An Arizona mom who was vacationing at Disney World as Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc through Florida came forward to describe her experience of being hunkered down 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 be in a hurricane’ while applauding how accommodating it was.
Resort guests were told to be in their rooms by 8.30pm on Wednesday in preparation for the storm.
The hurricane left 3million Florida homes and businesses without power Wednesday night and destroyed about 125 homes. At least 13 people have died.
But Sandra said the only ‘drama’ on Wednesday night was when the fire alarm of their hotel went off at 9.30pm because of a minor short circuit. Everyone safely evacuated their rooms and went into the lobby for less than 10 minutes, Sandra wrote in a Business Insider essay.
Sandra Guadarrama-Baumunk and her two daughters, Sofia and Mia, who joined her on a Disney trip during Hurricane Milton
Sandra said her experiences at a Disney World hotel during the storm were positive
‘I know other parts of Florida were badly damaged but, for us, it was fine,’ the mother-of-two wrote.
‘They were monitoring the situation and giving updates. We never felt uninformed.
‘We’re glad we trusted Disney. Its employees are working hard to keep us safe and ensure we still have a great vacation.’
Sandra arrived at the resort with her husband Brian, 58, daughters Mia and Sofia, 25 and 21, and Mia’s boyfriend, 25, on Saturday and will be leaving this upcoming Saturday.
She did not specify which one of Disney’s over 25 hotels they are staying in.
Sandra said she ‘positively’ thought that Hurricane Milton was going to ‘miss’ their trip to Florida.
Disney World closed Wednesday afternoon before the hurricane made landfall and is
The Disney-loving family’s Wednesday night was relatively uneventful after the fire alarm went off, though they heard the strong hurricane winds and rain pelting at their windows.
Sandra’s family faced another minor hiccup when their flight back home to Phoenix, Arizona was rescheduled because of the storm. When they extended their Disney stay by another night, the hotel offered a 40 percent discount on their two rooms.
‘They would have cost over $1,000 each on a typical Friday night,’ Sandra said.
Dining costs at the hotel were also cut back. 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 rains
The iconic theme park closed at 2pm on Wednesday before the storm and has not reopened to the public, Sandra said her hotel has kept them entertained.
On Wednesday, the hotel offered family-friendly activities in the lobby.
‘There was a nice bar. We hung out doing puzzles and playing card games like Uno that we’d bought at the gift store,’ Sandra wrote.
Sandra said that she did not see any rain on Thursday, only cloudiness.
Disney World announced on Tuesday that the theme park would be closing for the hurricane. They issued refunds for any prepaid experiences.
But as Florida starting preparing for another devastating hurricane after bearing through Hurricane Helene, tens of thousands of tourists did not change their Disney plans.
Disney World is set to reopen on Friday, according to their official website.
Guests strolling through Disney World before it closed to brace for Hurricane Milton
The website reads: ‘We’re grateful Walt Disney World Resort weathered the storm.
‘Our hearts are with our fellow Floridians who were impacted by this storm.’
The storm was downgraded to a 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 remain in their homes as storm surges are expected following the storm
