Aulani to WDW: The Lurkyloos' Anniversary Vow Renewal: THRILLING CONCLUSION 8/5!

[lurkyloo]

Your trip reports are always so wonderful and detailed Lurkyloo! I am particular enjoying this one - your Tokyo one was also HUGELY helpful in my trip planning for our planned Nov trip to hit three Disney resorts in one (Tokyo Disney Resort, Walt Disney World and Disneyland!

Ooooooh! That trip sounds AWESOME! I'm so glad I could help, and I can't wait to hear how it goes.

It is all just beautiful! Looking at the restaurant pics it looks like they were super creative with the old part (which is beautiful) and then just ran out of creative ideas for the new part! The view is amazing!!

That's an interesting point... yes, there does seem to be a lot more they could have done with the modern part. We only sat in it once, for lunch the next day, I think. It was OK, but even the view there doesn't feel quite as good.

 

[glennbo123]

This guy was telling stories and singing down by the firepit.

I don't know that one...could you hum a few bars? (With your sense of humor, I thought you might like that one. )

Enjoying the report...the writing is hilarious and the pictures are fantastic.

Ooo, I especially liked the shower names.

 

[MEK]

What a wonderful day all the way around. You really planned everything perfectly. Love the spa - its gorgeous.

And dinner looks pretty sweet too. But I think the sweetest part of the day is that sunset. I am glad you both endured the sun glare so Patrick could get those spectacular pictures. It really does look like paradise.

Sorry you room view didn't improve with time.

 

[disney4metoo]

Wonderful TR! Enjoying tagging along and can't wait to read the rest. We leave for Aulani in a few days and I really appreciate your detailed report. I am still trying to decide if we should eat at Ama, Ama. We are 5 adults and taking into consideration the cost, I want us to be happy with our meal. Thank you for your review!

 

[lurkyloo]

Aulani doesn’t have a luau like some of the other resorts. Instead there’s the Starlit Hui, which is like a luau with just a stage show and activities beforehand, no meal. It’s held at 7:30pm on Mondays and Thursdays only, which worked out perfectly with our vow renewal. I’d read a few things about guests lining up early to get good spots on the lawn in front of the stage, so I asked my planner if our vow renewal entitled us to any kind of reserved seating or early entry or something (gotta milk that package for all it’s worth!). There’s nothing officially part of the package, but she put me in touch with someone in the entertainment department who promised to set aside a spot for us in the front and asked if we wanted chairs or just a mat. Not wanting to tick off all the families sitting on the lawn behind us, we went with the mat.

After dinner we walked from ‘AMA ‘AMA around the end of the Ewa tower to the Halawai Lawn (which you may recall is one of the wedding venues) and found them still setting up for the hui.

The pool area is really lovely after dark, so we went to try to get some photos. I hope the Roots got some, cuz ours don’t really show the neat lighting effects in the fountains over the lazy river.

When we got back to the Halawai Lawn, we found the cheerful cast member who’d set aside our spot, and she brought us up to the very front row. Awesome!

Our buddy the Storyteller made a pre-show announcement about the craft stations that families could visit before the hui started. Some of the dancers also came out and taught hula lessons in front of the stage, which made for *adorable* preshow entertainment by the kids in the audience. It was also a chance to begin to identify some of our fellow guests. I imagine that Aulani feels a bit like a cruise ship because you start to see the same guests over and over. The pouty little boy from the photo op that morning turned up in the hula line, and we later ran into some of the other hula dancers in the elevators or at restaurants and felt like we sorta knew them!

That one in the white headband is totally phoning it in...

The entrance to the Starlit Hui

Cast members were leading various craft projects on the perimeter of the seating area.

“Alright, the gift shop needs 16 dozen of these leis by tomorrow morning—get cracking, anklebiters!”

“Nature offers us a variety of items that can be turned into noisemakers. Now... who wants to drive their parents bonkers?”

 

[lurkyloo]

“Why doesn’t anyone want to do MY crafts...?”

The first act in the show was a trio performing traditional songs. They were quite good!

Now polished performers, the children from the preshow dance class returned to bring down the house.

The next act was a group of female dancers wearing dresses designed by Hefty and male dancers wearing almost nothing at all...

Some of the Yelp reviews I’ve read of the various luaus on the island contain a lot of virtual drool over scantily clad male performers, but I didn’t expect that kind of pec-flexing and hip-thrusting at Disney’s show. Glancing over at Jensey, I saw a mirror image of my own horrified expression, and we both cracked up!


You’ll have to shake your monitor suggestively to get this picture to look like what we saw

Up next was a dueling ukulele act. It seemed a bit cheesy at first, but the performers were so charming—and accomplished!—that they whipped the audience into a frenzy as they played faster and faster, practically burning up their fretboards.

Another dance number...

And just when you thought it was over....

… it turned into a character dance party.

 

[lurkyloo]

Even Chip and Dale were practically nude...

And don't get me started on this guy—not a stitch of clothing on him!

OK, Mickey—keep your shirt on. No, really, I mean it!

...And that’s all she wrote! The hordes of now thoroughly amped-up children were returned to parents who had absolutely NO idea how they’d get their offspring to go to bed now.

The Starlit Hui was fun—certainly way more polished and professional than it had to be for a free show—but not something to plan your whole trip around. For us it was close enough to a luau that we didn’t feel like we needed to go pay for one, but I don’t think it’s a substitute if you are looking for the full luau experience.


Up next: An exhaustive tour of Aulani’s Waikolohe Valley pool!

 

[lurkyloo]

I don't know that one...could you hum a few bars?

What a wonderful day all the way around. You really planned everything perfectly. Love the spa - its gorgeous.

And dinner looks pretty sweet too. But I think the sweetest part of the day is that sunset. I am glad you both endured the sun glare so Patrick could get those spectacular pictures. It really does look like paradise.

Definitely! And I love that the biggest event of the day at Aulani is the sunset. It's so... mellow.

Wonderful TR! Enjoying tagging along and can't wait to read the rest. We leave for Aulani in a few days and I really appreciate your detailed report. I am still trying to decide if we should eat at Ama, Ama. We are 5 adults and taking into consideration the cost, I want us to be happy with our meal. Thank you for your review!

Oooh! Have fun! One thing we found was that 'AMA 'AMA was actually *cheaper* for us than the other restaurant at Aulani because at least you can split meals to save a buck. I'll talk about this more in the next installment, but Makahiki Buffet lures you in with the promise of its reasonably priced a la carte menu. But when you see the few dull choices on it and then walk by this glorious buffet, you can't help but spring for the buffet (and there's no way to split a meal that way).

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I'm not sure I could set foot in the spa without Patrick there to explain all of the showers. Seems like I'd be missing out.

It's funny you mention a "practically nude" Chip & Dale in the show. My son met them on the cruise for the first time and saw them in their cruise ship attire. Later at WDW he said he wanted to find "Naked Chip & Dale".

So much detail in your TR! This is great stuff!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Looks like a fun and family-oriented show. Well, except for the male dancers.

Your comment about "practically nude" Chip and Dale reminded me of a mystery that's puzzled me for over 30 years. Exactly how does Disney decide which characters require pants and which don't? Is it a status symbol to be wearing pants for the characters? No wonder Donald has an inferiority complex with Mickey!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

The luau show looks like a lot of fun - especially for one that's free!! Good for you for getting such great seats too!

 

[lurkyloo]

It's funny you mention a "practically nude" Chip & Dale in the show. My son met them on the cruise for the first time and saw them in their cruise ship attire. Later at WDW he said he wanted to find "Naked Chip & Dale".

That is adorable!

Your comment about "practically nude" Chip and Dale reminded me of a mystery that's puzzled me for over 30 years. Exactly how does Disney decide which characters require pants and which don't? Is it a status symbol to be wearing pants for the characters? No wonder Donald has an inferiority complex with Mickey!

This is an excellent question.... and what about all-nude characters like Stitch? Thorny issues, I tells ya...

The luau show looks like a lot of fun - especially for one that's free!! Good for you for getting such great seats too!

Yeah, you can't beat free!

 

[eandesmom]

“Why doesn’t anyone want to do MY crafts...?”

I think that is the craft table we might visit

Some of the Yelp reviews I’ve read of the various luaus on the island contain a lot of virtual drool over scantily clad male performers, but I didn’t expect that kind of pec-flexing and hip-thrusting at Disney’s show. Glancing over at Jensey, I saw a mirror image of my own horrified expression, and we both cracked up!


You’ll have to shake your monitor suggestively to get this picture to look like what we saw

And you were horrified because of....what the ankle biters might see?

I have to saw it doesn't look all that horrifying to me By comparison though it is a rather interesting contrast to what the female dancers ended up with.

Not bad for a free show!

 

[benji2012]

Just discovered that we have enough points for a trip in the next year (hopefully February)...Your TR is making me even more excited about the possibility!

 

[MEK]

It looks like you had the best possible seats for the show. Patrick did a great job of capturing the essence of the show. I'm impressed at the detail considering it is a free show.

I just wish Patrick has a picture of Jensy and your expression over the male dancers. Yup - they do have some well developed pecs and quads. Couldn't help but notice that myself.

 

[lurkyloo]

And you were horrified because of....what the ankle biters might see?

I have to saw it doesn't look all that horrifying to me By comparison though it is a rather interesting contrast to what the female dancers ended up with.

I think it was more the idea that Disney had choreographed these sort of Chippendales-lite dance moves as if pandering to the soccer moms or something....

Kind of like the Boo to You parade's thrustin' cowboys...

Just discovered that we have enough points for a trip in the next year (hopefully February)...Your TR is making me even more excited about the possibility!

Oooh! Now that IS an exciting discovery!

I just wish Patrick had a picture of Jensy and your expression over the male dancers.

Me too! Jensey's was sorta like this, but even cuter!

 

[Mom2m&k]

Oh my goodness I am laughing at your comment and drooling a bit over those pics! When I think of Hawaiian dancers I think chicks in bikinis and grass skirts but didn't think you would get men like that and women in hefty bags!

 

[eandesmom]

I think it was more the idea that Disney had choreographed these sort of Chippendales-lite dance moves as if pandering to the soccer moms or something....

Kind of like the Boo to You parade's thrustin' cowboys...

Oooh! Now that IS an exciting discovery!

Me too! Jensey's was sorta like this, but even cuter!

See and I kinda liked those cowboys even I we couldn't figure out what they had to so with Halloween...or Disney or....

Wait.

Crap. I am a soccer mom !

Lol!

Heck Disney is just keeping up with the Joneses (or the Lee's) ) in the luau category. Soccer dads got robbed a bit if you ask me.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Soccer dads got robbed a bit if you ask me.

Truth.

 

[lurkyloo]

Oh my goodness I am laughing at your comment and drooling a bit over those pics! When I think of Hawaiian dancers I think chicks in bikinis and grass skirts but didn't think you would get men like that and women in hefty bags!

Totally! I mean, if Disney's really trying to equalize the sexes, EVERYONE shoulda been in a Hefty bag!

See and I kinda liked those cowboys even I we couldn't figure out what they had to so with Halloween...or Disney or....

Wait.

Crap. I am a soccer mom !

Lol!

Heck Disney is just keeping up with the Joneses (or the Lee's) ) in the luau category. Soccer dads got robbed a bit if you ask me.

Truth.

I sense a whole new brand of standup comedy developing here... "You know you're a soccer mom if..."