A limited number of locations at Disney Springs will be opening to guests at 5pm tonight.
There is no list of what locations at Disney Springs will be open as of yet. Disney will begin bus service for hotel guests to and from Disney Springs at 6:30PM.
Disney Springs was supposed to be shuttered all day today, but the weather caused by Hurricane Matthew was not as bad as originally expected, at least in the Orlando area.
Update (4:15pm) – Here is a list of what is open tonight:
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Thank you Tom for accurate reporting and keeping us up to date, and allowing people to share their experiences real time. They reopened as soon as Orange county said they wouldn’t arrest their drivers and busses for being out after curfew (saw this on the news in our room, which we were told to stay in). Fortunately Orlando dodged this storm. Unfortunately, Disney showed blatant disregard for safety and operation, yet put on a good script that we were in good hands, and our family staying at Polynesian will not trust Disney again. All talk. No substance. I firmly believe if this storm had followed it’s original track we would have been in a world of hurt wishing we were in a community shelter. Disney all but abandoned us and were not prepared for a thunderstorm, much less a hurricane. Hopefully Orange county will investigate this.
What’d you want Rhonda?
A Cast Member to come hold your hand during the Storm?
You really would rather be in a shelter than a perfectly safe hotel room?
Wow, some people just are independent & tough.
Sad….
Jeff, you’re clueless. We left Disney when they ran out of food for a shelter in Kissimmee and cast members stopped saying ‘it’s all great and wonderful”, when they obviously should have evacuated the resorts based on their preparation.The service at the shelter in Kissimmee was much nicer. Nothing was coordinated at Disney and was VERY unsafe if anything further stressed them. Word is, they’re having hard times at Disney parks when weather is perfect. Nothing like our visit a few years ago. Very dangerous honestly.
PJ you are the clueless one. Rhonda also, my gosh act like adults and stop always asking for stuff. PJ you made a decision for you and “your” family, that doesn’t it mean you are better off than the people that stayed.
Heading towards DisneyWorld on Sunday,checking in at Orange Lake timeshare Monday ! Are gas stations and restaurants etc. Open after storm!?? We want to go to couple of DisneyWorld parks during the week? We are from Ohio and hope we won’t have problems because of hurricane damages and people evacuations taking all the rooms to stay on the way!!
She’s just looking for a free ride. I’ve seen plenty of posts at the Poly last night that everyone was fine and being treated fairly.
Um, I just read through a few of the posts and you’re lying. Looks like Disney was a wreck.
Mike is obviously Disney PR
I’d like to hear what Disney could have done to make people happy. How were they supposed to prepare for a hurricane? They offered food, shelter, and minimal entertainment. It sounds like they didn’t have enough food but I’m betting that there were some guests that took too much. Yes, Disney was forced to close but what difference does that make? People are saying that the resort should have been evacuated. Could you imagine the people bitching that Disney sent them out into Orlando where all rooms were booked and shelters were crowded?
No Jamie, they ran out of food, water, closed areas due to staff quitting. Not all of the resorts, but some. Well talked about on the news and we were there. You’re f’ing clueless.
I’m clueless because I asked what they could have done? Interesting. I didn’t say anyone wrong in being angry. I asked a question.
Jamie, the consensus is you’re speaking about stuff you didn’t experience and know nothing about. You weren’t there, it sounds very clear Disney didn’t have basic services ready. This has been well documented. Move along….
Well documented by whining guests online. I’ve seen plenty of posts from guests and cast making the best of the situation. The running out of water is laughable. They ran out of bottles. Florida water may not be the best but it’s drinkable. No one is going to die of thirst. They’re all complaining but not one is saying what could have been done to make it better. I wasn’t arguing with anyone but when you post online other people are going to comment.
Jaime, no, wrong again, guests at some resorts told NOT to drink tap water either. You’ve completely missing the point trying to defend something you were NO part of. Please. You’re embarrassing yourself.
No, not embarrassing at all. I’m not defending anything because there is nothing to defend. I could care less if these people were miserable and hate Disney. No one died and it’s not cornfield to so me from going back. I was just wondering, as someone who works with hotels, what were people expecting to be done.
*not going to stop me from going back.
We were completely comfortable at Kidani Village, enjoyed lunch at the lounge, character greetings, Disney movies all night, and helpful cast members. There did seem to be some pretty unreasonable guests.
Does anyone know if this is open to people NOT staying at a Disney resort? We are about 10 minutes away and are dying of cabin fever in our hotel room!
Yes, Disney Springs is open to the public. No cost for parking or admission, other than the theatre.
Why do buses start at 6:30 if it opens at 5? I guess we will have to take a cab? Anyone know if buses are starting earlier.
I find it funny that there are so many bloggers at Disney Springs right now when it’s only suppose to be open to Disney Resort Guests. They have limited staff and we have locals taking up space at the restaurants.
Some Disney PR folks posting here questioning the validity and obviously WERE NOT THERE. Hand holding by cast member. HA! It’s well documented on other forums, the news covering it, and my family was there. Disney ran out of food, water, some staff deserted, managers locked down areas due to staffing. It made a homeless clinic look attractive. Disney just doesn’t give a damn anymore quite honestly. Sad, but true.
There are 2 types of people. …whiney, entitled, soft, negative people, and people who to be understanding and see the best in every situation. Cry me a river entitled suburbanites, you are able to go to Disney. Don’t like it? Go home!
There are two kinds of posters too. Those who add something to the conversation, and little bitches who complain about people who don’t see things the way they do. You’re in the latter group.
And your comments add to the conversation? I’ve seen nothing you’ve posted add to the conversation other than critize other people.
Ditto, ass hole!
We just back from Disney Springs — very crowded (which I get, cabin fever) but hardly anything was open. At 5:15, the line at Raglan Road stretched around the building, and they weren’t opening until 6. Left left and drove down 192, and almost every restaurant that was open was packed with a line out of the door. We decided to head back to our condo and eat frozen pizza.
Just back and Disney springs was BARELY open. Why bother with what little they had, and how understaffed everything was. Is Disney even trying? Gave up and ate at Darden restaurant.
I think it’s funny every time there is a hurricane at Disney World the lines at the resorts for the front desk get huge with people who (i’m assuming) are looking for compensation of some for or another. Hello, even though the weather may not be bad there is still a state of emergency, shouldn’t you be like..in your room??
Exactly Jeff, well said.
Not at our hotel, they just wanted drinking water. I heard NOBODY asking for anything free. Not even the water, after they said not to drink it out of the tap. And staff to be honest at the state of lack of services, food, and power in one wing of OKW. Funny how people not even there are commenting here that they’d do better. Embarrassing. Disney screwed up. It is what it is!
You are a jerk, that is what it is.
I think it’s funny Disney spends more time posting on public forums like Jeff, than training staff, or stocking basic supplies for emergencies. Disney parks shouldn’t be in business. Too cheap to be safe anymore.
You people are all idiots. Ita a hurricane. What could you have honestly expected? It’s was probably the largest single “evacuation center” and you’re complaining cause you had to wait in line.
Disney an evacuation center. Laughable. This place is t very safe tbh.
Typo…Disney Is not very safe. (And I work here..don’t tell anyone)
I meant to say it’s NOT A hurricane evacuation center. I wrote that very drunk
Don’t blame booze and your drunkenness for being a total idiot Vincent.
booze is perfectly acceptable reason to be an idiot
Side note…. Disney is a for profit organization. Of course they will do what they can but why in the he’ll do you think it is their responsibility to make sure you are safe? If you were that worried go back home or leave the state. The amount of bitching from you people is ridiculous. Of I was at a McDonald’s during a blizzard in Cleveland should I rely on them, a for profit organization to keep me safe?
Vincent, you’ve completely missed the point and sound about as bright as Disney legal teams, meaning stupid as a rock.
We had various cast members and managers saying varying issues, from some saying water unsafe, others assembling us in a line for safer area of resort (that was outdoors). Disney wanted to stay open, but county shut the, down. They were negligent. Disney is as unsafe of a public or corporate place in America after our weekend here. They are likely to be sued over their mismanagement. If you weren’t there, shut the fuck up. You have no stake in this.
I wasn’t there. but what kind of dumb ass decides to stay at disney during a hurricane? you have a good 4-5 days to leave .
sued? haha try that and see what happens. not a thing will come of it.
No ya don’t Vincent. It’s totally obvious you weren’t there and speaking out of your ass. Disney was holding money without refunds until the end. An entire ship full to go out of Port Caneveral had to be housed after they were on the ship and pulled off after cruise cancelled. I don’t get how you have such a strong option that is soooo wrong against what is very well documented.
seriously, how would Disney evacuated that many guests? I have a pretty good feeling that most of the people complaining about their experience at Disney during the hurricane weren’t really there.
Easily, Same way the county made them close, they were told their bus drivers and cast members on the road would be arrested. Can’t speak on other posts. We were there. Disney was beyond negligent on how they handled this. I get it. They’re all about money. Given the chance, they’d sail into a tornado if they thought they could get away with it and make a nickel from it.
So you were physically there in the executive offices when someone from the county was escorted in to force Disney to close?
I worked for them for years and live in Orlando. All businesses were close by early afternoon. Pretty sure the county officials weren’t going door to door telling everyone to close.
I worked for them in 2005 when Hurricane Wilma came through. They closed for that. It wasn’t about money, guests weren’t having a horrible devastating experience, and no one worried about evacuations. Once the hurricane passed, those of us that wanted to come in to work did. Those who choose to have the day off did that. Disney worked to get things up and running as soon as the hurricane passed and we were open for resort guests that afternoon.
If you really can’t stand Disney so much move on.
No Sean. You’re ill informed. Orange County Florida closed WDW Orlando with the Hurricane Matthew due to curfew. Disney wanted to stay open, but Orange County said they were not exempt, their bus drivers to be arrested if on the road during the curfew, and thus the sudden announcement to close at 5pm.
Disney passengers were on the DCL ship with intent to sail, this was negligent, when the captain ordered everyone off the ship late in the afternoon once he saw winds increasing. As if it was a surprise storm that snuck up over the course of minutes. Discounts and cancellations for DCL were not offered until that time, and guests who erred on side of safety still are out their money to Disney. Some guests taken to Disney resort (which they charged them for as well) which as well documented: ran out of food, and water, and some resorts mistakenly, guests were also told not to drink the tap water by ill informed cast members.
Disney parks are NOTHING like 2005 when you worked for them in safety, communication, or preparedness for regular events, much less inevitable storms. They are in their own internal storm of cut backs and mismanagement of the parks TBH.