As ‘LIVE!’ Spends the Week at Aulani, Kelly Ripa and Her Family Enjoy the Resort
posted on February 21st, 2012 by John McClintock, Disney Public Relations
As you know, “LIVE! with Kelly” is at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, this week. On Monday, host Kelly Ripa took a few minutes to talk with me about the show and her family’s experience at the resort.
How’s the “LIVE! with Kelly” shoot been going at Aulani?
Incredible! Really, really incredible. The hospitality of the Hawaiian people is like no other. You just feel hugged all the time. You really do. It’s just a gorgeous culture and a beautiful, warm people.
Have you had time to enjoy Aulani just as a resort experience?
I have to tell you, Aulani has hit on every mark. It’s one of these places that caters to small children, and grade school children and teens and tweens and adults, individually and as a family. It really is extraordinary because we’re at that teen-tween-child stage ourselves. So we have three kids with three different interests and this is the place that really caters to all of them.
What sorts of things have they been doing?
Well, they’ve fed stingrays. They’ve gone to Aunty’s Beach House. They’ve gone to teen video game and stargazing nights. They literally read that newsletter, the “Daily Iwa” I think it’s called, that’s put in the rooms at night and they choose what they want to do and it’s been spectacular for them. They’ve been on the Waikolohe Stream 17 hours a day. They tumble down those slides I’m terrified to go down. And this is the first trip we’ve taken where they haven’t kind of said, “I’m bored.” I mean, they’re having so much fun, it’s just really great!
Has everyone been looking forward to the upcoming Aulani wedding on “LIVE!”?
They really have. I think the wedding couple (Eileen Bellew and Kevin Houston) has been just blown away by the level of hospitality. They keep saying, “Wow, they just can’t do enough for you here,” and it’s really true. Just today – it was pretty funny, it happened on the air – it was very hot and the sun had come out and I said, “If only these people at Aulani could make the clouds move over,” and as I said it, literally that very moment a cloud moved over. And I said, “They’re very good here.”
That kind of Disney magic does tend to happen at Aulani. Did you know we actually had a rainbow on the Opening Day?
Well, I don’t know if you heard about our wedding couple when they got here. They both lost their previous spouses very tragically. They believe rainbows are sent to them by their former husband and former wife. And when they got here, there was a double rainbow over the property. They really felt like it was a message. This whole thing has been very beautiful, very emotional even for people who don’t know them personally, people who are viewers of the show. We’re all very invested in this couple.
The beautiful beachside wedding of Eileen Bellew and Kevin Houston will take place on “LIVE! with Kelly” this Friday, Feb. 24.
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‘LIVE!’ from Aulani – Greetings from Kelly Ripa
posted on February 20th, 2012 by John McClintock, Disney Public Relations
“LIVE! with Kelly” is at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, this week leading up to the wedding of the winning couple of “LIVE’s Hawaiian Dream Wedding Giveaway” on Friday. Daniel Dae Kim from “Hawaii Five-O” co-hosts with Kelly today, and other co-hosts this week will include “Glee” star Matthew Morrison on Tuesday, Honolulu native and “Dancing with the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba on Wednesday, and Mark Consuelos on Thursday and Friday.
Each “LIVE! With Kelly” broadcast will be set against the backdrop of Aulani’s beautiful beachfront lagoon, and throughout the week “LIVE!” will showcase the best of the island of O‘ahu and highlight all that Aulani has to offer.
Aulani Excursions Showcase Hawai‘i With a Touch of Disney Magic
posted on January 31st, 2012 by John McClintock, Disney Public Relations
Although it’s tempting never to leave the Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, grounds and adjoining beach, the resort offers an appealing lineup of off-property excursions to illuminate the wonders of Hawai‘i for all ages and tastes. Many of the excursions have been specially designed by Adventures by Disney and feature knowledgeable Adventure Guides weaving stories and magic into the experience.
I haven’t had a chance to experience all the excursions on offer – it’s a lineup that includes Hawaiian cooking lessons, hiking to Waimea Falls, horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch … and I’ve heard especially good things about the Hawaiian Fire Surf School conducted by Honolulu City Firefighters.
I did get a chance to go on a catamaran excursion with some visiting travel writers the last time I was at Aulani, and it was great! We spotted a couple of pods of dolphins (or maybe it was just one playful bunch, trying to fake us out) and, after getting a terrific distant view of Aulani from its ocean side, we went snorkeling a bit further up the coast. The waters off the coast of Oahu offer a sensationally colorful array of fish and other sea life and, while we were snorkeling close to the surface, members of the crew dove deeper and brought up sea urchins, sea cucumbers and an unusually chunky starfish for us to look at.
Catamaran Captain Doug also told us that his craft is rated as dolphin-and-whale friendly, consciously keeping a safe distance from these fun and fascinating creatures while still giving us the opportunity to view them. It’s the kind of thing that helps make a Disney Aulani excursion special.
When Five Nights at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa are Not Enough…A Special Offer
posted on January 24th, 2012 by John McClintock, Disney Public Relations
Visiting Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa on O`ahu, is definitely one of the top benefits of my job. And each time I visit, I’m reminded of how much there is to do at the resort – pools and water slides, restaurants and lounges, entertainment, excursions, Aunty’s Beach House kids club, Laniwai spa, etc., etc.
So how many days do you need to take it all in? If your guess is somewhere in the vicinity of a week, I’ve got news for you. From now through February 29, Aulani is offering a sixth night free, plus daily continental breakfast (in the fun ‘Ōlelo Room lounge), for guests booking a five-consecutive-night stay.
To take advantage of the offer, visit DisneyAulani.com or call toll-free (800) 824-1146 and mention offer code E7D. The offer is available for stays most nights* from March 1 through March 17, 2012, and April 15 through May 31, 2012.
And here, for your enlightenment and enjoyment, is some additional information:
*The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Excludes Resort fees and taxes. Not valid in combination with any other discounts or offers. Offer excludes suites and three-bedroom Grand Villas. Additional per adult charges may apply if more than two (2) adults per room. Offer applied once per reservation and not valid for previously booked rooms. Check for offers for other lengths of stay. Limit two (2) rooms per reservation and subject to room occupancy limitations. Advance reservations required. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Breakfast entitlements expire upon checkout, and are for guests ages 3 and older in the traveling party.
Show How You and Your Family Live Healthy and You Could Win a Trip to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa!
posted on January 17th, 2012 by John McClintock, Disney Public Relations
If your New Year’s resolution was to live a healthier lifestyle, you’ve got to check out the TRYit! Photo Contest from Disney Magic of Healthy Living, a program aimed at creating healthier generations by inspiring kids and families to discover a healthy new world full of flavor and fun! Show how you and your family strive to be your best by TRYing new foods, fun moves or incorporating simple changes in your everyday life and you could win a trip to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa!
Do you and your family get together once a week to try new, healthy recipes? Or maybe you’re waking up early on the weekends to learn a sport you haven’t played? Whatever you and your family are doing to stay healthy, Disney Magic of Healthy Living wants to hear about it!
Send photos and explain in the caption the ways you and your family are TRYing to stay healthy and active. And as if getting in shape, spending time with your family and being healthy isn’t enough of a motivator to TRY something new, how about a grand-prize that will send you and your family packing to a tropical paradise?
Disney Magic of Healthy Living will choose five families from all the photo submissions to serve as “Magic of Healthy Living Ambassadors” at the first-ever TRYathalon at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. Families will compete in a two-day competition filled with fun obstacles, thrilling challenges and special surprise guests.
And each Grand Prize-winning family will also have the opportunity to give others greater access to healthy living by helping to select a community who will receive a grant from KaBOOM! for Imagination Playground in a Box, a breakthrough mobile play space designed to encourage child-directed, unstructured free play in communities.
Five runners-up will also receive a Disney Consumer Products Healthy Gift Basket, and $100 Disney Store gift certificates will be awarded to five families selected as “Voter’s Choice” on the Family.com website.
Time is of the essence – the TRYit! Photo Contest from Disney Magic of Healthy Living is only open until March 12! For details on criteria and eligibility, and to enter, visit Family.com/TRYit.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Open only to persons, who are, as of Entry, the age of majority, and who are legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 United States or D.C. and who are the parent/legal guardians of at least one child between the ages of 6 and 14. Entries must be received between 12:01 a.m. (PT) on 1/17/12 and 11:59:59 p.m. (PT) on 3/12/12. Click here for Official Rules.
Paradise by the Desktop Light: Download Our New Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa Wallpaper
posted on December 19th, 2011 by Ryan March, Editor, Disney Vacation Club’s Disney Files Magazine
Keeping your computer’s default wallpaper is a bit like hanging a picture frame that still displays the fake family it contained at the store. (Helpful hint: if the family’s posing anywhere near a bar code, that’s probably not your family.)
The Disney Parks Blog proudly provides downloadable alternatives to bland backgrounds, and Disney Vacation Club is pleased to present the latest addition to that growing collection of options.
The new wallpaper image from artist Jason “Tiki” Tackett celebrates our community’s new, homelike accommodations on O‘ahu: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i. Whether you’re a Disney Vacation Club Member who already calls Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa “home” or just a fan whose screen could use a little touch of paradise, we hope you enjoy the eye candy.
Be sure to read the terms of use about using the wallpaper.
And as for that too-pretty-to-be-real family framed on your mantle? At least cover the bar code.
Samantha Brown Returns to Hawai’i with Disney Vacation Club
posted on November 28th, 2011 by Ryan March, Editor, Disney Vacation Club’s Disney Files Magazine
Back in May, I told you that Disney Vacation Club had sent travel-television guru Samantha Brown (and the requisite camera crew) to O‘ahu to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i, as the resort neared the end of construction.
I’m pleased to report that Samantha has since returned to the now-open resort, which features Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, and this time, she left her hard hat at home.
The video below gives you a sneak peek at an all-new online show that’ll showcase the wonders of Aulani through the eyes of a woman who continues to top our list of “coolest jobs on the planet.”
The full episode is scheduled to air online Dec. 7-10 in a convenient, on-demand format. Fans may simply register online here for the date that works best for them and return to the site any time on that date to see the show. Viewers interested in making Aulani part of their families’ vacation traditions will discover helpful information and offers throughout the broadcast.
Oh, and get this. My post back in May lamented the fact that I wasn’t in Hawai‘i for Samantha’s shoot. No such complaints this time, as I did, in fact, see her latest shoot with my own eyes, live on the island! Who knew the Disney Parks Blog wielded such power?
THIS PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL IS A TIMESHARE SOLICITATION AND IS NOT AN OFFER IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE TIMESHARE IS NOT REGISTERED.
Membership requires purchasing a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Not an offer where registration or other legal requirements for timeshare solicitation have not been met. General Product, State, & Country Disclosures. DVC-VE-6-N
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa Will Be Featured on ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Tonight
posted on October 28th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa will be the featured vacation destination on this week’s episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which will air tonight on ABC.
The episode features the McPhail family, founders of the Southern Oregon Chapter of Sparrows Clubs, a nonprofit organization that helps children with medical issues. After spending a few years dedicating their lives to helping ill children, two of the McPhail children were diagnosed with forms of Autism. Now, sons Thatcher and Sawyer are progressing and helping raise Autism awareness at their own schools.
Check out this clip of the McPhail family’s vacation at Aulani, which took place while the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” crew worked to make their home meet the children’s needs.
(I may just watch the show tonight because these kids are so darn cute!).
It Isn’t Just About Shopping – The Kālepa Story at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
posted on October 14th, 2011 by John McClintock, Disney Public Relations
Many guests at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa will naturally want to take home souvenirs of their visit. They’ll also want to know where they can get sunscreen, cold drinks and snacks.
So Aulani has shops but not ordinary hotel/resort-type shops. Like the rest of Aulani, inspired by the traditions of Hawai`i, the shops at Aulani have their own stories to tell.
Yes, there are lots of Aulani-exclusive items available at Kālepa’s Store just off the Aulani lobby, and The Lava Shack at poolside, but you might want to look in just to see how they take their inspiration from the old stores that still dot the island of O`ahu.
Kālepa is the Hawaiian word for “merchant” or “peddler.” It literally translates as “to strike the flag” because in traditional times, salesmen hoisted a small flag to show they were ready to sell. In the story of Aulani, the Kālepa of Kālepa’s Store might be Aunty’s father-in-law, said to have had a store in Ko Olina long before Aulani was built.
Like the traditional Kālepa stores on O`ahu, Kālepa’s Store and The Lava Shack have some whimsical “found object” décor touches such as old license plates and vintage black and white photographs. A Grand Opening cast member at Aulani actually recognized her mother as a child in one of the photos.
See the posts below for more from Aulani:
- Fairy Tales Come True at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
- Some Favorite Eats at Aulani
- Just Like Nemo! – Learning from Mr. Ray at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Announces a Special Offer to Celebrate its Grand Opening
posted on October 14th, 2011 by Erin Glover, Manager, Social Media and Print
Come celebrate the grand opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai`i, with a new special offer! Beginning today through December 16, 2011, guests who purchase a consecutive four-night stay at Aulani will receive a fifth night free*. Take advantage of this grand opening offer at Aulani.com or by calling (866) 411-3883 and mentioning offer code Y5J.
This limited-time Aulani special offer is available for stays most nights from November 27 to December 16, 2011; January 4 to January 12, 2012; and January 16 to January 25, 2012. You can find more details on this offer here.
Take a look at some of the fun, relaxation and magic you can experience at Aulani:
- Laniwai – A Spa With the Magic of Aulani
- It’s a Real Beach House! Aunty Makes a Place for Kids at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
- Many Ways to Get Wet at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i
*5th Night Free promotion for guests who stay four consecutive nights between November 27, 2011, and December 16, 2011; January 4, 2012, and January 12, 2012; January 16, 2012, and January 25, 2012. Book by December 16, 2011. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Excludes Resort fees and taxes. Not valid in combination with any other discounts or offers. Offer excludes suites and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. Additional per adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room. Offer applied once per reservation and not valid for previously booked rooms. Check for offers for other lengths of stay. Advance reservations required. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Limit 2 rooms per reservation.
