When a Hurricane Looms...
Sarah McClure1.21.2020You and I, as your travel advisor, have worked for many months designing and creating the perfect family vacation to Walt Disney World Resort.We have found travel dates that do not interfere with work, school or extra-curricular activities.Your dining reservations are secured for fabulous restaurants like Whispering Canyon Cafe, Artist Point with Snow White, ‘Ohana with a view of the fireworks and Cinderella’s Royal Table.Your FastPasses for all of the top tier attractions (like Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Test Track) are set.Your little girl is giddy with excitement over her upcoming magical Princess make-over at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.You are packed and ready a spectacular family vacation...When a hurricane comes knocking on Orlando’s door.Can you imagine the dread, worry, fear and anxiety that sets in? Can you list all of the questions that must be asked?This situation is exactly what happened to a wonderful family traveling to Walt Disney World when Hurricane Dorian struck Florida in September 2019. This was the most intense hurricane on record and Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency. This real-life scenario is exactly why you should always work with me as your professional travel advisor when planning your family’s vacations.As their travel advisor, I was able to offer this family complimentary time, advise and services. We had several conversations in the days leading up to their vacation. We discussed the different possible scenarios and the pros and cons of each.What if their flights are cancelled?Since they booked their flights directly through the airline, my advice was to continually monitor the airline’s website, app and email notifications. If a flight is cancelled, you must be one of the first to call in for a change to a different flight on a different day. If you delay in calling, all of the other passengers will be getting seats on flights that you may want.If your arrival or departure dates change, I will be able to modify your Walt Disney World package with the new dates (pricing and availability are subject to change).Yes, this family’s flights did get cancelled and their choice was to make the 10-hour drive to Orlando for their original travel dates. You may ask why they chose to move forward with their plans when a hurricane was coming. Two options to consider when making this decision:- If we modify your travel dates to a week or a month later, you will lose your dining and FastPass reservations and all of the work over the last 6 months is for not.- Modifing your travel dates to 6 months later does give us the ability to rebuild dining and FastPass reservations. This family was unable to travel many months later due to school and work schedules.After much thoughtful discussion, a decision was made to move forward with their original plans. They decided that a couple of rainy days, or a day in their room would not dissuade them from abandoning their amazing plans.I suggested the family pack their car full of hurricane necessities, like extra food, fuel, flashlights, batteries, games, etc. It is best to stop for fuel in an area outside of a hurricane zone to ensure your tank is full.The next question to consider is, “What happens if the parks close?” I can assure you that Disney has guest safety as its number one priority. There are procedures in place for hurricane closures, which may mean that guests are required to stay in their room or resort. This family originally had a reservation at Port Orleans Riverside where the rooms have doors and hallways on the outside of each building. If the parks close and the weather is bad enough, this means that the family will be shut in their room for hours on end, and they would not be able to get to the main building for Guest Services and entertainment. Can you imagine walking to the main building in a hurricane with pounding rain and flying debris?However, modifying their reservation (pricing and availability are subject to change) to a resort with interior hallways would allow them the flexibility to move about, easily get to food options and entertainment that may be offered by Cast Members during a shut down. The decision was made to change their reservation to Beach Club Resort.As parents, what can you do to make the best out of an overwhelming or unpleasant situation? You can have the right mindset and be prepared. I suggested my clients take plenty of ponchos and cheap flip flops to change into while the ground is wet. I highly encouraged my clients to mentally prepare with a positive attitude, while understanding that rides may close, and you may not get to do everything you wanted. Trust me… Walt Disney World is so big that you would not have been able to do it all anyway! Know that your children will feed off your emotions and it is best to stay upbeat and positive. “A rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at the office or school”, right?!? I also suggested that they prepare for positive outcomes, like minimal wait times, and enjoy the fact that they are on vacation and will have unique memories and an amazing story to tell.
My clients arrived safely and were able to enjoy their first, albeit very wet, day in Magic Kingdom. I kept in touch with them throughout their vacation and was thrilled to know that they did follow my advice and enjoyed a very magical day with no more than a 10-minute wait for any attraction.The next day an executive decision was made to close the parks by 3:00 pm in order to prepare for a rough night of wind and rain from Dorian. I was able to modify a highly-anticipated dining reservation for earlier in the day and my clients enjoyed another wonderful day with minimal wait times.From here, the weather started to clear, the sun came out and by the end of the week, the crowds came back to normal levels. Their remaining 4 days in the parks were delightful and magical!In the end, my clients were thrilled with their vacation and were so happy they continued with their vacation plans.“I just want to take a minute to give a shout out to Sarah McClure of Wishes Family Travel. We had the absolute most magical week. There are many good travel planners, but I don’t know of any who would have taken so many late night / early morning calls to make this trip happen. We left knowing that we could face terrible weather from Dorian, but that Sarah had our back and we were going to make the best of it. She made sure that our trip not only happened but would far exceed any expectations we could ever imagine. If you are planning a Disney trip, do yourself the great gift of hiring Sarah!” – Mrs. WDisclaimer: All vacations, families and situations are unique. As your travel advisor, I will take the time to talk with you about the different scenarios for your family’s situation in order to make the best decision possible. I will also be available while you are traveling to assist with any additional needs that may arise.I would love to help you design a magical family vacation as well. Please contact me today to start the planning process with a complimentary phone consultation.801-231-9038sarahmc@wishesfamilytravel.comwww.facebook.com/smcclure-wft