Aulani Villas & Views -- REVISED 07/22/2017

[jerseygal]

Thanks for posting the gorgeous views!

Boy, does that ocean look INVITING! CAN'T WAIT FOR OUR MAY AULANI TRIP!!!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Finished booking the last of our flights yesterday….hoping I made the right decision on them….looking forward now to planning the REST of our trip!!

 

[carissa1970]

Finished booking the last of our flights yesterday….hoping I made the right decision on them….looking forward now to planning the REST of our trip!!

When are you going? The prices for June haven't moved in months and they are way to expensive to book. Hoping they drop!

 

[poohj80]

When are you going? The prices for June haven't moved in months and they are way to expensive to book. Hoping they drop!

Our flight for March didn't drop until the first week of January and I had been watching them since we booked at the 7 month window.

 

[Anal Annie]

When are you going? The prices for June haven't moved in months and they are way to expensive to book. Hoping they drop!

We're going in August. LAST January when I planned this trip for last summer I was able to get all of our flights (DC to LA then LA to HNL; then HNL to Maui and finally home from Maui) for $1,071 pp. This year I spent $1,334 pp (but we still had $799 in credits coming from Hawaiian and Alaska Air). The real killer on price this time was the leg from LAX to HNL. The prices literally drop by $100 a week AFTER we're going. But we have to go when we're going - we can't postpone by a week because of school starting. That's probably why the prices drop when they do.

After I booked last year the prices started going UP right after I booked and I never saw them come back down. I think once prices start going up if there are any sales later they are just for about what the prices were earlier. I found a Hawaiian website a few days ago that had a blurb about how much higher the airfares are this year to/from Hawaii and it was basically saying that nearly all of the airlines have reduced the number of flights that they offer every day so that there is less supply and more demand - so they can charge more. It also said that they expect all of the flights to sell out earlier because there are fewer seats. So I just went ahead & finished booking. I had already used our credits from Alaska & Hawaiian - I had just been fretting over the hop from LA and I just wanted it DONE and I didn't want to watch it start to go UP.

 

[jerseygal]

Prices for United from June-August are RIDICULOUS from Newark to Honolulu nonstop! Started to rise about 2 days after my 7 month booking window!

At 7 month, rtrip nonstop was $715 which was the case for about 2 months prior to when I began tracking it...Thought for sure it would hold steady at the 7 month booking window, and then the next day went through the roof even for May, June-August fares are herendous!

Snagged a FABULOUS FARE, NONSTOP FLIGHT FROM NEWARK TO HONOLULU VIA UNITED,THE LOWEST OF THE SUMMER AT $756!!!!

The BEST of LUCK for those trying to secure airlines! Ridiculous, the pricing these days!

CANNOT WAIT FOR OUR AULANI TRIP IN MAY!

 

[jekjones1558]

Room 1052, ocean view 1 bedroom, Ewa building.

Looking right:


Looking left:


Looking down:


Balcony size:

 

[Anal Annie]

Ok peeps....I am having flashbacks!! My ds had another pneumothorax last night on his other lung!!!! So we spent last nite in the ER getting a chest xray and a chest tube. Now we are back in the hospital waiting for surgery tomorrow. The thoracic surgeon said this only happens to both lungs about 10% of the time! Just weird that I went online & booked Pearl Harbor yesterday and then he gets the same thing that caused us to have to cancel last year. Hoping this is THE LAST ONE ever!!

 

[jekjones1558]

Ok peeps....I am having flashbacks!! My ds had another pneumothorax last night on his other lung!!!! So we spent last nite in the ER getting a chest xray and a chest tube. Now we are back in the hospital waiting for surgery tomorrow. The thoracic surgeon said this only happens to both lungs about 10% of the time! Just weird that I went online & booked Pearl Harbor yesterday and then he gets the same thing that caused us to have to cancel last year. Hoping this is THE LAST ONE ever!!

OMG! That is scary! Sending healing thoughts your way.

 

[matthew schmidt111]

We will be leaving in 4 weeks with DW for 25th anniversary (no kids this trip)... I will be in a ocean view studio for 10 days.. I have been studying these boards for 6 months.... I know I need a hobby I need help or more like reassurance.. 1.) when can you make room request? 2.) l would like a room with a sunset.. so I should look at Ewa building?? 3.) any ideas of any special excursions/dinners.. we will be doing Ama Ama and a catamaran, and a luau.. will have a car.. thanks for all your help.. we will be coming from the east coast and I'm done with winter..

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

For some reason my account says at the bottom of the page "you may not post attachments". Any idea how to change that so I can add my views?

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

We will be leaving in 4 weeks with DW for 25th anniversary (no kids this trip)... I will be in a ocean view studio for 10 days.. I have been studying these boards for 6 months.... I know I need a hobby I need help or more like reassurance.. 1.) when can you make room request? 2.) l would like a room with a sunset.. so I should look at Ewa building?? 3.) any ideas of any special excursions/dinners.. we will be doing Ama Ama and a catamaran, and a luau.. will have a car.. thanks for all your help.. we will be coming from the east coast and I'm done with winter..

How exciting for you!!! And don't worry, you're not the only one who spends an "unhealthy" amount of time on these boards. I use them for planning and then as a source of vicarious living through others in between trips

I would go ahead and put your room request in now. My feeling is that the Ewa buildings face more toward the part of the horizon where the sun actually goes down. If it were me, I would request the highest room possible to get the most sweeping view. We just returned Sunday and were on the 14th floor. I LOVED it!! Best view we've ever had!


To me, Roy's is the old stand by for a nice dinner out. http://royshawaii.com/locations/roys-ko-olina/menu/

I have heard great things about Chucks Steak House down at the Marriott down by the marina (about a 5 minute walk from Aulani going down the ocean front walking path) as well as Azuls (Italian) at the Marriott on the north side of Aulani. I will tell you though that I have not eaten at either of these myself, but am basing this off of recommendations from CM and other Aulani guests who have.

Everyone at the concierge desk at Aulani is amazing and incredibly helpful. Do not hesitate to seek them out for recommendations! I wish I remembered the name of the gentleman that helped me with our day at the North Shore, but he gave me so many local/insider tips and recommendations of what to see and do that it really just made the day amazing. He never tried to sell me on an excursion or anything that would provide a kickback or incentive to Disney. He was just giving good service, which I greatly appreciated!

Have a great trip!

 

[LisaT91403]

I have heard great things about Chucks Steak House down at the Marriott down by the marina (about a 5 minute walk from Aulani going down the ocean front walking path) as well as Azuls (Italian) at the Marriott on the north side of Aulani. I will tell you though that I have not eaten at either of these myself, but am basing this off of recommendations from CM and other Aulani guests who have.

We went to Chuck's on our last visit to Aulani, and were not impressed. The salad bar was yucky (think iceberg lettuce, canned beans, yucky potato salad and the like). The salad bar at my local grocery store is 1000x better. The entrees were "okay" at best (some worse than okay), and expensive. If you have a car, I would skip Chuck's and go get a decent steak somewhere else. We only went because there was a shuttle from Aulani and we had no place else to eat on Christmas Eve. Chuck's does not take reservations, so that's why we were able to eat there.

And if you want steak, you could go to Outback in Kapolei and have a steak MUCH better than Chuck's at a fraction of the price.

 

[matthew schmidt111]

thanks for all the great info .... stupid question though, who do I call for room request? hotel or guest services?

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

thanks for all the great info .... stupid question though, who do I call for room request? hotel or guest services?[/QUOTE

If you are staying in a hotel room, just call the reservation line. If you're DVC, just call member services. Also, if you log on to either the Aulani or DVC site (if you're a member) during the day you will often times get one of those "chat with me" options. I have sent my request via live chat more than once and have been successful. Just have your reservation number with you when you log onto the site so you're read.

I would also make sure they know this is a special occasion (anniversary). You may receive some extra courtesy because of that. If nothing else, it doesn't hurt to mention it

 

[matthew schmidt111]

Thanks Soccerluvinmama again for the great info. We are dvc members and will log in to the site tomorrow... I can't wait to get there !!!

 

[jerseygal]

Congrats on your 25th Anniversary! There probably is no better place than to celebrate and childless too!
I hope that you ENJOY and will post some of your experiences and perhaps a !
photo of your room!

We too will be having a combined celebration in May! Our youngest son will be graduating High School and we will be celebrating our 31st Anniversary!
Just cannot wait for this beautiful resort!The weather AGAIN on the whole north-southeast coast is so cold, snowy, and icy that everyone is ready for SPRING AND SUMMER!

Thanks for the feedback about Chucks! We frequent Outback and I must say that for the value you cannot get better! Very nice Salad, choice of starch or vegetable, and the steaks are usually cooked to our liking! Think I will do more research on reviews about Chucks! Thanks for the tip on Azuls! Will research that one as well!

ENJOY YOUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY!

 

[jabberwock1]

How exciting for you!!! And don't worry, you're not the only one who spends an "unhealthy" amount of time on these boards. I use them for planning and then as a source of vicarious living through others in between trips

I would go ahead and put your room request in now. My feeling is that the Ewa buildings face more toward the part of the horizon where the sun actually goes down. If it were me, I would request the highest room possible to get the most sweeping view. We just returned Sunday and were on the 14th floor. I LOVED it!! Best view we've ever had!


To me, Roy's is the old stand by for a nice dinner out. http://royshawaii.com/locations/roys-ko-olina/menu/

I have heard great things about Chucks Steak House down at the Marriott down by the marina (about a 5 minute walk from Aulani going down the ocean front walking path) as well as Azuls (Italian) at the Marriott on the north side of Aulani. I will tell you though that I have not eaten at either of these myself, but am basing this off of recommendations from CM and other Aulani guests who have.

Everyone at the concierge desk at Aulani is amazing and incredibly helpful. Do not hesitate to seek them out for recommendations! I wish I remembered the name of the gentleman that helped me with our day at the North Shore, but he gave me so many local/insider tips and recommendations of what to see and do that it really just made the day amazing. He never tried to sell me on an excursion or anything that would provide a kickback or incentive to Disney. He was just giving good service, which I greatly appreciated!

Have a great trip!

Thanks for the restaurant suggestions! I have also heard that people like Monkeypod and enjoy their happy hour. I am wondering if people have had luck with same day reservations at these restaurants. I already have reservations at Aulani restaurants but would rather leave other dining plans until we get there.

 

[matthew schmidt111]

Thanks Jerseygal... congrats on your anniversary and son's graduation Just finished shoveling heavy wet snow for 2 hours 79 degrees on Honolulu today... I want me feet in some warm sand... I have reservation at Monkeypod restaurant.. I have heard some good things about it.

 

[matthew schmidt111]

hey Jabberwock1.. I was able to make dinner reservation to Monkeypod a month in advance on www.Opentable.com I also heard they have a great happy hour