Written by Humera Nayeb

One of the greatest vacation spots for teenagers just got more interesting. Walt Disney Company has created a new beachside resort in Aulani, Hawaii. The resort, which opened Monday, Sept. 5, 2011, focuses more on the culture, history and natural beauty of Hawaii, than Disney characters.

“Hawaii is one of my favorite vacation destinations, and the ability to be at a Disney resort there would be really cool,” senior Sabrina Ebrahim said.

The resort has many activities including: saltwater snorkeling in a lagoon filled with tropical fish, lava tube slides and an aquatic jungle gym.

“I try to go snorkeling every time I am on vacation because I feel like it is a great way to experience that place in a whole new way,” Ebrahim said. “The fact that the resort has snorkeling with tropical fish makes me really excited. My family and I are definitely going there next summer.”

The resort emphasizes family time, but understands that the parents are on vacation as well, which is why they have created a program where parents go off to play golf or go to the spa while the children are watching movies, playing video games, learning hula, or eating frozen yogurt.

“I love that,” teacher Jodi Miller said. “I think it is fantastic. It is a vacation for adults and for kids. It allows us to have family time, adult time and kid time.”

Walt Disney Company did not want this resort to be like any other Disney resort. They wanted the resort to focus on the culture of Hawaii. Nightly they have a fire pit for storytelling, and all of the employees speak Hawaiian. The rooms are arranged to look like a Hawaiian house, but have simple touches of Disney, like a Mickey lamp.

“I like that the resort mainly focuses on Hawaiian culture,” junior Devon Manika said. “I am from South Africa, and I like to learn about the cultures of the places I travel to. This is definitely on my list of places to go.”