When I first stepped out of my rental car and into the Maka’ala (which is Native Hawaiian for “the pathway of the eyes,” and to “open up your eyes and look”) lobby at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, I was in awe. Disney’s Hawaii resort, a place I had been looking forward to visiting for years, was right before me. The warm breeze was sweeping through the lobby from the Waikolohe Valley (the spacious outdoor area between Aulani’s two towers), the ocean was in view, and the warm spirit of aloha was easily felt in the space.
My family and I were greeted by Aulani Cast Members, who graciously welcomed us into their “home,” which would also be our home for the next six nights. As we explored the resort, I began to feel that this beachfront property was truly something special. All around Aulani, the stories of Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian culture were on full display, beckoning guests like me to learn and ask questions about the people of Hawaii. So that’s exactly what I started doing—diving deep into learning about this incredible place that intertwines authentic Hawaiian culture with the storytelling of Disney.
Learning about Hawaiian Culture at Aulani is easy and fun
During one of my educational escapades, I met Kama Hopkins, the Hawaiian Cultural Advisor at Aulani. Hopkins has a wealth of knowledge about Aulani, Hawaiian culture, and how the two intertwine. “The Walt Disney Company is a storytelling company, and we’re partnered with a storytelling people. It’s great synergy,” he says. “It’s a mixture of how we like to see the big H, little d, the Hawaiian culture first, then you sprinkle your Disney magic.”
MAKE MEMORIES: 25 best family vacation spots in the U.S. for all ages
He also notes that when people walk into the Maka’ala lobby, they look up and all around and see things they’ve never seen before. “The first chance they get, they’ll ask a Cast Member, ‘What is that?’ and start pointing and stuff,” he continues.
The big focal point of the lobby is a massive banner-style mural that goes around the circumference of the lobby’s vaulted ceiling. The hand-painted mural is by Martin Charlot and called “He Lei No ʹAulani” (A Lei for Aulani). It depicts the story of the Hawaiian people, from the past, the present, and looking towards the future. “Just that piece alone, when we start in the lobby, is a cultural experience that you won’t find in any other hotel in Hawaii,” explains Hopkins. Around the hotel, there’s plenty of other Hawaiian artwork, a replica of a sailing canoe, Royal flags, and more to see and ask questions about.
The story of light and scent
During my exchange with Hopkins at Aulani, he told us a story about the light structures around the resort. While this may seem frivolous to some, it continues to point to the fact that the design team at Aulani wants to highlight everything they can about Hawaiian culture. Many lights around the resort are shaped like ‘umeke, or bowls. At Aulani, these bowls are often seen without a lid. This symbolizes that they are filled with the stories and aloha spirit that permeate the resort.
BEST TRIP EVER: 101 fresh new family vacation ideas for every age and budget
But the attention to detail and highlighting Hawaiian storytelling doesn’t stop in the lobby. Even in guest rooms, it’s part of the immersive experience at Aulani. Rooms face the ocean or mountains and have a beautiful floral scent. The signature scent is jasmine flowers, called pīkake in Hawaiian. Hopkins explained that it’s a popular flower in Hawaii, and there’s even some growing on Aulani’s property.
Teaching Hawaiian stories through language and food
One place that represents all that Aulani is striving to teach guests is The ‘Ōlelo Room. This beautiful lounge is inspired by the Hawaiian language. Hopkins told me that the language of Native Hawaiians nearly died, but the resurgence of the language is important for Aulani to share with others. All around the bar, you’ll see things like tables, the floor, and an array of hand-carved wooden figures in shadowboxes labeled with the Hawaiian language. (My favorite is the kākela, or castle.) Even better, Cast Members will often start talking with guests in the Hawaiian language first, then repeat immediately after with English. “That is a place where we honor our culture by honoring our language. That’s the heartbeat of the resort,” says Hopkins.
KID-FRIENDLY: 25 best family resorts and hotels in the U.S.
Besides highlighting the Hawaiian language, The ‘Ōlelo Room offers great cocktails and live music in the evenings. But it’s not the only place at the resort that highlights Hawaiian culture through food. “I love to experience something by eating,” says Dylan Rogers, the Disney Ambassador of Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa. “I think our chefs do a really great job of working in the community. We use the freshest ingredients that highlight our local community.”
Aulani’s lūʻau is a must-try dining event
And of course, there’s no Hawaiian meal more iconic than the lūʻau. The KA WA‘A – A Lū‘au on Oʻahu at Aulani starts in the early evening. Upon arrival, guests get to participate in activities like pounding poi and making leis. Then they return to their table for a feast and a show. “[Chefs] made sure that the food was authentic, and [that guests] have the opportunity to experience things that you may not regularly have,” explains Rogers. The food at Aulani’s signature lūʻau is diverse and curated with local ingredients. A few of my favorites are the ‘Ahi Poke and the local catch with yuzu macadamia nut sauce. And you can’t skip the haupia (coconut pudding) for dessert.
FIND A DEAL: 12 best hotel booking sites for cheap prices
But the rich storytelling only begins with food at the lūʻau. The performance shares the story of a brother and sister who lose their mother and have to find their way, the story of wayfinding, and the story of Ko Olina. “I know so many guests that I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with after attending the KA WA‘A Lū’au are so emotionally moved by it,” explains Rogers. “To hear a story told by the people of this place in an authentic way is the differentiation.”
Cast Members continue to be the special sauce at Disney’s Hawaii Resort
All around Aulani, I interacted with dozens of Cast Members who took the time to get to know my family. But the real secret sauce at Aulani is how people care for each other. The camaraderie displayed between people who work at Aulani is like nothing I’ve seen at another resort. “The value of taking care of the place in which somebody else will call home for the time they are not at their personal home is immense,” says Hopkins.
TAKE FLIGHT: 17 best flight booking sites for cheap airfares
Because of this responsibility, the big Hawaiian cultural values come into play at the resort as Cast Members interact with guests or with each other. These are kaulike, or to be fair; laulima, to cooperate with one another; kuleana, to be responsible or accountable for what you’re doing, or that you have the privilege to do something; mālama, which is to take care of one another; and olu’olu, which means to be kind and gentle.
“To me, this sums up ‘Aloha.’ Aloha is a world that has so many meanings depending on how you use it, but it’s empty if you don’t have all of these other pieces in it,” says Hopkins.
Leaving Disney’s Hawaii resort is hard, but there’s the promise of returning to Aulani
As my days at Aulani came to an end, I promised the Cast Members that my family would return to this special resort. While driving to the airport, we stopped at a store to find our own umeke to fill with the memories and spirit of Aulani we were bringing home with us. My umeke now sits on a shelf in my office. It holds my pool wristbands and kukui nut lei I got at the lūʻau, filled with memories of Aulani.
In a way Aulani itself is like the umeke bowls I saw around the resort each day. The resort harbors the spirit of aloha and holds it in the arms of the Ewa and Waianae towers, waiting for families to feel the warm Hawaiian sun and feel the outpouring of aloha that can only be found at this distinctly Hawaiian resort along Ko Olina’s shores.
