I’m dreaming of a green and bright Christmas with palm trees swaying. Living in Florida, we are used to seeing palm trees lit up with Christmas lights and fake snowfalls at festivals, while others travel to Hawaii to escape their frigid temperatures. My family took advantage of the Christmas break a few years back to have an island Christmas in Hawaii.
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Disney
At Painted Sky: HI Style studio, boys and girls ages 3-12 can choose from a variety of magical makeover packages, which include hairstyling, makeup, costumes and accessories — all infused with hints of Hawaii and a playful sense of Disney fun. Kids can transform into a mermaid, dress for an adventure across O’ahu or even style in the fashion of Moana of Montunui.
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Disney Destinations
Women dance traditional stories of the ‘Ewa district of Oahu at KA WA‘A -A Lūʻau at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.
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David Roark/Disney Destinations
With its recreation features and restaurants, its comfortable rooms, and its combination of Disney magic with Hawaiian beauty, tradition and relaxation, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, offers a new way for families to vacation together on the island of Oahu.
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Disney Destinations
Dancers perform an ‘ōte‘a one of the famous dances of Tahiti at KA WA‘A -A Lūʻau at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.
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Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Destinations
With its recreation features and restaurants, its comfortable rooms, and its combination of Disney magic with Hawaiian beauty, tradition and relaxation, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, offers a new way for families to vacation together on the island of O‘ahu.
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Jennifer Thomas
Marriott Vacation Club property in Hawaii decorated for the holidays
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Jennifer Thomas
Interior of Aulani, a Disney resort in Hawaii
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Jennifer Thomas
Christmas eve cookies and cocoa at the Aulani, a Disney resort in Hawaii
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Jennifer Thomas
Kylie in Hawaii
While the weather is very comparable to Southwest Florida in December, it was fun to experience Christmas with a Mele Kalikimaka flair — the way to say Merry Christmas in Hawaii. It’s also a popular Christmas song, with versions by Bing Crosby, Bette Midler, Don Ho and others.
During the holidays in Hawaii, don’t be surprised if you see Santa without his reindeer. Santa has been known to surf his way to shore aboard an outrigger canoe, where he greets the keiki (children) and hands out gifts on the beach at several locations, including the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort and Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki(Oahu) and the Makena Golf and Beach Club on Maui, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority at gohawaii.com.
There is no shortage of Christmas decorations on the island. In fact, those who are interested in a traditional Christmas tree can venture to Helemano Farms on Oahu’s North Shore,where they grow Norfolk pine trees. Of course, you may opt to decorate small palm trees instead.
When we embarked on our island Christmas journey, we opted to explore a few parts of the main island — Oahu.
We stayed at an oceanfront Marriott Vacation Club property first and it did not disappoint with the Hawaiian cultural activities — especially a luau-style event with islanders climbing the giant palm trees to retrieve coconuts and share them with the guests.
Then we moved to Aulani, a Disney Resort &Spa, which hands down has been a top three favorite of ours in all our travels. This resort is perfectly positioned on 21 beautiful oceanfront acres in Ko Olina on the leeward coast of Oahu.
Disney
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is positioned on 21 oceanfront acres in Ko Olina on the leeward coast of O‘ahu. Guests are invited to experience its world-class spa, restaurants and lounges, pools, kids’ club, and more – all uniquely designed for families to discover the culture, history and traditions of Hawaii.
The resorts are decked out in their holiday best, and at the Disney property,the characters are in Hawaiian holiday attire. Several themed events are offered,too, including Cocoa and Cookies on Christmas Eve, caroling, and special holiday dining experiences.
To bring an added bit of Christmas cheer to our room at Aulani, we stopped at the local Target and purchased a small Christmas tree, ornaments and decorations to make our vacation feel more like home. This brought a lot of joy to our now 14-year-old daughter Kylie as she decorated the tree and the room.
Truly, you never have to leave Aulani to have a complete Hawaiian vacation with some added Disney magic.The pool area is beautiful and even has its own Rainbow Reef to allow kids to snorkel privately in their own 3,800-square-foot lagoon without being in the ocean. This is such a great way to introduce snorkeling to the younger guests and to see marine life, including angelfish, butterfly fish and tangs.
Florian Geiss
Rainbow Reef at the Aulani, a Disney resort in Hawaii
Guests also enjoy the resort’s 7-acre water play area. The Waikolohe Stream,the resort’s mysterious (yet fun) tube floating water course, enchants guests with bubbling water, a cloaking mist and several hundred feet of additional surprises, according to a Disney news release. For those who love waterslides, Tubestone Curl, the resort’s tube slide,and Volcanic Vertical, Aulani’s tunnel slide, provide thrills galore.
The entertainment is nothing short of what you would expect from Disney. We loved the island-themed luau-type show at the resort.
There’s a kids’ club, too. Aunty’s Beach House is an interactive kids’club that offers children ages 3 to 12 complimentary activities, entertainment and games that explore the mysteries of Hawaii — from Hawaiian storytelling to Keiki Hula lessons.
If you’ve been to Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom or partaken in a character dining experience, just wait, as you can now have your children (girls and boys ages 3 to 12) undergo a Hawaiian makeover at the newly designed Painted Sky:HI Style Studio. Just think Moana and Maui. While characters are seen throughout the property and at breakfast,there is a new character dining experience for dinner, too.
Aulani introduces “Menehune Mischief,” a lively dinner show at the resort’s Makahiki restaurant. The show celebrates the story of the Menehune— the magical little people of Hawaiian legend — with the help of Aulani’s beloved Uncle and favorite Disney characters.The delightful tales are brought to life through music, sing-along fun and storytelling — all while guests enjoy a delicious buffet dinner.
“Dining with characters is a signature experience at Disney resorts around the world,” says Timothy Gustie, food and beverage director at Aulani. “Our guests have enjoyed starting their day with delicious food and Disney fun during breakfast at Makahiki. We are excited to offer a new twist for dinner at the restaurant with ‘Menehune Mischief.’”
Finally, we ended our stay in downtown Waikiki at a Sheraton oceanfront property. What we loved here was their Christmas light show in the pool area — very festive and creative.
During the day we would go on excursions to experience the local culture. We hiked Diamond Head, which is the top of an iconic volcanic crater. Here the panoramic views from the top were spectacular. For a reward after the descent, we treated ourselves to authentic Hawaiian shaved ice. We also toured the North Shore twice, which is known for its surfing. We loved this area of the island and were just mesmerized by the height of the waves and the surf.
If you are there early enough in December, you might be able to catch three surfing competitions: the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, a trio of professional competitions on Oahu’s North Shore, where the World Surf League crowns its world champion. In 2019, the competitions were scheduled to take place between November 13 and December 20 at Haleiwa Alii Beach Park, Sunset Beach and Ehukai Beach Park (aka the Banzai Pipeline).
A trip to the “country,” as locals would say, is a must-do on Oahu. While there are several routes to get there, the tourism authority recommends visitors hop on the H3 freeway for grand views of the lush green Koolau mountains. Continue north on Kamehameha Highway and keep an eye on the shoreline, just steps from your car, for views of Mokolii Island near Kualoa and the white sand beaches along the way.
Another favorite activity during our trip was driving to a nature area where we hiked and swam under a waterfall.
On its website, the tourism authority outlines that the Hawaii Forest & Trail recently launched new private, exclusive Oahu tours for up to 12 guests. You can choose to personalize your adventure and do a waterfall swim, beach walk or two great hikes — one of these also incorporating a mountain picnic — within a four-hour minimum tour.
Similar to Florida, much of the activities are water-based. We actually spent Christmas morning surfing. Kylie took a private surf lesson and was riding the waves by the end of the lesson.
Jennifer Thomas
Kylie surfs on Christmas morning in Hawaii
In the marine-filled crystal waters of Hanauma Bay, we also snorkeled. This was a fun experience to pass on to Kylie as both myself and my husband, Bill, have snorkeled here on previous trips pre-Kylie. This protected marine life conservation area is a great beginning snorkeling spot as you snorkel right from the beach and don’t have to go out far to see coral and sea creatures, including Hawaii’s state fish, the humu humu nuku nuku apua’a — also known as a trigger fish.
Jennifer Thomas
Hanamua Bay in Hawaii
I highly recommend touring the Polynesian Cultural Center, as Bill and I did this when in Tahiti and it is something that really provides an up-close interactive culture and history experience. This month, the center is expected to unveil its new Alii Luau show “Onipaa,” a tribute to Kingdom of Hawaii monarch Queen Liliuokalani. (Onipa‘a is Hawaiian meaning “steadfast.”) Guests will experience a Hawaiian luau “fit for a Queen,” including lei greeting, unveiling of the imu (underground oven) and blessing of the food. Visitors to the center’s Hukilau Marketplace can now grab a bite to eat and get a taste of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s offerings on the new Holoholo canoe ride, a 25-minute guided tour that highlights activities guests can experience at the center’s six island villages, which represent Tonga, Fiji, Aotearoa, Hawaii, Samoa and Tahiti.
Whatever you might be wishing for this holiday season, we wish you all Aloha Kalikimaka me ka Hape Nuia — Merry Christmas together with a Happy New Year!