Hurricane Frances Updates & News

[JoDisney]

Brenda, Check out www.wesh.com (http://www.wesh.com) for the projected path of Frances. I hate to tell you, but there is a category 2 or 3 coming right behind. It is Ivan. I am calling it Ivan the Terrible. Orlando channel 2 had 5 day predicted path that they could not bring themselves to tell the viewers. I cannot believe it. JoAnn

[ September 05, 2004, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: JoDisney ]

[Harriet]

I am posting this for all to read and help if you can.
Sunday, September 5, 2004 - 2:00PM

It appears as though Orlando has dodged a bullet, at least thus far. Our maximum sustained winds here right now are 41MPH, with the highest reported gust at 64MPH. The Space Coast (Kennedy Space Center / NASA Launch Complex), is reporting the higest gust of the storm at 124MPH. They have been particularly hard hit, along with the rest of the coast line.

Right now it appears as though the southeastern part of the state has been hardest hit by Frances. More than 2 million are without power.

To be honest, this is far less than we anticipated. I know we're only halfway through the storm, and that some more severe weather could be coming up on us, but we're all pretty amazed thus far.

Of course, now they are talking about Hurricane Ivan, who is projected to come ashore on Friday. Yes, ANOTHER **** HURRICANE. This one went from a Categor 1 storm earlier today to a Category 3 storm this afternoon.

I would really like to ask everyone who can, to please make a donation to the American Red Cross. They are about to embark on the largest deployment of their history in Florida to support those who are without homes, power, etc.

Let me add a personal plea on this matter. We just got done spending 6 days without power. We were very fortunate that we were able to get to a hotel and ride it out there. That is not the case for many. Your house becomes unlivable. After 2 days in the Florida heat, the interior temperature can be as high as 80 or 90 degrees, with at least 90% humidity. There are those whose houses have been destroyed. You can go to:

www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html (http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html)

You can donate cash, products, even spare change. You can donate online, by phone, or by mail. Please, give what you can and help out all the families in Florida who are going without because of Frances.

[DisneyMomof3]

I was suppose to be in Florida this Labor Day weekend, but my plans were changed and I am glad. My family is now safe. I am now due to arrive in Orlando Thurs. Sept 9th. Because I booked and off site hotel this was the only weekend I could get or lose my money. My husband and I worked really hard to get the money to take our children to WDW. With these financally straining times we picked the value season to save a little money. We wanted to give our children a little bit of happiness. My question is this: Will Ivan be upon Florida between Sept. 9th - 13th. Should I just call it a day and cut my losses and thank God my family is safe and will continue to be? Or should I forge ahead and go? I didn't think it could be possible for two such powerful hurricanes to hit within a week of each other(Ivan now has powerful winds). By the tracking systems it seems that Ivan might just pass into the gulf or hit the lower part of Flordia. I feel so badly for the residence there. I really value everyones opinion on these boards. What should I do?

[pjbs35a]

Check here For Ivan updates. Still too early to tell. (http://www.intercot.com/boards/ultimatebb.php?/topic/8/5321.html)

[Main Street Jim]

We're alright here where we're at, just SE of the Magic Kingdom, near Downtown Disney. Haven't been outside recently, but saw some downed trees earlier. We briefly lost power this morning, but came back up around noon and been up ever since.

Watching the news, Vero got hit pretty hard. Been trying to get a hold of my dad down there, but not getting an answer. When I talked to my step-mom last night, she told me that the *HUGE* tree they had in the front yard - that's been there ever since we built the house almost 30 years ago - is down. Luckily it fell away from the house and driveway and out toward the street. Called my mom this morning, and she said she talked to her friends down there, that said some of the old beachfront restaurants and hotels that were there when I was growing up, are GONE - due to the beach eroding so bad with this storm. I'm hoping everything is alright with them down there. I *may* call into work tomorrow and drive down and make sure everything's alright down there.

Funny thing is, I *was* on vacation this week, but Frances killed those plans...LOLOL

[pjbs35a]

Thanks for the update.


TROPICAL STORM FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 48
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT SUN SEP 05 2004

...FRANCES HEADING FOR THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...COULD
REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH...

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED
SOUTHWARD FROM THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO ANNA MARIA
ISLAND. A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST OF
FLORIDA FROM ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO DESTIN.

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM NORTH OF
JUPITER INLET NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE.

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...ALL WARNINGS FROM JUPITER INLET SOUTHWARD TO
FLORIDA CITY HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...ON THE WEST
COAST...FROM SOUTH OF ANNA MARIA ISLAND SOUTHWARD AROUND THE
PENINSULA TO OCEAN REEF...AND FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...
INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO
ALTAMAHA SOUND.

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS
LOCATED BY RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS NEAR LATITUDE 28.0
NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF TAMPA
FLORIDA.

FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CENTER OF
FRANCES SHOULD MOVE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATER
TONIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH GUSTS BUT
FRANCES COULD REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE FROM SURFACE OBSERVATIONS IS 975
MB...28.79 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS
BATTERING WAVES CONTINUE ALONG THE NORTH FLORIDA EAST COAST BUT
SHOULD GRADUALLY SUBSIDE. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. ALONG THE SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA COAST...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF THE PATH OF FRANCES. STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF UP TO 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED
ALONG THE NORTHEAST GULF COAST OF FLORIDA.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...
TO NEAR 20 INCHES...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH
FLORIDA TODAY.

REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...28.0 N... 82.2 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 70 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 975 MB.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 8 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM
EDT.

[ September 05, 2004, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: pjbs35a ]

[J9]

any word yet on whether or nt MCO is going to be open tomorrow afternoon? I gotta catch my flight back to Orlando!!!

[SallyP]

MCO site says to contact your airline. Of course the airline will say to contact MCO :confused:
Orlando Airport MCO (http://www.orlandoairports.net/goaa/main.htm)

[ September 05, 2004, 06:56 PM: Message edited by: SallyP ]

[TiggerRPh]

Originally posted by J9:
any word yet on whether or nt MCO is going to be open tomorrow afternoon? I gotta catch my flight back to Orlando!!! No word yet from our onsite sources.

[Calamity Jane]

Hey....getting another bout of wind and rain here. It was pretty calm for awhile and I took my friend up to MGM to pick up her cat before the curfew hit. Didn't hear anything about damage...but I did see some trees down in the roadways from the parking lot. Once this thing seems to have died down for good I'm gonna see if they need help cleaning things up there...we're hopefully still opening tomorrow.

And ~knock on wood~ I haven't lost power yet.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Hours of Operation for Monday, September 6.

Magic Kingdom - 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Epcot - 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Typhoon Lagoon - 10 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Downtown Disney - 10 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex - Open for Events
Disney's Animal Kingdom - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Disney-MGM Studios - 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Blizzard Beach - 10 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Pleasure Island - Closed


Walt Disney World Resort will return to normal operations in all areas Tuesday, September 7.

[ September 05, 2004, 10:12 PM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

[Zebra]

Here in west Orange County we just got one of the outer bands. It has been pretty calm for the past few hours. Now winds are sustained at 20 mph with gusts up to 66 mph. It's not over yet. I'll be keeping an eye on Frances once she gets into the warm Gulf waters.

[[BS]Mickey]

First of all, as for MCO, no major damage has been reported. Time for reopen depends on the winds, they have to be below safe threshold. My suggestion would be to plan tomorrow's flights as normal. But be prepared.

As far as Ivan goes, we have history on our side. 3 major hurricanes have never hit Florida in the same month. I know, as soon as I say that, Ivan will head right for us. But current tropical prediction center forecast has it too close to call. Check all your cancellation policies, then postpone a decision until the latest possible time. Ivan could still turn north, or west, or even fall apart. Here's hoping.

We are taking advantage of a bad situation, and taking the family to Typhoon Lagoon tomorrow. See you all there. smile.gif

[J9]

The good news: MGM is closed
The bad news: I'm still supposed to report for my shift...my flight on Monday was cancelled...

The good news: I should be back in Disney by 12 pm on Tuesday so I can report for my 3 pm shift on Tuesday...I guess I'll just have to call out again and explain why...Oh man, I hope I don't get reprimanded to termed!!! eek!

[ September 05, 2004, 08:18 PM: Message edited by: J9 ]

[Calamity Jane]

J9~
You should be OK I'd think. I know a couple other people who are also stuck out of town and can't return.

Winds are really picking up here again! Just did some video taping on our screened in porch. Got a call from a friend who's alone and his lights finally went out. :( I'd be freaking out if that were me. It's been amazing how my circle of friends have kept in touch, making sure everyone is OK during this. Makes me feel really smile.gif in the middle of all this craziness. One notable omission but oh well. The storm will be over soon enough.

[[BS]Mickey]

OIA just announced ticket counters will reopen at 10am on Monday, with flights resuming at noon. However, there are some airlines who have chosen not to fly until Tuesday. Check with your airline for more.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Originally posted by J9:
The good news: MGM is closed
Actually they have changed the hours. MGM will be open. The only thing currently listed as closed is Pleasure Island.

[pjbs35a]

ORLANDO, FL – Passenger flight service is scheduled to resume at approximately noon September 6, 2004 at Orlando International Airport, following an area "all clear" from weather activity associated with Hurricane Frances. However, passengers with scheduled flights should contact their airline for the latest flight information. In addition, airline ticket counters will not open until 10:00 a.m.

The decision for a noon schedule resumption was established following a meeting between airline personnel and airport staff earlier today. "After evaluating and assessing the facilities and airfield, we are confident that recovery activity will allow the airport and most of our partners to resume operations by noon on Monday" commented C.W. Jennings, Executive Director for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Additionally please be advised that:

Southwest Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Jamaica, British Airways, CanJet, Cayman Airways, Condor/Thomas Cook, Copa, Martinair-Holland and Virgin Atlantic have advised that they will not resume passenger operations until Tuesday, September 7, 2004.

PASSENGERS

Ticket counters will be available beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Domestic passengers holding reservations for flights at noon or afterwards, should plan to arrive at the airport as scheduled
Passengers not holding confirmed reservations for Monday flights should contact their airlines for rebooking prior to coming to the airport

AIRLINES

The air carriers have asked that all airline employees scheduled to work Monday should report to work at their assigned times or call their individual companies for further instructions.


TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has asked that all TSA employees assigned to work on Monday should report as assigned and call 1-866-889-2780 to get updated schedule information.
Airport personnel and contractors will work through the night to ensure that the facilities will available for flight resumption for Monday. Passengers are asked not to arrive at Orlando International Airport prior to 10:00 a.m. to allow recovery crews to complete their assignments.

# # #

For more information, contact Carolyn Fennell at the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (407) 825-2055.

[pjbs35a]

TROPICAL STORM FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 49
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 PM EDT SUN SEP 05 2004

...FRANCES REMAINS A LARGE TROPICAL STORM...IS MOVING OFFSHORE TO
THE GULF OF MEXICO...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST
OF FLORIDA FROM ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO DESTIN.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST COAST
OF FLORIDA FROM SOUTH OF ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO OCEAN REEF INCLUDING
ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS...AND
FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA FROM NORTH OF JUPITER
INLET NORTHWARD TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GEORGIA...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE.

AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.7 WEST OR ABOUT
25 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA.

FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH AND A TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE
CENTER OF FRANCES IS AT THE GULF COAST AND IS FORECAST TO MOVE OVER
THE WATERS OF THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON MONAY AND THEN
MOVE INLAND OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE IN ABOUT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND THERE IS
CHANCE THAT FRANCES COULD AGAIN BECOME A HURRICANE.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES FROM THE
CENTER.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 976 MB...28.82 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS
BATTERING WAVES CONTINUE ALONG THE NORTH FLORIDA EAST COAST BUT
SHOULD GRADUALLY SUBSIDE. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 5 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE ON MONDAY. ALONG THE SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA COAST...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL
TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF THE PATH OF FRANCES. STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF UP TO 4 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED
ALONG THE NORTHEAST GULF COAST OF FLORIDA TO THE NORTH OF THE PATH
OF THE STORM.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...
ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES ALONG
FRANCES WIDE PATH.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
GEORGIA AND NORTHERN FLORIDA.

REPEATING THE 11 PM EDT POSITION...28.3 N... 82.7 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 65 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 976 MB.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 2 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 AM
EDT.

[Zebra]

Originally posted by PolyGirl40:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by J9:
The good news: MGM is closed
Actually they have changed the hours. MGM will be open. The only thing currently listed as closed is Pleasure Island. </font>[/QUOTE]According to the cast member portal:

Resort Venues Hours of Availability (September 6, 2004)
Disney-MGM Studios CLOSED
Epcot® 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Magic Kingdom® Park 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park CLOSED
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park CLOSED
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex Open for Events
Downtown Disney® Area 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. (Pleasure Island Closed)
Disney University 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Disney Reservation Center Orlando First shifts begin at 9 a.m.
Disney Reservation Center Tampa First shifts begin 11 a.m.
Walt Disney World Resort hotels OPEN
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground CLOSED

All Equity performers (singers, dancers, street actors) have been told not to report to work at MGM as there will be no shows for the day.

[ September 06, 2004, 01:36 AM: Message edited by: Zebra ]

[Joe, Sue and Joey]

Glad to see that Main Street Jim is okay.

[ September 06, 2004, 07:28 AM: Message edited by: Joe, Sue and Joey ]

[brownie]

The Disney Flash for Travel Agents from last night said that Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios, Blizzard Beach, and Pleasure Island would be closed today (9/6). Wide World of Sports is open for scheduled events.

[JoDisney]

Zebra, Thanks for the update. You are on the ball.

[Nana]

Just as an Ivan update. The current 5 day has it on track to hit United States around the South Florida area. Hopefully Ivan will veer to the right and miss us.

[TiggerRPh]

According to the Orlando Sentinel -

Only Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom will not open -- and that's because of staffing issues, said Disney spokeswoman Veronica Clemons. Both parks are "show ready," she said.

[imported_PolyGirl40]

They park hours are on the front page. They've changed them 3 times since last night. graemlins/crazy.gif

Glad to hear everyone is safe. smile.gif

[Crow]

glad most seem to be ok. hear there's still rain bands and tornado watches.
heard from a friend in the Panhandle last night; he said people were going crazy buying water. i see Frances is getting ready to hit his area now.
i still have my res for tomorrow. arriving in the am.

[SallyP]

Thanks for the update Carol. Sounds like Mickey graemlins/mickey.gif and friends escaped Frances' fury. I bet all those visitors will be happy to hit the parks today!

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Flights Set To Resume at Orlando International Airport at Noon on Monday

ORLANDO, FL – Passenger flight service is scheduled to resume at approximately noon September 6, 2004 at Orlando International Airport, following an area "all clear" from weather activity associated with Hurricane Frances. However, passengers with scheduled flights should contact their airline for the latest flight information. In addition, airline ticket counters will not open until 10:00 a.m.

The decision for a noon schedule resumption was established following a meeting between airline personnel and airport staff earlier today. "After evaluating and assessing the facilities and airfield, we are confident that recovery activity will allow the airport and most of our partners to resume operations by noon on Monday" commented C.W. Jennings, Executive Director for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Additionally please be advised that:

Southwest Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Jamaica, British Airways, CanJet, Cayman Airways, Condor/Thomas Cook, Copa, Martinair-Holland and Virgin Atlantic have advised that they will not resume passenger operations until Tuesday, September 7, 2004.


PASSENGERS

Ticket counters will be available beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Domestic passengers holding reservations for flights at noon or afterwards, should plan to arrive at the airport as scheduled
Passengers not holding confirmed reservations for Monday flights should contact their airlines for rebooking prior to coming to the airport


AIRLINES

The air carriers have asked that all airline employees scheduled to work Monday should report to work at their assigned times or call their individual companies for further instructions.


TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has asked that all TSA employees assigned to work on Monday should report as assigned and call 1-866-889-2780 to get updated schedule information.
Airport personnel and contractors will work through the night to ensure that the facilities will available for flight resumption for Monday. Passengers are asked not to arrive at Orlando International Airport prior to 10:00 a.m. to allow recovery crews to complete their assignments.

[ September 06, 2004, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

[JoDisney]

Zebra, It's neat to have Cast member info. Thanks for sharing.

[jeffwarb]

I had a friend ask how many times in its history has Disney World completely closed down. I figured that this board would supply me ths answer, since you're all so knowledgeable in Disney-ese! graemlins/notworthy.gif

Also, does anyone have any idea how much money WDW lost by closing?

My prayers are with all who are affected by this string of storms. My parents house in Ft. Myers suffered some damage from Charlie, but nothing major, and no injuries!! graemlins/clappy.gif

God bless, and may the force be with you all!

Jeff

2004 CSR (first time!!) graemlins/mickey.gif
2005 TBA

[Zebra]

Originally posted by PolyGirl40:
They park hours are on the front page. They've changed them 3 times since last night. graemlins/crazy.gif

Glad to hear everyone is safe. smile.gif Someone must have gotten the wrong info to give out...the cast portal info was posted last night at 7 pm. Typical of an emergency. Too much different information. ;)

[MauiMouse]

Does anyone know about Miami International Airport, are they operational? I have a friend's relations going back down tomorrow afternoon. Thanks! smile.gif

[Zebra]

Originally posted by jeffwarb:
I had a friend ask how many times in its history has Disney World completely closed down. I figured that this board would supply me ths answer, since you're all so knowledgeable in Disney-ese! graemlins/notworthy.gif

In the ten years I've worked there this is the closure history:

Hurricane Erin in '95 - parks closed early and opened late the next day

Hurricane Floyd in '99 - parks closed early and AK opened to resort guests the next day.

September 11, 2001 - parks closed early in the afternoon and reopened on time the nest day

Epcot closure - 2002 due to an electrical fire

Hurricane Charley '04 - parks closed early and opened the next day (with the exception of AK which was closed the day of and the day after)

Hurricane Frances '04 - parks closed all day Saturday and Sunday. Expected to fully reopen an hour earlier on Monday morning but the slow progress of the storm caused some parks to not open at all.

That's all I have. I'm sure there have been a few more early closures due to Hurricanes but not many. We seem to be on the end of thirty years of mild tropical weather and the beginning of thirty years of severe tropical weather.

[minniemouse23]

I heard on the Weather Channel this morning that they are reporting $41 million dollars loss. That includes Disney, Universal & Sea World! :eek:

[rnin02]

we are heading out on our disney vacation tuesday morning. what are the conditions like for the rest of florida? are current plan is to get a rental car, drive ourselves to the resort, and hit a walmart on the way for snacks and drinks. i've heard a few scary reports of no gas and bare shelves, how true is this? thanks!!

[ September 06, 2004, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: rnin02 ]

[Crow]

ive been at WDW a few times that they closed. 9/11 was once and another hurricane they closed the day i was flying out.
i heard the $41 million lost total too for Orlando parks. i did see a picture of 1 hotel that was hurt in Orlando.
in 1 way im thinking i shouldnt go on vacation w many in Fl and places who have suffered from Frances. in another way i guess i will be supporting some of the people w money spent while im there.
i still havent booked transport from the airport to WDW ...did Happy Limo previously but i may be getting a ride back to airport Sunday. im wondering how the gas/transportation issues are now. and the food.
everyone b careful.

[Zebra]

Originally posted by rnin02:
we are heading out on our disney vacation tuesday morning. what are the conditions like for the rest of florida? are current plan is to get a rental car, drive ourselves to the resort, and hit a walmart on the way for snacks and drinks. i've heard a few scary reports of no gas and bare shelves, how true is this? thanks!! Deliveries are already being made to stores. From what I understand they are working on getting gas into the state. There will probably be long lines for gas when you get here. Also, remember we are still having poor weather. We are currently under flood and tornado warnings (not watches). I'm looking out my apartment window and the ground is starting to dry but there are some lower areas that are already flooded.

[BelleCiavo]

Crow ~ We seem to go to WDW at the same time! We were there for Floyd, 9/11 and we are leaving tomorrow! LOL What are the odds of that? You weren't there last Oct. too were you? Have a happy birthday graemlins/party.gif Hope you still get to spend it at disney. (Sorry for going O.T.)

Back on topic: Please someone correct me if you think I'm wrong. I don't think there is anything wrong with going to WDW this week. I grew up at a Jersey Shore town (Point Pleasant Beach) and we always had a love/hate relationship with tourists; people in Orlando might feel the same way. One thing I do know is that is was no fun when people didn't come. No tourists=no money. From the chambermaid to M.E. ~ all will feel the pinch (well, maybe not M.E. so much). Just be extra patient and generous.

Karen graemlins/mickey.gif

[SallyP]

We need you to come to Florida. Having lost so much from Tourism $$$ these past 3 weeks is a big ouch in our state coffers. Please come down and spend the moola or we'll have to start a state income tax. Evil thought :eek:
The problem with the gasoline were the ports of entry Miami and Tampa. Miami shouldn't be a problem as far as shipment and Tampa should be okay by tomorrow. I do know that Gov. Bush signed an order about use of gasoline in the state:

State Wil Control Gasoline Shipments
From the Associated Press:
Hurricane Frances left empty gasoline tanks throughout Florida, but as winds calmed and the first tanker trucks hit the road with fresh supplies, state and local officials were dictating where they went first.

Gov. Jeb Bush signed an order Sunday giving the state authority to regulate fuel supplies. It gives emergency workers, cleanup crews and military operations priority for the next week.

"We have a priority system," Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings said. "The first obviously are our first responders and our emergency operations people."

Jennings said the seven-day order should not be seen as rationing, but added that Floridians could help out by not driving for a few days.

[Digger]

I don't know about wal-mart, but we went to costco right before frances arrived and there was no shortage of anything, not even water. I don't know if you're a member of them or sam's, but it's an option if you're worried about supplies. graemlins/mickey.gif

[[BS]Mickey]

We are finally pretty well in the clear. Woke up this morning to rain, wind, and tornado warnings all around. Cancelled our planned trip to TL, but right now the sun is out.

Video is now coming from news helicopters. The coast near Cocoa to Melbourne was tore up pretty bad. The steeple of a church is now impaled in the roof. The Cocoa Beach pier normally ends about 50 feet from the water. The storm surge completely covered the pier, as well as the first block or two inland. Many, many condos, hotels, and restaurants are now either demolished or without roofs. The sea brought sand through the first floor of many places. They said 70% of red lights are down in the area.

As far as inland, the is not as much new damage. About a million homes are without power in our area alone. Gas lines were long after Charley. They were long before Frances. They will be long after Frances. May even be longer, if it looks like Ivan will hit us.

We really love the tourists, but stay flexible. Ivan now looks as if it will be here next Sunday. If the parks close again, it will be no fun for anyone. I have a friend on the rideout crew. I'll try to pass along any info I hear concerning Ivan, but they probably won't know until about Friday. :(

Thanks, everyone, for all your support.

[Calamity Jane]

Just got back from working at the Studios...things look almost ready to go for tomorrow. It was mostly a lot of trees and stuff blown around. I learned the hard way today some tree branches have spikes on them (ouch!) From what I could tell there wasn't much damage. A gate door got torn up and some trees were lost but really the park looked pretty good for just having been thru another hurricane. It was weird being there when the park was empty though.

But yes...we're ready for everyone to come visit us again! NO MORE HURRICANES!!! IVAN GO AWAY!!!

[susy the groomer]

Well, we are coming graemlins/crazy.gif On Saturday if Ivan lets us in. I am such a geek, I have been watching the weather channel all the time. It looks like Ivan is slowing down today. I am committed to the trip anyway. I wonder what the crowds will be like? graemlins/mickey.gif Are Florida kids in school? I hope those of you that live in Florida are save and cool. See you all soon.

[[BS]Mickey]

In a normal year, crowds next weekend would be medium. However, this isn't a normal year by no means. So crowds will be unpredictable for awhile. Local area schools have announced that most will return by Wednesday. But any crowd depends on the big "I".

[Calamity Jane]

Yeah, the schools are closed until Wednesday and some even until next week in the hardest hit areas.

I was a bit surprised that UCF (university of central florida..where I go) cancelled classes tomorrow but I understood once I knew how many people had left the state for the storm. Even before they cancelled school I'd gotten emails from two profs saying they wouldn't be back to school by Tuesday.

[Disney Doodle]

I'm glad to hear your all safe and everyone is trying to get things back to normal. I hope the whole experience has not been too painful. My thoughts are with you as you continue with your big clean-up.

Angie.

[GBBT]

I'm so glad all CMs and Floridians are safe this go around.We live 15 miles from Myrtle Beach,SC and we've been feeling the storms also.No cat 2-4 that you've been getting but SC and Florida is getting the brunt of them.I'm ready for the season to wind down. graemlins/crazy.gif It's starting to get to me. graemlins/shakehead.gif I'm ready for my 4 days at WDW during Halloween. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[Dreamin' of Disney]

Digger and Sally,glad to hear that all is well, and that you are returning back to some normalty. For the rest of our FLorida friends we are still praying and keeping you all in our thoughts as you continue to clean up.

[Crow]

Crow ~ We seem to go to WDW at the same time! We were there for Floyd, 9/11 and we are leaving tomorrow! LOL What are the odds of that? You weren't there last Oct. too were you? Have a happy birthday
no Belle i wasnt there in Oct...Sept yes..
hope your trip goes well too..ill wave to you.
now to get some sleep and leave in a few hrs..
here i come CMs...
hmm now i just have to find a way to WDW from the airport..mayb call Happy.

[Digger]

we woke up today to more wind and rain and 2 baby tree frogs on the inside of the french doors in our bedroom. any port in a storm I guess. :D we remain, again for now, lucky. but we were supposed to spend the weekend at US/IOA. we'll try again next weekend, depending on Ivan. I need a ROTM fix, and Lesli is craving a Minutemaid frozen strawberry lemonade. graemlins/mickey.gif

[MCFantasia]

Well, Frances is here. I know its nothing compared to what Florida went through but its turning our world upside down. We've got steady winds around 25mph ... gusts reaching 45mph (or higher when channeled between buildings). Heavy, heavy rain. Here at work the power has gone out a few times (although we have a generator) but it hasn't stayed out for more than five minutes. I heard a loud crash outside and looked to see a fairly old maple tree didn't survive. Lukily it didn't land on anything other than pavement. Hope the rest of the night and tomorrow continue to go as smoothly.

[Nana]

McFantasia,
Yep, I am here in North Metro Atlanta and the wind is howling outside. We took in our patio furniture last night to keep it from becoming a flying missile. It is amazing how heavy it is raining here. I can not imagine what it must have been like to have Frances at its worst. :eek:

[Womble]

Originally posted by Zebra:
Epcot closure - 2002 due to an electrical fire

Zebra was this the incident where a transformer "blew out" and it also affected surrounding resorts?

Kevin AKA Womble

[disneydoug]

I am in WV and we are due to fly out on Friday morning for WDW. We are watching IVAN closely. I don't want to gamble our vacation and meet IVAN and be locked down in a hotel room. As of right now, we plan on making the trip. Our prayers are with those of you who have been through such a hard time in Florida. We consider Florida our 2nd home and hope for a speedy clean up and no more storms for you. Doug

[Ian]

I'm in the same boat you are, Doug. We fly in Friday night and I'm hoping we don't get nailed with Ivan right after we get there.

As of now, I'm thinking it's going to pass South of Orlando, though. I'm hoping we won't get anything but maybe a little extra rain.

[Toughbug]

The best advice is to monitor the situation because the predicted paths can be wrong and they change depending on what happens. We here in New Orleans monitor any situation like this also and I have seen models that have Ivan going south of Florida (which would be great news and a huge relief for those Floridians) and heading into the Gulf of Mexico because of the lack of steering currents and the gulf stream hsn't dipped down so Florida might be okay as of today. Keep tuned to what is happening from the Weather Channel and the local New Orleans TV stations have web sights that probably update the situation when the National Weather Service does so I would keep an eye on things that way.

The folks down in Florida are in my thoughts and prayers.

[Nascfan]

Thank you all, cast members and non-cast members, for keeping us updated throughout the storm. Our thoughts and prayers were and continue to be with all affected.

[Donalds Duckie]

I read this morning that historically all hurricanes that were within 100 mile radius of where Ivan is right now tracked and made landfall in Texas or in Carolinas, Florida was completely unaffected. So, if history holds true, Ivan will miss Florida altogether.

[ September 07, 2004, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: Donalds Duckie ]

[Timbo]

Here in Hollywood, near Ft. Lauderdale, my family and home came through Frances without a hitch. At my home we never even lost power for more than a few seconds. Amazing considering some of my friends just a few miles East of me were without power for a couple of days. Even my parents in St. Augustine didn't have power for 30 hours.

There are a lot of traffic lights out here and Broward county schools are out today. Gasoline is still a bit of a challenge but I'm sure that by tomorrow all the stations will be back to operating capacity.

We're just grateful that we came through it okay and as far as I know none of my friends or loved ones were injured in the storm. It's still amazing to me that in this day and age we can count so many deaths from a hurricane in a developed country like ours. graemlins/shakehead.gif

I'm praying for Ivan to go away and leave us alone until the season is over. This is just too much for us to deal with. :mad:

Y'all take care and stay safe.

[Nan]

I have been reading this thread with interest for the past week as we are leaving for WDW on the 17th. I have felt incredibly guilty being so concerned for my little vacation while all of you CM's and Floridians are worried for your health and property. Know that my thoughts and prayers have been with you.
Thanks for the postings regarding tourists. We have been unsure if we would just add to the state's burden if we go, but also figured that the $ we spend would be welcomed. It is nice to know that we would be welcome to go.
As it stands we will go as long as Ivan doesn't rear his ugly head and make travel unsafe or affect the water supply.
As we are going without the kids, being stuck in our hotel room would be OK graemlins/silly.gif

[Pixie Power]

Originally posted by Nan:
As we are going without the kids, being stuck in our hotel room would be OK graemlins/silly.gif Woo hoo Nan! That's good thinkin'! ;)

[DisneyMomof3]

We had to change our plans because of Frances. We are now due to arrive on Thurs. the 9th. I have been watching Ivan. It seems that it will be south of Florida (Thank God). It looks like it will be south of Cuba, go into the gulf and on to Texas. I will be there only until Mon. 13th and I am convinced that by going I will be helping the hard it economy down there. My prayers are with all the residence. Isn't it wonderful to know what a great country we have! To see all the people coming to help Florida in their time of need.

[TXDisneyAddict]

Well, we leave to head to the airport in about two hours. We had moved the departure date back four days last Wednesday before they officially announced the flights were cancelled. Staying through Sunday evening, and have been watching Ivan closely -- don't think it will head to FL based on today's projections, but that is always subject to change.

Spoke to Mears, and they are working as normal in case anyone was coming in and wondering. Will try and post if anything pertinent comes up.

Hope everyone else coming in this week travels in safely and has a good trip. Even if it rains, it's better to be at Disney while wet, than anywhere else while dry.

[Donalds Duckie]

Nan, I am scheduled to fly to WDW on Sept. 17th too. As long as I can get out of Texas (looks as if Ivan might come a callin' here) I'm going. I think by the 17th we will be welcomed in Florida.

Nothing we can do now but watch and wait.

[stitch626]

Finally, I got my power back. Now if I could get my cable too I would be a happy camper.

Came through the storm with no damage. Just a little flooding around us. Went back to work today(Discovery Cove) and everything is back to normal there.

Just heard on the local news that it may be weeks before Port Canaveral can get back to normal operations. Sounds like a lot of sand was dragged into the port and they have to dredge it before ships can return. Since we are supposed to go on the Disney Cruise on September 18th I guess I will have to wait and seewhere we will sail from. I know right now they are sailing from Port Everglades.

[goofygirl67]

Well, we just got power and phones back up an hour ago. We lost them around 5pm Sunday.
Where we live there are many historic trees on our street and in about 6 sections on the road trees came down and tore the lines.
We had sweltering heat in the house and couldn't sleep very well. Nothing to do, I never knew we relied on electricity so much.
I never knew that even on the outer fringes of the hurricane alot of damage could happen. We even had gusts at hurricane strength when the eye was at Tampa. Today we had nothing but pouring rain for most of the day.
The airport didn't open until yesterday about 10am. My parents were supposed to go to New Oleans for their vacation on a river boat and Southwest canceled all their flights. My parents will now go around Thanksgiving.
I hope Ivan doesn't come near, I think the rest of the trees will come down. We now have new ponds in our backyard due to the fact that the water can't drain.
Hopefully everything is getting better further south.

[susy the groomer]

Sounds like there will be a bunch of us intercotee's in orlando this weekend! We fly in on Saturday and are staying 8 days. See you all there.... graemlins/mickey.gif

[steamboat willy]

Frances is here in the Carolinas now, pouring down rain and tornado warnings all evening. Driving down on Friday to ASM for 20th anniversary. Lets keep that IVAN going WEST.
3 days and counting!
graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/muscles.gif :cool: graemlins/muscles.gif graemlins/clappy.gif

[piget]

We just got back last night - WDW was a "ghost town " the last few days - even on Monday with only 2 parks open. If you are wondering about crowds for the next week or so - A CM told us yesterday that cancellations are running over 50% for this week!

[Jasper]

It is good to hear that everyone seems to have come through this latest storm in reasonably good condition.

I am always amazed at what mother nature does with storms. Even with the best of technology we are still only able to predict within a few hundred miles the path of a storm like Frances. It is also amazing that WDW went from the early 70's until the late 90's without a complete shutdown of all the parks and now we have seen two such complete shutdowns in just a couple of months.

Just like that old butter commercial used to say, "It's not nice to fool mother nature."

[ September 08, 2004, 11:54 AM: Message edited by: Jasper ]

[Lizzy]

Well, my power was out from Friday till yesterday. most of Palm bay is still without power, I am one of the lucky few that got it back. My porsh roof was destroyed and caused leaking into my house. 2 other windows leak now. My yard is littered with my neighbors shingles and trees. It has been a miserable weekend. It will be a long time before anything will get fixed, but I am thankful that my house is livable. There are only a few gas stations open and you have to wait an hour before you can get any. The grocery stores are running out of food.

We thank you all for your prayers and please keep them comming. We just want to get back to as close to normal as we can quickly!

[goofygirl67]

One reason the stores are running out of food is they had to throw out the perishable departments due to refrigeration shutting down. The emergency generators only run the emergency lights and registers.
Today I was restocking a frozen food department that lost all it's stock. Even the freezers in the back didn't hold the cold in.
There are many stores and different grocery chains that are in the same boat.

[susy the groomer]

Well my husband does much better without crowds at the parks so I guess I will take advantage of the empty parks. I'll spend my tourist dollars in Orlando!!! :D And I'm looking forward to it.

[NYdaily]

Originally posted by susy the groomer:
Well my husband does much better without crowds at the parks so I guess I will take advantage of the empty parks. I'll spend my tourist dollars in Orlando!!! :D And I'm looking forward to it. the crowds were amazing. the day before frances we rode on Peter Pan's flight 3 times -- the only ones on the ride.

and the day after -- a little more people -- but still, absolutely no waiting ever.

it was worth being stuck in a Pop century hotel room for two days! ;)

[NASCARVW]

just to add to the crowd descriptions...

We went on the following rides, DUMBO, PETER PAN, SNOW WHITE, TEA CUPS, and POOH, all in about 30 minutes...TOTAL!!!
Now that will never happen again I BET!!!
Hmmm, let's see...
Front row in the front of the castle for WISHES, noone in elbow room...
it was soo scarce, I made it on the TOP3 list in MILLIONARE on Tues...LOL
Poor guy made it to the MILLION POINT question, and missed the FREE CRUISE....bummer, but was great to get to see it!
Went on Rockn Roller coaster twice within about 12 minutes...
CURBSIDE for all the parades, with NO WAITING!!
just spooky scarcity!!!
But was great to take advantage of that part of it...

[WDWdriver]

Originally posted by Lizzy:


We thank you all for your prayers and please keep them comming. We just want to get back to as close to normal as we can quickly! Hang in there, Lizzy. Hopefully, Palm Bay will recover soon.

[mlflinn1]

Maybe I missed it somewhere, but did Fantasmic suffer damages. I noticed that it is still closed along with numerous other shows. Was there damage or is there another reason?

[Lizzy]

Originally posted by WDWdriver:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Lizzy:


We thank you all for your prayers and please keep them comming. We just want to get back to as close to normal as we can quickly! Hang in there, Lizzy. Hopefully, Palm Bay will recover soon. </font>[/QUOTE]Thanks Ron. We are getting there. There is just so much debris! And there are so many traffic lights gone. The National Guard has been out directing traffic for us- rifles and all! :eek:

[J9]

Originally posted by mlflinn1:
Maybe I missed it somewhere, but did Fantasmic suffer damages. I noticed that it is still closed along with numerous other shows. Was there damage or is there another reason? Nope, no damages to the show. We were told that the mountain was dissasembled for the hurricane and it was closed tuesday because they had to put it all back together. The show was performed as scheduled on Wednesday.

[Black Jack Shallack form Frontenac]

graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/muscles.gif graemlins/clappy.gif Welcome to Intercot, mlflinn1!
graemlins/muscles.gif graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/muscles.gif

[mommybelle]

Well, we survived and so did most of our house :rolleyes: I don't ever want to hear the words, "Port Saint Lucie if your not in your safe room now, get in to it now" again! We have an old wood frame home and our "safe room" was a hallway and closet with a temp of about 90 degrees. Luckily I got my girls to fall asleep before it got really bad. I will never forget the hours of hearing what sounded like a freight train running over the house, watching the walls look like they were breathing,moving in and out and shaking, and hearing stuff hit the house. We lost our power on Sat morning and just got it back Thurs night. Our side of the street has power and the other doesn't. We ran a power cord to the lady across the street and gave her our fan and a small tv, we invited her into our house but she wouldn't come. We're still waiting for a claims adjuster to come to our house so we can fix stuff and get back to a normal life. I'm exhausted from making this fun for my girls, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. I kept them happy and they're disapointed to sleep in their own rooms again and eat meals at the table. I hope everyone else came out of this ok and I'm glad to see WDW is ok.
Things I learned from this experience : I hate peanut butter! I never ate it before and now I know why graemlins/ack.gif I can live without tv. I cannot live without AC especially at night when the temp in the house is 87, impossible to sleep. Ice cold showers aren't so bad once you get used to them. Heat rash stinks. Baby wipes make an excellent sponge bath when water is not available. There are lots of nice helpful people around. There are lots of nasty people around scamming, looting and cutting lines. From my personal experience so far the nice people far outweigh the bad smile.gif

[Nana]

mommybelle,
Glad to hear you are ok. I am very sorry you have had to go through so much but very happy you are ok. graemlins/muscles.gif Sounds like your children are doing good. Perhaps when all is cleaned up, a trip to Disney should be in the planning. :D You may want to wait until cooler weather though. ;)

[SallyP]

Mommybelle, Thanks for letting us know you and your family came through Frances okay. It's amazing to me what the human spirit is capable of enduring. Kudos to you for helping your children through the nightmare. Glad to 'see' you back on Intercot. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[mommybelle]

Originally posted by bradleysnana:
mommybelle,
Glad to hear you are ok. I am very sorry you have had to go through so much but very happy you are ok. graemlins/muscles.gif Sounds like your children are doing good. Perhaps when all is cleaned up, a trip to Disney should be in the planning. :D You may want to wait until cooler weather though. ;) Glad to be back :D We do have a trip booked for 10/31-11/6 which we've been planning for months. We may have to cancel :( if the insurance company doesn't come through for us. We've already used most of our vacation fund for hurricane supplies and repairs to the home. We'll know soon I hope. The room is paid for but we do need to eat and gas up the car... if there's any gas left in FL ;)