Wordless Wednesday - From a 10th Floor Grand Villa at Aulani

Sunday Spotlight - Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa_® first opened August 29, 2011 in the Ko Olina resort area on the leeward coast of Oahu, Hawaii.  Inspired by the natural beauty, culture and traditions of Hawai’i, this beautiful resort was designed with families in mind.  Sharing a secluded lagoon with the JW Marriott resort, and another future-resort that is still to be developed, Aulani is situated on 21 acres of oceanfront property, with spectacular views.

The Lobby, with Makahiki & the 'Olelo Room below

The resort is comprised of both traditional hotel accommodations and Disney Vacation Club timeshare villas. There are 359 hotel rooms, including 16 suites, and 460 villas comprised of deluxe studios, one and two bedroom villas, and 21 three bedroom Grand Villas (18 of which directly overlook the ocean).

From the 10th Floor, looking out to the ocean

The resort towers surround the Waikalohe Valley, which comprises the various water and recreational amenities.  These amenities include:
 Waikalohe Stream – an exhilarating yet refreshing waterway meandering throughout the Waikalohe Valley.

• Menehune Bridge – an interactive water play area which features interactive water elements, 3 slides and a climbing structure
• Two sparkling pools & four unique hot tubs
• Two waterslides, Tubestone Curl – an inner tube slide for 1 or 2 guests at a time, and Volcanic Vertical – a single rider body slide
• Rainbow Reef – a snorkeling experience at the largest inland snorkeling reef on the island (this is a fee-based activity)
• Makai Preserve – a conservation lagoon where guests can interact with stingrays and other marine life (this is a fee-based  activity)
• Pau Hana Room – video gaming, foosball, board games, storytelling, TV viewing area and arts & crafts (some but not all activities are fee-based)
• Aunty’s Beach House – this fun-filled destination for the kids is a place of discovery, magic and exploration where kids can learn about the Hawaiian culture while they play.  Supervised playtime at Aunty’s Beach House allows mom and dad the opportunity to spend some adult time on the beach, at a romantic dinner or any other excursions of their choice.
• Located directly across the street from the resort, is the Ko Olina Golf Club, and discounted greens fees are available for resort guests.

Riding the Waikalohe Stream

Menehune Bridge

One of four distinctive hot tubs

The resort features several unique places to wine and dine.  These include: 

• ’Ama ‘Ama, a table-service restaurant offers spectacular ocean-front views for breakfast, lunch & dinner.  Seafood is plentiful on the menu, along with traditional Hawaiian specialities.
• Makahiki, offers an all-you-care-to enjoy breakfast and dinner buffet, and features a character breakfast, Aunty’s Character Breakfast at the Makahiki, currently offered on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays.  The food selection includes a generous mix of Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese fare.
• One Paddle, Two Paddle, is a counter-service location with a variety of delightful Hawaiian dishes, fresh made sandwiches and wraps.
• Off the Hook is a colorful, pool and beachside lounge designed after a Hawaiian fisherman’s seaside shack, and features libations and appetizers.
• The ‘Olelo Room is a pub-like gathering place where visitors can learn a variety of Hawaiian words while enjoying favorite cocktails.
• The Lava Shack is located in the heart of the Waikalohe Valley, and features cold fried chicken, cured meats & cheeses and other grab & go snacks.

The view from 'Ama 'Ama

The parade during Aunty's Breakfast Celebration at the Makahiki

For guests looking for relaxing spa treatments - no worries, the Laniwai Spa offers unique, blissful, customized treatments, and includes the only outdoor hydrotherapy garden in Hawaii. Additionally, for the teens, Aulani offers the only Teen Spa in Hawaii - Painted Sky - which offers special treatments and options just for teens.


For the adventurist looking to augment their beach vacation with some really neat, self-guided Hawaiian “local color” -  Aulani is not far from many fun, exciting, and enjoyable destinations around Oahu. In the mood for a Dole Whip?  The Dole Plantation is just 30 minutes away.  Want to catch some waves or go surfing on some of the best beaches in the world, the North Shore, home of famed surfing competitions is just 45 minutes away.  Looking for the stereotypical Hawaiian tour? The famed beaches and experiences at Waikiki are just about an hour’s drive from the resort.  Hiking to the top of Diamond Head, or through a rainforest?  Both are just about an hour’s drive from the resort.  Of course the island is also home to numerous historic sites, significant in how the world changed so dramatically one December morning in 1941. The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor is only about 20 minutes from Aulani, and is a must-see for so many different reasons.  This very moving site includes the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin, the USS Missouri, the USS Oklahoma Memorial and the USS Utah Memorial – plus a handful of Exhibit Galleries, Museums, artifacts and a 23-minute film discussing the attacks on Pearl Harbor that December morning.

For those guests looking to enjoy different aspects of Hawaii but choose to do so on guided excursions,  you won’t be disappointed!  Just as cruise ships offer a plethora of land excursions on “port days” – Aulani provides similar opportunities for its’ guests as well.  The range of offerings can change from time to time, but currently there are about 14 different excursions. Each day there are 1 or 2 different guided tours and experiences for guests to select from. Costs range from about $50 per adult up to about $400 per adult. These excursions can be reserved in advance on Aulani’s website, or in person at the Holoholo Desk just to the left of the Lobby.  Excursion possibilities include learning to surf, riding horseback through lush valleys, hiking in the rainforest, setting sail on a catamaran or kayak along protected islets, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, island hopping to explore volcanoes and so much more. 

Were Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa_® to be located at the Walt Disney World_® Resort, it would be considered a Deluxe level.  Transportation to and from the resort is not provided.  Guests can arrange for their choice of rental car, shuttle, taxi or limo service.  Rental Cars are highly recommended for a variety of self-guided excursions, grocery shopping (for villas guests) and other local visits away from the resort.  

Looking at the resort from the ocean side of the Lagoon

Aulani - More Images

Here are a few more images from Aulani.  This stand-alone Disney resort is filled with beautiful vistas.  The resort itself has some positives and negatives, but overall is a very nice resort that can provide memorable vacations for all types of families. 

These fun lamps are available for purchase in Kalepa's Store down in the Lobby.  They're "only" $200 - and shipping is available.  I wish I had $200 to spare for one, because it sure would look nice in my home office.  Hopefully the next time I come to Aulani they'll still be selling them.

This is the view from 'Ama 'Ama, one of three restaurants on property - this one specifically is the table service restaurant that is not a buffet. 

Aulani features two waterslides in Waikalohe Valley.  My favorite is Tubestone Curl - I think I rode it seven times today. 

The DVC side of Aulani, as seen from within the Waikalohe Stream.

Minnie is one of several characters to meet & greet their adoring fans at Aulani.  Today I saw Mickey, Donald & Goofy, in addition to Minnie. 

The Lobby area, as seen from the Waikalohe Stream.

Inside the cave along Waikalohe Stream. 

The Porte Cachere, very similar to those found at Walt Disney World resorts.  To the far left, where Magical Express buses pick up & drop off guests at Walt Disney World - here at Aulani buses & shuttles come and pick up & drop off guests from the various off-site excursions.  I enjoyed a wonderful excursion to the Kualoa Ranch yesterday, for a day filled with water sports & horseback riding through a beautiful ranch & valley - which is home to many, many movie & television shoots as the ranch is one of the busiest movie production sites in the state of Hawaii.

The view from the upper level of the "waterfall" hot tub. 

The Menehune Bridge is a fun-filled water play area good for kids and adults alike. 

Just after sunset, while standing on the promontory by the edge of the lagoon.  

Just before dinner at Makahiki, located below the Lobby, I snapped this shot of the Lobby building.  Makahiki is a buffet restaurant, serving a delectable selection of Hawaiian, Chinese and Japanese dishes.   

Aulani - Images

Aloha!  I spent some time wandering the resort yesterday before heading off to explore the island.  I'll write about the excursions themselves soon.  For now, here are a few images from around the resort.


In Waikolohe Valley, this volcanic uprising is home to two waterslides.  One a regular, "sit down" kind, and the other an inner tube kind.
  

Like any other Disney resort, Mickey can be found in various places throughout the resort.  Though he is not the dominant presence at Aulani, he is definitely all over in different ways.

Throughout the resort, the distintive Aulani logo can be found.  Here is is part of a carpet in the lobby.

The Lobby level is actually the 3rd floor of the resort.  This staircase takes guests down to the 1st floor and Makahiki, which is one of three restaurants located on-site.  Makahiki is a buffet-style restaurant located right at the bottom of these stairs, and currently features  a character breakfast Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays.  It includes a nice patio seating area at the beginning of Waikolohe Valley. Just to the left of Makahiki's entrance is The O'lelo Room, which is a very attractively designed bar, filled with ways to learn Hawaiian.  I'll be sure to post pictures of it later.

 

Other mischieveous sorts can be found scattered around the resort!

This view is looking from the check-in desk at 'Ama'Ama, another table service restaurant at the resort.  It is beach-side, and the view from the dining room is fantastic.  Like other indoor public spaces in the resort, 'Ama'Ama features movable glass walls that can be opened or closed as weather dictates. 

Here we see the access point to the beach.  Disney does not have exclusive use of the lagoon's beach, it is shared with the neighboring JW Marriott Ko Olina on the north, and an as-yet-to-be-determined neighbor to the south.  Like is found at Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Florida, your room key will secure access back in to the resort when finished using the beach facilities.  Lounge chairs abound on the white sandy beach. 

There are 5 different hot tubs on the grounds, at least that's what I've seen so far, if there's another one, I'll find it soon enough.  This is my favorite though.  It is down very close to the beach access, and has two levels to it.  Both have an "infinity edge", whereby it appears that the water creates a horizon and just disappears.  These two are some of the largest hot tubs of any within the Disney Resort family.

Just another day out on the beach.  Here I was standing down near the beach.

Here we see part of the Menehune Bridge water play area. It is very much like Uwanja Camp at Kidani Village, there at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge in Florida - lots of fun, lots of interactivity... and a few surprises thrown in here and there. Currently, it is open from 8am-6pm, though I'm guessing in the summer it might stay open longer?  I'm not sure.  

A nice feature for all first floor rooms is that they are numbered on the outside, as well as the inside.  Plus they have direct access from the lanai to the Waikolohe Valley via stepping stone paths.

A stylized hidden Mickey in the hallway carpeting. 

Well that's it for now.  I have hundreds of pictures to go through and I will be writing up a report of this visit, including impressions, thoughts, tips and other information. It's coming - really it is.  But for now I must run and get ready to head out for breakfast, and then an excursion to the Kualoa Ranch today for some horseback riding & swimming on a private beach.  Kualoa Ranch was used to film Jurassic Park, LOST and other things.  It is one of the numerous excursions available through the Holoholo Desk at the resort.  


So for now, I'll say a hui hou - til we meet again. 

Aloha! Greetings from Aulani

Aloha!


Greetings from Aulani, Disney's newest destination resort.

I arrived yesterday afternoon, and all I can really say about this resort right now is "WOW!"  Disney really hit a grand slam on the theming and environmental aspects.  It is simply gorgeous.

I went around taking pictures after I checked in, but will be taking a lot more during the daylight hours over the next few days.  Here are just a quick few to whet your appetite. 

This is the view from my 5th floor room.  I might have liked to be higher, but I'm not complaining.  I can see the ocean from my balcony, and have a great view of the Waikolohe Valley (swimming & water play areas).  The darkest water at the bottom of this shot is Rainbow Reef, the snorkel experience.

This fun, ethereal like shot is from the lazy river, Waikolohe Stream, as it is about to enter one of the caves under the water slide mountain. (I'm still learning the names of the different features here)

And finally (for now), the view from a beach chair overlooking the lagoon & the Pacific.

I will share more, including thoughts, impressions and tips that I pick up while here.  Until then... Aloha!