Minor damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022Whenever a storm is approaching Walt Disney World, I hear people say that it’s the best time to visit. After all, many people will cancel their vacations, so the parks should be empty. Put on a poncho and have fun, right? Wrong! Tropical storms and hurricanes need to be taken seriously for everyone’s safety. If a storm is approaching and you haven’t left home yet, change your plans!
Because Florida is surrounded by water, tropical storms and hurricanes are a threat in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. There will usually be storm surge and flooding along the coast. Central Florida, including Walt Disney World, is often where people will evacuate to. There are plentiful hotel rooms in Central Florida, and since many of the buildings are newer they were built to sustain the winds. You don’t want to take the room of someone who needs to evacuate for safety purposes just so you can say that you were at Walt Disney World during a hurricane.
If you are staying on property, what can you expect? If the entrance to your room is exterior, you won’t be allowed to leave your room during the storm. If it’s an interior room you may be allowed to walk throughout the building, but you won’t be allowed outside to head to a different building. Since Walt Disney World has its own power plant you probably will have electricity the whole time. There could be extra free movies on the TV in your room.
Those who are able to get to the lobby of their hotel will most likely find games and maybe characters. The number of activities, though, will depend on how many Cast Members are working. Disney puts safety first, including the safety of the employees. Working Cast Members will hunker down at the resort along with the guests.
What about food? Don’t expect the restaurants to be open. Often there are bag lunches available for purchase, but that’s about it. If you plan to try to wait out a storm you might want to either drive to a local store and stock up, or use a delivery service like Instacart. Just don’t wait, because other people will have the same idea.
Walt Disney World will provide updates on when it’s safe to go out. The theme parks won’t open until everything has been checked for damage. Disney is very good at cleanup, and will have things up and running again as soon as they can.
One final note. If you’re at Walt Disney World during a storm, please be kind to the Cast Members. They’re tired and working as hard as they possibly can. Imagine being a homeowner who doesn’t know if your home is flooding, or your roof is being torn off from winds. Imagine being a College Program kid from Maine who has never faced a furious storm before. Whenever there is a storm I hear complaints about how grumpy some of the Cast Members were by the end. Who can blame them?
Please, when there’s a storm approaching, put safety first. Think of your safety, but also the safety of others. Actions have consequences, some that we may never see. The cliché is true, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry.