"He told his entire class that he was missing a day of school just so he could visit the Hilton Hawaiian Village," said dad John. "He was so excited that he even told his teacher."

Pointing to the colorful exotic birds and fish that are scattered throughout this sprawling, well-manicured Waikiki resort, Adam said, with a toothy grin, that this was better than being in class.

"I'm going to tell my friends about the penguins," the second grader said. "They're my favorite birds here."

He's not alone, according to the hotel's wildlife attendant George Fu.

"We have three feeding programs here, including an 8 a.m. one with the penguins.," said Fu, who looks after the welfare and care of the hotel's more-than 200 animals. " Kids get really excited when this happens. You can see their eyes light up."

After gawking at the penguins, Adam retreated to the Rainbow Lanai with his dad, mom Linh and his nine-month-old brother Abel.

Asked what he wanted for lunch, Adam chose the cheeseburger with fries from the special keiki menu.

(By the way, kids 12 years and younger eat for free here with every paying adult.)

Mom Linh had the pineapple fruit boat ($13.95), which was a carved-out half pineapple filled with fresh fruits and served with banana bread and creamy yogurt.

Dad John said he eats anything that's put in front of him. He eventually settled on the penne pasta entree ($19.50) with shrimp and the scallop-and-bay-shrimp Cobb salad ($16.25).

"We're a casual restaurant that caters to families," said restaurant manager Chi Chi Chang. "Kids even get to choose a toy from our treasure chest after they've eaten. But most times, they're digging into that treasure chest long before they're finished."

Adam said he's going to tell his classmates all about the penguins.

"We call it the 'Village Experience,'" said Gallagher, who admitted that her six-year-old daughter McKenzie is a big fan of where mommy works."The property offers more than just dining."

On Friday nights, the hotel puts on a dazzling display of fireworks by the lagoon.