Aulani concerns

[jagson]

Having second thoughts about going to Aulani, was thinking about going in Sept, but from what I read, the place is overpriced, the food underwhelming and overpriced; and already bad reports about the rooms. I believe in making my on conclusions, but this would be a very expensive trip just to find out for myself if the reports are accurate. I suspect this is mostly a complaint board, and only get mostly the negatives. Please, if out there, I'd like to get more feedback on Aulani. Thumbs up or down on Aulani?

 

[vicki_c]

Interesting - I haven't been reading the Aulani threads since we're not planning on a trip there, but judging from the titles of Aulani threads on the boards, I felt that I've seen mostly glowing reviews. I must be missing all the complaint ones.

In terms of overpriced, unless someone is comparing Aulani to other Hawaii-resorts (and maybe they are), I would take that with a grain of salt.

 

[msabol01]

We are going in July, based on some of the reviews I've come across, I am more inclined now to easting most meals off property or cooking in our room. Also, keep in mind milage may vary when it comes to dining experiences so it is worth trying some meals on property. I think having realistic expectations going in and hoping for improvements are key.

 

[ciao_gina]

Hmmm, while I agree with you that the restaurant reviews reflect overpriced mediocre food, I am not sure where you are reading negative reviews about the rooms-maybe the standard views???

Are you planning on getting a car? I think half the fun in a vacation is finding good inexpensive local food and there are plenty of them on Oahu. Plus we always buy groceries and make food no matter where we are staying.

If you don't want to rent a car or cook in your room, then yes you may want to pick a resort with better food.

I don't see this as a complaint board at all.

 

[vacationclub]

As someone who went there in the first 2 weeks of operation, I can tell you Aulani is incredible. In terms of overpriced, that's tough to say since we're in DVC so we don't really pay cash, but the points cost more. As far as an overall experience it's a wonderful place. And the rooms are beautiful, very similar in design to other DVC resorts. Great views too.

The major negative at Aulani is the food....it's downright horrible, as confirmed by two different reviews on the DIS podcast. Very few choices and extremely overpriced. Ama Ama is the most overpriced eating experience I've ever had.

Just be prepared to walk or drive across the street for food, and even to drive a couple miles to the local retail district for various chain restaurants, grocery stores, etc.

 

[jel0511]

EVERYTHING on Hawaii is overpriced in comparison to the mainland. Luckily we've been to Hawaii before and are prepared for the sticker shock. We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon 17 years ago, and I remember paying 39.99 per person for a breakfast buffet!

 

[bwvBound]

Wow -- it was Thumbs UP from us! We stayed 8 nights last Sept and had a really great time. That said, we know the island, mixed some business objectives into our trip, caught up with friends now living on the island, cooked most of our own meals in that lovely kitchen, did lots of snorkeling using gear we brought with us, participated in the free fitness classes and otherwise "chilled." It was fantastic!

 

[Jack's dad]

We just got back from a stay over Christmas for a week, and even though I have very high expectations from DVC places, Aulani even surpassed those!

The rooms were fantastic - we had a 2nd bedroom lockoff, so we saw both the studio and the 1 bedroom. It looked completely brand new - not a sign of anything wrong or worn. the lobby, the pool area, the lagoon .... all absolutely beautiful!

Sure, the quick service meals at Off the Hook or One Paddle / Two Paddle weren't the best value as they seemed to be in the $13.00 per person range. But that's Hawaii, it seems. And the food was fairly good, and somewhat different. I liked the option of wraps, pulled pork or fish tacos rather than simply chicken strips or burgers. (try the pulled pork sandwich - unique and VERY good!) The menu was limited, with only about 6 or 7 options, so that was the thing that bothered me the most.

Admittedly we avoided the most expensive restaurant - AMA AMA. Way too expensive, and since we could hang out and have that same exact view any time of the day, the fact that it was out closest to the ocean wasn't justification enough to pay those prices.

However, we did the evening buffet for dinnner one night ... it was UNBELIEVEABLE!! BEST buffet I've ever tasted, and we have been to many of them - including all of them at WDW. Every single option was unique, and the highest quality, and tasted amazine. Of course it was too expensive to do it more than once for our group of 6 - since I walked out over $300 lighter, including the tip. But I would certainly recommend doing it once if it's not too expensive.

Add in the free parking to DVC members, and every single one of the staff was as nice, polite and pleasant as anyone you'd find down at WDW, and our experience was fantastic. In all, we did this trip with the assumption that this would be the one and only time that we visited Aulani, since it is such a big expense and long trip for us from Chicago ... but we enjoyed it so much that we are already thinking of going back, and definitely staying at Aulani.

One other point ... we couldn't get reservations at Aulani for our last day in Hawaii since they were completely booked, so we got a couple of rooms for our family in Waikiki. Stayed at the Outrigger on the Beach which was very nice for Waikiki, and admittedly quite expensive compared to what we are used to paying for rooms. Well I was stunned at how disappointed I was as soon as we walked into the room, but not because it was bad or ugly or rundown really ... but just because we were comparing it in our minds to Aulani. It was SO disappointing that I can't imagine staying anywhere but at Aulani on Oahu, and we still can't accept that there isn't a DVC option on Maui or on another island!

I'd suggest not getting too scared away. It was great, and there's a nice mexican place that is across the street and walking distance from the resort that you should also try.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[valeriekc]

Our family will be there in March and we will have to let you know.
My impression is consistent with most of the previous replies in that the restaurants are underwhelming to poor.
Regarding dining prices you must remember, this is Disney and food is always overpriced in my opinion and then factor in that you are in Hawaii which is quite expensive for everything (not just food).
We will probably try one of the options onsite but will have a car and plan to take advantage of that.

As far as lodging costs, we are (obviously) DVC members and will be staying on points. We feel the dollars to points exchange is pretty normal for Disney with this type of destination.

We're hopeful everything will be splendid, hope that you will find the same!

 

[snackyx]

Just got back from staying at Aulani over New Years, and just to address the food issue: it is expensive, as are most places in Hawaii, but this is REALLY expensive. The buffet was $42/person, as was average at best--I would not revisit it unless there are significant changes. Ama Ama is good, not great, but good, buy very, very expensive. The most surprising aspect of Aulani dining was the lack of casual dining (and by casual I mean not $40/entree). They advise to go to their general store for take-out items (sandwiches, wraps, etc), where I found a few wraps in a cooler for $13 each and not much else...and these wraps did not look very impressive.

My advise: make sure you hvae a car--the cab fair to/from the airport alone will cost you a good chunk of what a car rental would. You can walk across the street from Aulani for limited, but pretty good, options. Just Tacos is OK Mexican food, but prices are far less than the resorts. Hawaiian BBQ has good lunch/dinner pleates for about $10. ABC Stores (which literally appear on every block at Waikiki) have opened a new type of store that features pre-made foods and a deli, with some custom made sandwiches and salads. Don't discount this option--the food is pretty good and very reasonable--popular spot with locals. The wrap sandwiches at ABC are about $6-7, and twice the size of the wraps at the Aulani general store for $13. The prices at ABC were actually better on many items that we bought at Target in Barber's Point (about 2 miles away).

 

[cad8689]

We are planning to go to Aulani in September. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary with our 3 married children and their spouses. All this information has been great for our planning. Thanks for allowing me to share in this information.
Carol

 

[disneynutz]

I think everyone needs to give Aulani a try at least once and decide for themselves. Be prepared to dig deep into your wallets and enjoy the experience.

That being said, for us WDW has so much more to offer. If your experience isn't great in one park, you can go to another. If you don't want to pay Disney's prices for food there are great restaurants and stores close to WDW.

Bill

 

[taaren]

I posted a mini-TR of our weekend there last month, but the short version is that it is an amazing resort, with some glitches. Because it is new there were more glitches there than we ever experienced at our home resort, VGC, but I wouldn't consider the food or experience overall "mediocre".

People want to share the good the bad the ugly. I don't think anybody that stayed there has said they've had a bad trip. For us the ocean view was breathtaking, Ama Ama lunch was delicious, and we did the weekend really cheaply since we rented a car in downtown Honolulu and ate off-site mostly, just importing some delicious pastries for breakfast.

In general, as a local, food places and attractions that target tourists are overpriced. That doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of delicious and fun options that the rest of us can comfortably afford, its just a matter of finding them. I think this is true in Hawaii and in any resort town ... and in fact one of the better features of owning a timeshare is being able to discover these and return to them year after year ... knowing where you want to splurge and where the steals are that are still delightful is part of the fun.

 

[DVC_Corrys]

We went for 8 days in Christmas, it was overall AWESOME.

- Cast Members, over the top friendly
- Food, WAY OVER PRICED (HINT - there is a Costco/Target/Safeway 4 miles away with "normal prices" and Just Tacos accross the street is awesome.)- Property and Rooms were great!

You have to remember this is Hawaii not Central Florida, so it will be more money and then add Disney prices and you have a perfect cash storm. Food/Merch was out of control.

Now, they are slowly lowering prices due to "guest feedback" aka complaints. The resort mug was 33 when the place opened and now is 19... food at one paddle/two paddle has dropped about 8-10 dollars a plate from opening. This is a positive to me.

 

[crisi]

Hawaii is expensive, resort food is expensive, and honestly, Disney hasn't done food well for the price for a decade or longer. Rent a car, get a guidebook, and talk to locals. Hawaii is a tourist economy - there are plenty of restaurants - few of them "mainland cheap" but many of them much less expensive than what you'll find at the resorts and much more reasonable.

The car will likely be more expensive, the gas will likely be more expensive....its an expensive vacation even done "on the cheap."

(I haven't been to Oahu - or obviously Aulani) I have been to Maui and the Big Island and had the same concerns when we went. Hawaii itself is incredible).

 

[TDC Nala]

from what I understand pretty much all of Hawaii is overpriced, and if you are going to Aulani you need a car unless you want to do everything actually at the resort.

And if you have a car you might as well eat elsewhere soemtimes, or make a grocery run for your villa.

 

[Anal Annie]

We have been to Hawaii several times - and it is all overpriced when it comes to dining out. Oahu is actually the cheapest island IMO. You could always drive into Waikiki and eat at some restaurants there like the Cheesecake Factory or Planet Hollywood or the Hula Grill...but you'd still be paying top dollar there too. As others have already said, go shopping & stock your villa with the essentials & you'll enjoy yourself a whole lot more than you would if you were worried about how much every meal was costing you. Don't deprive yourself entirely. Plan to dine out for like 3 dinners and budget for some big bucks for them before you go. We just practically had heart failure in Europe last summer when we sat down in Monaco to order pizzas for lunch & it was going to cost us the equivalent of $80 for the 3 of us!! We opted to go back to the ship to eat! Traveling is not cheap these days. Best advice is to accept it and plan for it before you go.

 

[mgodfre3]

Im currently at Aulani writing this as I speak. I have made a trip report with some negative things and some positive things but after a week here the wow factor has worn off. This resort is AMAZING! It is everything I could have dreamed for with a Disney vacation and it has made me appreciate DVC even more. The resort, cast members and activities are great. The food is the one sore thumb in the resort, as tonight we went to Panda Express for dinner and had Taco Bell for lunch, so the fact we had to eat fast food chains and leave the resort for both meal sis frustrating. We have eaten at Ama Ama, One Paddle Two Paddle and poolside. We also tried poolside dining from the JW next door. Ama Ama is worth dining at once, but go to Roys(it will be open by september and GET the chocolate soufflé). The other restaurants are fine, but Disney is making improvements every day. We noticed Olelolo Room and Off the Hook have appetizer menus at 5 now. We looked at Makahiki several times and the cost did not line up with what we thought we would eat after browsing the buffet lines a couple of times. My advice RENT A CAR! You can save money on food and get bette options. You spend the cost difference on the car but you don't want to stay at the resort the whole time anyway.

The nightlife at Aulani is kind of a work in progress to. After sunset and dinner the place grinds to a halt. If the Starlight Hui is that night...GREAT. Tonight (Friday) was movie night and as it was fun. I wanted something more to do, like dancing. They have live music in the Olelolo room every night, but its Hawaian music and after listening to the same CD of Hawaiian music by the pool all day, its the last thing I wanted to hear.

Do come to Aulani you won't regret it. But realize it has some growing pains that I'm sure a year will improve.

Must Do Advice: try Rainbow Reef, Pau Hana Room activities, Rent A Car, Relax and do nothing by the pool, get snacks and beers(if you drink, and there is a waiters knife in the rooms), try a shave ice and a mickey ice cream bar by the pool and take things with a grain of salt.

Things that need improvement: Food Options (both in resort and across the street. Im thinking I need to invest in a Earl of Sandwich, Chipotle and Wolfgang Puck Express franchises in Ko Olina haha) Nighttime Activities


Try it, it is an amazing place that I don't want to leave!

 

[kjd469]

Just got back from a 5 night stay and had a fabulous time! Thought the resort was beautiful, our villa was like brand new, the beach was awesome, the staff was the friendliest we have encountered anywhere! We bought the refillable mugs for 18.99 and honestly, we don't feel that is a bad price considering how much we used them. We went to Target and Costco and stocked up on breakfast items and snacks for our Studio, and with the exception of 1 lunch poolside - pulled pork sandwiches which were yummy, and breakfast at AmaAma which we thought was delicious, we went into "town" which was a 5 minute drive, for all of our other meals. We didn't find that to be a problem at all, and actually don't enjoy spending every minute at the resort - we like to drive around and experience a location and the different foods it offers, not just insulate ourselves at a resort. Definitely rent a car - booking as far in advance as possible gets you the best rate!

A vacation to Hawaii is not cheap, and will be what you make of it. If you go with the attitude that everything is overpriced and mediocre then that is probably going to dampen your experience. If you plan ahead, go with realistic expectations, and accept the fact that it will cost more then you will have a fantastic time! I hope you go and have a fantastic time

 

[polarprincess]

KJD469, I am curious, did you feel like 5 nights was plenty? we only booked 5 nights because we got the grand opening special of buy 4 nights get one free, didnt want to spend 500 for another night, and my hubby didnt want to switch hotels, but we have had a lot of regrets about it and worry it wont feel like enough time. every day we have been kicking ourselves. would love to hear your opinion. i would also love to ask how paying for things goes.. does everything on the resort just get charged to your room from a key you carry around or do we need to carry around cash to buy food, shaved ice, pay for rainbow reef etc. and where will we get those mugs at? i imagine there must be some store there or do they sell them right at the lobby? i figure they are expensive for 18.00 but you also have to take into consideration you are leaving with a souvenier as well. i wonder though how much we will really get to use them as what do you do with them when you go swimming and stuff. i have a feeling i am going to be spending all day watching the mugs and cameras etc while everyone else is having fuquestion