Keeping my eye on Irene!

I think you should be fine, last I heard it's supposed to be here Thurs. night/Friday. A hurricane day the first week of school is always nice (I'm trying to be positive).
Right now it looks like it will shooting straight up the middle of the state, but hopefully it will have lost strength over land by the time it gets up near Disney. This far out it's hard to say, but I'd be nervous in Miami. I recall several times Disney has closed due to hurricanes, but I heard that they go all out to entertain resort guests at the resort since they can't go to the parks.

Okay, I know that this is going to sound completely nuts, but I have always wanted to "ride out" a hurricane at WDW. That way when people asked me about it I would have the answers. It's one of the biggest gaps in Disney Knowledge that I have.

I'm watching, too! My husbands parents go to the Jersey shore at the end of every summer (nothing like the TV show I swear that **** is totally fake!) and we are supposed to get rain from it for two days of our trip since they are taking us this year, too. Dumb hurricanes!

When we first moved here, I think it was '98, we had a hurricane day for George and it was just rainy so we went to Disney. The crowds were smaller, since everyone was scared away, and the weather was rainy and stormy, but we had a blast anyway! If the hurricane is not headed towards us, we have the shelters so everyone evacuating comes to central Florida/Tampa, depending on where it's going to hit. I've been here for many hurricanes and the worst I've ever experienced is rain and the wind bands, but luckily no damage. We lived in St. Louis during the bad season when all the damage in central Florida happened. Disney's infrastructure and protection from storms and damage is unbelievable!

We had Floyd in '99(?) and it was the first time Disney had shut the parks in think they said. We where staying the the Grosvenor (as it was) at DTD and all they said was to go to the ballroom (no windows) if told.

We slept through it all!

I was in Disney when Charlie hit.
They wound up closing the parks late in the morning and gave everyone who was there a voucher for a free park ticket that never expired. Once we got back to our hotel the storm was starting to get close so we were stuck in our room, the rest of the resort was closed. I wound just sleeping though most of it though, so being stuck in my room wasn't so bad.

As strange as it is after being in a hurricane there I only feel safer in Disney. The only real damage caused by the storm in the parks was some small trees and stuff that were knocked over. I really didn't understand why people were making such a big deal about it until I left for the airport a couple days later and there were whole buildings that had been destroyed.

The power of Disney goes beyond its magic! heh

Wow, what a great story! I've heard that Disney is the absolute safest place you could want to ride one out. Other than a bunker somewhere. The construction they use is just so sound that everyone is pretty safe with the possible exception of projectiles coming through a window. I wonder what their construction standards are for the windows, I wonder if it's all tempered glass. I've seen some video of Charlie from one of the All Stars and the windows were shaking but everything still seemed secure, it was pretty amazing.

This is the latest news that I've heard for Irene:

"As of 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Monday, the National Hurricane Center's track forecast puts the center of Irene roughly 120 miles east of Florida's Cape Canaveral by Friday evening, with landfall currently forecast to occur just south of Charleston, S.C., at about 8 a.m. Saturday. The intensity forecast upgrades Irene to a major hurricane, with winds in excess of 110 miles per hour, by the time it reaches the central Bahamas Thursday morning. It currently is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane."

Here's the 5 Day Track from Wunderground http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at201109_5day.html

I can only assume it would be to hurricane standards since people who vacation would have to stay put with no where to go. So I would say the glass is the best possible I would think.

I just hope it doesnt mess up my cousin's wedding. We fly down in 8 days .

We rarely take a direct hit here in Central Florida, so the odds are good it won't be an issue (I hope I don't have to eat those words.) It should be here and gone by the weekend, so I don't think it's likely to disrupt anyone's trip here. And I'm super thankful my friends who have been visiting left today ahead of the storm. We had absolutely glorious weather in Ormond/Daytona for their whole stay. Wishing the same for all of you.

I've been watching the Weather channel most of the day and it's now looking like Irene will miss Florida, Georgia and South Carolina all together. Maybe some light outer banding of rain, but that's not unusual at all.

However those folks in the North East may be in for a super rough time, especially since they don't tend to prepare for Hurricanes up there. Storm hobbyists have been asking for years "what if" a hurricane hits New York. I just hope that people are listing to the news and starting to prepare already, if not this could be very, very bad.

Looks like Irene will be visiting CT Sunday afternoon.

I think she's Gona scoot right up the coast and not do much at all.

I certainly hope so.

No worries, we'll still be sunny in the sunshine state!

Well on second thought....................... i may have to set up the "Hurrican Cam".

I was there for a hurricane in 97 or 98- can't remember which. A cast member told my family that when winds will be really bad they dismantle the castle and that it takes 11 hours. He also told us that the Epcot golfball can withstand winds up to 250 mph which has never really happened there- after that it may roll lol. I'm hoping that part was a joke. He said the path it would take would be straight into a lagoon and that the road dips for that on purpose. I really think he made that all up but they did dismantle the castle that night!

That castmember had a VERY overactive imagination and should go into show business as a storyteller. . The castle can not be dismantled in 11 hours (except maybe with a crane and a wrecking ball ) also the "golfball" can take very high wids but will not roll ( unless hit with a VERYbig putter).

I'm almost out of milk and need it for my coffee (you do not want to be around me while I'm un-caffeinated!) and I am absolutely dreading what it will look like at the grocery store with all of the people stocking up on supplies. I'm hoping if I go today after work it won't be quite as bad as tomorrow or Saturday.

Quite in here today. Everyone must be keeping an eye on Irene.

Yeah... I was surprised to get on and saw no new posts earlier.

Everybody's waiting for a visit from Irene and getting ready for her.

Hope they have flowers in hand... might make her less mad

We're ready. Bottle of wine, a good hot meal, and DVR time till the electricity goes out

check out link below for - Live Irene Webcam for when she gets here!

Let me know how it looks.

Looks like a party outside with the 3 guys

No party, they're workers doing something with the driveway next door. Still nice and sunny here.

Wait... thats not a party for you guys?

lol