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Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten {Disney's Aulani; Honeymoon part 1}
We did it! Mike and I tied the knot on July 21, and our enchanted forest wedding could not have been more magical, even if it was a bit rainy. We were so happy to celebrate with some of friends and family on our special day, and even almost a month later, we are still on cloud nine. We have not gotten all of our photos back from our amazing photographer just yet, but in the mean time, enjoy a fun little sneak peek of a few below, as well as a video found here:
More wedding photos and details to follow...
The day after the wedding, we took a small car trip over the Canadian boarder to leave from the Toronto airport to fly to Hawaii for our honeymoon.
Our first leg of our 12 hour flight with West Jet was extra magical because the sweet flight attendants gave us free champagne and announced us as newlyweds on our flight. Also, when we landed at our layover in Vancouver, there was a whole Mickey Mouse display!
We arrived on Oahu pretty late in the evening, where we stayed at the Honolulu Airport Hotel for one night. The next morning, we took an Uber to a grocery store for some snacks and lunch items for the week, before another Uber ride to Disney's Aulani Resort for the next 4 nights.
{Pro Tip: If you are planning to stay at Aulani, it is soo worth it to take the time to figure out how to rent DVC points. Not only will your overall trip be cheaper, you are absolutely treated like royalty as a DVC member with extra meet and greet opportunities, special treats, and special discounts on merchandise).
The check in process at Aulani was the warmest a welcome could be, complete with tropical (hidden Mickey & Minnie) water, Just Married buttons ready to go with our names on them, and received our beautiful lei's all within a matter of minutes.
With our room not quite ready for us yet, we had the chance to explore the resort, and use the pool and facilities ahead of time, as well as grab a quick lunch from Mama's Snack Stop where we encountered our first magical moment, getting a free pineapple-macadamia nut cupcake for our special celebration (and oh my gosh, it was so good!).
We also used this time to make our first souvenir purchase-
{Pro Tip: Purchase Aulani refillable mug on your first day at the resort and enjoy unlimited refills the entire duration of your stay.}
At this point, our top floor, Deluxe Studio Ocean View room was ready for us, and it was stunning.
Even the view from our balcony was ok I guess (: ...
After a little more pool time, we were ready for our sunset dinner at Ama Ama. The sunset was beautiful, and the food was incredible! The potato puree on the chicken dish was my absolute favorite thing we ate the entire trip.
After dinner, our server stuffed us full of free desserts, and we enjoyed every minute of it!
Finishing the night and the meal out, were these little chocolate truffles, and they were thee most delicious things ever. They were pineapple and passion fruit flavored, and they were pure magic- Mike is literally telling me "that thing just punched me in the face with flavor" in the photo below.
The following morning we had a character breakfast at Makahiki, where we ate the most delicious pancakes, biscuits and gravy, pulled pork hash, and red velvet Mickey waffles, all while meeting Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy in their Hawaiian attire. The best however, was the POG (passion, orange, guava) juice, a Hawaiian staple.
We also got our next round of free dessert for our celebration, including this delicious red velvet cake with vibrant blue frosting, that dyed our mouths black for the entire day.
And as we were leaving breakfast, we ran into Moana.
Moana was so great, and we chatted about adventures to Hong Kong, and wave finding with Maui. She also promised to say hello to her friends Hei Hei and Pua for us.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the adults only infinity hot tub, grotto pool, and lazy river, as well as greeting our pal stitch with his collection of flower leis.
Still full from breakfast, dinner was on the lighter side; happy hour at the Olelo Room, with the highlight dish being popcorn french fries, as well as Korean wings, and mac and cheese.
Finishing the evening out was our special DVC members only meet and greet with Stitch and Pluto!
Wednesday was a more relaxing day (as they all really were), eating breakfast by the ocean side, and taking a small walk to Ko'Olina Cove, about a 6 minute walk from Aulani's parking lot, where we had our first small, surprise encounter with a sea turtle. We loved this little private cove, and if you find yourself at Aulani, I would totally recommend it.
A little weary from the heat, it was time for a traditional Disney treat, the pineapple dole whip. When in Hawaii, one must eat the dole whip as fast as possible, because it melts insanely fast.
However, when a dole whip doesn't cool you down, a Mickey Mouse shaped shaved ice from Papalua Shave Ice Snack Shop will! You can choose your own special flavor combination for this beach side treat, making it even tastier.
That evening was an event we had been looking forward to for quite some time, the Ka Wa'a Luau. Watching Mickey and Minnie teach the children to hula, and seeing Moana say aloha to everyone, were my favorite moments of the event.
The food lines for dinner reminded me of a buffet style wedding.
There meal was traditional Hawaiian style food, including things like taro mashed potatoes, salad with guava croutons and passion fruit, macadamia nut brownies, and dressing and a traditional pig roast with steamed buns.
The performance following was a story about the discovery of the island, and included lots of information about Hawaiian culture and traditions.
Overall, we felt the Luau was not necessarily something to be put on your must do list. It was entertaining and we certainly did not go home hungry, but we felt it was a bit disorganized, and did not live up to Disney standards for the price you are paying. Unfortunately, I would recommend checking out other Luau's in the area and skipping this one.
Our final full day at Aulani began on the water slides, adult only pool, and Aulani's beach front.
Our final evening included one more wonderful character dinner experience at Makahiki, where we met Donald, Stitch, Chip, and Dale, all whilst eating as many crab legs as possible, and enjoyed our last Hawaiian sunset.
In the evening, we listened to Uncle's fireside Mo'olelo story about an old ancient Hawaiian flower and said goodbye to the relaxing evening vibe at Aulani for the last time.
Check out at Aulani was at 11am, however, our flight to the Big Island was not til 4pm, so we had plenty of time in the morning for activities, starting with Mike waking at the crack of dawn to wait in line for Duffy's (Disney's official teddy bear) new friend, Olu the Sea Turtle's brand new release.
After the sea turtle craziness, it was time for breakfast at Ama Ama consisting of the local dish, Loco Moco, and the most amazing macadamia nut pancakes with warm vanilla sauce.
With some final pool time, we sadly packed up our belongings, and headed for the airport, to fly to our next stop on our Hawaiian adventures.
We absolutely loved staying at Aulani for our honeymoon, and would totally recommend it. We were treated so special, and left with that special magic feeling in our hearts, especially as we bumped into Moana one last time as we were leaving, who stopped to make sure we said goodbye and wished us luck on our journey.
Thank you Aulani for being apart of our Beautiful WEDventure!
Part 2 of our Hawaiian honeymoon will be posted shortly, so be sure to subscribe to get the update! Til then, the newlyweds leave this weekend for Hong Kong!
Be sure to check out our Hawaii recommendations for The Big Island of Hawaii Here and Oahu/Aulani in Hawaii Here!
 |
| Thank you Cumming Nature Center for hosting our beautiful wedding |
More wedding photos and details to follow...
The day after the wedding, we took a small car trip over the Canadian boarder to leave from the Toronto airport to fly to Hawaii for our honeymoon.
Our first leg of our 12 hour flight with West Jet was extra magical because the sweet flight attendants gave us free champagne and announced us as newlyweds on our flight. Also, when we landed at our layover in Vancouver, there was a whole Mickey Mouse display!
We arrived on Oahu pretty late in the evening, where we stayed at the Honolulu Airport Hotel for one night. The next morning, we took an Uber to a grocery store for some snacks and lunch items for the week, before another Uber ride to Disney's Aulani Resort for the next 4 nights.
{Pro Tip: If you are planning to stay at Aulani, it is soo worth it to take the time to figure out how to rent DVC points. Not only will your overall trip be cheaper, you are absolutely treated like royalty as a DVC member with extra meet and greet opportunities, special treats, and special discounts on merchandise).
The check in process at Aulani was the warmest a welcome could be, complete with tropical (hidden Mickey & Minnie) water, Just Married buttons ready to go with our names on them, and received our beautiful lei's all within a matter of minutes.
With our room not quite ready for us yet, we had the chance to explore the resort, and use the pool and facilities ahead of time, as well as grab a quick lunch from Mama's Snack Stop where we encountered our first magical moment, getting a free pineapple-macadamia nut cupcake for our special celebration (and oh my gosh, it was so good!).
We also used this time to make our first souvenir purchase-
{Pro Tip: Purchase Aulani refillable mug on your first day at the resort and enjoy unlimited refills the entire duration of your stay.}
At this point, our top floor, Deluxe Studio Ocean View room was ready for us, and it was stunning.
 |
| even got to keep the cute little flower! |
After a little more pool time, we were ready for our sunset dinner at Ama Ama. The sunset was beautiful, and the food was incredible! The potato puree on the chicken dish was my absolute favorite thing we ate the entire trip.
After dinner, our server stuffed us full of free desserts, and we enjoyed every minute of it!
 |
| horchata rice drink-cinnamon and vanilla flavored |
 |
| chocolate mousse |
 |
The following morning we had a character breakfast at Makahiki, where we ate the most delicious pancakes, biscuits and gravy, pulled pork hash, and red velvet Mickey waffles, all while meeting Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy in their Hawaiian attire. The best however, was the POG (passion, orange, guava) juice, a Hawaiian staple.
 |
| and this was after 4 teeth brushes... |
And as we were leaving breakfast, we ran into Moana.
Moana was so great, and we chatted about adventures to Hong Kong, and wave finding with Maui. She also promised to say hello to her friends Hei Hei and Pua for us.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the adults only infinity hot tub, grotto pool, and lazy river, as well as greeting our pal stitch with his collection of flower leis.
Still full from breakfast, dinner was on the lighter side; happy hour at the Olelo Room, with the highlight dish being popcorn french fries, as well as Korean wings, and mac and cheese.
Finishing the evening out was our special DVC members only meet and greet with Stitch and Pluto!
Wednesday was a more relaxing day (as they all really were), eating breakfast by the ocean side, and taking a small walk to Ko'Olina Cove, about a 6 minute walk from Aulani's parking lot, where we had our first small, surprise encounter with a sea turtle. We loved this little private cove, and if you find yourself at Aulani, I would totally recommend it.
 |
| Ko'Olina Cove |
A little weary from the heat, it was time for a traditional Disney treat, the pineapple dole whip. When in Hawaii, one must eat the dole whip as fast as possible, because it melts insanely fast.
 |
| This photo was literally taken 30 seconds after the dole whip was handed to us over the counter |
 |
| passion fruit, strawberry, pineapple with condensed milk |
 |
| vanilla, guava, and mango with condensed milk |
That evening was an event we had been looking forward to for quite some time, the Ka Wa'a Luau. Watching Mickey and Minnie teach the children to hula, and seeing Moana say aloha to everyone, were my favorite moments of the event.
There meal was traditional Hawaiian style food, including things like taro mashed potatoes, salad with guava croutons and passion fruit, macadamia nut brownies, and dressing and a traditional pig roast with steamed buns.
The performance following was a story about the discovery of the island, and included lots of information about Hawaiian culture and traditions.
Overall, we felt the Luau was not necessarily something to be put on your must do list. It was entertaining and we certainly did not go home hungry, but we felt it was a bit disorganized, and did not live up to Disney standards for the price you are paying. Unfortunately, I would recommend checking out other Luau's in the area and skipping this one.
Our final full day at Aulani began on the water slides, adult only pool, and Aulani's beach front.
Our final evening included one more wonderful character dinner experience at Makahiki, where we met Donald, Stitch, Chip, and Dale, all whilst eating as many crab legs as possible, and enjoyed our last Hawaiian sunset.
Check out at Aulani was at 11am, however, our flight to the Big Island was not til 4pm, so we had plenty of time in the morning for activities, starting with Mike waking at the crack of dawn to wait in line for Duffy's (Disney's official teddy bear) new friend, Olu the Sea Turtle's brand new release.
 |
| insane line at opening |
After the sea turtle craziness, it was time for breakfast at Ama Ama consisting of the local dish, Loco Moco, and the most amazing macadamia nut pancakes with warm vanilla sauce.
With some final pool time, we sadly packed up our belongings, and headed for the airport, to fly to our next stop on our Hawaiian adventures.
 |
| See ya later, Oahu! (note Diamond Head in the photo above) |
Thank you Aulani for being apart of our Beautiful WEDventure!
Part 2 of our Hawaiian honeymoon will be posted shortly, so be sure to subscribe to get the update! Til then, the newlyweds leave this weekend for Hong Kong!
Be sure to check out our Hawaii recommendations for The Big Island of Hawaii Here and Oahu/Aulani in Hawaii Here!
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