Tropical Storms Bonnie and Charley

[Jeff T]

We are driving from PA to Disney next Friday and I learned today that two potential tropical storms (soon to be hurricanes) may threaten Fl within the next few days and next week. Sure hope they move out of the FL are quickly and don't ruin our vacation!

[2NfinitE&B-ond]

Well..we'll be heading down on the 20th, So I sure hope it is all cleared up by then!!! I used to liv ein NC, usually the hurricanes liked to veer away from Florida and head to NC...at least when I lived there...maybe that'll happen to these too? (Not that I wish any ill will on NC!)

Good luck with the weather!

[Nascfan]

Stay safe, all of you. Whether you be vacationing there or living there, my thoughts and hopes will be that everyone is safe and unharmed from these storms.

[wonders10]

Hi!

I'm a South Floridian so there is lots on the news about these two tropical systems. First of all, both are headed towards the Gulf of Mexico (west, WDW is central or more east coast). Bonnie looks like it will probably stay on path and head more towards Texas. Charley is also headed towards the gulf and will probably be off the coast of the Fl Keys by friday. This one might interfere with your vacation but probably not directly. Probably just some rainy weather if anything. Like our weathermen always say, it's too soon to tell. Hope all goes well...

*Shannon

[wonders10]

Forget everything I just mentioned...the news just said that Bonnie might affect central florida (just a lot of rain) and charley might go over the whole state this weekend! Yikes...

[mike2u]

Well thats not good for me.. I'm driving down saturday evening from pa. I'm leaving at 6:00 pm saturday night and expect to be in Florida by Sunday morning around 8:00 am or so. It's really going to stink driven down in a storm....

[Beast_fanatic]

Moving to Mousellaneous...

[SgtTigger]

As someone who works in Law Enforcement in Louisiana where we deal with storms a lot. Take this advice Watch the Weather. It will change every day. Storms change by the hour and can strengthen or die in hours.
Right now the path for Bonnie is across the pan handle of Florida and on to South Carolina. This is at 9:30 pm central time on 8-10-04.

The first path for Charley is close to Tampa which is not good for Disney. But that is so far out in time, that path will change.

How unpredictable is a storm? We started our preperations for the storm today at the Sheriffs department. We can't wait till it is going to hit us. If it is in the gulf we have to be ready.
Watch the weather and pay attention that is the best advise.
hope you have a great trip and the storms don't affect you.


graemlins/doubleeek.gif graemlins/mickey.gif

[ August 10, 2004, 10:41 PM: Message edited by: SgtTigger ]

[ArtDeco]

An honest-to-goodness chance to experience a hurricane! Batten down and enjoy it, I say, but then my wife thinks I'm a weather idiot.

Seriously, my thought is that Florida and WDW are built to handle rough weather. The roads will drain, you'll find some shelter, it'll pass over, and you'll have a great time! Someone is bound to say that a hurricane closed the parks one of the two times they've ever been closed, but those are pretty good odds for you!

That's more than two cents, but man I love weather. Have a great trip.

[wonders10]

Not to be rude, but a hurricane is much more than a thunderstorm. If you were positive you'd be able to be safe in your hotel by the time the storm hit, I'd say go for it...but I wouldn't try driving through it. Besides the rain, you may encounter other drivers that are evacuating or trying to drive from the storm themselves. It's be a nightmare. When it becomes a hurricane, it'll probably be a weak one but still a powerful storm that is moving quickly. Also, as of 11pm on our local news the path for Charley has it going anywhere from the gulf up to the panhandle/alabama area or going straight over miami/fort lauderdale (me!!). This will all happen around Friday. Hurricanes are ever changing. Keep watching the weather channel or even check the internet for Florida news stations to get the real deal.

*Shannon

[goofygirl67]

Excuse me ArtDeco,
but we've had so much rain this summer that our roads are not draining properly right now. All the retaining ponds are at there limits and are starting to spill over in some areas. We have parking lots that aren't draining at all.
Where I would love to have the storms come near us (we get missed most of the time in Jacksonville) to cool us down, we don't need more water.

[ArtDeco]

Originally posted by goofygirl67:
Excuse me ArtDeco,
but we've had so much rain this summer that our roads are not draining properly right now. All the retaining ponds are at there limits and are starting to spill over in some areas. We have parking lots that aren't draining at all.
Where I would love to have the storms come near us (we get missed most of the time in Jacksonville) to cool us down, we don't need more water. :D Then I hope it misses you in JAX and Jeff T has a great time in Orlando. graemlins/mickey.gif

Make no mistake, I respect a hurricane for what it is! They're dangerous, deadly, and costly, but living in the south you must know that a lot of us kind of root for the hurricane, we just don't want it near us.

May your roads and ponds dry soon. tongue.gif

[ August 11, 2004, 08:52 AM: Message edited by: ArtDeco ]

[ArtDeco]

Oh dear, you ARE gonna have a wet drive if the forecast is accurate. They sure are moving fast! Drive safely and send us a weather report.

[ August 11, 2004, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: ArtDeco ]

[Timbo]

At this point, I would be concerned if your visit to WDW is anywhere from this Thursday night through the weekend. I have a feeling that flights on Friday and Saturday into Florida will be severly affected.

At best, the weather will be rainy, windy, unsettled. At worst, Orlando could suffer a direct hit from Charley or at least tropical storm force winds and a lot of rain.

It may not be time to cancel your plans, but it will require very close monitoring.

[Donalds Duckie]

Y'all be careful there in Florida and panhandle area. Anyone driving down to WDW PLEASE watch the news to monitor the storms and take care.

I live in South Texas so I know how serious these storms can be. (We thought for a bit we might get one of these storms here.) They can change course in an instant and dump an incredible amount of rain in a very short period of time.

My prayers are with y'all. PLEASE be careful and keep safe.

[Timbo]

I just heard from family members that work at WDW that there are potentially some cutbacks that could be taking place this Friday, August 13 due to Charley. Time will tell whether or not park hours will be affected yet, but I've heard that AK MAY be closed on Friday. Also, E-Ride night has been cancelled for Friday and most outdoor shows have been cancelled or rescheduled.

Call 407WDISNEY for up to the minute info.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

I just got off the phone with Disney;

E-Ride Night is not "officially" cancelled for tomorrow as of yet. However, no more tickets are being sold due to the pending forecast. If weather permits they will start selling them again in the morning - but it doesn't look good.

ALL 4 Parks will be open tomorrow morning for Extra Magic Hour! World Showcase will open at 10AM.

Guests are being advised to visit the parks early - as the weather looks increasingly worse by midday and beyond.

[DisneyHokie]

Our plans are that we'll start driving to Orlando from Virginia tomorrow...I'm not so sure now?

[Bmwdsny]

Just want to wish you all to be safe and sound from any storms going on. I feel so bad for Floridians and guests in Disney now. :( I just hope it won't cause lots of damage and injuries. I was just thinking that, just 1 year ago, to be exact, i was in WDW!! :eek:

[ August 12, 2004, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: Bmwdsny ]

[imported_Melanears]

Originally posted by PolyGirl40:
ALL 4 Parks will be open tomorrow morning for Extra Magic Hour! World Showcase will open at 10AM. Wow, that has to be a first, but certainly understandable.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Here is my 2 cents. If you are going to already be in WDW by the time any bad weather hits you should be okay. However, anyone driving in on that day, PLEASE, PLEASE be careful. I would not want to drive during weather like that. As a matter of fact the state may issue a curfew if the weather is bad enough. I know that two years ago when Hurricane Lilly hit Louisiana a very strict curfew went into effect on the day of the storm and the days following. We ended up going to Houston, Texas to get away from the weather (my youngest child was only 6 months old and just so happened to be sick). Anyway, on our way back home after the storm we had to rent a hotel room because we didn't make it back in time for the curfew. Again, please be careful and stay safe. I hope no ones vacation is ruined beacause of this.

[Chrisx2]

Another source is reporting that E-ride night for 8/13 is cancelled. The Spirit of Aloha shows for 8/13 are cancelled. Also, that RESORT restaurant PS's are no longer being taken for 8/13. Existing PS's are being honored.

[SgtTigger]

Originally posted by buzznwoodysmom:
I know that two years ago when Hurricane Lilly hit Louisiana a very strict curfew went into effect on the day of the storm and the days following. That is a great point Denise we shut down the points to enter our parish (county)and no one could enter.
Another thing to consider is that they have evacuated 350,000 people from the Tampa area. All roads leading out are ONE WAY OUT. Both sides of the roads on a lot of roads are only for exiting. We do this here in Louisiana. It is called contraflow which means all traffic goes out none in. Now you might not be able to stay any where because a lot of hotels will be full from the people leaving Fl.
This is just things to think about. Things we have had to face before living in Louisiana. IF you do get to come in so will everyone else which means that all 350,000 people will be comming back from where they went.

[MegaDisney]

Just received this priority dispatch that was sent to travel agents:

Hurricane Preparedness Message

From the Walt Disney World® Resort

Thursday, August 12, 7 p.m.


Walt Disney World continues to monitor Hurricane Charley, taking proactive measures for potential impact to guests and cast. These measures include communication on an on-going basis, the clean up and tie down of any loose materials and the consideration of adjusting operating hours. There are also protected areas for animals, if determined necessary.

As of now, Walt Disney World theme parks are scheduled to open on Friday, August 13. If weather conditions dictate changes, you will be notified via email early Friday morning.


I will let you guys know if I receive any further details.

[ August 12, 2004, 07:36 PM: Message edited by: MegaDisney ]

[Pixie Power]

Well, if Disney is anything like The Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas during situations like these, the guests will be treated well during this hurricane. Dh and I were at The Atlantis when hurricane Floyd hit Nassau & Paradise Island a few years back and I cannot begin to tell you about the amazingly fantastic customer service they provided during a time of horrific weather; not only to the guests of the resort, but to their own employees who had to work during the storm. That was the first time Dh and I had been there and because of their stellar customer service during that hurricane, that is why we continue to go back. Here's hoping Disney treats its guests just the same as we were treated by The Atlantis.

I'm hoping that the Orlando area doesn't get too much bad weather and that people's vacations turn out A-OK.

[Digger]

it's going to be a fun one. I'm worried about st pete/clearwater. 6 feet above sea level and a 10 foot storm swell will not be good. oh well, we're still going to mgm on sunday as a reward. have a hurricane party and ride it out. graemlins/beer.gif graemlins/mickey.gif

[imported_JohnY]

Originally posted by Chrisx2:
Another source is reporting that E-ride night for 8/13 is cancelled. The Spirit of Aloha shows for 8/13 are cancelled. Also, that RESORT restaurant PS's are no longer being taken for 8/13. Existing PS's are being honored. We were aware of the other source, but the only information we were able to confirm with disney after repeated calls is what is currently posted on our home page and what was posted by PolyGirl here. They are not selling tickets right now, but no official announcement on the eride nite has been made.

[Jeremy Wilcox]

I got called into work an hour early tomorrow - we're opening all our parks early in anticipation that we may have to close them early... we want to squeeze as much magic as we can out of the situation. I'm thinking this will all be a little overblown... I bet it'll hit Tampa, break apart and the worst we'll get is some rain and heavier winds - but nothing of biblical proportions - heck, we've had worse - look at Typhoon Lagoon!!!

Jeremy

[Main Street Jim]

Well, folks, we're here preparing for the weather coming in overnight; hope it doesn't knock out power while we're sleeping. Kids, Lisa, and I are planning on going to MK tomorrow (Friday), even with this weather. From watching the news this evening, looks we just caught the *very* tail end of Bonnie as she passed up north of us, but Charley's definitely coming. Lisa and I have to work tomorrow night, so we know that tonight's crew is helping to prepare for the weather. We *may* have to close the park early; we've done it once before for a hurricane (Floyd in '99), so it's nothing new, but we should be better prepared as far as the park goes.

So, we just want y'all to know that things should be fine here; no need to worry We'll keep y'all safe if gets hairy out there. We like to take care of y'all, and safety is the number one priority.

Y'all will be alright with us here. ;)

[divinedi]

We don't get these types of storms in Canada, but I sympathize with all of you. Of course we hope that none of your vacations will be ruined, but more importantly, we wish you, those vacationing and those who live in it's path, a very safe time of it, be careful everyone, our thoughts are with you. Pixie dust on all that come in contact with the storm!!

[MCFantasia]

I've got a question that I've never really thought about before. When we're in the world we always tent camp at Fort Wilderness. Since we go in December gale force winds never really crossed my mind ... until now. What happens to all those campers out there at FW when a hurricane comes through? :confused:

[Howdy Partner]

Im all the way up in Michigan and I am worrying about this hurricane.
My grandma's house is in arcadia and I worry about the animals in tampa and am even worried about WDW.
Ive been glued to the weather channel.
While ive never been in a hurricane ive been thru 2 straight line wind storms both of which had winds as strong as a hurricane .
we had 200mph winds .
I sure hope everyone stays safe.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Theme-park hours depend on how bad weather looks

This morning, Disney World said it will close its parks at 1 p.m. today.

By Greg Groeller
Sentinel Staff Writer

August 13, 2004

Orlando's theme parks planned to be open for business today, even as area hotels began filling with Gulf Coast refugees fleeing Hurricane Charley. But Walt Disney World, for one, wasn't going to decide whether to throw open its gates until after sunrise this morning.

The region's tourism industry -- the parks, hotels and attractions -- as well as Orlando International Airport and Port Canaveral in Brevard County spent Thursday stockpiling food and supplies and securing loose items.

Most said they planned to operate today as close to normal as possible -- including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando, which all said they hoped to stick to their usual schedules.

At SeaWorld, the "time of the park's closing on Friday will be determined by weather conditions and changes to the storm's track," spokesman Nick Gollattscheck said.

Disney World said visitors seeking updates on potential closings could telephone 407-939-4636. Workers tied down loose materials in backstage areas Thursday and prepared to move animals from Animal Kingdom and the giant resort's other parks to protected areas, in case that becomes necessary.

The phones were ringing early Thursday at the 246-room Doubletree Club Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, as residents from Florida's west coast sought inland shelter, said Laura Sherman, general manager.

Sherman predicted the Doubletree would be close to full Thursday and Friday nights, with vacationers joining the coastal refugees.

"So many people are from out of town that never experienced a hurricane before," Sherman said.

Jeff Brinda, general manager of the 489-room Sheraton Safari Hotel, also in Lake Buena Vista, said the hotel would likely have some empty rooms Thursday night but would be sold out Friday and Saturday.

If nearby restaurants close early tonight, the hotel is prepared to feed its guests buffet-style food in its on-site restaurant, Brinda said. He warned that some regular services, such as laundry pickup, might be scaled back if some employees are unable to get to work.

"Worst-case scenario is that the power goes out, and then all bets are off at that point," he said.

At Orlando International Airport, at least three departing flights and six arriving flights Thursday were canceled, airport spokesman Luis Olivera said. He warned travelers to check with their airline about schedule changes and cancellations before heading to the airport today.

Officials at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex said they expected to be open all day today because the latest projections of Charley's path indicated that it would largely miss east Central Florida.

U.S. Coast Guard officials said they weren't as worried about Port Canaveral as they were about ports to the north, in Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach at Amelia Island. Still, the Coast Guard said it was possible that all three ports could be ordered closed, depending on the hurricane's direction.

When a port closes, all vessels of 500 gross tons or more must head for the open sea, Coast Guard Cmdr. Larry Bowling said.

Tonight's opening of the annual Hot Summer Boat Show in the Orange County Convention Center was postponed until Saturday morning.

Before the hurricane threatened, officials had predicted the show could draw as many as 30,000 people over three days. But attendance could turn out higher than that by the show's end Sunday because of the storm, despite the delayed opening, said Tom Ackert, the center's executive director.

"It's good in the sense that people won't have many other alternatives for entertainment Saturday, and won't be going outside or to the beach," Ackert said. "We're hopeful it will boost attendance. After all, boats go with wet stuff, right?"

[MauiMouse]

The Weather Channel just announced that Epcot, Magic Kingdom and MGM will close today at 1:00 p.m. Animal Kingdom and Typhoon Lagoon will be closed today.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

I just confirmed with Disney:

Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon & Downtown Disney are not opening today.

MGM - Epcot - Magic Kingdom & Blizzard Beach will close at 1PM.

E-Ride Night is "officially" canceled - as is the Spirit of Aloha dinner show at the Polynesian resort. The Dining PS line is not operational today.

We will keep posting updates as they become available.

[ August 13, 2004, 09:32 AM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

[aprilisis]

Wow! What do you suppose everyone does in this situation? Do you think they just stay in the hotel? Do they generally close shops, restaurants, & movie theaters in these cases, too? I feel so bad for everyone vacationing down there right now!

[Main Street Jim]

Lisa and I are going into work today to help prepare for the bad weather. Been told that after we get our area taken care of, they'll deploy us out to the resorts to help out there. Still not real sure as to exactly what we're going to be doing, but we've volunteered to go into work today and help out.

Jeremy, you guys working the same way, or what?

Just want you guys (guests) to know that we're here for you guys. We love ya ;)

[marlyn]

Pixie dust going out to all of you in Florida right now.....I hope the storm passesover quickly with no damage or injuries!

[brownie]

Originally posted by aprilisis:
Wow! What do you suppose everyone does in this situation? Do you think they just stay in the hotel? Do they generally close shops, restaurants, & movie theaters in these cases, too? I feel so bad for everyone vacationing down there right now! Downtown Disney is closed today. Resort guests can enjoy the theme parks, except Animal Kingdom, until 1 pm today. After that, their on-site options are going to be pretty limited. It would be better to stay at your resort during the hurricane anyways. You don't want to be out and about when it hits.

[mickeymousemom]

Pixie Dust going down to everyone being affected by Charley today. And Jim----You and Lisa are the kind of CM's that WDW needs more of!! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

(Not to say WDW isn't loaded with great CM's, but they sure could use more)

[ August 13, 2004, 10:51 AM: Message edited by: mickeymousemom ]

[brownie]

Originally posted by MCFantasia:
I've got a question that I've never really thought about before. When we're in the world we always tent camp at Fort Wilderness. Since we go in December gale force winds never really crossed my mind ... until now. What happens to all those campers out there at FW when a hurricane comes through? :confused: They've relocated all the guests staying at Fort Wilderness to the resort hotels.

[Ghost1000]

Originally posted by MCFantasia:
What happens to all those campers out there at FW when a hurricane comes through? :confused: Since Fort Wilderness is considered a low-lying area, it is usually evacuated during severe storms. Guests are moved to other resorts on property and the convention centers become shelters.

[Tinkermom]

I started to post this as a topic, but I saw that we are trying to keep all info in this thread.

The Weather Channel just reported that WDW is closing early this afternoon due to Hurricane Charley. :( Stay safe everyone. You are in our prayers!

Lisa graemlins/mickey.gif

[Mr. Brass Bonanza]

My boss and her family are there right now, staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I feel bad for them, but at least these storms come and go relatively fast. I would bet, barring any damage, that thing will be back to normal tomorrow.

Why is the reservation line not operational, though?

[Timbo]

I would guess that the phone lines in the area are overloaded, which is typical when these things start happening. Also, CRO may have let everyone go home and/or reassign them to other areas.

I'm sure that resort officials are preparing their guests for Charley. The best thing to do in this situation is to stay in the hotel and when it starts coming ashore, go to your room and monitor the news from there.

We all know that the guest rooms have sliding glass doors and I'm not sure what the building code required for that glass, but when it gets bad, head for the bathroom and lock yourselves in so as to avoid breaking glass.

During the worst part of a hurricane, the best advice is to do just as you would during a tornado. I'm quite sure that this information is being communicated to all resort guests for their safety.

It's a bit weird for us here in Southeast Florida totally escaping these two storms. We're under a flood watch, tornado watch and severe weather warnings, but otherwise it's just windy down here. I'm very concerned for our friends and family in the Tampa/St. Pete area, though.

As for Central Florida, at this time, it looks like Charley will get caught in an upper-level trough and be swept across the state fairly quickly, so we shouldn't see too much storm damage across Orlando, but it still depends on how much it strengthens by the time it makes landfall and then how much it weakens when it hits.

[ August 13, 2004, 12:05 PM: Message edited by: Timbo ]

[Mickey for President]

Most likely to keep the people out of harms way or to use them in other areas that are needed. They also need to keep the phones lines open. We have also been asked to keep off of our cell phones so as not to jam the lines.

[disneymomw_3boys]

I wonder when Jeff started this thread if he ever thought be this important of a topic.

As to the question about CR, Disney is getting ready for the storm which mean some people are either called in early, told not to report or asked to help out in other areas, such as resorts ect.... Right now making reservations for future trips is not a high priority, getting ready for the storm and taking care of the guest who are there is the main concern. If you think about it about 1:00 guest have very little options other than to hang out at their hotel graemlins/shakehead.gif .

I'm sure that once this passes tommorow, Disney will be once again taking reservations and have a full staff of operators to help out graemlins/clappy.gif .

Good luck to all who are at the world now, stay safe....

[Dreamin' of Disney]

Wow, that all kind of scares me, hasn't WDW only closed once in it's entire operation, due to severe weather? And of course due to 9/11.

Hope everyone down there stays safe.

[Mr. Brass Bonanza]

I believe Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999 and September 11, 2001 are the only other times WDW closed.

[imported_dpamac]

Here is the official release from Disney:


Based on information from the National Weather Service and emergency preparedness officials, certain Walt Disney World theme parks and a water park will be open from 8 a.m.- 1 p.m. today.

An abbreviated schedule will provide entertainment for the tens of thousands of Resort guests staying on Walt Disney World property. Local residents and off-site guests are encouraged to reschedule their theme park visits until the inclement weather passes.

HOURS OF OPERATION

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 Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are being relocated to other hotels on property.

We have an extensive hurricane preparedness plan and are staffed and prepared for a realm of possible impacts this type weather could have on our property.

All Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members scheduled to work this morning should report to work whether or not their work area is open. Cast Member questions will be answered upon arrival.

Guests who have questions should call (407) WDW-INFO or (407) 939-4636.

[mickeynuts2]

A CNN updated just mentioned that the Orlando area could be seeing wind gusts in the hurricane force range. I think that means at least :eek: 75MPH. Hope Mickey is holding onto his ears. :(
Please don't think me callous I really feel for all those that are really being impacted by this, especially the ones whose impacts don't have anything to do with vacation inconveniences. graemlins/crying.gif

[Nana]

Georgia Power has sent numerous crews to help restore power when and where necessary. I have been working logistics for food and lodging for our lineman and ensuring they have necessary supplies. Pixie dust and prayers to all involved. Let us all hope that any problems can be quickly fixed and no one is injured. We always say prayers for our lineman to stay safe along with the folks in the area they are dispatched to. Please keep us not in the area updated and let us know if we can help.

[John D]

I just got two news updates:

The first said that Hurricane Charlie had been upgraded to a Category 3 Storm.

Minutes later, they upgraded it once more to a Category 4 Storm, with winds up to 145 mph. :eek:

Prayers, pixie dust, and good luck to all. :( smile.gif ;) (can't make up my mind)

[FROG0823]

I am a weather junkie and have been watching the NOAA site all morning....they have just issued a TORNADO WARNING - there is a developing tornado that will be in the St Cloud area at 2:10 EST...that's pretty darn close to The World isn't it?

Pixie dust and prayers for ALL affected by this storm.

:(

[MegaDisney]

Hurricane Preparedness Message

From the Walt Disney World® Resort

Friday, August 13, 7 a.m.


Based on information from the National Weather Service and emergency preparedness officials, Walt Disney World theme parks except Disney's Animal Kingdom will be open from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. today. Blizzard Beach will be open from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney will be closed for the day.

An abbreviated schedule will provide entertainment for the tens of thousands of Resort guests staying on Walt Disney World property. Local residents and off-site guests are encouraged to reschedule their theme park visits until the inclement weather passes.

All Walt Disney World Resort hotels will remain open throughout the storm. Guests staying at Disney's Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground have been relocated to other hotels on property.

The Walt Disney World Resort has an extensive hurricane preparedness plan, and is staffed and prepared for a realm of possible impacts this type weather could have across property.

A temporary cancellation and "No Show" policy has been adopted for travel agents who have booked reservations through Walt Disney World or the Walt Disney Travel Company (agents that have booked through another tour operator should contact that company for its specific cancellation policy).

"No Show" penalties will be waived for any Guest arrivals between Aug. 11, 2004 and Aug. 15, 2004.
Clients impacted by these storms can have their reservation rebooked for another time period and apply the existing deposit/payment, or cancel and have the deposit/payment fully refunded.
The Disney Reservation Center (DRC) will be available from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. to book or modify package and room-only reservations but will not be taking dining, recreation or golf reservations. DRC will return to normal operating hours on Saturday from 7 a.m.- 11 p.m.

Disney Cruise Line is operating as scheduled.

[Donalds Duckie]

Prayers and pixie dust on their way from Texas.

Everyone please keep safe any my prayers are truly with you. Just read report that Charley is now a Category 4 hurricane and living in South Texas I understand fully what that means for all of you in the storms path.

Take care EVERYONE!!!

[WDWdriver]

Animal Kingdom was a strange sight this morning. The streets were busy with trucks and all sorts of other vehicles coming and going. CMs were calm, but very busy. Basically we stripped the park of anything that wasn't bolted down. Restrooms and cast break rooms are filled with stacked tables, chairs, benches and trash cans. Many signs and decorations have been taken down. The animals, of course, remain in their backstage facilities. And Animal Programs CMs will remain with them through the storm.

After we cleared AK many of us were sent to the resort hotels. The hotels are jammed since guests have nowhere else to go. Despite that, most guests are still cheerful and understanding. I ended up stocking merchandise in a gift shop.

Charley is now a category four storm and is on track to hit Orlando hard. Local police and Highway Patrol want the streets and highways clear of traffic no later than 4:00.

It's not raining here yet, but the sky is dark and ominous. Wish us luck!

[aprilisis]

I just want to wish everyone in WDW & FL luck and send some pixie dust your way!! They do have somewhere to put all of the animals from AK & have a way to round them all up, right??? :(

[EpcotChic23]

Good luck everyone down there. I am glued to the weather channel which just told us that WDW is in the hurricane area. Good luck everyone down there

[NYdaily]

don't they normally take down the castle in situations like this -- or is that an urban legend?

[aprilisis]

Originally posted by NYdaily:
don't they normally take down the castle in situations like this -- or is that an urban legend? I believe that is an uban legend...but I am not positive. I don't think the castle can be disassembled.

[MauiMouse]

Good Luck Ron! Thanks for the information. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[imported_JohnY]

Originally posted by aprilisis:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by NYdaily:
don't they normally take down the castle in situations like this -- or is that an urban legend? I believe that is an uban legend...but I am not positive. I don't think the castle can be disassembled. </font>[/QUOTE]Urban legend had it that the spires of the castle were made to be removed in a hurricane.

This is not true...

It's funny, I was just reading this thread to see how long we went before someone brought this up ;)

[FROG0823]

Oh dear...

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
205 PM EDT FRI AUG 13 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
ORANGE COUNTY
IN EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA

* UNTIL 250 PM EDT

* AT 205 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES
PERSISTENT ROTATION IN A SQUALL LINE EXTENDING FROM THE THEME PARKS
TO SAINT CLOUD MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.

* THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE...
NEAR LAKE BUENA VISTA...PLEASURE ISLAND...EPCOT...BUENA VENTURA
LAKES AT 215 PM EDT
NEAR SEA WORLD...MAGIC KINGDOM AT 220 PM EDT
NEAR TANGELO PARK...WET N WILD WATER PARK...ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT...LAKE MARY JANE AT 225 PM EDT

THE IMMEDIATE DANGER OF ISOLATED TORNADOES IS HIGH. PEOPLE IN THE
PATH ARE URGED TO QUICKLY PREPARE FOR ITS APPROACH. THIS IS A
DANGEROUS SITUATION!

[NYdaily]

Originally posted by JohnY:
This is not true...

thanks for the skinny John -- i thought not -- but i used to hear that all the time. "back for hurricane andrew, they took the castle apart, etc...."

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Here's the latest update from Disney:

All Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks and entertainment venues are now closed. All resort hotels will remain open and staffed to meet the immediate needs of our Guests.

As weather conditions continue to develop throughout the evening, safety and security teams will also be available to assist Guests and Cast Members.

We have more than five hundred engineering Cast Members positioned to survey the property once inclement weather has passed. We will review their findings and make operational adjustments if necessary early Saturday morning.

Currently, we anticipate opening our parks on Saturday at the regularly scheduled time of 9 a.m. Cast Members should report to work as scheduled if it is safe to do so.

Guests who have questions should call (407) WDW-INFO or (407) 939-4636.

[imported_Melanears]

Oh Ron.... :( Wishing you all the best of luck. A Cat. 4 is just plain scary!!!! Take care please, and check in when you can.

[VickiP]

Hold on everyone!! My prayers are with you!

[Mr. Brass Bonanza]

Good Lord, this seems to be getting worse by the minute.

I know Spaceship Earth can withstand 200 MPH winds, but what about the castle?

Jeanne, Jim, and all you wonderful CMs and others in the area...PLEASE STAY SAFE!!!

[WDWdriver]

The first line of severe thunderstorms just passed through here at an incredible 45 miles an hour. There are tornado watches and warnings all over the place.

[SgtTigger]

Originally posted by bradleysnana:
Georgia Power has sent numerous crews to help restore power when and where necessary. I have been working logistics for food and lodging for our lineman and ensuring they have necessary supplies. Pixie dust and prayers to all involved. Entergy the power company from New Orleans also has lineman on the way they left this morning. They are bringing a lot of supplies with them to fix up the power system. Lets hope there is not much work for them to do.

[drmduval]

Prayers and pixie dust on the way from Green Bay, WI. Category 4......that's pretty scarey!! When is it supposed to hit Orlando and WDW?

[TheRustyScupper]

Originally posted by JohnY:
... don't they normally take down the castle in situations like this -- or is that an urban legend ...1) Yes.
2) No.
3) Depends on your point of view & definition
4) Actually ...
... the 18 towers can be removed
... it requires a crane to pull the towers
... time required is approx 6-8 hours
... there are plans for bad weather removal
... they have yet to be pulled for weather
... most believe they will NEVER be pulled

[Pixie Power]

Stay safe Jim, Lisa, Jeremy, Ron, Jeanne, Clamity Jane and all the other WDW CM's on I-Cot. You truly are what makes Disney so Magical! And steppin' up to the plate to help out at a time like this, makes you even more special to all of us here at I-Cot. I hope WDW doesn't get hit too hard, as living in the Houston area, I know all too well what a Cat. 4 Hurricane can do!:eekeek:

[Edzter86]

More pixie dust headed down to Florida for all caught in Charley's path...

I hear the storm will make landfall in about an hour or so. In the northeast, we'll be seeing the remains of Charley on Sunday...

[Dixie Springs]

DS just evacuated from Homosassa home - not expected. She's way North of the original predicted path. We're also trying to reach friends that left for WDW this morning - I'm sure they're fine as far as their flight, etc., but 1st day at WDW won't be very 'magic'. Anyway, they'll meet alot of folks from Tampa.

[Lawnmower.Tree]

Charley veers toward Orange
Hurricane force gusts, tornadoes now expected here

By Leslie Postal | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 13, 2004, 2:40 PM EDT

Just hours before Hurricane Charley prepared to slam into Florida's Gulf Coast , it swelled to a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, and its path veered to take it directly over Orlando.

The hurricane is "rapidly intensifying and moving toward the Florida coast," said Ben Nelson, state meteorologist.

Gov. Jeb Bush again warned coastal residents to take cover, and officials said the storm could bring heavy rain and 100 mph, hurricane-force winds to Lake County and north Orange County.

Hurricane Charley's projected path would take it directly over the city of Orlando, creating the biggest threat the city has seen in decades, emergency officials said.

"There will be power outages, there will be downed trees, there will be flooding in low-lying areas," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said at a 1:30 p.m. news briefing from the city's Emergency Operations Center.

Emergency Management Director Manuel Soto said the city could be buffeted by hurricane-force winds for as much as 12 hours, starting in the late afternoon and lasting into the early-morning hours Saturday.

Orange County may soon open additional emergency shelters. Local officials recommended that those who live in mobile homes or who have special needs seek safe shelter. Other residents should remain in their homes.

Forecasters were evaluating reconnaissance data that seemed to indicate Charley's central pressure was dropping and that the storm was, as expected, intensifying.

"This is a very deadly storm that is approaching our beloved state," Bush said. "If you are in an evacuation area, you need to get to high ground now. There won't be another alert because it will be too late."

Officials expected it to make landfall around Port Charlotte at about 5 p.m. and get a storm surge of up to 20 feet.

"It will be to Orlando by midnight tonight," Ben Nelson, the state meteorologist, said.

Officials said the evacuation of coastal and low-lying areas in Charley's path was going well but that it was impossible to know the precise numbers of people fleeing or choosing to stay behind. The number of people evacuating could surpass the 2 million who fled their homes when Hurricane Floyd struck the Atlantic Coast in 1999, they said.

Late this morning, the hurricane was beginning to make its long-anticipated turn toward the northeast. If so, the storm could come in south of Tampa, putting Central Florida more in its path as it crosses the state.

"We've been forecasting it to turn more to the right. The question is: Is it doing it now and how sharply?'' said Ed Rappaport, assistant director of the National Hurricane Center in west Miami-Dade County.

Rappaport said forecasters do think it is now making that turn. "If so, it will bring the worst impact down the coast a little - maybe to the Sarasota-Fort Myers area,'' he said.

State meteorologist Ben Nelson said that path could bring the storm "closer to Orlando" as it crosses the state and moves north to Jacksonville.

The Orlando area, officials said, is expected to get hurricane gusts, heavy rain, with the possibility of tornadoes and power outages.

"We should experience five to seven inches of rain and hurricane-force winds in Lake County and North Orange," Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said at an 11:15 a.m. news briefing.

Though no local evacuation orders have been issued and none are expected, several emergency shelters were opened Thursday evening and this morning, primarily for West Coast residents who have been evacuated. Local residents with special needs also are welcome, and officials this morning said all of the shelters had plenty of room.

County officials have urged residents to stay off the roads this afternoon and evening, so incoming Gulf Coast residents can make it to safety more quickly. Beary also asked people to avoid using their cellular telephones during the storm, so communications towers aren't overburdened.

Lynx officials said they would stop bus service at 3 p.m. today.

State officials said residents also should avoid the interstate system today, if possible. Bush said he may order closed parts of I-75 and I-10.

Orange County Chairman Rich Crotty said emergency workers and public works crews are preparing for the worst.

"There is some evidence that this storm is taking a turn for the worse," Crotty said.

Crotty signed two executive orders today related to the coming hurricane. The first authorizes emergency expenditures to deal with the storm and its aftermath. The second prohibits price gouging, which is also prohibited under state law. Business owners found to be gouging consumers can be fined $500 and jailed for 60 days.

"This is an opportunity to define ourselves and our community...in how we interact as neighbors, how we interact as friends and how we interact as a community," Crotty said. Bush said has spoken with President George W. Bush and has received early approval of disaster funding that will allow small business loans and family assistance.

And it that wasn't bad enough, Nelson added, hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from Florida.

"This hurricane season is not starting out very well," Ben Nelson, the state meteorologist, said. "I'm spinning right now myself."


Man..Good Luck...Hope noone gets hurt - Lawnmower.Tree

[disneymomw_3boys]

Pixie Dust to all who are enduring the weather. ;)

And heres hoping this storm brings people closer together and you find somthing magical in a difficult momement. graemlins/mickey.gif

[imported_JohnY]

Originally posted by TheRustyScupper:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by JohnY:
... don't they normally take down the castle in situations like this -- or is that an urban legend ...1) Yes.
2) No.
3) Depends on your point of view & definition
4) Actually ...
... the 18 towers can be removed
... it requires a crane to pull the towers
... time required is approx 6-8 hours
... there are plans for bad weather removal
... they have yet to be pulled for weather
... most believe they will NEVER be pulled </font>[/QUOTE]From the unofficial guide to wdw...

"Contrary to myth, the castle cannot be, nor has it ever been, dismantled in the event of a hurricane."

[Chrisx2]

My sister and her family left Orlando and headed south. Loads of pixie dust to all in this storms path. We are going to get a lot rain and wind from it but nothing close to what's happening now.

Now for an odd question, do they cover the openings on the Contemporary during storms like this? I was imagining 50 MPH winds whipping through the monorail openings. Never thought about it before. :confused:

[brownie]

Originally posted by JohnY:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by TheRustyScupper:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by JohnY:
... don't they normally take down the castle in situations like this -- or is that an urban legend ...1) Yes.
2) No.
3) Depends on your point of view & definition
4) Actually ...
... the 18 towers can be removed
... it requires a crane to pull the towers
... time required is approx 6-8 hours
... there are plans for bad weather removal
... they have yet to be pulled for weather
... most believe they will NEVER be pulled </font>[/QUOTE]From the unofficial guide to wdw...

"Contrary to myth, the castle cannot be, nor has it ever been, dismantled in the event of a hurricane." </font>[/QUOTE]The WDW Trivia Book also refutes this. I believe it was also on one of the Travel Channel shows. The castle was designed and built to withstand hurricane force winds, so I don't think it would be necessary to remove the spires.

[Jeremy Wilcox]

Originally posted by Pixie Power:
Stay safe Jim, Lisa, Jeremy, Ron, Jeanne, Clamity Jane and all the other WDW CM's on I-Cot. You truly are what makes Disney so Magical! And steppin' up to the plate to help out at a time like this, makes you even more special to all of us here at I-Cot. I hope WDW doesn't get hit too hard, as living in the Houston area, I know all too well what a Cat. 4 Hurricane can do!:eekeek: Angela (Calamity Jane) is doing fine....

.... in Texas. :mad:

You picked a good week to go.

I just got back from preparing the ride for the storm - and I'm going back at 4:30 tomorrow morning to clean up. graemlins/ack.gif

Goodnight all (It's 3:45 in the afternoon, isn't that sad?)

Jeremy

[ROEJunkie]

Now for an odd question, do they cover the openings on the Contemporary during storms like this? I was imagining 50 MPH winds whipping through the monorail openings. Never thought about it before. Actually, a monorail driver who posts on Usenet has previously reported that they "plug" the holes in the Contemporary with multi-million dollar corks, that also double as passenger transport trains during better weather.

That's right, they pull four monorails half into the Contemporary and park them about 18" apart. It must be quite a feat, and I'm guessing they only let the best drivers do the parking at that distance, and with all the collision-avoidance systems disabled.

Sadly, I was there last January when temps were below freezin, and I apparently missed the opportunity to see this peformed.

-Eric

[ August 13, 2004, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: ROEJunkie ]

[TheRedHead]

I'm leaving tomorrow morning! What a shame! We'll be delayed in chicago for hours! graemlins/crying.gif

[ROEJunkie]

I'm leaving tomorrow morning! What a shame! We'll be delayed in chicago for hours!
You hope it will be measured in hours!

[Ed]

As of right now, it's not too bad in this area. All the parks have closed. Ft. Wilderness guests have been evacuated to resort rooms.

Flights into and out of MCO have virtually stopped. Most airlines shut down operations around 2 pm, in some cases flying empty planes out to safer areas.

Worst is expected to hit around 7:30 pm.
________
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[Burrito, the Flying Donkey]

I think I read somewhere that the castle is actually constructed to be able to handle winds in excess of 150 MPH. It's constructed partially of fiberglass and not stone as it appears and the towers have some 'wobble' built into them so they flex a bit in high winds.

With a storm of this magnitude though, things could still get a bit messy. I think a bigger concern would be water damage and to some extent flying debris or falling trees. I'm certain the CM's and staff have tied down or taken in what they can by now.

My hopes and prayers go out to everyone in the path of the storm... Good luck, stay safe, be well.

[disneymomw_3boys]

What a great question graemlins/thumbsup.gif , I have never thought of those tunnels through the contemporary hotel. Now I wonder how the wind will whip through the hotel, or what the imagineers have come up with to stop that from happening.

There is got to be more things we can wonder about with these high winds hitting the park, I think we have the answer on the Castle, I wonder about Spaceship earth or other high up objects at the world. :confused:

[FROG0823]

Originally posted by TheRedHead:
I'm leaving tomorrow morning! What a shame! We'll be delayed in chicago for hours! graemlins/crying.gif I would advise anyone traveling to/from MCO tomorrow to arrive early for your flights. I work for an airline and was just looking at our loads tomorrow and the flights INTO MCO are going as planned (as of now - that will probably change overnight) but are extremely overbooked with people who were originally scheduled to go today. We have canceled the first flew flights OUT of MCO tomorrow as we had to move some aircraft out of harms way today and tomorrow morning we'll need to reposition them.

Bottom line is the gate area for every flight to Florida tomorrow will probably be nuts tomorrow so just keep those happy thoughts of being in The World flowing!

Regardless - at least you are off to WDW - have a great trip!!

graemlins/mickey.gif

[ August 13, 2004, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: FROG0823 ]

[GrumpyFan]

Originally posted by ROEJunkie:
Actually, a monorail driver who posts on Usenet has previously reported that they "plug" the holes in the Contemporary with multi-million dollar corks, that also double as passenger transport trains during better weather.

That's right, they pull four monorails half into the Contemporary and park them about 18" apart. It must be quite a feat, and I'm guessing they only let the best drivers do the parking at that distance, and with all the collision-avoidance systems disabled.

-Eric That sounds like an expensive and risky move to me. What if the track collapsed or the building collapsed partially, couldn't it cause even more damage? I would think some heavy gauge steel doors might do the trick better. But then what do I know, I'm not exactly an imagineer.

Lots of prayers going out to those who are there, both cast and guests. For those guests who are there, this will surely be a memorable vacation, and hopefully not terribly unpleasant. Be safe and make the best of the situation.

[CarolS]

I would advise anyone traveling to/from MCO tomorrow to arrive early for your flights. I work for an airline Any thoughts on Monday?

[Patricia]

Sending good vibes to all of you in the storms path. I've been glued to the news and have all my fingers and toes crossed.


On the castle topic:
During a backstage tour we were informed that the Castle was built to withstand 90 Mph winds and that removing the spires was never in a hurricane plan. It could never even happen quick enough. Once when the spires were taken down for repairs it took cranes hours to remove them. Not to mention the time it would take to get the crane in there. When you think about it, there really is no safty reason to take them out of an already empty park, which would always be the case with an impending hurricane having winds exceeding 90 MPH.

[FROG0823]

Originally posted by CarolS:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />I would advise anyone traveling to/from MCO tomorrow to arrive early for your flights. I work for an airline Any thoughts on Monday? </font>[/QUOTE]Monday should be just fine. In fact I would think we should be back to normal sometime on Sunday. I work for American so we have a lot of planes to jostle around. I would bet some of the smaller airlines would be back on track even sooner.

Monday...no worries!

graemlins/mickey.gif

[Lawnmower.Tree]

On a lighter note...

Maybe this time they shouldn't "Cork" the monorail openings in the Contemporary..Leave them open and use the winds to dry up all the water from the Hot Water pipe that burst the other night...

Just trying to lighten the mood.. Hope everyone is safe and sound and that no one gets seriously hurt (including my namesake)

[TheRedHead]

I hope you all stay safe if you are in its path. Our flight out of chicago leaves EARLY tomorrow...6:00 AM. Probably major delays, but if all goes as planned, the storm will hit tonight, have some servere weather tomorrow and then it should go back to semi-normal...right? Or was that just wishful thinking?? :confused: graemlins/shakehead.gif

[Jeff T]

We are scheduled to drive from PA to FL a week from today. If the storm significantly damages the Orlando area and Disney, we will probably reschedule our trip. I'm hoping for the best.

[WDWdriver]

Charley has come ashore and is now headed this way. Orlando is directly in the center of the forecasted track. They expect 100+ mph winds here.

Oddly, it is very calm outside right now. No wind and no rain.

Thank you, everyone, for your concerns and wishes. It is a rather creepy feeling to be sitting here waiting.

[ August 13, 2004, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: WDWdriver ]

[Honey-4-Pooh]

I know that the powers at be might erase this ... but it's worth a shot. If anyone wants a 10 minute delay snapshot of EPCOT/BEACH CLUB area then go here:

http://www.aws.com/wxcomm/commercial/ccam.asp?sid=LKBNV&siz=l

This is the link to Swan & Dolphins Webcam atop their roof. Watching it all day ... it's pretty scary. Best wishes and hopes for everyone down in Orlando and surrounding areas right now.

[ August 13, 2004, 04:51 PM: Message edited by: Honey-4-Pooh ]

[WDWFRK]

I have relatives in the St. Pete area, so my thoughts are with them during this scary time. Pixie dust prayers to all of you in Florida and in the World right now.

[disneymomw_3boys]

Just recieved some news from my mother in law who lives about 15 miles south of Disney. My Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law and two young children were headed to Disney this afternoon for a weekend stay that had been planned for some time. About 1:00 pm they got in a wreck on highway 4 and totaled their vehical. Just a few bumps and scratches nothing serious. My mother-in-Law offered to go pick them up but Highway patrol wanted no more cars on the highway and said he would be taking them to the nearest hotel till the storm passes.

Its good to know they are ok, but to have had a serous accedent and then not able to be with family, will be hard. I'm sure this ruined their trip, but we need to be thankful they are O.K.

[CarolS]

Probably major delays, but if all goes as planned, the storm will hit tonight, have some servere weather tomorrow and then it should go back to semi-normal...right? Or was that just wishful thinking?? From what I'm learning airlines might be back on track.

Having been through several Hurricanes in my life I think the biggest concern right now is the clean up. Clean up after a major hurricane can take weeks, that includes restoring power. I know Disney is wonderful with this type of thing but I'm having a hard time thinking that if they get hit with a full blown hurricane that they're going to be up and running quickly-that's a HUGE undertaking.

We leave on Monday so I too am doing a lot of wishful thinking so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Most importantly I hope everyone who is there is ok. This is a big one.

[MauiMouse]

Originally posted by Honey-4-Pooh:
I know that the powers at be might erase this ... but it's worth a shot. If anyone wants a 10 minute delay snapshot of EPCOT/BEACH CLUB area then go here:

http://www.aws.com/wxcomm/commercial/ccam.asp?sid=LKBNV&siz=l

This is the link to Swan & Dolphins Webcam atop their roof. Watching it all day ... it's pretty scary. Best wishes and hopes for everyone down in Orlando and surrounding areas right now. I've been keeping an eye on the Web cam as well. smile.gif

[disneyduggan]

My sister-in-law arrived last night and here is the report I got through another sister-in-law via e-mail (follow that?):

They were asked not to use up
too much cell phone time as "they" (?) wanted to make sure that there were enough
lines etc. Their flight was uneventful. But as they approached Orlando, they were notified that there was a tornado not far from where they're staying. That went through without an incident to their hotel.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all in the area.

[Timbo]

It's beginning to look like the worst of Charley will pass a bit to the south of WDW, which is better news for the resort area. I keep hoping it won't be too bad...my sister lives in Celebration. :(

[minniemoomoo]

We were flying out tonight at 6:30 from Cincinnati headed for Tampa and WDW for the weekend. I still can't believe this happened. We've planned for months. It was just for the weekend. So..... our flight was cancelled and of course now we're staying here. I'm sure that this story will be repeated thousands of times this weekend. Wishing the best for others who are just like us Disney fans. Hope that all the staff and the Happiest Place On Earth survive the storm.

[jsme]

My husband is one of the dreaded insurance adjusters. He is on call now and will probably be heading to Florida soon. However reports are that SC and NC will be hit as well. We live in NC. He is on stand by to go tomorrow or Sunday so that he may be ready to report for duty.
I hope all of you that are currently there or on your way will be careful. Do not take any chance for any reason. I love WDW but nothing is worth your safety.

[goofygirl67]

Here in Jacksonville we have been having some severe weather.
I'm sure everyone saw the tornado on the weather channel last night. That was from Bonnie. Today we may have had another one around I-95 and I-10, even if it wasn't it sure sounded like it was.
Just recently we just had a bad cell come through. The weathermen still say we are going to get some high winds and 3-6 inches of rain, it sounds like Jax may not get the worst,unless Charley decides to head north.
We were also told the Navy sent the ships out of Mayport base as a precaution.
I have relatives in North Fort Myers and am waiting for good news especially after seeing some of the damage.
I hope everyone in the way of Charley will be allright.

[mel]

stay safe everyone. My thoughts are with you smile.gif

[lens300]

Not sure if im supposed to post links but this site has some scarey pictures of the storm aproching orlando.

http://www.wesh.com/index.html#

look at the slide show of viewer pictures

[Emily]

Man, that first picture in the slideshow mentioned in the above link looks like something out of Independence Day! :eek: How ominous.

My parents are about 50 miles N-NW of Orlando, my sister and her family are in Merritt Island, and my aunt & uncle and other extended family are in Indialantic, so I am worried about all of them (mostly my parents!). :(

My thoughts are with everyone in the path of the storm. Stay safe!!!

[Nana]

Here is the latest news story:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/orl-bk-charley-evening081304,0,401500.story?coll=orl-home-specialbreaking
It indicates Orlando could be in the center of the bullseye. The storm is down to a category 3 but still a serious storm.
Take cover, be safe and if possible let us know that everyone is ok.

[WDWdriver]

It has been quiet outside for awhile. But now that the eye of the storm is just two hours away, the winds are picking up - maybe 25 mph. In the next two hours the wind velocity will increase and we will begin to get the heavy rain. So far, Charley is still on track to cross Orlando. The eye may pass a bit to the west. Winds in this area are now expected to be 80 to 100 mph.

I'll give updates as long as I have electricity.

[Nana]

Thanks Ron. But as much as we would love updates, we would rather you be safe.

[GoofysCowgirl]

Originally posted by MauiMouse:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Honey-4-Pooh:
I know that the powers at be might erase this ... but it's worth a shot. If anyone wants a 10 minute delay snapshot of EPCOT/BEACH CLUB area then go here:

http://www.aws.com/wxcomm/commercial/ccam.asp?sid=LKBNV&siz=l

This is the link to Swan & Dolphins Webcam atop their roof. Watching it all day ... it's pretty scary. Best wishes and hopes for everyone down in Orlando and surrounding areas right now. I've been keeping an eye on the Web cam as well. smile.gif </font>[/QUOTE]I 've been watching it too! smile.gif It is getting quite dark now

[disneyjoe]

Originally posted by divinedi:
We don't get these types of storms in Canada, but I sympathize with all of you. Of course we hope that none of your vacations will be ruined, but more importantly, we wish you, those vacationing and those who live in it's path, a very safe time of it, be careful everyone, our thoughts are with you. Pixie dust on all that come in contact with the storm!! We live in Nova Scotia Canada and last September 29th, 2003. We had a category 3 Hurricane hit us and closed things down for days.I know how you feel it was a really scary night.When we got up the next morning there was debris all over the ground,tree's were knocked over,power poles were pushed over by the wind there was more water on the ground and had flooded homes and stores. best wishes to every one hope you stay safe.. :eek:

[ August 13, 2004, 08:10 PM: Message edited by: disneyjoe ]

[kelley635815]

My thoughts and prayers are with all of our Intercot family and WDW employees and guests. God Bless you and Keep you all!!

Ironically, they have on the Travel Channel right now, the Magic of WDW.

[ August 13, 2004, 08:05 PM: Message edited by: kelley635815 ]

[Ed]

Getting pretty hairy right now, but we've still got power.... very windy, heavy rain flying sideways... but all in all, the area is surviving quite well.
________
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[WDWdriver]

It's here. Charley is knocking on my door. High winds and heavy rain. I can hear trees behind my apartment complex snapping in half. Wind speed at the center of the storm is currently 103 mph. Tornados are being spawned just ahead of the eye. The track still appears to be across Disney and the city of Orlando along I-4.

My electricity is dimming occasionally. I'm going to shut down so I don't hurt my computer.

I'll see you all on the other side.

[JakeontheCob]

The picture on the weathernet site is scary dark. We hope that everyone there is safe and that the storm passes with as little damage as possible. Please take care everyone.

[Ed]

Me and my big mouth. Power's out.

See y'all later.
________
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[imported_JohnY]

Thanks for keeping us updated while you could Ron & Ed.

[TiggerRPh]

My prayers are with you guys...good luck!

graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[Disney Doodle]

Never again will I complain about the English weather. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Take care.

Angie.

[Donalds Duckie]

Just checked the web cam again and looks like storm is in a lull because you can see dim lights on YC/BC and EPCOT once again.

Question: Do WDW resorts have backup generators for power like we do here in Texas office buildings and hotels?

Winds 105 mph at MCO according to Weather Channel.

Y'all stay safe and report back tomorrow or whenever you can. Be careful for the tornadoes too.

God bless.

[Howdy Partner]

im here praying for all you guys in florida, I now what its like to be in storms like this and its not fun.
kathy

[DizHawk]

Prayers go with all of you in the area, though as a weather nut I kind of wish I could be there to go through it with you.

Just checked my Accuweather Pro account and it showed winds out of the east at 54, gusting to 85 :eek: . Hope y'all are tied down.

[imported_JohnY]

I hate being the bearer of bad news....

On the Horizon - Another Possible Storm:
Hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from Florida.

[brownie]

Originally posted by Donalds Duckie:
Question: Do WDW resorts have backup generators for power like we do here in Texas office buildings and hotels?Disney World has its own power plant, but I don't know how much of the power it actually supplies. I believe a lot of the power lines run underground, so they're not likely to be affected by the storm.

I'd bet the hotels have emergency generators but they probably only power the critical/emergency systems.

[ August 14, 2004, 07:21 AM: Message edited by: brownie ]

[harlowandthemermaid]

Originally posted by JohnY:
I hate being the bearer of bad news....

On the Horizon - Another Possible Storm:
Hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from Florida. I just saw this on the weather channel aswell graemlins/shakehead.gif
Hope all our friends in Florida are doing okay!

[Timbo]

I heard from my sister who lives in Celebration. She relates that the storm was bad, but not as bad as they had expected it in that area. She had some water that pushed its way in through her sliding glass doors and that's about it. Granted, their housing is relatively new. I sincerely hope that those in less sturdy housing fared as well.

I have seen reports from the Ft. Myers area that shows some massive, spotty destruction.

At least from my sister's report, the guests and property at WDW should have fared pretty well.

[MouseHead]

Originally posted by JohnY:
I hate being the bearer of bad news....

On the Horizon - Another Possible Storm:
Hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from Florida. Yup.......these are next in line as TS's Danielle & Earl........just what we need graemlins/ack.gif ....well it was predicted to be an unusually active hurricane season this year :( ... guess we should just leave all of the yard furniture in the garage until the end of November
:rolleyes:

[DizHawk]

Originally posted by JohnY:
I hate being the bearer of bad news....

On the Horizon - Another Possible Storm:
Hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from Florida. Well, I hope to be the bearer of at least optimistic news...

According to the long range forecaster on AccuWeather (who correctly predicted the rapid intensification of Charley, as well as the threat to Florida five days ago), TD 4 could curve back to the northeast while still in the Atlantic, and TD 5 could end up moving more towards Central America and Mexico.

Can't hurt to pray for it all to stay out to sea though.

[Digger]

we spent one of the longest days of our lives waiting this one out. we thought tampa was going to be erased from the map. in the end, we got 3 hours of rain and 40 mph winds. hang on everyone in orlando...stay safe. :(

[DisneySSWlvr]

It passed right over us. It was bad, but not nearly as bad as it could have been.

Our fence got knocked over and the neighbor's roof started to buckle, but that was the extent of the damage.

[Nana]

Thank you to JohnY and to Intercot for helping me stay up to the minute and current with the rapidly changing weather conditions from Hurricane Charley. I have gotten more up to the minute news here than on the TV or anywhere else on the Internet including CNN. graemlins/muscles.gif

[disneyduggan]

Good luck to all of you in Florida now!

[DisneySSWlvr]

Digger.... yeah, I'm in Lakeland. News Channel 8 was like, "Oh, we didn't expect this. It's going right over Polk County."

I'm glad it missed Tampa, though. The damage could have been potentially a lot worse than what we got.

I feel awful for those people in Ft Myers and Arcadia.

[Calamity Jane]

Originally posted by Jeremy Wilcox:
QUOTE]Angela (Calamity Jane) is doing fine....

.... in Texas. :mad:

You picked a good week to go.

I just got back from preparing the ride for the storm - and I'm going back at 4:30 tomorrow morning to clean up. graemlins/ack.gif

Goodnight all (It's 3:45 in the afternoon, isn't that sad?)

Jeremy Har har Jeremy Wilcox. I just got a little lucky for once. Blame my mother.

And actually I wish I was there WITH everyone because all I'm doing is worrying about all of you all.

I hope you're ok.... :(

[Stitch 626]

Anyone hear anything yet??? I know it is passing through Orlando now.

My aunt and uncle live in Port Charlotte, right on Charlotte Harbor, and still don't know the outcome of their home...they cannot even get down the street because of debris and floods...outlook NOT GOOD AT ALL! Most of the businesses on the main highway ther (41?) have been destroyed. They say it was just a disaster!

My cousin is in Punta Gorda...his house is now unliveable. I am SO UPSET! My heart goes out to them for losing everything.

[MickeyAD]

I wish you all in WDW (and in the rest of Florida) the best of luck! I've never experienced a hurricane (it's nearly the only crazy weather phenomenon we don't get in Colorado!), but after watching the Weather Channel and CNN today, I've gotten an idea of how bad it gets :eek: . Colorado sent FEMA reps and Red Cross Volunteers down to help you all. Again, I hope everything is a-okay graemlins/thumbsup.gif !

[Ischyros]

I watched the time-lapse of that weather cam with it on 5 minute intervals. It looks like all the power was out for a while after dark but then a few lights can be seen along with the Epcot sign over Spaceship Earth. At least we know SE survived!

[Timbo]

They're reporting that Charley is moving off the coast of Daytona Beach now as a Cat 1 storm. Also, reports coming out of Lee County are really bad. According to one reporter, much of Punta Gorda has been flattened. Extensive damage in Charlotte County as well. We'll know a lot more when the sun comes up.

As far as I know, my family members came out of this one okay...most of them were in the path of Charley. I hope all of my fellow Florida Intercotees are okay as well.

[marlyn]

Best wishes for all of you who are having to brave the storm! Pixie dust coming for you so that you all get through with no damage or casualties.

I have been following it on Tv today and am praying for the safety of everyone.

[WDW crazy]

My thoughts are with all of you in Florida wherever you may be! This has been a long and scary day for you all. I hope that everyone is doing well. I've been watching the Weather Channel all day to keep updated. Thank-you Intercot and everyone who lives in the area for keeping us updated.

[Red Randal]

I haven't seen anything posted here for a lil while and there was nothing on the news in the last hour concerning the WDW area, so it looks like we must be out of the woods on that front.

HOWEVER, thoughts and prayers go out to those who WERE hit hard and those who are still bracing for the storm.

They expect it to hit us in PA Sunday morning, but it should be nothing but a thunderstorm by then.

[goofygirl67]

Well it looks like Jacksonville go spared again (I don't know how we get so lucky). graemlins/clappy.gif
The worst we got from Charley was a couple of rain bands with severe thunderstorms early on, other than than no big deal. We get worse afternoon thunderstorms than that.
I hope everyone else on Florida is allright.

[Dreamin' of Disney]

My heart broke this morning for Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda graemlins/crying.gif

Digger~ glad to see that you are okay, I was so worried all night about you and SallyP. Has anyone heard from her? I know and her and DH had boarded up and were buckling down yesterday afternoon, but I haven't seen any posts from her since. I sincerely pray that all is well. How hard hit was Venice? We are supposed to be in Siesta Key in 6 weeks, should we look for other arrangements, possibly in the Disney area instead?

[WDWdriver]

Good morning all

My electricity came back on 20 minutes ago, so I can communicate again. It was a wild night here, but could have been worse. High winds and torrential rain for about two hours. My electricity went out five or six times and finally quit completely at about 9:00. My building's fire alarm was also going off intermittantly.

It's still dark outside, so I can't get an idea of the damage in this area. But everything is fine here in my building. The local officials are discouraging us from driving, but I need to get to AK to help with the cleanup. If possible we will open the park today.

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and pixie dust.

[DicksonGR]

Thanks for the update Ron! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Glad to hear you are well!

[drummerboy]

Glad to hear you came out allright, Ron. We're battening down now here on the NC coast, but I don't think we'll get the fury they did in Western FL.

[kelley635815]

So glad that you made it through everything Ron. I too have been watching the TV weather and CNN and have not gotten the updates that I have gotten here on Intercot. Thank you so much and God Bless.
Kelley

[disney100%]

Anyone have any information about Fort Myers and damage along the Caloosahatchee River? My parents own a place right along the river, but luckily they are home in NH for now. They are waiting for word from some of their neighbors on the damage. Any information or news reports would be greatly appreciated.

[Donalds Duckie]

I rejoice that so many of you came through Charley okay. My dear friends in Winter Garden came through okay also. I pray all is well with the CMs and guests at WDW.

My heart, however, breaks and my prayers continue for those who were hit so hard and suffered such loss.

There certainly are two TDs forming now and I will pray they spin out away from the U.S.

Thanks to everyone here on Intercot who kept us informed all the way through. I watched Weather Channel once I got home from work but did not get as much specific info as I did here.

Y'all take it easy and drive safely out there today.

God bless!!!

[Mr. Brass Bonanza]

I was just looking at the webcam, and it looks like there is no power at Epcot or the Beach Club. I saw the lights clearly a little while ago...especially on the Epcot sign. Or is it just the light of the day drowning it out?

http://www.aws.com/wxcomm/commercial/ccam.asp?sid=LKBNV&siz=l

[Nana]

Ron, thanks for letting us know you are ok! graemlins/muscles.gif Hopefully the rest of the Intercot family is doing as well. Keep us updated as you can.

Here is the latest from CNN:
Florida assesses Charley's toll
Hurricane moving toward Carolinas, now Category 1 strength
Saturday, August 14, 2004 Posted: 7:32 AM EDT (1132 GMT)

Several fatalities in wake of Hurricane Charley
PUNTA GORDA, Florida (CNN) -- Florida emergency personnel rushed early Saturday to assess damage left by Hurricane Charley, after the storm came ashore with winds of 145 mph and moved across the state.

More than 1.8 million people were reported to be without power, and widespread building damage and uprooted trees were said to have been sighted from the Fort Myers area in the southwest -- where the hurricane slammed ashore Friday afternoon -- to Daytona Beach, where it moved off the state's eastern coastline just before midnight.

The hurricane weakened as it crossed the state, but it still had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (136 kph) as it churned over the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. ET advisory.

Charley is now moving northward along the Atlantic Seaboard and is expected to make landfall again Saturday in the Carolinas.

Just north of Fort Myers, Charlotte County emergency authorities reported several fatalities in Punta Gorda after what may have been a tornado spawned by Hurricane Charley uprooted several mobile homes, according to the county's emergency director, Wayne Sallade.

"We are unable at this time to get vehicles [into the area] because of downed power lines," Sallade said.

He said emergency workers Saturday morning will try to access the area after daylight.

To the south, in Lee County, the sheriff's office reported one hurricane-related death in North Fort Myers when a man in his early 20s stepped outside during the full force of the hurricane to smoke a cigarette.

A fatality was reported ahead of the storm in Orange County, when high wind blew a moving van into oncoming traffic on a freeway Friday afternoon, killing a young girl and seriously injuring seven others, according to Kim Miller, a spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

Charley aims for Carolinas
At 5 a.m., Charley was in the Atlantic Ocean about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and was moving to the north-northeast at 25 mph (40 kph). Hurricane warnings have been posted from St. Simon's Island, Georgia, area northward to the North Carolina-Virginia state line.

Governors in Georgia, North and South Carolina have declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.

The hurricane could strengthen once it is back over open water, but Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, said it was unlikely that Charley could reclaim its former punch.

Late Friday, about 1,400 National Guard troops were sent into hard-hit Port Charlotte, where there were numerous reports of injuries. Search-and-rescue efforts were underway, said Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) spokeswoman Liz Compton.

'Widespread' damage reports
The brunt of the storm destroyed Charlotte County's Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and neighboring Sarasota County's OEM took over some duties for the office, including fielding media phone calls, a spokeswoman for the Sarasota agency said.

Craig Fugate, the Florida emergency management agency's director, said officials are receiving widespread reports of homes and mobile homes that were damaged or destroyed by the storm.

There were also widespread reports of trees being toppled and roofs being ripped from buildings.

The eye of storm came ashore on North Captiva Island just before 4 p.m. with 145 mph (233 kph) winds and a storm surge in excess of 10 feet (3 meters). It then crossed Charlotte Harbor before pushing into Port Charlotte and Charlotte County, and then continuing inland.

President Bush declared the state a major disaster area Friday evening, making federal funding available for individuals and local governments dealing with the storm.

Florida Power and Light spokeswoman Tom Veenstera said at least 858,000 people were out of power in the company's service areas across the state. Progress Energy, which services Orlando and central Florida, reported nearly 955,000 people had lost service.

[ August 14, 2004, 07:48 AM: Message edited by: bradleysnana ]

[Main Street Jim]

Watching Fox 35 News here in Orlando, WFTV-ABC Local 9 News here, and damage along the Gulf coast was pretty bad with 145mph winds. Gusts were reported here in Orlando up to 100mph. Lot of downed power lines, damaged roofs, airplanes at the three local airports (OIA, Sanford, and Orlando Executive). We lost power here last night for about four hours, went out at about 10:30-11 last night and came back on at about 3am.

The storm blew right across Interstate 4 up to Daytona, where it headed north in the Atlantic and toward South Carolina. The parks are reporting some damage, and will be open as normal. Reports are saying that it may be a few hours for them to be *fully* operational, but we're opening up today. Florida AMTRack service is cancelled until Monday.

So we ended up here in pretty good shape. The storm blew through here in about an hour. I think we got just the western edge of the thing. Not any significant damage here at the house; just a lot of water outside still; the lake is filled up right to the top. So we're alright here. Still a few accidents on the roads due to no trafiic lights. Fox News just got a report from the Florida Highway Patrol that traffic lights were *melting* in some areas due to transformers blowing up, and the news guy had to stop and ask if he heard that correctly...LOL...

Anyways...thank God there wasn't a significant loss of life as bad as this storm was; most folks made it through OK. Granted, a lot of residences havebeen damaged, but still, no reports of many deaths or anything like that.

Thank y'all for the support and prayers, and we'll see y'all in the parks!

[Dreamin' of Disney]

Main Street Jim~ So glad to hear that you, your family and home are okay. Thank you for posting for us. We kept you all in our thoughts and prayers...and sent lots of pixie dust *~*~*~*~. Have a wonderful day.

[imported_Melanears]

Yay Ron!!! graemlins/muscles.gif Great to hear from you. Good luck to all of you CM's and the clean up this morning.

[Womble]

Thanks Ron and Jim for the updates! graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Have a safe day.

The news coverage in the UK (Fox & CNN) has been very poor. They’ve had lots of reports from the gulf coast, but none from Central Florida.
I’m hoping this is because it got less damage than expected!

[MauiMouse]

Good to hear from you Ron and Jim. graemlins/clappy.gif Thanks for everyone's update. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[piget]

It really is good to be hearing from everyone - thank you all for keeping us updated! smile.gif

[Exp626]

The WDW website is now reporting that Animal Kingdom and Typhoon Lagoon are closed today. The other park hours are:
MK - 9-11
Epcot 9-9
MGM 9-9
Blizzard Beach 10-7:30

[drummerboy]

Jim, I've been worried about you, too. Glad everything's OK at your house.

[Disney Doodle]

Its good to hear that most of you seem to be doing ok over there. Has anyone heard anything of SallyP yet? I suppose she probably has no power at the moment and plenty of other things keeping her busy. You must be feeling exhausted. I know I am and I've only been following it the best I can on the CNN News channel and this discussion forum. My prayers and thoughts go out to you as you start your big clean up.

Angie.

[Gusgus]

Does anyone know why Typhoon Lagoon and Animal kingdom are closed? I hope for example, it's because the need to get the animals out of their safe locations and not because the parks have sustained serious damage.

Gusgus

[Nana]

The website indicates Animal Kingdom is closed until further notice. I too am hoping that means that they just want to be sure everything is safe before letting the animals back into their normal environment. I also notice that the folks in the campground are not being let back into the Fort Wilderness but will remain at the hotels. Is anyone here from the coast area of North/South Carolina? How is the weather there? What are you hearing? I hope that you will stay safe as Charley comes back ashore. All of my hubby's relatives live in Daytona. We are waiting to hear from them. Phone lines are jammed but I feel fairly certain they are ok.

[goofyfanatic]

Originally posted by JohnY:
I hate being the bearer of bad news....

On the Horizon - Another Possible Storm:
Hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from Florida. John there is a great website called weather underground that tracks the current storms path compared to simialar type storms over the last 100 years or so.

It does not seem like Danielle will cause much of an issue. Storm 5 might though.

Being that we leave on the 22nd for our trip my fingers and toes are crossed. Our last trip we defied the odds by being on of only a few planes to take off from JFK during a blizzard so hopefully we beat the odds again!

Seth

[kidsrfun]

So glad to hear that everyone is safe. Checking Intercot is the first thing that I did this morning. Haven't even had my coffee yet! I was so worried.

Hope everything is ok with Animal Kingdom.

Everyone along the east coast, my thought and prayers are with you as Charley comes your way. Be safe.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Here is the complete list;

Due to the impact of Hurricane Charley, Walt Disney World Resort has adjusted operations on Saturday, August 14.

PARK HOURS OF OPERATION

Magic Kingdom - 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Epcot - 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Disney-MGM Studios - 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Blizzard Beach - 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Wide World of Sports open for events
Animal Kingdom - CLOSED until further notice
Typhoon Lagoon - CLOSED
Downtown Disney regular operating hours
Golf Courses CLOSED

All Walt Disney World Resort hotels (except for Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground) remain open for our guests.

Guests calling 407-WDISNEY for reservations may experience longer wait times today.

[Donalds Duckie]

THANK YOU Ron and Jim for the updates. You don't know how good it is to hear from y'all. I am very pleased to hear you are okay. We've been concerend for all of you.

I hope we continue to hear that other Intercotees and CMs fared as well. Please continue to stay safe out there.

Prayers will continue from Texas as you deal with the aftermath of Charley.

[SgtTigger]

Ron, Jim thanks for checking in. Stay safe Today at work.
It is good to hear you both made it through with out much damage.

[Digger]

I'm happy to hear that orlando was spared for the most part. we were planning to go to wdw today, but we're going to wait until tomorrow now. we're going to stay home and relax, yesterday was too stressful. there are a lot of people dead in the punta gorda area, they can't can't get in there to recover them all yet. this storm was bad. graemlins/shakehead.gif

[cosmic ray]

what a horrible ordeal :(

[Dreamin' of Disney]

Digger, how is venice? I have an aunt that was there with her grandchildren? Is there huge amounts of damage and casualties there, we've not been able to reach them!! :(

[KYmouse]

I just checked the web-cam and am glad to see SE "alive and well".
(http://www.aws.com/wxcomm/commercial/ccam.asp?sid=LKBNV&siz=l )

Is this the only web-cam for WDW? Specifically, what other types of damage did WDW sustain?
Does Disney purposely "mute" pictures of damage? I understand that could tarnish the "always perfect image" they strive to obtain, but I am interested in the status of "The best place on Earth"!!!
Hope everyone is well and safe. Thanks to all of those who have gone to work today to secure WDW , when I know you have your own concerns at home. graemlins/clappy.gif

[SgtTigger]

8:35 AM CENTRAL TIME MSNBC had live pictures from a helicopter of the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom. You could see people entering the park at the Hub.


graemlins/doubleeek.gif graemlins/mickey.gif

[Aurora]

Originally posted by Stitch 626:
Anyone hear anything yet??? I know it is passing through Orlando now.

My aunt and uncle live in Port Charlotte, right on Charlotte Harbor, and still don't know the outcome of their home...they cannot even get down the street because of debris and floods...outlook NOT GOOD AT ALL! Most of the businesses on the main highway ther (41?) have been destroyed. They say it was just a disaster!

My cousin is in Punta Gorda...his house is now unliveable. I am SO UPSET! My heart goes out to them for losing everything. Your family is in my prayers. Please keep us updated.

[cosmic ray]

Originally posted by SgtTigger:
8:35 AM CENTRAL TIME MSNBC had live pictures from a helicopter of the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom. You could see people entering the park at the Hub.


graemlins/doubleeek.gif graemlins/mickey.gif that is good to hear!!

best wishes to everyone in florida . . .

[Nana]

I wonder if the reason that Animal Kingdom is closed because of all the tress possibly being down. That could be a major clean up job.

[ScottS]

Information for fellow travelers trying to get to Orlando:

Our "Ted" flight from Dulles to Orlando was cancelled, they are currently rebooking people in next available seats for TUESDAY. (We have chosen to fly into Tampa as an alternate on Monday-anyone know any good shuttle svc from there to WDW?).

Walt Disney Travel Co. said there would be not be a refund for lost 2 nights; As we were on 5+2 plan, they have just shifted the nights from 8/14-8/21 to 8/16-8/23. If we can stay those two "extra" nts, no additional charge, if we leave at previously scheduled time, no discount (as we only paid for 5 nights anyways).

[GoofysCowgirl]

Originally posted by bradleysnana:
I wonder if the reason that Animal Kingdom is closed because of all the tress possibly being down. That could be a major clean up job. That was my guess as well. I also imagine that the cast members will have to check the entire land mass in which the animals reside for any type of debris that may have flown in to make sure the animals don't get a hold of it.

[disneykidsince1970]

I'm over here in Tampa and feeling so lucky right now! All day Thursday and Friday the hurricane was expected to hit us head on and as you all know now, it swung east at the last minute. I've seen the devastation in the other areas now and am certainly counting my blessings! We had a hurricane party on Thursday night (Charley was still only a Cat 2) but now I feel like a total JERK for doing so graemlins/idea.gif . Those poor people.

I woke up this morning worried about Disney. I'm thinking about driving over (it's about an hour) but am worried about the traffic getting back. Many people from Tampa evacuated to Orlando, thinking it would be much safer. What a bummer!

Nikki

[drummerboy]

Originally posted by bradleysnana:
Is anyone here from the coast area of North/South Carolina? How is the weather there? What are you hearing? I hope that you will stay safe as Charley comes back ashore.It's about 10;30 as I write this from southeastern NC coast, and everything is rainy but quiet right now. Last I heard, Charley was supposed to come in around North Myrtle Beach, which means we can expect pretty heavy weather up here just over the SC line.

I just looked out the window, and the wind is picking up a little. At least we're going into low tide now at the beaches. We've had so many hurricanes over the last several years that everybody just calmly goes about the usual preparations. Our town shuts off the power system once the winds get to a certain strength, so I'll probably be offline once things get going.

[goofygirl67]

I just tried to call Fort Myers and couldn't get through. My Aunt and Uncle live there.
I then called my Mom in Vermont and they had not heard anything yet. She was going to try again later.
I did try to send an e-mail but I doubt that would get through. Hopefully no news is good news. smile.gif

[Here we go again...]

I just got back from Florida last night, and was dying to get on the boards to see what was going on over there!
I was in Destin, and got through Bonnie just fine.

I was so worried about everyone in the Orlando area. Even after being on the boards for such a short time, I still feel like I know a lot of you.

On our way home to Lafayette yesterday, we must have seen 200 power trucks on the way to Florida to help. So, help is on the way!!

After going through hurricane Lilli 2 yars ago, I can imagine what everyone is going through. Please follow the curfew, and be careful on the roads.

I am happy to hear that the parks are up and running again. I hope everyone has a Magical time for the rest of their vacation.

[Dreamin' of Disney]

Brenda, some pixie dust for your family *~*~*~*~ I hope all is well with them. Glad to hear from everyone else checking in. Let's keep the faith going.

Drummerboy~ pixie dust for you also, *~*~*~*~ as Charley heads your way, hoping you are all safe and sound, and please to let us know you are okay once you are able to again.

[Crow]

hope everyone is ok...my asst mgr is vacationing there right now. and an ex employee just moved to Kissimee afew wks ago to teach...

[Nalablue]

My father works at Animal Kingdom - I talked with him many times last night before and after the storm hit - He's fine - lots of damage to his complex though - trees down, his mailbox flew away - a light post, and tree just missed his truck - and he lost power. He compared the sound of the wind to a freight train - I have not been able to talk to him since last night around 9:30 -I've tried this morning, but his cell phone is not working. I imagine he is at AK helping in the
clean up.

[imported_Melanears]

Originally posted by drummerboy:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by bradleysnana:
Is anyone here from the coast area of North/South Carolina? How is the weather there? What are you hearing? I hope that you will stay safe as Charley comes back ashore.It's about 10;30 as I write this from southeastern NC coast, and everything is rainy but quiet right now. Last I heard, Charley was supposed to come in around North Myrtle Beach, which means we can expect pretty heavy weather up here just over the SC line.

I just looked out the window, and the wind is picking up a little. At least we're going into low tide now at the beaches. We've had so many hurricanes over the last several years that everybody just calmly goes about the usual preparations. Our town shuts off the power system once the winds get to a certain strength, so I'll probably be offline once things get going. </font>[/QUOTE]You guys stay safe down there, drummerboy! I'm thinking about you. We've got everything secured and are ready. They are saying the worst winds are going to be east of the track of the storm, and that's us. :( Like you guys, the base shuts off power as the high winds/storm approaches, so I'll probably be off of here in a bit. Take care!

[Crow]

glad to hear you guys survived ok..hope everyone else is ok...
my asst mgr is vacationing at WDW now. and an ex-employee just moved few wks ago to Kissimmee to teach...have to try to call them to see that they are ok as well. take care all

[drummerboy]

Winds have picked up quite a bit in the last 15 minutes, and the rain is getting heavier...just looked out...much heavier. I think we're in the "red" bands they show on the weather radar. According to local weather, Charley has come into Myrtle Beach about now.

The rain is shifting every direction as the winds pick up. I think we're about 30-40mph steady now. We're also under tornado watch, according to the local stations.

I'll keep these short and send while I can until the power is cut off or it gets too windy for me to stay upstairs.

[Posterchild]

I am in Charleston, SC (Goose Creek). It scooted right by us. We actually have sun out now. The storm appears to be going north. Even when they said the center of the storm was 35 miles SSE of Charleston, which would have put it perhaps 60 miles from us, we did not get much wind and rain. It seems to have petered out in Florida, and the jet streams have sheared the lower half of the storm preventing it from strengthening.

Good luck to those of you in N. Carolina, and our thoughts are with those in Florida. We are heading down Sept 3rd, so we are concerned about the damage if any.

I used to work/stay in the Western part of Florida. Its a beautiful area. Put cell towers in Punta Gorda, Arcadia, Port Charlotte, Naples, Ft. Myers, Marco Island.

[Digger]

Originally posted by Dreamin' of Disney:
Digger, how is venice? I have an aunt that was there with her grandchildren? Is there huge amounts of damage and casualties there, we've not been able to reach them!! :( all I know is sarasota and manatee counties were 2 of the 4 hardest hit, Jody. we want to go down and see if we can help in any way, but they're telling people to keep out. punta gorda has no water, and there's still no power in the whole area. they're having a hard time physically getting into those areas, so tv and pictures are not really available. as soon as I hear anything, I'll let you know. good luck. I'm wondering about SallyP.

[J9]

I'm not yet in Florida, but I'll check in now anyway. We're in North Myrtle Beach right now. (we were supposed to leave for Disney this morning but had decided to stay the xtra night no as not to drive in the storm.

In the meantime, however, we had a mandatory evacuation order last night. So we had to pack up real quick and get out to this hotel which is just west of where the evacuation borderline was.

The hurricane is going on outside right now, but the worst of it hasn't hit yet. It looks like the wizard of oz outside. It's crazy. Trees are falling down and the wind is blowing the palm trees horizontal!

Two night ago, in fact, we had a tornado (because of Bonnie, before we evacuated) and we were all huddled in a bathroom, but all was ok.

I'm going to get offline now because the power keeps flickering. I'm afraid my computer just surged. But we're all okay right now and I'll keep you updated.

PS - Keep my pop pop in your prayers. He was rushed to the hospital two nights ago with a galbadder attach and a small aneurism in his aorta. He's in surgery RIGHT NOW in Philly and we're waiting for word. we're upset because we can't get out of here right now.

[drummerboy]

Found out that the tornado watch was issued because somebody spotted a water spout off one of our beaches, but it didn't make landfall. They have issued a tornado warning in Carteret County, up closer to Mel.

Things got a little quieter as one band passed by, but I imagine it will pick up again.

(edited for spelling)

[ August 14, 2004, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: drummerboy ]

[KYmouse]

Originally posted by SgtTigger:
8:35 AM CENTRAL TIME MSNBC had live pictures from a helicopter of the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom. You could see people entering the park at the Hub.


graemlins/doubleeek.gif graemlins/mickey.gif Obviously this video is obtained by and submitted BY Disney, as the area is a no fly zone.
I'm sure they want the world to know they are open for business. Which is GREAT news!!

Especially glad to hear the Contempory is well, as it is (in my opinion) the only place to stay! Those huge glass windows could have fallen victim to the wind!

On our last trip (June 04) a monirail driver told us wind was not a factor in keeping the monirails up and running. But if electricity is off in any part of the track, the entire track comes to a stop. (That is , all three separate tracks stop. The run from Epcott to the Hub, as well as the resort loop, and the Hub - Main Entr. Loop.)I'm sure they were stopped last night!

I have watched MSNBC for the past 2 hours in hopes of getting a glimpse of WDW. Thanks for the update.

Once again, it there only ONE web-cam? graemlins/muscles.gif
Does anyone have a picture of the Castle Today? :rolleyes:

[Nana]

For those wishing to make a donation:

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting our Online Donation Page.

[SgtTigger]

Originally posted by KYmouse:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by SgtTigger:
8:35 AM CENTRAL TIME MSNBC had live pictures from a helicopter of the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom. You could see people entering the park at the Hub.


graemlins/doubleeek.gif graemlins/mickey.gif Obviously this video is obtained by and submitted BY Disney, as the area is a no fly zone.
</font>[/QUOTE]We were at the World in June and helicopters were flying over all the time. The Video I saw was taken by a NBC news helicopter. I think the no fly zone is a thing of the past.

[Nana]

Latest from Orlando Sentinel concerning the theme parks:

Despite damage and debris caused by Hurricane Charley, nearly all of Orlando's major theme parks and attractions planned to open for business today.

Walt Disney World expected to open the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney-MGM studios at 9 a.m. Notices to guests, however, indicated Animal Kingdom will still be closed.

According to spokesperson Jacquee Polak, this was because so many Disney employees were unable to make it into work today, and the company was unable to staff Animal Kingdom properly.

Polak also said all the parks sufferred some landscaping damage, but none of the attractions were affected by the storm.

However, she said, Jungle Cruise and the Walt Disney World Railroad at the Magic Kingdom were to open late because of downed tree limbs and debris that would affect operation of the rides.

Universal Studios Orlando, meanwhile, planned to open both of its parks at 9:30 a.m.

"We took some minor damage, mostly landscaping, a little bit of structural damage," says Universal spokesman Tom Schroder. "Safety engineers inspected all the rides and determined they are safe. All rides will be working today when we open and are safe."

Schroder said 50 ride inspectors rode out the storm inside the park and then fanned out to check for damage once the storm had passed.

SeaWorld's Web site lists a noon opening.

At SeaWorld, the Fusion water ski show and the Happy Harbour Play Area for Children were closed Saturday morning because of debris.

Discovery Cove is also closed because of downed tree limbs.

Meanwhile, on International Drive, in the heart of Orlando's tourism corridor, hotel operators are out assessing damage and clean-up needs.

Under the large covered entrance at the Peabody Hotel, a man with a leaf-blowing machine tries to rid the area of shrubbery branches and leaves. Around the exterior of the high-rise hotel, there are numerous downed trees and broken branches but no broken windows.

Along I-Drive, work crews are tackling cleanup of fallen trees and branches lining the center median.

The exterior of the Orange County Convention Center, fountains still working, appears undamaged, at least along I-Drive.

[Dreamin' of Disney]

Thank you for the update Becky, we appreciate it.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Originally posted by KYmouse:
Once again, it there only ONE web-cam?

Does anyone have a picture of the Castle Today?

That is a weather cam from weatherbug.

Disney did away with their web cams a few years ago.

The castle can be seen in the background in the photo on ICOT's front page.

graemlins/mickey.gif

[ August 14, 2004, 11:54 AM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

[BhamWriter]

Originally posted by J9:
PS - Keep my pop pop in your prayers. He was rushed to the hospital two nights ago with a galbadder attach and a small aneurism in his aorta. He's in surgery RIGHT NOW in Philly and we're waiting for word. we're upset because we can't get out of here right now. Your dad (and all of you) will be in our prayers.

[Barb_A]

From the ORlando Sentinel

Parks clear out ahead of storm

The scene was the same at hotels throughout Central Florida as the hurricane passed over the region's billion-dollar theme parks. Lobbies, ballrooms and hallways were crowded with people, many of whom were experiencing their first hurricane.

At the Wellesley Inn on U.S. Highway 192 in Osceola County, some visitors huddled in a hallway, held hands and prayed while in another hallway someone played cards.

At the Peabody Orlando on International Drive, the loudest wind came about 8:30 p.m. and blew through the front door; security sealed if off. During the next hour rain pounded, with water from the leaking ceiling collecting in bins. From a distance there appeared to be no damage to the Orange County Convention Center across International Drive, but the dark and rain prevented a good look.

Several miles away at the Grosvenor Resort at Walt Disney World, hundreds of guests milled about, and employees sent them to the windowless ballroom for safety just before 9 p.m. Lobby windows were leaking.

By 9:40 p.m. winds seemed to subside, but people were still in the ballroom, on cots or spread out on blankets.

At the All Star Resorts at Walt Disney World, winds howled just before 9 p.m., palm trees bent nearly to the ground and rain sheets were nearly horizontal. The pool overflowed. People hunkered down inside rooms.

Before the brunt of the storm hit, tourists tried to make the best of a bad day.

"I wasn't really expecting this to happen," said Joe Centeno of Chicago, who was visiting Universal's Islands of Adventure with his wife, Nelly, and 10-year-old son, Giovanni. "No sooner did we get there than here comes Charley."

Centeno lived in Puerto Rico as a child and said he saw what hurricanes can do. But he said he felt safe in Orlando with his family's plans to ride out the storm in a nearby Wyndham hotel.

At Disney's Magic Kingdom, Main Street was eerily quiet by 1:30 p.m. as some of the last visitors to leave noted the surreal scene as Beauty and the Beast characters sang on the steps of Cinderella Castle.

"You'd never expect this to be happening," said Jorge Preisser, visiting with his family from Mexico. "To be the last one to go out is strange."

Gas lamplights on Main Street were lashed to their poles and refreshment carts were tied down -- some of the few visible signs of storm preparation. Trolley cars were parked beneath the train station at the park's Main Street exit as the crowds dwindled.

SeaWorld moved its animals, including horses and birds, to barns and other indoor locations. Special teams of employees were stationed at all the major parks to keep an eye on property.

Smaller attractions shut down early, too, though some stayed open as long as customers were willing to brave the threatening skies. The first squalls sent people packing.

"There's no one here," said Fun Spot amusement park marketing manager Mark Brisson at 3:30 p.m. as the attraction closed. "We're only closing for lack of business," he said. But the small park planned to reopen at 10 a.m. today, weather permitting.

Many tourists were shoulder to shoulder with evacuees from Florida's west coast. Tim and Kim Cantwell and their 16-year-old son, Garrett, came to Disney's Polynesian Resort on Thursday because their St. Petersburg Beach hotel was evacuated.

The family, from Hudson, Ohio, had been at the Don CeSar Beach Resort, but the hotel was closed in advance of the storm. Kim Cantwell said they had thought about getting in a rental car and trying to outrun the storm northward. But then they realized they would have been sandwiched between Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie, which blew across North Florida on Thursday.

Samantha Dubin and Daniel Kosta, who fled their home half a block from Tampa Bay to stay in Disney's Polynesian, were assured by employees that the 33-year-old hotel was sturdy enough to weather a hurricane, with concrete-and-steel construction, backup generators and water.

"We had expected a real buzz and a sense of pandemonium, but it's real calm here," Dubin said.

Some tourists said they thought Disney and other theme parks could have stayed open longer.

"I didn't think they needed to close so early," said Carol Rorkeof Bricktown, N.J., who had flown in Thursday with her daughter, sister and niece. "It was still sunny when we left."

The last time the three major parks closed for a storm was in 1999, when Hurricane Floyd threw a scare into the region before veering away from the East Coast at the last moment.

Jack McCabe and 15 family members from Long Island, N.Y., were stuck at the Doubletree Castle on International Drive in south Orlando when Amtrak's Auto Train service was suspended.

They lounged in the lobby and played cards. Near the front desk is a jeweled statue called "The Castle Creature, a Friend and Protector." Guests hoped that its protection would work -- on a Friday the 13th, no less.

The Doubletree's cafe and bar stayed open late into the evening. The cafe printed a Hurricane Charley menu complete with Hail Mary Caesar Salad, Eye of the Storm Chicken, and a Category 2 Ham and Cheese that could have been upgraded to a Category 4.

[KYmouse]

Interesting!!! Thanks for the update!
graemlins/crazy.gif What are some of the specific "safe-guards" Disney has in place (by policy / prodedure ) for severe weather? SM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barb_A:
[qb] From the ORlando Sentinel

[i] Parks clear out ahead of storm

The scene was the same at hotels throughout Central Florida as the hurricane passed over the region's billion-dollar theme parks. Lobbies, ballrooms and hallways were crowded with people, many of whom were experiencing their first hurricane..........................

[ August 14, 2004, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: KYmouse ]

[drummerboy]

Wind and rain have picked back up. We're getting much more of the howling noises that we've been used to with hurricanes. Gusts are up to 60 now in the treetops, and wind is blowind every which-way again. I think we're getting the eye-wall now. Think I'd better get back downstairs now.

[KYmouse]

Where are you??????


Originally posted by drummerboy:
Wind and rain have picked back up. We're getting much more of the howling noises that we've been used to with hurricanes. Gusts are up to 60 now in the treetops, and wind is blowind every which-way again. I think we're getting the eye-wall now. Think I'd better get back downstairs now.

[imported_Melanears]

drummerboy is in southern NC right on the NC/SC line.

[Donalds Duckie]

Just heard Orlando Mayor Dyer interviewed on Fox News. Mayor Dyer said he expects it could take 2-3 days to restore ALL power to Orlando. He said about 5 minutes ago he witnessed a telephone pole fall over with a live wire and ignite a tree. So, continue to be safe out there everyone!!!

I see that Osceola County is listed as one of the hardest hit. Am I wrong or is that the County the All Star Resorts are in???

Very happy to continue hearing from folks one by one. Prayers to you in NC, VA, etc. still waiting for Charley to pass through. Hold on and be SAFE.

I have been trying to call the Red Cross' 800 donation number for some time and still cannot get through. Hopefully this means lots of donations are coming forward for Florida. I'll keep trying until I can get through by phone or website. EDIT: I finally got through!! I'm on hold now.

For those of you still trying to reach family and friends in Charley's past, present or future path, my sincere prayers are with you. I pray you are in contact soon and hear that all is well and good with your friends and loved ones.

[ August 14, 2004, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: Donalds Duckie ]

[MauiMouse]

Take care Mel & drummerboy! smile.gif

[TiggerRPh]

I'm glad to see that everyone in Florida is doing okay. I hope any damage isn't too bad...at least everyone survived.

My prayers are now out to those of you in the Carolinas getting hit or soon to get hit by Charley....good luck!

[goofygirl67]

I just found out that my family in Fort Myers is ok. They had no damage to the house, some trees down, garden messed up and no power but everyone is ok. graemlins/rotfl.gif
Funny thing is I had talk to my Aunt about hurricanes before and she mentioned how Fort Myers doesn't get too many, I bet she's rethinking this now. ;)

[KYmouse]

DRUMMERBOY, ARE YOU THERE? (I suspect he is without power now, but hopefully safe! ) Good luck and Godspeed to all, KY


Originally posted by Melanears:
drummerboy is in southern NC right on the NC/SC line.

[brownie]

Originally posted by KYmouse:
I just checked the web-cam and am glad to see SE "alive and well".
(http://www.aws.com/wxcomm/commercial/ccam.asp?sid=LKBNV&siz=l )

Is this the only web-cam for WDW? Specifically, what other types of damage did WDW sustain?
Does Disney purposely "mute" pictures of damage? I understand that could tarnish the "always perfect image" they strive to obtain, but I am interested in the status of "The best place on Earth"!!!
Hope everyone is well and safe. Thanks to all of those who have gone to work today to secure WDW , when I know you have your own concerns at home. graemlins/clappy.gif It's not actually a webcam for WDW; it's a weather webcam. WDW disabled all their webcams a while back.

[Anjabyber]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all that were in the path of Charley.

DS (9) was scared when he learned yesterday that the path was heading to Orlando and WDW was mentioned on the news. We are glad that WDW seems to have come out okay, but saddened by all the destruction that has happened in Florida. graemlins/crying.gif

[WDWdriver]

Originally posted by bradleysnana:
I wonder if the reason that Animal Kingdom is closed because of all the tress possibly being down. That could be a major clean up job. We tried really hard to get the park open for guests today, but there was just too much cleanup to do. There is no major structural damage, but Charley did a lot of damage to the trees and other vegetation. There are a lot of trees down, including some very large ones. Also many downed or damaged branches. The streets and pathways were covered with tons of debris. The safari ride path was blocked by debris. The flume at Kali River Rapids was full of downed vegetation, including trees and large branches. Two giant trees are down along the Jungle Trek. The Wildlife Express train tracks are blocked.

I haven't heard of any injuries to CMs or to any of the animals. Looks like we all came through it okay.

I would expect the park to open tomorrow unless they have trouble removing the larger downed trees overnight. The other parks were able to open today because they have far fewer trees.

[Nana]

Ron,
Thank you very much for the information.

[Harriet]

Ron based on your information could this be why guest are not being allowed back into FW dued to the fact there are a lot of trees in FW and there very well may be some damage to the cabins as well as other campsites.

[Ed]

Very brief report... operating on laptop battery... no electric since 8 last night...

WDW fared pretty well, but airport area got clobbered! Lots of damage at the airport including two HUGE plate glass windows shattered, drenching one of the security checkpoints and all its equipment.... Comair's hangar was destroyed.... one jetway bent into a 90 degree angle... Major damage throughout my town... :( But we only had relatively light damage and THANK GOD no injuries.

More when I get power back.
________
buy vapor genie (http://vaporizers.net/vapor-genie)

[pjbs35a]

Thanks for checking in Ed.

[Nana]

Ed, Thanks for letting us know you are ok. graemlins/muscles.gif

[WDWdriver]

Originally posted by Harriet:
Ron based on your information could this be why guest are not being allowed back into FW dued to the fact there are a lot of trees in FW and there very well may be some damage to the cabins as well as other campsites. I haven't had a chance to get over to FW, but my guess is that it looked this morning much like AK did. Lots of trees down and roads/campsites covered with tree limbs and other debris. It takes a couple of days to clean all that stuff up. The cabins are probably in pretty good shape.

[kmo84]

I just got home after spending the last two days in Orlando.
For the first time ever I was asked to evacuate my house in Pinellas county.
I have small kids and the thought of trying to keep them calm in a shelter was a concern, so I called around on Thursday and was able to reserve a room in Lake Buena Vista. We drove over there late Thursday (with much of the population of Tampa/St Pete with us!).
You can imagine how we felt when the hurricane turned and was coming right at us.
We went out for breakfast Friday morning and quickly started to hear that most everything would be closing at 3pm as everyone there prepared for the storm. They cleared out the staff at our hotel at noon, with just a couple of front desk managers left.
We went to the Publix on Vineland and US 192 for supplies. It was a madhouse! We got what we needed and hunkered down for the night.
I guess the building we were in was well constructed, because we did not hear a lot of wind, but watching it out the window was pretty scary. We listened to the coverage of the storm on the radio as it went through so the kids could watch TV. It was hard not to let them know we were worried. The power flickered a few times. I'm guessing that the hotel had a back up generator because power was never out for longer than a minute or so.
I fell asleep during one of the lulls about 10pm. When I woke up at 2am, everything seemed pretty calm. I saw some small branches in the parking lot of the hotel, so I thought we had gotten off lucky.
But as I went ventured out further this morning, I was really surprised to see all the trees that were down. Lots of billboards and highway signs, too.
We talked to a few people that were down on vacation. None were very happy about having the storm spoil their vacation. We also ran into lots of people from our area that were relieved that the storm had turned away from our homes. It's a catch 22. We caught a break, but people who live south of us weren't so lucky. Thoughts and prayers go out to those people.
Quite a crazy couple of days. graemlins/crazy.gif
I'm so glad to be home!

[Jeri Lynn]

Thank you everyone for all of the updates. Hope everyone is ok, my thoughts and prayers have been with everyone throughout Florida.

[ August 15, 2004, 06:22 AM: Message edited by: Jeri Lynn ]

[drummerboy]

Sorry to take so long to get back. Power did go out for a while, right after my last post, but came back in about an hour. For a while after that,wind was a bit too much for me to venture upstairs. We were much luckier than FL. DW and I went out after things died down to look around. Mostly tree branches all over the roads. Not much structural damage, although a few houses at the beach had some vinyl siding missing.

A couple of sailboats tangled up at their side-by-side mooring at our yacht basin (not as fancy as it sounds, mostly fishing boats there) and one got its mast bent in half. A few boats in outside stack storage look like they rolled over into each other.

We've been raking and cleaning. We have a lot of ancient live oaks in town, and small limbs and leaf clusters always blow everywhere in these things. Best news is the travel trailer was untouched--gotta have that for WDW trips. Funny, though, the direction the wind was blowing caused our roof vent to crank open. No water damage.

Gotta go staple some screening back. Hope everything's OK up your way, Mel.

[Calamity Jane]

My roomate just called and said they our house just got power back. There's lots of downed trees and stuff in our neighborhood but he says our house and our cars were OK. Yay! That makes me feel a bit better....

Now if I could just hear from the other five bazillion people I care about....

[imported_Melanears]

We're fine, very minor compared to what you folks in FL went through. Just a lot of clean up, which my DH is just now finishing. It smells like Christmas around here as well....we've got pines everywhere, and they break apart so easily.

Continuing to think of you all in Florida.

[Main Street Jim]

Well, just got back from work at MK about an hour or so ago. Didn't even run the trains at all today due to downed trees and such. The park itself seemed to be in pretty good shape, although some awnings and other metal structures backstage suffered some damage. Didn't see any major building damage at all. Had some Animal Kingdom Cast over at MK helping us out today.

All in all, not too bad here. I know that several other areas got hit hard. Even on the way, up CR 535, we were dodging trees on a four-lane road. I know that one of the monorail beams and a train got hit from what I understand, but haven't personally seen it yet. Any Monorail Cast on here that can confirm anything?

Ron, Jeremy, and all the rest of the Cast - good job on keeping safe, and keeping the guests safe if you were needed in the parks yesterday and today. I thank y'all for helping out, and keeping the *magic* going throughout this situation.

Thanks again.

[sophielab1]

Well we have the truck packed up and will be heading down to the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers area tomorrow morning from RI. Fortunately my parents house only sustained moderate roof damage. I'm not looking forward to driving through the storm to get there. I'm glad everybody is alright for the most part.

[TiggerRPh]

Thanks for updating us on things in Florida Ron, Jim and Ed.

Glad to hear things weren't too bad for you guys...Ken and Mel.

:D

[Honey_BDynamo]

I've been in contact with a news producer in Ft. Myers. His poor fence is strewn through the yard!

It's funny that someone mentioned Ft. Myers and Charlotte County being due for this ... he said the same thing. Apparently you can only dodge so many storms before they tear up your trees.

I'm glad to hear that WDW is doing well. Also glad to hear that the Intercotee's families are ok.

[Piglet822]

I'm checking in as well.
We made out quite well, actually. The shifting of the storm took it away from us. I'm in Lake County which is 32 miles directly west of Orlando. The shifts east moved it far enough away that it was no longer a threat.
Mears did not fare as well. None of the buses were damaged but we lost part of the roof on the office and have had no power since 8 last night. It was still out when I left tonight at 5:30.
I'm glad to see everyone is ok, and thank you everyone for your prayers and concern smile.gif

[ August 14, 2004, 09:24 PM: Message edited by: Piglet822 ]

[Stitch 626]

Originally posted by Aurora:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Stitch 626:
My aunt and uncle live in Port Charlotte, right on Charlotte Harbor, and still don't know the outcome of their home...they cannot even get down the street because of debris and floods...outlook NOT GOOD AT ALL! Most of the businesses on the main highway ther (41?) have been destroyed. They say it was just a disaster!

My cousin is in Punta Gorda...his house is now unliveable. I am SO UPSET! My heart goes out to them for losing everything. Your family is in my prayers. Please keep us updated. </font>[/QUOTE]Well I finally heard from my family...outlook not so good. :( While I am extremely happy to hear they are ok, my aunt's house along with my cousin's house are completely UNLIVEABLE! My cousin's house caved right in and his boat sunk into the canal behind him. My aunt's house is right next to the Port Charlotte Yacht Club and they found that the Club was pretty much INSIDE their house...whatever was left of their house I might add! The roof blew off and the dock, linai (sp?), gazebo and whole back of the house was demolished. graemlins/shakehead.gif Tomorrow they get to go up to their condo in Englewood to see if that survived. If it did, that is where they will live for a while.

With that, I've sent much pixie dust down their way...

Glad to hear all you CM's and FL residents are OK!!!

[buzznwoodysmom]

I am so glad to hear that all seem to be doing well. I thought about all of you all night and all day today. I am glad to hear that WDW didn't suffer too much damage. More importantly I am glad to hear that everyone is okay. I am very sad for those who were hit hard and for all of the casulaties in Florida. :( I am from Louisiana so I know how bad this weather can be. Good luck with all of the clean up and I hope everything gets back to normal quickly.

To all of the CM's and our Florida Intercot friends, thanks for keeping us all updated and for letting us know that you are all okay. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[disneyaholic46]

our prayers are with everyone in florida that was affected by these awfull storms, just one question, are gators a concern right now, as well? or do they scatter off?

[imported_PolyGirl40]

August 15th Hours:

Everything will open tomorrow with the exception of the following;

Typhoon Lagoon remains CLOSED
Golf Courses remain CLOSED
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground remains CLOSED

The Electrical Water Pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon will not be operational until Tuesday, August 17th.

[KYmouse]

INFO redface.gif ON :mad: MONORAIL graemlins/mixed.gif RED?
Quote from MainStreetJim, (earlier)

"All in all, not too bad here. I know that several other areas got hit hard. Even on the way, up CR 535, we were dodging trees on a four-lane road. I know that one of the monorail beams and a train got hit from what I understand, but haven't personally seen it yet. Any Monorail Cast on here that can confirm anything?"

Maybe some answers re. monorail red here; also GREAT WDW aftermath and monorail red pictures at this Intercot site:
http://www.intercot.com/boards/ultimatebb.php?/topic/1/15384.html#000000


Originally posted by Paul M.:
What happened to Red? Beats me...honestly, my driver said he didn't know and the mechanics said they didn't know, and that's why they were bringing in 'tugger' or the monorail tow truck.

I honestly don't know what Red's issue is. I've heard now (including this post) 2 other times there were issues with Red. It could be a couple of things: a) has Red been transfered over to the new system...I thought not all monorails were 'digital' yet. b) new driver, did something (unlikely) c)Red's just got issues.

These things happens, but its funny how Red seems to be singled out. Sure caused a lot of wait though.

Sorry that I don't know what the issues are!

FYI Epcot line was down today too...soo don't have all the details. sorry again.

[ August 15, 2004, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: KYmouse ]

[SgtTigger]

I am gald to hear from everyone in Florida and glad you are all OK.
To the Cast Members keep your heads up you did some great work for the people down at WDW.

Those who had damage I hope everything goes well for you.


graemlins/doubleeek.gif graemlins/mickey.gif

[aprilisis]

Whew! Glad to hear everyone is ok!

[marlyn]

Glad to hear that you are all doing ok in the Orlando area. How frightening it must have been. The kids and I were watching on the news and were keeping you in our prayers.

Kudos to all the wonderful CM putting in all the extra effort to get WDW up and running so quickly. Hope the rest of Fl can come through as well. My heart goes out to those in the Punta Gorda and Fort Meyers area who were really hit bad!

[DisneySSWlvr]

Glad to hear that other Floridians are doing OK.

My city didn't get a lot of damage, but other parts of the county did. Some towns are going to be out of power for an estimated 2-3 weeks. Schools are out for this week, too.

I am keeping everyone in the Ft. Myers, Port Charlotte, and Arcadia areas in my prayers.

[goofgal]

I am so glad to hear everyone is okay.

[Patricia]

Stitch 626, sorry to hear about your family losing their homes. :(

Thanks for all the updates everyone. I was more then worried last night when I saw the news, I'm so glad to see everyone checking in today.

[Dorito2000]

How was the park attendance today? I'm just curious to find out how many people were out and about.

[Harriet]

I am so relieved that most everyone is OK and my prayers go out for those whom have lost there homes.I was able to keep in touch with what was happening because of this web site and all of my fellow Intercote's Bless all you CM's who put in such a whole hearted effort to get WDW open for the most part for guest. Without devoted people like yourself there would be no WDW and I only hope management appricates all your efforts. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[SallyP]

Thanks for the pixie dust everyone!
Originally posted by Dreamin' of Disney
Digger~ glad to see that you are okay, I was so worried all night about you and SallyP. Has anyone heard from her? I know and her and DH had boarded up and were buckling down yesterday afternoon, but I haven't seen any posts from her since. I sincerely pray that all is well. How hard hit was Venice? We are supposed to be in Siesta Key in 6 weeks, should we look for other arrangements, possibly in the Disney area instead?
Venice survived with minimal problems. We were without power for 26 hours so I couldn't get back on Intercot. DH was in withdrawal with out Weather Channel. ;) My mother had her little safe room set up and she faired well and I just looked out the window to watch the rain come at us horizontally and the wind toss bits around. Palm trees were designed to withstand hurricane winds. Unbelievable bend-ability graemlins/laughing.gif We lossed all our freezer food but that's a small price to pay. Our DD and DSIL live in North Port and they were much closer to the eye wall. They are in a new home built to new codes and had hurricane shutters so they faired fine even with 100mph sustained winds. They are 10 miles from the total destruction area. The most frustrating part is not being able to contact them after the storm. They are here at our home now since they still don't have power and need a good nights sleep in air conditioned comfort. DD is dreading work on Monday - Bank manager at Sun Trust in Port Charlotte. She knows she's going to hear many heart breaking stories. She'll need to be strong and give support.
Thanks everyone for your kind concern for FL residents. Ooblah dee , Ooblah dah, Life goes on graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Come on down Dreamin', Siesta Key didn't have any major or minor damage - didn't even lose power.

[ August 15, 2004, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: SallyP ]

[Crow]

kudos to all the CMs who worked so hard to keep things going. glad everyone is ok.
havent heard from my asst mgr who is vacationing there or the ex employee who is living in Kissimee (she just moved there to teach). wondering what my asst did during the storm.

[GoofysCowgirl]

I am so glad to hear that everyone is okay! The storm just got to New York last night and it was just a bit of rain and nothing more. smile.gif

[Disney Doodle]

Sally glad to hear you and your family are ok. I had worried as you had not been on intercot since the hurricane passed through, but had hoped that it was due to power failure. It must have been a crazy/scarey sight seeing the palm trees bend over. My thoughts and prayers are with the people in the worst affected areas and with your daughter upon her return to work, it will be an emotional and stressful time.

[2NfinitE&B-ond]

Does anyone know how Christmas Florida made out? I have some friends there that I haven't heard from. :confused:

[scrappy]

Just checking in with y'all. I live about 40 miles east of Ft. Myers. We had some pretty heavy winds here (80-100 mph) but it was a glancing blow, thank goodness. We only lost power for about 2 hours on Friday. A few trees down and lots of branches but no major structural damage. We are feeling very lucky as it was expected to pass directly over us but when it edged up to Sanibel Island it turned towards Port Charlotte. The pics on the news are devastating. DH is a deputy here in Hendry Cty and spent yesterday in Charlotte as part of a mutual aid team. He said it looked like the area had been bombed. Many heartbreaking stories. They're estimating the power won't be back for four weeks. No school facilities, no hospitals. It is such a tragedy and I am so grateful that we survived as we did. My prayers and lots of pixie dust are sent to those who have suffered such extreme losses.