Aulani vs. Disney cruises

[MissReeRee]

We recently moved to Oahu and I have been looking into possibly having a staycation at Aulani when my husband returns from deployment.
We have previously done two Med cruises while we lived in Europe and LOVED them.
I am a little concerned about Aulani and some mixed reviews I've seen. I don't know if it will be the same experience we loved cruising. Should we just consider a different resort that is actually all inclusive?

 

[lablady]

We've done both and they aren't at all the same! That being said, Aulani is wonderful. The resort is absolutely beautiful, the service was wonderful, and the water areas are a ton of fun! I was there with my DDs who are 18 and 10. They loved the beach and the pools. They weren't really interested in the activities, except for the Starlit Hui.

The one glaring problem with Aulani is the food. Not only the availability, but the value! The table service restaurants were quite expensive for what you got. I'm not a food snob by any means, but we were not happy with the food there and left the resort for meals when possible. In comparison to a cruise, where the food is better than average AND included, Aulani does not fare well.

Since you are already in Oahu, you would probably enjoy being able to escape to the resort without having to fly anywhere, just be aware that the food and drink are not cheap or amazing. LOVE the rest of the resort though! Hope that helps.

 

[MissReeRee]

That was one of the things I kept hearing that the food didn't measure up, we LOVED our meals on the cruise. I'm sure we can find some alternatives off the resort for a better value! Thanks for your input!