We last saw our Disney duo confined to their 1-bedroom theme park view Polynesian Villa in Rock You Like A Hurricane Part 1. The nice phone lady informed that imminent danger was upon us and that we should take shelter by at least 11pm on Oct 8th. Well, until 2300 hours rolled up, we decided to take what little time was available and grab a bite.
The Grand Ceremonial House was the place to be that evening. Those who opted to leave were being cared for, and those fools who decided to stay were also taken care of. The restaurants were in full swing and several park characters were also there. I remember seeing Captain Hook and Smee for a dance party for the children, and I slightly remember at least Pluto and Goofy. Also, for sale was boxed breakfasts and lunches and hot fresh pizza was up for sale to take back to our rooms. We stuck around the GCH long enough to grab our boxed meals, pizza, grab a couple of drinks and purchase some survival necessities (candy, beer, board games and so forth). We made our way back to our room to await the impending doom. It was about 2000 hours (8pm) and the rain and wind were starting to pick up. We “enjoyed” our pizza, beer and watched some movies. Soon, we decided to turn in early for the night.
The next morning brought a devastating sight of… nothing. No damage, no bungalows that came apart from their foundations and floating in the middle of Bay Lake. Just a lot of wetness and some vegetation thrown about. So, what to do? We opened up our boxed breakfast and enjoyed a bagel and some fruit. I had drunk my Joffrey’s coffee the day before and since I was at a DVC room, it did not get replenished. So, no coffee, crappy boxed breakfasts and only 1 beer. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and blaming the world for what was going on, we decided to relax and watch Disney movies on the tv and play a round of Disney Monopoly. The only gripe I have of this is that about 1/3 of the way through The Little Mermaid (a classic) it shut off and we were treated to… Tron… Legacy (a classic piece of…).
At about 1100 hours (that’s 11 am for you non-military type) Cast Members were coming out of hiding and walking the grounds and driving their golf carts around. At about noon-thirty the phone range and the nice lady said that we were free. We put on our shoes and ran towards the GCH. The wife and I stood in line at Trader Sam’s for an exclusive Haunted Mansion Tiki Mug that took about 2 hours. It came with some kind of tiki drink that I can’t remember the name, but do remember that it was not that tasty. So to get rid of the rum infused nightmare going on in my gullet, I grabbed a couple of beers and a good whiskey to get rid of the vileness. As the wife and I were meandering through the GCH it was told that ‘Ohana was serving dinner to resort guests only.
Now we have had ‘Ohana in the past and I was not as thoroughly impressed as my fellow brethren, but we were hungry and didn’t want Captain Cook’s. I was also informed by telephone earlier that our Anniversary dinner at Jiko was not going to be honored (for it too was only opened to resort guests.) I walked up to the hostess stand and asked for a wait time. She stated that she couldn’t give us one but the average was about 20 minutes. I was going to grab a libation from the Tambu Lounge for the wait, but the buzzer went off and we were seated right next to the window…just to the right of the Volcano Pool. This would have been prime seating for a Wishes viewing. Our server came out and informed that instead of doing the normal family style meal, a buffet with food from ‘Ohana and the Luau was being served, and yes, I could get beer! The food was great: Chicken wings, salad, chicken, bread pudding and the lot.
As we finished our meal, the server came to us and informed that there is a Cast Member rumor going around that Disney Springs was going to be opened at 5:30 pm for WDW resort guests only. We paid, headed back to the room, and received an email and call that Disney Springs would be opened at 5:30 and we wanted to take advantage of this special moment. Now imagine this: (almost) everybody that is staying on Disney property has been cooped up for a day and a half and they only had one place to go. Yea, it was busier than Trader Sam’s on exclusive tiki mug day! This was the first time we had experienced the completed Disney Springs with the Town Center and it was…nice. Like walking down an outdoor mall with whimsical themed bars thrown about (but that’s for another article). Needless to say, it was nice to get out but it was in fact extremely busy and not all of the establishments were open. We bought some things for the kids and of course enjoyed a few cocktails, then headed back to the room to get ready for an early rise to Magic Kingdom in the morning.
Stay tuned next time for the exciting conclusion of Disney during a hurricane.
Don’t be like me, make sure you stock up on your Joffrey’s Coffee BEFORE a natural disaster strikes.
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