Hurricane Matthew Closes WDW - Reopens Saturday, October 8th

[Jgeauxmo]

So I created an account purely to ask some opinions in here about our upcoming trip next week.

My husband and I are planning to drive down from Indianapolis to Florida on Sunday. We were planning to basically get as close as possible to Disney World, grab a hotel, and get up in the morning to finish the drive to Coronado Springs. We'll be coming down I-75 and the Florida Turnpike. If there are blockages on the highway caused by high winds and and things falling down do you think they will have it cleared by Sunday evening? (Super late, my husband is a nigh shift paramedic so we can't leave until he's off work at 7...if he doesn't get a late run which would delay our departure).

We originally planned to find a hotel along 75 without a reservation. Will people from the coast and staying in hotels from mobile homes and such probably still be in these hotels Sunday night? Should we try to book somewhere? (We really wanted to avoid it since we don't have a definite leave time). Sounds like nothing is currently available and I'm wondering how long people tend to stay when hurricanes happen (I'm used to tornados, not hurricanes which I know last a lot longer).

As of this morning weather next week (we're staying through Saturday morning) looks pretty gross (thunderstorms most days) which I assume is because most of the forecasts show Matthew on Tuesday sitting out off the coast of Florida in the ocean. We have our fingers crossed that it doesn't boomerang back to Florida (or anywhere for that matter). Some rain and thunderstorms won't bother me (we're going mostly to attend Food & Wine) but obviously another hurricane (or the same one againe) is a completely different story from some thunderstorms.

Stay safe everybody who is in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas right now! You're in my thoughts!

I would not count on any hotels being available in the area on Sunday night because people could be displaced and/or sustain severe damage to their homes making them unlivable. The storm will be long past by then, but I wouldn't chance getting down to Florida without a reservation. I'm not sure your exact itinerary but maybe stop a few hours earlier and just have a longer leg on Monday.

 

[jv3cv1]

So I created an account purely to ask some opinions in here about our upcoming trip next week.

My husband and I are planning to drive down from Indianapolis to Florida on Sunday. We were planning to basically get as close as possible to Disney World, grab a hotel, and get up in the morning to finish the drive to Coronado Springs. We'll be coming down I-75 and the Florida Turnpike. If there are blockages on the highway caused by high winds and and things falling down do you think they will have it cleared by Sunday evening? (Super late, my husband is a nigh shift paramedic so we can't leave until he's off work at 7...if he doesn't get a late run which would delay our departure).

We originally planned to find a hotel along 75 without a reservation. Will people from the coast and staying in hotels from mobile homes and such probably still be in these hotels Sunday night? Should we try to book somewhere? (We really wanted to avoid it since we don't have a definite leave time). Sounds like nothing is currently available and I'm wondering how long people tend to stay when hurricanes happen (I'm used to tornados, not hurricanes which I know last a lot longer).

As of this morning weather next week (we're staying through Saturday morning) looks pretty gross (thunderstorms most days) which I assume is because most of the forecasts show Matthew on Tuesday sitting out off the coast of Florida in the ocean. We have our fingers crossed that it doesn't boomerang back to Florida (or anywhere for that matter). Some rain and thunderstorms won't bother me (we're going mostly to attend Food & Wine) but obviously another hurricane (or the same one againe) is a completely different story from some thunderstorms.

Stay safe everybody who is in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas right now! You're in my thoughts!

You may want to call and book a room I know alot of times people from east coast head that way and up into GA to get away from the coast you may not find a hotel. I-10 is a mess near Jacksonville heading out of town during storms.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Be ready for a lot of rain and some heavy wind.

Weather Channel did a pretty cool walk-through of what the storm would do to the state, and it's a lot of rain - storm surge will hit at high tide, so it's predicted to only be a foot or three higher than normal high tide. That's the GREAT news.

Georgia and South Carolina coasts may not fare so well because of tides.

WESH2 has been doing much more detailed walk-throughs since yesterday, and their reports paint a much more serious picture for local residents and visitors than the Weather Channel's glossy reports about Central Florida, including expected maximum wind gusts, storm surge, and the times that those two things are expected both on the coast and inland. The storm may be catastrophic for Brevard and Volusia counties, and may bring gusts upwards of 90 miles an hour to Orange. The fact that there is a tropical storm warning-not watch, but warning-extending to the border of the Tampa Bay area says a lot. The storm is also slower than Andrew, which for all of its power zipped across a small swath of South Florida. Matthew will be impacting a much larger area of Florida for much longer. Your opinion on this storm is completely out of step with what emergency officials across Florida are telling residents and visitors about this storm, its dangers, and how to prepare.

 

[mswhittaker]

For those that have rescheduled, when have you rescheduled to? Just a few days past your normal arrival? Or weeks/months?

We were set to arrive this friday to monday, we were able to switch to next friday to monday but it was a bit of a struggle to get us all (3 rooms) at another moderate level resort together. They didn't even have anything at AoA or Pop if we could downgrade. Think next weekend is a busy one.

 

[FeralCatRogue]

I want to add something that I dont see mentioned. If the storm does hit bad please dont just immediately go out when you beleive its over. There can be calms in these type of storms that are pretty sneaky. There's no way to know if lines or trees are down and in areas you are not used to, even areas you ARE used to this can lead to very dangerous conditions. I am speaking from expereince of when Sandy hit NJ and how it effected my area.

 

[yulilin3]

Orlando International Airport suspending operations at 8pm tonight

 

[ErinsMommy]

FOR ALL OF YOU IN ORLANDO; the storm has changed and I'm adding some good info here from the ORLANDO meteorologist. If you do twitter, follow him.

It's not to alarm only to be aware of your surroundings.

It is important to be in your hotel room, home etc by 5 pm tonight. Transportation back to where you need to be might not be available.

If you can get there sooner, do - so you can charge up EVERYTHING, phones, computers, battery packs, ipads, ipods ...........

If you can grab some snacks and water etc to keep in your room. It won't be so long that you would starve of course but a snack here and there can keep the cranky down.

Stay away from windows and close your drapes - this much wind = projectiles and you will never move fast enough to avoid. You'll likely never see it coming. STAY INSIDE your room if you have an exterior door.

Disney guests, REMEMBER, when you call the front desk you are getting a call center maybe not even in Orlando. They truly don't know what is going on during a storm.

Turn on your TV and surf to see if hotel will keep updates on one of the channels.

Be very aware once you do go outside ... these storms stir up all the critters and they look for safety as well. You may cross path with wildlife you normally don't see.


---------------------------------------------------------
Brian Shields ‏@BShieldsWFTV 26 minutes ago

Matthew is STRENGTHENING at this time. Finishes preps soon. Be where you need to be by 5pm. #wftv


Brian Shields ‏@BShieldsWFTV 14 minutes ago

One of our models brings the center of Matthew right up I-95 & near Orlando. It's possible. Monitoring. #wftv

is the middle where Orlando is the "eye"? Is that generally a good or bad thing? Sorry I dont know really what I'm looking at.

 

[Skywise]

Slightly off topic but does anyone know of a good resource to check I95 status in NC / SC / GA? We'll be driving south on the I95 and should be crossing NC / SC border around 2PM on Saturday afternoon. I think we might not be too bad as Matthew will probably be offshore by the time we "reach" it but I'd like to find out about traffic / flooding / evacuation routes / etc.

We can probably cut to the I75 but it's quite a detour (adds 2 or 3 hours to the drive and we'd have to get off the interstate to get to the 75) so we'd prefer staying on the I95 if we can.

Let us know. Thanks,
Mike

I'd check google maps before your trip (you can click on a traffic tab to see conditions) and if you have a smartphone download and use Waze during your trip which is a GPS with social links that everybody updates into (Stuff like hazards on the road, police reports, accidents, traffic conditions, etc) and it will at least warn you about upcoming conditions on the road if not out and out reroute you automatically.

 

[sabrecmc]

Here is a link to someone in Nassau who is weathering the storm and posting video on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KBente95?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

If you haven't been through a hurricane before, please take a look at this to understand what coastal folks are saying about Do Not Leave Your Room.

Also, here is a the reddit thread with updated info: https://www.reddit.com/live/xpidtdeqm42u/

 

[yulilin3]

is the middle where Orlando is the "eye"? Is that generally a good or bad thing? Sorry I dont know really what I'm looking at.

the eye will be close to the east coast. Orlando will have the west side of the storm impacting. But with each model the storm has moved more west. At this point we will see sustained winds of 80 with wind gust around 100 . When I say we I Orlando, I'm 5 minutes from the airport, 20 minutes from WDW

 

[2Tiggies]

The HUB stated that MNSSHP is cancelled but CM working the event should still report to work, wth?!?!

It's silly. Since yeserday warnings have been going out to stay off the roads unless it's unavoidable. I'm surprised that Disney has insisted on these CMs getting to work for a shift that's been canceled. Just adds more traffic that nobody needs when trying to get home.

We are north of Disney and I have to say, there was quite an eerie atmosphere when I went for my run this morning. For those of you here now, be safe. I'm so sorry this is wrecking your vacation plans for a few days. But above all, be safe x

 

[hiroMYhero]

The Mall of Georgia store with characters appearing on Saturday if they are able to fly out of MCO on Friday.

Updating for those in Atlanta:
Disney moved up flights for the team but the earliest was 8:00p tonight. With all the advisories to stay off the roads by 5:00p, Disney has canceled and will not send a team from WDW to Atlanta. It's also confirmed that Mickey won't be able to arrive via LAX. So, no characters for the grand re-opening and meet and greets thanks to Matthew.

 

[ErinsMommy]

the eye will be close to the east coast. Orlando will have the west side of the storm impacting. But with each model the storm has moved more west. At this point we will see sustained winds of 80 with wind gust around 100 . When I say we I Orlando, I'm 5 minutes from the airport, 20 minutes from WDW

Oh boy, praying you and your family stay safe! Hoping when this is all over that you all come back and post that all is well!!

 

[HopperFan]

Light rain just started here, but no wind or anything. I'm headed out to Starbucks because coffee will be necessary today...

I have CM friends all over. So far the consensus seems to be that the parks will close early today and close all day tomorrow. The local news is telling people to be indoors by 5pm and plan to stay there at least 24 hours. At some point Disney will have to acknowledge that warning, and I assume then they'll announce an early closing.

seriously, I can't believe Universal still hasn't given an update on HHN for tonight. The HUB stated that MNSSHP is cancelled but CM working the event should still report to work, wth?!?!

I think they have to close the other parks early tonight and geez just pull the trigger on tomorrow. They don't need to encourage guests to be out wandering and no CM should have to be traveling in this.

YES, CM friend is to report tonight after normal hours even though MNSSHP has been cancelled.

Some departments in Team Disney have closed for next two days .... but park CMs are told nothing.

 

[robinb]

I was at POP for Charley. We were one of the crazy ones who arrived early because we thought later flights might be delayed. At the time Charley was supposed to hit Tampa and at the last minute it took a big right turn for Orlando.

I have to say that I totally agree with this ...

I agree with what you are saying bolded, and the listed points are all very valid. However if I was in the shoes of someone who was "stuck" in Orlando without a room I would be disappointed if Dis du did t have somewhere for me to ride it out, even an offer of camp cots in a conference room would do.
I would understand that I couldn't have the room I was in, and understand all the points you had made, but I would be upset to be told "you're on your own.

I would also be very upset if I was at WDW and I was told that I had to get the hell out and was on my own to find a place to stay in a Category 4 hurricane.

 

[gemologygal]

We are driving down on Sunday morning from the DC-area and then staying overnight in Savannah Sunday night, with plans the next morning to continue the drive to WDW. We are scheduled to stay until next Saturday. Should those of us scheduled to stay next week look to possibly rescheduling because of this loop Matthew may take?

 

[kydisneyfans]

So I created an account purely to ask some opinions in here about our upcoming trip next week.

My husband and I are planning to drive down from Indianapolis to Florida on Sunday. We were planning to basically get as close as possible to Disney World, grab a hotel, and get up in the morning to finish the drive to Coronado Springs. We'll be coming down I-75 and the Florida Turnpike. If there are blockages on the highway caused by high winds and and things falling down do you think they will have it cleared by Sunday evening? (Super late, my husband is a nigh shift paramedic so we can't leave until he's off work at 7...if he doesn't get a late run which would delay our departure).

We originally planned to find a hotel along 75 without a reservation. Will people from the coast and staying in hotels from mobile homes and such probably still be in these hotels Sunday night? Should we try to book somewhere? (We really wanted to avoid it since we don't have a definite leave time). Sounds like nothing is currently available and I'm wondering how long people tend to stay when hurricanes happen (I'm used to tornados, not hurricanes which I know last a lot longer).

As of this morning weather next week (we're staying through Saturday morning) looks pretty gross (thunderstorms most days) which I assume is because most of the forecasts show Matthew on Tuesday sitting out off the coast of Florida in the ocean. We have our fingers crossed that it doesn't boomerang back to Florida (or anywhere for that matter). Some rain and thunderstorms won't bother me (we're going mostly to attend Food & Wine) but obviously another hurricane (or the same one againe) is a completely different story from some thunderstorms.

Stay safe everybody who is in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas right now! You're in my thoughts!

I concur with the above responses. I would definitely have a reservation as folks along the coast are going wherever they can inland to escape. There are not many hotel rooms in North Florida either. Also, with everyone filling tanks and an already tight gas supply in the area, keep your fuel supply solid. There could also be some tight food supplies at restaurants as deliveries will not be made for a few days. If trees fall on the interstate, they will be clear by Sunday. It's the other issues to be more concerned about.

 

[LadyRayado]

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

 

[kydisneyfans]

We are driving down on Sunday morning from the DC-area and then staying overnight in Savannah Sunday night, with plans the next morning to continue the drive to WDW. We are scheduled to stay until next Saturday. Should those of us scheduled to stay next week look to possibly rescheduling because of this loop Matthew may take?

I would not be concerned about the "loop", too much can happen between now and then.
I would reconsider the stop in Savannah-that area looks to get hard hit and flooding/power outages will be likely.

 

[Randy Miller]

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

I'm confused? If MNSSHP has been cancelled, why would the Boo to You performers be reporting " as scheduled"? Is Disney making this whole situation worse by carrying on as "normal"? I know they don't want to induce panic, but seriously, come on!!