Two Major Hurricanes Expected To Crush Disney Resort This Week

in Adventures by Disney, Disney, Travel

A tropical Disney Resort with thatched roofs at sunset, framed by lush green hills and ocean. Inset in the top left corner is a weather radar image showing a developing storm with vivid colors indicating intensity, centered near the resort's location.

Credit: Disney

When guests book a Walt Disney World Resort trip during hurricane season, they essentially roll the dice. You know that when you book during the summer months, your travel could be disrupted by a hurricane in the Atlantic.

A satellite image shows a large hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico approaching the southeastern United States. An inset photo, highlighted with a red circle and arrow, depicts a crowded day at Disney World with its prominent castle under cloudy skies.
Credit: Inside The Magic

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However, this year, hurricane season has been pretty quiet so far. Earlier this month, Hurricane Debby just missed Central Florida but did significant damage to the panhandle, bringing flooding and heavy rain, killing four people.

Now is not the time to rest for anyone heading to Walt Disney World. Hurricane season in the Atlantic doesn’t end until November, and with warming water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, there’s still time for another significant storm.

But for those planning a Disney vacation in the Pacific Ocean, hurricane season just made its way west. Two hurricanes battered Hawaii this weekend, impacting vacations at Disneys Aulani Resort.

Tropical Storm Hone started hitting the Big Island of Hawaii early Sunday morning and is expected to bring heavy rain, high winds, and potential flooding. Early Sunday morning, the tropical storm intensified into a category one hurricane just before it hit the Big Island.

Related: Urgent Warning Issued For Walt Disney World, Guests Must Take Precautions

To compound the issues in Hawaii, the islands have suffered a severe drought this summer. The expected six to 12 inches of rain could cause landslides in some dryer areas.

While Hurricane Hone will inconvenience guests at Disney’s Aulani Resort, later this week, something much worse could be coming. To the east of Hawaii, Hurricane Gilma has formed and turned into a category three storm and is expected to become a category four by the end of the weekend.

This week, guests at the Disney Resort are facing incoming surf and rip currents. The National Hurricane Center is warning that by Wednesday, as the storm approaches Hawaii, there will be life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Related: Fans Furious As Theme Park Ceases Operations Without Warning Them

Hurricane Gilma is about 1,200 miles east of Hawaii, just off the coast of Baja, Mexico. If it continues on its current track, it will hit Hawaii over Labor Day Weekend.

According to the Weather Channel, it is rare for a major hurricane to hit Hawaii directly. From 1950 to 2021, only 30 hurricanes came within 200 miles of Hawaii. The last major hurricane to hit the islands was Hurricane Douglas in 2020, within 30 miles of Hawaii.

During Hurricane Douglas, Disney’s Aulani Resort mostly avoided damage. However, even though it was a category four storm, the hurricane did not directly hit the resort.

With any luck, Hurricane Gilma will shift and avoid hitting Hawaii and the Disney Resort. Fingers crossed.

What has your experience been like when a hurricane hits a Disney Resort?

in Adventures by Disney, Disney, Travel

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