It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost a year since Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, welcomed its first guests. Over the course of that year, the resort has proven so popular that plans are already underway for expansion, beginning in September.

For those who stay at Aulani this fall during the expansion work, there’s an extra-special travel offer: five nights for the price of three. With this offer, guests can extend their stay for five consecutive nights and get two of those nights for free. That means two extra days to enjoy all there is to do at Aulani – pools and water slides, restaurants and lounges, entertainment, excursions, Aunty’s Beach House kids club, Laniwai Spa, etc., etc.

To take advantage of the offer, visit DisneyAulani.com or call toll-free (866) 309-2384 and mention offer code O8V. This offer will be available for stays most nights September 10, 2012, through December 18, 2012.

Here’s some exciting, additional information:

5 Nights for the Price of 3 Nights promotion for guests who stay five consecutive nights all between September 10, 2012, and December 22, 2012. Book from July 25, 2012, through November 10, 2012. 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. Check for offers for other lengths of stay. Advanced reservations required. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Limit 2 rooms per reservation.

Check out these posts for more news from Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa:

• More Water Fun, Dining Options Coming in Aulani Resort Expansion
• Makahiki Restaurant Adds Lunch for Guests at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
• Families Practice Healthy Living Over ‘The Weekend’ at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club

If you’ve had the opportunity to visit Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa – or even if you’ve just been reading about it – you know how much fun it is and how popular it’s been with families visiting Hawai`i.

As a result of all the excitement about Aulani and its amenities, we’re already planning an expansion of the resort. New water features will be added to the Waikolohe Valley pool area, along with additional deck space for sunbathing and relaxing. Two new quick-service food locations also will be part of the enhancements, and the popular “Starlit Hui” show will move to a larger lawn so that even more guests can enjoy the performance.

Work on all this is scheduled to begin in September. Keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog for regular updates on plans and progress.

Check out these posts for more news from Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa:

• Makahiki Restaurant Adds Lunch for Guests at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
• Families Practice Healthy Living Over ‘The Weekend’ at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
• Aulani and Laniwai Make the Conde Nast Traveler ‘Hot List’ for 2012

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club

Makahiki at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is best known for its fun Disney character breakfasts and bounteous dinner buffet, but the chefs have now added a lunch menu aptly named “Koho,” which means “to choose” in Hawaiian.

Guests can choose their own pizza toppings, salad blend or sandwich combo, or just order a signature entrée. Pizzas have toppings ranging from classic pepperoni to Portuguese sausage and pineapple. Salads offer several greens and veggies, then cheeses including blue, goat and feta. Add grilled tofu, chicken, shrimp or fish of the day for a hefty meal in a bowl.

And sandwiches range from fish of the day to turkey, ham and roast beef with toppings such as avocado, pesto aioli and four kinds of cheese (American, blue, Swiss and cheddar). There’s a special pizza and a burger just for kids.

Signature entrées include the Hawaiian pizza with ham and pineapple; a crispy Asian salad with candied nuts, crispy wontons, avocado, oranges and pickled ginger; and the Chef’s Special Bento with ahi tuna sashimi, chicken teriyaki, carrot and cucumber namasu (pickled), fried rice and mochi ice cream.

Grab a side of slaw, garlic fries, a green salad or potato salad. And there’s fresh fruit, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake and mochi ice cream for dessert.

Prices range from $11.50 for a salad to $15 for the bento box.

Read more about Aulani in the posts below:

• Families Practice Healthy Living Over ‘The Weekend’ at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
• Aulani and Laniwai Make the Conde Nast Traveler ‘Hot List’ for 2012
• New Aulani Offers Available Today: Kids Eat Free and So Much More, Plus 25% Off Fares from Hawaiian Airlines

Tagged: Aulani, Dining, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Dining, Disney Vacation Club

I hope that you, your friends and your family had a fantastic and restful Fourth of July. I was at my favorite Independence Day spot – Magic Kingdom Park here at Walt Disney World Resort! Is there any better way to celebrate our nation’s birthday than watching “Disney’s Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky”?

Another favorite place of mine is Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai’i. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit this spectacular destination half a dozen times in the last year. (See, I keep telling all of you that I have the best job at Disney!) But no visit was as memorable or as special as my trip there to film with tonight’s “My Yard Goes Disney” family, the Greens.

Titus, Emily, and their three energetic kids, Logan (6), Mia (4), and Andi (2) are huge Disney fans. They’re lucky enough to live not too far from Walt Disney World Resort, so they visit frequently. But their big dream was to visit Hawaii – and when the HGTV Designers saw their backyard, they immediately knew that it would be a fantastic spot to build an Aulani-inspired oasis.

We had the most fantastic time exploring all of the great water play areas at Aulani, hearing the amazing stories of Hawai’i as told by our cast, and sampling pretty amazing Hawaiian food, too! Plus, the family even learned to surf on one of the exclusive Adventures by Disney excursions offered at the resort. You’ll see on tonight’s show that Logan was standing on a surfboard after less than an hour of instruction.

So much of our beautiful resort is captured in the family’s backyard. Take a peek and see if you can spot some of the infamous Menehune that live all over Aulani!

Please join us tonight at 5:30 p.m. EST on HGTV for some Disney magic, with a touch of aloha spirit!

Check out these other posts about “My Yard Goes Disney”:

• ‘My Yard Goes Disney’: An Area Inspired by The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure Park
• ‘My Yard Goes Disney’: A Haven Inspired by Epcot
• ‘My Yard Goes Disney’: An Escape to Castaway Cay

Tagged: Aulani, DLR, DVC, Video, WDW

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort

If concentrating on fitness is your goal, you might as well do it in a place where getting outdoors and focusing on recreation come easily. Need I add, a top choice would be Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, in Ko Olina, Hawai`i.

This past weekend at Aulani, seven lucky families participated in “The Weekend,” an annual event presented by Disney Magic of Healthy Living, the Disney program that encourages kids and families to try new foods, fun moves and simple ways to be the best they can be.

The participating families were the national grand-prize winners of the TRYit! Photo Contest from Disney Magic of Healthy Living. Families were encouraged to send photos and explain in the caption the ways their families TRY to stay healthy and active.

The families spent the weekend soaking up the Hawaiian sun – trying new cuisines, experiencing some of the resort’s exciting excursions, and participating in Disney’s TRYathalon. Disney XD stars Kelly Berglund (“Lab Rats”), Kelsey Chow (“Pair of Kings”), Jason Earles (“Kickin’ It,” “Hannah Montana”), and Adam Irigoyen (“Shake It Up”) were on hand to cheer them on and compete in some of the challenges.

TRYathalon challenges included snorkeling, sailing and hiking. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were on hand to participate, and a highlight of “The Weekend” was a special ceremony recognizing the families’ efforts to lead healthier lifestyles.

To learn how you and your family can be a part of Disney Magic of Healthy Living and about fun, upcoming opportunities like “The Weekend,” you can visit www.Disney.com/TRYit.

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club

If you picked up the May issue of Conde Nast Traveler, you may already know that Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai`i, is one of 12 U.S. hotels included on the “Hot List” for 2012. Also on the list, in the spa category, is Laniwai, a Disney Spa at Aulani.

Conde Nast Traveler’s annual May Hot List is the ultimate insider’s guide to the hottest new hotels, spas and restaurants of the year. Editors traveled to 49 countries and evaluated 172 new hotels to discover the best in the world, and Aulani was included among the best.

In their evaluation, Conde Nast editors particularly cited “the resort’s main attraction…the pool area” (aka Waikolohe Valley) and noted, “Apart from meet-and-greets with Mickey and Minnie and themed activities like ‘Surf’s Up’ time with Chip and Dale, the property feels more like a five-star family-focused resort than a Disney showcase. And it lives up to its promise to educate kids about Hawaiian culture…”

The “Hot Spas” citation noted the six outdoor rain showers and the “tranquil, wood-paneled” interior, and observed “excellent technicians choose just the right massage pressure and products.” Of course the Aulani and Laniwai teams always strive to provide Disney levels of quality and service, so it’s nice to be recognized by veteran travelers.

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Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club

Be sure to tune in tomorrow at 7/6c on ABC for Part One of the “America’s Funniest Home Videos” Season Finale – from Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa! The countdown begins to determine who will take home this year’s grand prize – a membership in Disney Vacation Club. I’ll be back next week with a special peek at next week’s Part Two – from Cars Land!

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club