Struck By Lightning

[Amy]

That is a very cool photo MadEye!

I think it is a prolonged exposure shot, which is why it is a great shot. Notice the lights of the ferryboat below the Contemporary.

I would agree. Another hint would be directly under Space Mountain, it looks like a boat was passing through around a corner there...

[boilerbabe]

I LOVE that lightening photo, that was taken at the Poly!!!!

[MadEye]

I LOVE that lightening photo, that was taken at the Poly!!!!

I was wondering when you would notice.

[leblanan]

We were down last aug, and there were scattered thunder showers in the middle of the afternoon. We went on the tower of terror and it was pretty dark up in the sky. When we came off it was raining so we just ran back in line again. When we came out the second time it looked sunny out so I just walked right outside. As I was dead center of that courtyard outside the giftshop....BANG! Everything shook, and I ducked and looked like an idiot. Something had been hit over in epcot we heard later, but I was sure I was gonna get hit.

[Len90]

We were down last aug, and there were scattered thunder showers in the middle of the afternoon. We went on the tower of terror and it was pretty dark up in the sky. When we came off it was raining so we just ran back in line again. When we came out the second time it looked sunny out so I just walked right outside. As I was dead center of that courtyard outside the giftshop....BANG! Everything shook, and I ducked and looked like an idiot. Something had been hit over in epcot we heard later, but I was sure I was gonna get hit.

It can get a bit scary when you are out in a T-storm at the parks. You can very easily be caught somwhere that is far from any place where you can seek shelter. Disney for the most part, has done a great job with grounding the buildings and having lots of lightning rods to prevent park guests from being struck.

[ronatie]

I have been in WDW during a few bad storms. Sometimes it meant that we'd get on the rides faster because everyone else was cowering inside away from the rain. Once as a kid, I was on line at Spaceship earth when the people in line informed my family that there was a hurricane headed for South Fl. (where we lived at the time) we got out of line, left WDW and got home just in time to Hurricane proof our house. That was Hurrican Andrew which leveled most of the city of Miami- but not our house luckily.

Other than that, I never got struck by lightning - but a seagull pooped on my shoulder while I was on the Grand Prix ride. It's OK though. I got a new Mickey T-shirt out of it.

[Sharonofwindham]

In oct. '94 we camped at Ft Wilderness in a tent. When we arrived the driver that took us to our site, (we flew from Maine with our gear) he told us they had been having summer like weather, high heat, humidity, and thunderstorms on a daily basis. The first night we had a doozy of a storm, very scary in a little tent! It was a really fun, money saving experience, however, we did end up in a cabin for a few nights Wow, did that air conditioning feel great!

[Amy]

...a seagull pooped on my shoulder while I was on the Grand Prix ride. It's OK though. I got a new Mickey T-shirt out of it.

I like the positive attitude! Did Disney provide the shirt or was that your kind family that didn't want you to have to walk around with seagull poop on you all day?

[ronatie]

...a seagull pooped on my shoulder while I was on the Grand Prix ride. It's OK though. I got a new Mickey T-shirt out of it.

I like the positive attitude! Did Disney provide the shirt or was that your kind family that didn't want you to have to walk around with seagull poop on you all day?

My family got it for me. It didn't occur to us to try to get Disney to provide a new shirt - though I bet they would have.

[masterj345]

i have seen some crazy weather at disney from downpours to lightening to hurricanes, but i think they probably have crazy good engineering to prevent things like lightening strikes at least in the vast majority of cases.

[MadEye]

i have seen some crazy weather at disney from downpours to lightening to hurricanes, but i think they probably have crazy good engineering to prevent things like lightening strikes at least in the vast majority of cases.

Ever notice all those metal rods sticking out of Big Thunder Mountain? They're all over the resort from the Parks to the Resorts. Some are very well hidden, some are in plain sight.

[mindflipper]

i have seen some crazy weather at disney from downpours to lightening to hurricanes, but i think they probably have crazy good engineering to prevent things like lightening strikes at least in the vast majority of cases.

Ever notice all those metal rods sticking out of Big Thunder Mountain? They're all over the resort from the Parks to the Resorts. Some are very well hidden, some are in plain sight.

Can see them as well on Splash Mountain as well and different areas of the park. I noticed those many years ago.

[MadEye]

Ever notice all those metal rods sticking out of Big Thunder Mountain? They're all over the resort from the Parks to the Resorts. Some are very well hidden, some are in plain sight.

Can see them as well on Splash Mountain as well and different areas of the park. I noticed those many years ago.

Indeed. I always wondered what they were when I was younger.

[mindflipper]

You used to get a real good look at how many there was when there used to to be "sky-bucket" ride from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland.

[Fantastory]

You'd be surprised at some of the regular park decorations that are really lightning rods. You know that pillar at the entrance of the Studios that has Mickey Mouse at the top walking on a globe? Mickey's finger is pointing straight up. Lightning rod. A roommate of mine worked merchandise on that street and every now and then during a storm they'd hear a crack and be like "well, looks like Mickey took one for the team." I've never seen a strike on that tower but I bet it would look awesome!

I was working inside the UK pavilion on my DCP in the summer of '09 when lightning struck the China roof. It sounded like a bomb went off right above the ceiling and it scared the bejeesus out of me and the guests (and sent Eeyore trying to crawl into a cabinet to hide). It was pretty cool but pretty freaky at the same time.

The lightning shows can get pretty spectacular especially in the summer, but I've never felt more safe from strikes than when I was under a roof on Disney property.