MickeyBlog News for September 30th, 2024
Hello, my many loves. I hope you’re all doing well after what has been a trying week for many Americans.
I don’t need to tell you that Hurricane Helene formed off the coast of Florida and reached land as a Category-4 weather event.
Axios
Thankfully, Walt Disney World evaded the worst of it, but I realize some of you weren’t so fortunate.
I’ll try to cheer you up a bit in the latest edition of MickeyBlog News, but we must obviously must discuss the weather as well.
Hurricane Helene Targets the East Coast
Photo:Rappler
I live in a valley surrounded by mountains, which makes me one of the safest people in the country when it comes to weather events.
As I type this, I’m wondering whether my family will maintain power and internet, as the eye of the storm is currently passing over us.
Photo:seoclerk.com
So, I’m writing this on Friday night in case the weekend goes sideways. Still, I plan to update with additional information as needed.
We’ve known for a week that this possibility could occur, as MickeyBlog first mentioned the storm’s potential last Saturday.
Orlando Sentinel
As a group, MickeyBlog’s staff has collectively held its breath, as some of our wonderful cohorts were traveling to Florida for a hard-earned, much-deserved celebration.
My understanding is that our friends are having a lovely time despite the weather being against them.
Magic Kingdom Closed Outdoor Kiosks Food Stands Hurricane Idalia, 2022
That’s a blanket statement that could apply to many people on the East Coast this weekend.
I know that this could have been worse, but I won’t understate the significance of what just transpired.
FOX
Late on Thursday evening, the National Weather Service (NWS) posted the scariest message I’ve ever read from them.
The eye wall of #Helene is moving onshore now.
TAKE COVER NOW! Treat these imminent, extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to the safe room in your shelter. Take action now to protect your life! pic.twitter.com/3IoCB5kDjb
— National Weather Service (@NWS) September 27, 2024
You don’t need to know much about Meteorology to understand the message, “TAKE COVER NOW!” It was that kind of week.
Photo: Fox 35 Orlando
We knew things would be bad when the NWS upgraded the storm threat into a Storm Warning.
This happened soon after Tropical Storm Helene had officially formed and around the same time as Tropical Cyclone Nine.
Image Credit: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The following day, Hurricane Helene intensified, eventually reaching Florida’s shores as a Category-4 event.
In layperson’s terms, the hurricane reached a velocity of 140 miles per hour, making it one of the most ferocious storms ever.
Remarkably, Helene was still a Cat-1 hurricane by the time it reached Georgia, an utterly terrifying thought.
Hurricane Helene’s Impact on Disney
Rainy Day in Magic Kingdom
One of the marvelous MickeyBlog park reporters dutifully checked in this morning and indicated that the parks survived intact.
Disney officials frankly made all the right decisions here, as the parks remained open on Thursday and then opened on time on Friday.
Disney Springs Halloween PhotoPass
However, the hurricane forced any number of closures, some of which played into Disney’s hand.
Magic Kingdom had already planned to close early to regular guests on Thursday due to a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) event.
For the safety of guests, Disney canceled MNSSHP for that night. That’s a shame for all involved, as all the parties are sold out.
So, if you had tickets for that night only, you likely feel as if the universe was against you.
Of course, that’s a trivial concern in the greater scheme. Here are some images of hurricane damage if you want to know how bad it could have been.
A modest vacation inconvenience feels trivial by comparison, but it still sucks if you’re one of those impacted.
Photo: planDisney
Disney proactively canceled several tours and experiences and wisely chose not to open Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon on Thursday.
EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios also canceled their nighttime presentations.
Photo: Disney
Disney Cruise Line also bore the brunt of this event, with Port Canaveral temporarily closing.
The Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish also had to modify their itineraries.
Disney Fantasy Ship
I’m happy to report that there were no significant incidents anywhere in the Disney empire during Hurricane Helene, though.
Let’s all feel grateful for that. If you or a loved one weren’t as fortunate, please know you’re in my thoughts.
Disney’s Zany Week
Fantasyland at Disney World
Before the real-life trauma of a Cat-4 hurricane, Disney had experienced a couple of genuinely silly incidents.
The problems started on Monday when Disney’s tech apparently called out sick.
Photo: Disney
Seriously, My Disney Experience wasn’t working, with the payment systems completely shut down.
I don’t know how much you understand about business, but companies need payments to survive. So, this was bad.
Photo; My Disney Experience
In fact, the parks had to go old school on Monday because Mobile Ordering wasn’t working, either.
Tourists suddenly remembered what Disney was like in 2018 and probably realized how gradually but significantly it was improved.
Photo: verdemedia.com
I doubt anybody was that self-aware in the moment, though, as they must have been hangry. I say again. Disney, please fix your tech!
Then again, there’s only so much Disney can control at the parks.
Photo: Disney
As proof, consider the strangeness at Disneyland on Wednesday. The Happiest Place on Earth opened late due to…an oil spill?!
Apparently, a street scrubber vehicle on Main Street, U.S.A., was doing more harm than good.
Photo: Playbuzz.com
Things like this seem random, but they underscore just how good Disney is at operations. When’s the last time you heard a story like this?
Every theme park day is an exercise in chaos, yet Disney makes it all look so easy, even though we all know it’s not.
Photo: WESH
You never know when there might be a bear.
Disney Miscellany
Speaking of Disneyland, you may not even recognize parts of it right now. There are construction walls up in several locations due to refurbishments.
Also, some Disneyland hotels are offering excellent discounts for upcoming bookings.
You might want to speak to a MickeyTravels agent to find out what’s available.
At DCA, Storytime with Deadpool has reduced its number of performances, hinting that it may be ending someday soon.
Storytelling with Deadpool
Next, let’s circle back to the hurricane and talk about how strong-willed Disney fans are.
The storms had barely ended, and Park Passes were already selling out on Friday!
At EPCOT, Star-Lord will soon be hosting a character greeting. It won’t be his first time at the park, but it’ll be the first since the show ended.
Also, the park will host the Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses tour this holiday season. You can read more here.
Rise of the Resistance Single Rider Line
Finally, we have different park changes that will improve your next visit.
First, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is providing a Single Rider option again.
Rise of the Resistance Single Rider Line
Disney has also made a welcome change with its recently criticized Disability Access Service program. More of this please, Disney!
At Disney World resorts, H2O+ bottles are on the way out, but that’s okay! Remember that Disney bought the formula. So, now we get this.
Speaking of the resorts, the crown jewel of them has restored its boat service to Magic Kingdom.
Oh, and when My Disney Experience works (which is 99.99 percent of the time), you can check your water park visit info!
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