KO OLINA, Hawaii – Aulani – A Disney Resort & Spa beckons guests of every age to find the Hawaiian vacation of their dreams. In beautiful and relaxing surroundings infused with the stories and surprises of Hawaii, guests may discover whatever they hope to find in the islands: adventure, romance, tradition and fun.

Overlooking a beautiful beachfront lagoon less than an hour from Waikiki on Oahu, Aulani has been imaginatively designed to embrace time-honored Hawaiian traditions, inviting dreamers from everywhere to savor their time together. From the moment guests arrive at the resort, they will be enchanted by unique surroundings that pay tribute to the authentic arts of Hawaii and the melding of earth and architecture in one special place. And with Disney magic sprinkled throughout, guests will encounter a vacation paradise uniquely designed for families.

Each day of their stay, Aulani Guests will be able to customize their experiences – relaxing on the beach or in the Laniwai Spa, splashing through the pools and water play areas of the Waikolohe Valley, or discovering the island on specially planned excursions. Among the unique experiences at Aulani are the Fireside Mo’olelo for storytelling (mo’olelo is the Hawaiian word for story), and spotting statues of Menehune (the legendary island little people known to accomplish marvelous feats of construction), hidden throughout the resort.

Ohana means family
With that special magic only Disney can provide, Aulani draws families into fun experiences that bring everyone together, from movie nights under the stars to explorations of the Menehune Adventure Trail. Families can enjoy lei making, hula dancing and learning a Hawaiian sunset chant, all under the guidance of local artists and guides. At night, the beachside fire pit comes to life as storytellers speak and sing ancient tales of the islands.

For mealtimes, there are full-service restaurants, buffets and quick-serve locations.

The creators of Aulani knew that some guests would like to explore beyond the resort, too. Excursions can be booked to sail aboard catamarans, swim with dolphins, cook with local chefs, surf the North Shore and more. Many excursions are specially designed for Aulani guests and feature knowledgeable and friendly Adventure Guides.

Hotel rooms and Disney Vacation Club villas have been thoughtfully planned to cater to the needs of a family vacation, with refrigerators, flat panel televisions and wireless Internet access. Guests will want to look for the hidden Mickeys. Moms and dads don’t have to worry about kids setting down wet glasses: it won’t affect the already “distressed” look of tables inspired by traditional Hawaiian craftsmanship. And, for those who brought just a bit too much luggage, there’s a hiding place for suitcases under the bed.

For the grown and almost grown
Aulani has special fun, excitement and vacation relaxation for adults and teens. They can start the day with beachside yoga that rejuvenates the soul, then rent a private poolside cabana offering unique amenities and world-class Disney service. Active adults and teens may prefer Aulani recreation programs. For evening relaxation, sunset-facing hot tubs beckon.

Also enticing is Laniwai, a Disney Spa. For adults, Laniwai is a haven of tranquility in 18,000 square feet of space, with 15 treatment rooms, a fitness center and the 5,000-square-foot outdoor Kula Wai hydrotherapy garden, the only one of its kind on Oahu. For teens there is Painted Sky, a spa specially designed just for them with a yogurt bar, computer access, mixology station and a menu of treatments.

Romantic dinners can be enjoyed away from the little ones in the beachside ‘AMA’AMA restaurant or Off The Hook lounge. Guests will savor the local flavors with fresh fish and cuisine grown by local farmers. Couples may want to complete their day with a sunset celebration or stroll along the ocean’s edge.

Aunty knows best
Children – known as keiki in Hawaii – can leave their elders and their flip-flops at the door as they enter the cozy world of Aunty’s Beach House, a signature Disney kids’ club. Aunty is related by affection rather than by blood or adoption and her house generally is considered one of the best and safest hang-out spots. She and uncle always have a lot of stories to share about the old days when she was a keiki, and she knows a lot about modern day kids, too. Younger guests will learn the hula, create Hawaiian arts and crafts, play games with favorite Disney characters and enjoy a laid-back movie afternoon when it “rains.”

Aunty’s Beach House is designed for children ages 3 to 12. Special tween programs also are offered through Aunty’s Beach House.

When the mischievous waters call, tweens to toddlers will find themselves drawn to the Waikolohe Stream and the Menehune Bridge. They won’t be able to resist the lure of the Waikolohe Valley water slides and a float down twisting Waikolohe Stream on an inner tube. The enchanting Menehune Bridge invites children of all ages to search for the mysterious little builders hidden within this delightful structure.

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About Aulani – a Disney Resort & Spa
Inspired by the wonders and traditions of Hawaii, Aulani has been uniquely designed for families. Perfectly placed on a beautiful beachfront cove, Aulani offers kids, adults and families Hawaiian vacation experiences with a special magic that only Disney can create. Delightful rooms and spacious Villas, renowned Disney service and enchanting entertainment, will let dreamers of every age savor their time together on Hawaii as never before.

Media Contact:
Disneyland Resort Public Relations
(714) 781-4500

A host of child-friendly amenities and enhanced services make this destination resort an ideal choice for young families. Here are some tips for a hassle-free getaway:

• There’s fun for kids ages 3-12 at Aunty’s Beach House, a 5,200-square-foot club open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Disney-trained counselors will inspire and entertain with dance contests, science experiments, Hawaiian storytelling, dress up, movies and snacks. Children must be potty-trained.
• There is no need to pack all the baby gear, as strollers, swings, car seats and other baby essentials can be rented through Paradise Baby Company, which also provides in-room delivery.
• Baby-care products such as disposable diapers, baby wipes, formula and teethers are for sale at Kālepa’s Store.
• Aulani has bed rails, bottle warmers, outlet covers, booster seats and high chairs that can be “checked out” (with a deposit) for use during a stay.
• Accommodations include spacious Disney Vacation Club villas featuring kitchenettes and a washer/dryer.
• All guest rooms have portable cribs/playpens, bedding and a mini refrigerator.
• Pint-sized stools, televisions and interactive fun at Nā Pua Place kid’s lounge keep young guests entertained during check-in.
• Water works wonders for kids, and Waikolohe Pool is “zero entry” which makes it easy for little minnows. Lifeguards are on duty from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and tot-sized float vests are offered.
• Sea, sun and sand beckon youngsters to the beachfront to build sand castles, frolic in the waves and take in the beauty of the island.
• Youngsters can splash at Menehune Bridge, an interactive water-play area with three slides, a climbing structure and more. Here, tots can discover menehune, the mythical little people known for mysterious happenings on the islands.
• Private poolside cabanas offer added shade and privacy for a peaceful afternoon slumber.
• Curious kids can peek through giant windows embedded in caves at Rainbow Reef, a private snorkeling lagoon filled with colorful marine life and some fun surprises.
• Laniwai, the family-friendly spa, cradles babies in the lap of luxury with a special session geared toward teaching parents how to massage their child (up to two years old) to help with sleep and digestion. While one parent learns the art of baby massage, the other parent relaxes with a massage treatment. Family massage is on the menu too, for kids over five years old with a parent or guardian.
• Dinner for two or an island excursion are just a phone call away, as nurturing babysitters are on site to care for and entertain either in-room or at the resort pool, beach or restaurants. Reservations required.
• There’s lots of bonding on vacation, and families can take advantage of age-appropriate crafts, dancing and games.
• The Daily ‘Iwa is a handy planning tool to check daily schedules for poolside games, storytelling and Disney character meet and greets.
• Disney chefs have kids in mind with all-time favorites on the kid’s or “keiki” menus. Plus an elaborate buffet with Mickey and pals is sure to delight at Aunty’s Breakfast Celebration at Makahiki on select days. Reservations are required.

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About Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
Uniquely designed for families and inspired by the wonders and traditions of Hawaii, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is a family paradise with a touch of magic. Aulani offers kids, adults and families Hawaiian vacation experiences with a special magic that only Disney can create. Delightful rooms and spacious Disney Vacation Club villas, a perfect location on a beautiful beachfront lagoon, and renowned Disney service and enchanting entertainment let dreamers of every age savor their time together on Hawaii as never before.

• 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 – one who delivers messages from a higher authority.” The name is fitting as the resort serves as a messenger of the “higher authority” that is Hawaii, its spirit and its culture.
• Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa opened to the first guests August 29, 2011.
• The resort is located on 21 oceanfront acres in the Ko Olina Resort Community & Marina
• Upon completion, the two towers of Aulani will feature 359 hotel rooms, including 16 suites, and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villas. Completion is scheduled for 2013.
• Aulani is the 11^th Disney Vacation Club resort.
• Rooms are angled and views include ocean and partial ocean, poolside garden, island garden and standard.
• Laniwai, a Disney Spa, features 15 treatment rooms, with a family treatment room and a fitness center in18,000 square feet of space. Painted Sky, a space at the spa just for teens, features a yogurt bar, a mixology station and a menu of treatments.
• The design of Laniwai explores the cultural and spiritual significance of rainbows. Treatment rooms are named after rainbows, including luahoano, a rainbow around the sun or moon.
• Aulani is the ideal place for events. Upon completion, the conference center will include 14,545 square feet of space with a main ballroom, four breakout rooms and generous pre-function space. Meetings and conventions will also enjoy three distinct event lawns, along with private patios and terraces.
• Aulani offers wedding planning through the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings program.

Recreation and Entertainment

• Sharp-eyed guests may spot Menehune, the legendary “little people” of Hawaii, hidden in locations throughout the resort. Many of these are concealed at a level where only the smallest guests can easily find them.
• Guests will discover more fun surprises when they tour the Menehune Adventure Trail.
• In addition to the adjoining beach, Aulani guests will enjoy the resort’s water playground, featuring pools, water slides, the Waikolohe Stream waterway, and a fun play area known as the Menehune bridge. Poolside cabanas are available for rental.
• Rainbow Reef is a 3,800 square-foot snorkel lagoon where guests will get up close and personal with fish that inhabit the waters in and around Hawaii.
• A full program of fun for younger children (ages 3-12) is available in the Aunty’s Beach House kids’ club. Teen and tween programs also are available at the resort.
• Aunty’s Beach House offers children activities and games that explore the mysteries of Hawaii, along with special surprises at Uncle’s workshop and Aunty’s magical fireplace.
• Aulani offers a lineup of excursion adventures with the aid of local experts. Excursions include horseback riding in the Kualoa Valley, kayaking, a catamaran excursion with on-board musical entertainment, a surf school, Hawaiian cooking classes and more, all specially designed for Aulani guests by Adventures by Disney and hosted by friendly Adventure Guides.
• The resort features convenient access to a 330-slip Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed 18-hole Championship golf course.

Dining and Lounges

• Two onsite restaurants feature foods unique to Hawaii with ingredients from local farmers and fisherman: the chic, full-service ‛AMA ‛AMA and the buffet-style Makahiki.
• The beachside ‛AMA ‛AMA restaurant, named after a traditional Hawaiian fish, features  ocean-colored walls, a reflecting pond centerpiece and both indoor and outdoor seating areas.
• The buffet-style Makahiki restaurant is named after the Hawaiian harvest festival season. Décor highlights include murals painted by Hawaiian artist Al Lagunero and a stunning lighting sculpture that hangs from the ceiling.
• Disney character dining is available on selected days at Makahiki restaurant, and guests will 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, celebrating the Hawaiian language. (`Ōlelo means “word.”)  Guests will find the Hawaiian names for objects in several places, including150 shadow boxes with wood carvings.
• Bartenders at the `Olelo room speak fluent Hawaiian and will help guests with proper pronunciation of words.
• The `Olelo Room offers tropical cocktails, Hawaiian beers, lemonade, iced tea and more.

Aulani Grounds

• The heart of the 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 Aulani pools, waterways and spas.
• The stunning grounds of Aulani include three unique gardens, each with its own personality.
  • The center garden, between the two towers, is designed to simulate Oahu’s overall landscape: dense and wet in the center; sandy and palmy on the outskirts.
  • The quiet pool garden includes a swimming pool and spa with access to the oceanfront lawn, an ideal location for private parties, movie nights and spectacular romantic weddings.
  • The third garden, soon to be complete, will serve as an outdoor recreation area for Aunty’s Beach House kids’ club, and will double as a multifunction space for special events and entertainment.
  • Waikolohe Stream is a 321,000-gallon mischievous waterway, covering 900 linear feet that guests will explore on two tubing adventures – one serene and one with tube slides.
  • Menehune Bridge is a 2,200 square-foot interactive water play area for children with three slides, interactive water elements and a climbing play structure.
  • Aulani features two pools, Waikolohe and Wailana; a snorkel lagoon: Rainbow Reef; and four whirlpool spas – Sunset Upper, Sunset Lower, Waikolohe and the Caldera.
  • Makai Preserve is a unique conservation lagoon that encourages visitors to respect sea life.  The reservation-only experience currently is home to a family of brown stingrays, in a lagoon with an innovative Mickey-shaped design.
  • A portion of the proceeds from the Makai Preserve will support conservation and research efforts in Hawaii through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.
  • Each night, guests will gather around the Mo’olelo Storytelling fire pit to hear Uncle, the Hawaiian Elder, share stories and legends of Hawaii under the tropical stars.

Aulani Art & Architecture

• Aulani 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 kappa cloth (textiles made from tree bark).
• At the Aulani lobby (Maka’ala), guests will see an ancient lava rock outcropping and they may catch the scent of ginger, pikake and plumeria wafting on the cooling kaiaulu breeze from the water garden.
• Artist Martin Charlot conceived and painted the Aulani Lobby mural, a 200-foot long tribute to Hawaiian history ad culture with layers, 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 – up is toward the sea; down points to the mountainside, the left arrow corresponds to the feminine side of the resort (made of lava with a smooth finish) and the right to the masculine side (made of lava with a rough finish).
• Guest rooms feature many details of Hawaiian legend, 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.

Ko Olina Resort Community & Marina

• Ko Olina is part of the Leeward Coast region of Oahu (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 Waikiki Beach.
• It takes approximately 20 minutes to drive from Ko Olina to smaller surf towns and the North Shore.

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With all the beauty and wonder of a natural Hawaiian valley, Waikolohe Valley is the recreational center of the resort. Nestled between Aulani’s two towers and flowing from the lobby down to the beachfront, it is home to pools, whirlpool spas and interactive water play areas. Waikolohe also is the name of the meandering, mischievous stream that runs through this valley.

Waikolohe, which is Hawaiian for “mischievous water,” offers a playful nod to some refreshing surprises. Many of those surprises will unfold along the banks of a lazy river which carries tube-riding adventurers on a journey of discovery through the valley’s eye-catching lava outcropping called Pu’u Kilo.

In Waikolohe Stream, water slides twist in and out of the rock formations, taking guests on a ride through caverns and past “mischievous” fountain springs that surprise explorers with a bit of “refreshment.” Occasional hot springs blow off a little steam, too. In upholding a Disney and Hawaiian tradition that will play out in every aspect of the resort, there will be more to these lava formations than meets the eye.

A highlight of the Valley for the young and young-at-heart will be the interactive water play area known as the Menehune Bridge. The legendary Hawaiian Menehune (pronounced men-neh-who-neh), are said to be shy, diminutive beings who are gifted craftspeople, adept at building everything from temples to canoes. The Menehune Bridge brings the legend to life, featuring Menehune as statues … or perhaps frozen in plain sight in the act of cavorting, spilling and shooting water to the delight of even Aulani’s littlest guests.

Waikolohe Valley is also home to the Waikolohe and Wailana Pools, the private poolside cabanas, four whirlpool spas and Rainbow Reef snorkel lagoon. Amenities within the Valley include the Lava Shack for quick food service, and the Papalua Shave Ice station.

In addition to reflecting the legends of Hawaii, the Waikolohe Valley magically mimics the Hawaiian landscape: wetter and more forested at the high end nearer the mountains, drier and more open as it approaches the sea.

With lava formations, hot springs that blow off steam and misty caverns, the Waikolohe Valley landscape was designed by Disney Imagineers to appear as if it has been here for many, many years.

“What you can see right along this very stretch of coastline on Oahu is that, as the lava flowed hundreds of thousands of years ago, it cooled rapidly as it hit the sea, piling up on itself and creating fantastic shapes,” said Imagineer Joe Rohde, who grew up on Oahu. “That’s the inspiration behind the rock formations that shape our recreation area.

“We wanted the rock you come across here to appear to be the very rock that would be coming up out of the ground, as if it was real, only ours will be ever-so-slightly magical.”

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About Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
Aulani will be a Resort like no other. Inspired by the wonders and traditions of Hawai`i, Aulani has been uniquely designed for families. Perfectly placed on a beautiful beachfront cove, Aulani will offer kids, adults and families Hawaiian vacation experiences with a special magic that only Disney can create. Delightful rooms and spacious Villas, renowned Disney service and enchanting entertainment, will let dreamers of every age savor their time together on Hawai`i as never before.

Media Contact:
Disneyland Resort Public Relations
(714) 781-4500
www.disneylandnews.com
www.aulani.com
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/