Looks like Disney's Vero Beach resort escaped roughly OK

[vernon]

This report in the Orlando sentinel saying that even though the resort got a full on hit from the hurricane it's managed to escape serious damage.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...0,1,6841198.story?coll=orl-business-headlines

 

[bobbiwoz]

It's an interesting article. I wonder if Jim Lewis has tried to get a ressie shifted from VB to any of the WDW resorts. He seems to imply that it can be done.

Bobbi

 

[MarkRG]

Can someone please quote? As a matter of personal policy, I don't register, the 'benefits' they always tout turn out to be more junk to delete out of my mailbox. Thanks.

 

[Bellesmama]

Disney says Vero Beach `held up very, very well'
By Jerry W. Jackson
Sentinel Staff Writer

September 10, 2004

Walt Disney's Vacation Club Resort time-share in Vero Beach sustained no significant structural damage from a direct hit by Hurricane Frances and should reopen "sooner rather than later," said Jim Lewis, a Disney senior vice president who toured the property Thursday.

"There is a fair amount of water intrusion," Lewis said, so carpets and flooring will have to be replaced. But otherwise "not a single window was broken" and the roof was intact other than some lost shingles, Lewis said. "It held up very, very well."

Lewis, who is in charge of Disney's seven time-share resorts, said the primary concern now is the 250 company employees at the resort, many of whom lost their homes to the storm or suffered at least some damage.

It's not clear when the resort will be open again, but at least some of the workers are earning pay at their regular rate helping with the cleanup, Lewis said.

"We're going to take care of our cast members," Lewis said, including making company hotel rooms available for free for those who lost homes, providing discounts to others, and offering up to $5,000 per employee for emergency needs from a Disney relief fund.

Lewis, who also viewed damage in the nearby Vero Beach area, said it is clear the 9-year-old resort, with 175 units virtually on the ocean, was fortunate to hold up as well as it did.

"This place really got hit hard," said Lewis, who walked the resort property with engineers looking closely for damage.

The Vero Beach resort was the only one of Disney's time-share resorts to suffer any significant damage from the storm, other than a downed tree here or there, Lewis said. So families who own time at the Vero resort will be able to take vacations at the other properties if necessary, he said.

Lewis said it was too early to predict when the resort would reopen and all employees would be back at their regular jobs.

"We don't know the answer to that but it looks like sooner rather than later," Lewis said.

Time-share resorts are a critical growth engine for Walt Disney World Resorts, providing strong profit levels and steady income even after the economic downturn following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Florida is the nation's leading time-share state, with 366 resorts and 27,700 units, or 23 percent of the nation's total, and Orlando is the leading market in Florida.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Be advised they plan on staying closed through the end of September to fix/clean up everything. This is according to WKMG news in Orlando.

 

[madcoco]

But otherwise "not a single window was broken" and the roof was intact other than some lost shingles, Lewis said. "It held up very, very well."

I must be hallucinating.Sure hope so.
It sure looked like some windows were missing to me from the beachfront yesterday. It is a limited view but still... Anyway imho the resort did come through in better shape than expected.
Even the recently rebuilt beach access came through the storm in decent shape while the Wabasso access next door was mostly destroyed. Boppy's suffered some water and wind damage but should reopen soon.

On a sidenote. There was a rumour that the Ocean Grill was destroyed. That is not true. Mr Manatee's suffered major roof and water damage. Hurricane Harbor is open for business on Indian River Drive Captain Hiram's and Squid Lips(formerly Fin's Grill) still closed as of this morning.

 

[Laurabearz]

"There is a fair amount of water intrusion," Lewis said, so carpets and flooring will have to be replaced. But otherwise "not a single window was broken" and the roof was intact other than some lost shingles, Lewis said. "It held up very, very well."

If no windows were broken and only a few shingles we gone, how did the 'fair amount' of water get in???

 

[thegoods]

If no windows were broken and only a few shingles we gone, how did the 'fair amount' of water get in???

When the wind blows the rain over 100 MPH in a nearly horizontal manner, the window seals are really put to the test. They usually fail even though the window pane itself does not. I live about one hundred miles south of VB and had many of my offices' windows leak lots of water destroying carpet, files, etc. Yes, it was strange.

 

[Chuck S]

Also, exterior doors would not seal well enough to hold back even a minor storm surge, if the ocean came up over the dunes.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Laurabearz
If no windows were broken and only a few shingles we gone, how did the 'fair amount' of water get in???

Outside doors. You can not even imagine how much rain came in during Charley while we were at the Grand Floridian to the hallways and lobbys from outside doors. Even the ones they sandbagged. When wind that strong is driving rain, it can come in the smallest openings.

Basically imagine standing at a door way and using a high pressure power washer.