Dusk Over the Waikolohe Valley

The first time I ever visited Aulani, in 2013, I went with my best friend, and we stayed for a few hours during the afternoon.  But due to plans with other friends in the evening, we came back before it got dark.  This time around, going with my wife (who also was very interested in Aulani), I made sure to plan the schedule to include some evening time to explore Aulani's magic after the sun set.  And although I had hoped for a blazing, dramatic sunset and instead had received a relatively fizzled, gray end of the day, I was pleased to find that the blue hour actually yielded some great texture and deep blue and purple hues in the sky!  As the evening scene unfolded, I knew just the shot I wanted to get to capture this Hawaiian splendor--the vista from the space just outside the main lobby, overlooking Aulani's "Waikolohe Valley" outdoor space and "Waikolohe Stream" lazy river.  

As far as Disney panoramas go, this certainly was a memorable one!

Overlooking the Waikolohe Valley that comprises the majestic, central outdoor space of Aulani.