I was at Disney on 9/11/01

[tifandjim]

My DH and I were in MK on 09/11/01. We had only been in the park long enough to ride Buzz Lightyear. We walked into the arcade and had a picture taken in one of the photo booths. Continuing through the park just 5 min later, I walked in a store while my DH waited outside. While in the store, I overheard 2 CMs talking and one of them said "someone just bombed the World Trade Center". I found my DH and told him what I had overheard, and to be honest, we thought that it was just a misunderstanding. We decided that we would walk back toward the front of the park. While in Main Street USA, all of a sudden, the music just stopped. That was a VERY odd feeling, you could only hear people walking. A pre-recorded message began to play stating "Attention Walt Disney World Guests. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are asking that you please exit the park in an orderly fashion. Please return to your vehicle or WDW Resort." I immediately began crying. We were staying at All Star Music, and quickly boarded the bus. There were 2 other families on there. As the bus filled, a woman with her adult daughter and grandson sat behind us on the bus, and she was trying desperately to use her cell phone. She was finally able to contact a neighbor who told her the news. She told us what happened. The woman also told us that she worked for American Airlines and was on leave due to a shoulder surgery. She was to go back to work that week, but had decided to take a week of vacation to take her daughter and grandson to WDW. We arrived back at the hotel. We felt as though we were in on a bad secret. The pool was filled with children and adults playing. The food court was full. The line for check in was full. We quickly got to our room, my DH turned on the TV as I called my mom. We were 11 hours from home, and our families wanted us to come home immediately. We had been at WDW for only 2 full days. Thank goodness we had driven. We checked out and drove the 11 hour trip home in 7 1/2 hours. The interstate was deserted. I think everyone in the US was glued to the TV. We listened to the radio the entire way home. I will definately NEVER forget that WDW trip.

 

[sters]

BUMP

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

I wanted to add in another post. I can remember anywhere we went after 9/11, having AM radio on with updates/reports of what was going on. I think it was 1010wins, as weird as it sounds the musci thing they do before each update is like stuck in my head permenetly. I remember being on the internet and reading that a truck was driving reckelss on the NJ turnpike heading for the George Washington Bridge. It turned out to be fake obviously, but we took everything seriously being only about 5 miles from the bridge/NYC.

Ugh...I get a bad stomach each time I think about that day.