In the midst of the hurricane, Disneyland Florida is accused of price-gouging of foods and beverages to residents that are trapped at their hotels. Jennifer Bruns, a guest who is currently staying at the hotel, posted her disappointments on social media early this morning. The Disney spokesperson denied the accusations saying a misunderstanding must have happened. The Disney representative further added that the company is, in fact, offering a variety of beverages and foods at a discounted price.
Bruns is not the first one who accused Disney of exploiting the disaster
According to the residents who got stranded at the Disney Hotel, the hotel is over pricing their foods and beverages. According to the post of Bruns, small bottles of Dasani water costs $2, while Minute Maid apple boxes were selling at $2.69. According to TheStreet, Bruns and her friends were stranded at the hotel because of the hurricane. Bruns told the outlet that they were “totally appalled” by how Disney used the disaster to earn money.
While the rest of us are digging deep to make donations & help, @Disney is price gouging guests stranded on property during Irma. #shameful pic.twitter.com/F0k3x8r0GH
— Jennifer Bruns (@jdbruns) September 10, 2017
In a statement released by Disney, what happened was an “isolated case.” An over-anxious employee had scrambled the price tags of the food and beverages while taking care of those stranded because of Hurricane Irma.
The company further said that they are doing their best to help those people who are affected by the current disaster. Disneyland has shared also that the company has donated pillows and blankets to the American Red Cross and currently housing staffs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Hurricane Irma: Death toll
Hurricane Irma is considered to be the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin outside the Caribbean and Mexico Gulf. The storm had caused huge damages in the Virgin Islands, Barbuda, and Anguilla as a Category 5 Hurricane. According to CNN, at least 24 people are reported to have died because of the Hurricane Irma.
The tropical storm is expected to cause the same danger to Florida. According to Caribbean’s state media radio station, the Hurricane Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 85 years. Damage was reported in all over the place, mostly in the form of the damaged building, loss of electricity, downed trees and torn-off roofs.
The state of Florida is currently in the State of Emergency. According to Governor Rick Scott, 100 members of Florida National Guard are placed on duty to assist during the disaster. Mandatory evacuations are imposed to the residents to ensure safety.