WDW Info for Today -- Charley

[PamOKW]

With the impending hurricane, WDW has adjusted their hours for today.

Walt Disney World has announced the following operating hours for its parks today:
Magic Kingdom 8 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Epcot 8 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Disney-MGM Studios 8 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Blizzard Beach 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Disney's Wide World of Sports 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Disney's Animal Kingdom CLOSED
Typhoon Lagoon CLOSED
Downtown Disney CLOSED
All Walt Disney World Resort hotels will remain open throughout the storm. Guests staying at Disney's Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground are being relocated to other hotels on property.

There's lots of info on www.orlandosentinel.com about what's happening. As usual, the evacuees from the rest of Florida are seeking rooms in the Orlando area.

 

[eporter66]

Hope everyone is ok down there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

Hope everyone is okay!!

Allison

 

[lillasmom]

A bit of pixie dust for everyone in Charley's wake!

Everyone stay as safe and as dry as you can.

 

[lts862]

Hope everyone is well and stays safe.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

I hope nobody's vacation plans are ruined by the storms.

 

[spiceycat]

Pam I though last time WDW also moved the All Star - because they are in a lower area than the rest of the resort and to kept flooding from becoming a problem- the article didn't mention them - so WDW doesn't think this storm will be as bad????

 

[mikeymars]

The latest projection of the path of Charley (below) by the National Hurricane center shows it making a direct hit on Tampa (if correct, that's where one is going to see the worst damage) but going relatively north of the Orlando area, so WDW probably won't see much more than windy thunderstorms, which is good news (if you want to worry about a theme park getting heavily damaged by a hurricane, worry about Busch Gardens, not WDW.- Think of that huge wooden roller coaster and all those wild animals at Busch.... )

The "bad" news for Disney here is that the current projected track of Charley shows it passing very close to Hilton Head Island (and the DVD resort there) as it moves North. If it does follow that path, depending on how quickly it weakens after it comes ashore in Florida, the damage on HH should be limited, not nearly as bad as that in Tampa.

 

[spiceycat]

okay correct me if I am wrong - but I though the majority damage done by a hurricane was not the wind - but the water - plus of course it set off tornados (who do wind damage) all along its path.

so some of the majority damage is not directly in its path - Tampa is about 90 miles from Orlando - so if the storm is big enough - Orlando could be damaged.

but yes if the storm hits where they are prediciting - Bush Gardens will be badly damaged. the news article says that the animals that they could move they have -

do you think that Fl will start to make the Interstates bigger again ? they have way to many people to get out in a hurray if needed.

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by spiceycat
they have way to many people to get out in a hurray if needed.

They also have the problem of people who don't heed the warning. I heard that it's now "too late" and they have asked people to hunker down where they are.

Storm surge is the big concern for the Tampa area. Disney won't get that but they could get the rain, wind and tornados. I think they evacuated All-Star last time because that was predicted to be a gigantic storm (level 5?) and was going to come more directly at Orlando. WDW is monitoring things with this storm and could make changes, like evacuating other resorts, if needed.

Busch Gardens is a scary thought -- I hope they have precautions in place for the animals in hurricanes. I wouldn't be surprised if AK took some of the animals.

 

[beachbaby]

Per msnbc Charley is now a Category 4!

 

[DisneyDuo]

Thanks for the WDW Info - I knew this was the place to turn to get it !

Prayers and pixie dust to all our Florida friends.

Lin

 

[mikeymars]

Recent photo from coast south of Tampa:

 

[mikeymars]

Things are looking increasingly grim. The following just passed by on the news ticker that runs on my work PC:

STORM TO BE UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE WITHIN THE HOUR... WINDS CLOCKED BY PLANE AT 10,000 FT: 165 MPH... GROUND WINDS HIT 145 MPH... MORE...

 

[madcoco]

This is bad. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Now making landfall south of Tampa and on a direct path through Orlando. This is a horrible feeling.

 

[rinkwide]

From Drudge Report:

"Mayor of Orlando Buddy Dyer warns of worst storm to hit city in 40 years... "

 

[mikeymars]

As I type this, I am viewing WESH (the NBC affiliate in Orlando, watching via my PC). It is clear from just a few minutes of viewing that the authorities there are taking the risk of a major hit from Charley VERY seriously:

- The Mayor of Orlando has just given a mandatory evacuation for all residents in the Southern parts of the area (note: where WDW is) living in mobile or manufactured homes.

- A live shot was just shown from the airport, and the sky from the east looks beyond ugly - huge, black thunderheads.

- station is getting scores of local calls from people reporting tornadoes.

- the track of Charley is changing by the minute, path is shifting to the east, which is why Orlando may be at risk AND IS NOW DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECTED STORM PATH AND OFFICIALLY UNDER A HURRICANE WARNING. Forecaster said the following: THE CENTER OF CHARLEY WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO ORLANDO AROUND 11PM TONIGHT, AND WE WILL BE GETTING CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. He said the first sign that things are getting really bad will probably be around 6pm, by which time Orlando will likely be seeing sustained winds of 55mph.

 

[laceemouse]

Maybe Charley will give us that "Contemporary Resort" rehab we have all been hoping for....Ha Ha LOL! Just kidding, hope everyone down there will be okay. Looks like flights are being cancelled coming and going to Florida. I, for one, can't wait to read the trip reports next week from everyone who is down there now!! Lacee

 

[slk537]

I just wanted to say that I hopped online to check out the storm updates and came over to DIS to see what everyone had to say and it is just so incredibly nice that so many other people are as concerned and interested in each other and the weather updates...this really is a like a family here isn't it?

Just an observation from a relatively new member...and I'd like to pass along any pixie dust from Wisconsin to everyone here who is in the path of the nasty weather...!!!

Jennifer
(Steve and Max)

 

[madcoco]

Maybe Charley will give us that "Contemporary Resort" rehab we have all been hoping for....Ha Ha LOL!

I know you're joking but not really a good time to be making light of a serious situation don't you think. Many of us have love ones and property in the area.


Bulletin issued:
A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST FROM COCOA BEACH NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM JUPITER INLET TO COCOA BEACH.

THE TRACK OF HURRICANE CHARLEY HAS CONTINUED SHIFTING MORE TO THE
RIGHT TODAY AND STRENGTHENING, GREATLY INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF
SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OVER EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA.

THIS TYPE OF HURRICANE SCENARIO HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE HURRICANE DONNA IN 1960. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO OSCEOLA AND OKEECHOBEE COUNTIES EARLY THIS EVENING AND THEN SPREAD ACROSS THE ORLANDO METRO AREA AND THE REST OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA
DURING THE NIGHT. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES CAN BE EXPECTED
LATER THIS EVENING.