Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake quietly swapped Kauai for Oahu, leaving out the Garden Island that inspired the original animated feature. This shift could change how visitors perceive Hawaii and which islands they choose to experience.
In the original movie, Lilo is a young Hawaiian girl raised by her older sister, Nani, after their parents’ deaths. Struggling to fit in and connect, Lilo adopts what she thinks is a dog, but is actually Stitch, a destructive alien experiment who crash-landed on Earth. The story’s heart centers on Lilo teaching Stitch the Hawaiian concept of “ohana,” meaning family—no one gets left behind or forgotten.
The original animated film was deeply tied to Kauai. Hanapepe, on Kauai’s westside, inspired the quiet town where Lilo raised her pet alien. On the north shore, Kilauea Lighthouse doubled as the crash site for Stitch’s arrival. The towering cliffs of Kalalau gave the film its emotional depth. The landscapes weren’t just background—they were core narrative.
Kauai’s identity was interwoven with the film’s storyline, which resonated with many. For the countless visitors who made the trip to walk those trails or visit Hanapepe’s typically quiet and tiny town, it was never just about animation. It was about place, as it’s called nowadays.
Oahu’s role in the live-action remake.
Disney filmed the entire latest live-action version on Oahu. No scenes were shot on Kauai. Instead, Waikiki, Kualoa Ranch, and the Kahala Hotel became the new stand-ins. Even interior sets were built in controlled environments on private land near Kualoa.
We were at Kahala during part of the filming, and it wasn’t hard to spot signs of the production. Camera crews kept a low profile, but visitors noticed. There were a few questions at the bar about which rooms were being used. Since then, we’ve seen growing interest online in staying at “that hotel from the movie,” even though Disney hasn’t publicly confirmed the exact filming locations.
This shift is more than an insignificant logistical detail. It represents how Hawaii is selectively packaged for outside consumption, in this case by Disney. When viewers worldwide ask, “Where was Lilo & Stitch filmed?” the answer isn’t Kauai. That answer now points to a very different-feeling luxury resort on Oahu.
Implications for Hawaii travel.
Kauai isn’t losing tourism, but it is losing something perhaps more intangible—cultural association. Residents we spoke with called the switch “disappointing” and “predictable.” One woman in Kekaha told us, “It’s not about the money. It’s about who gets to tell your story.”
Comments from Beat of Hawaii readers reflected that sentiment. Linda wrote, “It’s like everything gets re-created for convenience. I miss the quiet version of Hawaii that used to feel more special.” John added, “They could have at least filmed a few scenes on Kauai. That’s what gave the original version its heart.”
Disney hasn’t explained the decision publicly, but industry insiders point to cost, access, and infrastructure. Oahu has more studios, more crew, and arguably far easier logistics of every kind. For a company balancing creative intent with massive production costs and complexities, those advantages make a difference.
At the same time, the production emphasized sustainability in its community messaging—recycling set materials, sourcing locally, and reducing impact. These efforts, however, don’t change the underlying fact: Kauai was strangely removed from its own story.
The Kahala Hotel’s spotlight grows.
Since opening in 1964, the Kahala, previously known as the Kahala Hilton and later the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, has been one of Oahu’s most exclusive resorts. It was initially developed as a private retreat away from Waikiki. It quickly drew celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Elton John, foreign dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth II and Desmond Tutu, and several U.S. presidents.
Thanks to Disney’s live-action production, the resort is now tied to a global franchise. There hasn’t been a formal promotion, but we watched interest grow almost immediately. Guests asked about filming. Staff remained quiet, but visitors still took photos in the lobby and around the pool.
It’s unlikely the Kahala will ever become another official “Disney resort,” but that doesn’t mean it won’t benefit from its role in the film. Search traffic, bookings, and name recognition may rise without the hotel advertising the connection directly.
There’s also the risk of a mismatch. Visitors drawn in by the film’s playful energy may arrive expecting a fantasy version of Hawaii. The Kahala offers calm sophistication and privacy, not cartoon charm. Once again, the link between what audiences see onscreen and what they find in real life becomes blurred.
A broader pattern for Hawaii tourism.
This isn’t the first time Hawaii’s islands have been swapped for filming convenience. Maui has doubled for Kauai. Oahu has stood in for the Big Island. The islands are often treated as interchangeable. But to people who live here—or those who visit often—they are anything but.
That tendency to flatten the differences does matter regarding how Hawaii is portrayed and understood. It feeds the perception of a generic, all-purpose paradise rather than a place with distinct islands, histories, and experiences.
It also seems to align strangely with a growing trend we’ve repeatedly tracked: the streamlined, curated Hawaii trip. Cruises that stop for just hours. Guided tours that rush through cultural sites. Resort stays that never extend beyond the beach. Whether intentionally or not, the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” feels like it leans into that same approach by making the story easier to produce and less connected to its origin.
A different kind of call to action.
The live-action remake might take viewers to Oahu, but Kauai will forever be the story’s soul, for those who want to see the places that inspired “Lilo & Stitch,” Hanapepe, Kalalau, and Kilauea remain quietly unchanged. Disney may have redirected both the camera and the location, but the original places are still there, waiting for those who dig deeper.
Let us know what you think about the change. Should Hawaii stories be told where they started, or is convenience just part of how things work now?
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
There is quite a difference between islands in Hawaii. There is a reason that we prefer Kauai over the other islands. If Hollywood wants to market Oahu as Kauai, fine. It keeps the uninformed away from paradise.
A shameless “Lilo and Stitch” fan, whenever I travel to the Islands on the last night I am there I go down and sit by the beach and watch the animated cartoon before I leave the next morning. There is no doubt the animated cartoon is an idealized romantic fantasy of Hawaii and Kauai. The recent remake in Oahu is not and it is safe to say that this is not the version of Lilo and Stitch I will be watching as I leave. I can understand Disney finding another town to film it in other than Hanapepe, which I found to be rundown and not very appealing from a filming perspective but its transfer to Oahu had none of the originals charm, almost mechanistically sterile in its approach. I cannot describe Kauai, Maui, Molokai or Hawaii island as mechanistically sterile. The recent remake does indeed conflate all the Islands into the tourist experience of Oahu which increasingly robs that Island of it cultural underpinnings.
I agree, and as I stated in another reply on this post this film could unfortunately be seen a form of cultural appropriation. Moreover, on another level, it perhaps homogenizes and discounts the unique geographical and diversity of the Hawaiian Islands, which is altogether another culturally disparaging aspect of film! However, at the same time, I hope that the Disney casting team was wise enough to hire many local Hawaiians (from Kauai to the Big Island) to play some of the main characters, background actors, and production assistants, to make this film appear more authentically Hawaiian, and for native Hawaiians to economically benefit from the film.
It could have been worse. They could have filmed it in Mexico or some other tropical place. At least it’s still here.
This is a true shame as each island is very different and for those who have not visited the island of Kauai its a special place much more real and old school than many of the others, and certainly much more than Oahu.
I’m so disappointed to have to inform my Grandkids that are coming with us to Kauai in January, and looking forward to see whare Lilo and Stitch are from.
Chris L
Take your grandkids to Hanapepe. There are a couple of Lilo & Stitch murals, and a cute shop that has tons of Lilo & Stitch ‘stuff.’ They will love it, and the owners of the shop are really friendly with kids who love Lilo & Stitch!
IMO Hawaii claims it’s not Disneyland. Who ever labels or promotes these Disney animated programs linking them to Hawaii seriously needs to stop. Is it just a marketing tool to sell the movie or a magnet to bring kids to Hawaii. I tell you it gets where money only matters and commercialization at it’s best. Is Hawaii’s culture of respect, quality of life, and beliefs now becoming one big cartoon? IMO Furthermore unreal fictitious characters that never exist. Sad real sad how Hawaii is developing into some fantasy island thing. The real program that Hawaii needs is Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmare’s Hawaiian Style.
Your commentary relating to the film industry and the business/marketing aspect is laser sharp and very informative! However, I would like to add that Disney utilizing Oahu, as a “stand-in” for Kauai, is a standard production practice of the big Hollywood studios (which has become a kind of misnomer because Hollywood productions have increasingly been outsourced far away from Los Angeles!). Also, studios have to follow the money and stay within a somewhat tight production budget and perhaps the studio execs felt Oahu has the film production infrastructure, setting similarities, and logistical support, needed to stay within the budget for the film. Nevertheless, the fact that Oahu was utilized as the setting of Kauai in film does bring up the question of whether this film could be a form of cultural appropriation? And, let’s not forget that Disney has their Aulani resort in West Oahu. Could there be Disney resort marketing ploy: Lilo-Stitch, Oahu, Aulani, and Kids?