Have you ever wondered what would happen if a hurricane hit Florida while you were vacationing in Walt Disney World? It is ironic that one of the most vacationed in states in America is also the most likely to be hit by a hurricane. Also ironic is that the months that most people visit Disney World are during hurricane season, which runs from June through November. Lucky for Disney World visitors, Disney has really mastered getting their resorts, parks, and guests through hurricanes and has a great system in place if you happen to be there when a hurricane strikes.
In the 53 years that Disney World has been open, Disney has only had to close the parks 11 times due to hurricanes/implement weather. Orlando is pretty far inland and located smack dab in central Florida, so it is not often that this particular area is hit with the full force of a hurricane. However, when a bad enough hurricane does come along, Disney does close down the parks and shelters guests until it safely passes. In fact, a lot of Floridians say that the safest place to ride out a hurricane is in Disney World.
Now, if you hear about an impending hurricane prior to leaving home for your Disney World vacation, it would be smartest to postpone your trip. In the event that the National Hurricane Center declares a hurricane to hit Orlando within 7 days of your Disney World Trip, Disney will be lenient on their cancellation/refund policies, and you will allow you to reschedule or cancel without penalty. That also applies to getting a refund for after-hours events or parties.
On the other hand, if you are already in Disney World when you learn of an impending hurricane, you can be assured that Disney has already thought out all scenarios and you will be as safe as possible.
The first thing to note, is that if Disney World is in the path of an official hurricane, Disney will shut down the parks. This includes Disney Springs, the Boardwalk, minigolf, ESPN, etc. You are essentially limited to your resort, which makes sense for your safety and the safety of cast members. By limiting guests to the resorts, Disney is better able to control safety for all on Disney property.
Disney World has its own power plant and electrical grid, with very powerful generators, so it is almost certain that Disney will not lose power in the event of a hurricane. That is one major benefit of staying at Disney versus evacuating to a different part of Florida. Additionally, Disney built everything from Cinderella's Castle to the resorts, with the understanding that Disney World is highly susceptible to implement weather. That means that hurricane prevention was definitely a factor that Imagineers took into consideration when determining how things would be built, fastened down, and themed. Disney has confirmed that buildings are built to withstand at least a mid to high level Category 3 hurricane with little to no preparation. We can also be certain that all of the glass windows in resorts are built with wind and impact resistant materials.
At Disney resorts, some cast members volunteer to be "the ride out crew." These are employees who stay with guests on Disney property through the entirety of a hurricane, to make sure they are comfortable and safe, rather than go home to their families and houses. At all of the resorts, Disney makes sure that there are daytime and nighttime activities to keep both adults and kids happy, including character appearances, Disney movie nights, dance parties, and free games. Most restaurants on Disney property are closed, but all resorts have food and drink available for guests throughout the entirety of a shelter in place situation.
Disney World is considered to be such a safe spot, that some locals even shelter there from hurricanes. If there are openings at their resorts, Disney does not turn locals away for a safe place to ride out the storm. During Hurricane Milton, Disney even offered exclusive areas for pets and local animals to shelter inside from the storm.
Once a hurricane has passed, Disney has garnered the reputation of being able to get back up and running very quickly. They have an extremely efficient plan to clean up the grounds and open parks back up for guests. As seen with both of the recent hurricanes to hit Disney World, Disney has been able to get back up and running the day after the hurricane hit, as though nothing had happened at all.
People and recovery efforts could learn a lot from Disney on techniques to get through and recover from inclement situations. It seems that Disney World has really tackled guest service and is able to turn even the most negative situations into something bearable for guests relying on them. Even in the face of a dangerous hurricane, guests trust Disney World to still provide them with an alternate, safer experience than they would otherwise experience in the real world.
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