I am having anxiety....

[lilsunshine1219]

Please someone tell me not to worry about the tropics. I am planning on visiting Disney for the first time ever on Aug 18-27 and I am so worried that a Tropical Storm or Hurricane will hit during that time. I am obsessed with the weather channel and I can't get over the feeling that something might form. If a storm did form does this mean the end of my trip????

PS We are also flying for first time as well

I just need some piece of mind

 

[Simba22]

I've been to WDW in later September which is right smack in the middle of hurricane season...we only got thunderstorms. For like an hour each day it would rain and thunder and sometimes there was lightning but it wasn't anything to write home about. Other than that, perfect weather (except that it was insanely humid)

 

[DizGeek]

Relax. I was there during Francis...in the rare case that the parks close for a brief time, they open them ASAP.....open parks=open wallets.

Enjoy.

 

[gonemousin']

Well...we leave in 10 days too!! And I'm not worried a bit. The weather will be what it will be. Hurricane's don't tend to slow WDW down too much, but it does tend to shoo the crowds away...and cools the weather a little. No worries!!

 

[RickNWendy]

You will be ok, maybe inconvenienced if one hits, but not for too long. If you really want to watch it, use this link (as a resident of the gulf coast and a pilot, I am constantly watching here):

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

If something is brewing, you will see it there first. You can also check the Mariners 1-2-3 chart to note any problem areas (meaning where you need to look on the radar scope) If you want to take a look at the current orlando weather at any time, you can get a look at the sattelite / radar here:

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/

(just click on the tabs- if you are not a WX guy / pilot the rest of the information will be fairly useless as the forecasts are all coded)

We were there just after a hurricane a bit ago - some limbs down, etc but no other headaches.

 

[krissyh]

Listen to "RickNWendy" and don't be too worried.
1. There is nothing you can do about it.
2. If, by about five days before your trip, you don't see anything, you are probably in good shape.
3. Orlando is at least an hour from the coast. Even if there were a storm, the odds of it hitting and being really strong exactly there at exactly that time are soooooo slim.
4. They get things up and running fast. As for a tropical storm - one passed just south of me overnight (gulf coast) when I was in high school and we had school that day.

BUT - be prepared for rain every day. About 3PM. A thunderstorm could pop up. There will be a downpour. Then, the sun will come out again. It's pretty common.

 

[RickNWendy]

yeah, forgot about that. no need for an atomic / nuclear clock in florida as you can set your watch by the afternoon Tstorms / rain showers.

 

[laceemouse]

Please someone tell me not to worry about the tropics. I am planning on visiting Disney for the first time ever on Aug 18-27 and I am so worried that a Tropical Storm or Hurricane will hit during that time. I am obsessed with the weather channel and I can't get over the feeling that something might form. If a storm did form does this mean the end of my trip????

PS We are also flying for first time as well

I just need some piece of mind

Well, the good thing about hurricanes is that there is generally A LOT of time between it being seen offshore as a TS and it developing into a hurricane and hitting land. The previous poster has the right idea, if the weather is okay when you leave a hurricane is not going to form, grow strong, and hit land while you are there. Also, Orlando is nothing like New Orleans. It is not on the coast and can not be underwater. If a storm hit it head on you would have rain and wind, but the chances of a catastrophy are pretty slim. WDW has their own power company so even if the power went down it would be back up in no time. You can be sure of that. The worst that could happen is that planes would be grounded for a day or two and you would get stuck there, but Disney has always taken good care of guests in that situation. What exactly scares you the most about the situation???

 

[lilsunshine1219]

Thanks everyone, the fact that I have never flown leaves me wondering about flight procedures and delays and basically not getting there.

But I am not realizing (until now) that Orlando is further inland. I am thinking of the destruction seen on tv. I live in the northeast and am only 25, I have never lived through a major hurricane up here.

Thank you sooo much

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

the National Hurricane Season said today that the 2006 Hurricane season will be less intense than they previously thought.

Don't worry, its rare that a hurricane hits Disney(Even though 2 did in 04)! That's why Walt picked Orlando. When we lived in Florida, we would escape to Disney during a hurricane watch.

 

[RickNWendy]

I have ridden out several, to include Katrina (though I am in the FL Panhandle) so if you have any specific Qs you are afraid to ask publicly, you can PM me.

 

[northie]

Please someone tell me not to worry about the tropics. I am planning on visiting Disney for the first time ever on Aug 18-27 and I am so worried that a Tropical Storm or Hurricane will hit during that time. I am obsessed with the weather channel and I can't get over the feeling that something might form. If a storm did form does this mean the end of my trip????

PS We are also flying for first time as well

I just need some piece of mind

Relax! We were there during Wilma, and had even considered canceling the trip on the advice (bad) of many aquaintences, and am I ever glad we did not do that!

Are you staying onsite? Disney electrical lines, phone lines, and so on are all underground; we never lost power or anything. One CM, a very friendly bus driver the night before on our way back from Disney Studios, told us the buildings are built to withstand at least 120mph winds, and that Disney World resorts were a place they evacuated TO, not FROM We felt perfectly safe. It sounded like a blizzard (it was the first time I have ever been anywhere near a hurricane, even one that was winding down!) and Disney closed the parks the morning it hit. They had activities at the resort main building for the kids...movies and such...to keep them occupied.

They opened MK and EP about 1 pm only for resort guests so it wasn't very crowded, and extended the hours until midnight so we got lots of time in the park even though we got a late start. Most things were open, except some of the WS Food and Wine kiosks. We were even able to get into Alfredo's for an early dinner since we missed our lunch ADR, and the Beach Boys played as promised in the American Gardens Theater. (YAY!)

Sara

 

[kpm76]

Awww, don't worry, this is supposed to be a fun and happy time for you We went to WDW in September 2004 for our Honeymoon right after all the terrible hurricances hit. A week before our wedding I got a little nervous and started looking into alternate honeymoon destinations, then realized that hurricane or not, WDW was the only place I wanted to be. Turns out we had fantastic weather....almost no rain at all. Relax and have fun....as for the flying part, if you're in the Northeast, your flight is probably 2-3 hours if it's direct and it will go by in no time......have a great trip!!!

 

[ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]

Im going on the 20th and Im pretty sure we have nothing to worry about! If theres a storm, we definitely hear about it first.

 

[ssleblanc]

RELAX!! I know that can be easier said than done. And maybe because of where I live, I have learned to deal with it. The chances of a hurricane actually hitting while you are there are pretty slim. And like others have said, even if a hurricane DID hit, with Disney's proximity to the coast, you would have a day, or even just part of a day of somewhat bad weather, and it would be over.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

first, Ok take a deep breath, relax. There is no way for you to control the weather so just toss it off your list of things to worry about. (I am a weather nut, everytime there is a storm here I have the weather channel on looking for tornadoes, just so you can understand where this is coming from).

2nd, the airlines will (eventually) get you home if there are problems do not worry about that either. Now, as far as flying goes...planes are REALLY safe! If you think you will be nervous bring someting to distract you. I am OK at flying even though I am scared to death of heights but you are so high up it doesn't seem real. Anyway have a great time on your trip!