What it was like to shelter at Disney through Hurricane Ian

“We had booked this trip six months ago, so this wasn’t a case of flying in to see the hurricane,” Sciretta told SFGATE. “We came in on Monday morning and at that time they were still projecting the hurricane to veer west. We knew there was going to be rainy weather, but we were hoping for the best.”

They also would have lost a substantial investment if they had canceled. “We’re staying in a [Disney Vacation Club] resort, and if our friend didn’t use his points by the end of the month, they were gone,” said Remick, who shared the whole reason for their visit was to be at Epcot’s 40th celebration on Oct. 1. “We thought it would be stupid to cancel and that it would probably just be rainy for a day and it would be no big deal. Maybe we’re stupid for thinking that and trying to be optimistic.”

The pair, along with friends and fellow Disney creators @just.ask.danny and @realmousevibes, have been staying at Disney’s Saratoga Springs resort, adjacent to the Disney Springs shopping and dining area. Disney evacuated part of that hotel (and others) to prepare for the storm, but not their section — so when the announcement came that the parks would be closed Wednesday and Thursday, the group was able to focus on getting what they needed for two days of hunkering down at the resort.

“We were at dinner at Disney Springs when the news came that they were starting to close down some of the resorts and water parks,” Sciretta said. “The next day we were at Epcot and that’s when they made the decision to not open Walt Disney World for two days. So we ran from Epcot to Target to load up on food.”

“It was cleared out,” he added. “There was nothing there. The bread aisle was completely bare. It reminded me of during COVID with the empty aisles where there was supposed to be toilet paper.” Their video shows the grocery section at Target with empty refrigerator cases that usually hold meat, empty bins where bananas and strawberries usually are, and no bread anywhere except for one lone pack of cinnamon raisin English muffins.

The rain became intense in the evening Wednesday, and the storm hit overnight, with winds up to 80 mph. “It was really windy,” Remick described. “There would be these big gusts of wind that would happen periodically and kept rattling the walls. There was something that kept banging on our roof. There was a little bit of lightning, too, but it was mainly just heavy, heavy rainfall.”

Wednesday evening, cast members (what Disney calls park employees) were busy making storm preparations. All of the outdoor trash cans had been sealed so they didn’t fill with water or debris, and things like pool furniture were tied down around the property. Walking around the resort Thursday after the storm subsided, Sciretta saw a few inches of water on walkways and fallen tree limbs and debris around the property, but no substantial damage.

One thing they both said they were surprised by was the convivial atmosphere in the resort, not just from guests, but from cast members too. “They actually do stay,” Remick said. “Disney puts them up in the hotel.”

“They have a ride out crew, is what they call it,” Sciretta added. “They basically got put up in the hotel. Not to quote people, but the cast members we talked to were very happy about that, staying at a Walt Disney World resort through the storm, especially this resort, which is so nice.” While many in the Orlando area lost power — 1.8 million people in Florida are currently without — Disney did not experience blackouts.

“Walt Disney World’s on their own grid and they have their own generators,” he said. “It’s probably honestly more hunkered down and safe than just a normal Orlando residence, I would think.”

On Wednesday, the hotel was selling meal kits with sandwiches, snacks and bottled water for $5 and $6. Thursday, food operations were back to normal. To keep families occupied during the park closure, employees set up entertainment in the lobby and common areas of the resort, including games, movies, crafts and trivia. Characters like Chip and Dale were deployed to interact with guests. Sciretta spotted them in the game room, playing air hockey with kids.

“The characters are going around trying to make magic for these families that came here expecting to be in the parks who are now stuck in their hotels,” he said. “It was really cool to see them making these kids happy in this unfortunate situation.”

Making “magic” wasn’t just limited to guests, either. “Goofy was walking through the lobby of Saratoga Springs, and there was a cast member cleaning up some of the debris that had come in the door,” Sciretta said. “Goofy went over to her and thanked her, her hand and … I don’t know. I got emotional about it. The cast members we’ve all talked to seem really happy to be there and be able to help. They seem genuinely happy to be part of this.”

“I think people are just trying to make the best of the situation,” he said. “Honestly being in this resort, you feel so insulated, it doesn’t feel like you saw the worst of any of it.” On Friday, the state estimated that more than 21 people had died from the hurricane.

The pair, and their friends, spent most of Wednesday and Thursday laying low, cooking together and playing cards.

“We’re never in the hotel” on a WDW trip, Remick said. “This is probably the longest we’ve spent in a resort.”

As of Friday, Disney parks were reopened. They spent the day at Animal Kingdom, which opened with abbreviated hours, and for part of the day to hotel guests only. Larger rides like the Expedition: Everest roller coaster and the ride-through safari were closed. The sky was bright blue and the weather was pleasant, they said. Besides some downed tree limbs, you would just think it was an ordinary day in the park.

“It’s weird, because you go on a trip like this to hang out with friends, and you spend most of your time on rides and doing stuff and you don’t get much time to talk to them,” Sciretta added. “I felt like we got more together time than we would normally have if we were running around.”

To donate to the Disney Cast Member Pantry, an employee-organized food bank that directly benefits Disney employees, click here.