What happens IF Wilma comes ??

[Stitches12]

Not sure where to post this but I'll try here.

Considering the possibility of a hurricane hitting exactly on the day we're supposed to arrive (Sunday at 2:30) I am wondering if anyone can elaborate on what might happen. We are staying at OKW, have rented points from a member.

Can Disney accommodate you if the Orlando airport gets closed ??? I'm not worried about a little rain or a hurricane but I am worried that they will close the airport and we won't be able to get in.

I am wondering - can Disney extend us one day at OKW if we can't land at the airport?? If not, should we extend our vacation at this point for another day at another resort to just play it safe ?? Can anyone give me some advice and options here. Wouldn't you know, it's been quiet the whole darned summer in FLA and now that WE'RE going down this has to happen !!

Send some pixie dust our way guys. I guess I'll post this over on the DVC board also and see if anyone there knows.

Thanks for your help -

 

[BAYBREEZEDISNEY]

Good morning...know how you feel....we will be arriving at MCO from Boston at 12:00n...staying at BWV....go away WILMA!!!

 

[chris1gill]

Hey guys, we arrive Thursday afternoon & are supposed to come back to Boston Monday night... we have tickets to the Halloween party on Sunday... I'm really curious how this is all going to work We're staying at Saratoga...

For what it's worth, MS & the resorts have always seemed quite accomodating with hurricane's.. for the OP, get in touch with the owner who rented your points... just in case they need to adjust your dates in one direction or the other.

 

[Beca]

Last year when the hurricane hit over Labor Day weekend, DVC took very good care of everyone. MS was allowing owners to cancel their trips with no penalties (I think they even allowed some owners to bank unused points into next year's accounts). I know that during the hurricane, DVC worked very hard to provide food and entertainment to everyone in their hotels. If you were at OKW or SSR, you were confined to your room, and if you were at BCV or VWL, you were confined to the "villas". BWV guests had access to the lobby area (from what I was told).

I know DVC tried to find accomodations for everyone who was forced to stay longer because of the hurricane. I heard very few complaints by anyone....most everyone was singin' WDW's praises.

Every situation is different. From what I saw on the news last night, they expect Wilma to hit southern Florida, and to be a Cat 2 or lower when it hits....of course, all that can change.

If DVC finds that you can get to WDW (the airports remain open), and the hurricane does not appear to be coming directly to WDW, and is a low enough category that threats do not appear imminent....you will probably not get much sympathy from WDW. If they are preparing for an emergency....you will find them very accomodating.

Just remember, as a renter....you cannot deal with them directly. Now is a really good time to get to know the owner who rented to you much better.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful trip!!



Beca

 

[Stitches12]

Beca -
Thanks for your reply. I sent an e-mail to the owner this morning and will see what she says. So far, she's been very accommodating so I hope that things will be okay.

Not asking for the world here, if I can GET there I certainly wouldn't expect anything from Disney because I just don't think that's fair, however, it's getting there that I'm worried about. Hopefully, the worst I'll have to deal with is a delay in Atlanta but would hopefully get there that evening at least.

Keeping my fingers crossed -

 

[littlestar]

I hope everything works out for you. We were at Disney last year when Jeanne hit. We flew in the day it hit (yes, I had doubts about my sanity, flying south when most people were headed north). But Disney took great care of their guests. The weather was beautiful the day after and the parks weren't busy.

 

[dianeschlicht]

If Wilma takes the expected track and the eye goes across the southern tip of Florida, then Orlando will be on the weak side of the storm, so it will probably be nothing more than rain.

 

[Pluto 2]

just remember if you cant get out of orlando other people cant get in so yes there will be rooms available. i dont think disney will put anyone out.

 

[metpro]

We too are supposed to arrive at BCV on SAt Oct 22 @ 10:00am from Providence,RI..If flights are cancelled should we call BCV to explain the situation??


metpro
Marthas Vineyard

 

[byoung]

I will arrive on Friday if see comes see comes, I'll still do as much as a I can mostly inside. I'm still at DISNEY. Rather be here then home at work.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...I am wondering - can Disney extend us one day at OKW if we can't land at the airport?? If not, should we extend our vacation at this point for another day at another resort to just play it safe ?? Can anyone give me some advice and options here. Wouldn't you know, it's been quiet the whole darned summer in FLA and now that WE'RE going down this has to happen !!...-

If the weather has been nice for a few days and there is no emergency in Orlando, you might not be able to stay any additional days. DVC resorts are pretty much booked right now. But if you were there with no way to get home (no flights out), they probably would extend you a day. How to pay for it would be your problem, probably have to pay cash for the extra day since you don't have points to use.

 

[mb168]

We too are headed down tonight through Sunday. At first we were thinking maybe we should intend on leaving early to come home but now it may be a wait it out and drive home Sunday on the backside of the storm if it moves like they think, of course a monkey with a dartboard is as accurate as a weatherman...

Regardless, Food and Wine here we come!

 

[snowbunny]

Whatever you decide to do, be careful and err on the side of safety.
The paper this morning said that Wilma is the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic ocean, a category 5 storm currently with 175 mph winds.

 

[mb168]

Its supposed to be dropped to a Cat 2 if the front that is "supposed" to turn it from heading west to Florida tears it up some. We're leaving in like 5 hrs to start F&W early so by Saturday we just may not care

Plus "if" it does what it's supposed to do it shouldn't be too bad in Orlando which will be on the leeward side of the storm and many miles inland. Probably on tropical storm force winds at worst.

 

[JimMIA]

I would urge everyone travelling to Florida this weekend to keep a close eye on Wilma.

Wilma is still four days away, and it is not possible at this point to tell exactly where she will go. She'll probably be somewhere in the cone area, but at four days out, the cone extends from the central Bahamas to the Florida-Georgia line.

There's no reason to panic, but the path has shifted slightly northward, and she is predicted to pass along the north shore of Lake Okeechobee, which is within 100 miles of WDW. The projected NEerly path takes her right over Vero.

The current path would place WDW in what the forecasters call the NW quadrant of the storm. By that, they mean the quadrant to the front/left of the direction of travel of the storm.

Hurricanes are usually (but not always) strongest in the NE quadrant, then the NW, then SW, and weakest in the SE quadrant. That's not always true; Katrina was substantially stronger in her NW quadrant throughout her long journey. So far, Wilma looks pretty symetrical, and I wouldn't expect a whole lot of difference between the NW and NE quadrants. Proximity to the path of the storm is much more important than which quadrant you are in anyway.

 

[JimMIA]

Its supposed to be dropped to a Cat 2 if the front that is "supposed" to turn it from heading west to Florida tears it up some. We're leaving in like 5 hrs to start F&W early so by Saturday we just may not care

Plus "if" it does what it's supposed to do it shouldn't be too bad in Orlando which will be on the leeward side of the storm and many miles inland. Probably on tropical storm force winds at worst.

I'm not sure where you got this info, but it is not what the National Hurricane Center is saying.

They are projecting Wilma to still have 115 Kt sustained winds (133 MPH), with gusts to 140 Kt (162 MPH) Saturday morning at 8 AM. That's the last estimate they give before landfall on Saturday...and that's Cat FOUR.

The Cat 2 numbers are for 8 AM Sunday, long after passing all the way across Florida and well out into the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[JimC]

If Wilma takes the expected track and the eye goes across the southern tip of Florida, then Orlando will be on the weak side of the storm, so it will probably be nothing more than rain.

That is usually true because most times the storm is over water and approaching land. When it is over land and approaching water then the weak side is on the right side of the storm (winds are blowing out to sea). If Wilma crosses Florida from west to east the storm surge will be strongest on the left side of the storm. Not good for Vero Beach depending on the storm's reach and actual path.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) The above comments relate ONLY to Charley.

2) If Wilma does not hit Orlando, there will be no special help.
3) Expect A LOT of rain, but no money or point allowances.
4) It will probably rain ALL DAY for several days.

5) If Wilma does hit Orlando, assume the same as Charley last year.
6) There will be money or point allowances.

 

[Stitches12]

I would like to ask you all this -- IF it does what they are presenty saying and it will be out to sea on Sunday morning - our plane lands at 2:30 pm Sunday - do you think the airport will be closed - do you think there will be substantial delays ??? We are coming in from Atlanta.

Thanks all -

 

[JimMIA]

I would like to ask you all this -- IF it does what they are presenty saying and it will be out to sea on Sunday morning - our plane lands at 2:30 pm Sunday - do you think the airport will be closed - do you think there will be substantial delays ??? We are coming in from Atlanta.

Thanks all -

That's a hard question to answer, because it depends not only on the weather, but also on what your airline did to prepare for the hurricane and how quickly they can get back in synch.

The truth is, they have no idea where this storm is going past about tomorrow. If, in fact, it passes through Florida and is well out to sea, the airport should be open. Whether your airline has their equipment well-positioned is a big unknown.