Alunia

[Mumof2girls]

Hi
We are new to dvc. We purchase 18 months ago and are excited to be booking soon our first trip as members. I was wanting some imput on alunia. With information I have read on trip advisor it says only to stay there if u are just staying at the hotel. We were wanting to explore the island. Pearl harbour etc. would u recommend to try and do rci trade fro somewhere or did u find that everything was still ok to do with a rental car?
Thanks

 

[1coolnini]

The Disney resort on Oahu (Aulani)is beautiful. I haven't stayed at the resort but I have eaten there and walked through the grounds. When I go to Oahu I stay in the Waikiki area. Yes, the Aulani is a beautiful place to stay, but I wouldn't recommend it if your main goal is to explore the island. Unlike Waikiki you don't have a lot of walkable options for dining and entertainment. Oahu is very easy to drive, so it would be easy to tour the island with a rental car. However, keep in mind that parking in Honolulu and in the Waikiki area is very limited and can be expensive. If you just want to go and relax and enjoy a resort, Aulani will be great. If you haven't been to Oahu before and want to experience the island I would reccomend staying in Waikiki. How about staying a few nights at the Aulani then moving to a Waikiki hotel for the rest of your stay?

 

[blackacex2]

Hi
We are new to dvc. We purchase 18 months ago and are excited to be booking soon our first trip as members. I was wanting some imput on alunia. With information I have read on trip advisor it says only to stay there if u are just staying at the hotel. We were wanting to explore the island. Pearl harbour etc. would u recommend to try and do rci trade fro somewhere or did u find that everything was still ok to do with a rental car?
Thanks

It is a pretty remotely located resort that is beautiful but lacks affordable dining options. Also- if you want to do a lot of things away from the resort it isn't ideal compared to other properties. You can get a great deal elsewhere and save the value of those DVC points for somewhere else!

 

[Kimberle]

We spent 10 days in Hawaii last August. We stayed on Waikiki. We didn't need a rental car. We could walk to lots of things. We also took tours (they pick you up at your resort), and the trolley. Aulani was just to far away. Traffic can be pretty bad on Oahu, plus you will have to pay to park at most places. Pearl Harbor is amazing. We took the ful day tour and saw everything. I don't think I'd have received as much detail seeing it on my own.

 

[BCV23]

Hi
We are new to dvc. We purchase 18 months ago and are excited to be booking soon our first trip as members. I was wanting some imput on alunia. With information I have read on trip advisor it says only to stay there if u are just staying at the hotel. We were wanting to explore the island. Pearl harbour etc. would u recommend to try and do rci trade fro somewhere or did u find that everything was still ok to do with a rental car?
Thanks

Welcome to the DIS

and Welcome Home to DVC!

There is a whole group of forums devoted to DVC on the DIS. Here's a link to a DVC resort forum.
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=187

You will find more thread in the DVC miscellaneous forum.

Scroll through the pages or do a search and you will find many posts about Aulani. You'll find many threads from those of us who have stayed there. It's a stunning resort.

We did have a car and enjoyed exploring the island without dealing with Waikiki traffic. It is absolutely true that there aren't as many restaurants in the area as in Waikiki but we found plenty of options for an 8 night stay and can't wait to get back.

Someone asked if Aulani was really as great as has been reported. I think this poster summed it up well:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=47572079&postcount=21

 

[Disneychristy2012]

We were there for 10 days in October and rented a car. We LOVE Aulani and we are going back in just a few months!

A suggestion depending on length of stay- Waikiki for 2-3 nights on the front end, do Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, etc... Then spend 5-7 nights at Aulani. I loved that it was far away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. I can get city at home. If you want a balance of relaxation you could split your time and you won't be traveling to another island so you will be okay with the split.

Good luck! If you are going to Hawaii Aulani is the best! IMHO