We have just learned that Disney World Cast Member Auntie Kau’i has just passed away yesterday.
“It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing of our family matriarch, Kau’ihealani Mahikoa Brandt,” Brandt’s family posted on Facebook.
Kau’i Brandt started her career in Disneyland performing the hula at Tahitian Terrace in Adventureland back in the ’60s.
She moved to Florida when the Polynesian opened at Walt Disney World in 1971 and became the official cultural representative of the resort. She could be found making leis or giving hula lessons.
“Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we are eternally grateful to God for blessing us with her amazing life and countless deposits of love, concern, and care for all whom she encountered,” the Facebook post reads.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family.