It wasn’t exactly a magical arrangement or a total surprise, but Walt Disney Co. will send one of its cruise ships to Hawaii twice next year.

The company announced a second visit by the 964-foot Disney Wonder on Thursday, the same day it held extravagant grand-opening ceremonies for Aulani, its luxury hotel and time-share complex at Ko Olina Resort & Marina in West Oahu.

Disney, which has tightly choreographed much to do with its vacation offerings in Hawaii, said it will bring the Wonder with as many as 2,700 guests on a 14-night cruise from Los Angeles with stops in Kahului; Nawiliwili, Kauai; Honolulu; Hilo; and Ensenada, Mexico, in October 2012.

The initial voyage to Hawaii by the Wonder was announced in April and will visit in May. That cruise will be a 15-night trip on the same route with one more day at sea.

Disney said adding the second voyage was based on an overwhelming response to its planned first Hawaii trip. “We listen to our guests, and shortly after we announced our first Hawaiian voyage it was clear our guests wanted more options to visit Hawaii,” Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz said in a statement.

Disney has had two tentative bookings to dock cruise ships next year in Hawaii since at least last year.

For Disney, which owns a cruise line as well as theme parks, resorts and even a private island in the Bahamas, pairing cruise itineraries with its land-based offerings helps stoke business for both.

“Swimming, snorkeling, parasailing, hiking, horseback riding and more are all available, plus you can visit historic locations including Pearl Harbor,” Disney said as part of its announcement of the October Hawaii cruise. “To top it off with a dash of Disney magic, Oahu is also home to the newest Disney resort and spa, Aulani.”

Disney opened an initial phase of Aulani on Aug. 29. All exterior construction work and amenities are finished, though two additional phases delivering all 359 hotel units and 481 time-share units are opening later this year and in early 2013.

On Thursday, Disney held a grand-opening event featuring kumu hula and vocal artist Keali‘i Reichel, a barefoot Disney CEO Bob Iger and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Reverberations from conch shells kicked off a dramatic production that was filled with music, hula, and flames referencing the story about Maui the Hawaiian demigod who sought the secret of fire. There were also spotlights beaming up to the sky, fireworks and a ceremonial mixing of sand with “pixie dust” representing the joining of two cultures.

“We are now, and for all time, ohana, one family — Disney and Hawaii,” Iger said.

The beachfront ceremony held at sunset was attended by a contingent of international media to document the formal arrival of the $800 million resort where hotel rates range from $399 to $1,340 per night.

Rates for the Hawaii cruises start at $1,800 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.