UPDATE: Congratulations to everyone who correctly answered our Menehune takeover trivia questions today. Here are the correct answers:

What celebrity recently hosted her daytime talk show live from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’I?
ANSWER: Kelly Ripa

According to Aulani’s storyline, Menhune were responsible for building which unique guest offering?
ANSWER: Menehune Bridge (name for the children’s water play area)

Where can you interact with stingrays at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’I?
ANSWER: Makai Preserve

No Foolin’ – The blog is under new “Menehune” management today and the first order of business is to hold a trivia sweepstakes for loyal Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa fans and Disney Parks Blog readers.

If you’re one of the first 50 people to answer three trivia questions correctly, we’ll send you a wonderful Menehune-inspired Vinylmation. We only sell them on the island, you know.

Just as the Menehune hide throughout Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai`i, the answers that’ll lead to a chance to receive a Menehune-inspired Vinylmation are hidden in Disney Parks Blog posts. Here are the questions:

1. What celebrity recently hosted her daytime talk show live from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i?
2. According to Aulani’s storyline, Menehune were responsible for building which unique guest offering?
3. Where can you interact with stingrays at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i?

To enter, just e-mail your answers along with your full name and mailing address to contests@disney.go.com. Once the sweepstakes is over, we’ll send notifications to the recipients via e-mail. To read all the sweepstakes rules and eligibility requirements, click here.

Good luck, and please don’t spoil it for others by posting guesses or answers in the comments.

Sweepstakes open to US residents 18 and over. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Ends 4/2/12.

Tagged: Aulani, DVC, Vinylmation

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club, Menehune

Sometimes I think Imagineer Joe Rohde is a bit like the Menehune – I sense his influence peeking out of countless nooks and crannies around Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.

Joe oversaw the creative design and content of the resort, and he was a strong advocate for the celebration of Hawaiian culture that can be found throughout Aulani. I’m sure the project kept him plenty busy, and yet he somehow found time to illustrate “The Untold Tales of the Menehune,” a storybook in verse by Scott Ritchey that touches the very heart of the resort and the legends of Hawai’i. Here’s Joe, reading a passage from the book.

So, for those uninitiated in the ways of the Menehune, that was a little introduction read by Joe himself. “The Untold Tales of the Menehune” is available for purchase at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.

Tagged: Aulani, DVC, Video

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club, Menehune

I love saying the word “aloha,” as it brings a smile to my face. I’ve been fascinated with Hawaiian culture for years. I first visited the islands of Oahu and Maui in May 2007, and I’ve longed to return every day since. I have a great reason to return now that Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, is open. I recently caught up with Disney Design Group artist Bob Holden, who has been designing the Aulani merchandise for more than two years. He shared some insight into the merchandise found at the resort.

“I first visited Aulani in 2010 when the resort only had five floors and lots of concrete,” said Bob. “We wanted to immerse ourselves in the environment before beginning development. Upon returning to Florida, we created mood boards which provided inspiration and direction for development. The boards were based on conversations with Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who was the executive designer for the resort, and our own experiences.”

There are a few distinct styles found at the resort – “family art” (or should I say “ohana”?), which has Disney characters enjoying the resort; a “retro” program inspired by Hawai`i in the 1930s; and “resort logo,” which features the Aulani resort logo. Product developer Lindsay Voigt also mentioned that locally made Hawaiian items are featured.

“We wanted to infuse many aspects of Hawaiian culture in our merchandise,” explained Lindsay. “Kalepa’s Store, the merchandise location at Aulani, features beautiful handcrafted items made by local Hawaiian artisans. This mix of merchandise helps us tell Aulani’s story as a place that celebrates Hawaiian culture, history and traditions.”

Lindsay told me that some of the most popular items since the resort opened have been specially designed Dooney & Bourke handbags (a new one was recently released), Duffy the Disney Bear, and apparel from Tori Richard, a well known aloha shirt company. I have about 40 aloha shirts in my closet and the Tori Richard shirt is great! Bob worked closely with their design team to infuse color (originally it was very brown) and icons from the resort, like the Menehune.

I’m most excited about some new shave ice shirts coming later this year. I’ll never forget the first shave ice I had after snorkeling in Hanauma Bay in 2007. Now I must go back to the island! Aloha!

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club, Menehune

UPDATE: The Menehune have taken over the Disney Parks Blog! Visit “Under New Menehune Management” to see the mischief for yourself.

Okay, so John warned us that something may be up today – and it is. The Disney Parks Blog is under new Menehune management this April Fool’s Day. What? Never heard of the Menehune? They’re legendary at our Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai`i.

Menehune are tiny mischief makers with a reputation for building great inventions. They’re full of surprises and they’re bringing their magic to the blog today. Check the site throughout the day to see what’s up and for a special chance to receive a little reminder of today’s first-ever Menehune takeover.

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club

Whether you’re on a family vacation or a romantic getaway for two, Disney Parks and Resorts always has something to offer the kids as well as the adults. If you’re looking for excitement, relaxation, or a romantic meal with your sweetie, check out these posts from the Disney Parks Blog for some adult-only options.

Take 5: Adult Fun with Disney Parks and Resorts

1. Romantic Restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort – With more than 100 restaurants to choose from at Walt Disney World Resort, it can be tough deciding where to dine. Check out this list for some romantic ideas.




2. Confirmed: The Pleasures of Laniwai, a Disney Spa at Aulani – Are you in need of some serious relaxation? Laniwai, a Disney Spa at Aulani, offers a serene and calming experience.




3. Europa Adult Nighttime Fun on the Disney Fantasy – Check out these clubs, pubs and lounges for guests 18 and over aboard the Disney Fantasy.




4. Vintage Walt Disney World: Hitting the Slopes at Blizzard Beach Water Park – Craving some excitement? Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is home to one of the tallest and fastest speed slides, Summit Plummet.




5. A Mom’s Point of View: Adult Activities Aboard the Disney Dream – Check out this video for some exclusive adult activities aboard the Disney Dream!

Tagged: Aulani, DCL, Take 5, WDW

Filed: Aulani, Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World Resort

We’ve blogged in the past about the Menehune, the mysterious and industrious island “little people” who seem to work mostly by night, leaving half-finished evidence of their labor at various locations around Hawai`i, including at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. Visitors to Aulani may have caught sight of Menehune hiding in various corners of the resort.

Now rumor has it that this weekend the Menehune may be planning to take a hand in the Disney Parks Blog itself. Watch this space for possible Menehune mischief!

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club, Hotels & Resorts

A few months ago, I shared a video about Laniwai, a Disney Spa at Aulani, along with a confession that I’m not someone who usually takes advantage of spa opportunities, no matter how attractive.

Well… last time I was at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, on O‘ahu, Lucia Rodriguez, the spa manager who has contributed so much to the wonders of Laniwai, convinced me that – if only for the sake of putting some firsthand Laniwai experience into the Disney Parks Blog – I should have a spa treatment. I was still hesitant, but we narrowed it down to a facial and (once Lucia convinced me that none of the Laniwai cast members would be too horrified by my feet) a pedicure.

After selecting a “wishing stone” and traveling through the “transformation corridor,” I – like most Laniwai guests – had time to enjoy Kula Wai, the outdoor hydrotherapy garden (the only one on O‘ahu). This truly is a memorable, relaxing experience in a beautifully landscaped garden with two herbal pools, a jetted hot tub, a circuit of six different showers and a cold plunge (I didn’t “plunge” exactly, but I did cautiously submerge).

Finally, of course, were the treatments themselves, which left me feeling very pampered, not to mention grateful for the restraint of the cast member who worked such wonders on my nasty feet.

I’m still not sure I can ever become the kind of guy who’d do this on a regular basis… and yet, it’s something I think everyone should experience at least once. If you’re going to have a “first spa” experience, you couldn’t ask for better than Laniwai, a Disney Spa.

Tagged: Aulani, DVC

Filed: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club, Vacation Planning