Hurricane proceedure at wdw resorts

[cottontail]

Hi: Can someone tell me what happens during a hurricane while you are staying at a wdw resort. Do you stay in your room, or do you have to go to the underground tunnel system, just wondering.

Deb.

 

[bicker]

There is no ubiquitous underground tunnel system throughout the resort hotels.

The resort hotels are all up-to-code, presumably, and therefore supposedly safe during a hurricane. Folks would be well-advised to stay in areas without windows during the worst of the storm, of course.

 

[Feralpeg]

We stayed at AKL during hurricane Francis. During the initial stages of the hurricane, we were allowed to wonder around the hotel and spend time in the lobby. They had activities in the lobby area. The restaurants were open with the exception of Mara since you have to go outside to get there. No one was allowed outside. They had chains on the doors and sandbags against the doors.

When the hurricane reached peak strength, we were asked to remain in our rooms with the drapes closed. They passed out flashlights, although we never lost power. Every few hours, they would stick a note under the door given storm updates. When the storm was at its worst, the restaurants were closed. Instead, they offered boxed lunches at the end of the hallway for $7 each.

As the storm eased, we were again allowed to go to the lobby area and the reopened the restaurants. They actually took turns with which restaurant was open.

We felt very safe throughout the entire thing. The staff bent over backwards to keep people entertained. Housekeeping was not available one day.

I certainly would not be worried about staying there again during a hurricane. I'm sure it is a little different situation in the moderate and value hotels since you have to go outside to get to the lobby area.

 

[disneyholic family]

Many years ago we were in the All Star Music when a hurricane hit. At the time they told us it was the very first time WDW was closed for a hurricane. (although in the end, it did open that day, just several hours late)

It must have been more than 10 years ago.
Anyway, it was totally amazing how organized they were. Before the hurricane, they removed every single thing around the resort that was loose, including all the pool chairs. Completely removed them.

All around WDW, before the storm hit, you could see them 'battening down the hatches' so to speak. It was a major operation of incredible proportions when you consider how big WDW is.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Many years ago we were in the All Star Music when a hurricane hit. At the time they told us it was the very first time WDW was closed for a hurricane. (although in the end, it did open that day, just several hours late)

It must have been more than 10 years ago.
Anyway, it was totally amazing how organized they were. Before the hurricane, they removed every single thing around the resort that was loose, including all the pool chairs. Completely removed them.

All around WDW, before the storm hit, you could see them 'battening down the hatches' so to speak. It was a major operation of incredible proportions when you consider how big WDW is.

I was there the same time, I think it was 1995. We were at PI and they announced they were closing early. We went back to POR and hung out in the hot tub. There was a voicemail on the phone in the morning saying the parks were closed. I think they opened around noon.

 

[twinklebug]

Disney's electric and cable are run through underground tubes so they very rarely loose power, not true for the airport or neighboring towns housing many of the employees. During a hurricane you are far better off at a Disney resort than anywhere else in the path of the hurricane. Disney depends upon the phone system to update everyone on the situation at hand. For campers, since they have no resort phoneline, they knock and post a note to the door of the camper.

Fort Wilderness evacuated us over to POR the morning Hurricane Charley was due to hit (it came late evening.) We stayed there for the remainder of our stay because the campground had sustained heavy damage but did recieve a reimbursement for the difference in the price of the rooms. We stayed in our rooms for the most part.

I believe MK, Epcot and Blizzard Beach were up and running the very next morning, showing what a magnificent job Disney's staff had done in preparing and cleaning up after the storm, however MGM, AK and Typhoon Lagoon were closed for another day.

 

[disneyholic family]

I was there the same time, I think it was 1995. We were at PI and they announced they were closing early. We went back to POR and hung out in the hot tub. There was a voicemail on the phone in the morning saying the parks were closed. I think they opened around noon.

that sounds right. It was the only summer I took the kids without my husband.

And we also felt very secure at the All Star Music, during the night when the real brunt of the storm hit. The building is very well built and i never felt as if we were in any danger.

 

[dcgrumpy]

My friend's daughter was staying at the Dolphin with her dance team and they lost power. They slept on the floor in a ballroom. Then again she was 12, she may have made it all up. LOL

 

[palmtreegirl]

We were at the AKL for Jeanne last year. They had a characters, coloring pages & crayons, the weather channel on a TV, kids movies, characters and even a band in the lobby. They served a full lunch in both Jiko and Boma but the Mara was closed during the worst part of the storm and then reopened once that past. They also served box type meals in the lobby & ran an in room pizza delivery special.

They did pass out flashlights but we never lost power. They also had 3 different channels where they ran a variety of Disney movies that you could watch free of charge.

The AKL staff did an incredible job, we felt very safe.

 

[mickeys friend]

We were there during hurricane Jeanne last year.We were staying at the Contemporary in the tower and they were really great about keeping us posted (even day before) about Jeanne and what we should or should not do.They put our bal. table and chairs inside and gave us all flashlights,and we were told to stock up on things like snacks,meds,etc,before storm was suppost to hit.We never lost power or TV.They sandbaged the doors down stairs and were told to stay in our rooms (with doors unlocked) until they gave us the all clear.We were very impressed by the way they did things.They gave us a lower room rate because we were suppost to have already departed and gave everyone who lost a day on their park tickets,another one to use because the park was closed for 1 day.They had many,many things for the kids to do after it was safe to move around inside the main building.For these reasons and many more,we are again going in Sept and even taking a 3 year old with us this time (last year we were all adults and no children).And again staying at the Contemporary in the tower.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We were at ASMo during Hurricane Jeanne last year, and we were asked to stay in our room. Other than that, it didn't bother us. You could hear it a little bit, obviously, but our window didn't rattle or anything, the building didn't feel like it was moving, I felt perfectly safe and I'm terrified of storms. The staff was very good at keeping us up to date on what they were asking us to do, park closing, reopening, etc. We received several notices under our door and a couple of voicemails on the phone.

 

[Sammie]

We were there for Erin, the one previously mentioned and again this past summer for Charlie. Charlie was much more powerful. The resorts are very sturdy and while during Charlie our room at the Grand Floridian did shake, moan and groan at the peak of the storm we never felt unsafe. At the moderates they advise that if water begins to come in around your door, pack it with towels.

Disney only evacuates those at the Campground. They move them to any empty rooms or to the convention centers. You recieve updates either by flyer put under the door or phone messages.

At the deluxe resorts they ask that you bring in your patio furniture and close your drapes and stay away from the windows. Naturally they ask you not to roam around during the storm, but to stay in your room. During Charlie at the Grand Fl, they had CMs in each hall to request you return to your room if you ventured out.

They will give you enough advance warning to let you purchase at the stores some food items to snack on while you're in the rooom. If the storm is going to pass directly over Orlando as Erin did and as did Charlie; the parks will close early prior to the storm to allow the CM's to "batten down the hatches" so to speak and also leave and go home to prepare their homes also. For Charlie the parks closed at noon on the day of the storm and the storm came through later that night. Prior to the full force of the storm there were characters in the lobby and music for the guests at the Grand Floridian. Also many resorts made up box lunches to sell so guests could take them to their rooms.

If you have specific questions I can try to answer them based on our experiences.

 

[cottontail]

Okay it sounds like you are okay to stay put in orlando in the wdw resorts.

I remember seeing pics on tv of long lines of traffic trying to get out of florida just before the storms. I thought they might make us evacuate orlando and start heading home, but then after remembering the long lines of traffic I had visions of us being stuck in a line of traffic on a freeway or something during the storm. lol.

Deb.

 

[MickeyMacks]

I seem to recall those long lines of traffic were coming from coastal communities that were being evacuated, as of course the coasts would be hardest hit.

 

[The Haunted Mention]

We were there last year when hurricane Jean went right over Disney. We were told to stay in our room for the next 24 hours. There was a mad dash for nonperishable items at the food court. We ran into alot of Floridians who left their homes to come to Disney as a safe haven from the storm, that was comforting to know. The power never went out and the resort kept us posted on the storm. They played movies throughout the day. It was actually the most relaxing day we've had in a long time ( We never get a chance to sit and watch movies all day ). We left our room when the food court reopened, debris was everywhere. The parks opened late that morning and when we arrived MK was so clean you wouldn't know a hurricane had hit, except for fallen trees along the roadside. When we returned to the resort it too was all cleaned up. The weather for the rest of our stay was great. All in all it wasn't a terrible thing and though we said we wouldn't go back during hurricane season, guess what we are booked for the first week of October. You just can't beat the deals and less crowds.

 

[DisneyMim]

We were staying at the Poly when the first hurricane hit last year. Disney was wonderful. They kept us updated with calls and notes during the entire thing. They advised everyone to stay in their rooms. They had movies on continuously. My brother was staying st Fort Wilderness in his RV and they moved them to PO. We all thought that Disney did a great job during a not-so-great time. I was very imprressed.