While on our shopping safari at Disney’s Aulani, we previously looked at Kālepa’s Store. Now we take a gander at the remaining three shops: Hale Manu, Laniwai, and The Lava Shack. Hang on tight, because this is going to be a whirlwind tour!
Hale Manu
The name “Hale Manu” means “House of Birds” (shoutout to cast member, Reid, for teaching me that!) and the store’s decor expertly carries that theme. In the hallway leading to the store, you are guided by a flock of birds to the entrance.
Inside the shop, just look up and you are treated to models of all sorts of birds. There is even an owl in the corner to the left of the cash register that turns its head every so often.
Hale Manu is the most upscale shop on-property. It is here where you will find those pricey, yet still sought after Dooney and Bourke purses. The variety available feature patterns that are exclusive to the resort, such as the Duffy and Shellie May leather print seen above.
Pandora charms are also available at Hale Manu. Some of these charms are exclusive to the Aulani, but others, like Cinderella’s dress, can also be purchased at Disney Parks.
This Tori Richard print was created especially for the Aulani. If you look carefully, you can spot a playful Menehune or two scattered on the outfits. The fabric was used on both men’s and women’s attire, as well as those for children.
Some of the items at Hale Manu that I found particularly interesting weren’t even Disney-branded. Against the back wall were a collection of books, all themed to different aspects of Hawaii and its culture. I thought that “An Easy Guide to the Hawaiian Language” was an excellent tie-in to the Aulani’s lounge, The ‘Olelo Room, where all the cast members speak fluent Hawaiian.
Laniwai
Laniwai is the resort’s spa, but it also houses a small gift shop at its entrance. I would imagine their best seller would be the spa robe, which features a luxurious terry inner lining and a soft linen-like outer layer. These robes are similar to the ones available to guests in their rooms, albeit a different color, and are also currently available for purchase at Shop Disney.
If you were looking for a slightly less pricey memento of your spa day (those robes will set you back $140), there were a gaggle of Laniwai-branded rubber duckies scattered throughout the shop. I thought they were pretty funny.
Laniwai is an adults-only spa but the teen spa, Painted Sky, is right next door. So some teen-oriented merchandise can also be found here. I spotted outfits themed to Minnie Mouse and Ariel. These get-ups are also found at Disney Parks.
The Lava Shack
The Lava Shack is located in the heart of the pool area, Waikolohe Valley, nestled in the side of a “volcano.” It is made to be reminiscent of old surf shacks found throughout the islands.
While I do love the birds of Hale Manu, I have to give the blue ribbon for theming to The Lava Shack. With posters, postcards, and old calendars hung along the walls and knick-knacks everywhere, I certainly felt like I was at one of those homey local shops. There was so much to see in every corner. I especially loved the figure of President Obama surfing, as well as the pair of Maneki Neko (all seen in the upper photo).
As you might expect, The Lava Shack’s inventory is all about enjoying the beach. As you make your way to the entrance of the store, you are greeted with a display of sand toys. There were also Stitch water spitters, in case you got a little hot.
Near the back end of the store is a table filled with different hats and towels for purchase. The Mickey Shorts-style Mickey Mouse must be quite popular now, as he is featured on both towels and hats (not to mention all that merchandise at Kālepa’s Store).
There were rash guards for both children and adults.
They had so many cute swimsuits for kids! And surprisingly, most of them were marked down in price. You could also buy swim attire for adults, but they weren’t anywhere near as interesting to look at.
One of the most fun things at The Lava Shack were these personalized leather accessories. There were customized bracelets, bag tags, and keychains and all you had to do was fill out a small form and pick-up your items later that day (I don’t recall it taking too long, though). Most of the designed ones (they had cheaper, generic versions of each type as well) were themed to the Aulani and had tropical or beach elements incorporated into the art.
I hope you had fun on my tour of Hale Manu, Laniwai, and The Lava Shack. I do recommend checking out all the shops when you visit. They all have a different feel and it fun to see what the Aulani has to offer. If you enjoyed this report, please check out my previous Aulani posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. Stick around as there is more to come. See you then!
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