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Brampton: A Brampton family is hunkered down in a Walt Disney World hotel today as Hurricane Matthew batters the Florida coast.
The arrival of the mammoth Category 3 storm prompted officials to close the park for just the fourth time in its 45-year history on Thursday, leaving those held up in the resort’s many hotels with few options other than to wait out the torrential rain and powerful winds.
One of those people, Brampton’s Sharon Williams, told CTV News Toronto on Friday that the situation was scary at first but is starting to improve.
“Knowing the magnitude of the storm and all the damage that has been happening in the Caribbean we were really nervous, but as the night progressed we started to feel a little bit better about where we were at,” she said. “Through the night hours it was rough. There was debris flying around outside and quite a bit of rain but at this point in time it seems a little bit calmer.”
Williams travelled to Walt Disney World along with her nine-year-old son Owen and six-year-old daughter Ava last Sunday.
She said that the weather when they arrived was “beautiful” but started to get “grimmer” as the week went on and the storm drew closer.
Then on Thursday officials decided to close the park at 5 p.m. ahead of the arrival of the storm.
“They have been making every effort to ensure the families are comfortable. Everyone from all over the world is having an opportunity to meet each other and the kids are still managing to have a great time,” Williams said. “We are feeling pretty comfortable right now.”
In addition to the closure of the Walt Disney World theme parks, several hotels on the resort were also evacuated, though not the one that Williams and her family are staying in.
The last time that Walt Disney World was closed was for Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.
Williams and her family are scheduled to fly back to Toronto tomorrow night; however she said it remains unclear whether their flight will depart as scheduled.
“We will be patient and just be appreciative that we are safe and sound,” she said.
