Aulani: What's the One Thing You Wish You Knew?

[herc1997]

Wow, I read this a few months ago and now upon my return, I would like to add my two cents. Please note that we LOVED our 12 nights at Aulani. My son cried all the way to the airport. I was weepy all day. We cannot wait until our return. We just will bring about $400 for each day we are there.

Aulani is a magical place in paradise. But paradise comes with a price. It is very expensive and the area of Ko Olina (a resort area) is just as bad. But you have to remember you are on vacation and things just will cost more.

1. Try and rent a car and go shopping in Kapolei at Target (also great place for souvenirs), Safeway, Costco, etc. Milk at Aulani is $6.99 a HALF gallon. Milk at the ABC Island Market is $5.99 a HALF gallon. Milk at Target was $4.49 a GALLON. This is just one example. DVC members get free parking (YAY!). Alamo rental is right there. Don't rent for the entire vacation. Rent in blocks of days and plan excursions around those days. When you have no car, it is Aulani time.

2. Photopass:
The good - There are 8 areas that are usually manned with photographers. If you get photos at all 8, you get a free 8 x 10, get 6 and get a free 5 x 7, get 4 and get a free 4 x 6. Only $99. They also take photos on the beach at sunset (they got to know us each night), in the pools and lazy river, in the ocean, etc. It really is great that they do this. We had 364 photos taken and took up two CDs. Worth it. Really it is. And getting your entire family in a photo on the beach at sunset (priceless!!).
The bad - the character breakfast is not included and is run like the old WDW where you have to buy the photos and then you can add them to the CD. So in essence, the CD now is $133. They have an old system (what I was told) and they cannot put on Aulani borders on any photos on CD. I said I would do it at home and the only ones that would be available would be the basic Disney ones and the parks. I haven't checked to see if this is true as we bought and did the CD on premises. If you do the CD at home, all event photos, which means any with a waterproof camera that they cannot scan your card, are put on an "event card". Great if you do the CD there. Not great if you do it from home. Each time you get photos taken on the waterproof cameras with no scanning ability, you have to go to the Photopass station in the store, find your photos, and ask them to write down the 16 digits for you. I stopped when I had four of these and decided just to purchase there.
Basically, I am calling Photopass to voice my displeasure with the system they have in place. Borders should be available and event photos should be able to be scanned right into your own card.

3. Restaurants and food places: NOT ENOUGH OF THEM AND CLOSING TIMES STINK.
Ama Ama: Really nice place and expensive for dinner. Two adult meals two kid meals and four mai tais ran $225 plus tip. Don't get me wrong, it was excellent, but my budget for 12 nights has me doing this once instead of the planned three times. Breakfast is fantastic and reasonable. The chocolate dipped banana stuffed french toast with peanut butter sauce is to die for!! Dinner reservations for around sunset, call months in advance.

Makahiki: Not worth the price. Yes, you get characters in the morning, but guess what, my 7 and 10 year didn't care...they were in Hawaii. BTW, 10 year old became 9 really fast when I looked at the prices. $34 adults and $18 child. Dinner menu looked good for adults but for my kids, they wouldn't eat so we cancelled. $43 adult. Can't remember child. Breakfast reservations for the time you want, call months in advance.

Ulu Cafe: Ok, why on Earth would the only quick service restaurant close at 9pm? They should definitely take notes from Capt. Cook's in WDW. Breakfast danish stay out all day. No other desserts except for cheesecake and key lime tart in fridge area. What no cupcakes? You have to go to Mama's Shack for that, but oh, they frickin close at 6pm. What no Dole Whip? You have to go to the Lava Shack for that, but oh, they frickin close at 5pm. What no shaved ice? You have to go to Papalua Shaved Ice for that, but oh, they frickin close at 6pm. Want milk with your child's meal at Mama's? Sorry no. only water, juice, or soda. They do make a trade at Ulu if they mark the receipt but that is another trip to take before we can eat. Pizza, not bad, but you can tell this was an add on since Pizza Corner opened across the street. Why can't this place serve coconut shrimp at night as well as hot dogs.

Off the Hook: Nice outdoor bar with plenty of tables to eat. Only thing, they close at 9:30. Why? Oleho Lounge stays open to 11pm. Do the same here. I would rather be outside listening to all the sounds.

Mama's Shack: Really good location for hot dogs and coconut shrimp and chicken strips. And the macadamia cream cupcake was excellent. But they close at 6pm. For anyone on a budget in Hawaii, these places need to stay opened.

Shaved Ice: Really good. But they close at 6pm.

Lava Shack, sure they only serve Dole Whip, but not that many people knew about it.

Beach and Lounge chair service: Oh my, how I love this. We first had it at DLR since I don't believe (I've never seen it) WDW does this. How nice is it to get a nice tropical drink delivered to your chaise.

There is a new beach level quick service window. Forgot the name. Good for a quick beer, nachos with cheese wiz (not my fav) or a mickey pretzel. They also have some salads and sandwiches. But they close at 5pm. Wouldn't you think to stay opened until sunset to make a little more?

My opinion: Disney needs to set up another quick service location inside the lobby area or downstairs by Community Hall. Ulu needs more options. Heck, unplug the Dole Whip and move it to Ulu at night. It's a portable machine on wheels for heaven's sake. They closed One Paddle, Two Paddle by Aunty's. Mistake. Parents pick their kids up on the side of the building. The Starlight Hui line is stuck in front of the place. Serve snacks and drinks. Make more money.

4. Pool Area - Excellent. Only problem, you need to get up at 5:30 am to get a decent area. Believe me, I was up at 6:30 for the Boot Camp (Excellent and free) on the beach and I couldn't believe how many chaises were taken. Sorta not fair since people throw anything on a chaise and come back later in the morning. After 8am, the crew does start to enforce the 1 hour rule (meaning if a chair is unattended for an hour) your stuff is removed. Good rule, especially if you come down at 10 am and there is not a free chaise to be found. Lazy river is amazing. So relaxing and plenty of tubes. The two slides do get long lines during the day, but go first thing in the morning or between 4-8. Towel service is good. Never had a problem getting towels. Ever. Be sure to turn in your life vest at the end of the night. There is a $45 charge if not returned.
Plenty of pools for your swimming pleasure. Main pool is nice size and has an exit from the one non-inner tube slide. Infinity pool seemed to be our family's fav. What's not to like when you can lean on the infinity part overlooking the beautiful lagoon. There is an adult pool, but we never made it there. The Menehune Bridge Water Play area is nice, but my 10 year old was told to leave as she was over 48 inches. I too was asked to leave. I was trying to get photos and followed up the stairs and told to get off. It wasn't overly crowded. My son could be there for hours.

5. Cabanas and Casabellas: Ok, we tried booking a cabana before we left only to find out that they were sold out. Great way to save $225. Are they worth it, I don't think so. But that is my opinion. Others think they make the vacation. I didn't see the value in some of them as they were in areas I would not be happy with. The casabellas are $45 on the beach. First come first serve. Opens at 8am and Makiki Joe's Shack. Never had a problem early, but I've been told that some days are worse than others. The AMA AMA deck has an executive area with two casabellas, two chaises, and table and chairs. I believe that runs $325. There are two other rentals on the right side each with two casabellas. Good private location with easy beach access. IF you are set on getting a cabana, call a few months in advance.

I could share more and probably will later. One parting note, if you are a Duffy the Bear fan, then you will be in heaven. It seems the Japanese travelers lover their Duffy. I talked to a CM and asked why so much Duffy and that's what she told me. He is their Million Dollar Bear. In the first MONTH of operation, Duffy sold a million dollars worth of merchandise. Now that is just craziness.

 

[jerseygal]

Yes, agreed, food is EXPENSIVE!! We "got smart" too and bought our milk, groceries at Walmart also after the first night of HIGH PRICES at ABC Market! I am hoping to return in four or five years and by then hoping for more FOOD OPTIONS!

We also only ate one dinner at AmaAMa...I thought very good, but expensive!
Sunset dinner though was spectacular; very memorable! Got GREAT sunset photos!

Gotta love the coconut shrimp, chicken strips, and shaved ice! All were FAVORITES for lunch! YUM! Did miss out on the "Dole Whip" though! Machine wasn't there when we were there beginning of June. Tried the Dole Whip across at ABC and was disappointed...VERY RUNNY! Not the Dole Whip like WDW that is for sure...Should have just gotten ice cream at the ice cream shop by Monkeypods...Had that one night and it was GREAT!

Pizza and Garlic Knots another good lunch option across street at Pizza Corner! Very good!

5:30AM for a chair?? Sounds like my Aruba in the summer with chair scarcity! I am up early, but 5:30 is really early for most and is a not pleasant for those that want to sleep in just a bit on vaca! Must admit was "spoiled" end of May by "none of that" chair "craziness"! Great time to travel if you can! Always nice having the "adult pool" practically to yourself!"...

Sounds like you had a very LONG AND GREAT vaca!

 

[Girimama33]

5. Cabanas and Casabellas: Ok, we tried booking a cabana before we left only to find out that they were sold out. Great way to save $225. Are they worth it, I don't think so. But that is my opinion. Others think they make the vacation. I didn't see the value in some of them as they were in areas I would not be happy with. The casabellas are $45 on the beach. First come first serve. Opens at 8am and Makiki Joe's Shack. Never had a problem early, but I've been told that some days are worse than others. The AMA AMA deck has an executive area with two casabellas, two chaises, and table and chairs. I believe that runs $325. There are two other rentals on the right side each with two casabellas. Good private location with easy beach access. IF you are set on getting a cabana, call a few months in advance.

I just want to clarify some info in your post...The Ama Ama Executive Lanai costs $275 + tax to rent for the day, while the cabanas cost $325 + tax per day. DVC members get a 10% discount on both. We stayed in both in July and really enjoyed the service and the fact we didn't have to worry about our "spot".

I agree with your posts about not a lot of quick service options for dinner. Thank goodness for the strip mall across the street, and having a kitchen in the room.

 

[Anal Annie]

Wow, I read this a few months ago and now upon my return, I would like to add my two cents. Please note that we LOVED our 12 nights at Aulani. My son cried all the way to the airport. I was weepy all day. We cannot wait until our return. We just will bring about $400 for each day we are there. Aulani is a magical place in paradise. But paradise comes with a price. It is very expensive and the area of Ko Olina (a resort area) is just as bad. But you have to remember you are on vacation and things just will cost more.

1. Try and rent a car and go shopping in Kapolei at Target (also great place for souvenirs), Safeway, Costco, etc. Milk at Aulani is $6.99 a HALF gallon. Milk at the ABC Island Market is $5.99 a HALF gallon. Milk at Target was $4.49 a GALLON. This is just one example. DVC members get free parking (YAY!). Alamo rental is right there. Don't rent for the entire vacation. Rent in blocks of days and plan excursions around those days. When you have no car, it is Aulani time.

2. Photopass:
The good - There are 8 areas that are usually manned with photographers. If you get photos at all 8, you get a free 8 x 10, get 6 and get a free 5 x 7, get 4 and get a free 4 x 6. Only $99. They also take photos on the beach at sunset (they got to know us each night), in the pools and lazy river, in the ocean, etc. It really is great that they do this. We had 364 photos taken and took up two CDs. Worth it. Really it is. And getting your entire family in a photo on the beach at sunset (priceless!!).
The bad - the character breakfast is not included and is run like the old WDW where you have to buy the photos and then you can add them to the CD. So in essence, the CD now is $133. They have an old system (what I was told) and they cannot put on Aulani borders on any photos on CD. I said I would do it at home and the only ones that would be available would be the basic Disney ones and the parks. I haven't checked to see if this is true as we bought and did the CD on premises. If you do the CD at home, all event photos, which means any with a waterproof camera that they cannot scan your card, are put on an "event card". Great if you do the CD there. Not great if you do it from home. Each time you get photos taken on the waterproof cameras with no scanning ability, you have to go to the Photopass station in the store, find your photos, and ask them to write down the 16 digits for you. I stopped when I had four of these and decided just to purchase there.
Basically, I am calling Photopass to voice my displeasure with the system they have in place. Borders should be available and event photos should be able to be scanned right into your own card.

3. Restaurants and food places: NOT ENOUGH OF THEM AND CLOSING TIMES STINK.
Ama Ama: Really nice place and expensive for dinner. Two adult meals two kid meals and four mai tais ran $225 plus tip. Don't get me wrong, it was excellent, but my budget for 12 nights has me doing this once instead of the planned three times. Breakfast is fantastic and reasonable. The chocolate dipped banana stuffed french toast with peanut butter sauce is to die for!! Dinner reservations for around sunset, call months in advance.

Makahiki: Not worth the price. Yes, you get characters in the morning, but guess what, my 7 and 10 year didn't care...they were in Hawaii. BTW, 10 year old became 9 really fast when I looked at the prices. $34 adults and $18 child. Dinner menu looked good for adults but for my kids, they wouldn't eat so we cancelled. $43 adult. Can't remember child. Breakfast reservations for the time you want, call months in advance.

Ulu Cafe: Ok, why on Earth would the only quick service restaurant close at 9pm? They should definitely take notes from Capt. Cook's in WDW. Breakfast danish stay out all day. No other desserts except for cheesecake and key lime tart in fridge area. What no cupcakes? You have to go to Mama's Shack for that, but oh, they frickin close at 6pm. What no Dole Whip? You have to go to the Lava Shack for that, but oh, they frickin close at 5pm. What no shaved ice? You have to go to Papalua Shaved Ice for that, but oh, they frickin close at 6pm. Want milk with your child's meal at Mama's? Sorry no. only water, juice, or soda. They do make a trade at Ulu if they mark the receipt but that is another trip to take before we can eat. Pizza, not bad, but you can tell this was an add on since Pizza Corner opened across the street. Why can't this place serve coconut shrimp at night as well as hot dogs.

Off the Hook: Nice outdoor bar with plenty of tables to eat. Only thing, they close at 9:30. Why? Oleho Lounge stays open to 11pm. Do the same here. I would rather be outside listening to all the sounds.

Mama's Shack: Really good location for hot dogs and coconut shrimp and chicken strips. And the macadamia cream cupcake was excellent. But they close at 6pm. For anyone on a budget in Hawaii, these places need to stay opened.

Shaved Ice: Really good. But they close at 6pm.

Lava Shack, sure they only serve Dole Whip, but not that many people knew about it.

Beach and Lounge chair service: Oh my, how I love this. We first had it at DLR since I don't believe (I've never seen it) WDW does this. How nice is it to get a nice tropical drink delivered to your chaise.

There is a new beach level quick service window. Forgot the name. Good for a quick beer, nachos with cheese wiz (not my fav) or a mickey pretzel. They also have some salads and sandwiches. But they close at 5pm. Wouldn't you think to stay opened until sunset to make a little more?

My opinion: Disney needs to set up another quick service location inside the lobby area or downstairs by Community Hall. Ulu needs more options. Heck, unplug the Dole Whip and move it to Ulu at night. It's a portable machine on wheels for heaven's sake. They closed One Paddle, Two Paddle by Aunty's. Mistake. Parents pick their kids up on the side of the building. The Starlight Hui line is stuck in front of the place. Serve snacks and drinks. Make more money.

4. Pool Area - Excellent. Only problem, you need to get up at 5:30 am to get a decent area. Believe me, I was up at 6:30 for the Boot Camp (Excellent and free) on the beach and I couldn't believe how many chaises were taken. Sorta not fair since people throw anything on a chaise and come back later in the morning. After 8am, the crew does start to enforce the 1 hour rule (meaning if a chair is unattended for an hour) your stuff is removed. Good rule, especially if you come down at 10 am and there is not a free chaise to be found. Lazy river is amazing. So relaxing and plenty of tubes. The two slides do get long lines during the day, but go first thing in the morning or between 4-8. Towel service is good. Never had a problem getting towels. Ever. Be sure to turn in your life vest at the end of the night. There is a $45 charge if not returned.
Plenty of pools for your swimming pleasure. Main pool is nice size and has an exit from the one non-inner tube slide. Infinity pool seemed to be our family's fav. What's not to like when you can lean on the infinity part overlooking the beautiful lagoon. There is an adult pool, but we never made it there. The Menehune Bridge Water Play area is nice, but my 10 year old was told to leave as she was over 48 inches. I too was asked to leave. I was trying to get photos and followed up the stairs and told to get off. It wasn't overly crowded. My son could be there for hours.

5. Cabanas and Casabellas: Ok, we tried booking a cabana before we left only to find out that they were sold out. Great way to save $225. Are they worth it, I don't think so. But that is my opinion. Others think they make the vacation. I didn't see the value in some of them as they were in areas I would not be happy with. The casabellas are $45 on the beach. First come first serve. Opens at 8am and Makiki Joe's Shack. Never had a problem early, but I've been told that some days are worse than others. The AMA AMA deck has an executive area with two casabellas, two chaises, and table and chairs. I believe that runs $325. There are two other rentals on the right side each with two casabellas. Good private location with easy beach access. IF you are set on getting a cabana, call a few months in advance.

I could share more and probably will later. One parting note, if you are a Duffy the Bear fan, then you will be in heaven. It seems the Japanese travelers lover their Duffy. I talked to a CM and asked why so much Duffy and that's what she told me. He is their Million Dollar Bear. In the first MONTH of operation, Duffy sold a million dollars worth of merchandise. Now that is just craziness.

I agree that they need more food options beyond 5:30 (but we did not spend $400 / day on this trip). We are used to eating dinner really late and are not "early birds" at all for meals. We tend to eat lunch at 1:30 / 2:00 not 12:00 so we therefore like a later dinner hour. 5:00 / 5:30 is what we call "early bird" dining hour.

We tried the hot dog shack place for our first lunch and it was OK but who wants hot dogs every day for a week? The Olelo Room is only appetizers and Off the Hook switches from the lunchtime pool menu to appetizers only at 5:00 or 5:30. One night we thought we could get dinner at Off the Hook rather than Ulu Cafe (I had asked a server earlier in the day how late they were open and she said 9:30 but she DIDN'T tell me the menu would switch to only appetizers). DUH. This was one night right after the Starlit Hui so it was like 8:30 or something when we went so we had no choice then but to go to Ulu again.) We ended up eating at Ulu Cafe 3 evenings because it was the only affordable option onsite. It was good but the only thing that changed from day to day on the menu was the sandwich of the day (which was actually an excellent value at $12). But the menu is too limited to eat there more than 2 or 3 times. Otherwise you start repeating what you order.

We DID try Makahiki one evening rather than Ama Ama. We felt for essentially the same price point we had more food options at Makahiki with the buffet option. We had a few items there that were REALLY good. Reminded us of Boma but with different (Asian) flavors rather than African. It was pricey tho at like $43 pp. Nothing really jumped out at us on the Ama Ama menu as anything we HAD to try so we decided there was no point to go just to say we had. I think the sunset view is better from down on the beach anyway. I think for US that Makahiki was the better choice.

Our most expensive meal of the week was at Roy's (which I had pre-planned for by bringing $150 in Roy's / Outback gift cards). No, that didn't cover ALL of it but it kept the cash-out-of-pocket damage to a minimum. (We just ordered iced tea that night which also helped curb the bill.)

Pizza Corner was a good deal one evening - a LARGE pizza for like $24 or something like that. And they were about to close when we got there so the owner gave us a batch of leftover cinnamon twists which we had for breakfast the next morning. Nice guy (the owner).

We also enjoyed Monkey Pod one evening (yummy fish tacos and roasted brussel sprout flat bread pizza).

We tried Little Opihi's or whatever it was called on the beach for lunch one day - we got the last 3 boxed summer rolls that they had. Very tasty. But this was at like 1:00 or 2:00 and they were running out of food already. That's crazy!!

We tried the shave ice on our last day. Kinda meh. Just wanted to say we'd tried it. We almost tried it at Matsimoto's on the North Shore one day but the line looked like it would take 45 minutes so we passed. Can't help but wonder how they compare.

I made sure to note the lack of affordable food options for after 5:00 in the evening when I completed my online survey the other day. It would be great if more options rotated at Ulu Cafe or if Off the Hook or the Oleo Room offered more than just appetizers to keep more people onsite for dinner. Sometimes you just don't want to have to GO anywhere but a $200 meal doesn't fit your budget for every night.

We also shopped at Target a couple of times for staples (mostly beer & booze but also breakfast items) and probably spent about $200 there. We used our rental car on all but a couple of days so were glad we had it for the week for a better price than by-the-day rental prices. (And being DVC we didn't have to pay for parking.)

I went down around 8:00 in the mornings on our resort days to scout for lounge chairs. Usually while the rest of the family was putting on their sunscreen or right before I made breakfast. Really only about 30 minutes or so before we were ready to go down for the day. But if I would have waited any longer we'd have had a hard time finding a good spot with 3 chairs together - and we could've forgotten getting an umbrella. The CM's said people start saving chairs around 6:30. Many had 1 Croc or 1 mug or 1 flip flip. I usually brought most of our stuff down when I came and left it. We pretty much ended up every day in the area by the steps leading down to the infinity pool area, right above the towel hut / beach path. This gave us morning sun and mid-day to afternoon shade from the way the chairs faced. It was also out of the way of most people (not so many "cut thru's") but the wi-fi signal was pretty weak there. We HAD a cabana rented for our last day but decided mid-way thru the week they didn't look worth the money so we cancelled it.

We spent a little over $600 at DL / VGC for 3 days - that included all meals out + some shopping (1 hooded sweatshirt for me, 1 short and 1 long sleeve t-shirt for DH and a zip hoodie for DS + a couple of pins). I haven't tallied it up yet receipt by receipt but I will say we averaged about $200 or less per day at Aulani as well (including souvenirs & resort refill mugs). (We figured we'd get the refill mug for DS but hadn't planned on getting the refill mugs for me & DH BUT they were pretty strict about not allowing any outside beverages, even in can coozies on the pool deck and no alcohol allowed on the beach so we bought the mugs to use at the pool with our own adult beverages so we'd blend in.) I think I only bought a couple of drinks out for myself the entire 2 weeks we were gone. When we went to Target we bought a bottle of wine, vodka, bloody mary mix and Captain Morgan + a case of beer so we were pretty well set for our week. Between the 2 of us we finished about 2/3 of the vodka - I poured the rest into a plastic water bottle and put it in our checked luggage to bring to Maui. When we realized we wouldn't finish ALL the booze I backed off on the Captain Morgan (used about 1/2) and because it was already in a plastic bottle we packed that to bring to Maui as well. I also had a couple bottle of Diet Coke left that I brought too. That way we didn't have to buy any booze on Maui, only some more beer.

 

[DenLo]

Anal Annie: We DID try Makahiki one evening rather than Ama Ama. We felt for essentially the same price point we had more food options at Makahiki with the buffet option. We had a few items there that were REALLY good. Reminded us of Boma but with different (Asian) flavors rather than African. It was pricey tho at like $43 pp.

That price is similar to dining at Boma as we paid $42.59 per adult the last time we ate there. I understand it is sometimes cheaper sometimes (around $38). I somewhat surprised that the prices are similar since Hawaii is so expensive.

 

[poohj80]

2. Photopass:
The good - There are 8 areas that are usually manned with photographers. If you get photos at all 8, you get a free 8 x 10, get 6 and get a free 5 x 7, get 4 and get a free 4 x 6. Only $99. They also take photos on the beach at sunset (they got to know us each night), in the pools and lazy river, in the ocean, etc. It really is great that they do this. We had 364 photos taken and took up two CDs. Worth it. Really it is. And getting your entire family in a photo on the beach at sunset (priceless!!).
The bad - the character breakfast is not included and is run like the old WDW where you have to buy the photos and then you can add them to the CD. So in essence, the CD now is $133. They have an old system (what I was told) and they cannot put on Aulani borders on any photos on CD. I said I would do it at home and the only ones that would be available would be the basic Disney ones and the parks. I haven't checked to see if this is true as we bought and did the CD on premises. If you do the CD at home, all event photos, which means any with a waterproof camera that they cannot scan your card, are put on an "event card". Great if you do the CD there. Not great if you do it from home. Each time you get photos taken on the waterproof cameras with no scanning ability, you have to go to the Photopass station in the store, find your photos, and ask them to write down the 16 digits for you. I stopped when I had four of these and decided just to purchase there.
Basically, I am calling Photopass to voice my displeasure with the system they have in place. Borders should be available and event photos should be able to be scanned right into your own card.

We did not purchase the Photo CD at the resort specifically because we wanted the Aulani borders. There were several to choose from. Also, by editing photos at home we could save our favorites in several different aspect ratios with borders.

The downside was that we did end up with ALL the images from the special event photos, not just our family. (we ended up with 7 CDs of photos by the time we edited plus all the extras) Also, the offer of the free photo if you visit a certain number of photopass stops is ONLY valid if you purchase the CD at the resort. This was not explained or mentioned on the info card the photographers were handing out.

Also, still cannot believe there are not photopass photographers at the Character meet-n-greets. I commented to Aulani and Photopass about this but doubt it has changed.

 

[happymommy]

As a Marriott Ko Olina owner I thought I would chime in - plus we lived in Kailua for 3 years so area very familiar with Hawaii (and have been back about 10 times now).

I would have a car the whole time. You can find great weekly rentals if you know where to look! We used to own only one car for two years, so whenever we had guests we'd rent at the airport to have an extra car. You really shouldn't spend more than $400 or so for 2 weeks. If you do, you're not looking hard enough! Okay, a van cost us $600 last year for 2 weeks.

We do not eat at the Marriott (or at Aulani). We do eat out though. We prefer local places, and then at the resort we grill or cook in, or carry out. It's just more relaxing.

First day we stock up at Costco for fresh fruits, soy milk (same prices as at home), meats, salads, etc....

(SIDE NOTE: 20 years ago when we moved to Oahu, milk was already almost $5 a gallon at Safeway. On base we paid $1.79)

Or, first day we stock up on just breakfast things at Target (or now Walmart) then do a Costco run next day.

Costco French Vodka - is Grey Goose. Enough said. Save money and make your own martinis.

We bought a nice little soft side cooler to bring water and cans of beer to the pool area (and some snacks) at Walmart. It is going back next trip (just go it last month). Also it's nice to for bringing some water for drives around (you will get hot and thirsty). Also bought a couple little cheap cooler packs.

Go to Five Below or the Dollar Store to get beach toys or floats. If not, buy some at Target (got a nice one for $4, much nicer than the ABC ones) then just leave it for other guests (at our resort we have a bin for doing so). We also have a place to blow floats up - not sure if Aulani has one.

$400 a day - we actually spend less on our Hawaii vacations than we do on any other ones. We grill a lot. We enjoy a lot of great meals (I cook better there than I do at home). Dinners are in - lunch is out sometimes. My husband FINALLY gets to see first hand how much my kids go through in a week (he always says I'm buying too much, then is surprised when it's all gone!). We would never even come close to $400 a day.

The lounge chair issue isn't bad at all at the Marriott, but it's more spread out. I did go down one day and read by the pool at 9:00am, and it was fine. The chairs come and go - if you need one go early and park yourself and bring a book. It's not bad - they police it. They'll remove your stuff if it sits (you get a warning sticker).

BRING - spices from home, small amounts of condiments, any small things for meals (we bring Splenda, sausage gravy mix, pancake mix, tiny bottle of syrup, Spike, etc...). Often we'll come in for lunch, have something nice, and rest while the sun is hot. Or, we'll go out and about, have a nice lunch out, and come back and I'll grill dinner while they swim.

Sushi Bay - in Kapolei. The best. Ever. You will wait outside, maybe an hour. You will thank me.

 

[Anal Annie]

That price is similar to dining at Boma as we paid $42.59 per adult the last time we ate there. I understand it is sometimes cheaper sometimes (around $38). I somewhat surprised that the prices are similar since Hawaii is so expensive.

I can't remember what we paid for Boma when we went in January…we were staying at Jambo House tho so we always hit Boma when we stay there so it was kind of like "it is what it is". We love Boma but I am done with trying to use the Disney transporation to get there on time so we rarely go if we're staying somewhere else. I think it was still in the upper $30's the time before that tho. I just don't know what it was in January. The prime rib at Makahiki was excellent. Med. well done, thinly sliced, very little fat. Best I've had anywhere in a long time. We all had a LOT to eat because we were experimenting with all the different items. DS ate so much that night that he decided he was too full to go join the teen whatever-it-was activity that was going on that evening. He just wanted to lay around he was so full. Since at 17 he weighs a whopping 115 Lbs soaking wet I was happy to see him eat so well.

 

[Pooh2]

Lots of great info from those just returned! Taking lots of notes! Thanks!

For those who used photopass, was there any benefit to prepurchasing? Or do you just get a card from the first photographer and carry that around for the week? I did not find any discount for prepurchase.

Was a bit confused on the photos from the waterproof cameras. Do you need to go to the photo center each day to add them to your card?

 

[Pooh2]

For those just back, how were the meet and greets with characters set up? A poster above noted that there is not a photographer at meet and greets. Will a CM take a photo on our camera? (It's just the two of us for our 3oth anniversary celebration).

 

[poohj80]

For those just back, how were the meet and greets with characters set up? A poster above noted that there is not a photographer at meet and greets. Will a CM take a photo on our camera? (It's just the two of us for our 3oth anniversary celebration).

Yes, a CM will take your photo but kind of rush you through so do all your zooming and such before you hand them the camera. The bad thing is that we couldn't add borders to character photos or include them in other photo pass products.

Lots of great info from those just returned! Taking lots of notes! Thanks! For those who used photopass, was there any benefit to prepurchasing? Or do you just get a card from the first photographer and carry that around for the week? I did not find any discount for prepurchase. Was a bit confused on the photos from the waterproof cameras. Do you need to go to the photo center each day to add them to your card?

No benefit other than spacing out your vacation spending and possibly getting one free print. Each photographer will hand you a card so no need to carry same one around. You don't need to go everyday to add waterproof photos, but the sooner the better as we had issues finding the right photos. The Go Pros seemed to load up 1000+ photos before switching cards so you may spend lots of time wading through them all to find yours. Add that to the fact that there are only 2 photo pass computers, tithe lines can get long.

 

[SeaPic]

Also, still cannot believe there are not photopass photographers at the Character meet-n-greets. I commented to Aulani and Photopass about this but doubt it has changed.

I was surprised by this as well. They did have them two years ago when we were there. We did get some awesome shots from a photopass photographer in, yes in, the lazy river. He was kind enough to follow us into the lava tube and get some great action shots. Also had one on the beach one morning and he got some nice family shots too.

 

[Pixie_Dust]

The studios do not have washers and dryers (just like all DVC resorts). The one and two bedrooms have them.

We will be in a studio. Where are the washer/dryers? How long does it take to wash? To dry? Thanks!

 

[wdrl]

We will be in a studio. Where are the washer/dryers? How long does it take to wash? To dry? Thanks!

Post #261 in the Aulani Villas and Views thread has a description of the two laundry rooms at Aulani.

If I remember correctly, the washers run for about 30 minutes and the dryers for about 40 minutes.

This question comes up so frequently that I've added a link in Post #1 of the Aulani thread.

 

[rngrblu9]

hi everyone! i don't know if this is a good question to ask here but...i was thinking of booking a pearl harbor tour the day after we arrive in aulani. is that too soon? will we be too tired from traveling? any thoughts?

 

[phyllis1966]

hi everyone! i don't know if this is a good question to ask here but...i was thinking of booking a pearl harbor tour the day after we arrive in aulani. is that too soon? will we be too tired from traveling? any thoughts?

We flew to Aulani from the east coast as well, and my DH was so tired that first night that he was nodding off at dinner! We were good to go early the next morning, due to the time difference, and embarked on an all-day circle island tour that started with a 7:15 pick-up...we were all fine and enjoyed the day very much.

The Pearl Harbor excursion, if booked through Aulani's website, has a 7:15 pick-up also. Judging from our experience, I think you should be fine. We booked it through Aulani for our third day, so two early-morning days in a row. It worked out really well and we are glad we planned it that way. I say go for it!

 

[dreaming4disney]

If you are coming from NY, the time difference might effect you and you might be up very early anyway. I would do it. Not sure which day of the week you are coming. A weekend day will have less traffic. We went on a Monday, and we were fine. There was traffic but not too bad.

 

[jerseygal]

hi everyone! i don't know if this is a good question to ask here but...i was thinking of booking a pearl harbor tour the day after we arrive in aulani. is that too soon? will we be too tired from traveling? any thoughts?

You will probably be up early next day after arrival coming from the east coast anyway!
The criteria for us going to Pearl Harbor was planning around a weekend day...Many posts have indicated to do so because of the traffic situation on a weekday was tough! We planned it to a weekend day and had NO PROBLEM with traffic!
Get advance reservations though! ENJOY!

 

[DVCTigger]

The one thing I didn't realize was that there is very little to do on property in the evenings. We are very spoiled by WDW resorts. We take many vacations to WDW without going into the parks, and there is always so much to do well into the evenings. Yes, there is live music every night at the Olelo room and also some nights at Off the Hook. But of the eight nights we were there, only two outdoor movies scheduled, and they were both cancelled. Two nights for the Starlit Hui, one night cancelled. Fire pit storytelling was great. They had three different "uncles".....but only 3-4 different stories. So if you are there for more then a couple nights, it's the same stories over and over.

I understand that at WDW there is more than one resort that we can go to for evening entertainment. But even there, we often stay at AKL and we don't have to leave the resort for entertainment if we don't want to. There is a movie Every night. The African cast members with different stories and experiences. We would like to see more planned activities that go into the evenings at Aulani.

 

[E&Cmom]

The one thing I didn't realize was that there is very little to do on property in the evenings. We are very spoiled by WDW resorts. We take many vacations to WDW without going into the parks, and there is always so much to do well into the evenings. Yes, there is live music every night at the Olelo room and also some nights at Off the Hook. But of the eight nights we were there, only two outdoor movies scheduled, and they were both cancelled. Two nights for the Starlit Hui, one night cancelled. Fire pit storytelling was great. They had three different "uncles".....but only 3-4 different stories. So if you are there for more then a couple nights, it's the same stories over and over.

I understand that at WDW there is more than one resort that we can go to for evening entertainment. But even there, we often stay at AKL and we don't have to leave the resort for entertainment if we don't want to. There is a movie Every night. The African cast members with different stories and experiences. We would like to see more planned activities that go into the evenings at Aulani.

I agree about the lack of evening entertainment. I know we were there somewhat at the same time. We missed the only Starlit Hui we were there for since it was cancelled. The following night it was raining. We were originally going to the Mingle thing but that was cancelled due to the rain. The kids wanted to go to Au Ty's so after wee dropped them off I suggested to DH that we went to Olelo and listen to the music. The problem was they had to bring the the musicians in due to the rain and it was so loud in there that DH and. I couldn't hear one another. Lol. They need more evening activities. We usually just went swimming or to the hot tubs or took a walk.


I wish I had know there was a map for the photopass photographer locations when we got there not 2 hours before we were leaving. When we went to get our CD at the end, we were then told about the photos scavenger hunt and given the map. We were 2 locations short of getting a free 5 x7. We quickly went to find photographers at those spots but couldn't find them. It was past 5 pm by then. It would have been so much easier if I had know this at the beginning of the trip. At least, we got our 4x6s.