***Riding out the hurricane at a Disney resort? Post your experiences here!***

[Lsdolphin]

All these stories, experiences and photos from "Irma Comes To Disney World" would make a great Disney movie!

 

[sherlockmiles]

I think there should be a LE pin for everyone who stayed on site. It should be a classic mickey with the head made of a hurricane design

 

[cruella23]

Sorry for the OR post. Does anyone know how Clearwater beach made out? I'm not finding out much online. We are supposed to go for an adult only beach weekend. The hotel is beachfront. I know some people here went weeks without electricity after Sandy and whole communities destroyed. I don't want to fly out and be in the way of recovery and rebuilding. For weeks after Sandy you could see people's whole lives on the curb waiting for sanitation to take away. It's not the Disney bubble so I really want to make an informed decision. Flying into Tampa. Any insight would be appreciated.

Not sure about Clearwater, but the resort we always stay at in St. Pete Beach is re-opening tomorrow. Just cleaning up landscaping debris, minor repairs. I was surprised--I fully expected them to have a lot of damage looking at the forecasts.

 

[jods]

Not sure about Clearwater, but the resort we always stay at in St. Pete Beach is re-opening tomorrow. Just cleaning up landscaping debris, minor repairs. I was surprised--I fully expected them to have a lot of damage looking at the forecasts.

I thought they were going to get hit hard too. Thankful they didn't. I'm so torn. Our resort is taking reservations as of tomorrow but I still want a general idea of the area. I wouldn't feel right going on vacation while people have their homes destroyed just blocks away, kwim? Just seeing pictures of different areas is breaking my heart. I guess I will give it a few more days and see.

 

[JoJoGirl]

Sorry for the OR post. Does anyone know how Clearwater beach made out? I'm not finding out much online. We are supposed to go for an adult only beach weekend. The hotel is beachfront. I know some people here went weeks without electricity after Sandy and whole communities destroyed. I don't want to fly out and be in the way of recovery and rebuilding. For weeks after Sandy you could see people's whole lives on the curb waiting for sanitation to take away. It's not the Disney bubble so I really want to make an informed decision. Flying into Tampa. Any insight would be appreciated.

Not sure about the beach area, but my nephew who lives in Clearwater had some minor property damage (fence blown over) and branches down. Otherwise they were OK, and their power was on this morning. Hope your destination fared as well.

 

[dansdad]

I thought they were going to get hit hard too. Thankful they didn't. I'm so torn. Our resort is taking reservations as of tomorrow but I still want a general idea of the area. I wouldn't feel right going on vacation while people have their homes destroyed just blocks away, kwim? Just seeing pictures of different areas is breaking my heart. I guess I will give it a few more days and see.

I understand what you're saying but you would be helping the local economy get back on it's feet after all the lost income and $$ shelled out in preparation.

 

[jods]

Not sure about the beach area, but my nephew who lives in Clearwater had some minor property damage (fence blown over) and branches down. Otherwise they were OK, and their power was on this morning. Hope your destination fared as well.

Thanks. I feel guilty even thinking about our vacation. So many people are hurting in Florida and I remember what the days and weeks after Sandy was like. It doesn't even feel right thinking about it to me. I'm glad things were ok for your nephew overall.

 

[CarrieR]

Something else I'm noting is how many improvements Disney has made just in the past year on how they are handling things at the resorts. I think the folks are fairing a bit better now than some did during Matthew. At least there don't seem to be as many complaints. Or am I just missing the complaints?

I haven't heard any. The closest thing I have to a complaint is the weird, looping selection of movies on the "free Disney movies" channel. If I never see Muppet Treasure Island or Tron Legacy again I'll be good

Seriously though, no lines for food; bag lunches are $6 and you know what you're getting (as opposed to last year with the $12 "mystery boxes.") Hot lunch was on a timed ticket system but grab 'n' go was available at any time. Extended room rate was very reasonable. Cast have been exemplary and the TV updates have been modified regularly to keep us abreast of the current status.

I have said thank you to SO MANY cast members for riding this thing out with us. I have been plenty vocal in my recent criticism of WDW, but the last three days have truly restored my faith in the brand and its superior customer service.

 

[Rich M]

I know its hard for people to think about vacation when others are going through some very tough conditions but remember Orlando and other cities in Florida are very heavy tourism places and they need your tourism dollars to help them rebuild and move on.

 

[GracefulHyacinth]

I wish!! No clams or crab legs, but it was a delicious birthday dinner

Look who visited the solarium! Donald Duck was actually there too...just not in the picture.View attachment 268921

Omigosh this picture . I just teared up. How special for those kids & how wonderful for those parents to have been able to see their littles so cared for. Disney magic at its best.

 

[alisonslp]

I think there was many posters scaring people into this on other threads. If i have a trip scheduled and a threat of a hurricane is there I would feel more safe there then any other place since there are so many residents saying they would go there in a heart beat.

I agree but this time around, there was the threat of not enough gas to get down to the area (or back home) due to the already low gas transport from Harvey's wrath. Our decision was just as much about allowing the gas to go to the people who needed to evacuate as it was about not knowing what would happen with the storm.

 

[stitchrulz]

I think there should be a LE pin for everyone who stayed on site. It should be a classic mickey with the head made of a hurricane design

Don't laugh. They had one for the cast members for the 2004 hurricane trifecta:

 

[BigAlsGal]

Don't laugh. They had one for the cast members for the 2004 hurricane trifecta:

View attachment 268963

That.....is......awesome....

 

[Dentam]

We went last week, too. It was great! FOP never got below 55 minutes, but everything else was a walk on (including NRJ). We ate a little food and joined in a dance party with Mickey and Minnie in Dinoland. We didn't wait for any characters, but stopped to watch others meet a few.

Yeah, we had the same experience with the wait times, or lack thereof! We actually only waited 45 minutes for FoP but it was posted as 55. Also, the Rivers of Light showing we went to was only a third full crowd wise and they were giving out lantern mugs to everyone there. Hotdogs, chips, cookies, and drinks were all available and they were giving two Mickey ice cream bars to each person as we were leaving. A really awesome night! We thought it was better than the After Hours night at the MK that we paid quite a bit for this spring. And this one was an hour or two longer!

It was my understanding that these events were "sold out". Didn't want you to get your heart set on it if you don't have tickets ahead of time.

We signed up a few days before - it said it was "sold out" but we got in just by clicking to add our names to the list on the website. Never had to actually be added to a waiting list!

 

[spit0000]

I thought they were going to get hit hard too. Thankful they didn't. I'm so torn. Our resort is taking reservations as of tomorrow but I still want a general idea of the area. I wouldn't feel right going on vacation while people have their homes destroyed just blocks away, kwim? Just seeing pictures of different areas is breaking my heart. I guess I will give it a few more days and see.

I'm a huge fan of Clearwater Marine Aquarium (home of Winter, the Dolphin) and just checked their website. It shows they are still closed due to cleanup necessities, but all animals and staff are safe. Like someone said earlier on this thread, Florida needs your money, so go and spend and have a great time!

By the way, I have LOVED reading this thread. It's inspiring to see all the helpfulness of everyone, and I am impressed at how well Disney handled things this go round. Glad you're all safe!

 

[All about me]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. It was a fascinating read!

 

[Tom Cottone]

At the end of the storm

 

[Applemomma]

I wish!! No clams or crab legs, but it was a delicious birthday dinner

Look who visited the solarium! Donald Duck was actually there too...just not in the picture.View attachment 268921

Goofy and that little boy actually make me tear up! God bless those cast members; I'm sure they made a possibly scary situation so much easier for both the kids and parents.

 

[dclpluto]

I thought they were going to get hit hard too. Thankful they didn't. I'm so torn. Our resort is taking reservations as of tomorrow but I still want a general idea of the area. I wouldn't feel right going on vacation while people have their homes destroyed just blocks away, kwim? Just seeing pictures of different areas is breaking my heart. I guess I will give it a few more days and see.

Florida needs tourists. The homes that are damaged might be from a worker that works at the resort. If lots of people cancel their reservations or they get a lack of new ones. The resorts will have no choice but to lay off workers.

 

[CarrieR]

FYI for anyone leaving Pop this morning: resort airline checkin is NOT available.