Hurricane Matthew Closes WDW - Reopens Saturday, October 8th

[magic458]

Just heard from a press conference from the SC governor that most hotel rooms in the state of SC are booked currently due to evacuations. I thought this may be helpful to know if people traveling to WDW from further away may be thinking about getting started on their trip and stopping somewhere closer.

Also, an important reminder that hurricanes can spawn tornadoes inland. Please everyone pay attention and make wise decisions for you and your family's safety! I hope WDW also makes the wise decision soon to keep park CMs home tonight and tomorrow.

SC is way different than Florida.
Hotel capacity is way under Florida and the road design is awful. Evacuation takes FOREVER there.

 

[Skywise]

Orlando airport closing tonight, and they issued a statement saying that MCO is not a shelter. In other words, if you have a cancelled flight, call the airline. Don't just show up and expect to wait it out at the airport.

What about the hotel in MCO?

 

[HopperFan]

Looks a bit windy...

We've moved all our patio furniture into the garage, but we are debating what to do with the swing set in our back yard. I'm concerned that it might be in our neighbors yard - or our kitchen - if we leave it out there. Any advice from anyone who has been through this?

When I needed, I removed anything that could fly and put up. I was alone so I couldn't move some - tied that stuff to trees, fence etc.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Orlando International Airport suspending operations at 8pm tonight

Here's that announcement via Twitter. MCO is always careful to say that they don't technically "close." Carriers just halt service due to weather. The announcement's gist is that MCO expects commercial carriers to stop flying into the airport at 8 PM tonight, and they don't expect commercial carriers to begin flying into MCO again until at least Saturday morning, depending on how long it takes to perform necessary cleanup and repair at the airport. So for anyone who was hoping to get in or out on Friday night via MCO, it will almost certainly not happen.

 

[2Tiggies]

Looks a bit windy...

We've moved all our patio furniture into the garage, but we are debating what to do with the swing set in our back yard. I'm concerned that it might be in our neighbors yard - or our kitchen - if we leave it out there. Any advice from anyone who has been through this?

Take it down if you can - if it is anchored, then remove any swings of other items. Most of those will not survive a hurricane intact.

Yep. I logged in to post the same thing. If you are on your own and need help moving it, do you have neighbors you could ask to help? I know that I could go ring the bell at any given home in our neighborhood and people would drop what they were doing to help if I needed it and I'd do the same for any of them. It's really anything that is loose, could come lose with strong gusts of wind and become a flying weapon in the strong wind. Which county are you in?

Our kitchen and garage look like we're moving house lol. I've also removed our loose drain pipes outside the house and put them in the garage. As for the 5 large oak trees ... really nothing we can do about those but hope and pray no limbs come loose.

 

[rteetz]

UNOFFICIAL BUT .....................

Disney supposed to close parks today at 5 pm and will be closed all day tomorrow.

Yep, should be made official within next 90 minutes.

 

[gwynne]

What about the hotel in MCO?

If you need a room at the Hyatt I'd think it best to call and make sure you have a reservation.

 

[Lehuaann]

My CM friends are all reporting to work today as scheduled, even those in Boo to You.

Not sure if this would be why...but a CM told me last night that they were using Thurdays MNSSHP hours to take down decorations/etc.

 

[Skywise]

If you need a room at the Hyatt I'd think it best to call and make sure you have a reservation.

No no - I'm safe in the midwest. I was just wondering if those in the Hyatt were OK or if they'd have to evacuate too.

 

[LadyRayado]

Yep, should be made official within next 90 minutes.

Can ask I where you heard this? My sis is a CM in FoF this afternoon and hasn't heard a word.

 

[sabrecmc]

When I needed, I removed anything that could fly and put up. I was alone so I couldn't move some - tied that stuff to trees, fence etc.

Looks a bit windy...

We've moved all our patio furniture into the garage, but we are debating what to do with the swing set in our back yard. I'm concerned that it might be in our neighbors yard - or our kitchen - if we leave it out there. Any advice from anyone who has been through this?

If it is the metal A-frame kind, you can take the swings and parts off of it so it is just the frame, and try sandbags around the "feet." Bungie cords to anything nearby like trees that (hopefully) stay put. Metal stakes (the square arch kind) with ropes or bungie cord tied to them and the frame as deep into the ground as you can get them.

That being said, Opal wrapped our trampoline around a tree in our neighbor's yard despite our best efforts, so...yeah.

 

[Mal6586]

Just heard from my friend who's a team member at Universal. They are closing at 5pm and closed Friday.

 

[rteetz]

Can ask I where you heard this? My sis is a CM in FoF this afternoon and hasn't heard a word.

I haven't seen an official time like Hopper posted but I have heard a decision should be made within the next 90 minutes.

 

[Mal6586]

My Universal team member friend has a roommate who's a CM. She told him Disney would make the decision around 3pm about whether to close early/tomorrow. I can't imagine they would wait that long though.

 

[rteetz]

My Universal team member friend has a roommate who's a CM. She told him Disney would make the decision around 3pm about whether to close early/tomorrow. I can't imagine they would wait that long though.

I can't see them waiting that long either. This decision would likely have to be made before noon today.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

For those of you staying through the hurricane the doors may not function with your room key if/when power is lost. We stuck a shoe in the door or flipped over the security bar when that happened once and no one was in the room.

Good info

FYI - Those hotel doors are stand-alone battery powered devices and the batteries are likely replaced on a regular schedule. There's usually a red flashing light that will occur if the battery is running low to indicate to the hotel to change batteries. I highly doubt a power outage will affect your ability to access your room.

Now I will say that the safe in the room may not be battery powered and I'm not sure what will happen to that if power goes out. I believe they just become unlocked (which is better than staying locked) so there is that.

 

[KateP85]

What about the hotel in MCO?

I'm honestly not sure. I would assume they are ok, although the hotel is probably completely booked up. I think what they're trying to avoid is a bunch of people camping out at the airport for days on end.

 

[LadyRayado]

I haven't seen an official time like Hopper posted but I have heard a decision should be made within the next 90 minutes.

Thanks, I hope that's true. She lives 35 minutes away and I want her home safe!

 

[HopperFan]

Just heard from my friend who's a team member at Universal. They are closing at 5pm and closed Friday.

Haha, matching stories.

Trying to figure out if they are playing chicken or coordinating.

 

[gwynne]

I can't see them waiting that long either. This decision would likely have to be made before noon today.

I would think that soon after the National Hurricane Center 11am update today they will decide.