Royal Plaza (Disney World) to be Reopened as B Resort Lake Buena Vista

November 13, 2013InACents 1 Comment

Back in 2008, my wife and I spent out honeymoon at the Royal Plaza hotel near Downtown Disney. We selected the resort due to its proximity to the Disney Parks, great price point, highly rated property, and separate transportation system to the parks.

Upon our arrival and the front desk agent learning that we were celebrating our honeymoon, the desk agent went above and beyond and granted us access to the Presidential Suite for our week stay.

The room was well appointed with a guest bath, dining room, living room, kitchen with breakfast bar, a king size bed, and a giant bathroom. The Royal Plaza was an awesome experience for my wife and I, and it will always hold a special place to us.

080709 Royal Plaza Hotel Presidential Suite

Royal Plaza Presidential Suite

This past week we learned that the Royal Plaza is officially closing, and will be rebranded as the B Resort Lake Buena Vista. The idea behind the boutique brand is B Distinct, Identified, Seen, Achieved, and Successful. One of the distinct things I found quite interesting in the brand is that they offer guests a gift upon arrival, which is typically a stuffed animal of a native species to the destination or affiliated with an animal assistance organization needing support. However, it appears the gift is required to be purchased, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity.

Overall, I find this to be great news, and look forward to seeing how the hotel redesign develops, as well as the price point they target.

Our family is planning a trip to Disney during the summer of 2014, and were not planning on staying in the Royal Plaza for this trip, but now with the transformation to B Resort, it gives us a new offering to consider. Stay tuned.

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Source: Royal Plaza Facebook

Resort Review: Hilton Waikoloa Village (Big Island, Hawaii)

September 9, 2013InACents 4 Comments

On the last day that my in-laws were with our family on the Big Island of Hawaii, we decided to spend the morning out at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Located on the northwest corner of the island, the mega-resort is situated on 62 oceanfront acres.

All of the locals we talked with on the island said we had to spend a day at the resort since they had not only their own dolphin encounter and pristine water features, gardens, and artwork, but the resort also has its own monorail train. There was no way we were going to get off the island and not see a monorail with our train obsessed boys.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village is an amazing property and while we only spent the day there, it was well worth the visit. We did not do any of the extra-curricular activities (dolphin swim, etc.); however, the property was immensely gorgeous, the antiquities were remarkable, and the experience was incredible.

Rather than elaborate too much on the property, I will let the pictures explain themselves. Enjoy!

Hilton Waikoloa Village Monorail

Hilton Waikoloa Village Exotic Birds

Hilton Waikoloa Village Antiquities

Pictured above are stacked wedding trays from China. “The stacked trays are made of wood with multiple layers of lacquer painted on the surface. Created for the newly wed, the color and design symbolize luck. The color red expresses joy, the painted fish symbolize fertility, and the bats represent happiness.”

Pictured above is the Kuan Yin Goddess from China. “Carved in the style of the T’ang Dynasty (618-906 A.D., Kuan Yin is seated on the back of a composite turtle/dragon sea creature, and here, represents a goddess of the south seas. She is accompanied by a small boy figure, Suddhana, who is said to have visited the deities.”

The royal chariot from Thailand, pictured above, is a “life-size replica of the royal chariot and horses symbolizing sovereign rule and authority.” Made of cast bronze with an antique green patina.

“The seated Buddha was created in the style of the 14th-century Chien-sen images, as indicated by the upturned soles of the feet. This Buddha reflects the attitude or mudra of the turning of the wheel of law.” Constructed of cast bronze, green patina, with mother-of-pearl and ivory inlays.

Hilton Waikoloa Village Dolphin Encounter

The dolphin learning center lagoon is a 2-million gallon salt water habitat for bottlenosed dolphins.

Hilton Waikoloa Village Grounds

Can you spot the turtle?

Unfortunately, the boats in the canals were not in operation on the day of our visit.

To see additional highlights of all sorts of family friendly activities in Hawaii, visit our Hawaii category page.

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Source: InACents; antiquity details per placard descriptions

Exploring Disney’s Aulani Resort Grounds, Part 1 (Oahu, Hawaii)

February 19, 2013InACents 1 Comment

After an impressive lobby area, and an equally seductive breakfast at Makahiki, we were able to change into our bathing suits and set out to explore the rest of the Aulani property on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The grounds of the Aulani resort were covered in equally serene foliage and art, while at the same time providing meandering pools for the guest to enjoy.

Really I could go on and on about the grounds of Disney’s Aulani, but the best way to enjoy it, for those that have never been, is to really see the pictures.

The water features throughout the resort are carefully incorporated into the dense vegetation and landscape, transforming you into the jungles of Hawaii. I could only imagine what the property may look like at night with some tiki torches and subtle lighting.

If you looked carefully at the rock work throughout, you could see the animals incorporated into the design, similar to those used in the large tree in Animal Kingdom.