Mountain View of Disney Aulani Resort by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year in Hawaiian) from the island of Oahu and specifically, Disney's Aulani Resort! Some of the forum members will remember me from my prior two trip reports which you can find here:
http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/mele-kalikimaka-wdw-adventure-2015-completed
http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/mahalo-disneyland-60-magical-years-completed
For this trip report (although technically, I didn't leave the island), I wanted to share some photos and thoughts from Disney Aulani Resort! There won't be much reporting on the activities and events at the hotel as I was there for barely a day. My good friend is a DVC member and she invited me to spend some time with them. Since I arrived at Aulani in the late afternoon, most of the evening was spent shooting sunset and long exposure images. I did a lot of interior and people shots on my last visit, so there won't be much of that for this report. Hopefully, you'll get a feel for the overall ambiance and theming of the resort told through my pictures and words. But again, not much first hand reviews or anecdotes about dining, swimming, or all the other cool stuff one can do at Aulani .
Let's start with some photos of the resort area just prior to sunset and at sunrise. Aulani is located at the Ko Olina Resort & Marina in Kapolei. Situated on the west side of Oahu, it's about a 45 minute drive from Waikiki (up to 2 hours during peak traffic hours). While it's pretty obvious the hotel is immaculately designed and up to Disney standards, the area its located in is nothing to sneeze at either! With its pristine beaches and a skyline overlooking the mountainous landscape, the resort truly feels unique and apart from the daily lifestyle of most local residents.
Disney's Aulani Resort-the Golden Hour by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Good Morning @ Disney's Aulani Resort Christmas 2016 by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Sunrise Near the Pool Side @ Disney Aulani Resort by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
I live in east Oahu, so I rarely make it to this side of the island. Because everything is new and mostly unexplored, it almost feels like I've traveled to another part of the world. While I remember initial resistance to Disney building a hotel in the area, I never doubted that the Imagineers would do a respectful job of integrating Hawaiian culture into the fabric and theme of the hotel. It's obvious they did their research and worked with local experts to get the details right. I was lucky to encounter Imagineer Joe Rohde when the hotel first opened. He was walking the grounds early one morning so I ventured forward to ask for a picture and we talked a bit about the design process. Joe is obviously an extremely talented artist who takes great care and pride in his work.
Mountain View of Disney's Aulani Resort by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Tiki Torch Below the Moon @ Disney's Aulani by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Lobby Lookout @ Disney's Aulani Resort Christmas 2016 by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Disney's Aulani Resort Christmas 2016 21 by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
Lobby Lookout @ Disney's Aulani Resort Christmas 2016 02 by JUNEAU BISCUITS, on Flickr
