Character Interactions at Aulani

Character interactions are as much a part of the "Disney Experience" as rides and attractions at the various theme parks around the globe.  Here at Aulani, the total number of interactions is lower than at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, and the character selection is certainly smaller - but those characters who are here on vacation at Aulani - are such a huge part of what makes Aulani a Disney resort.  While I've been at Aulani I have personally interacted with several characters as seen here:

My brother, who lives in Honolulu, came over to Aulani for a visit and tour yesterday.  It was cool to hang with him, and show him around the resort.  He came over and saw some of the construction progress for me, but hasn't been over here since it opened.  We enjoyed lunch together at 'Ama 'Ama, and then, even though he was embarrassed, I made sure we got our picture with the Goof!  He said repeatedly he was "too old for that kind of thing", but I didn't care, because I'm NOT too old, and neither is he. (We haven't had a picture taken together with a character since we were around 9 & 12 respectively!  Being the "pesky younger brother", it was cool to embarrass him once again like I did many years ago!)

Other characters are here, but I didn't get the opportunity to interact with them.  Mainly Chip & Dale, Donald Duck (I did see him, just from a distance), and I'm told Lilo makes appearances as well.  No princesses or other characters - but that's okay, since they wouldn't really fit in within the environment of Aulani anyway.  

Aulani – How “Disney” Is It?

Much has been said and written online over the years about Disney’s “off-site” resorts in Vero Beach and Hilton Head Island, and how they aren’t “Disney enough”; especially considering the fact that neither are close to any Disney theme park – at least not close when you compare them to the resorts at Walt Disney World or Disneyland.  Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is two hours +/- from Walt Disney World, and of course Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is two states away from Walt Disney World.  Though both resorts do have rooms for rent to anyone who’d like to pay to stay, both were built as Disney Vacation Club (DVC) properties, with the majority of the resorts held for use by DVC members. Given the length of time they took to “sell out” to DVC members, many in the online Disney community (especially on a certain DVC related board that I read and frequent often), consider both Vero Beach and Hilton Head to be virtual failures.  It’s no wonder it took Disney nearly 12 years to first announce another off-site resort.

When Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa was first announced, the blogosphere began lighting up with questions about the viability of such a resort – especially being in Hawaii, a mere ocean away from any Disney theme park.  Would the fact that it would be a combined traditional hotel / DVC resort give it better chances than the original two off-site resorts? What kinds of things would need to be done in order to provide guests with an authentic “Disney” experience, given the nearest Disney theme park is roughly 4,000 miles away – across an ocean, not just mere states this time. 

Among the many questions that I would often read online – questions such as:

• “Oahu is not our favorite island in Hawaii… is there enough to do to support a week’s stay at Aulani?”
• “How can Disney NOT repeat past mistakes made at Vero Beach & Hilton Head?”
• “How ‘Disney’ will it really be?”
• “Ko Olina is so far from Waikiki – will people really want to stay so far away?”

As the grand opening got closer last summer, the PR machine of Disney got into overdrive in order to make sure people would be aware of answers to each of these questions, or at least give enough of a teaser-type response that would encourage further research for the potential guest to figure it out for themselves, ensuring that they would indeed want to make a trek to the leeward side of the island of Oahu – and stay for a while.

In preparation for my own stay at Aulani this week, I reviewed a lot of information both online, and in the various travel resources that are available to me directly from Disney.  I was both excited and curious to see the “Disney touches” for myself.   And after having been here for a couple of days already, I will happily report that the resort is “Disney” enough.  It is not overbearing to the point of basically hitting you over the head with its’ “Disney-ness”, but it is filled with charming details like you will find at any other Disney resort at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  Over the next few days / week, I plan to take each of the questions listed above and provide some straight forward, honest replies.  I will of course sprinkle opinions in here as well, but hopefully the information given will provide you the reader, the opportunity to make a better informed decision as to not IF you would like to visit Aulani – but WHEN. 

Just what kind of details, you ask, I’m sure… well, here are but a few that I both a) had previous knowledge to, and b) discovered for myself as a guest. These are in no particular order, and are both a and b responses intermingled together:

• Character Dining – yes, there is a character Breakfast at Makahiki on the first floor of the resort.  It is currently offered Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday mornings.  Whether or not it is expanded to additional mornings remains to be seen, but so far, this has been a popular offering at Aulani.
• Character Meet & Greets – they are available here.  I’ve personally seen Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy, and have been told that Chip & Dale, and even Lilo & Stitch are here.  Others may make appearances from time to time as well, according to various Cast Members with whom I spoke during my stay.
• Disney’s PhotoPass – yep, it’s available here for those guests wishing to capture their favorite memories, and of course they are at the ready during those character interactions.
• Hidden Mickeys – like any other resort, these abound throughout Aulani, though many of them have a bit of a stylized, Hawaiian flare to them.  There are many of the traditional 3 circle heads to be found, but many others as well that say Mickey in a more subdued manner.
• Mickey Premium Bars – yep, you can get your Premium Bar fix while here.  These delicious treats are available at Kalepa’s Store on the third floor (Lobby level). My personal favorite - Itzakadoozie - is available at Aulani too!  Yummy! 
• Refillable Resort Mugs – yep, they have those here as well, with three different refill stations.
• Pool-side fun – for those of you who love to spend time at the pools at Walt Disney World, and are very accustomed to the games, dance contests and the like that the lifeguards put on – those are here too!
• Music – like so many Disney attractions, movies, theme parks and yes, resorts – Aulani is filled with distinctive music to help set the tone for the entire experience.  In the lobby, hallways, restaurants, and even outside in the Waikolohe Valley water play complex – music plays an integral part of the story unfolding before the guest throughout the resort.  Whether it is simply background enhancements, or live performances on various stages throughout the resort, music comes alive throughout the day and night at Aulani, helping to fully immerse the guests into the environment of the resort.
• Night-time Movies – these aren’t shown poolside here at Aulani – but they do have them, at least 3 times per week.
• Night-time Storytelling & Campfires – just like you might find at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and other resorts – they have those here as well.
• Theming – Disney is very well known for its immersive environments and thematic elements in both theme parks and resorts.  Each successive resort designed and built in the past couple of decades have really underscored this reality, as the imagineers continue to surround guests with a near total immersive quality.  Personally I believe that Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland accomplish this feat in remarkable ways.  Aulani takes the lessons learned from those resorts and goes even further.  The imagineers delivered a resort hotel that is rich in thematic elements that not only play tribute to the Hawaiian culture, but rather completely embrace it.  Aulani is not just another sterile, white, box-like hotel lining the beaches of Waikiki – but rather plays tribute to so many aspects of native Hawaiian culture. 
• Hidden Details – one of the really fun details that I discovered while here, are some of the many hidden details.  I’d heard a lot about all of the hidden Menehune scattered around the resort, which play to the Hawaiian folklore, but I didn’t know that just as there are carved animals all over the “Tree of Life” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – there are hidden carved animals all throughout the Waikolohe Stream (the lazy river).   Creatures great and small common to the Hawaiian Islands and Pacific Ocean can be found in the rockwork all around the stream.  You’ll definitely want to search them out while enjoying the quiet, relaxing, fun of this lazy river, which in my mind, is nearly as fun and enjoyable as the lazy rivers at both Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach water parks.
• Excellent Children’s Programming – available through Aunty’s Beach House, there is just a plethora of activities for the little ones to the bigger ones, and not just via the paid childcare program either.  From scavenger hunts, to animal husbandry activities to parties with Chip & Dale – Disney has once again placed great emphasis on making sure the younger set has exciting, fun-filled things to do while mom & dad enjoy some couple time – or things to do with mom & dad as a family. 
• Activities for Tweens & Teens – Disney also provides an abundance of activities, events, and fun for the older kids as well. 
• Excurisions – since there are no theme parks to hop on a bus and visit – Disney has teamed up with Adventures by Disney to create some very enjoyable, unique and fun-filled day excursions (just as if you were on a cruise vacation stopping in port for the day) to other parts of Oahu, or even to other islands within Hawaii.  Each week there are day-specific excursions, such as horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch, or the Manoa Valley Rainforest Hike, or the Honolulu Academy of Arts/Bishop Museum experience.  These are but a few of the numerous offerings available.   Or you could simply create your own excursions – to places like Diamond Head, or the Dole Plantation (and get a Dole Whip!), the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, and so many more – the opportunities abound.

So, in a nutshell, is Aulani “Disney” enough?  My response to that question is a resounding YES.  There are plenty of Disney touches throughout the resort, giving each guest that Disney “fix”.  For a beach vacation that gives guests both the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy the beach – while still providing ample opportunities to get out, explore and play - I would recommend Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in a heartbeat.  It's Disney "enough" for me!

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!

Sunday Spotlight - Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground_® first opened at Walt Disney World_® Resort on November 19, 1971, just about six weeks after the debut of the Magic Kingdom Park_®.  Surrounded by the existing forests found along the shores of Bay Lake, this rustic playground was designed to provide opportunities for visitors to “bring their own accommodations with them” – whether by tent or RV.  The campground is nestled on 750 acres of pine and cypress trees, surrounded by quiet trails and gentle wildlife, like deer and rabbits where guests can feel as if they're far away from the bustle of modern civilization - even though the Magic Kingdom is just a short boat ride away!

The resort is comprised of both campsites and cabins.  There are 784 campsite locations and 409 cabins. 

On the campsite side, there are 4 different types of campsites, including new Premium Campsites, that can accommodate everything from tents to pop-up trailers to 45-foot and longer vehicles, with a maximum 10 Guests per site.  Amenities vary, but each campsite is equipped with:

• Privacy-enhancing landscaping
• Water, cable television hook-ups and electrical hook-ups
• Premium picnic table and charcoal grill
• Sewer hook-up (at most campsites)
• High-speed Internet access is available at an additional fee

On the cabin side, the cabins can accommodate up to six guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib.  They each feature a double bed, a set of bunk beds, and a separate living room with pull-out sofa, a bathroom and full kitchen.  There’s an outdoor patio deck with picnic table, charcoal grill and private parking space.  Plus daily housekeeping is provided. 

The resort includes two pools, a children’s pool and water play area, white sand beach for sunbathing, canoeing, tennis, fishing, marina for watercraft rentals, an arcade and other assorted recreational activities.  The Tri-Circle D Ranch is located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort where guests can enjoy the petting farm, pony rides for the little kids or horseback riding for the bigger ones!  

The resort features table-service dining at Trails End Restaurant which offers an all-you-care-to enjoy breakfast and dinner, or simply enjoy the a la carte lunch menu; and Crockett’s Lounge offers pizza, nachos and a full service bar.  Guests will also find a seasonal Character Dining experience at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ; and you don’t want to miss the most popular Dinner Show available at all of Walt Disney World_® Resort – the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue found at Pioneer Hall not far from the resort’s boat dock and the petting farm. This all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style dinner show is one of the longest continuously running musical shows in the nation, tracing it’s beginnings back to 1973. It sells out quickly, so be sure to get reservations early – you can reserve your table up to 180 days in advance.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground_® is a resort that can be considered both a value and moderate level resort - value for the fact that camping accommodations can be found for as little as $19 per night depending on site type and season - and moderate level for the home-like cabins.  It is located in the Magic Kingdom area of Walt Disney World.  Convenient boat transportation runs daily to and from the Magic Kingdom, and convenient bus transportation will take guests to all other parts of the Walt Disney World_® Resort. 

Today in Disney Parks & Resorts History - Rose Parade

January 1, 1966 - Pasadena, CA

Walt Disney presided over the 77th annual Tournament of Roses Parade as Grand Marshall, riding alongside Mickey Mouse in a  white Chrysler Imperial as they drive down Colorado Boulevard accompanied by numerous costumed characters walking alongside and behind the vehicle.  

January 2, 2012 - Pasadena, CA - The 123rd annual Tournament of Roses Parade will kick off at 8am PST (the parade never runs on the 1st when the 1st falls on a Sunday).  Be sure to watch this beloved tradition starting at 8am PST!  It is a wonderful parade - like Disneyland is to theme parks, the Rose Parade is the "granddaddy" of all parades.

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas at Vero Beach

Today in Disney Parks & Resorts History - Walt Disney Passes Away

December 15, 1966 - Burbank, California - St. Joseph's Hospital

Walter Elias Disney:  Dec 5, 1901 - Dec 15, 1966

Just 10 days following his 65th birthday, Walter Elias Disney passes away at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California - across the street from the Walt Disney Studios. His death comes from acute circulatory collapse, as a result of lung cancer.  Walt's older brother Roy immediately postpones his imminent retirement.

When the news of Walt's death reaches Disneyland in Anaheim, consideration is given to closing the park for the day, but just as Walt would have wanted, the park remains open and the flags on Main Street USA are lowered to half-mast.  That evening Disneyland's Fantasy on Parade, the park's Christmas parade, steps off for the first time of the season.  Being an unusually cold night for Anaheim, a very light snow falls over a somber Disneyland.

On the "CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite" that evening, commentator Eric Sevareid states this about Mr. Disney:

"It would take more time than anybody has around the daily news shops to think of the right thing to say about Walt Disney.

He was an original; not just an American original, but an original, period. He was a happy accident; one of the happiest this century has experienced; and judging by the way it's been behaving in spite of all Disney tried to tell it about laughter, love, children, puppies and sunrises, the century hardly deserved him.

He probably did more to heal or at least to soothe troubled human spirits than all the psychiatrists in the world. There can't be many adults in the allegedly civilized parts of the globe who did not inhabit Disney's mind and imagination at least for a few hours and feel better for the visitation.

It may be true, as somebody said, that while there is no highbrow in a lowbrow, there is some lowbrow in every highbrow.

But what Walt Disney seemed to know was that while there is very little grown-up in a child, there is a lot of child in every grown-up. To a child this weary world is brand new, gift wrapped; Disney tried to keep it that way for adults.

By the conventional wisdom, mighty mice, flying elephants, Snow White and Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy and Dopey - all these were fantasy, escapism from reality. It's a question of whether they are any less real, any more fantastic than intercontinental missiles, poisoned air, defoliated forests, and scraps from the moon. This is the age of fantasy, however you look at it, but Disney's fantasy wasn't lethal.  People are saying we'll never see his like again."

  

Sunday Spotlight - Disney's Old Key West Resort

Disney's Old Key West Resort_® first opened at Walt Disney World_® Resort on December 20, 1991.  It was the original Disney Vacation Club_® (DVC) timeshare property, and as such was originally named Disney’s Vacation Club Resort.  In January 1996 DVC expanded their timeshare offerings at the Walt Disney World Resort, and so the resort was renamed to Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  The resort is themed to celebrate the Conch Republic of Key West, Florida, and enjoys quite the laid-back feeling that a southern Florida provides.

The resort has a total of 761 villas, comprised of Deluxe Studios, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. 

• Deluxe Studios are 376 square feet and can accommodate up to four guests, plus one child under age 3 in a crib.  They include a kitchenette, two queen-size beds and a private porch or balcony.
• 1-Bedrooms are 942 square feet, and can accommodate up to five guests, plus one child under age 3 in a crib. They include a fully equipped kitchen, washer & dryer, king-size bed in the master bedroom, a queen-size sleeper sofa plus a sleeper chair in the living room, whirlpool tub in the bathroom, and a private porch or balcony. 
• 2-Bedrooms are 1,333 square feet, and can accommodate up to nine guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib. They offer all that a 1-Bedroom has plus a second bedroom with 2 queen-size beds and a second full bathroom.
• 3-Bedroom Grand Villas are 2,375 square feet, and can accommodate up to 12 guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib. They offer all of the amenities of the 2-Bedroom, plus they include a third bedroom with 2 queen-size beds, a third full bathroom, a full dining room, additional private balcony and are two-story rooms.

Even though the resort is a DVC timeshare property (the villas are owned by members through DVC’s points-based system), DVC maintains ownership of approximately 3-4% of the total point allocation for each of their timeshare resorts, making those rooms available for rent year-round to non-members.  

The resort includes 1 feature pool and 3 leisure or “quiet” pools, a children’s pool, whirlpools, sauna, fitness center, Community Hall family recreation room, tennis courts, fishing, marina watercraft rentals, arcade and recreational activities.  It also features 1 table service restaurant:  Olivia’s Café serving breakfast lunch and dinner;  2 quick-service counter locations: Good’s Food to Go, and the Turtle Shack.  A bar is also on-site:  Gurgling Suitcase.

Disney’s Old Key West Resort_® is a Deluxe Villas level resort centrally located to the east of Epcot_® in the Downtown Disney_® area.  Convenient bus transportation will take guests to all parts of Walt Disney World_® Resort, and water taxis transport guests to and from Downtown Disney. 

Today in Disney Parks & Resorts History - Orlando Sentinel

October 20, 1965 - Central Florida

After so much secrecy during the past year of acquiring and amassing a vast amount of property in Central Florida for a future east coast resort which would include a theme park modeled after the original Disneyland in Anaheim, CA -  news of the "mystery industry" being identified as Disney is published by the Orlando Sentinel.

Wordless Wednesday - My Playful, Fun, Adventurous Father-in-Law