HURRICANE INFORMATION (AUGUST 15, 2004): All parks except TL are OPEN

[pumpkinfish]

So I checked my email this morning and read the latest posts on here about Charley. As I was getting ready for work, I decided to speak up and say something.

Anyone who knows me, understands how much of a humanitarian I am. I care for all people very deeply (if that makes any sense). Basically, I love everyone. I also want to let people know, that I am not trying to offend anyone elses beliefs by what I am about to say. Charley was an act of God. Things happen for a reason. It is VERY unfortunate that lives had to be lost during the hurricane, and I am terribly sad for all. It pains me to think of all the grandparents in the mobile homes who never made it through the storm. But I do feel that God has a plan for all of us.

With that being said, it is time to move on. Charley came, but will not conquer. I say this with all my heart. There will be many acts of kindness I am sure, across these Dis boards to help those in need. Either through donation of monies, clothing, food, or themselves. Let us move on with our lives, while also helping those in Fl move on with theirs.
This is why I feel it is ok to talk about our vacations again.

I understand how people feel upset people are talking about themselves instead of those in FL. I know that when I survived Isabel (almost had a HUGE oak land on our roof---hit the neighbors instead) I had anamosity against those who kept living their life without a care for the fact that i had not showered in 7 days, or had almost lost my family, or stayed up worrying through the night if my grandmother was ok who lives by herself. What I have realized is that human beings are survivors, and we will pull through. I am grateful to those who helped us, as I am sure FL is grateful to us for helping them.

Keep on praying...

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks LibertyBelle for the update! This proves WDW CMs are first class!

Have you heard any news in regard to how Universal and Sea World held up? I read it took a bigger hit than WDW.

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks LibertyBelle for the update! This proves WDW CMs are first class!

Have you heard any news in regard to how Universal and Sea World held up? I read it took a bigger hit than WDW.

 

[gjerseygirl]

Sometimes I see something in a thread that really irks me and I just have to post. I really hate to post anything negative but one of my problems is I sometimes can't keep my mouth shut (or my fingers from typing...as the case may be.)

So let me just say for the record...our prayers go out to everyone in FL...we hope you're okay...we know the feeling...and thank you to all CMs for getting everything cleaned up so my family and especially my DH can have a magical vacation in Nov.

Sorry...had to edit. Was angry at the time 'cause just had signed up DH for Health Registry and what I posted was way too personal for these boards. Some things better kept to ourselves.

 

[wdhatter]

My neighbor across the street works at Sea World and he said that the water ski stadium roof was half peeled off. That's all I know about that.

My roommate works at Universal at the Beetlejuice show. He said that it was superficial damage their. He did say that he was very disenfranchised with the guests there. They could not do the Beetlejuice show due to computer problems from the storm, and guests were downright rude to them because there was no show. How sad. These people were there to help them salvage their vacation by showing up to work even though they had damage back in their own homes. He was quite upset by the majority of the guests' rude reactions.

 

[soccercruiser87]

i was just wondering if AK was still closed and if anyone knew how the animals survived charley? or if anyone knew when it was opening? thanks for any info

 

[Luckymommyx2]

It appears to be open 9-6 today.

 

[kathylovesdisneyworl]

Animal Kingdom is open today.

 

[LibertyBelle]

Originally posted by betterlatethannever
Thanks for the report LibertyBelle.

There have been some reports that Monorail Red had/caused some problems. Since you "live" right below them do you know what happened?

Thanks.

Ed

That's funny. Yes they had issues with Monorail red yesterday but it was not Hurricane related. The monorails were running fine and then one of the track switches would not switch over so they went out to fix that when they got the call that red was not working (this was about 9:15 or so,maybe a little earlier but well after they statred cycling them). Red was towed back to the shop to be looked at. We were actually at the roundhouse when they got the call...we started harrassing Monorail maintenance because his state of the art inventions was NO match to our 1900's steam trains

 

[SnackyStacky]

Originally posted by DelitefulDory
I just have to take a moment to say this...maybe because this hit so close to home, maybe because I still remember the horrible aftermath of Andrew, whatever.
For those of you worried how this will affect your "vacation", please, take 5 minutes of your time and think of all the hundreds of people missing in Port Charlotte. Charley is more than a mere inconvience for you, it is a hurricane who took the lives of hundreds, took the homes and memories of thousands, and at the very least, left a million without electricity or water. If I sound mean, honestly I don't mean to, but WDW, as much as I love it, can be rebuilt, can be cleaned up, but many, many lives here in Florida cannot.

This is said with no animosity, and meaning no offense.

This is a Disney World Information message board. That's what people come here to talk about. Charley happened to hit Disney World, so people are concerned about their vacations, and need information about that. Hence, they come here.

It does NOT mean that they are giving no thought to others. I've been posting here as if nothing has happened, but I have a friend in Tampa, and another in Tarpon Springs. Many times over the past couple of days, I've thought about them, and the rest of you folks down in Florida.

Part of the reason I come here is escapism. It doesn't mean I care any less about the millions of people that this storm has affected. I continue to keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers.

Please keep that in mind before you think that nobody cares or hasn't thought for 5 minutes about anyone other than themselves.

 

[safetymom]

I live in Davenport and yes there is no electricity and phones. We are staying on Disney property till we get them back.

 

[GeekChic]

this is long and you're entering the opinion zone so some folks may want to skip this LOL.

but i can't stand it, i have to say it. "Move on?" "Get on with our lives?"

This storm happened less than 2 days ago that is kind of unfeeling, don't you think?

I have relatives in FL and I have no idea where they are, if they have homes now, clean water, power...so it's understandable that my heart is with the residents and the CM's and their families.

Vacations can be rescheduled. Homes take months to rebuild and the memories of surviving a storm like Charley can last a lifetime.

I really think it's harsh to tell people that we need to move on already...if you want to discuss your vacation only then please just ignore this thread and post in any of the thousands of other threads here. Then let those of us who still want to express concern for what is going on, for the recovery of the people and the state of FL, to do so here without having to hear that we should move on already.

We were part of that gigantic black out that left us with no water and power last year for days, and let me tell you, it was a nightmare. Try living for days with kids and no working potty! Esp. if you're disabled it brings a whole new world of problems into your life. I can't imagine what the people in FL are going through right now having none of those things and also no more HOMES! Some have lost people who have died!

I will leave god out of this because I don't happen to believe in him. But 'plan' or not, what happened is a tragedy. FL is a Federal Disaster area at the moment, so it's only right that our thoughts and our hearts are with the people there.

i understand too believe me the importance of our vacations; living with a painful chronic disease makes my daily life basically a living **** that most people, frankly, cannot begin to fathom. but as the song from Illuminations says, "We go on." and we do things that bring us some joy, like our trips. so to those who depend on those trips to get them through the day, i totally understand the need to know that WDW is alright and your trip will go on as planned. there is nothing wrong with expressing those concerns alongside the concerns for the people, not the property as many have done in this thread.

After all is said and done, in the end I think it's good that there are designated threads for this subject that way those who want to move on right now can do so by just ignoring them and posting elsewhere.

peace to everyone,
geek

 

[LibertyBelle]

Originally posted by safetymom
I live in Davenport and yes there is no electricity and phones. We are staying on Disney property till we get them back.

It is strange how it is hit or miss, I am in Davenport as well and we never lost power (or water). BUt 5 minutes up the road from me has nothing... Good luck to you Safetymom!

 

[GeekChic]

yes, good luck safetymom!

libertybelle, thank you for the info, and i'm glad that you still have power and water!

interesting about monorail red...that one seems to have problems! when we were on a trip i think it was year before last, red had a problem and it shut down the monorail run for more than an hour and a half. maybe it needs an overhaul!

i think it's funny about you teasing monorail maintainence LOL good for you keeping your spirits up under such hard circumstances at work! CM's RULE!

geek

 

[Poohbear123]

Yay! (Even though I won't be there till Nov.)

 

[Barbday62]

I just returned home this morning and sat at the airport all day yesterday. It was closed until midday and the security didnt open up until 5PM (BUt I can tell you they took one flight of people at 4:45, and ATA flight) The problem is the ceiling was falling as we sat and watched. They didnt allow us into the terminal but made us sit in the hallway on the Alaska Air side. The oposite side had a few chairs not in the falling tile area. They pretty much used the chairs as barriers to keep people out of most areas. The rug is wet just about everywhere and you see broken glass and ceiling tiles eveywhere.

Id say its damage in the milllions. But I can report we got power back about 4 or 5pm. Before that it was emergency power and very dim in the airport. They are making a lot of progress in the few hours I sat there (Well acyually 8 hours) Security line was so long. People just plopped down everywhere they could find a space to sit.

Im sure they wont be to 100% for some time to come but I think less and less flights will be cancelled each day. We had only one gate opened in the Alaska/ATA side and they took turns pulling in unloading and reloading in that one gate. We had to walk down a made hallway to board. The ceiling tiles were falling everywhere else. However while standing there we watched them clean up a further out section adn a contentinantial flight arrived but never reloaded to take off. The pilot said all Contenantial flights are now cancelled the remainder of the day as he walked by us.

We never got to go back to the parks after the hurricane since we had to leave. Originally we planned to go to a morning of a park but the lines to get in were so long we couldnt get in. Even the busses were in really long lines at MGM to get in.

Barb

 

[korlows]

GeekChic, This is a trip planning forum and I think you were a bit harsh?
I have friends/family in Orlando and in PuntaGorda and in Ft. Myres... Please do not assume that we don't care.
We do want to know that people and their posessions/homes are ok or are going to be ok.

Honestly, I cannot just replan a trip...I also cannot afford to rebuild if need be.
Disability or not,don't assume that other people do not have hardships.

There may be some dying child out there that wants to spend his/her last days in the arms of Mickey mouse...is it unreasonable for that child to wonder if that day will still come, if Disney is still okay?

I want to know EXACTLY what was damaged in Disney World.

I want to know that nobody was HURT ON DISNEY property.

I can see everything else in the news but I cannot get info on Disney as easily.

Give all those inquiring people a break and move on as you say.

 

[Amirah95]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040815/ap_on_re_us/hurricane_charley_71

This storm did 11 billion dollars worth of damage.

 

[GeekChic]

korlows/disney addict i think you may have misunderstood my post.

I want to know all the same things that you do! no i don't think that it's wrong to want to know exactly what is damaged at wdw!

I was replying to someone who wanted people to 'move on' from talking about the storm in an earlier post; at least that was the impression that I got.

absolutely people need to know if their trips will go on as planned. that is why i think that the topic belongs here, that is what i was trying to say, that there is nothing wrong with having one thread on the boards discussing the results of the storm.

there are some who don't want to talk about it anymore because they come here to 'escape', that is what i was referring to.

there is nothing wrong with discussing the storm in any manner, and as i said before, lots of people have relatives there and i'm not assuming that people don't care.

again, i think that you read my post wrong either that or i just totally botched what i was trying to say.

and yes, i know that people besides those who are disabled have problems, too. no offense intended.

geek

 

[pumpkinfish]

I do believe geekchic was refering to my post earlier? I'm not sure. There is so much going on with these boards it is great! I try to keep up with everything from the monorails to storm damage to the business/damage of the theme parks.

Geekchic, maybe you misunderstood my post as a negative one. I was simply trying to give hope to those out there that it IS possible to move on with our lives after a disaster such as this. Yes, the memories will still be there, but it is hope and faith that keeps us going (in my book at least). I just wanted the FL victims, and friends/families of those victimized to know that they are not alone.

Don't worry, I don't take offense to anything stated, because we are all entitled to our opinions, and that is what is so great about these boards. I also understand that emotions run wild during these times. I truly believe that everyone wishes this never happened, but now that it has, people need to work together in order to move on.