Day 6, Part 1
This morning, Drew and I were able to take part in a guided tour of Aulani, Disney’s resort on Oahu. A hotel tour may seem like a strange addition to a trip based on storytelling, but Disney works elements of visual and auditory storytelling into all aspects of their buildings. From the bright, geometric designs inspired by kapa, Hawaiian bark cloth, decorating the lobby to the intricately carved wooden panels depicting the stories of various Hawaiian legends, the resort is full of unique Hawaiian storytelling. The lobby itself tells the story of Hawaii, with the roof mimicking the thatched roofs of the Hawaiian people’s traditional beach huts, and the artwork running along the top edge of the lobby’s four walls depicting the story of the Hawaiian people.
One of my favorite elements was actually from the elevator mele, or music, which was a selection of popular Disney songs (think “Be Our Guest” and “The Bare Necessities”) translated into Hawaiian! I just thought it was such a whimsical way to introduce children to the Hawaiian language.
Aulani also has a whole lounge devoted to the Hawaiian language called The ‘Ōlelo Room.
‘Ōlelo (pronounced ‘oh-leh-low’) is Hawaiian for “word,” or “to converse,” something that this room encourages. The room is adorned with carved panels and and statues of various animals, objects, numbers, and letters paired with their Hawaiian translations, and the bartenders are fluent Hawaiian speakers who will happily help you hone your Hawaiian speaking skills.
Another child-friendly storytelling element, in addition to the elevator mele, of Aulani is on the carved statue of Stitch from the movie “Lilo and Stitch.” On this statue is a fictional essay written by the character Lilo that explains the importance of oli, or chants, and their relation to hula. She briefly discusses the difference between traditional oli and modern chants. In particular, she talks about the popular oli “He Mele no Lilo” which is often thought of as a traditional chant and how this is actually a modern chant due to the beat pattern.
Back in the lobby, our tour guide pointed out some more aspects of storytelling. She pointed out a big compass in the floor. Rather than showing north, south, east, or west, the compass has a lava rock arrow pointing mauka, to the mountains (replacing north), and a coral arrow pointing makai, to the ocean (replacing south). Traditionally, Hawaiians gave directions by referencing relations to the mountains and oceans, and this compass is an ode to that tradition.
Walking around the hotel was an interesting example of visual and musical storytelling that goes beyond picture books. As a Disney fan, the whole experience was even more awesome!
Bonus: Here’s the song mentioned by Lilo above!
