Concerns were raised by guests after the crew were left on the company’s private island, Castaway Cay. Hurricane Dorian whipped up 220mph winds and 20ft waves as it tore through the Bahamas. In a statement the company claimed their highest priority was the safety of their crew.
The statement claimed: “We are in regular contact with island leadership, who is making sure our Crew is well taken care of in our storm shelter, which is designed for these types of situations and has restrooms, power and is well stocked with food and water.”
They added the island was south of the “more significant weather” but still experienced tropical storm force winds.
The company said: “Our thoughts are with the people in areas of the Bahamas that are being impacted by this storm and we stand ready to contribute to recovery efforts.”
A sister of a Disney worker left on the island argued the staff “shouldn’t be in that situation”.
Meg Green tweeted: “My sister is stuck in the middle of a Cat 5 hurricane.
“We were told they would evacuate and they didn’t. Left them behind!! Why??”
She added: “Remember that time Disney Cruises left 97 employees on a tiny island in a Catagory 5 hurricane? I do.”
In another tweet the concerned sibling said:“They shouldn’t be in that situation. They had plenty of time to evacuate, but the decision was made to stay.
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“Since all tropical storms and hurricanes are inherently unpredictable, our plans may change from day to day based on the most current information.”
It is currently believed all workers survived the storm.
Castaway Cay is a private island in the Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships.
It is located near Great Abaco Island and was formerly known as Gorda Cay.
Hurricane Dorian has become the strongest storm in modern records to hit the northwestern Bahamas.
The U.S National Hurricane Center said Dorian made landfall on Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands as a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 185mph.
US President Trump warned the storm will likely impact the eastern seaboard from Florida to North Carolina.
The NHC warned it was a “life-threatening” situation.
As Hurricane Dorian barrelled towards the US, Orlando Melbourne International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport both announced they would suspend commercial flights and close their terminals at noon.
So far, 770 flights into, out of and within the US that were scheduled to take off tomorrow were cancelled.
The National Hurricane Centre is urging people in the Bahamas to stay inside as the eye of the storm passes over.