Family who sheltered in Disney World during Hurricane Milton reveal what it was really like
An Arizona mother who was vacationing at Disney World when Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc in Florida came forward to describe her experience while in the park.
Sandra Guadarrama-Baumunk, 53, was visiting Disney World with her family when the storm made landfall and said their resort was “one of the safest places to stay during a hurricane,” applauding how accommodating it was.
Resort guests were told to be in their rooms by 8:30 PM on Wednesday to prepare for the storm.
The hurricane left three million homes and businesses in Florida without power and destroyed about 125 homes on Wednesday evening. At least 13 people have died.
But Sandra said the only “drama” was on Wednesday night when their hotel’s fire alarm went off at 9.30pm due to a minor short circuit. Everyone left their rooms safely and entered the lobby for less than ten minutes, Sandra wrote in an Business Insider essay.
Sandra Guadarrama-Baumunk and her two daughters, Sofia and Mia, who accompanied her on a Disney trip during Hurricane Milton
Sandra said her experience at a Disney World hotel during the storm was positive
“I know other parts of Florida are heavily damaged, but for us it was fine,” the mother of two wrote.
“They were monitoring the situation and providing updates. We never felt uninformed.
“We’re glad we trusted Disney. The staff are working hard to keep us safe and ensure we still have a great holiday.”
Sandra arrived at the resort on Saturday with her husband Brian, 58, daughters Mia and Sofia, 25 and 21, and Mia’s boyfriend, 25, and will leave next Saturday.
She did not specify which of the more than 25 Disney hotels they are staying at.
Sandra said she “positively” thought Hurricane Milton would “miss” their trip to Florida.
Disney World closed Wednesday afternoon before the hurricane made landfall and is
The Disney-loving family’s Wednesday evening was relatively quiet after the fire alarm went off, although they heard strong hurricane winds and rain hitting their windows.
Sandra’s family faced another small problem when their flight back home to Phoenix, Arizona, was rescheduled due to the storm. When they extended their Disney stay for another night, the hotel offered a 40 percent discount on their two rooms.
“They would have cost over a thousand dollars each on a normal Friday night,” Sandra said.
Dinner costs at the hotel were also reduced. Sandra said her family paid $26 per person for a barbecue dinner instead of $40. Breakfast plates were $14 instead of $26.
Disney World guests trot through the theme park during Hurricane Milton-related rainstorms
The iconic theme park closed at 2pm on Wednesday before the storm and has not reopened to the public. Sandra said her hotel kept them entertained.
On Wednesdays, the hotel offered family-friendly activities in the lobby.
‘There was a nice bar. We were doing puzzles and playing card games like Uno that we bought at the gift shop,” Sandra wrote.
Sandra said she saw no rain on Thursday, only clouds.
Disney World announced on Tuesday that the theme park would close due to the hurricane. They issued refunds for all prepaid experiences.
But as Florida began preparing for another devastating hurricane after Hurricane Helene, tens of thousands of tourists didn’t change their Disney plans.
According to their official website, Disney World will reopen on Friday.
Guests stroll through Disney World before it closed to brace for Hurricane Milton
The website states: “We are grateful that Walt Disney World Resort weathered the storm.
“Our hearts are with our fellow Floridians affected by this storm.”
The storm was downgraded to Category 1 on Thursday as it left the state and moved into the Atlantic Ocean.
However, officials have warned that the danger is not over and people should stay in their homes as storm surges are expected after the storm
