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Last time I looked at Aulani, Disney’s newest (and first) resort in Hawaii the details were still conceptual. Now that Aulani prepares to open its doors at the end of August, it’s time to take another, much more definitive look at what’s sure to be one luxurious hotel.
Over the past few months the Disney Park blog has published several sneak previews of the resort. I’ve browsed through many of the recent ones to present a more rounded picture to bring to you today.
Aulani will be open to the public and will also contain lodgings exclusively for Disney Vacation Club members. It contains 359 traditional hotel rooms that anyone can reserve and 481 Disney Vacation Club villas. It sounds like Disney Hotel execs are assuming they’ll get most of their business from the vacation club, which makes sense. Why join the club and then not use its benefits to travel?
As with most Disney resorts, Aulani’s full name is actually Aulani Disney Resort and Spa. I have to admit that I’m not an expert on spas, but I know enough about Disney to know that the one at Aulani will be the height of luxury.
The spa, titled Laniwai, means “freshwater heaven” in Hawaiian. The video posted with the feature on Laniwai gives little insight into the spa, mostly focusing on its architectural beauty.
The text of the post has what we want to know: 15 treatment rooms, which include couples rooms and flex rooms for two or more, a fitness center, salon, relaxation rooms, outdoor hydrotherapy, and even a teen spa.
Basically, one can expect from Aulani all of the typical Disney magic, which in this case means catering to one’s every whim. What makes Aulani more interesting to learn about is how its creators have really tried to embrace the local culture.
The parks blog posted a cool video from Aulani head chef Patrick Callarec showing viewers how to make his version of a treat popular in Hawaii: tuna poke. What stood out to me about the video is how just about every ingredient used, from the fish all of the way down to the salt, was local.
The neatest feature I saw about Aulani, however, was a highlight of one of the children’s water play areas. Aulani offers many swimming and water play areas, some dedicated just for adults, just for children, or for the whole family, but the Menehune Bridge stands out amongst them all.
In Hawaiian folklore, the Menehune are elusive tiny master carpenters. They’ll sneak into an area overnight and craft beautiful woodwork. They’ll flee in the face of discovery, however, so sometimes their work is left unfinished.
While exploring Menehune Bridge children can play on its slides, with its water spouts, and climb over its structures. But as they do so they’ll learn of the Menehune, and have the opportunity to seek out additional evidence of their presence.
I don’t know that I’d ever have the budget to stay at a Disney Resort. Even if I did so, I would remember that despite all of its cool features, the main purpose of the resort is not to teach visitors about local culture, but to make money. But Disney hotel execs didn’t have to go through such effort to feature the local culture at their hotel, so it’s great that they did.
Aulani opens to the public on August 29. To make reservations, learn more about the site, or take a virtual tour, visit its official website.
Related Articles:
Fun for Grown-Ups at Disney: The Spas
A Study in Princesses: Giselle and Tiana
*(This image by iShot71 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
