At Aulani now - seems packed

[EllinK]

Checked in around 1:30 pm for a pool view room. Had requested highest floor possible. Found out i was booked into first floor. I know they can't always honor requests but really?! Got a room just after 3 in spite of checking in on line. Resort is beautiful. Finding a seat by the pool will be a real challenge.

Walked over to Monkeypod for happy hour/ dinner and it was great.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Checked in around 1:30 pm for a pool view room. Had requested highest floor possible. Found out i was booked into first floor. I know they can't always honor requests but really?! Got a room just after 3 in spite of checking in on line. Resort is beautiful. Finding a seat by the pool will be a real challenge.

Walked over to Monkeypod for happy hour/ dinner and it was great.

My son and daughter-in-law were there last week on their honeymoon in a ocean view studio ...room requests were met but.they were told they were lucky they were there that week since the resort was about half full...and .this week it was almost at capacity .....

 

[wanderlust17]

It's spring break here in Hawaii so that's part of the reason it is so crowded there! We will be there in 15 days. Can't wait! Enjoy!

 

[kkmcan]

We just got back today ( I'd like to do trip report but I'm just too tired after our red eye flight home- will try tomorrow). Anyhow, we thought it was pretty packed between the hours of 1:00-5:00 around the pools. If you head out early, say around 9:00 its very nice and you can have your pick of loungers. Once 5:00 hits, everyone clears out. The pool area was like a ghost town during the evenings. So our plan was to eat breakfast, swim and then head in right after lunch. It worked perfectly. It was getting extremely warm by that time anyways.

The mornings sitting on a lounger on the sand were amazing. Nice and cool with the breeze. Good views and good people watching. Just loved it and didn't want to leave my chair.

Yesterday we watched the life guards swim out to the area between the two middle rocks to rescue people kayaking who had gone into that no swim zone and were being pulled out into the ocean.

 

[georgiasmom]

We have been here since Saturday. It does seem a little crowded and like others have said it's Hawaii school vacation week. It still isn't as crowded as a DW resort during Northeast school vacation weeks

A

 

[jerseygal]

Many colleges do have off for "spring" break various weeks in March.

My guess is that this resort will be more crowded as most top resorts are from now till at LEAST one week after Easter!

Folks traveling during PEAK TIMES should realize that it might be more difficult finding chairs, etc. That is just the reality of traveling during breaks when "everyone" wants to be away!

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[DisSarahK]

We arrive in six days. I guess I didn't expect it to be quite that crowded since they ran a promotion--or maybe that is part of the reason for the crowding. I rebooked our reservation to take advantage of the "stay for four, pay for three" (plus free breakfasts) promo they had running for the regular hotel rooms. It works out really well for the eight night stay we have planned. Sounds like that helped fill up the resort.

 

[georgiasmom]

As for finding chairs the pool staff are very good about the 1 hour rule. They are always monitoring and timing and they will take your stuff if left there for an hour. That makes it a little easier to get a chair

A

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

We just got back today ( I'd like to do trip report but I'm just too tired after our red eye flight home- will try tomorrow). Anyhow, we thought it was pretty packed between the hours of 1:00-5:00 around the pools. If you head out early, say around 9:00 its very nice and you can have your pick of loungers. Once 5:00 hits, everyone clears out. The pool area was like a ghost town during the evenings. So our plan was to eat breakfast, swim and then head in right after lunch. It worked perfectly. It was getting extremely warm by that time anyways.

The mornings sitting on a lounger on the sand were amazing. Nice and cool with the breeze. Good views and good people watching. Just loved it and didn't want to leave my chair.

Yesterday we watched the life guards swim out to the area between the two middle rocks to rescue people kayaking who had gone into that no swim zone and were being pulled out into the ocean.

Interesting! We were told there were no life guards for that beach. Maybe it was more of Aulani wanting to rescue their equipment I always found it hard to believe that if something happened in the cove that none of the Aulani staff would do anything.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Checked in around 1:30 pm for a pool view room. Had requested highest floor possible. Found out i was booked into first floor. I know they can't always honor requests but really?! Got a room just after 3 in spite of checking in on line. Resort is beautiful. Finding a seat by the pool will be a real challenge.

Walked over to Monkeypod for happy hour/ dinner and it was great.

Did they move you or did you have to take 1st floor

 

[EllinK]

Did they move you or did you have to take 1st floor

They did move me. I waited a few hours with my luggage stacked beside me (in spite of checking on online) and was given a room behind a palm tree. Oh well.

 

[DenLo]

They did move me. I waited a few hours with my luggage stacked beside me (in spite of checking on online) and was given a room behind a palm tree. Oh well.

Oh I am sorry to here that. We always check our luggage with Bell Services after checking in as the rooms often aren't available until 3 PM at Aulani. We always pack our swimsuits in a carry on so we can change in the Luana Lounge and then return that last piece of luggage to bell services before exploring or lounging at the pool. There is also a safe at the check in for valuables.

 

[amypetecar]

Finding a seat by the pool will be a real challenge.

Yep! While a beautiful resort, we were very frustrated to spend that much money to find the resort so crowded. While expected in theme parks, most Hawaiian resorts in that price range offer exclusivity and seclusion. They actually sell day tickets to their resort amenities to non guests.

 

[SGDisneyFam]

They actually sell day tickets to their resort amenities to non guests.

Really? I thought i had read in a thread a while back that they don't do this?

 

[DisSarahK]

They actually sell day tickets to their resort amenities to non guests.

*really?* I'm shocked because I've read elsewhere that this is not the case. I even remember passengers on the DCL cruise to Hawaii who inquired about passes (they did a tour of Aulani) and were told the resort didn't sell them.

 

[wanderlust17]

No that's not true. We live here and they definitely don't sell day passes.

 

[DisSarahK]

I feel better--I just checked the Aulani FAQ and they do not sell day passes. It must just be crowded due to spring break and the promo they did.

http://resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort/faq/resort-information-faq/

 

[frank808]

Yep! While a beautiful resort, we were very frustrated to spend that much money to find the resort so crowded. While expected in theme parks, most Hawaiian resorts in that price range offer exclusivity and seclusion. They actually sell day tickets to their resort amenities to non guests.

Wow that is news to me. Where do I go and who do I ask for the day tickets? I have asked and was told that they do not sell passes and you must be a registered guest at Aulani to use the lazy river and such. I would rather buy a day pass and save my points since I live less than 5 minutes down the road. You can PM me with the info if you do not want to post your inside source here.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

They do not sell day passes, but a cast member could pass along a wristband to family or friends. I don't know how they restrict that.

 

[Anal Annie]

As for finding chairs the pool staff are very good about the 1 hour rule. They are always monitoring and timing and they will take your stuff if left there for an hour. That makes it a little easier to get a chair

A

So if you leave your stuff like maybe a pool bag & books & other personal items & go for a walk or down to the beach for awhile or back to your room for lunch for example and are gone for more than an hour they'll just TAKE YOUR STUFF? That seems wrong. I mean I understand if you've gone down early to "save seats" that should be enforced but if you're obviously still really USING the seats and have just gone somewhere else for awhile that doesn't seem right. Especially if you've gone for lunch or something. I won't like having to feel like I'm on a time clock whenever I get up to explore another area for awhile.