At this point, wed seen the site of an historic military attack. Wed talked to an eyewitness and pondered a memorial. Wed talked about the ancient Hawaiians and seen breathtaking scenery. So really, the only obvious move left was to go play computer games.
We got back to Aulani mid-afternoon, and the kids really REALLY really really really really wanted to try out the Menehune Trail game. Really. So, we headed on over to the Pau Hana room to sign up for the game. An adult has to be present so they can track which phone/game device is given to which room. Then you can hand the little phone over to your accident-prone 7-year-old, secure in the knowledge that if anything happens to it youll be out $200 to replace it. Oh, and just so you know, most of the trail runs around the pool area.
They have 5 different trails you can do, and you can keep the phone throughout the day and do as many of them as you want until the Pau Hana room closes, and I cant remember exactly what time that is. One trail goes through the lobby area, and the other 4 are in the Waikolohe Valley. Our kids decided to do the one in the lobby first.
If youve ever tried the Agent P spy missions at Epcot (or their previous incarnation, the Kim Possible missions), then you know what to expect. This is exactly the same, only instead of receiving spy missions youre listening to Aunty as she relates different pieces of Hawaiian information. She receives calls from different island residents who need her help and its your job to find whatever it is she tells you to find. In reality, its all just a scavenger hunt to find whatever hidden tricks and surprises the Imagineers planted throughout the resort.
Ill put a
SPOILER warning here for the next several pictures so you can skip them and go in cold if youd prefer not to know any of the secrets.
One of the stations involved this little guy:
Here you can see the phone the kids are using. Hold that in both hands, Scotty! Sheesh.
Another clue asked us to find the lamp with a gecko in it.
We were afraid it would try to sell us car insurance when we hit the button, but those fears were unfounded.
END SPOILERS (part 1)
Other hidden tricks involved fiber optics and paintings that came to life. All in all, it was really well done and we were again amazed at the subtlety used in disguising the features in the hotel. You wouldnt know many of them were part of the game unless you were playing it. It struck us that Aulani really was the most state-of-the-art of Disney resorts. The Imagineers have taken every trick theyve learned through the years and applied it here to increase your enjoyment.
After finishing the lobby trail, we took a break for a character meet. If youve read my previous TRs, you know that Scotty is a huge fan of Chip & Dale. He really grew to love them on our
Disney Cruise back in 2009 and got a stuffed Chip & Dale from the gift shop with their nautical outfits. Then he got excited at WDW in 2010 when he got the chance to meet Naked Chip & Dale in the parks.
Here, he got the chance to meet Hawaiian Chip & Dale. There was a short line to meet them and by the time the family in front of us finished their pictures, Scotty was already in Full Hug Mode.
As I mentioned before, the presence of character meets is one of the few overt Disney features of the resort. Its very low-key and feels like a bonus add-on to your Hawaiian vacation, rather than Disney trying to force itself onto you.
The kids decided to try one of the pool area missions, so we hung around with them and enjoyed the scenery. Looks like we werent the only ones hanging around.
Heres another
SPOILER. Anytime you can press a button and set off pyrotechnics, thats a win.
END SPOILER
The kids finished off that mission which may or may not have involved a secret room inside the volcano and then announced they were hungry and ready for a break. They enjoyed the game, but werent going nuts over it like they did with the Agent P missions, so we figured that was enough. Oddly enough, theyd have a different reaction later on, and I think I know why. Stay tuned for that one.
Anyway, we managed to turn in the phone unharmed, and my credit card breathed an audible sigh of relief. They also told us we could come back to play some more, and by giving them our room number, we'd be able to pick up right where we left off.
I went to scout out dinner possibilities while the kids and Julie went to listen to the storyteller by the fire pit. Aulani has lots of different programs and classes they run throughout the day, such as hula or ukulele lessons, Hawaiian art tours, or even surfing lessons. We didnt take advantage of many of them because we wanted to see the rest of Oahu, but many of them looked like fun. I guess well just have to come back.
The storyteller is Uncle, who may possibly be related to Aunty. He relates Hawaiian folk tales about the menehune. I only caught the tail end of it, but Uncle seemed to be doing a great job, getting audience participation and a few laughs and generally involving the group in the story. He also did a cool trick with his hat to put the fire out at the end of his story. The kids and Julie really seemed to enjoy it, and judging from their reactions Id say its worth the 15 minutes or so of your time to listen in.
We found another friend along the way. Youre welcome, Kathy.
We decided to grab a quick dinner at One Paddle Two Paddle, which is one of the counter-service places at Aulani. They serve burgers, sandwiches and chicken fingers, etc. You order at the window and then they give you your meal in a cardboard take-out box. If youve ever had a standard Disney counter-service meal, then you know what to expect here. Its no better, no worse. For some reason, Dave really wanted us to take a picture of his (sigh) PB&J sandwich.
They dont have any seating area next to the counter, so you have to find your own. We scrounged around as best we could and tried to find a clear area. Really, any old spot would do.
Well, what do you know? It was time for sunset.
We just sat back in the cool trade winds and watched the sky. Its a large canvas, and no one has yet surpassed this particular artists handiwork.
We tried a few shots of Aulani lit up at night, but without the tripod they were a little blurry. Still, you can see that the place doesnt lose any magic after dark.
Julie had the kids dip their toes into the lagoon for some silhouettes.
If you look at that picture in a glance, you might think it would make a great Christmas card or computer background photo. If you look more closely, you might see three children in adolescence, pausing for a moment of reflective calm. And if you look even more closely, you might even be able to see Scotty still holding his take-out box.
Coming Up Next: Hiking on another ancient volcano
if we can find it.
Don't they offer insurance? 
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