HURRICANE INFORMATION (AUGUST 15, 2004): All parks except TL are OPEN

[WDWDennis]

Geez, I sure hope it passes by quickly and with no damage. I really feel bad for the people who are only there for a few days. Thats gotta REALLY stink!! I bet the arcades in the resorts are gonna have record breaking days! LOL

 

[Big V]

Stay safe Charlie!

 

[SEAlla]

What a time to have the name "Charlie"

Well, hope this misses Orlando and you don't get any set backs. I will keep my fingers crossed for you!!!

Susan

 

[lenshanem]

Will this be only the third time it has been closed? Once for the first hurricane, second 9/11, oh and then just Epcot when the power fire happened, odd how all these closings have happened in recent years?

 

[jordgubben]

I'm sure that DTD is closed because that WDW would prefer that people stay put in their resort.

 

[mommystieg]

Prayers and pixie dust to all of you at WDW or traveling to WDW today. Be safe

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Just curious...any chance they'll do extra things at the resorts -- maybe even bring a few characters around?? I know when there is heavey rain at the parks and they don't close, they do seem to bring out lots of characters in inside locations -- like the Expo. Hall in MK. Maybe they'll send a few characters to each resort to entertain the kids....Maybe wishful thinking, but that would be nice for all those who did plan their vacations and are now stuck at the hotel.

 

[Shelle&Dave]

I heard that they are transferring people from FW into resorts.

 

[currycook]

It depends on which way the storm goes, some forcasts have it going over Orlando as a Cat 1.

This should be interesting. We are all buckeled in here on the west coast. Even have a mattress in the bathroom for the kids to get in the tub and put over them and use the bathroom as our saferoom if it gets nasty.

 

[Rippington'sFan]

Originally posted by SnoWhiteRabbit
Just curious...any chance they'll do extra things at the resorts -- maybe even bring a few characters around?? I know when there is heavey rain at the parks and they don't close, they do seem to bring out lots of characters in inside locations -- like the Expo. Hall in MK. Maybe they'll send a few characters to each resort to entertain the kids....Maybe wishful thinking, but that would be nice for all those who did plan their vacations and are now stuck at the hotel.

I would hope Disney sends their characters home early to be with their families and hopefully be safe like everybody else. Not stick around during a Hurricane just to entertain guests at resorts. I know Disney is Fantasy but let's get real here for a minute. A category 3 Hurricane is no Fantasy.

 

[hunter1722]

The Weather Channel just stated that WDW would close down by 1pm today as it looks like Charle is still headed for the Tampa area. Everyone stay safe! Living on the Texas coast we deal with this every year and we sympathize with all of you.

 

[Cailin'sMom]

DTD is probably closed so that they can allow as many CM's as possible to go home and take care of their families and homes. I know that when we have hurricanes here retail stores etc. close for this reason. Also, authorities want as many people as possible off roads and safe at home.

I worked retail in college and I was always one of the last to leave because we allowed the employees with children, etc. to be the first to leave.

In a place like Disney, they will have to keep some CM's on the clock, but I think that the situation would be similar, that they would reorganize the CM's so as to allow most to be home with families.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

They should offer everyone partial refunds or something. Hope everyone down there stays safe!

 

[Sammy]

Originally posted by 5wdwnutz
Guess it's going to get pretty bad down there. Shame DTD is closing too, atleast if the parks are closed some shopping could still go on.

I don't want this to sound rude, but if the hurricane is supposed to bad enough to close the parks, why on earth would it be safe to be outside shopping?

 

[NotUrsula]

Don't forget that a lot of CM's are young, single, and not from the Orlando area. For many of them, being at work would actually be safer than being in the apts. that many of them live in, and it's certainly WAY safer than attending a hurricane party, which is usually the first thing that young single people let off from work will think of.

I know when I was young, I always preferred to be working during a hurricane, rather than camping in a school gym without food or electricity.

 

[Lucky4me]

They've also closed CRO. You can't make any reservations today.

Hopefully it will weaken and blow through without hurting anyone or anything.
Good luck currycook and anyone else in its path.

 

[daannzzz]

Isn't CRO in Tampa?

 

[Lucky4me]

I'm not sure where it is, but I just tried to call and got a recorded message saying due to Charlie they were cutting back on staff, you'd have to wait a long time to talk to someone and they may have to close. WDW-dine is closed.

 

[LibertyBelle]

There is a Tampa and Orlando CRO office. The Tampa office was closed yesterday diverting all the calls to Orlando. The Orlando office closed today at 11am.

As for the resorts I know during Hurricane Floyd they did have activites set up for the hotels that are all one building (like the Yacht CLub, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, etc.) Remember you are safer inside so to have activites set up in a resort like the Polynesian or the All Stars would make people want to come out and play. I have to say that I appreciate the people that posted with common sense. I don't mean to sound rude here either, but I lived through Hurricane Andrew and I am sorry if your bored because there is no shopping, but over 1 million people have been evacuated from their homes throughout Florida and are sitting on the floor of some High School gym with nothing to do but stare at each other and wonder if there homes and livelyhoods will still exist when they return. Let's keep things in perspective here. This is SERIOUS, this is not some afternoon thunderstorm that is going to rain a little and blow by...

All Disney locations have a voluntary Hurricane Ride out crew. These are CM's that volunteer to be there to help prepare the property, then they ride the storm out in a safe place and once it is clear they go back out and clean up whatever mess was left behind. Disney would not force any CM to stay during a time like this. As was stated Disney may be a fantasyland, but CM's are people with families and pets and homes that they need to take care of too. (Yes I agree when I lived in an apartment I choose to be on the ride out crew as I felt it was safer but now I have a family and wish to be home). Sorry about the tyraid, but the comment about DTD being closed was upsetting... this is real life people.

As for Fort Wilderness, yes they have evacuated the property and moved the guests to other resorts. In the past they have moved those guests into hotel rooms if they had them avalaible, if not they have made a make shift shelter in the convention centers around property (not sure what they did this time, just know they have moved them).

 

[safetymom]

Disney can't help that a Hurricane is going through. If they do something it would be generous but I don't see why they should.

Disney is worried about the safety of everyone. They did open the parks for part of the day today. Many cast members will be trying to make it home while the storm is going on.

I am sure the resorts will provide for everyone.