AULANI - lots of questions re. the nitty gritty

[Lyn-CA]

We are 19 days away from our first visit to Aulani (but not to Hawaii.)

I'm hoping those who have been to Aulani will be kind enough to take time and answer my queries.

I wanted to show up there prepared instead of walking around clueless and wasting time so here are the questions I have so far:

(1) Aunty's Beach House: I've read on these boards that there are times that Aunty's gets booked up. Does this mean for the organized activities -or- that they won't be able to take in any kids when they're fully booked?

(2) If you go to Aunty's on a drop-in basis, do the kids just end up playing on their own the whole time?

(3) Where do you get the wristbands for the pool? Is it only one location? Do they open on time or on "island time?"
Is it the same location for pool towels?
To rent sand toys?
To rent snorkels for the reef?

(4) Which pool can accommodate lap swimming?

(5) If we decide to bring back take out food and don't want to eat in our studio, where can we dine around the grounds?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Meemoo]

Hello! I am not 100% sure regarding whether Aunty's get booked up, I know well that the activities do particularly in busy times you need to register for them early. I am sure they do have a limit on how many kids can go in at once, maybe someone who travels in a busy period can answer this as I have never had a problem getting in for regular attendance or activities.

Wrist Brands: There is a little hut type thing next to the Menehune Bridge (kids water play area) near the lazy river where you collect wrist bands - they open on time - and same places as you get towels. This was the only place at the time I traveled to get wrist bands.

Sand Toys & Boogie Boards - Are down by the beach their is a kiosk, you will see it easily.

Snorkels for Rainbow Reef is located next to Rainbow Reef, very easy to find.

There isn't a lap pool as such but you can swim quite a large stretch in the main lagoon pool, or a shorter (and more peaceful uninterrupted) lap in the adults pool.

You could take your take out down by the pool, depending on what it is and if you need an actual table to eat it. Or how about sunset on the beach best view in the joint!

Have a great time!!

 

[AZMermaid]

I have read a few reports of Auntys hitting capacity and not able to take any more kids for free play. I am not sure how common that is though. The organized activities do fill up- most reports I have read reccomend lining up before 7:30 to reserve those- and to a lesser extent, lunch or dinner in Auntys.

 

[wanderlust7]

For Aunty's drop off, I think the kids do play on their own for the most part. Though once when I went to pick up DS and his cousin, they were doing crafts (decorating a paper bag and gluing a handle on it) with a couple of CMs.

For wrist bands, besides near Menehune Bridge, there is also a hut near the splash pad where you can get towels and also ice water from a dispenser. You can also get wrist bands from the kiosk at Rainbow Reef where you get snorkeling equipment and life vests too.

There are some tables with chairs around the pool area. Many of them are reserved for restaurants, but we found a few that weren't reserved near the splash pad.

 

[Girimama33]

There is an area that is elevated with tables and chairs next to Rainbow Reef that you can take your take out.

Have fun!

 

[DenLo]

There are picnic tables next to the grills located beyond Ama Ama on the way to Halawai Lawn where the Star Lit Hui is performed. I would not sit at the tables near Off the Hook or Olelo Room unless I was buying a drink or food as the tables are limited and very busy. You can easily sit at the tables outside of Ulu Cafe.

Ka Maka Landing also has a Towel Tent that also issues wristbands. So there are two locations to get towels and your wristbands. All guests must be present to get a wristband, but anyone can pick up towels.

 

[ILovePixieDust]

We are 19 days away from our first visit to Aulani (but not to Hawaii.)

I'm hoping those who have been to Aulani will be kind enough to take time and answer my queries.

I wanted to show up there prepared instead of walking around clueless and wasting time so here are the questions I have so far:

(1) Aunty's Beach House: I've read on these boards that there are times that Aunty's gets booked up. Does this mean for the organized activities -or- that they won't be able to take in any kids when they're fully booked?

We were there over for 8 days at the end of March - it was a super busy time. Aunty's beach house would reach capacity almost every evening and usually just before dinner time as people seemed to drop off their children to then have a nice dinner. I think it will all depend on how busy the resort is at the time you are going. This was just for the regular drop off activities as well. The activities that required sign up would also all be full from parents who signed their kids up in the morning. THe line up for those activities was crazy with long line ups of parents even around 715am when the doors only opened at 8am!!! They need a better system then to make parents line up at crazy times for over an hour to sign up their children.

(2) If you go to Aunty's on a drop-in basis, do the kids just end up playing on their own the whole time?

Our kids did the drop in and were able to do fun things with CMs including crafts and games. There is also just free time to play and the children are always given a choice and not forced to do anything.

(3) Where do you get the wristbands for the pool? Is it only one location? Do they open on time or on "island time?"
Is it the same location for pool towels?
To rent sand toys?
To rent snorkels for the reef?

Answered by previous posts.

(4) Which pool can accommodate lap swimming?

I second the adult swimming pool. THe large main pool would be difficult to do laps in with the amount of children and families in there.


(5) If we decide to bring back take out food and don't want to eat in our studio, where can we dine around the grounds?

Pretty much anywhere except in the restaurants of course and the seats right outside the Ulu Cafe.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Halefamilyof6]

1) Aunty's Beach House: I've read on these boards that there are times that Aunty's gets booked up. Does this mean for the organized activities -or- that they won't be able to take in any kids when they're fully booked?

We went last May/Early June. Aunty's didn't fill up, but some organized activities fill up immediately.

(2) If you go to Aunty's on a drop-in basis, do the kids just end up playing on their own the whole time?

Not necessarily. Some activities that start while your kids are there, your kids will have the opportunity to join in. Other activities that fill up early might have a few no shows, and sometimes kids can add in that way. BUT, even if they do just 'play on their own', there are games, and so many things that my three kids never played 'alone', and they weren't playing with just each other. There are cast members that help engage kids, so no one is lonely. Does that help?

3) Where do you get the wristbands for the pool? Is it only one location? Do they open on time or on "island time?"
Is it the same location for pool towels?
To rent sand toys?
To rent snorkels for the reef?

You get wristbands where you pick up towels and life jackets. There are 2-3 locations on site. They open on time.
Snorkels are at Rainbow Reef
Sand toys at kiosk on beach.
(4) Which pool can accommodate lap swimming?
None.

(5) If we decide to bring back take out food and don't want to eat in our studio, where can we dine around the grounds?
Not sure.

 

[Anal Annie]

I wouldn't call any of the pools lap pools but you might get a small amount done at the adult pool if you go sort of off-hours. We brought sandwiches & snacks down to the pool a couple of days for lunch and just ate on our lounge chairs. The dining table and chair areas had signs saying they were reserved for on-site restaurant guests so we didn't bother with them if we weren't eating food we purchased on-site. The 2 or 3 towel hut places open at 8:00. The one in the middle gets a pretty long line so we went to the one over by the infinity pool which had less people.

 

[southerngirl528]

Aloha Lyn-CA,

Aulani is IMHO the most spectacular resort Disney has ever done, but it is often in the subtleties. For us, it's the "marriage" of the Aloha spirit and Disney magic that makes for an amazing experience.

I didn't see how old your keiki are, but the Menehune Scavenger Hunt is super fun for all ages. Be sure to NOT miss the Starlit Hui, which is only performed twice per week. Not a real luau as there's no food, but the entertainment along with some Hawaiian history woven in is superb, and wraps up as only Disney can do it, giving us "chicken skin"! We have only visited as a couple and have stayed at Aulani twice, the most recent just a few weeks ago.

If you love Hawaiian music or just great live music in general, the 2 lounges, Off the Hook and Olelo Room have truly outstanding Hawaiian musicians performing each night.

Your Daily Iwa, which is like DCL's Daily Navigator, will tell you about all the available activities the next day. Be certain to pick one up each evening to peruse for the next day.

As for take out, one of our favorite things to do while in Hawaii is to take our food to the beach and find a place to sit and eat and drink in the gorgeous scenery. If seating is in short order around the pools, go on down to the beach. There's always lots of lounge chair seating there. And Aulani does not charge extra for beach chairs or umbrellas like some resorts. Boogie boards and sand toys are free to use I believe, as long as supply each day lasts.

Costco and a Big Target (not a SuperTarget) are just about 5 minutes back toward Honolulu. Super convenient to pick up breakfast, lunch and/or snack items. And poke! And sashimi! (these at Costco or any Foodland grocery. YUM!) You can always ask to try the kind of poke that looks good before you buy it. We bought some limu poke at Costco that was amazing! Okay, now my mouth is watering……… Happy planning!!

 

[Lyn-CA]

Thanks so much to each poster who replied. You guys have given me very helpful advice and I'm more at ease. Now, can someone fast forward time so we can be at Aulani already?

 

[Lyn-CA]

1) Aunty's Beach House: I've read on these boards that there are times that Aunty's gets booked up. Does this mean for the organized activities -or- that they won't be able to take in any kids when they're fully booked?

We went last May/Early June. Aunty's didn't fill up, but some organized activities fill up immediately.

(2) If you go to Aunty's on a drop-in basis, do the kids just end up playing on their own the whole time?

Not necessarily. Some activities that start while your kids are there, your kids will have the opportunity to join in. Other activities that fill up early might have a few no shows, and sometimes kids can add in that way. BUT, even if they do just 'play on their own', there are games, and so many things that my three kids never played 'alone', and they weren't playing with just each other. There are cast members that help engage kids, so no one is lonely. Does that help?

Yes, thanks for being descriptive. It most definitely helps.

 

[silvaohana808]

Yes...can't wait until you visit! woohoo!!

 

[heybets30]

Is there a fee for borrowing sand toys? I'm thinking of bringing a bucket of toys for each of my kids when we visit in Oct ... that way, if we visit any other beaches, they'll have something to use outside Aulani. We'll leave those sand toys in HI, don't need to haul them back to Chicago with us!

Are any outside floaties/innertubes allowed at Aulani? Or, are you only allowed to use what they provide?

THANKS! OP asked many of my questions too

 

[Girimama33]

Is there a fee for borrowing sand toys? I'm thinking of bringing a bucket of toys for each of my kids when we visit in Oct ... that way, if we visit any other beaches, they'll have something to use outside Aulani. We'll leave those sand toys in HI, don't need to haul them back to Chicago with us!

Are any outside floaties/innertubes allowed at Aulani? Or, are you only allowed to use what they provide?

THANKS! OP asked many of my questions too

There is no fee to use the sand toys at Makiki Joe's.
You can use an outside floatie for a younger child.

 

[wanderlust7]

Right, no fee to borrow sand toys, but they can run out. The second time we borrowed them, I was in line when someone happened to return a set. They were out, so the person behind me was out of luck.

 

[Anal Annie]

Is there a fee for borrowing sand toys? I'm thinking of bringing a bucket of toys for each of my kids when we visit in Oct ... that way, if we visit any other beaches, they'll have something to use outside Aulani. We'll leave those sand toys in HI, don't need to haul them back to Chicago with us!

Are any outside floaties/innertubes allowed at Aulani? Or, are you only allowed to use what they provide?

THANKS! OP asked many of my questions too

If you're not planning on bringing the junk home with you I wouldn't waste valuable suitcase space packing anything to bring - I would just see what I could find at the local ABC Store or Target once I got there (and after determining if it was even necessary after spending a day at Aulani).

 

[nemofans]

You don't have to pay for the life vests do you?

 

[E&Cmom]

You don't have to pay for the life vests do you?

No, you don't.

 

[Mommy2Corinne]

We just got home (this morning...wah!!) from Aulani. We had an amazing trip. We arrived on the 15th, and it was definitely more crowded towards the end of the trip. Yesterday (Sunday) was the only day we saw the dreaded orange sign (meaning that Aunty's had reached capacity, which I think is 157). Luckily for us, we dropped the kids off for a last free play right when Aunty's opened for drop off at 9:30, and the sign was only up when we went to pick them up at about 11:15 right before lunch.

The rest of the time we didn't have an issue with capacity, although as previous posters mentioned, the scheduled activities filled up very quickly. You definitely need to be in line by 7:15 at the very latest to get a spot for fhe most popular activities (i.e. Stitch's space goo at 10 am). My kids absolutely loved everything about Aunty's. They begged to go every day. We did all the activities including the two premium ones...they had a blast. They liked free time too though...lots of time spent playing outside in the yard and some crafts and games. Your kids will not be bored during free time...promise.