Aulani: What's the One Thing You Wish You Knew?

[AMCSquared]

Came back from a 10 day trip not that long ago, couple random thoughts:

• If you care, keep track of room cleaning. The schedule really is hit-n-miss. If you stay with points, the cleaning is supposedly be trash/towel on day 4 and full cleaning on day 8. For whatever reason, we got full cleaning on the first 2 days until they figured out we were on points. We also paid for daily towel service, which was also inconsistent (some days we get like 3 days worth of towels and some days we get none).
• You can ask house keeping for more kitchen trash bags. There are usually some underneath the trashcan. Speaking of trash, there is a large trash/recycling bin next to the vending/ice machine room to throw out your daily trash (on days without cleaning).
• Quick dining option is somewhat limited onsite, especially for dinner. Go across the street or drive out. Yelp really is your friend for trying different food options!
• Speaking of food, go explore Japanese food around Waikiki. Since it seems like half of the tourists are from Japan, you really do get different styles of authentic Japanese food. No, Sushi (i.e. raw fish) is not the only option. We found a wonderful Udon (noodle) place with over 3k+ positive review from Yelp.
• Beaches north of Aulani (i.e. keep driving pass the power plant) is really nice. Not touristy and never crowded.
• Go to the swap meet. Get all your souvenir purchase done with reasonable prices. There are your usual touristy trinkets but also some interesting local stuff.

 

[twinmom108]

Great info here. Thanks to all who have contributed! Hubby & I are planning on going to Aulani in September 2016 to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Which weeks are best or less crowded? the 2 weeks after labor day or the last 2 weeks of September?

 

[Julylady]

We way over-scheduled our first visit to Aulani. I wish I had known how much I would love just spending time at the hotel. But we had rented a car and had plans for every one of our 4 day stay. On our last visit (also four days), we took the Speedi Shuttle from the airport (worked great!) and only rented a car one of the four days. We spent 3 full days enjoying the resort and I can't wait to return!

 

[PAdislover]

2. Aunty's. Seriously - every review, I think, says the same thing. Love/hate relationship with it. LOVE that the kids are safe, LOVE the activities they were signed up for (IN ADVANCE) - HATE that I had to wait in line at 6:45 am Friday to get dinner spots for my kids for that day. I was 8th in line at 6:45am. By 7:30, when the staff start handing out clipboards of activities & tickets, the line was about 40/50 people deep. Fish are Friends - premium, pre-register activity (my kids were registered 4 months ago), only had 3 available spots that day and was gone by person #4. Once the kids are in something, it was fabulous, dinner/lunch prices reasonable, just SERIOUSLY heed everyone's warnings and GET DOWN IN LINE BY 6:45 - or risk NOT getting into any activities/lunch/dinner!!! Person #10 wanted Stitches Space Goo - they waited over an hour to have it fill up with pre-registered families and those in front of her in line.
QUOTE]

in regards to Aunty's: so if you pre-registers for the premium stuff, like Stitch's space goo, do you still need to go down there in the morning? or are they automatically signed up? what if you just want to drop your kids off to play? can you walk up and do that in the middle of the day? or do you have still sign them up in the morning? the whole Aunty's thing seems confusing to me. I will hae a 10 and 7 year old at time of travel. I wonder if the chip and dale surf program and fish feeding program would be too babyish for a 10 year old?

 

[quinnc19]

Like the pp, I am also a bit confused. I guess my bottom line question is what Aunties options do I have if I can't wait in line? It's just going to be me and DD 8 and I don't want to leave her in the room sleeping while I wait in line. The only things I really want to do without her are go to the spa and spend some time in a lounge listening to music. She loves kid's clubs, though, and will probably want to go at other times also.

 

[quinnc19]

Sorry, duplicate post.

 

[gretchenltaylor]

What great tips! I read all 41 pages in preparation for our 10 night stay over Christmas . We are DVC members staying on points. A couple of Qs:
1) what is the cost of the Fish Are Friends program? Recommended for 9 and 11 year olds?
2). When I pre-registered my kids for Aunty's today, I was allowed to pick 3 complimentary experiences (stitch's space goo, etc) and was told I would be contacted in 48 hours and told what was scheduled for my kids....I guess I'm hoping this is a new system and I won't have to wait in line at 6:45am now??? Anyone have recent experiences with this?
3) Looking for Christmas week suggestions/tips! There was a great post about a Christmas Eve service at St Rita's Catholic Church where they hula to Silent Night. Wonder if this still happens and at what time?
4) Has anyone ever done the Christmas buffet in the ballroom? They will start taking this year's reservations on November 16. Looks great but at over $80 per person, wondering if it's truly fabulous or just like any other character buffet?
5) Any chance I'm allowed to put a small lighted Christmas tree on our balcony (using extension cord)? Rules against things on the balcony which would prevent this?
Thanks!
Gretchen

 

[nkereina]

Great info here. Thanks to all who have contributed! Hubby & I are planning on going to Aulani in September 2016 to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Which weeks are best or less crowded? the 2 weeks after labor day or the last 2 weeks of September?

Also interested in this answer! We will be at Aulani the last two weeks of September 2016 for our honeymoon. See you there!

 

[77catwoman]

I signed our daughter up and got our confirmation back as to what activities she is signed up for...it was not all three that I asked for, it was only two. In any event, I believe that she is good to go and we don't need to wait in line for this stuff. We leave in 16 days.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

This thread is the BEST

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Is photopass people available all throughout the resort; secondly do they have them by the sunsets?

Also how easy is it to meet the characters there?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We were in Aulani September 21-27 this year, and the resort was definitely crowded! I imagine it always is! We had a great time, cannot wait to go again!

 

[nkereina]

We were in Aulani September 21-27 this year, and the resort was definitely crowded! I imagine it always is! We had a great time, cannot wait to go again!

We'll be there the same week next year and I've read it's typically a slow time. Was there something going on or just more people than you expected? Also, how was the chair situation at the pool and beach? Could you get one mid-morning or did you need to be there early in the morning to get one?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We'll be there the same week next year and I've read it's typically a slow time. Was there something going on or just more people than you expected? Also, how was the chair situation at the pool and beach? Could you get one mid-morning or did you need to be there early in the morning to get one?

From the moment we arrived, the lobby was always busy. We did find a place to sit while waiting for the room, we were able to find places to sit by the pools and by the ocean, I did not feel like WDW on NYE, but yes, there were lots of people around most of the time. At 4-5 in the afternoon, the river was not particularly crowded. We did not go down particularly early in the morning, but we did go down in the morning. Sometime we did not find a convenient chair by the pool we wanted to go into, but then we would go to a different pool, and we always found something.

There is a wedding building next to the resort, and they would ring bells when there was a wedding, and we always heard bells.

There were lots of children running around, I think even more so than at a typical WDW resort. The gift shops at night were quite busy. If what we experienced was a "slow" time, I am truly amazed, I cannot image that many more people at the resort. We did get the dinner reservations we wanted, my husband was able to get a marvelous shave, we did get the ukulele lesson but that was the hardest to book, we got in finally on the wait list.

We did cook on the outside grills, often we were sharing, either we were the guests or my husband invited someone to share the grill with someone who was waiting.

We hope to go again in winter 2016-17.

Bobbi

 

[happymommy]

We are owners at the Marriott Ko Olina, and they run pretty much at 100% occupancy nearly every day of the year. I imagine even though you may think it's a slow time, that Aulani is quite busy no matter what!
We grill all the time at our resort, lunch or dinner, but maybe the Marriott has more grills. I meet so many folks grilling, but have never had to actually share a grill. That would be weird to me. We have several grill areas to use, and they're available 24/7 (but they're cleaned extensively early morning).

 

[frank808]

We are owners at the Marriott Ko Olina, and they run pretty much at 100% occupancy nearly every day of the year. I imagine even though you may think it's a slow time, that Aulani is quite busy no matter what!
We grill all the time at our resort, lunch or dinner, but maybe the Marriott has more grills. I meet so many folks grilling, but have never had to actually share a grill. That would be weird to me. We have several grill areas to use, and they're available 24/7 (but they're cleaned extensively early morning).

Marriott Koolina grills are available all day and each tower has a set of 6 to 12 gas grills. Aulani grills are only available from 4pm to 8pm daily (i might be a little off on the times available for use). Aulani only has 4 grills for the entire resort to use. It's less convenient and way more people trying to use the limited grills at Aulani.

 

[bearsgirl]

We are at Aulani right now. Note that the construction over at Four Seasons is active and somewhat loud if you are on the beach. The Starlit Hui is being held in the lobby and is an abbreviated version because the Halawai Lawn is being renovated after some heavy rains, according to a cast member. Having said that, it is our first time here and we love it!

 

[sgrap]

I've been combing through these pages and have made it about 1/4 way through so far . . . but for the sake of time: For those of you who have done various activities/excursions while staying at Aulani (but not necessarily booked through Aulani), what have been your favorite activities? We are going in early June, spending 2 nights in Waikiki before heading out to Aulani for 7 nights. We will have myself (turning 50 on the trip!), dh, and kids 24, 22, 15 and 13. Our youngest loves, loves, loves animals. 22 year old have his dive certification (and we will be celebrating his college graduation and commissioning as an army officer). Definitely want to do Pearl Harbor. What else should I consider? Anything to avoid? We will rent a car the entire time. I'm thinking of giving them a couple of 'activities' for Christmas and am a bit overwhelmed at all the options I'm finding.

Also, any suggestions for a 50th b'day? I am somewhat limited by back/neck problems and have severe motion sickness, so I'm a bit wary of some of the excursions. But would love to do something fun and special on my birthday that I could do with my family.

 

[SandyPA]

I also have sat here and read all 41 pages. Great info. I am trying to find out about transportation from Aulani. I have read there was a bus stop 1 mile away to walk too. Has anybody walked to this bus stop? is it safe walking? Where does this bus take you too and back to Aulani. We would like to go into Wakaii and dole plantation one day. Is this possible at all? Thanks,Sandy

 

[DenLo]

We have ridden the Bus all other Oahu but never from nor to Ko Olina (Aulani). You might check out The Bus website. http://www.thebus.org/default.asp?f=y&m=main

Kapolei is the nearest town to Ko Olina (Aulani) But you cannot really walk to it as it is off a highway. http://www.thebus.org/route/Maps/rm41-411-412-413-414-415.pdf I tried to find a bus stop in Ko Olina but couldn't. I am not sure the buses actually go into Ko Olina, since it is a gated community. Maybe the bus stop is just outside of the community. I couldn't find it on The Bus website though.