The Resort
- The full resort name is Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i.
- The resort’s name is pronounced “ow-lah-nee.”
- “Aulani” traditionally means “a messenger of a chief” or “messenger of a greater authority.” The name is fitting as the resort serves as a messenger of the “higher authority” that is Hawai‘i, its spirit and its culture.
- The resort is located on 21 oceanfront acres on the western side of O‘ahu in the Ko Olina Resort Community and Marina.
- Rooms are angled and views include ocean and partial ocean, poolside garden, island garden and standard.
- Laniwai – A Disney Spa, features 15 treatment rooms, including a family treatment room, as well as the Kula Wai hydrotherapy garden, full-service salon and fitness center in 23,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Painted Sky: HI Style Studio, a space at the spa just for children, features a special menu of magical makeovers for keiki (children).
- Aulani Resort is the ideal place for events. The conference center includes 14,545 square feet of space with a main ballroom, four breakout rooms and generous pre-function space. Meetings and conventions also enjoy two distinct event lawns, along with private patios and terraces.
- The resort obtained Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Silver Certification in 2013. Aulani Resort is the first resort in Hawai‘i to obtain the certification.
- The resort offers wedding planning through the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings program.
- Aulani Resort opened to the first guests on August 29, 2011.
Entertainment and Recreation
- Aunty’s Beach House is an interactive children’s area for ages 4 to 12 with activities, entertainment and games that explore the history, culture and fun of Hawai‘i. Teen programs also are available at the resort.
- KA WA‘A – A Lūʻau at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa is an exhilarating dining and entertainment experience at the Hālāwai Lawn. Guests feast on a sumptuous, local island buffet, and enjoy lively music and traditional Hawaiian dance. The show’s story is inspired by the sacred canoe that brought the ancestors of Native Hawaiians to Hawaiʻi.
- Guests gather for Mo‘olelo Fire Pit Storytelling to hear Uncle, a Hawaiian elder, share stories and legends of Hawaii under the tropical stars.
- During ‘Ohana Disney Movie Nights, guests can relax on the grass of the Hālāwai Lawn and watch family-friendly Disney movies under the stars.
- Musical artists perform live Hawaiian music each night on the patio at The ‘Ōlelo Room.
- Guests discover fun surprises when they tour the Menehune Adventure Trail, a high-tech scavenger hunt that explores the resort to solve riddles, search for clues and discover surprises left by the Menehune—the legendary “little people” of Hawai‘i. Many of these are concealed at a level where only the smallest guests can easily find them.
- In addition to the adjoining beach, resort guests enjoy the resort’s seven-acre water playground, featuring pools, water slides, the Waikolohe Stream lazy river, and a fun play area known as the Menehune bridge. Poolside cabanas are also available for rental.
- Aulani Resort offers a lineup of excursion adventures led by local experts. Excursions include horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch, kayaking, a catamaran cruise, a surf school and more.
- As part of the Ko Olina Resort Community & Marina, resort guests have convenient access to a 330-slip Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed 18-hole Championship golf course.
Grounds
- The heart of Aulani Resort is a lush and vibrant oasis called the Waikolohe Valley, named for its “mischievous waters.”
- Lava formations play a starring role in the Valley, which is home to the resort’s many pools, waterways and whirlpool spas.
- Waikolohe Stream is a 321,000-gallon mischievous waterway, covering 900 linear feet that guests explore on two tubing adventures – one a serene lazy river and the other an exciting tube slide.
- Menehune Bridge is a 2,200 square-foot interactive water play area for children with two slides, interactive water elements and a climbing play structure.
- There are three pools – Waikolohe, Wailana and Ka Maka; a snorkel lagoon – Rainbow Reef; and five whirlpool spas.
- Rainbow Reef is the only private snorkeling lagoon on O‘ahu and offers an up-close look at the many reef fish found in Hawaii’s waters. This serene 3,800 square-foot snorkeling lagoon offers a safe environment where guests can snorkel without worrying about unpredictable waves and currents. It’s an ideal experience for beginners — or those simply seeking a soothing escape.
Dining and Lounges
- Two onsite restaurants feature foods unique to Hawai‘i with ingredients from local farmers and fisherman:
- The beachside ‘AMA‘AMA restaurant, named after a fish historically fished in abundance off the shorelines of Ko Olina, features ocean-colored walls, a reflecting pond centerpiece and open-air seating areas.
- Makahiki restaurant is named after the Hawaiian harvest season. Décor highlights include murals painted by Hawaiian artists Solomon Enos and Al Lagunero and a stunning lighting sculpture that hangs from the ceiling.
- Disney character breakfast is available daily at Makahiki restaurant. Guests enjoy a different ambience from day to night as the light transforms from a warm rose-amber glow to nighttime indigo hues.
- Among the lounges and bars is The ‘Ōlelo Room, which offers tropical cocktails, Hawaiian beers, lemonade, iced tea and more.
- Celebrating the Hawaiian language – ‘Ōlelo can be translated as “word” or “language” – guests find the Hawaiian names for objects in several places, including 150 shadow boxes with wood carvings. Cast Members at the ‘Ōlelo Room speak Hawaiian and can help further immerse guests in the beauty of Hawaii through culture and language.
- Ulu Cafe is a poolside venue serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to take out to the beach, pool, or any other daily adventures.
- Off the Hook poolside dining is in the Waikolohe Valley pool area, making it a great spot for both on-the-go provisions or a relaxing meal with a beachfront view. The location is home to a full bar, coffee bar, quick-service breakfast, mobile order lunch and dinner, as well as table service for lunch and dinner.
Art and Architecture
- Aulani Resort has one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary Hawaiian art.
- The resort’s interior design features lustrous wood and bright, geometric patterns inspired by Hawaiian kapa cloth (textiles made from tree bark).
- Artist Martin Charlot conceived and painted the lobby mural, a 200-foot long tribute to Hawaiian history and culture with multiple stories and meanings. In the late 1930s, Martin Charlot’s father, muralist Jean Charlot, wrote one of the first serious critical essays about animation as an art form, claiming that animation was a continuation of the great mural traditions of Europe and that Disney animators were the masters of this art form.
- The center of the lobby features a 12×12-foot compass rose embedded in the floor. The four points of the compass do not point to the traditional North, South, East or West. Instead, they correspond to directions the ancient Hawaiians relied upon – toward the sea (makai), to the mountains (mauka), and also explores the feminine and masculine duality with the east arrow (made of lava with a smooth finish) corresponding to the feminine side of the resort, and the west arrow (made of lava with a rough finish) to the masculine side.
- Guest rooms feature many details of Hawaiian culture and tradition, from carpet patterns to lighting:
- The taro plant, a staple food and spiritual symbol of the Hawaiian people, is depicted in the carpet.
- Tribute is paid to the importance of the outrigger canoe to Hawaiian history and culture in the design of the ceiling fan blades which resemble paddles. Also, light fixtures in the bathroom resemble outrigger canoe sails.
- Butterfly joints are carved into the headboards and side tables, evoking the ancient Hawaiians’ method for artfully repairing their prized calabash bowls.
- The design of Laniwai – A Disney Spa, explores the cultural and spiritual significance of rainbows. Treatment rooms are named after the many words that Hawaiians have for rainbows, including “luahoana,” a rainbow around the sun or moon.
Ko Olina Resort Community and Marina
- “Ko Olina” means “Place of Joy.” Part of an original royal land division, Ko Olina was once a sacred area for Hawaiian monarchs and leaders to rest and unwind. Today, the area is an inviting vacation destination for those seeking relaxation.
- Ko Olina is part of the Leeward Coast region of Oʻahu (western side of the island), which is famous for its breathtaking sunsets.
- Ko Olina is 17 miles from Honolulu International Airport and approximately 30-45 minutes from Waikīkī Beach and 30 minutes from the smaller surf towns of O‘ahu’s North Shore.