Disney World refused to let workers go home early as Hurricane Milton approached: report
The Walt Disney Company refused to allow employees at its theme parks and resorts near Orlando, Fla.to go home early in the hours leading up to Hurricane Milton’s arrival, according to employees.Four people who work in the various parks at Disney World told Business Insider that their bosses refused to cancel work even as weather conditions deteriorated on Wednesday.Workers told the publication that they were expected to remain on hand through and after the parks were shut down in order to help batten down the hatches — a move that had employees feeling unsafe, according to Business Insider.The employees also said that poor communication from higher-ups left them “feeling like they were flying blind,” Business Insider reported.The Disney “cast members” complained that they were made to work on Wednesday morning even as rain came pouring down and the parks were empty, the news site reported.Disney shut down the four parks in Central Florida early on Wednesday due to the oncoming storm.Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom were closed at 1 p.m.
Eastern time for guests while Magic Kingdom and Epcot closed at 2 p.m.The parks reopened on Friday.One employee who spoke to Business Insider estimated that Magic Kingdom was at 10% capacity before Disney decided to close the park.“I wish the park wouldn’t have opened up for the day at all,” the employee said.One of the workers told Business Insider that by the time they left at 2:45 p.m.
Eastern time, the weather in Orange County, where the parks are located, deteriorated to the point where tornado warnings were being issued at 3:22 p.m.A handful of tourists who showed up to Disney World on Wednesday managed to get in a few hours of fun even as the employees who greeted them were concerned about what the storm would do to their homes.“It’s about to get interesting,” Dr.Craig Chavis, a chiropractor from Maryland, posted on Instagram, along with pictures of his rain-soaked family enjoying the Magic Ki...