08/30/2026
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa opened its doors to its very first guests on this day 15 years ago today—being one of their vendor partners it was our first day too!.
I can still remember the excitement, the nerves, and the feeling of “Oh my gosh… we’re really doing this.” 😂
We had spent MONTHS planning, preparing, and training for that day. Nakoa poured everything we had into this dream. Everything he had worked for was riding on his little business we both believed in so deeply.
We were excited. We were terrified. And we had absolutely NO idea what the next 15 years would bring.
The General Manager of Aulani at the time, Elliott Mills, gave Nakoa his start and the opportunity to have a location at the Disney Aulani and he became one of the most trusted and admired mentors in his life. Although we miss not seeing him every day, we are incredibly proud of the career path Elliott has taken and the person he continues to be.
And then there were the years that followed…
There were some really hard moments. Times when we wondered if we would make it. The covid shutdown nearly shut us down for good. For a entire year our sailing canoes collected dust. Times when the future felt uncertain and walking away might have been the easier choice.
But somehow, we kept going. We've changed our logos, reworked budgets, shuffled a few things here and there but never once wavered from why we were out there. The vision and mission from day 1 has stayed the same. "Authentic aloha".
And today, 15 years later, we are still here. ❤️
Still showing up.
Still dreaming.
Still learning.
Still committed to our guests.
Still committed to our culture.
And still committed to perpetuating this special part of our Hawaiian culture in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and true to who we are.
When I look at these photos from Day 1, I see us scared out of our minds but believed in a dream.
Today, I see 15 years of memories, thousands of guests, friendships, lessons, challenges, laughter, tears, and so many blessings.
To Kathleen who keeps Nakoa organized and standing tall who has been our operations manager for a decade along with Captain Neil who keeps the beach ops running and safe while sharing all he knows with our guests who has also been with us for a decade, we wouldnt be us without you. Thats a fact❤️
To Disney Aulani, our beloved Captains, crew and ohana staff both past and present and the thousands of guests who have supported us over the years and allowed us to share a little piece of our culture with you—MAHALO NUI LOA. ❤️
You have been a part of our story, and we are forever grateful.
And to everyone who believed in us when we were just getting started… mahalo for believing in the dream.
15 years down.
Our sails are still up. ⛵️🌺
Here’s to the next chapter, the next adventure, and whatever the future brings.
IMUA! ❤️🥰🌺
Hawaiian-owned business. Perpetuating our culture..
