Tropical storm Erika and Disney

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Following

 

Welcome! :wave1:

[Travisma 1,317]

We have been to Disney twice during Hurricane/Tropical Storms.

 

The first time was at the Fort with our original PUP.  I can't remember when it was, and I can't even blame an excess of beer for forgetting.

 

This was long before the interweb, weather apps, and probably cell phones

 

I remember getting a letter saying they suggested that people start securing their sites and they would let us know if there was going to be an evacuation to hotels.  Maintenance started securing the large loose objects around all of the properties.  At this point in time, there was a lot more wind and little or no rain.  We got a hold of the front desk and confirmed that we could leave early (I think we still had 2 days left) and that they would refund the $$.  By the time we got done packing up, they did start the evacuation.  From what I remember they said to pack bedding, medicine, food, and they sent everyone to the ball rooms of the contemporary, they did not provide rooms.  We drove home to Tampa, and didn't encounter a drop of rain on the way or at home.  Orlando did get sideswiped and got a lot of rain and some strong gusts.  I remember seeing pictures of toppled big planters and ripped up metal and fabric awning at a few of the Disney resorts.

 

The next time we encountered problems was a double whammy and we drove into it.

 

We had booked a Treehouse Villa for my daughters birthday, someplace we had always wanted to stay.  Then 9/11 occurred, and a tropical storm was heading up the eastcoast of FL with a possibility of it reaching Hurricane strength.  We called Disney probably 4 or 5 times after 9/11 and before we drove over making sure everything was still a go between the storm and the attacks. We were assured it was.

 

So we fought the storms and arrived to check in.  We then got the wonderful news that because the storm was approaching they shut down the treehouses, but we got to stay in the Golf Villa!!!  They tried to make it sound like they were doing us a favor, and it was a take it or leave it deal. The villa was nice, but it had a horrible layout for a family.  The master bedroom overlooked the living room, kitchen areas and the walls didn't go to the ceiling.  So you heard everything going on in the living room, TV, music, talking.  We made do with what we got, but weren't happy.

 

We had written to customer service when this happened, hoping to cut a deal on another stay at a treehouse, but they wouldn't budge.

 

Shortly after that, they closed down the treehouses for quite a few years.

 

When I saw that they were re-opening them, I wrote to customer service again trying to cut a deal, but ....

 

So that's our tales of weather related issues at the Most Magical Place on Earth!

[bhall 115]

Sounds like you need some TCD pointers for letter writing!  He seems to get results :)

[Clark W Griswold 24]

We were at the Fort during 9/11 and a couple of days later a tropical storm came thru...They evacuated us to Port Orleans...All RV's and trailers were parked in the hotel parking lots...All pets were allowed inside quest rooms...The storm blew through and the next day the branches were cleaned up and we returned...Actually went quite smooth...

[~Kristina~ 10]

I'm not too concerned about a possible hurricane at this point, but I'll be super bummed if the parks close. ;-). BUT if she does make landfall on Monday, we'll just hold off on activating our tickets until Tuesday.  We gave ourselves an empty day.

[southernview -- Ray 25]

We have been to Disney twice during Hurricane/Tropical Storms.

 

The first time was at the Fort with our original PUP.  I can't remember when it was, and I can't even blame an excess of beer for forgetting.

 

This was long before the interweb, weather apps, and probably cell phones

 

I remember getting a letter saying they suggested that people start securing their sites and they would let us know if there was going to be an evacuation to hotels.  Maintenance started securing the large loose objects around all of the properties.  At this point in time, there was a lot more wind and little or no rain.  We got a hold of the front desk and confirmed that we could leave early (I think we still had 2 days left) and that they would refund the $$.  By the time we got done packing up, they did start the evacuation.  From what I remember they said to pack bedding, medicine, food, and they sent everyone to the ball rooms of the contemporary, they did not provide rooms.  We drove home to Tampa, and didn't encounter a drop of rain on the way or at home.  Orlando did get sideswiped and got a lot of rain and some strong gusts.  I remember seeing pictures of toppled big planters and ripped up metal and fabric awning at a few of the Disney resorts.

 

The next time we encountered problems was a double whammy and we drove into it.

 

We had booked a Treehouse Villa for my daughters birthday, someplace we had always wanted to stay.  Then 9/11 occurred, and a tropical storm was heading up the eastcoast of FL with a possibility of it reaching Hurricane strength.  We called Disney probably 4 or 5 times after 9/11 and before we drove over making sure everything was still a go between the storm and the attacks. We were assured it was.

 

So we fought the storms and arrived to check in.  We then got the wonderful news that because the storm was approaching they shut down the treehouses, but we got to stay in the Golf Villa!!!  They tried to make it sound like they were doing us a favor, and it was a take it or leave it deal. The villa was nice, but it had a horrible layout for a family.  The master bedroom overlooked the living room, kitchen areas and the walls didn't go to the ceiling.  So you heard everything going on in the living room, TV, music, talking.  We made do with what we got, but weren't happy.

 

We had written to customer service when this happened, hoping to cut a deal on another stay at a treehouse, but they wouldn't budge.

 

Shortly after that, they closed down the treehouses for quite a few years.

 

When I saw that they were re-opening them, I wrote to customer service again trying to cut a deal, but ....

 

So that's our tales of weather related issues at the Most Magical Place on Earth!

 

 

I was at the Fort the following week after 9/11 and the storm you speak of was tropical storm Gabrielle which cut a swath across Florida dumping torrents of rain but it did not become a hurricane until after it exited Florida when it briefly attained minimal cat one status.

 

What I remember most about that stay at Disney was the lowering of the flag at MK on the second Saturday after 9/11. They had a couple of vets assisting the Disney guy and it had drawn one of the largest crowds that I have ever seen.  There wasn't a dry eye to be seen in the crowd, including my own.

 

To make it even more memorable, I was still in a wheelchair due to having had a serious leg injury the first part of July in that year.  My DW pushed me all over WDW that week and obtained sainthood status with me.

[Andrew Roberts 17]

I was at Coronado Springs for Hurricane Floyd and I must say all the letters that disney gave us leading up to the storm and during were impressive. On the bad side THERE IS NOT A DAMN THING YOU CAN DO BUT SIT IN YOUR ROOM WHEN THE STORM HITS. and a few years back some tropical storm hit while we were at the fort staying in the 300 loop I had to move sites because the tree limbs were slapping the sides of our TT we had at that time. The part I remember most about Floyd was were trapped and could not go anywhere. The thing with the tropical storm was we, had decided that if there was any chance of it hitting disney a hurricane force we would have left disney and gone to central georiga and let it pass. Then decide if we were going back. Remember your in an RV drive away from the storm with the days worth of warning you will get if you can. If you stay and bad thing happen that where Darwin wins lol

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'm not too concerned about a possible hurricane at this point, but I'll be super bummed if the parks close. ;-). BUT if she does make landfall on Monday, we'll just hold off on activating our tickets until Tuesday.  We gave ourselves an empty day.

 

It's still too early to tell, but if this storm does become a hurricane, and if it's heading toward Florida, you should be very concerned about being in its possible path with an RV.

 

There could be a lot bigger problems for you to deal with than a closed theme park.  Watch the weather reports, and be safe.

 

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

It's still too early to tell, but if this storm does become a hurricane, and if it's heading toward Florida, you should be very concerned about being in its possible path with an RV.

 

There could be a lot bigger problems for you to deal with than a closed theme park.  Watch the weather reports, and be safe.

 

TCD

TCD, did you see that Dennis as of a day or so ago said to stay calm and that it's too early to tell what is going on?

 

Station Management must've told him to calm down, since he usually starts riling people up when there's a thunderstorm off the coast of Africa!

 

It is too early to tell, last night they said it might affect the East coast of FL.

 

Now 8 hours later they show it going right up the middle of the state from S to N.

 

Too many variables...

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

TCD, did you see that Dennis as of a day or so ago said to stay calm and that it's too early to tell what is going on?

 

Station Management must've told him to calm down, since he usually starts riling people up when there's a thunderstorm off the coast of Africa!

 

It is too early to tell, last night they said it might affect the East coast of FL.

 

Now 8 hours later they show it going right up the middle of the state from S to N.

 

Too many variables...

 

I will never, ever forget how Dennis scared the heck out of all of us in Pinellas County when he was crowing that Charley was going to come right in to Tampa Bay and kill us all.

 

And how the next week he back peddled and said that we had to look at the cone, and not the path of the hurricane that they had always shown up to that point.  None of those poor folks in Charlotte County got fair warning.

 

It's scary how little these "experts" know about hurricanes.  You just never know.

 

Getting back to the topic of this thread:  If you have a chance to avoid a hurricane, then you should.  It's foolish to think that anyone is safe when one is churning out in the Atlantic and heading west.  And, an RV is not a place you want to be in strong winds.

 

Speaking of idiot weathermen, where's Jim Cantore?

 

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

I will never, ever forget how Dennis scared the heck out of all of us in Pinellas County when he was crowing that Charley was going to come right in to Tampa Bay and kill us all.

 

And how the next week he back peddled and said that we had to look at the cone, and not the path of the hurricane that they had always shown up to that point.  None of those poor folks in Charlotte County got fair warning.

 

It's scary how little these "experts" know about hurricanes.  You just never know.

 

Getting back to the topic of this thread:  If you have a chance to avoid a hurricane, then you should.  It's foolish to think that anyone is safe when one is churning out in the Atlantic and heading west.  And, an RV is not a place you want to be in strong winds.

 

Speaking of idiot weathermen, where's Jim Cantore?

 

TCD

Probably the only job where you get paid a ton of $$ to be wrong the majority of the time and still keep your job!

 

And I like how over the years, they have included areas 50+ miles away from where they are based to keep the odds in their favor.

 

"I said it was going to rain tomorrow, and it did, down in Ft Myers!"

 

I just hope it clears up before our Labor Day stay, and not be like that no name storm that sat in the Gulf years ago over the Labor Day weekend and was non stop wind and rain.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Isn't he traveling all over the world for the weather channel taking videos of himself falling over due to insane weather conditions?

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Because I know your dying to friend him he has a Facebook page AND Twitter account ; 0)

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Speaking of idiot weathermen, where's Jim Cantore?

 

TCD

 

We should put a tracking device on that guy as the best indicator of if the weather is going to be bad, is if he shows up in your town. 

 

Erika's storm track is looking messy right now, but as has been mentioned, too many variables and things could still change a bunch.

 

To all of you in that neck of the woods - stay safe!!

[Specularius 102]

Running joke in our house is if we ever see Jim Cantore drive up, we are grabbing our Bail Out Bags an getting out of town as fast as possible.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Running joke in our house is if we ever see Jim Cantore drive up, we are grabbing our Bail Out Bags an getting out of town as fast as possible.

 

In the winter that's generally how we know if we REALLY need to go out and buy bread and milk.  :rofl2:

[Travisma 1,317]

How soon can you all get to the Fort if the storm passes?

 

My wife said that there are full sites that have opened up.

 

Guess people are cancelling.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

As of last night, the Fort is more than half empty. Well see what this afternoon brings

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

How soon can you all get to the Fort if the storm passes?

 

My wife said that there are full sites that have opened up.

 

Guess people are cancelling.

 

Not too surprising after the gov. declared a state of emergency this morning.

 

If I were close enough, I'd be packing!  :)

[arthuruscg 34]

To bad the kid and wife is back in school, I would contemplate a run to the fort/wdw for arriving the day after the storm passed.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

To bad the kid and wife is back in school, I would contemplate a run to the fort/wdw for arriving the day after the storm passed.

 

That's not such a great idea.

 

Hopefully, this storm will pass and not cause any damage.

 

But, if it hits land and knocks down trees and blows off roofs, and messes up roads, things could be bad.  I've lived in the aftermath of a hurricane, and it ain't fun when there's no food or ice in the stores, and no gas at the pumps.  And maybe no electricity or running water, and garbage piling up.

 

Nobody knows what could happen.  The entire state is still in the cone where possible damage could be done.  No one should intentionally travel into a possible hurricane's path.

 

TCD

[wdwpoohbear...Jennifer 40]

That's not such a great idea.

 

Hopefully, this storm will pass and not cause any damage.

 

But, if it hits land and knocks down trees and blows off roofs, and messes up roads, things could be bad.  I've lived in the aftermath of a hurricane, and it ain't fun when there's no food or ice in the stores, and no gas at the pumps.  And maybe no electricity or running water, and garbage piling up.

 

Nobody knows what could happen.  The entire state is still in the cone where possible damage could be done.  No one should intentionally travel into a possible hurricane's path.

 

TCD

 

Having lived through a few hurricanes myself, I have to agree with this.

[swimmarz 72]

Looks like I am gonna get hit... Monday 8 am and I am in the center of the "cone of uncertainty" 

 

ill be grabbing 5 gallons of gas for the generator( its already full  so that puts me at roughly 24 hours of run time, or 3 days of use as i use it 8 hours a day (11-7)

I already got food earlier in the week so i am good there.

 

batten down the hatches!   

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

Looks like I am gonna get hit... Monday 8 am and I am in the center of the "cone of uncertainty" 

 

ill be grabbing 5 gallons of gas for the generator( its already full  so that puts me at roughly 24 hours of run time, or 3 days of use as i use it 8 hours a day (11-7)

I already got food earlier in the week so i am good there.

 

batten down the hatches!   

Hope it goes around you and out to sea. Stay safe.

[Beckers 1,136]

Stay safe fiends!