Hurricane Frances

[diznygirl]

California Dreamin' - that's what I'm doing right now! We are formerly of LA - Charley and Frances are making us miss earthquakes!

If the hurricane hits on Saturday, as currently projected, then you might still be able to get in on Sunday with no problem. Just keep checking with the airline. We were stuck at WDW in 98 (I think) during a hurricane and the airlines weren't cancelling flights, but they were waiving the fee for changing flights.

And WDW will be up and running no matter what!

Good luck!

 

[torismom]

JimB

What is the news saying for your area? My best friend is in Palm Coast and I am worried about her and her 3 children. She is a widow and does it alone.

I am thinking of everyone in florida.

 

[enchantedpixiedust]

JimB - what are the local warnings in St. Augustine? My elderly grandmother lives a couple blocks from St. Augustine Beach and I'm worried.

Thanks

 

[California Dreamin]

Hi Folks,

Here's a link to the latest computer models -- all of them, as of Sept 1 midnight.

http://www.hurricanealley.net/Storms/06LALLMDL.html

Bob

(I would have cut and pasted the image here but when I tried it, it didn't work)

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by JimB.
*** Sigh ***


Bad Frances.

Go Away.

Ditto that!!!

The latest track would mean hurricane force winds for a HUGE portion of the state.

 

[Serena]

That's scary. Take extra care everyone.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

I SO hate it that they cant predict these things better than they do. If you go by that model we would be safer at home than at Disney where I have ressies BUT as we learned from Charley you cant go by a point on a map. So if we stay here it could concievably hit here and we would be safer there. I have tried getting ressies at a pet friendly hotel/motel all up and down the west side of the state and there is nothing to be had since it is Labor Day Weekend. I don't know what to do. I can't leave the dog and cat at home to face the storm yet I can't find a hotel for them either. My family ultimately comes first but I want to try my hardest to take the animals with us. I have smaller kids and they would be heartbroken if we had to leave the animals behind.

 

[Feralpeg]

lvs_eeyore, there is a place in Tampa called Fuzzy Buddies that boards pets. You might try there. I know it is an hours drive from Orlando, but it might be better than leaving you pets behind. The vet where I take my pets here in Orlando told me that they are full up this weekend.

 

[diznygirl]

Well, if you are anywhere on the coast, you should try to get yourself inland. Although still getting hit by the hurricane, the coast will receive the full brunt of the storm, and it will weaken - a little! - as it heads inland.

Disney is inland, and that's why it is a preferred evacuation spot. You say you have ressies there - were you going to put your pets at the Disney kennel?

Last look this morning and it looked like it was headed for Orlando - we should all join California Dreamin in wine country!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by lulu71
This storm is really stressing me out!! See counter below---I don't think so!!! I wonder what the VB resort will do?

I bet they'll cancel your reservation and give you a refund without a problem if that's what you're looking for. I had reservations at WDW about two months after 9/11. I just wasn't comfortable at the time with going there. When I called them, they asked why I wanted to cancel and I told them. They refunded everything I paid without a problem.

 

[kingbilly]

Central Florida shelters are gearing up for a flood of people and pets if Hurricane Frances heads this way.

Brevard County's only pet-friendly shelter, which can accommodate about 200 pets and their owners, was already booked Tuesday.

This time, the number of jittery people fleeing to shelters is expected to be much larger than when Charley hit more than two weeks ago.

Many people with already-damaged homes will want to evacuate; the same goes for people with dead branches hanging over their roofs or piles of debris stacked in their front yards.

"So many people are in the process of getting their houses repaired," said Twis Lizasuain, Osceola County's spokeswoman. "It's just so close to the aftermath of Hurricane Charley."

Polk County just closed its last shelter Tuesday -- only to have to begin planning for reactivation the very same day.

"We consider ourselves the shelter destination of the coastal world," said Polk County spokeswoman Cindy Rodriguez. "How many would come to Polk -- as opposed to Lake County -- is hard to say because everyone knows we were damaged by the last storm."

Unlike other Central Florida counties, Polk County exceeded its shelter capacity during Hurricane Charley, forcing officials to offer safe haven inside churches.

But everywhere else, counties have room to grow -- most didn't open all of the available locations. Orange County has 25,000 shelter spaces but used only 7,000 of them during Charley.

"We won't need to create new shelters," said Preston Cook, assistant director of emergency management at Orange County. "We also have refuges of last resort -- or any building that is a concrete, sound structure for people to get out of the elements."

Since no one knows exactly where Frances will come ashore, the state is surveying all of the available hotel rooms and shelters statewide. Specifically, officials need to know how many shelters were damaged during Charley and can't be used again.

But local officials also are worried that people will evacuate their homes -- even if it's not needed.

"Shelters are not the first place to go -- they are the last," said Holly Smith, a spokeswoman for Volusia County. "People should stay with friends or family first."

 

[maroney495]

DS, who lives in Jupiter, called this morning and said they made ressies for a hotel in Pensacola and are headed there Friday morn. (hope this isn't too late for them to leave). I called and made us ressies for Saturday and Sunday and will join them. Maybe we will get something good out of this mess with an unexpected visit. My mother is going with us. She has not seen DS and family since May 03. She will really love seeing her great grand children.

 

[diznygirl]

Just heard that the Orlando airport will prob suspend flights Fri afternoon, and resume Sun afternoon, depending on how things go.

Local police and fire will go into disaster preparedness mode Fri afternoon and thru the weekend.

School has been cancelled in our area for Friday.

Hold on to your hats and glasses....... !

 

[California Dreamin]

Well, fellow DISers, with Frances scheduled to arrive in Orlando at almost exactly the same time our plane was, needless to say, the long-awaited trip to WDW will not be happening.

Instead, we have quickly constructed a week-long trip up the California coast to do sightseeing and winetasting. Not a bad fallback position, but we still were looking forward to WDW.

Good luck to all of you in FL!

Bob

 

[Scottwdw]

I am currently staying at Saratoga Springs, it's windy now with expected 85mph overnight.

My flight for Sunday night was cancelled yesterday and today my Monday night flight was cancelled out of Sanford. We are currently scheduled to leave on Tuesday night...hopefully.

They are projecting the storm center to be just south of Orlando by 8am tomorrow (9/5) morning and just off the west coast of Florida by 2am Monday morning. No word on when WDW will reopen any parks at this time.

Our Hoop-Dee-Doo scheduled for Sunday night has been cancelled so we are trying to see if we can reschedule that for Monday night.

Frances is very SLOW in getting here and looks like will take quite some time to depart. Sigh!

 

[tink2dw]

Warning/ MouseSavers.com/For this weekend, I strongly urge you to postpone your trip!
From www.MouseSavers.com Please read about the known Closings in red!!

Coming Soon: Hurricane Frances
Right now the exact path of Hurricane Frances is anyone's guess, but it will almost certainly affect Orlando, and it's potentially a much worse hurricane than Hurricane Charley.

If it follows its current track, Hurricane Frances may make land at Vero Beach in the afternoon on Saturday, September 4. It is a huge storm producing 125 mph winds (Category 3) and tremendous amounts of rain. Hurricane force winds extend outward from the center for up to 80 miles and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.

Because of the size of this hurricane, even if the center does not pass through Orlando, the city will almost certainly be hit with heavy rain and winds. Orlando may experience hurricane-force winds and 10 or more inches of rain, which could cause severe flooding. It may take as long as 24 hours for Hurricane Frances to make its way across Florida (vs. only a few hours for the recent Hurricane Charley). That is a very bad thing because the slower the storm, the more damage and potential for floods.

This storm can only add to the existing problems in the Orlando area that were caused by Hurricane Charley. I know you will join me in hoping and praying that the hurricane calms down and/or veers off into the ocean without inflicting major damage.

If you are planning to visit Walt Disney World this weekend, I strongly urge you to postpone your trip!

The Orlando airport will close as of noon on Friday, September 3, with no further flights in and out until after the hurricane passes and cleanup operations are complete. Domestic passengers holding reservations for flights prior to noon on Friday need to arrive 3 hours prior to their departure. The Hyatt Hotel at Orlando International Airport is booked and sold out. The airport is not an emergency shelter, so do not count on staying there!
Sanford Airport is already closed.

Almost all major airlines are allowing passengers who had planned to arrive in Orlando now through this weekend to rebook their flights without a change fee. You must rebook before your original travel date. Some airlines will refund your fare if you choose to cancel. If your flight has been cancelled due to the airport closing, they will refund your fare or allow you to reschedule without a fee. Contact your airline for exact details.
Orlando hotel rooms will be needed by those at the coast who will be evacuating inland. More than 2.5 million people have been ordered to evacuate coastal areas -- the biggest evacuation in Florida history. One local disaster agency estimated that there are only about 1,000 hotel rooms (out of a total 120,000) in Orlando still available. Disney is already dedicating a fair number of rooms to housing Cast Members who lost homes to Hurricane Charley, as well as other evacuees. Other area hotels are also housing evacuees, and in some cases are already operating at reduced capacity due to damage from Hurricane Charley. Guests staying at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground must be relocated to other hotels on property.

Disney has announced that "No Show" penalties will be waived for any guest arrivals between Friday, September 3 and Monday, September 6, 2004. Disney will waive change fees for guests scheduled to arrive September 1-6 who wish to reschedule vacations. Disney is no longer selling hotel rooms for September 3-6. If you need to reschedule, call the Disney Reservations Center now at (407) W-DISNEY.
Most non-Disney hotels are also waiving change fees for anyone who has decided not to arrive this weekend due to the hurricane, so call your hotel and check on that.
Priceline and Hotwire will allow you to cancel normally non-refundable hotel, rental car and airfare purchases and get a refund if you are scheduled to arrive in Orlando this weekend.
Local Closures: Schools in the Orlando area will be closed on Friday. The Kennedy Space Center will be closed on Thursday and Friday to allow its employees time to prepare their homes for the hurricane. Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove will all be closing at 3:00 pm on Friday, September 3 and will remain closed on Saturday, September 4.
Walt Disney World Closures, Cancellations and Other News

Disney has announced that all four of its theme parks and both water parks will be open on Friday, September 3, but closing slightly early. Magic Kingdom will be open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm; Epcot's Future World will be open 9:00 am - 7:00 pm; Epcot's World Showcase will be open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm; Disney-MGM Studios will be open 9:00 am - 6:00 pm; Animal Kingdom will be open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
All September 3-6 showings of Fantasmic! have been cancelled. Other parades, shows and fireworks are still scheduled to be offered on Friday.
Both of Disney's miniature golf courses (Fantasia Gardens & Winter Summerland) will be open on Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Pleasure Island will be closed on Friday.
Downtown Disney shops and DisneyQuest will be open until 6:00 pm on Friday.
Cirque du Soleil plans to present its 6:00 pm show, but has cancelled the 9:00 pm show on Friday.
The Electrical Water Pageant has been cancelled until further notice.
Disney plans to close all of its Orlando theme parks on Saturday.
Priority seatings will not be accepted for any resort dining location starting at dinner on Friday, September 3 and running through dinner on Sunday, September 5. Disney is not accepting bookings for meals in the theme parks on Saturday, September 4 or Sunday, September 5.
Restaurants in Downtown Disney are expected to be open until 9:00 pm on Friday.
The Hoop-Dee-Doo dinner show at 9:30 pm on Friday, September 3 has been cancelled. All Hoop-Dee-Doo shows on Saturday, September 4 have been cancelled.
All Spirit of Aloha dinner shows have been cancelled for Friday and Saturday, September 3 and 4.
The Tom Joyner Family Reunion has been cancelled.
Disney Cruises are significantly affected by Hurricane Frances:

The current 7-night sailing of the Disney Magic has changed its ports to avoid the storm. Because of the closure of Port Canaveral, it will stay at sea until Monday, making it a 9-night cruise!
The 7-night September 4 sailing of the Disney Magic will be postponed to Monday, September 6 and will now be a 5-night cruise. Passengers on this sailing will receive a 40% rebate of the cruise fare, a $200 stateroom credit and 25% off a future cruise (through October 2005). Expect "surprise" ports, probably in the Western Caribbean.
The 3-night sailing of the Disney Wonder on Thursday, September 2 plans to depart as scheduled and will be routed around the hurricane, visiting the port of Cozumel. Because of the closure of Port Canaveral, it will stay at sea until Monday and this is now a 4-night cruise!
The 4-night September 5 sailing of the Disney Wonder will be postponed to Monday, September 6 and will now be a 3-night cruise. Passengers on this sailing will receive a 30% rebate of the cruise fare, a $100 stateroom credit and 25% off a future cruise (through October 2005). This cruise will not visit any ports.
Disney is waiving the rebooking fee for anyone who was scheduled to sail between now and September 5 and would prefer to reschedule their cruise. If you choose a more expensive sailing date, you will have to pay the difference in price, but you won't pay the extra rebooking fee.
The Canaveral Port Authority administrative offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, and are not scheduled to reopen until Tuesday, depending on the storm path. All vessels must be moved out of the harbor by 10:00 am on Friday, at which point the port will close.
Brevard County (where Port Canaveral is located) is under a mandatory evacuation order for the Barrier Islands and manufactured homes.
Disney's Vero Beach resort closed at noon on Thursday, September 2. Those with reservations to check in this weekend will be contacted by Disney.

Hurricane Information Resources
Disney Information - (407) 939-4636
disneyworld.com Hurricane Update
disneycruise.com Hurricane Update
National Hurricane Center
Orlando Airport Press Releases
Airline Contact Numbers
Orlando CVB Hotel Availability Hotline (for evacuees needing a hotel room) - (407) 354-5555
Orlando Sentinel newspaper
WESH (Orlando NBC affiliate) - offers live web video of its broadcasts
WKMG Local 6 News
WFTV Channel 9 Eyewitness News