What Do Cast Members Do During a Hurricane?
All of us who have our hearts in Florida are thinking about Hurricane Dorian this week. It's natural to worry about the safety of Walt Disney World and the Cast Members who work there. Especially the 60 Cast Members who live full time on Castaway Cay in the Bahamas are making headlines as people express concern over their safety. So in today's post, we're going to talk about how hurricanes affect those who stay, live, and work at Walt Disney World.
I had the fortune to be in the Disney College Program during Hurricane Floyd which prompted the parks to shut down for a full day for the first time since it opened in 1971. Being from the Midwest, this turn of events more than frightened me. It was historic and everyone knew it. Fortunately, the storm eventually turned and Orlando experienced only slight tropical storm effects (a really rainy and windy day, basically).
Looking back on this, what impresses me most is the sense of preparedness I felt from every seasoned Cast Member I saw. Read our other post about how a Cast Member created some magic for me on the eve of this storm. Disney had an absolutely clear plan to ensure the safety of the parks, the property, and the guests. And they ensured Cast Member safety too, closing the parks early beginning at 2 PM the day before the hurricane so Cast could go to their homes and prepare.
I was in training that day, and recall being released early. My first stop was the nearest store to find canned food and water. Then, I returned to the apartment I shared with five other CP's (College Program Cast Members) and we taped the windows, filled the sinks and bath tub, and set up a watch. One of my roommates had survived Hurricane Andrew in West Palm Beach and while her fear that something like that could happen again was palpable, she guided all of us who were experiencing our first hurricane through what we needed to do.
Meanwhile in the parks, Disney was assembling a ride-out crew. The ride-out crew does just that, rides out the storm, and stays on duty in the resorts and in the park to ensure the safety of guests and property. I did not qualify for ride-out duty but have heard that the group is entirely voluntary and is often paid double time for the duration of the storm.
One portion of ride-out crew stays in the parks as watchmen, like a security crew. If the weather becomes bad for them, portions of each park are designated as storm shelters and these can withstand hurricane force winds.
Another portion of the crew is deployed to resorts. These crew keep guests fed and entertained for the duration of the storm. The resorts, too, are quite safe and able to withstand high winds. During Hurricane Irma, winds at the Contemporary Resort reached 90 mph without causing any damage to that huge glassy atrium.
Transportation is shut down early. During Hurricane Floyd, Cast Members decided to shut down transportation when sustained winds reached 40 mph, although the monorail can survive gusts of 85 mph or more. During Irma, the monorail was inside the Contemporary Resort atrium with the openings to the outside sealed shut.
So, what's it like to be at a Disney Resort during a hurricane?
Probably disappointing... after all, you can't go into the parks. But that once you get over that, pretty comfortable for a storm shelter. Here is what Disney does at resorts:
Provide food at a reasonable price. This can be hot or cold food, including sack meals to take back to your room should a curfew force you to take shelter away from the lobby.
Stage Disney movie marathons in the lobby.
Keep water and electricity running. Disney runs on systems independent from Orlando, so even when Orlando residents lose power, Disney historically has managed to keep the lights on.
Stage character appearances when possible, including rare characters.
Keep guests informed of the weather situation and park re-openings and hours, as well as when Mousekeeping will come back.
Lifts the ban on pets. This, in my opinion, is one of the sweetest things you see. Coastal residents often evacuate inland and because of guest cancellations, Disney often has overflow rooms available. They offer these rooms to evacuees and lift the usual ban on pets so that the entire family, including fur-babies, can safely evacuate.
These are just the things directly visible to guests. Another important purpose of the ride-out crew is post-storm clean up. They clear downed trees and brush and clean up the parks and resorts to restore normal operations as soon as possible.
What are the parks like the next day?
When Disney re-opens the parks, you can mostly expect normal operations, though you may experience reduced hours depending on the timing of the hurricane. No, the castle won't be missing its spires. Some outdoor rides may be unable to run in inclement weather. The biggest thing I noticed post Floyd was the lack of umbrellas. Disney had either removed or tied down all umbrellas on tables, and carts so that a wind gust could not take one and carry it off to hit a guest. In fact, I remember later in the year working at my ice cream cart during a tropical storm and was surprised when two of my co-workers approached and packed my umbrella (which was protecting me from the rain!) away, apologizing. "It's going to get windy," they said. "We don't want anyone getting hurt."
And that's Disney for you. They don't want anyone getting hurt.
So, what about the Cast Members at Castaway Cay?
Image copyright Disneyparks.com
Sixty Cast Members live and work full time on Disney's private island Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. Disney assures us that they are OK and I'm inclined to believe Disney. When people think of the Bahamas right now, they're thinking about how Grand Bahama was absolutely leveled by hurricane force winds and inundated with chest-high storm surge. This was a category 5 hurricane, after all.
But the thing about hurricanes is they are large and more powerful toward the center of the storm. Castaway Cay was well south of the center of the storm, and where it was, it endured category 2 force winds. Like parks, there is a storm shelter on Castaway Cay that is stocked with water, food, and electricity and is designed to withstand a category 4 hurricane. According to some reports, this shelter is like a fortress, so although the island looks pretty rustic, it wouldn't surprise me that Disney has some hidden infrastructure there.
Finally, what about the Cruise Line ships out at sea?
The most dangerous place to be for a cruise ship during a hurricane is actually at dock. At dock, the ship can be pushed into other objects and cause and sustain major damage. At sea, these ships are large enough that they fare pretty well. Nevertheless, they avoid the hurricane.
This sometimes means that Disney extends a sailing or delays a sailing (because a previous sailing was extended). When this happens, Disney will give guests the option to cancel and reschedule at no additional charge. Guests that choose to travel anyway may experience an unexpected itinerary as they did on last Sunday's sailing of the Disney dream, which was extended from 4 days to 7 days due to the hurricane, and instead of the Bahamas visited Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Would some people mind not being able to return home for an additional 3 days? Yes, probably. Would I? No, probably not. I'm imagining that call now. "Sorry, I can't come in to work for another few days because of a hurricane. Can't help it. I'm trapped on a Disney Cruise."
Sounds like Disney has this covered. I guess I'm heading there next hurricane!
NO. Hurricanes are still dangerous and you are still missing out on most of what Disney has to offer when the parks have to close. If you can delay your vacation without incurring costs, delay. Disney will certainly allow this but you also would have to check with airlines, car rental companies, etc. Similarly, if you are already at Disney and a strong storm like this one is coming and you can get out before the airport closes, get out.
But if you have no choice and have to ride out the storm on Disney property, don't worry about it. The ride-out crew has your back.
Our hearts go out to those in the Bahamas and Carolinas who have sustained unspeakable damage from this storm. This post is in no way meant to make light of the destructive power of a hurricane. Disney, being inland, is almost always fortunate to be spared the worst of these storms.
The Walt Disney Company has donated $1 million to Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas and is prepared to offer additional resources to their Cast Members from areas impacted by this storm. If you wish to donate to relief efforts, make sure you are donating to a known and reputable charity. Scams abound after natural disasters. You may wish to read this article before choosing where to pledge.
