Our Experience Riding Out A Hurricane At Walt Disney World

Hurricane season in Florida is active between June 1st and November 30th each year. So if you travel to Florida during this time, expect the possibility of bumping into a hurricane or tropical storm occasionally. We've been "stuck" at Walt Disney World through two major hurricanes. Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Ian in 2022. We Brits aren't accustomed to such extreme and dangerous weather, so if you're planning to go during hurricane season, we'll let you know what you're in for and our experiences at Walt Disney World during one.

At no point do we ever institute that the inconvenience of holiday interruptions surmounts the lives and property lost during these storms However, we will share our tips and experiences with hurricanes at Walt Disney World in this article.

A tropical storm is a "light" hurricane, and these usually come with high winds and lots of rain. Disney don' tend to do much during these storms except perhaps tie loose things down and close some outdoor attractions. Hurricanes, however, are very dangerous and Disney does tend to close the theme parks if one is coming across central Florida, which they did during our two hurricane experiences.

I've been to Walt Disney World a lot of times over the last 20 years and have sat through many tropical storms as we tend to visit in the autumn time, but nothing quite like an actual hurricane before 2017. People get scared and worried - rightly so - but you should know that Walt Disney World is one of the safest places you can be during a hurricane. Walt Disney World Resort hotels are built to withstand above and beyond category 5 hurricanes - which hurricanes rarely are by the time they reach central Florida - as well as having their own water and power grids. You might see on the news that millions of homes lose power during a hurricane, but Disney's lights stay on because of their own grid and power network, the same goes for water.

Flight Cancellations

Luckily for us, both of our hurricane experiences in both 2017 and 2022 were in the middle of our trip. This meant we didn't have to deal with flight cancellations or having to adjust our trip home. But flight cancellations are probably one of the biggest concerns because they can cause extra stress as well as have financial implications. Always make sure you have applicable Travel Insurance.

Hurricane On The Way!

Most news outlets, even here at Mickey From The UK will report any hurricanes heading to Florida that can impact your trip. You usually have a few day's notice to know if you need to take any action. On both our trips, a few days before it became clear the hurricanes were going to impact Walt Disney World, so we took a trip to Target (or Walmart) to get some supplies. You want to make sure you have a couple of days of drinks (water, soda, etc), snacks and food. As well as any medications you might need you don't already have. You might want to have a power bank or batteries in the extremely unlikely event Walt Disney World does lose power for a while. Finally, you want something to pass the time like board games. Use apps like Instacart to get local grocery deliveries if you can't get to a grocery store, although expect high demand for those services during hurricane preparation time.

Supplies At Walt Disney World

However, you don't need to a grocery run if you don't have to. You can stock up on bottled drinks and snacks at Walt Disney World, but of course, the price of doing that adds up fast paying $5 for a bottle of Coke. Walt Disney World will keep its restaurants and quick service locations open for as long as possible, so don't worry, you won't starve. Disney also often sell "kits" which are usually sandwiches and snacks you can take back to your room as well.

Hurricane Kits

Stay In Place Order / Curfew

If a hurricane is severe enough to close the Walt Disney World theme parks, you will be asked to stay in place when it arrives. This means you will be unable to leave your room for the duration of the storm. Which is usually around 24-36 hours depending on the storm. This is why it's important you eat before the order comes into place, and have enough drinks and snacks in your room to see it through. The stay-in-place order will be broadcast on your in-room TV as well as the My Disney Experience app.

Shower & Charge

In the extremely unlikely event that the water supply at Walt Disney World is compromised, you want to make sure you get showered before the storm hits, just in case. The same goes for making sure all your electric devices are fully charged.

Connect To A US Network

Your phone must be connected to a US network to get emergency alerts. These will ping when there are specific warnings in your area. Tornado warnings are the ones to watch out for the most.

Hurricane Warning

Prepare Belongings

During Hurricane Milton in 2024, Disney's Polynesian Resort had a small roof issue that forced some guests to evacuate from their rooms. You should prepare for the unlikely event you get evacuated from your room at any point. Put any money, passports and important documents into a zip lock waterproof bag and into a backpack just in case you get told to move quickly. Put anything you don't want to leave behind that could be damaged by wind and water. In the EXTREMELY unlikely event you have a window break, make sure lock items that might hurt are locked away (like scissors) as you don't want them flying around. In the value and moderate resorts (with the door facing outside) prepare your bathroom as a "safe room" in the EXTREMELY unlikely event again you have a window break

Values & Moderates Vs Deluxe

As you might already know the Value and Moderate resorts have doors that face outside. This means that during any Stay-In-Place order, you must remain in your room. If you're staying at a Deluxe resort and your door faces inwards to a hallway, you will be able to leave your room and enjoy the hotel amenities. During hurricanes, Disney usually has characters come out in the Deluxe hotel lobbies to entertain people. The arcades also go free to play and in your room, Disney movies will play 24/7.

Keeping Updated

If you're nervous then it might be hard to keep up with news on the storm as it's passing by. Sadly, most of the TV networks are overly dramatic and scaremongering for those sweet ratings, so we recommend and always watch Denis Phillips for his level-headed and sensible reporting.

Our Experience
The day before the storm was when it started feeling real. We went to the parks and the overall mood wasn't one like a regular Disney day. People were all glued to their phones (more than usual) and you could tell there was worry in the air. It started getting real for me when I constantly saw cast members all hugging each other when their shifts ended. On the way back from the parks you notice things getting tied down.

Hurricane Photos

We went back to the hotel and had dinner and then once the 7 pm curfew kicked in, we bunkered down in our room. When the storm was getting close we started getting the emergency notifications on our phones - very scary stuff.

The storm was very unpredictable, and when it was Category 5 going over Cuba and then starting to move up to Florida, the power of this thing continued to grow. It was destroying buildings and we were not looking forward to its arrival. Everyone was hoping and praying for it to get weaker as it appeared to go off to the west. The more west it goes the more it would take us out of the eye, but also give us the "dirty east". The east side of a Hurricane is a hotspot for tornadoes.

It was then reported the storm weakened to category 2 but was making an east turn, right for Orlando. It was predicted originally it would be Cat 1 before it got halfway up Florida, but as it was flirting with the Gulf on the way up which kept it a powerful Category 2. When it arrived, the wind was intense. The building was rattling, the extractor fan in the bathroom was going mad and our door was getting hammered with gusts. Our door was rattling so much!

We were on the west side of the building at Disney's Pop Century Resort and as the storm headed north with winds going in a counter-clockwise direction, I think the majority of the force was felt on the other side of the building, so the winds we got hitting our side was not as severe (but still very powerful). Throughout the storm, we kept our water, power and wifi! The fact Disney has their electricity wires underground really pays off in these situations.

Thankfully, Walt Disney World is one of the best places to be during a hurricane due to its underground electricity, dedicated and trained hurricane team, buildings built to withstand high-power hurricanes, the way they cast members comfort their guests, and how they manage to get services back up and running quickly.

As always a huge thank you to cast members who helped the thousands of guests riding the storm at the resorts. Everyone had smiles, even if they were worried about their homes and local communities.