Breaking News! - Disney planning to possibly close on Friday

[Lou Mongello]

I have received information from a WDW Cast Member, who advises me that he was just told that they are no longer selling E-Ride night tickets for Friday in anticipation of the multiple hurricane warnings. Additionally, there are contingency plans in effect to possibly close the parks if necessary.

If so, this would mark only the third time in WDW history that the parks were closed.

We'll keep a close watch on this, and update this thread as new information becomes available.

[ToddBreakey]

Ace, I know they closed during the Sept 11 stuff, when was the other time?

BTW - That ****s for those that planned on being there fri. Hopefully the Charley will wimp out like Bonnie did.

[dzneynut]

Sept. 15, 1999 for Hurricane Floyd!

[Lou Mongello]

Here is the latest map from Weather.com

[Sam I Am]

Floyd was interesting - they closed early on the first day and then after the storm was quite literally a dud, they managed to get DAK open. Universal did not open that day.

I'll post some of my Floyd preparation pictures sometime.

[Jiminy Cricket]

Phew! I'm glad I'm here in Hoosierland for once. We were at WDW last September when there was the TS scare similar to this year's TS Bonnie. When it was all said and done, there were a few light showers and a brisk wind at WDW. However, I understand the precautions Disney must take to avoid any injuries to guests, but it would be a bummer if during 1 or 2 days of your vacation the parks were closed.

[Lou Mongello]

I would love to see some pics of the Contemporary with their storm shutters closed and 4 monorails parked inside!!!

[ToddBreakey]

Floyd may have been a dud for FLA but it kicked NC's back side. I sat up all night while that storm came through. Truly an amazing showing by Mother Nature!

[Sam I Am]

All I have right now are MK pictures of FLoyd. Yes, it was a bad one up home in NY (sorta ironic, I'd say... move to FL to escape the hurricane??)

The MK is opening at 8:00 AM tomorrow (as are the other parks), friday, for all resort Guests, in anticipation of the storm's arrival.

Friday night's E-Ride night is officially cancelled.

[Kellie19891992]

do they keep the shuttles and stuff running for people who are arriving and departing disney?

[gumc]

What is an E-Ride night?

[Kellie19891992]

E-Ride night is an extra ticket for $13 and lets you ride the rides after the park closes

[Sam I Am]

Here's a good explanation of e-ride nights

If you're at WDW when they are offered, and meet the requirements, it's a must-do. (As long as you don't have little'uns [or yourself!] who need zzzzzzzzzzs)

[gumc]

WOW! How cool is that? To be able to ride the rides after the park is closed must be awesome! Got try that someday.
Thanks for the information
Gustavo

[Kellie19891992]

Theme-park hours depend on how bad weather looks

By Greg Groeller | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted August 13, 2004, 8:45 AM EDT


DISNEY CLOSINGS


Walt Disney World has announced the following operating hours for its
parks today:
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 Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground
are being relocated to other hotels on property.


Orlando's theme parks planned to be open for business today, even as
area hotels began filling with Gulf Coast refugees fleeing Hurricane
Charley.

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.

This morning, however, Walt Disney World announced that although most
of its properties would open as usual, all would close at 1 p.m. (See
box at right.)

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.

A spokesperson for Busch Gardens, which is located much closer to the
storm's projected path in Tampa, announced this morning that it would
not open. Park officials had not yet decided whether to reopen Saturday.

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?"