Disney cuts ribbon on Aulani resort

A sunrise ceremony welcomes visitors to the $800 million luxury complex
By Andrew Gomes
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 30, 2011

Vacationers including the Chun family - 3-year-old Lauren, brother Landon, parents Laura and Brandon, and grandmother Norma Lum - entered the lobby of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii, as its doors opened to guests for the first time, Monday, August 29.

COURTESY DISNEY

Aulani, Disney’s new resort at Ko Olina, welcomed its first guests Monday

Among the first to enter were Norma Lum, 3-year-old Laurea, and Laurea’s mother Laura.

The first guests of Disney's new resort on Oahu arrived on Monday before the crack of dawn to witness a sunrise ceremony to open the 840-unit luxury hotel and time-share complex at Ko Olina Resort & Marina.

Kahulu De Santos, Aulani's cultural adviser, delivered an oli, or chant in Hawaiian, to express aloha to guests and staff in attendance.

Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Florida, also made welcoming remarks. "We are thrilled to open our doors and invite guests from around the world to experience Aulani," he said in a statement. "This resort is a unique and exciting project that combines the magic and storytelling of Disney with the rich culture and beautiful scenery of Hawaii. It is the ultimate family paradise with a touch of Disney magic."

For full article visit: http://www.staradvertiser.com/businesspremium/20110830_disney_cuts_ribbon_on_aulani_resort.html?c=n

Posted in: Ko Olina in the News, What's New?, Disney Aulani

Share: E-mail | Permalink | Comments (0)