same idea as OP did.

Things have gotten hectic here in Orlando. Gas stations are short on gas, there's little plywood left, and the canned goods are mostly gone. I bought Halloween stuff cause I couldn't find a flashlight. My house is full of windows. I have a small child and two tiny dogs. I am very nervous about my family's safety. If we have to flee to a hotel I really don't feel like fighting tourist for a room cause they PLANNED on being here during the hurricane.

 

[Yellowjj]

Are people legitimately that obsessed with Disney? I don't get it. You want to head to a state where the actual resident's are evacuating.

 

[ironz]

She might have found the Irma thread on TPAS. They are all "rah rah" about still having their vacations on that thread. No downers or facts needed.

Oh, she did post there-- in the same time frame that she posted here. It got buried on the page pretty quickly, though, and in a brief look, I didn't see any replies. I completely agree with everyone's response on this post. Hope she didn't just head down into the storm without making a good informed decision.

(also, the TPAS thread was strangely moderated to allow people to keep their heads in the sand until the later days-- which I suppose was done to not incite panic, but .. I didn't quite get that)

It's so hard-- the weather forecasters get grief if they overcall a storm event and then people are all, 'meh, it wasn't bad.' However, sometimes they're right (ahem, Harvey)-- and it IS as bad as they say and people need to listen and be cautious.

 

[Miumiu4me]

Oh, she did post there-- in the same time frame that she posted here. It got buried on the page pretty quickly, though, and in a brief look, I didn't see any replies. I completely agree with everyone's response on this post. Hope she didn't just head down into the storm without making a good informed decision.

(also, the TPAS thread was strangely moderated to allow people to keep their heads in the sand until the later days-- which I suppose was done to not incite panic, but .. I didn't quite get that)

It's so hard-- the weather forecasters get grief if they overcall a storm event and then people are all, 'meh, it wasn't bad.' However, sometimes they're right (ahem, Harvey)-- and it IS as bad as they say and people need to listen and be cautious.

I'm looking at footage from the keys. This is terrifying. Stay safe everyone.

 

[JackieO]

Hi all, I just wanted to post an update, it seems some were wondering. We did come down early. We are here at Disney now. I'm glad we came. Disney is so good at making everyone feel safe and comfortable.

Thank you to everyone who commented here. I understand that people might question my decision and I know that everyone's concern is for safety. For us, this was the right choice.

I hope everyone stays safe and I'm praying for all of Florida.

 

[ironz]

Hi all, I just wanted to post an update, it seems some were wondering. We did come down early. We are here at Disney now. I'm glad we came. Disney is so good at making everyone feel safe and comfortable.

Thank you to everyone who commented here. I understand that people might question my decision and I know that everyone's concern is for safety. For us, this was the right choice.

I hope everyone stays safe and I'm praying for all of Florida.

Glad you made it safely!

 

[Miumiu4me]

Hi all, I just wanted to post an update, it seems some were wondering. We did come down early. We are here at Disney now. I'm glad we came. Disney is so good at making everyone feel safe and comfortable.

Thank you to everyone who commented here. I understand that people might question my decision and I know that everyone's concern is for safety. For us, this was the right choice.

I hope everyone stays safe and I'm praying for all of Florida.

We sent bottled water over to a friend of ours yesterday cause she couldn't find any to mix her baby's formula with. She's an attorney, her husband is one as well, and they could only hunt for supplies after work. They barely had any bottled water. Meanwhile, I'm on here reading about tourist buying giant cases for their hotel rooms. Do they have the right to buy them? Absolutely. Does that make me happy that they're here buying stuff locals/evacuees need cause they just could not delay their vacation? Well.......

Our local economy depends on tourism. I almost never begrudge the tourist coming here and I understand many people, especially foreign nationals, got stuck here or underestimated the hurricane. I grew up in New England and I moved to Florida a week before Charley. I understand the power of these storms but this is the first time I've dealt with one of this magnitude.

People expressed frustration with you because people who 1) live here 2) fled to Orlando out of necessity have had issues finding the supplies they need to get them through the storm. You chose to put yourself at risk when so many of us didn't have a choice. I'm very worried about my family and my house. The idea of people coming down here now to enjoy a vacation during a giant hurricane flabbergasts me. People will and have died in this storm. This is serious.

In any case, I wish you and your family well. I hope we all make it through this storm ok.