W of C cancelled due to winds

[jen541]

Hi there everyone! Question... Last year in early October WC was cancelled due to high winds.

Does anyone know if this is common for October and what I should look for at weather.com as far as what "high winds" is considered by Disney to make the decision to cancel the show?

Thanks for help!

 

[aan1701]

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[aan1701]

Let me try again. We get a event called the Santa Ana winds that can start as early as Oct. and run thru Nov. or Dec. These winds can be very strong and can cause damage and very bad fires.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[jen541]

Hmmm ok. Do you think 8 or 9 would be considered high enough to cancel show?

 

[aan1701]

Hmmm ok. Do you think 8 or 9 would be considered high enough to cancel show?

Well I will be honest I am no meteorologist and have no clue if that is high winds or what. I would say maybe anything higher than 15 mph and you run the risk of it being cancelled but that's just a guess.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[DLR29]

I can't imagine why WoC, which is so low to the ground, would be cancelled due to high winds. I've definitely heard of the fireworks being cancelled, but I thought WoC pretty much played in any weather conditions.

 

[cmwade77]

It actually takes A LOT for them to cancel WOC. If it is the weekend I am thinking of last year, there was an earthquake around that time that caused some damage as was the actual reason for the cancellation. I think they were going to try to run the show modified but were unable to do so for one night.

As for the show being low to the ground, there are portions that are indeed very high, but high winds are rarely a cause for cancellation of the show, there are usually other factors involved from what I have seen, such as the earth quake mentioned above.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I can't imagine why WoC, which is so low to the ground, would be cancelled due to high winds. I've definitely heard of the fireworks being cancelled, but I thought WoC pretty much played in any weather conditions.

I would imagine that high winds could wreak havoc with the water screens and fire jets. With the water screens being blown about, the projection effects won't work well. (Another board had some report a year or two ago about WOC being cancelled because the wind was blowing too strongly in the wrong direction for the screens.) And, having seen the show and gotten pretty damp in moderate winds, the audience could get pretty wet in high winds (and not just in the splash zone!).

Overall, don't worry too much about this. WOC can get cancelled, but not nearly as often as fireworks during Santa Ana season.

 

[jen541]

Nice now I'm worried about fireworks getting cancelled ... Lol

Does that happen often in October? Santa Ana winds?

 

[DLR29]

I think we're having some miscommunication:

I was referring to "high winds" as high altitude winds, which definitely cancels fireworks but has no effect on WoC because everything is below 100 ft. If we're talking about "high winds" as strong winds, then WoC may be postponed or cancelled, but this is a rarity as well.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Nice now I'm worried about fireworks getting cancelled ... Lol

Does that happen often in October? Santa Ana winds?

"Often" is a relative term. Yes, fireworks can get cancelled due to high (altitude) winds. This is why it is better to see the shows earlier in your trip, instead of waiting until your last day. That way, if the show of our choice does get cancelled, you'll still have a chance to see it another day.

Keep up with the local (L.A./OC) news by internet, radio, or TV right before your trip and while you are at DLR. If you don't hear anything about "red flag warnings" or "wind alerts" (or that kind of jargon), then you will probably be just fine. The local news loves to hype this kind of weather event, so if there is anything to hype, you'll know!

 

[jen541]

Thanks for the info everyone!

 

[cagirl4life]

Also for fireworks sometimes they announce that fireworks may be cancelled due to high winds. In windy seasons (i.e. Santa Ana's) they announce the "may be cancelled" every night, you need to listen for "is cancelled". They may also delay the fireworks if there is a bout of winds but then die down shortly. Like others said, plan for fireworks the 1st night so in case it is cancelled.

 

[jacs1234]

I visit latnovember early December and have had the fireworks cancelled due to winds quite a few times.

 

[jsebsirois]

I would add that if you feel that it gets windy, you can always ask a cast member!

We also saw World of Color cancelled because of an earthquake back in July 2010, only a few months after it opens. I remember the line at Guest Relations being very very long!!!

 

[laura&fam]

We went mid November during the 50th and the fireworks were cancelled every single night. We tried asking CM but they said they don't know until it is announced which is basically when the fireworks are scheduled to start. Perhaps things have changed and they know ahead of time now, but definately be prepared that they do get cancelled.

 

[Eeee-va]

World of Color can very occasionally be canceled or interrupted due to really weird reasons (it cut off in the worst possible part of the show when I saw it in November 2011!). But it seems that cancellations are unusual.

Fireworks can often be canceled due to winds, or Tinkerbell/Dumbo may not fly due to winds. Once I saw the show and they stopped it in the middle due to wind, even. I understand World of Color cancellations are much rarer.

 

[Lizzim]

Now how strange is this? I was just watching WoC from my balcony at GCV while reading this thread and the show stopped part of the way through....to be followed by an announcement that it was cancelled...!

It was the second show tonight...which I wasn't expecting but so odd

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We went mid November during the 50th and the fireworks were cancelled every single night. We tried asking CM but they said they don't know until it is announced which is basically when the fireworks are scheduled to start. Perhaps things have changed and they know ahead of time now, but definately be prepared that they do get cancelled.

The timing for the fireworks is rather tight, and CMs really can't know ahead of time whether the show will happen or not on a given night. Weather criteria are monitered well before the show times, but even the Disney magic can't control the winds! There are ordinances about how late the show can start and when it must stop. Combine that with the strict safety measures regarding wind altitude and speed and you can see why the fireworks get cancelled as often as they do during Santa Ana season. There is a small window of time where they can wait as long as possible to see if the winds change at the very last minute. This is why you will sometimes see fireworks start 10 minutes or so late. But the show must still end by a specified time. Remember that DLR is surrounded by residential areas (unlike WDW), so these safety and noise measures are in place for good reason.