Hurricane Irma?

[Belle1962]

Most airlines are offering reschedules/rebooks without charge. So everyone, check with your airline. This is from the SW website

Customers who are holding reservations on Tuesday, September 5, thru Sunday, September 17, and want to alter their travel plans may rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city-pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying any additional charge.

 

[Ametista]

We are supposed to fly in Saturday, as in 2 days from now. I am so bummed and don't know what to do. There is no way we will be able to coordinate getting work off together for probably a year because my son starts a new job in a few weeks.

 

[wonder whisper]

Disney has their rideout crews selected and ready to go. One of our friends is working. No doubt, the parks will be closed on Sunday.

Thank you for the update and not surprising, given these interesting factiods from the NHC:

• Irma is the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic, outside the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean.
• It has also set a new all-time high for the amount of wind energy ever recorded over a 24-hour period. A hurricane hunter plane Wednesday recorded winds over 188 mph.

 

[KittyKitty]

For those wondering what the winds will be like at WDW. Our local weather guy was just live, you can skip to min -7:03 for sustained winds through Monday with the current forecast <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https://www.facebook.com/BrianShieldsWFTV/videos/1701630346523027/&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

This looks a lot scarier than I thought. This hurricane is huge.

 

[wonder whisper]

We are supposed to fly in Saturday, as in 2 days from now. I am so bummed and don't know what to do. There is no way we will be able to coordinate getting work off together for probably a year because my son starts a new job in a few weeks.

What time Saturday?

 

[laurabelle]

So I cancelled and moved our trip after being on hold for hours. I had to switch to POR from AKL to cover the cost of loosing free dining as well as pay additional money and drop our park hoppers so we could afford it and now I have read several times that guest services honored free dining for people. If I call and talk to guest services now that I already changed things would I be out of luck?

It can't hurt to call guest services and ask.

 

[cattrix]

Me...waiting for Irma to make up her mind.....

.......Me on Monday....Me today...actually, Me all week until I get to DW IF i get there on Saturday!!!

 

[LadyLeem000]

To be honest- I called and talked to Guest Services yesterday and was kind of trying to get all of our options on the table. The lady I spoke to was more than willing to reschedule us AND honor our free dining, no problem. Of course we really can't reschedule due to my husband work schedule...which is why right now we are flying in tomorrow. But the willingness to do so was very much so there. I really think it depends on who you talk to.

 

[wonder whisper]

This looks a lot scarier than I thought. This hurricane is huge.

Yes, and is creating catastrophic damage to whatever it gets near to.

 

[GOOFY D]

Most airlines are offering reschedules/rebooks without charge. So everyone, check with your airline. This is from the SW website

Customers who are holding reservations on Tuesday, September 5, thru Sunday, September 17, and want to alter their travel plans may rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city-pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying any additional charge.

Has anyone been able to check availability of rooms within the next 14 days online? I keep getting Stitch with the "someone at the page" notice. I was unable to move anything on DVC with points, so wanted to check cash reservations.

 

[JoeP78]

It can't hurt to call guest services and ask.

Is there a direct guest services number? When I called the ...1936 number I got a CM who couldn't see free dining availability and she transferred me to guest services where I waited 1 hour and 15 minutes and had to hang up. It took 45 minutes to get the first CM. Just seeing if there is a way to avoid the first hold waiting for someone who probably can't help me. Thanks for the info. I was wondering if guest services was more lienent on helping people keep free dining.

 

[golf261]

Mind if I ask where you were flying our of? We moved our flight to Saturday morning from Sunday morning and I just check Southwest's site and it's not canceled yet but we are flying out of Indianapolis at 7:30am.

Cattrix, I am also flying SW Saturday AM from Indy, and have not received any notification of cancellation.

 

[*MomTo2Princesses*]

I'm at Poly front desk right now taking care of a couple things and was just told by the CM that they have already been told Sunday would be closed for sure and not sure about what after that. I know to take it with a grain of salt. Just wanted to pass along.

 

[AngiTN]

"Not allowing them" isn't really correct. Cast members in a variety of areas volunteer to ride out the storm at work in order to provide guest service at resorts and to secure the parks and provide immediate clean up when everything is done. No one is forced to stay, at least not that I've ever been aware of.

Exactly. And some WANT to work. WANT to get their hours so they get paid. Somehow folks forget this.
Last year during Matthew we saw folks doing all sorts of jobs outside their area. Rec CM (the red shirts that run games at pools, etc) were helping with Housekeeping, or helping in the restaurant. Life Guards too, since obviously, there was no pool to work in. Some of them (I'm not not all, but some) were grateful for a schedule that allowed them to keep the hours they planned for. They filled in where ever they were needed. Same for some CM from park operations too, I'm sure.

 

[wonder whisper]

May I ask where your meterorologist is located? Are they near Orlando or out of state? I SOOO want to believe them but where they are located will play into my decision. We are scheduled to fly to Orlando tomorrow afternoon.

No one-- including some "local meteorologist" -- is in any position to be telling people what the conditions are definitely going to be in Orlando on Sunday or Monday. What he said is not fact, it's a random opinion from an unknown source.

 

[AngiTN]

To be honest- I called and talked to Guest Services yesterday and was kind of trying to get all of our options on the table. The lady I spoke to was more than willing to reschedule us AND honor our free dining, no problem. Of course we really can't reschedule due to my husband work schedule...which is why right now we are flying in tomorrow. But the willingness to do so was very much so there. I really think it depends on who you talk to.

I'd be willing to say that if your new stay fits the parameters of the promo then sure, they'll be able to move it. Will all stays be able to? That is the question. Probable answer is no, they won't. If it doesn't that is when you'll want to try to escalate to a CM that can hopefully bend the rules to get your new stay to work with the promo. But it may be they just can't do it. There are limits, even with hurricane related changes.

 

[yulilin3]

This looks a lot scarier than I thought. This hurricane is huge.

And I'm thinking it looks better for us in Orlando. The winds won't be bad here

 

[Disneylvr]

Honestly, if my trip had been longer than 4 nights (only 3 1/2 park days) I probably would have rode the storm out like many of you have decided to do. I do believe Disney is prepared to handle whatever is going to happen. Please stay safe everyone!

 

[BigMac3001]

Cattrix, I am also flying SW Saturday AM from Indy, and have not received any notification of cancellation.

Flying southwest out of St. Louis Saturday morning. Still a go.

 

[cattrix]

Cattrix, I am also flying SW Saturday AM from Indy, and have not received any notification of cancellation.

Are you on the direct flight? Do you have a contingency plan? I've been looking at the direct flight tomorrow in the afternoon as my backup plan.