During D23 I had
the honor to sit through “The Art and Artistry of Aulani a behind-the-scenes
look at the making of this fabled new Disney resort with Imagineers Joe Rohde
and Jeanette Lomboy”. I learned in this
discussion that creating Aulani was an execution was a labor of love.
Joe started with
the following questions. The premise of a 15-story
hotel on the beach is not imaginative. How
do we make it imaginative, and make people go to Hawaii? The answer was simple.
Hawaii is unique. Hawaiians are Hawaii. And they speak for Hawaii. Aulani means
one who speaks on behalf of a higher culture.
Hawaii is one of the most invented destinations it has become a media concept
and is not about the natives and their true culture anymore to tourists. Torch
dancers, hula, Plumeria the things most think of when Hawaii is mentioned, are
not Hawaii. When designing the hotel the
Imaginers spoke to Hawaiians to find out what is real. Hawaiians are an indigenous
people, with a political history, and they are still there. They have
their own culture and are all around you when you visit the islands and they
form an ancient deeply routed and hard working culture. They are a living
reality of culture, a culture with deep spiritual roots who take themselves
seriously and embrace others.
Joe grew up in Hawaii as a child and felt he understood that there is more to Hawaii
than most think. He and other Imaginers
spoke with advisors so they could learn about the culture and history of the
islands. Jeanette spent many summers in Hawaii with her family, but she didn’t
realize what really was Hawaiian until this project.
The
people designing the hotel wanted people to know it isn’t a museum. It is a
canvas, a blank one for the Hawaiian culture. They were informed by the past
looking towards the future in this present moment. Details down to paint and
pillow patterns getting it right and appropriate were important, as Disney is
the messenger of this story. The greater
authority behind Aulani is the culture; they even have an in-house native
advisor at Aulani.
Why
Disney, why Hawaii?
Aulani has two 15-story beachfront towers. Disney is not trying to say it was a native
Hawaiian village it is a resort. Disney did their homework in the design
process though. They realized there are three important things in Hawaii.
Family. Story, all the stories are made already. Magic. These three things are
what Disney is all about too. There is imbedded culture in the design, instead
of slapping up walls there are clever details put into the design. Canoes like those used by the original
Hawaiians inspire the supports. There is more than meets the eye in the
cultural designs in Aulani, you cannot see all or understand all in one stay. The connections are designed to take time,
like the pool lights that are laid out to form important constellations. Menehune
are
the real little people of Hawaii, they are magic and mystical. There are 100’s
of them hiding in resort under furniture behind plants etc. for children and
visitors to find.
Aulani is on the west coast of the island with mountains on one end and ocean
on the other side. Even when entering the hotel from street level there is
white coral and black lava in the Aulani sign. The hotel is very different
visually during the day and night.
Art
The
resort is about Hawaiians they are the artists and subject matter specialists. Aulani
now has the largest private collection of Hawaiian art and culture on earth, which
was not planned. They had woodcarvings, sustainable art, paintings etc.
represented in the collection. The art in the resort is not just about the past.
The
Murals on the outside of the building are even a statements to guests. The one
on left is the genealogy tied to the land itself, a hieroglyphic based on
Hawaiian tattoos and is the linage chant that places Aulani in the land as a
living entity. The mural on the right
side is a navigation panel to remind visitors of how they got there.
The Lobby has a large mural called a Machala (open your eyes and wake up),
which tell stories. It starts with way to decipher the 200 ft. long mural that
spans whole lobby starts in the past and has feminine and masculine sides and
meet in the ocean. The original mural is installed and shows motifs and
themes of culture it is the key to things seen in resort. Joe stated that when
you finally get to Aulani they want you want to feel like you are somewhere
special. The Lobby tells that because it doesn’t look like home. There are no Disney characters in open spaces,
because the focus is Hawaii.
The Imaginers collaborated with local schools: there is a rainbow wall behind check in that
is 50+ ft. long made up of 125+ photos taken by school children and was part of
a contest, the youngest winner was in 4th grade. They mural shows what the native children love
about home. There is also a map made up of graphics and pictures, to help show
visitors where to find things on the island in a visual manner.
Music in the lobby was written by an award
winning Hawaiian musician Keali'i Reichel. When Disney started the Aulani project Keali'i
Reichel was skeptical about the
project actually being about Hawaii not Disney, but the Imaginers won him over.
The music is very spiritual and has native chanting and drums.
Also available is a interactive smart phone game named Hoike which is a
collection of interactive cultural tours that can be played for 7 or 8 hours.
The content was created by local high schoolers to help visitors learn about
the islands culture and history. Even Aunties Beach House has konini (like checkers)
for kids on touch screen and there is music in that kids area from the parks
translated to Hawaiian.
Laniwai Spa
The
spa at Aulani is the first destination spa designed by Imagineering. In
standard Aulani fashion they went above and beyond. The stones at the entrance have
a word to focus on, and spa visitors pick one up and carry it down the hall to
the treatment area. At end of hall is a 15ft tall round rotunda w a glass drop
that drops a single drop of water at a time, the water that drops falls into
pool, each spa visitor drops their rock in the water and the ripples it creates
brings it all together.
Aulani Magic meets Disney Magic
Magic
is all through the resort but how does it tie together? One example is the center
of lobby where there is a compass rose; there is a compass next to it, but this
compass rose’s north points randomly. Hawaii didn’t use cardinal navigation;
they used the land for navigation. In
the compass rose there is a frigate bird surrounded by leaves (frigate birds go
to sea 50 miles then return daily Hawaiians use for direction). An arrow at the
top left of the compass rose made from corral points to ocean, underneath is a
wood arrow pointing towards the mountains and to the right and left of the
compass rose are arrows made out of lava; one is rough for masculine other
smooth for feminine and water drops illuminate and sparkle and becomes a
constellation.
The
Imaginers wanted Aulani to be a living place by laying the resort out based on
Hawaii concepts of space, which includes the concept that all the land is
covered by water and is shared. Water that falls from the sky works downwards from
the mountains to sea so the Resort has water that flows from lobby to ocean.
Because Aulani and Hawaii are so rich in story things to talk to the locals
about surround you, which stimulates relationships.
The land is alive and speaks to you and has messages through imagery.
Unlike the Tree of Life where animals are easy to find, at Aulani items are
sculpted to be found during different times of year like in the winter or in
certain light, in the rain or certain times of day. The resort is designed
to make you look at your surroundings. The Imaginers even designed things to
make children look at their surroundings. The Menehunae are throughout the
resort to make children discover, Aunties which is home like for kids has
things to make them explore, and through out the hotel items are installed at
their eye level to let children find them.
Hawaiian
Language
The Olelo Room is a bar in the resort is even designed to make people learn, Olelo
means language, language is a barrier between people and a manner of
communication. Olelo is a lounge by day, and a bar by night; it is filled with
the Hawaiian language by putting cards and words everywhere to help guests
learn Hawaiian. The chairs, floor, door, and bartender are even labeled and there
are flash cards guests can use.
Everyone
who works at Aulani must be proficient in the Hawaiian language it is the first
Hawaiian resort in 140 years to have a Hawaiian language requirement. This
language requirement helps create greater familiarity and helps create deep and
rich interaction between the guest and guest members.
Aulani
Expansion
Already Aulani is expanding, the expansion reaches out to ocean w pool and kid
zone and it touches on a few experiences. There will be a new toddler
water zone with a low water level and spray zone it will have a corral waterfall that has music as
well as an infinity edge.
There will be a new gift shop based on a house of birds, filled with Hawaiian
birds. And, a new cafe based on wind and kites is also being added.
Myths,
Legends and Piko Stones
The entire Aulani area is based on Maui myths and legends, as Maui is a deep
source of legend. But, as Joe stated if you build the most Hawaiian
resort ever you have Hawaiians apply. Cast member protocol is set by Hawaiians.
The resort is very Disney but yet has Hawaiian core values so the most
important thing guests can do is relate to the locals at the hotel.
The final thing Joe discussed was the resort’s Piko stone which is a native stone
from Hawaii. Before they started building the resort the keeper of the island’s
traditions did her various mediations and found the spiritual center of the
resort’s land. This area was marked with a stake, even the pool was redesigned
to work around it so that that stake was kept safe. Two months before open Joe
was told as “leader” to find a stone to mark this spot. Two years earlier when
clearing the land, there was a huge front loader pulling up coral stone. Joe told
them to save the corral; this was left in the parking lot and set for two
years. After being told he had to find a stone, Joe went to this area and found
one he though represented the resort, the keeper of the island’s traditions
approved it. Joe said it had fossils etc. and just FELT right. It was placed on
the resort’s workers day (a day the builders and their families are invited to
spend the day at the resort), worker’s day was a concept new to Hawaii. One
person brought in a sacred offering bundle, and it was perfect because the Piko
stone being a spiritual marker because it has a place to go. Two hundred people
took the bundle to the Piko stone, which sets in the in the middle of Aulani, it
is an un-ownable piece of Hawaiian culture. The Piko stone out does Disney
itself and the work they did because it creates a real Hawaii.
The one thing Joe wanted us to understand I think is, Aulani is Hawaii, but Hawaii is Hawiians and Disney has gone above and beyond to ensure that it's resort guests are surrounded by the real Hawaii's art, music, language and spiritual roots.
