Aulani Construction Update

[donkthemagicllama]

The aulani music *is* for sale, but only on the Japanese iTunes Store. You can preview it here https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/dizuni-aurani-rizoto-myujikku/id543821671?l=en&ign-mpt=uo=4

I'll assume you're not Japanese... So the bad news is, you can't just buy it. However, if you can get a hold of a Japanese iTunes gift card, you can buy it from outside of Japan. I've found some places online that will sell them to you at a pretty inflated cost, but haven't tried myself yet.

 

[MarieDCL]

For those of you who have been to Aulani since the beginning of 2013, does the construction seem to be progressing at least? Does it look like some of the construction areas will be completed in the next month or two?

 

[Safflower]

FYI: There is a wedding chapel right next to Aulani that faces the lagoon. You can see it in Safflower's first photo. Its the gray roofed building on the left side in the photo. We saw several wedding parties from the chapel having their wedding pictures being taken on the beach. By the way, the wedding chapel is not affiliated with Disney.

Good luck on your wedding!!

Edited to Add: If you look closely at Safflower's photo, you can see a wedding party standing on the grass between the wedding chapel and the beach.

Yes, the wedding chapel is quite popular! Every time they rang the bells and we were in the room, we'd rush out to the balcony to watch them. So many adorable couples

For those of you who have been to Aulani since the beginning of 2013, does the construction seem to be progressing at least? Does it look like some of the construction areas will be completed in the next month or two?

The construction photos above are from 1/28 - 2/1. The area in front of Ama Ama might be completed sooner, but the area near the pool looks like it will take some time to finish.

 

[MarieDCL]

The construction photos above are from 1/28 - 2/1. The area in front of Ama Ama might be completed sooner, but the area near the pool looks like it will take some time to finish.

Thanks for the update!

 

[abonovic]

Thank you for the information. That is a little disappointing as the Waianae lawn seemed to have the best backdrop of the beach and the ocean which we wanted. We will only have a wedding party of 18-20 so the larger lawn on the Halawai Lawn is meh to me lol.

Hopefully there will be a newer location introduced which still offers the beach and ocean backdrop during the ceremony.

Setting up my sister's wedding at Aulani for this December and we wanted the Waianae lawn and thought we were booking for that pace. I just found out yesterday that it' gone and the two locations for wedding ceremonies are
:
Ama' Ama Patio - ocean view, paved patio, short aisle, right under Ama' Ama restaurant (which means a lot of spectators)

Halawai Lawn - no ocean view, large grassy area with paved aisle, long aisle

Waianae lawn, which is featured in all their early promo photos is under construction and no longer available for weddings. Which we were very disappointed to find this out because it had everything at that location: ocean view, grassy area with paved aisle, a long aisle, and near or reception location, the Rainbow Reef Patio.

So this has been confirmed with the coordinators yesterday and we're trying to decide on "no ocean view" vs "grassy area with less spectators" or go somewhere else. They need better descriptions and pictures of the sites available.

 

[mom2aidanNpiper]

Setting up my sister's wedding at Aulani for this December and we wanted the Waianae lawn and thought we were booking for that pace. I just found out yesterday that it' gone and the two locations for wedding ceremonies are
:
Ama' Ama Patio - ocean view, paved patio, short aisle, right under Ama' Ama restaurant (which means a lot of spectators)

Halawai Lawn - no ocean view, large grassy area with paved aisle, long aisle

Waianae lawn, which is featured in all their early promo photos is under construction and no longer available for weddings. Which we were very disappointed to find this out because it had everything at that location: ocean view, grassy area with paved aisle, a long aisle, and near or reception location, the Rainbow Reef Patio.

So this has been confirmed with the coordinators yesterday and we're trying to decide on "no ocean view" vs "grassy area with less spectators" or go somewhere else. They need better descriptions and pictures of the sites available.

If you decide to go somewhere else, I highly recommend Turtle Bay resort. I got married there last year but stayed offsite at a beach house in Haleiwa. they had multiple locations available (including ceremony only if thats what you are after). We got married at their stables beach. Right in the sand, totally private, but still had grassy areas, stables, a barn, etc for photo ops. We didn't do a reception there though. It was lovely!

My dis trip report here (index in post 1, go to wedding day post for pics)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2877757

 

[MarieDCL]

Hey everyone!

Does anyone have an update regarding the construction at Aulani? Any progress in the past month?

Thanks much!

 

[Stitch_lover_Sith]

Just got done with 11 nights at Aulani. Stayed in villa 653 and 266. One had a view of the convention center patio. The other overlooked the starlit hui lawn. During the stay the Holoholo travel area moved and the resort mug refill station got closed.

The menehune bridge was open everyday we were there. One day it closed early at 4 rather than 5. The main pool and slides were open everyday we were there.

Didn't eat at many of the resort food choices. The new quick service down by the beach has opened. The resort mug refill station at Lava Shack is open 24 hours and the one by One Paddle, Two Paddles is open from 5-8pm.

During the days we spent in the resort grounds did not really hear any construction. When were were in 266 the thing that bugged us the most was the starlit hui and dance party afterwards. When I checked out the DVC preview room you could see the new pool area and water play area are going in well. The old quite pool looks like it is going to need some work once the new area is finished. Looked like construction materials in it.

Got both the pin and the art during the stay. Overall not as bad as the Sheraton on the Big Island when it was under renovations.

 

[Fuhnuh]

We have been to Aulani three times. Construction was going on last Thanksgiving when we visited and didn't affect our trip at all. We'll be going in June and Thanksgiving again. We just tried reserving a cabana for the Thanksgiving trip and were told they weren't taking reservations because they did not know what point the construction would be at. I hope they have most of it finished by then.

 

[MarieDCL]

Hey everyone! Has anyone been to Aulani in April? How was the construction going? Have they finished any of the planned enhancements yet?

 

[ssusca]

I'm heading down there in August and was wondering the same thing.

 

[Cinderpamela]

Here is the latest update report that I have found.... its from May 28 and it has pictures:

http://www.disneybymark.com/2013/05/28/aulani-resort-construction-update-2/

Since the DIS unplugged was just there, I am hoping they will soon have an update as well!

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Thank you so much for posting this link.

We love Aulani like so many here. Does anyone else continue to wonder how Disney got it so wrong on the first go-around and has had to do all of this work on such a new property? I feel badly about all the re-work, but am grateful for the enhancements and additions.

 

[wdrl]

Thank you so much for posting this link.

We love Aulani like so many here. Does anyone else continue to wonder how Disney got it so wrong on the first go-around and has had to do all of this work on such a new property? I feel badly about all the re-work, but am grateful for the enhancements and additions.

I have not heard anything official, but the most common rumor I hear is that Disney did not anticipate how many guests would spend almost all of their time at the resort. Disney, thought that most guests would spend a lot of time away from the resort, seeing and doing things on Oahu.

 

[Cinderpamela]

the most common rumor I hear is that Disney did not anticipate how many guests would spend almost all of their time at the resort. Disney, thought that most guests would spend a lot of time away from the resort, seeing and doing things on Oahu.

I agree with wdrl... that explanation really makes the most sense. At all of their other Disney resorts folks do other activities for the day, but with Aulani, while we did do some touring around the island on the first 3 days, it was so nice to just relax there and take it all in.

 

[disneynutz]

I have not heard anything official, but the most common rumor I hear is that Disney did not anticipate how many guests would spend almost all of their time at the resort. Disney, thought that most guests would spend a lot of time away from the resort, seeing and doing things on Oahu.

While that makes sense, Disney is all about keeping guests on Disney property, that's why they pay for DME for WDW guests . Maybe the changes are being used to keep even more guests from venturing off property.

Bill

 

[Anal Annie]

Here is the latest update report that I have found.... its from May 28 and it has pictures:

http://www.disneybymark.com/2013/05/28/aulani-resort-construction-update-2/

Since the DIS unplugged was just there, I am hoping they will soon have an update as well!

Wow. So now the estimated completion is October? This project gets worse by the day. Before you know it it will be a full year. I was so hoping something would be done by when we go in August so those cabanas would be back. Kinda wishing we'd have waited another year to go.

 

[Cinderpamela]

You never know Annie... a lot can get done in a couple of months, if you look at the update that the site I linked posted from back in April you can see they are moving along at what seems to be a much quicker pace than before. It probably won't be complete by the time you go, but the Cabanas might be do able by then? *fingers crossed*

 

[Anal Annie]

You never know Annie... a lot can get done in a couple of months, if you look at the update that the site I linked posted from back in April you can see they are moving along at what seems to be a much quicker pace than before. It probably won't be complete by the time you go, but the Cabanas might be do able by then? *fingers crossed*

You are more positive than me...once they said they moved that construction wall to encompass the cabana area I figure it's there to stay until the project is done. If the original estimate for completion was June and now it's end of Sept. / Oct. I don't think they really have a clue when it will be done or how long it will take. The scope of the project was obviously bigger than the construction group that won the bid realized (or acknowledged). They probably said June to win the bid and it was just a big promise that there was no way to meet. (Do I sound bitter?! I am. Not only will we not get to take advantage of the new areas but I am really irked about the loss of those cabanas. )

 

[dianeschlicht]

WOW! Thanks for the update! A lot has happened since we were there in February! Maybe when it's done, that area will help keep the little ones out of the adult hot tubs.