The Silent "I"

Aulani Resort & Spa: The Disney is in the Details

I had the opportunity to visit Disney's new Hawaiian Resort & Spa, Aulani last week.  It is a gorgeous resort that was much more Hawaiian than Disney, but a little Disney magic thrown in for good measure.  The decor and ambience pays homage to the Hawaiian culture, without being over-the-top or kistchy. There isn't a tiki bar in sight (which is not authentically Hawaiian anyway), nor is there an anthropomorphized animal wearing a grass skirt and doing the hula at every turn.  Instead, it's a restful, rejuvenating place where familes can relax and have fun, while learning a little about Hawaiian culture along the way.

 

The standard room with two queen-sized beds is big enough for a family of three or four to enjoy without tripping over themselves. There was a folding crib in the closet and an empty mini-fridge that you could fill up with your own snacks and drinks. Each room comes equipped with a DVD player, so you can bring along your favorite Disney movies to enjoy when you need a little down-time. It's those little touches that make this family-friendly resort even more friendly to families traveling with small kids.

The decor is fairly simple, with accents of koa wood, batik-style prints, and Hawaiian quilt patterns.  The only noticeable Disney reference was a cute Mickey Mouse lamp, carved out of wood and distressed to blend in with the rest of the room's Hawaii-centric theme.  It reminded me more of upscale version of the Volcano National Park Lodge than the Disneyland Hotel.

My room had a balcony with a "partial ocean view", meaning the ocean was right behind the parking lot.  Luckily, the room was on a higher floor, so the view of mountains and ocean were not obstructed when I sat out on the balcony.

As if Hawaii itself were not enough, the main attraction of the resort is the incredible pool/waterpark within the resort itself. Fashioned to look like lava tube structures, the xxx square foot pool features a giant slide through the rock structures, a climbing structure and a "lazy river" where you can float around in a large innertube.

Disney Aulani Resort: A Very Disney Sunset

I'm in Hawaii this week, attending the opening of the Disney Aulani Resort.  As if on cue, the first night fell with a gorgeous sunset on Oahu's northwest shore.  The colors were spectacular, and I could swear I could see a hidden Mickey in the clouds.  More on this adventure later, but I had to share a little bit of Disney magic, Hawaiian style.

Disclosure: Disney Parks & Resorts paid for my airfare and accommodations to attend this event.  I did not receive any compensation for writing this review, or payment in exchange for posting.  The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company or any of its affiliates.

Visiting the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

 

We flew back from our Christmas-New Year's trip to Kauai via Honolulu, and were able to visit the USS Arizona Memorial.  I think this was the part of the trip that our son Alex was most looking forward to.

Way back in third grade (as in last year), Alex developed a keen interest in World War II, culminating in a class project on the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  He researched the event for more than a month, and gave a rather stellar (no parental bias here) presentation and poster on the topic.  When we told him we were coming home via Honolulu, the first thing he asked was whether we could stop at Pearl Harbor.

We found out from the Arizona Memorial website that tickets to the Arizona are free, but first-come first serve. We made a plan to get there early so we could take the ferry boat to the memorial.  The ferry runs from 7:45 am - 3 pm daily, but you need a ticket with a specified time stamped on it to board the ferry to the memorial.