Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/458251
24 W E S T W O R L D | S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 STROLLING THE AIRY, art-lined lobby of Aulani, you'd hardly know you were at a Disney resort. Sure, there's a character breakfast unfolding on the patio of the buffet-style Maka- hiki restaurant, where Minnie is mixing it up with guests young and young at heart. And character photo ops and pool parties pop up at various times around the grounds. But Hawai- ian culture rules here, from the lobby hall's high arched ceiling, which resembles a traditional canoe house, to the entranceway's 60-metre- long island-life mural by Hawaii-raised artist Martin Charlot. Though we spot a couple of Disney-esque details in our room – a subtle mouse-ear pattern in the bedspread, a Mickey lamp – South Pacific touches prevail there, too, in the carpet's taro plant print, the canoe- paddle ceiling fans and headboard's butterfly joints (once used to repair calabash bowls). Leaving the air-conditioned lobby behind, we step into a sprawling, sun-drenched court- yard known as Waikolohe Valley, or "mischie- vous water" – with three pools, two waterslides, one lazy river, four whirlpools and a snorkel lagoon. Framed by the lobby and two towers, and fanning out to a beachfront cove, this is the heart of Aulani. We ease into the splash action with a gentle tube f loat along the Waikolohe Stream, past lava rocks bubbling with water, steaming hot springs and dark, misty caverns. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, lava flowing from Oahu's now-extinct vol- canoes cooled when it hit the ocean, forming the gnarly rock formations that line the island's coast today. Always a master with rockwork (think Cars L and in California), Disney designed this valley to emulate that natural landscape. We clamber up a five-storey lava outcropping, hop into tubes and shoot down the twisting Tubestone Curl slide before walk- ing back up to plunge, screaming, into com- plete darkness on the Volcanic Vertical. Now starving, we take a seat at Off the Hook, one of a few quick-serves dotting the valley. Here, I'm introduced to locally grown sea asparagus, sprigs of which garnish my tur- key wrap and green salad, imparting a salty flavour and crispy texture. Much of the food served in Aulani is unique to Hawaii and sourced from local farmers and fishermen. At lunch another day, for example, we'll splurge on catch-of-the-day monchong (white, flaky, here's one, perched high on a beam in the lobby. ere's another, resting in the shade of a hala tree. And there's another, snoozing in the rafter of a poolside café. It's our first morning at Aulani, Disney's Hawaii resort, and we've already spotted a few of the many Menehune ("men-neh-HOO-nay") hidden around the 8.5-hectare property. As Hawaiian mythology goes, the shy- but-mischievous elf-size creatures sleep during the day and come out at night to magically build bridges and boats, and stir up trouble. During our five-day stay, I, my husband Dan and our eight- year-old son omas will come to blame these carved wood and rock figures for everything from misplaced room cards to vanishing sunglasses. Still, we aren't going to let a bit of impish behaviour stand in the way of our exploring this lush retreat on the west coast of Oahu. (l-r) Hawaiian dance and music shine at the Starlit Hui; a shy Thomas warms up to Minnie Mouse during a Disney character breakfast; lunch is served – catch-of-the-day monchong at fine-dining restaurant 'AMA'AMA. Let our CAA Travel experts help you plan that perfect Disney adventure! caask.ca/travel