Hurricane Dorian has ripped through the Bahamas and left immense devestation in its path.  Anyone watching the news coverage has been overwhelmed by the images – I can’t imagine the distress for the people who live there.  Homes and businesses completely destroyed, it’s destruction like we haven’t seen before.

The Walt Disney Company has a special connection to the Bahamas.  Disney Cruise Line ships are registered in the Bahamas and Nassau is a frequent port on the itinerary.  Disney has two private islands in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay and the NEW Lighthouse Point.

Given the ties and love for the Bahamas, The Walt Disney Company led by Disney Cruise Line has committed to donate more than $1 million to help relief and recovery efforts. 

The statement from the company read in part:

“This commitment includes a $1 million donation to non-profit relief agencies who will be undertaking recovery and rebuilding efforts, as well as the provision of supplies – including food staples and basic construction materials – to those in impacted areas.

Earlier today, our Chairman and CEO Bob Iger shared, “The Walt Disney Company stands with the people of The Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.” He went on to say, “We hope our $1 million donation will provide much-needed relief and help our neighbors, colleagues, and all those impacted by this devastating storm begin the long process of recovery as they work to put their lives and communities back together.” 

The Walt Disney Company is a great example of a community leader who stepped up quickly to offer support.

There were questions about Castaway Cay and the cast members who live there, but Disney has confirmed that all cast were safe during the storm.

The cast members were in a storm shelter that was constructed specifically for hurricanes and the winds measured were no worse than a tropical storm.  The logistics of removing the cast from the island would have included boat trips as well as planes to get them out of the bahamas – these were all factors I’m sure in the decision to leave them on the island.  It’s always safety first with Disney.

The president of Disney Cruise Line, Jeff Vahle said:

“The Bahamas is such a special place to us and our guests, and we have watched the devastation created by Hurricane Dorian with concern and heartache.  We stand with the Bahamian people, and especially those in Abaco and Grand Bahama, as they recover from the worst storm to ever make landfall in The Bahamas. As the needs in these communities are assessed, we are prepared to aid the relief and recovery efforts through funding, the provision of supplies and by providing support to our Bahamian Crew Members.”

There are many reasons to love the Walt Disney Company – this is just one more great reason in my opinion.

Hurricane Dorian has been creating chaos in for a few days now, and with good reason – this is one powerful storm.  The hurricane is making it’s way through the Bahamas and has had devastating impacts to the residents there.

With the storm moving so slowly, forecasters have had trouble knowing when the storm will hit Florida.  The Orlando Airport was first to say they were going to cease operations due to Dorian.  On Friday August 30th they posted they would close on September 1st ahead of the storm.  

This was rather surprising given it was so far in advance – and the forecasters were unable to predict it’s path.  Airlines would not cancel the flights, they were still holding out hope that the path would change and it did.  Orlando Airport decided it would delay the closure until it had more information.

Now that there is a better indication of when the winds and storm will impact Florida – the airport and Theme Parks are altering their operations.

On Tuesday September 3rd – Walt Disney World will have altered operating hours.  The operating hours have changed since the first release of information and you should check the official Disney sites for the most up to date information.

Disney has released the information here and states that there is nothing more important than the safety of the guests and cast members – and that is true.  SAFETY is always first at Disney – ALWAYS.  You should always be checking on any updates to the schedule from Disney directly.  If you are staying at a Disney resort you will get a lot of communication and information – your TV will have updates too.

I was able to witness first hand how Disney handles things during a storm – I was there during Hurricane Irma, and I couldn’t have felt more safe.  They took GREAT care of us, kept us informed and really made sure that first and foremost we were SAFE.

It was an incredible experience, being from Toronto we don’t get that kind of weather.  We were at Bay Lake Tower during the hurricane and rode out the storm and the curfew there.  Here’s a video of what it was like waiting for the hurricane.

Here’s a little tour of the Contemporary grounds after Irma came through.

If you HAVE to be in Florida during a hurricane, you want to be at Walt Disney World.  I know many locals pack up and head to the resorts to ride out the storms.  

If you need information on storms from someone who does NOT try to scare everyone for ratings – THIS is the guy you want to follow on Facebook.  He’s calm, reliable and surprisingly accurate!

For the accurate information on hurricane policies – visit Walt Disney World’s offical site here.

Make sure that you follow the official Walt Disney World page on Facebook for updates on closures and timelines.  

Have you been in Walt Disney World during a hurricane?