Aloha from Aulani

Aloha Aunties, Uncles, and Cousins! 

I hope everyone is happy and safe in their homes! For the past month, I have been up north with my family. It’s nice to be back, because last year I was unable to visit Pennsylvania while working full time with my internship at Disney World. It has been a blessing that we can all be together. Even though there have been changes and trials, I believe there are a lot of things to be grateful for during this time if we take time to look for them ♡ The biggest blessing we have been given is time. Here are a few ways we have been staying busy at home...

• Practicing hobbies and trying new ones
• Completing puzzles (mystery ones are extra fun!)
• Reading books
• Movie nights 
• Cooking and baking 
• Catching up on TV shows
• Writing letters
• Cleaning 
• Bike riding
• Personal study
• Playing video games (Switch, Nancy Drew computer games)
• Going on walks around the neighborhood 

Along with these activities and projects, I have been working on weeding through the pictures I have taken with my phone. This may be a simple task for some, but I take A LOT of pictures. I’m not exaggerating when I say I had more then 20,000 photos on my phone! As I have been going through them, I realized there are many that I haven’t shared with my friends and family, especially of my time working in Florida. I decided this would be a great opportunity to share some happy memories ♡ 

To start off, let’s fly to the beautiful Hawaiian islands! Did you know Disney has a resort on Oahu? Just like any Disney hotel, this one is truly magical. I love the theming and detail they added throughout the location. 

(For my cast member friends, the ‘Show Key’ is well executed here. Comment some examples you see!)

 

Walking in the front doors, you immediately feel like you are in Hawaiian hale. There are carvings and paintings all around the front hall. We were greeted with “Aloha!” by the friendly cast members who make you feel right at home.

These pictures were taken when I was visiting Hawaii with my cousin Gatlin in October of 2018. I invited my friend Hannah (who was still attending BYU-Hawaii) and my future Disney College Program roommate, Katie, to join us at Aulani as I knew they both loved Disney. This trip was the first time I met Katie and it was such a blessing to live with her last year. What a small world that we met in Hawaii and ended up working at the Polynesian Resort together. 

Also, another fun connection, Gatlin and Hannah are now married! Disney truly brings families together ♡ 

One of my favorite parts of this resort are the snacks! I love that they took famous Hawaiian treats and added some Disney magic. Near the pools they have a few quick service food options. 

Little ‘Opihi’s

Here the options are chips, fresh fruit, ice cream and pineapple soft-serve (That’s right, Dole whips!) as well as sandwiches, rolls, and salads, it you want something a little more healthy. 

Mama’s Snack Shop

The fish and chips here are delicious! They also have chicken nuggets, coconut shrimp, and the Ono sandwich. For dessert they offer a macadamia nut and pineapple cupcake. However, I saved my sweet treat for the next booth...

Papalua Shave Ice

Can’t go to Hawaii without enjoying some shave ice! They have plenty of tropical flavors to choose from and if you pay a little extra they will add Mickey ears to your creation!

Ulu Cafe

This little shop offers an assortment of grab-and-go options such as cookies and chips. The snack I was most looking forward to trying was the Mickey musubi. (On previous visits they has all been sold out for the day) It is a rice ball with Spam and seaweed. Not something I would have tried before living in Hawaii, but during my time there it became one of my favorite snacks. They sold them in the grocery store and I also had talented friends who learned hoe to make them! Aulani did not disappoint with satisfying my cravings.

The beach at Aulani is absolutely beautiful. The resort is located in a quieter part of the island so it is very relaxing to sit on the beach and look out at the ocean. We had fun swimming before it was time for our dinner reservation. 

Makahiki is one of my favorite Disney buffets I have been to. The food is delicious. There were so many options to choose from. As you go down the line, your plate fills up quick! Throughout the dinner a few of Mickey’s friends stopped by to say Aloha! At check-in we met Donald and at out table we talked to Chip, Dale, and Stitch. Their Hawaiian outfits were too cute! 

We had a magical moment at the end of our meal! When we first arrived at the resort Katie and I got “I’m Celebrating” pins to announce that we can been accepted into the Disney College program. When the characters saw them they gave us lots of hugs! Our waitress also noticed and as we finished dinner she gave us pumpkin Mickey’s cakes and a picture autographed by the characters! It was truly a sweet surprise ♡ 

Aulani has special merchandise that can only be found on the island. It was fun to go through the gift shops. Our visit was just before Halloween so they had their holiday collection out. And if you know who Duffy is, I’d like to introduce you to ‘Olu! Like Duffy, he is also a friend of Mickey. His name means turtle in Hawaiian. He is such a cutie. 

All too soon it was time to go home. I look forward to visiting this beautiful resort again in the future. 

To better show the wonder of this Hawaiian paradise I have made a video with highlights of our day. I hope you enjoy! (I have to say I am very proud of how the video comes full circle with the intro and ending)

Thank you for reading and watching! Leave a comment and let me know what you have been doing to stay busy while at home. Learn a new hobby? Try a new recipe? I’d love to hear about it. Keep smiling ♡ 

Aloha ‘Oe! 

Hong Kong Disneyland

你好! Ni Hao! 

I hope you are all well! This year is flying by, isn't it? A few weeks ago it was my birthday and my dear friend Camilla took me out to dinner. While we were driving in the car, she asked me what my goals are for my 23rd year and this made me ponder and really think about what I want to accomplish. This year is going to be busy for me, as I am finishing school, but I have taken time to make some smaller goals that I want to work on. One of them being to update this blog with positive posts and pictures! 

I recently signed up for a free trial for Lightroom (it's expired now, sadly, so I will have to save up for the full version) and it gave me the motivation to finally edit my photos from Hong Kong Disney! I have had some people ask me questions about the park, especially how it compares and differs from Disneyland California, so I hope to share some of my experiences with you through my photos! I have combined photos taken by myself and also by my friend Hannah who came with me. She has a great talent for capturing beautiful photos :)

Can I start by saying how cute the Disney train is? Hidden Mickey windows! It has its own line that connects to the subway system in Hong Kong. 

My cute friend Sinead was sweet enough to guide me to the park. I was in Hong Kong for her brother's wedding and she traveled with me on the bus and the subway so that I wouldn't get lost. We parted once I made it to the front gate, but I will forever be grateful for her kindness. 

I was overjoyed to be at the Happiest Place in Hong Kong :)

The front entrance was such a welcome sight! I met up with Hannah who had arrived earlier that morning. She is a passionate Disney fan like me so I was happy we could share this adventure together. We took some pictures in the front and then made our way toward Main Street!

It was so cool to see this iconic plaque in both English and Chinese. It can also be found at Disneyland California and Walt Disney World. It was written by Walt Disney himself. 

Main Street

"I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.... wait" Main Street Hong Kong!  

Fantasyland

 

My silly old bear :) Unfortunately we didn't get to ride this one because the line was so long! Seriously, it was packed all day long. But we did stop by the store and see the cute characters.  

Another store we went into was themed after Sword in the Store. This is where Hannah got her Mickey ears! Tip: When you are in the Disney parks, look up! There are so many details that they put on the ceiling in stores, restaurants, and even in lines for rides. You can find some lots of hidden things up there!

"Did you ever see an elephant fly?" I was so happy to see this familiar ride! My mom has told me that it was the first one I rode as a baby at Disneyland and it was the first one I rode at this park.

The song that get stuck in everyone's head! Attending Brigham Young University Hawaii has given me a greater appreciation for this ride. It is amazing to see so many cultures come together. The last room where the children are together dressed in white is always my favorite. That is what I think Heaven will be like. As time goes by I have learned just how true those words are; it really is a small world after all. 

Disney always has the cutest construction signs. They keep everything hidden until it is ready for the public. 

Toy Story Land 

This was one of the attractions I was most looking forward to. Until recently Toy Story Land has been unique to the international Disney Parks (however this year it will be opening in WDW) Hannah and I did not have time to ride the rides, but we did enjoy exploring and looking at everything! There were so many details! It made us feel like a toys ourselves as we walked around.

Mystic Point

This is another section of the park that is not found at the U.S. Disney parks. Here, they have the Gardens of Wonder and Mystic Manor. It can best be compared to the Haunted Mansion ride. Though, the story of this house is very different than the one told by everyone's favorite Ghost Host. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I can say this is a ride that can be enjoyed by adventurers of all ages :)

Grizzly Gulch 

This was by far my favorite ride at the park. It is called Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. If that doesn't get you excited I don't know what to tell you. It was a mixture of Runaway Railroad and Expedition Everest. It takes you forward, backward, and shoots you off at top speeds! There were unexpected parts that made it so fun! After we got off, Hannah and I immediately ran back in line to go again.

This is an inside joke among my family so I had to take a picture. "Don't. Feed. The. Bear" It's from a Winnie the Pooh movie that we quote way too often haha

We stopped to eat lunch in Grizzly Gulch (similar to Frontierland) The fish and chips I got were delicious! Also I was very happy to see that they had Heinz ketchup. A little bit of Pittsburgh in Hong Kong :)

Tomorrowland 

 

Space Mountain is one of my and Hannah's favorite rides so we made sure to get a Fastpass right away. I was happy to discover that Hong Kong Disney had Hyperspace Mountain! I never got to ride this when it was at Disneyland California so I was excited to see how it would change the classic ride. I have to say, it was AWESOME. You feel like you are flying in space through a battle between X-Wing starfighters and TIE Fighters. Plus hearing John Williams music throughout, made it even better.  

 Yes the Darth Vadar is edible!

The best place to get Star Wars ice cream and lightsaber churros! 

Adventureland 

The line for Jungle Cruise gave you the choice of having a Chinese speaking skipper or an English speaking skipper. I have been on this ride many times, but this one had it's own unique twist on it!

Tarzan is my favorite Disney movie so I was happy to see his house across the Nile River ;) 

This store was called Professor Porter's Trading Post. I had hoped that this place would sell more Tarzan merchandise, but unfortunately it did not. I'm still waiting for Disney to release some good merch for the 90s movies. 

Disney At Night

We watched the fireworks on Main Street and then did some shopping. We stayed as long as we could. 

All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Hong Kong Disney. We traveled home (to our Airbnb) on the Disney subway. We were tired but very happy. 

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go to the park and to share the experience with a friend :) It was definitely a check off my bucket-list. 

Although it may take longer than some of the other goals I have made for myself this year, I hope to travel to all of the parks around the world someday. As Walt Disney said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." 

That is my goal for this year to "Have courage and be kind"

Ta ta for now,

Karissa