Hurricane Ian has rocked central Florida over the last 24 hours. As the sun rose on the waterlogged state this morning the storm began to run out of steam and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm. Ian is currently on Florida’s East Coast, with rain bands still affecting much of the state.
The storm is expected to be on its way out to sea and on its way north by Friday. Because of the flooding and damage to the area, albeit minor damage, relatively speaking Disney is acting in an abundance of caution to protect Cast Members and Guests and despite rumors to the contrary, the Resort will be enacting a phased reopening today Friday September 30, 2022.
Hurricane Ian has battered down on the area and as it moves away, time is needed as clean up efforts commence. Many are still without power. Many Cast Members lack the ability to report to work still and as such, the staggered openings help alleviate not only Guest traffic but allows Cast Members ample time to make arrangements.
It is unknown what exactly is meant by the phased reopening. Disney has not yet released Park hours but we would.imagine that each Park will have a different opening time to stagger the demand in the morning. They have promised more information will.come regarding the details and hours later today.
The official announcement from Disney reads:
“Update on Hurricane Ian: We are seeing the impacts of Hurricane Ian across Florida and are thinking of our neighbors in Central Florida and across the state. We will share more information about our plan to support relief efforts for our Florida neighbors soon.
We thank our first responders and community leaders for their courageous efforts in preparing for and managing the storm’s impact. To our cast members in Florida and in South Carolina, thank you for selflessly taking care of our guests.
We continue to closely monitor weather conditions as we assess the impact of Hurricane Ian on our property. While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening. Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30. Operating hours will be updated later today on DisneyWorld.com/weather.”
Disney’s Pop Century Resort is one of 25 different Resort Hotels available to Walt Disney World Resort Guests. It’s one of many value Resorts available to Guests looking for magical Disney theming at a lower cost than moderate or deluxe Resort hotels
This week, Disney’s Pop Century Resort is home to thousands of Guests sheltering from Hurricane Ian. Locals and tourists alike are hunkered down while Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs are closed for the storm, which reached nearly Category Five level winds when it made landfall on Wednesday.
Guests from closed Resort hotels – Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – have evacuated to Pop Century and other nearby Resorts.
Walt Disney World Resort is one of the safest places to be during a hurricane. Disney Cast Members volunteer to work, keeping Guests safe and entertained during storms. Unfortunately, the experience at Disney’s Pop Century Resort hasn’t been so smooth this time.
According to Guests on Twitter, Disney recommended that Resort hotel Guests mobile order pre-prepared meal kits to take back to their Resort hotel rooms. However, Tina (@_tinatuna) said that purchases weren’t being fulfilled in sequential order, and Guests were waiting hours for their meals:
@Disney big fail on mobile ordering. No system staff just picking an order. 2 and half hours and still waiting. Order number 827 picked up before order 320 where’s the sense in that! Disney pop century resort
Lumley was furious that it took more than three hours to receive his breakfast after Disney Cast Members said mobile ordering was the best way to obtain food promptly.
Disney hasn’t responded to Tina or Lumley. Cast Members are doing their best to keep Guests safe, entertained, and fed during Hurricane Ian, and these complaints just seem in the face of what people across the state of Florida are experiencing.
Walt Disney World is located right in hurricane territory. Florida is the number one state impacted by hurricanes in the United States by a large margin, with 102 hurricanes since 1882 (Texas is number two with 64 storms, and North Carolina is number three with 55.)
Hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June 1 to November 30. Most hurricanes make landfall in the U.S. in August or September, when the conditions needed- warm water and cooler air temperature are right. However, a June or November hurricane isn’t unheard of.
So what do you do if you happen to be at Disney World when a hurricane hits?
The answer isn’t as simple as “just leave.” Interstates often become parking lots, and flights are often canceled, leaving travelers no choice but to remain where they are and wait for the storm to pass. Luckily Disney is one of the safest places you can be during a hurricane. The best thing for you to do if you’re unable to evacuate is listen to the instructions of all Cast Members. They have been briefed and trained on what to do in these powerful storms. Day-to-day operations may be suspended or altered, but clear instructions will be given.
Will the Parks Remain Open?
Their first priority will always be the safety of Guests and Cast Members. If they make the decision to close the Parks, it’s because experts have deemed it highly unsafe for anyone to be outside in the weather. Disney tries to keep the Parks open for as long as they possibly can. They understand no one wants to be stuck inside their hotel and won’t close Parks until it is absolutely necessary to do so. In fact, since 1971, they have only closed due to weather 8 times. Typically only one operating day is impacted. The longest ever hurricane closure was 3 days for Hurricane Irma.
If they do plan to close, you will be informed at your resort hotel in advance. Sometimes they will close early if a storm is expected to make landfall later in the day. When this happens, you will be told what time the Parks will close when you arrive in the Park that day. There will also be signs throughout the Park as soon as a decision is made.
What Happens at Hotels?
Availability for new room reservations will be paused during a storm that is expected to make a significant impact. This is to keep rooms available for locals who have to evacuate their homes and also for what is known as “The Ride Out Crew.” The Ride Out Crew will be your new best friend in the event of a hurricane. These are Cast Members who have volunteered to weather the storm at work to provide guests with necessities and, in many cases, fun!
Food
Food will be available at your resort. Full operations will likely not occur, but food will be available for every guest. Quick service locations make every effort to remain open during the storm, but often table service restaurants will close, and dining reservations will be canceled. In the event that Quick Service locations close, meal kits will be available. Depending on the resort facilities, sometimes there is a buffet available to guests in lieu of Quick Service restaurants. During Hurricane Irma, snacks were even provided to each guest room.
Activities
Disney does its best to make even a hurricane stay enjoyable. The hotel lobby will become activity central as long as it is safe to do so. Often characters make special appearances in hotel lobbies. It’s not unheard of for a face character to host a story time for kids. Games and special showings of movies usually occur. In many cases, a resort will allow guests to play in the arcade for free. Many bars will remain open under limited hours. Surprisingly, unless the storm is in its worst moments, the pools have been known to stay open, though subject to close at a moment’s notice and completely dependent on ever-changing conditions. Keep in mind none of these special activities are guaranteed. These are just examples of what has happened in the past. Activities will depend on what a resort has available and what their staffing situation is like.
Refunds?
If you’ve already traveled, you’re not guaranteed a refund. Operations This is because of Disney’s generous pre-arrival policy:
“If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area—or for your place of residence—within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may call in advance to reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort Hotel Package and most room-only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.” View the full policy here.
Should you cancel?
That answer is as varied as the storms in Orlando are. There is no predicting whether a storm will be a doozy or nothing more than a nasty thunderstorm. Orlando is several hours inland, but that doesn’t mean it’s never hit full force. The best thing to do is watch the weather closely before your trip in order to make an informed decision. Disney resorts are safe, but they are not without risk. No two storms are the same so looking at previous storms is not likely to be helpful. Your best bet is to listen to weather experts and make the choice that is best for your family.
Walt Disney World has informed Cast Members that all theme parks and water parks will close ahead of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, September 28, and Thursday, September 29, 2022. Disney Springs will be closed on Wednesday, with a decision to be made for Thursday later today. At this time, there is no information on whether the Parks will remain closed longer than Wednesday and Thursday. Many factors go into the decision to close and the duration of the close. This announcement comes out of an abundance of safety for Cast Members and Guests. The Parks will remain closed until conditions are safe to resume normal operations. Find out what happens when the Parks are closed here.
To date, the longest Walt Disney World has kept Parks closed due to a hurricane is 2.5 days, which occurred due to Hurricane Irma in 2017. That hurricane made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Florida Keys and plowed north directly through Orlando. Disney escaped the storm with minimal damage.
Disney’s first ever Hurricane closure was in 1985 for Hurricane Elena. Since then 7 other hurricanes have forced the Parks to close, for at least part of the day: Hurricane Floyd on 1999, Hurricane Charley in 2004, Hurricane Francis in 2004, Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, Hurricane Mathew in 2016, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando has never been hit with stronger than a Category 1 storm. Since Orlando is several hours inland, the storms typically have weakened by the time they reach the Orlando area. Don’t let the name fool you though, a Category 1 hurricane is still dangerous and capable of causing harm and property damage.
Hurricane Ian struck landfall in Cuba early today as a Category 3. It is expected to gain steam in the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen to a Category 4 storm before making landfall in Florida. On Monday the storm experienced rapid intensification with winds increasing from 57mph to 125 mph in 24 hours. Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a direct warning that Floridians should evacuate if at all possible saying, “Our recommendation is to heed evacuation orders. The storm surge can be life threatening…that is not something that you want to be a part of.”
Florida National Guard Adjutant Gen. James Eifert said, “We are assessing constantly the location and path of the storm, and repositioning and prepositioning our resources and our people to be able to most immediately and effectively respond once the landfall has passed. We are here. and we are ready.”
Orlando’s MCO airport closed on Tuesday to all but emergency flight traffic.
We are more than three months into Florida’s hurricane season and, so far, things have been quiet. While there has been some wild weather at the Walt Disney World Parks, the state has had to deal with nothing more than severe storms, and hurricanes have been non-existent. However, things are now changing, and several storms have formed recently, and one of them could be headed right for the Sunshine State.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Depression Nine is making its way through the Caribbean, and it is strengthening. The National Hurricane Center is reporting that Tropical Depression Nine is expected to form into Hurricane Ian — and they expect it to hit Florida as a Category 3 storm. The announcement prompted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to issue a State of Emergency for 24 counties in the state.
Tropical Depression Nine formed in the Caribbean on Friday with a path that could bring it to Florida next week as a major Category 3 hurricane prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in 24 counties.
“This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations,” he said. “We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm.”
DeSantis also requested a federal emergency declaration ahead of landfall that would free up funding sources for emergency protective measures. The counties in the order are Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and St. Lucie.
Not in the order are Orange, Lake, Seminole or Volusia.
It should be noted that Walt Disney World Resort lies in both Orange and Osceola counties. So, based on what counties are a part of the State of Emergency, it appears that Disney World could be on the outskirts of the worst parts of the storm.
If you are at Disney World when a hurricane hits, Disney has plenty of procedures in place to keep you safe. Outdoor rides — like Test Track, Slinky Dog Dash, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — will shut down until the weather clears up. If things get bad, Disney will shut the Parks down and keep Guests inside their hotels until things are safe, and they can open back up.
