Thanks to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Ko Olina, Oahu, you can now enjoy a large dose of Hawaii’s beautiful scenery along with your pixie dust. Pixar artist James Ford Murphy was inspired by the beauty of Hawaii to write the short and song that became… Read More »Recording a live version of LAVA from Disney’s Aulani Resort
Disney’s Aulani resort brings a large dose of Disney magic to Hawaii. Of course, it’s attracting a fair share of celebrities who want to escape the pressures of Hollywood. Alfonso Ribeiro and his family recently visited the resort. Here they’re getting their picture taking with… Read More »Celebrity Spotting: Alfonso Ribiero vacations at Disney’s Aulani Resort
I’m very sad that Disney’s Aulani didn’t open up while I still lived on the west coast and a trip to Hawaii seemed a lot more achievable. Alas, I’ll just have to suffer with Walt Disney World a stone’s throw a way. However, if you… Read More »Win a trip to Disney’s Aulani
Disney has a hotel in Hawaii. Do you remember? It’s reportedly the best hotel in the Disney chain. But event the best Disney property doesn’t come out of the gate in perfect form. There’s always a period of what Imagineering calls “Test and adjustment.” Sometimes… Read More »Aulani Construction Update
It was one year ago today that Aulani Spa & Resort in Hawaii opened its doors to paying guests for the first time. Word on the street is that while it hasn’t been banner year Disney was hoping for with their first DVC/Hotel combo property,… Read More »Aulani Turns One and Reveals New Details for Expansion
Read the Disney travel forums and search the blogs and you will encounter numerous trip reports from Aulani that go something like this: “The hotel is beautiful and Disney has outdone itself immersing guests in Hawaiian culture. Unfortunately the hotel is too far from anything,… Read More »Aulani Announces Plan to Refine Hotel Offerings
If you haven’t seen much of Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, then you’ve missed out on a terrific project where Walt Disney Imagineers worked hand in hand with local Hawaiians to create the first Disney resort on Hawaii. More than a… Read More »Aulani, Video Introduction
I was fortunate to spend Thanksgiving day this year at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa on Oahu with family and friends. Though we were staying on the other side of the island, we couldn’t resist the chance to make the drive to Ko Olina to check out Disney’s newest resort and enjoy a Hawaiian Thanksgiving sprinkled with Disney magic. First impression of Aulani: spectacular! The food, well, that’s another story…
Aulani offered a special Thanksgiving event with entertainment and character appearances ($85 per adult and $73 per child – ouch!). Our party, a mix of adults and kids, opted instead for the buffet dinner at Makahiki, which at $40 for adults and $20 per child is reasonably priced as Hawai’i resort dining goes, and we figured it would offer something to suit everyone’s taste.
I had high hopes for the Makahiki buffet, a spacious area with subtle and soothing tropical decor that opens to a sunny patio. But truth be told, the food was predictable, not much was memorable or worth seconds, (but luckily there was plenty to try!).