Any questions about Aulani? :)

[Hitsubasa]

If anyone has any questions about Aulani (the Disney resort in Hawaii), feel free to post them here and I'll try to answer them I've been a cast member there for a little over a year and my boyfriend has been there since the resort opened so hopefully I'll be able to answer any inquiries

 

[NC State Tigger]

When will construction be complete on the new pool and dining location?

Had been told completion would be the end of Sept, but now see info that says not till Oct 19. We arrive Oct 2 and leave Oct 11. Any chance it will be done by then? I'll be so bummed to miss the new areas by just a few days.

 

[Hitsubasa]

Yeah I'm so sorry we were supposed to have finished it in September but it doesn't look like its going to end that way at all. If you want, I can update you. I looked recently and it doesn't look even close to completion.

 

[Nickyz79]

This is my first post. I am so excited about my first overseas holiday in ten years and my kids first ever. We were also told Sep 30 so we booked for first week october. I am very upset about the announcment. Is there any way the Ka Maka Grotto pool will be finished earlier?How big will the pool be? Will we be missing out on something amazing and different if its not finished? What are its features?
Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

[NC State Tigger]

I just called to see if I could book a pool cabana during our stay in Oct and the CM that answered the phone said no reservations yet, but the new areas were still scheduled to open the end of Sept. When I told him that I had heard that it might be mid-Oct, he said "no, still scheduled for the end of Sept". Boy, do I hope he knows what he is talking about!!!

 

[nkereina]

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in Hawaii... we plan to arrive on a Wednesday, spend three nights on Oahu, and then Saturday jump on the NCL cruise around the islands until the following Saturday, and then spend one more night in Oahu and leave Sunday. For our first three nights in Oahu, we thought we'd stay at Aulani being Disney fanatics but I have read it's pretty remote and out of the way. As first timers being in Hawaii (and probably our last!), would you recommend Aulani considering the location? I know you are bias since you work there, and I am bias being a Disney fan, but we thought maybe the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki may be more central with more sightseeing options for us, without having to go too far out of the way. We will have a car the whole time though. Appreciate your opinion!

 

[NC State Tigger]

Yeah I'm so sorry we were supposed to have finished it in September but it doesn't look like its going to end that way at all. If you want, I can update you. I looked recently and it doesn't look even close to completion.

Please keep us updated. You may want to post updates on the DVC resorts, also. There are many threads there dealing with Aulani.

Thanks

Still have my fingers crossed for the end of September and hoping for lots of pixie dust.

 

[Hitsubasa]

This is my first post. I am so excited about my first overseas holiday in ten years and my kids first ever. We were also told Sep 30 so we booked for first week october. I am very upset about the announcment. Is there any way the Ka Maka Grotto pool will be finished earlier?How big will the pool be? Will we be missing out on something amazing and different if its not finished? What are its features?
Thanks in advance for your reply.

It's possible that it will be finished but I think unlikely. I could be totally wrong though. Don't quote me on that. I rarely venture out to that side of the resort because of my job haha. As far as I can remember, the grotto is more for the kids. I think its going to be kind of like the Menehune bridge in that there are things that shoot water and stuff. Honestly, I don't think it's THAT big of a deal. The water slides are still up and that's the most fun thing to do "water wise." Also, the infinity jacuzzi is BEAUTIFUL It overlooks the beach so it's great to watch the sunset

 

[Nickyz79]

Thanks for the reply. Isnt the water spraying thing for kids seperate to the new pool. I was thinking more about the new pool thats being built is it a big one, or will it be anything special?

 

[Hitsubasa]

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in Hawaii... we plan to arrive on a Wednesday, spend three nights on Oahu, and then Saturday jump on the NCL cruise around the islands until the following Saturday, and then spend one more night in Oahu and leave Sunday. For our first three nights in Oahu, we thought we'd stay at Aulani being Disney fanatics but I have read it's pretty remote and out of the way. As first timers being in Hawaii (and probably our last!), would you recommend Aulani considering the location? I know you are bias since you work there, and I am bias being a Disney fan, but we thought maybe the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki may be more central with more sightseeing options for us, without having to go too far out of the way. We will have a car the whole time though. Appreciate your opinion!

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in Hawaii... we plan to arrive on a Wednesday, spend three nights on Oahu, and then Saturday jump on the NCL cruise around the islands until the following Saturday, and then spend one more night in Oahu and leave Sunday. For our first three nights in Oahu, we thought we'd stay at Aulani being Disney fanatics but I have read it's pretty remote and out of the way. As first timers being in Hawaii (and probably our last!), would you recommend Aulani considering the location? I know you are bias since you work there, and I am bias being a Disney fan, but we thought maybe the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki may be more central with more sightseeing options for us, without having to go too far out of the way. We will have a car the whole time though. Appreciate your opinion!

To be honest, it depends what you want to do. If you are huge Disney fanatics, Aulani is great. I've had staycations there where you really don't need to leave the resort. There's stuff to keep you constantly busy. If you want to see the rest of the island, however, most people veer towards Waikiki because it's near town. Waikiki is the more "touristy" area so it tends to be very crowded and flooded with "touristy" trinkets which is both good and bad. Waikiki has a bunch of really good restaurants and the beach is right there.

Aulani is WAAAAAAY on the other side of the island near Kapolei. Kapolei is expanding too though so there are a lot of stores and things on that side that weren't there before. Our only water park is in the area as well. The good thing about Aulani is that they tried to keep the resort very true to the culture and not "touristy." We even have cultural advisers to help keep it in check.

The North Shore is also a cool place to explore but it's not close to Waikiki OR Aulani... Honestly though, compared to the mainland (is that a Hawaii term? lol) any drive is relatively short You can drive around the island in about 2 hours

How long are you planning on staying on the island and are you planning on island hopping or just staying on Oahu?

 

[nkereina]

To be honest, it depends what you want to do. If you are huge Disney fanatics, Aulani is great. I've had staycations there where you really don't need to leave the resort. There's stuff to keep you constantly busy. If you want to see the rest of the island, however, most people veer towards Waikiki because it's near town. Waikiki is the more "touristy" area so it tends to be very crowded and flooded with "touristy" trinkets which is both good and bad. Waikiki has a bunch of really good restaurants and the beach is right there.

Aulani is WAAAAAAY on the other side of the island near Kapolei. Kapolei is expanding too though so there are a lot of stores and things on that side that weren't there before. Our only water park is in the area as well. The good thing about Aulani is that they tried to keep the resort very true to the culture and not "touristy." We even have cultural advisers to help keep it in check.

The North Shore is also a cool place to explore but it's not close to Waikiki OR Aulani... Honestly though, compared to the mainland (is that a Hawaii term? lol) any drive is relatively short You can drive around the island in about 2 hours

How long are you planning on staying on the island and are you planning on island hopping or just staying on Oahu?

Thanks so much for the response! Very helpful! We will be arriving late on a Wednesday after a very long travel day from NY. We will stay somewhere in Oahu for three nights, and then on Saturday will get on an NCL cruise which hits most of the islands - ports include Maui, Kauai, Kona and Hilo. Then after the cruise, we will spend one more night in Oahu before leaving the next afternoon. Due to the cost and location of Aulani, I wonder if it would be better to spend our one night after the cruise there instead. We will be off the cruise by 9am and will be taking the red eye out the following night.

How long of a drive is Aulani from the cruise port and the airport? Is it easy enough to drive into the tourist areas and Pearl Harbor if we stay there? I've read traffic is a concern as well, and we will be arriving around 4pm on a Wednesday so will rush hour play a factor?

Thanks again

 

[djpooh74]

Hi,
We just came back from Aulani. Had a blast. This past Thursday we watched the 2nd annual ducky derby. There were GoPro cameras swimming with the ducks. Where can we watch the video?

Thanks

 

[Hitsubasa]

Thanks so much for the response! Very helpful! We will be arriving late on a Wednesday after a very long travel day from NY. We will stay somewhere in Oahu for three nights, and then on Saturday will get on an NCL cruise which hits most of the islands - ports include Maui, Kauai, Kona and Hilo. Then after the cruise, we will spend one more night in Oahu before leaving the next afternoon. Due to the cost and location of Aulani, I wonder if it would be better to spend our one night after the cruise there instead. We will be off the cruise by 9am and will be taking the red eye out the following night.

How long of a drive is Aulani from the cruise port and the airport? Is it easy enough to drive into the tourist areas and Pearl Harbor if we stay there? I've read traffic is a concern as well, and we will be arriving around 4pm on a Wednesday so will rush hour play a factor?

Thanks again

That sounds like a good idea however I guarantee you that you won't be able to fully experience Aulani in a day. But! If sightseeing is more the route you want to go then it wouldn't really matter Just to let you know, the Starlit Hui is on Monday and Thursday nights so you maaaay miss it depending on what day you're staying

Airport I would say is about a half hour and cruise port maybe around 45 min. If there's rush hour traffic it could take as long as an hour and a half. UH just got back in session and traffic around 4 on weekdays is horrendous

 

[Hitsubasa]

Hi,
We just came back from Aulani. Had a blast. This past Thursday we watched the 2nd annual ducky derby. There were GoPro cameras swimming with the ducks. Where can we watch the video?

Thanks

Glad you had fun! I was working during the ducky derby it was sooo cute! not sure where you can watch the video.. I was looking for pictures yesterday too but couldn't find any

 

[disneyred]

If anyone has any questions about Aulani (the Disney resort in Hawaii), feel free to post them here and I'll try to answer them I've been a cast member there for a little over a year and my boyfriend has been there since the resort opened so hopefully I'll be able to answer any inquiries

How deep is the deepest section of the pool, kids always want to know..

 

[Hitsubasa]

That's a really good question.... I'm actually not sure. I'll try to find out at work tomorrow I know the actual deepest part is after the plunge on the waterside but I'm not sure exactly how deep it is... Probably pretty deep because adults go down and don't hurt themselves lol. But it gets shallow quickly and there's always a lifeguard posted. Aside from that, all of the pools are pretty shallow. I'm 5 feet and can stand easily so I'm guessing like... 4 feet? Maybe even less?

 

[Hitsubasa]

Waikolohe river is probably around 3 feet...

 

[MilesAugust]

Are there any tips for overnight parking? Cheaper alternative nearby, maybe? Was hoping to save on the $35 per night charge.

 

[Hitsubasa]

I wish... Unfortunately there is no way around the parking fee... Even cast members have to pay it when they stay on property... It's a pretty hefty fee for those who are staying for multiple days

 

[GoofyforDisnee]

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in Hawaii... we plan to arrive on a Wednesday, spend three nights on Oahu, and then Saturday jump on the NCL cruise around the islands until the following Saturday, and then spend one more night in Oahu and leave Sunday. For our first three nights in Oahu, we thought we'd stay at Aulani being Disney fanatics but I have read it's pretty remote and out of the way. As first timers being in Hawaii (and probably our last!), would you recommend Aulani considering the location? I know you are bias since you work there, and I am bias being a Disney fan, but we thought maybe the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki may be more central with more sightseeing options for us, without having to go too far out of the way. We will have a car the whole time though. Appreciate your opinion!

I have done the NCL cruise. Although I thought it was absolutely the best way to see the other islands, I would do that first and stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village (HVV) or Aulani second. I stayed at HHV first and was so diappointed with the quality of the room on the ship. What I mean by that is the bedspread had a hole in it and other little minor things. Just use to Disney standards. HVV is absolutely beautiful and it is definitly a more central location. We took a bus to Diamond Head from there and walked to the Hard Rock. I have never stayed at Aulani, yet!! First trip will be June 2014!!