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Credit: Inside The MagicWe’ve now entered the heart of hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center is tracking a major storm off the coast of Africa that has an 80 percent chance of becoming a major hurricane in the next seven days.
Early models for Invest 91-L show its path heading directly toward Central Florida, but it will make a dramatic turn just off the coast and potentially make landfall in the Carolinas. With the storm more than a week away, the Walt Disney World Resort appears to be safe for now.
While the Atlantic hurricane season has mostly missed Disney Resorts, we often forget to look west to the Pacific and watch its hurricane season. Right now, a Category 4 hurricane is brewing in the Eastern Pacific and is bearing down on a Disney Resort.
Hurricane Kiko is a Category 4 storm that is roughly 500 miles east of the Hawaiian Islands. The storm is expected to hit the Aloha State early next week.
Sitting directly in the storm’s path is Disney’s Aulani Resort. The Disney Resort is located on the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu, covering about 21 ocean-front acres with 351 hotel rooms and 481 vacation club villas.
Hurricane Kiko rapidly intensified from a tropical storm on Monday to a Category 4 hurricane by Wednesday. It is currently moving through warmer water and low wind shear, which increases its possibility of intensifying in the coming days.
As the hurricane moves west, it is expected to take a northwest turn, putting Hawaii directly in its path. However, the storm will decrease in strength before it hits the state. It is expected to maintain hurricane-strength winds when it reaches the islands.
The last major hurricane to hit Hawaii was 33 years ago. Hurricane Iniki hit the islands as a Category 4 storm with 145 miles per hour winds on September 11, 1992. It ultimately caused $3 billion in damage to the islands.
While guests who book vacations to Central Florida during hurricane season expect some disruptions to their trips, those heading to Hawaii in September could never imagine that a hurricane might ruin their vacation at Disney’s Aulani Resort. Hopefully, the Disney Resort is prepared to batten down the hatches and wait out the storm because Hurricane Kiko is coming.
What’s your best memory of Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii? Let us know in the comments.