Aulani & Lunar Time Management
I just came back from a wonderful week of being in Hawaii for my son’s graduation. This was my first trip to Hawaii and it was wonderful in every way. While there, I took some time to stay at Disney’s newest resort, Aulani. “Spectacular” is a word I use only sparingly, and it belongs fittingly here. I will want to refer to this amazing place many more times in the months to come. Let me just say that if you love Disney, or if you love Hawaii, you must visit this place.
It also has inspired me to do a new series called Everything Speaks Saturdays. The term “everything speaks” is a phrase we used at Disney to suggest that every little detail matters to the entire Guest experience. It is best illustrated by this quote from head Imagineer, John Hench:
“What’s our success formula? It’s attention to infinite detail, the little things, the minor, picky points that others just don’t want to take the time, money, or effort to do. As far as our Disney organization is concerned, it’s the only way we’ve ever done it….it’s been our success formula….We’ll probably be explaining this to outsiders at the end of our next two decades in business.”
Two decades later we have Disney’s Aulani, and it abides by everything John Hench and Walt Disney would want employed in terms of paying attention to the details. And those details start the minute you arrive. As you step into Aulani, you will see on the left side a series of pedestals that complement the rock/water garden.
Look closely at each of those pedestals and you see that the different phases of the moon are represented in each pedestal. In fact, the lunar phase represented on that first pedestal you see is titled Hilo, which means navigator, and was the first moon for all the moons to follow. For Hawaiians, the moon is more than a romantic symbol. It was critical to navigation, something Hawaiians were expert with. This phase of the moon also meant it was a good time for deep sea fishing but bad for reef fishing and gathering of any below ground roots or vegetables.
Each phase of the moon represents a time table to Hawaiians. It suggested best times for work, planting, fishing–even getting married. But don’t worry. No matter what position the moon is in, it’s a great time to visit Disney’s Aulani. I assure you this spectacular place is enjoyed under any moon.
We’ll look at more details that complement the guest experience in the weeks and months to come. So join us on Everything Speaks Saturdays to see the many infinite details of Disney.
