GOVERNOR LINGLE, WALT DISNEY PARKS & RESORTS ANNOUNCE PLANS TO CONSTRUCT FAMILY RESORT ON LEEWARD COAST OF O`AHU

October 3 - Governor Lingle and Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, announced Disney's plans to build a family resort on the Leeward Coast of O`ahu.

The resort hotel, Disney's first not connected to one of its theme parks, will have more than 800 units, including hotel rooms and villas.

"Disney and Hawai`i have something special in common, and that is the recognition of the importance of `ohana,'" Governor Lingle said. "Disney's presence in Hawai`i also opens new opportunities for innovative partnerships in non-tourism-related sectors, including new media and digital technology."

Upon completion, the resort hotel is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs on O`ahu, including opportunities for local musicians and dancers to perform.

Encouraging growth of Hawai`i's music industry is a key part of the Lingle-Aiona Administration's Hawai`i Innovation Initiative.  The Music Enterprise Learning Experience, or MELE program, is designed to provide support for Hawai`i's abundance of musical talent and help students learn the various elements of the music industry.

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