This storm in the Gulf… now Hurricane Idalia

[gottalovepluto]

Really struggling with what to do on a short trip that was supposed to last Tuesday afternoon through Friday (assuming we can fly in at 11am Tuesday)... We can add another day and just wait out the weather on Wednesday... are the days after usually "normal" rain and less "tropical storm" rain?

I’d try to make the flight, plan on hunkering down Wed by bringing some snacks, and be ready for a very wet trip.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Those with flights @MCO is the Orlando Airport’s Twitter/X handle. They are good about quickly posting operational updates like airport closures. So far they have not announced a closure. You can enable notifications from their handle to be pushed to your smart device.

 

[gottalovepluto]

@GADisneyDad14 posted a great compilation of various online FL storm resources on the Resort Board here

 

[kylenne]

Those with flights @MCO is the Orlando Airport’s Twitter/X handle. They are good about quickly posting operational updates like airport closures. So far they have not announced a closure. You can enable notifications from their handle to be pushed to your smart device.

They are also very funny btw. Love that account.

I fly down on Thursday morning out of NYC and am really only concerned about ripple effects from flight cancellations. I have a ticket for the sold out party on Friday and it would suck to have to fly in that morning if my flight gets bumped. JetBlue's schedule was looking at bit thin as it is.

 

[CarolynFH]

I just wanted to post something for benefit of those who are unfamiliar with hurricane tracking. The cone of uncertainty shows the potential track of the eye of the hurricane. It’s important to realize that strong winds, heavy rains, etc. can extend many miles beyond that - the edges of the cone are not the limits of potential hurricane effects.

Also - If I had plans to visit WDW this week, I’d be familiar with any trip insurance I had, whether purchased or provided via credit card, etc. so that if I had to cancel the trip or modify it (for example, after Ian some guests had to stay longer than planned because the airport was closed) I’d know what reimbursement was available to me and what the requirements were to be reimbursed.

 

[rlk]

If Disney cancels it they will receive a refund. That’s actually the only circumstance they offer a refund. They will not add in a make up party to the schedule or move people to sold out parties- at least that’s how it went in the past.

Not sure if they let people reschedule for another party without paying the price difference?

We were at Disney during Hurricane Ian last year and had MNSSHP tickets for the canceled party. Disney offered to either refund our money or to attend a different party. We opted for a refund since we had already attended one party, but we could have gone to the next party.

I imagine that the extra partygoers were balanced out by people who either canceled their trip or had to delay their arrival.

Hoping for minimal impact. Stay safe everyone!

 

[kylenne]

I just wanted to post something for benefit of those who are unfamiliar with hurricane tracking. The cone of uncertainty shows the potential track of the eye of the hurricane. It’s important to realize that strong winds, heavy rains, etc. can extend many miles beyond that - the edges of the cone are not the limits of potential hurricane effects.

Also - If I had plans to visit WDW this week, I’d be familiar with any trip insurance I had, whether purchased or provided via credit card, etc. so that if I had to cancel the trip or modify it (for example, after Ian some guests had to stay longer than planned because the airport was closed) I’d know what reimbursement was available to me and what the requirements were to be reimbursed.

Very good advice. I booked my Dolphin stay on my CSP card and their coverage is pretty robust.

 

[MommaKetch]

I hope this will help those with WDW plans this week. We were on property last September when Ian hit, staying at the Wilderness Lodge. For reference, the eye went about 30 miles SE around 4 AM on Thursday the 29th.

Our original arrival was scheduled for Thursday, the day the hurricane went over! So, knowing it would affect our trip, I changed our flights to arrive 2 days earlier than planned, and we arrived at MCO at 6:30 PM on Tuesday. I also booked a room for 2 nights, as I could not modify my previously booked and paid for Thurs - Tues trip. Well, I just figured Disney's phones were tied up, and I jumped on the room availability. At the time, I did not think the storm would be as strong as it was.

We arrived Tuesday evening, and the airport was packed with people hoping to fly out. I believe they shut down MCO that night. The storm's outer bands were starting to reach WDW, and there was a misty rain here and there. Our taxi took us down the toll road and avoided I-4. We drove over and saw it was an absolute parking lot for those headed northbound trying to escape the Gulf Coast. When we drove past the parking ticket booths to MK, our driver explained that they had already removed most of the Halloween decor.

The Tuesday MNSSHP was happening, and we watched the fireworks from the resort. Wednesday and Thursday, the parks were closed. Our dining reservation for the contemporary on Thursday evening was canceled. Disney was very upfront with communication through texting, as my number was tied to my MDE account. Travel between resorts was prohibited, and they made it clear that if you left your resort, you would not be let back in. They had at least one security personnel stationed at the front doors to Wilderness Lodge.

The kids could swim in the pool on Tuesday evening and for half of the day on Wednesday. There were special dance parties in the lobby and movies in Artist's Point. Fees for arcade games were lifted. The gym was open. Roaring Fork QS and Whispering Canyon were open. Geyser Point was closed.

During the worst of the storm, they asked via text that everyone remain in their buildings and not go outdoors. Wilderness Lodge was inclusive, so we never felt cut off. I felt for those in resorts with the room doors facing out or separate buildings like CR and Poly. Mousekeeping came by with extra towels and flashlights. There were big bins of towels in each hallway by the elevator. We had a leaking sliding glass door, and someone quickly came to repair it. The cast members were part of the ride-it-out crew and stayed at the lodge for the storm's duration. Chefs were staying a few doors down from us. Our waitress at Whispering Canyon shared that she was excited to ride it out as she'd heard about how fun it was. She seemed to be having a great time.

When the storm passed around 4 AM, the winds were howling, and I was wide awake. As a former resident of FL and mostly fearless of hurricanes, this was a little spooky for me. Reports about the devastation in South Florida were on TV, so I knew this wasn't just some wind and rain.

It passed WDW with minor damage. Mostly vegetation everywhere. I watched the local news and could see that there was flooding in parts of Orlando.

The parks opened up Friday with a delay. I believe a lot of it was because cast members needed to deal with their homes, etc. I heard whispers of them having trouble getting enough bus drivers to fill the shifts. All of that made perfect sense to me. The devastation looked much worse on the news.

The only plus was that the hurricane sucked out all the bad weather, and we had sunny skies and low humidity for the remainder of our trip.

So seeing as Idalia is headed that way and the eye passing over land on Wednesday morning, I'd bet that today is the last day to fly into Orlando. They might open back up mid-day on Thursday.

 

[MommaKetch]

From MCO's Facebook, posted 2 hours ago:

Our airport is open and operational while we continue to monitor Tropical Storm Idalia. A friendly reminder that with safety in mind, delays/cancellations are likely to occur with heavy rainfall and gusty winds to tropical storm force in the area. Please check directly with your airline for any updates in regards to your flight. For general airport delays, please visit: https://nasstatus.faa.gov/
https://www.facebook.com/flyMCO

 

[georgina]

I hope this will help those with WDW plans this week. We were on property last September when Ian hit, staying at the Wilderness Lodge. For reference, the eye went about 30 miles SE around 4 AM on Thursday the 29th.

Our original arrival was scheduled for Thursday, the day the hurricane went over! So, knowing it would affect our trip, I changed our flights to arrive 2 days earlier than planned, and we arrived at MCO at 6:30 PM on Tuesday. I also booked a room for 2 nights, as I could not modify my previously booked and paid for Thurs - Tues trip. Well, I just figured Disney's phones were tied up, and I jumped on the room availability. At the time, I did not think the storm would be as strong as it was.

We arrived Tuesday evening, and the airport was packed with people hoping to fly out. I believe they shut down MCO that night. The storm's outer bands were starting to reach WDW, and there was a misty rain here and there. Our taxi took us down the toll road and avoided I-4. We drove over and saw it was an absolute parking lot for those headed northbound trying to escape the Gulf Coast. When we drove past the parking ticket booths to MK, our driver explained that they had already removed most of the Halloween decor.

The Tuesday MNSSHP was happening, and we watched the fireworks from the resort. Wednesday and Thursday, the parks were closed. Our dining reservation for the contemporary on Thursday evening was canceled. Disney was very upfront with communication through texting, as my number was tied to my MDE account. Travel between resorts was prohibited, and they made it clear that if you left your resort, you would not be let back in. They had at least one security personnel stationed at the front doors to Wilderness Lodge.

The kids could swim in the pool on Tuesday evening and for half of the day on Wednesday. There were special dance parties in the lobby and movies in Artist's Point. Fees for arcade games were lifted. The gym was open. Roaring Fork QS and Whispering Canyon were open. Geyser Point was closed.

During the worst of the storm, they asked via text that everyone remain in their buildings and not go outdoors. Wilderness Lodge was inclusive, so we never felt cut off. I felt for those in resorts with the room doors facing out or separate buildings like CR and Poly. Mousekeeping came by with extra towels and flashlights. There were big bins of towels in each hallway by the elevator. We had a leaking sliding glass door, and someone quickly came to repair it. The cast members were part of the ride-it-out crew and stayed at the lodge for the storm's duration. Chefs were staying a few doors down from us. Our waitress at Whispering Canyon shared that she was excited to ride it out as she'd heard about how fun it was. She seemed to be having a great time.

When the storm passed around 4 AM, the winds were howling, and I was wide awake. As a former resident of FL and mostly fearless of hurricanes, this was a little spooky for me. Reports about the devastation in South Florida were on TV, so I knew this wasn't just some wind and rain.

It passed WDW with minor damage. Mostly vegetation everywhere. I watched the local news and could see that there was flooding in parts of Orlando.

The parks opened up Friday with a delay. I believe a lot of it was because cast members needed to deal with their homes, etc. I heard whispers of them having trouble getting enough bus drivers to fill the shifts. All of that made perfect sense to me. The devastation looked much worse on the news.

The only plus was that the hurricane sucked out all the bad weather, and we had sunny skies and low humidity for the remainder of our trip.

So seeing as Idalia is headed that way and the eye passing over land on Wednesday morning, I'd bet that today is the last day to fly into Orlando. They might open back up mid-day on Thursday.

While I appreciate your experience, I'm not sure I agree that MCO will be closed all day tomorrow. And I doubt the parks will be closed for 2 days. We'll see I guess, I continue to follow the latest updates.

 

[holyrita]

Question for those adjusting their travel plans, flights/hotels/rental cars, to either arrive early or later due to this storm.

A lot of us book all pieces of our trips as far in advance as possible for secure the best possible prices (and continue to monitor up until date of travel). More often than not, flight/hotel/rental car prices go up considerably the closer you get to the travel date.

Is everyone who are adjusting their plans in this thread eating the additional cost of higher prices to ensure their vacations continue? (Outside of Southwest, who is currently letting their customers change itineraries if they're flying 8/29-8/31). Haven't found ourselves in this position before so genuinely curious the best way to handle this. Stay safe everyone!

 

[john7994]

 

[kylenne]

Question for those adjusting their travel plans, flights/hotels/rental cars, to either arrive early or later due to this storm.

A lot of us book all pieces of our trips as far in advance as possible for secure the best possible prices (and continue to monitor up until date of travel). More often than not, flight/hotel/rental car prices go up considerably the closer you get to the travel date.

Is everyone who are adjusting their plans in this thread eating the additional cost of higher prices to ensure their vacations continue? (Outside of Southwest, who is currently letting their customers change itineraries if they're flying 8/29-8/31). Haven't found ourselves in this position before so genuinely curious the best way to handle this. Stay safe everyone!

This is more for the future but #1 thing I can suggest for any kind of travel during hurricane season is trip insurance, ideally by making sure you book everything on a decent travel credit card. In the absolute worst case scenario if I end up needing to extend the trip by a couple of days I'm not actually eating any additional cost because I can get reimbursed for trip delay expenses up to a certain generous amt and the policies on my card (Chase Sapphire Preferred) specifically state severe weather as a thing they do it for.

Checking with your specific companies is also helpful. eg JetBlue is waving change/cancel fees and fare differences for pax flying 8/29-8/30. This tends to be the case with most airlines.

 

[deannaf87]

They are saying latest models are shifting a bit more west. I think thats good news for Orlando area.

 

[CarolynFH]

@MommaKetch, thanks for posting your experiences as an illustration of what might happen. All hurricanes are different, so it’s good to know what the possibilities are.

 

[Jarmo]

Just saw the Tampa airport will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday

 

[LMO429]

Really struggling with what to do on a short trip that was supposed to last Tuesday afternoon through Friday (assuming we can fly in at 11am Tuesday)... We can add another day and just wait out the weather on Wednesday... are the days after usually "normal" rain and less "tropical storm" rain?

We stuck around for Hurricane Matthew that being said I will never stick around for a hurricane again at disney. We had the best worst case scenario parks were closed for 2 days and our flight the day after the storm was on time. that being said I would NEVER stick around for a storm or come into a storm. Restaurants were closed for 2 days or on a limited menu if you have a room in an outside building you are stuck in the room. I also would never put my children in that situation again. If you can re book to a better time I would I know people say Disney is the best place to be in a storm but if you have the option I would stay home or plan to come down after its over if possible.

 

[austinalexander]

If Disney doesn’t announce anything today about the party then it’s a sure thing the party will still go on tomorrow right?

 

[Marrila]

If Disney doesn’t announce anything today about the party then it’s a sure thing the party will still go on tomorrow right?

I think it's too early to know anything for sure.

 

[deannaf87]

If Disney doesn’t announce anything today about the party then it’s a sure thing the party will still go on tomorrow right?

I'm sure they would cancel tomorrow if they felt it necessary. I'm very curious what they are going to do with tomorrow's party. NHC graphic shows most likely time of arrival for tropical storm winds. Seems like its right in the middle of 8pm Tuesday and 8am Wednesday. With the current map of the storm, seems like that would be outer bands for Orlando area, so it could be bad storm or could be nothing.