Will hurricane Matthew impact the Fort or Disney?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

1 minute ago, Katman1356...Jason said:

They did have flyers out as of yesterday to contact the outpost for assistance with alternative accommodations. Maybe they reached a point where if you won't respond to us then I guess you are leaving. 

Another good point, and something to remember for when (not if) this happens again in the future!

TCD

[arthuruscg 34]

DCL is not helping the situation.

Tropical Weather Update

October 5, 2016

Disney Cruise Line is closely monitoring tropical weather systems in the Caribbean.
At this time, no itinerary changes have been made to the following sailings:

• October 7 – Disney Dream & Disney Magic
• October 8 – Disney Fantasy

If needed, we can alter the itinerary of our ships to ensure the safety and comfort of our Guests and Crew. We will provide updates as they are available.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/advisory/

 

The port is within 50 miles of Jim Cantore, they might as well start writing off the entire port now.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

1 minute ago, arthuruscg said:

DCL is not helping the situation.

Tropical Weather Update

October 5, 2016

Disney Cruise Line is closely monitoring tropical weather systems in the Caribbean.
At this time, no itinerary changes have been made to the following sailings:

• October 7 – Disney Dream & Disney Magic
• October 8 – Disney Fantasy

If needed, we can alter the itinerary of our ships to ensure the safety and comfort of our Guests and Crew. We will provide updates as they are available.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/advisory/

 

The port is within 50 miles of Jim Cantore, they might as well start writing off the entire port now.

I'll bet people are freaking about DCL.

I'm sure they are making plans, but waiting for the storm to move some before they decide exactly what to do.

TCD

[Beckers 1,136]

34 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Wow. Just GTFO (Get The Fort Out), no offer to provide alternative accommodations?

Harsh.

When I got the boot, they were really helpful in making sure everyone who wanted to stick around could.  What about guests who live in areas where the storm is going?

TCD

Was that storm that you were booted for predicted to be less? Could that be he difference?

 

could Disney just be trying to lessen the amount of people they have to accommodate? Both financially and logistical? Maybe trying to scare home the people who are supposed to leave today or Friday so it's less people for them to deal with.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Just now, Beckers said:

Was that storm that you were booted for predicted to be less? Could that be he difference?

 

could Disney just be trying to lessen the amount of people they have to accommodate? Both financially and logistical? Maybe trying to scare home the people who are supposed to leave today or Friday so it's less people for them to deal with.

Yes.  The storm I was evacuated for was just a Tropical Storm at the time it was approaching.  We were camping with friends, and the other guy and I tried not to leave.  We were literally the last two campers in the Fort, and didn't go until a CM came to our site and told us that we really had to leave.  It ended up being severe enough that they closed the parks that afternoon and evening.

It's a different time now.  We hadn't seen devastation like Katrina and Sandy at that time.  And it was a random September weekend- not a busy weekend like the one coming up.  I'll bet that they simply do not have the capacity to accommodate everyone.

I haven't seen it confirmed, but I'll bet this evacuation includes all of the cabins too.

TCD

[shoreline99 137]

21 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Another good point, and something to remember for when (not if) this happens again in the future!

TCD

Could also be that they, as you have mentioned, are now fully booked up due to the holiday weekend and the additional guest load from vacating the fort, bungalows, etc. has them at 'capacity'

[Travisma 1,317]

So if you are there, have a week or two reservation, they are just telling you to clear out? 

Are they refunding the unused days?

Are they wanting you to vacate the Fort for a day, two days, then come back for the rest of your time, or just leave and go elsewhere?

Very confusing and ambiguous letter.

And it's different than what TCD said WDW News posted.

When we were there and had to vacate (might've been in 99) we got $ back on the day we still had left on the reservation, and drove back home to Tampa, where it was sunny and dry.

[CJHokie 43]

Surely someone was there during Frances and/or Jeanne in '04. I was in Wilderness Lodge so have no idea what they did with the Ft people. 

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

4 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Wow. 

It's interesting to see how things are being handled for this storm vs past government responses to storms like Sandy and Katrina. South Carolina seems to be overreacting, but it's better to be safe than sorry. 

TCD 

I am in Greenville County, which is in the Upstate area.  The state ordered all our school buses (280) to drive to the coast and help with evacuations.  The schools are not closing, but any student who can't get to school due to no school buses will have an excused absence.  They may close schools later in the week if the schools start being used as shelters for evacuees. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

15 minutes ago, Travisma said:

So if you are there, have a week or two reservation, they are just telling you to clear out? 

Are they refunding the unused days?

Are they wanting you to vacate the Fort for a day, two days, then come back for the rest of your time, or just leave and go elsewhere?

Very confusing and ambiguous letter.

And it's different than what TCD said WDW News posted.

When we were there and had to vacate (might've been in 99) we got $ back on the day we still had left on the reservation, and drove back home to Tampa, where it was sunny and dry.

When we had to evacuate- we were given the choice of moving to Dixie Landings at no additional cost, or getting a full refund.  We stayed at Dixie Landings one night, and had one more night on our reservation.  The Fort did not open the next day, so we had the choice then of staying at the hotel one more night, or going home and getting a refund of that last night.  I took the refund- I had packed up my pop-up when it was wet, and left all of our food in it, plus I had food in a cooler that I was trying to keep cold.  The weather was awful, and since we weren't going to be able to go back to the Fort, we chose to go at that point.  The storm was pretty much past us by then, but there were still rain bands, and it was boring for us.

I am sure the Fort is issuing full refunds to anyone that has to leave per their order, and will cancel any remaining reservation days.

TCD

[Duane 152]

We went through an evacuation from the Fort back in the 2005/2006 timeframe, can't remember which...  We got a notice on the door one morning that said as of that evening the Fort would be closing and we could leave and get a refund, or stay and get put up at one of the resorts on property.  We were told if we were staying to fill the water tank on the camper and take it to the parking lot at All Star Sports and take with us into the resort what we needed for a couple of days. 

We ended up staying, followed the directions as they said. It looked like a RV show in that parking lot.  They crammed in as many RV's as they could, where they could.  We spent 2 nights there overall. On the 3rd day they opened the parks back up to onsite guests only and we were notified when we could return to the Fort... 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I just heard from my daughter who attends UCF.

They have cancelled classes there and suggested that the kids go home if they live somewhere out of harm's way.  There's talk of evacuating the dorms and having the students take shelter in interior classroom buildings.

My daughter is an RA, so she's considered "Essential Personnel," and she is required to stay and help with the emergency plans that are being formulated.  This storm could be really bad.

Disney may be doing RV owners a favor by telling them to hit the road.  Even if they could provide rooms, the storm could be devastating and wreck a lot of RV's.  Folks with campers can get far away with the lead time that they're being given.

TCD 

[keith_h 420]

UNC in Wilmington has ordered all students to go home and be off campus by Thursday morning.

Given the potential danger I think it is better to leave than take a risk the hurricane entails. In hindsight learning we had to leave needlessly might ruin my vacation but not leaving and losing my TT or truck due to storm damage would be worse.

[dercamper 0]

Ok,  I am seeing the evac reports to be out of the park by Thursday.  When will they reopen as we are supposed to check-in on Saturday.

Do we still plan on coming?  Delay a day?  Cancel?

One positive I guess is driving from Indiana on Friday evening there probably won't be much traffic heading south.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Just now, dercamper said:

Ok,  I am seeing the evac reports to be out of the park by Thursday.  When will they reopen as we are supposed to check-in on Saturday.

Do we still plan on coming?  Delay a day?  Cancel?

One positive I guess is driving from Indiana on Friday evening there probably won't be much traffic heading south.

In the past, they reopened pretty quickly once the storm danger was gone.

But, that depends on whether or not the storm actually hits the Fort and if any damage is done.  If there are trees down, or flooding, or power outages, they won't reopen until all of that is fixed.  If, God forbid, WDW gets a direct hit, it might be a long, long time before the Fort reopens.

You need to watch the same weather reports as everyone else and call it for yourself.  If you're not leaving until Friday evening, there will be much more of an idea about what the storm did or did not do to WDW by then.

And don't be so sure about there not be much traffic heading south.  There could be a lot of folks on the road heading home.  There could also be food and gas shortages.

If I was nice and safe in Indiana, I'd think carefully about heading south.

TCD

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I just shared this in its own thread but here is an update from DCL on intinerary changes and cancellations. 

 

Tropical Weather Update

October 5, 2016 – 4:30 p.m.

Based on the projected path of Hurricane Matthew, as well as its expected impact on the Bahamas, Disney Cruise Line is making the following adjustments to itineraries:

Disney Dream

• The October 3 sailing of the Disney Dream is being extended by one day, as Port Canaveral will not be available for the ship’s scheduled arrival on Friday, October 7. We are now planning to disembark in Port Canaveral on Saturday, October 8, once the Coast Guard has determined that the port is safe for cruise ship operations. We are working with the guests onboard to assist them with their travel arrangements.
• The October 7 sailing of the Disney Dream from Port Canaveral is being cancelled. Refunds will automatically be processed back to the original form of payment used for cruise bookings. Guests are invited to call us at 1-866-325-3905 or 407-566-7032 beginning Monday, Oct. 10, to book a future cruise at a discount.

Disney Magic

• The October 7 sailing of the Disney Magic from New York is being changed to a Canadian itinerary, with plans to visit Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick. Guests who remain on this revised itinerary will receive an onboard credit. Guests who would like to rebook a future sailing at a discount OR cancel their sailing for a full refund are invited to call us at 1-866-325-3905 or 407-566-7032.

Disney Fantasy

• The October 8 Disney Fantasy sailing from Port Canaveral to the eastern Caribbean is expected to sail as scheduled. We will continue to monitor the weather and make any necessary adjustments.

While we always strive to deliver magical cruise vacations, nothing is more important to us than providing a safe experience for our guests and crew. We will continue to closely monitor Hurricane Matthew and provide updates as necessary.

 

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

9 minutes ago, Katman1356...Jason said:

I just shared this in its own thread but here is an update from DCL on intinerary changes and cancellations. 

 

Tropical Weather Update

October 5, 2016 – 4:30 p.m.

Based on the projected path of Hurricane Matthew, as well as its expected impact on the Bahamas, Disney Cruise Line is making the following adjustments to itineraries:

Disney Dream

• The October 3 sailing of the Disney Dream is being extended by one day, as Port Canaveral will not be available for the ship’s scheduled arrival on Friday, October 7. We are now planning to disembark in Port Canaveral on Saturday, October 8, once the Coast Guard has determined that the port is safe for cruise ship operations. We are working with the guests onboard to assist them with their travel arrangements.
• The October 7 sailing of the Disney Dream from Port Canaveral is being cancelled. Refunds will automatically be processed back to the original form of payment used for cruise bookings. Guests are invited to call us at 1-866-325-3905 or 407-566-7032 beginning Monday, Oct. 10, to book a future cruise at a discount.

Disney Magic

• The October 7 sailing of the Disney Magic from New York is being changed to a Canadian itinerary, with plans to visit Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick. Guests who remain on this revised itinerary will receive an onboard credit. Guests who would like to rebook a future sailing at a discount OR cancel their sailing for a full refund are invited to call us at 1-866-325-3905 or 407-566-7032.

Disney Fantasy

• The October 8 Disney Fantasy sailing from Port Canaveral to the eastern Caribbean is expected to sail as scheduled. We will continue to monitor the weather and make any necessary adjustments.

While we always strive to deliver magical cruise vacations, nothing is more important to us than providing a safe experience for our guests and crew. We will continue to closely monitor Hurricane Matthew and provide updates as necessary.

 

Personally, I think this is nice as I always thought that changes/closures caused by mother nature is a loss for the buyer.  I didn't realize that companies would even consider offering refunds.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful to see... just didn't know it would happen.

Bummed for folks who were at Disney this week, or planning to come in... super upsetting for sure.

Praying for those who are in the path of the storm... please, please stay safe.  Leave if you can; it's not worth the risk.

 

1 hour ago, Duane said:

 On the 3rd day they opened the parks back up to onsite guests only and we were notified when we could return to the Fort... 

Okay.. so is it sad, that this is the one part that really stood out to me... I mean, parks only open to "onsite guests"?!  Can you say, short lines?? 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Just saw that Blizzard Beach is closed tomorrow. No word on Friday or beyond yet.

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[CJHokie 43]

Checked in with my SIL in Jax Beach. I offered for them to come up and camp with us this weekend. She says it is too late.  I haven't really watched any TV today, so I don't know what the roads are like already.  I told her Ft. Wilderness wants everyone out by 11am tomorrow, and she said that might be too late. She is on a tidal creek off the intercoastal, and her daughter lives a couple of miles from the beach and was "evacuating" to her house. She says a lot of people there are skeptical about anything (boy who cried wolf syndrome).

[DinDavie 37]

WE will bee getting Hurricane force winds as far south a Broward County in the afternoon on Thursday.  The course of the hurricane takes it right up the coast on Friday and Saturday.  The problems that should concern everyone traveling is that the entire route of I 95 is in the cone of the Hurricane not just tropical storm effects.  If they do not close those highways the debris and  obstructions may close them anyway.  I was told that I-26 is closed to local traffic so that people can evacuate from the coast.  Perhaps this is not the best time to be traveling anywhere along the coast.  It should also be known that depending on how much damage there is, it may take a while to clear the roadways.

[arthuruscg 34]

Ok,  I am seeing the evac reports to be out of the park by Thursday.  When will they reopen as we are supposed to check-in on Saturday.

Do we still plan on coming?  Delay a day?  Cancel?

One positive I guess is driving from Indiana on Friday evening there probably won't be much traffic heading south.

The GFS model (most accurate so far) is calling for Matthew to do a power up circle and come back thru the middle of Florida.

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[keith_h 420]

1 hour ago, dercamper said:

One positive I guess is driving from Indiana on Friday evening there probably won't be much traffic heading south.

As TCD said there could be quite a few folks going back home. The news has been reporting a number folks from northern SC coming up here to the Raleigh area to wait out the storm. The two most common reasons are free stay with family and lower hotel rates with better availability. 

[fortpartyof4 108]

4 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

According to WDW News Today, the Fort will close at 2 pm tomorrow, and EVERYONE has to go!

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/10/update-evacuation-fort-wilderness-disney-world-ordered-ahead-hurricane/

This is what they posted:

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground will close at 2:00pm on Thursday as a precautionary measure ahead of Hurricane Matthew. Guests are now being ordered to leave the resort by then, rather than it being simply suggested.

All RVs are being accommodated in the Cruella Lot of the Magic Kingdom parking area.

Campground guests are being moved to alternate accommodations as previously reported. Disney is providing transportation for all guests to their alternate accommodations if need be.

When I had to evacuate the Fort back in 1999 for Hurricane Floyd, we were allowed to take the camper with us to Port Orleans Riverside (which was still called Dixie Landings, I think).  I would not want to leave my camper in the MK parking lot.

TCD

What about all the folks who stay there for extended periods?  The ones who have sheds and EZ ups and all sorts of decorations to deal with?  I can't imagine that will be an easy task......

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Just posted by WDWMagic...

Quote

Hurricane Matthew - Latest impacts to Walt Disney World operations

Operational impacts are now starting to come into effect at Walt Disney World due to the approaching Hurricane Matthew.

The current closures and changes to normal operations are:

• Blizzard Beach closed Thursday October 6.
• Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon closed Thursday October 6 and Friday October 7.
• Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground closed through Sunday.
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue and Mickey's Backyard BBQ cancelled through Sunday.
• Spirit of Aloha Dinner show at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort cancelled on Thursday October 6 and Friday October 7.
• Characters in Flight at Disney Springs closed through to Sunday.

Expect more operational changes as the severity of the storm becomes clearer over the next 24 hours.

 

Article Posted: Oct 05, 2016 / 6:30pm EDT

 

http://www.wdwmagic.com/other/severe-weather-information/news/05oct2016-hurricane-matthew---latest-impacts-to-walt-disney-world-operations.htm

[djsamuel 322]

2 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I just heard from my daughter who attends UCF.

They have cancelled classes there and suggested that the kids go home if they live somewhere out of harm's way.  There's talk of evacuating the dorms and having the students take shelter in interior classroom buildings.

My daughter is an RA, so she's considered "Essential Personnel," and she is required to stay and help with the emergency plans that are being formulated.  This storm could be really bad.

Disney may be doing RV owners a favor by telling them to hit the road.  Even if they could provide rooms, the storm could be devastating and wreck a lot of RV's.  Folks with campers can get far away with the lead time that they're being given.

TCD 

It is good to get the RVs out because a small shift in the storm can make a big difference,m especially to an RV.  Mine is hooked to my truck and tomorrow I will be moving near the house so the house will break the wind.  

As far as your daughter goes, I think a lot of the thinking at UCF has to do with the fact that some students (not your daughter) will inevitably be knuckleheads and do something stupid.  I work next to UCF and in fact share some buildings with UCF.  We are open tomorrow and Friday, although they may trim down the staff as conditions warrant.  In addition, they are letting people work from home.  The winds will be strong, about 80 mph for a short time, so there is a danger.  However, if the students use their heads and stay inside they should be fine.