Time to Add the Magic at Disney Hawaii Resort

In a ceremony on the lagoon fronting the site of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai’i, local crew members from Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company joined Disney employees to celebrate the completion of major structural work on the Disney resort and the beginning of Disney’s “time to add the magic.”

The event was a symbolic representation of the shared efforts of Disney and Hawaiian Dredging in building the new resort, which will welcome its first guests on Aug. 29, 2011.

The construction crew and Aulani Disney team met on the beach to exchange gifts – lei from the construction workers to the Disney cast, and Mickey Mouse ears from the Disney cast to the construction workers. 

As part of the milestone moment, Hawaiian Dredging “handed over the keys” to the people who will add final detailing, theming, landscaping and all the other magical touches guests expect to find at a Disney resort. 

Djuan Rivers, vice president of Disney Vacation Club and Resort, Hawai’i, joined with Eric Hashizume, vice president of Hawaiian Dredging and Elliot Mills, managing director of Aulani, to bring the construction workers and Disney team members together to begin “adding the magic” to Aulani.

They gathered on the sand to form the image of the trademark Aulani arch and then transformed it into the familiar silhouette of Mickey Mouse. Mickey, Minnie and their Disney character pals joined in the celebration.

Built on 21 acres adjacent to a crystal blue lagoon and a white-sand beach in Ko Olina, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, will feature 359 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas upon its completion.

Rooms are housed in two 15-story towers with commanding views of the ocean, mountains and grounds. Aulani will also include a signature kids’ club – Aunty’s Beach House – where kids can explore Hawaiian culture through fun and games, arts and crafts, and other experiences.