Did Aulani Blow You Away?

[HairyChest]

Wow alot of great responses

Since it's all or nothing, I would just plan on re-arranging the points, save/borrow for a longer trip for first time in Hawaii, and go later. While I love Aulani, it's Hawaii that wows me! The sheer beauty of it!!! You can't do it justice by doing a resort only stay at Aulani, or just visiting Pearl Harbor on the trip. You actually need to go around the island, especially towards the northern areas to appreciate what it is that makes you want to return year after year.

Unless you live on the West Coast, where it's about 5.5 hours plane ride and maybe do-able in 4 days. But if you are in the East Coast, or somewhere in the middle, I agree with others, 7 nights minimum. For me personally, it's 10 nights minimum. Good Luck on what you decide to do.

Great3

Yes I am on the west coast so its like a 5-6 hour flight (but so is WDW lol)

We just spent 5 nights in Waikiki, 7 nights on the Pride of America interisland cruise and 2 nights at Aulani. Keep in mind we're 2 adults with no kids (and we were there over a weekend, which is busier), but I was not blown away. It was a beautiful resort, but I don't think I would make an effort to stay there again unless we had grandchildren with us. It was very crowded, and not everything was open post-Covid when we went.

Interesting. My party is all adults too. Im planning a september trip there possibly so hopefully all the restaurants will be open and not as many kids due to school?

 

[Unclelude]

Wife and I were there last September and loved it... Keep in mind last Sept. was still max covid BS to deal with... I don't have anything to compare to, but it was not crowded at all... By the charts Sept. *Should* be slower. Who knows these days...

It was our first time in Hawaii, I'd say both the resort and the island played a role in our enjoyment.

FWIW, we're actively seeking another DVC resale contract so we can take the (late teen) kids there in January. In my head I want to go back every year. I'm hooked.

 

[La2kw]

I’m a DVC owner and have been blessed by staying at the Deluxe resorts in Disneyworld. I’m debating a trip to Aulani and other then Pete singing it’s praises, I wanted to hear from fellow travelers especially if you are used to staying Deluxe at WDW. Did Aulani blow you away? Did it wow you and make you not want to leave?

My favorite resort is the Polynesian so from what I’ve seen, Aulani should be right up my alley.
Also, I only have 4 nights planned to be in Hawaii so any first timer tips would be appreciated.

P.S : Does Aulani NOT have tiki torches lit all over the resort?? It’s one of my favorite parts about the Polynesian.

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We are here now, and I can say I am definitely not blown away. It’s a great resort and it’s well run, much better than the Florida resorts. However, it’s too far away from where I prefer to be, which is Waikiki. I’m glad we tried it, but I doubt we will be back. There is not much here for adults to do and we have spent most of our time driving to get to the things that interest us. We will probably rent our points out next time and stay where the action is.

 

[Lilsia]

We are here now, and I can say I am definitely not blown away. It’s a great resort and it’s well run, much better than the Florida resorts. However, it’s too far away from where I prefer to be, which is Waikiki. I’m glad we tried it, but I doubt we will be back. There is not much here for adults to do and we have spent most of our time driving to get to the things that interest us. We will probably rent our points out next time and stay where the action is.

If you plan on doing thing mostly in Waikiki, I can see wanting to stay there. But for most of the Island, it takes about the same amount of time driving from Aulani as it does from Waikiki. We usually stay a few nights in Waikiki at the end of our trip, but man, the city noise gets annoying. Especially after the peace of Aulani.

 

[DisneyDad0315]

I own at Aulani and have stayed many times. It still blows me away, but for different reasons. When I first went, it was just me and my wife. We are both really into Disney and we live in California. Hawaii is part of our annual vacation, so we decided to stay at Aulani. It was soooo expensive to stay there, but it was worth it to us. Now, we have two small children and they love it. I love seeing my toddler in the splash pad or my daughter ride the slides there. My wife and I are looking at adding more Aulani points so we can stay in larger accommodations. My wife loves being there and so does my mother in law. We usually spend our first 3 nights in Waikiki and then go to Aulani for the last 4 days of our week long trip. Works great for us. It's a super long flight if you live on the East Coast. I have got round trip airfare through for $350 a person. Not too bad.

 

[jimmymc]

We are here now, and I can say I am definitely not blown away. It’s a great resort and it’s well run, much better than the Florida resorts. However, it’s too far away from where I prefer to be, which is Waikiki. I’m glad we tried it, but I doubt we will be back. There is not much here for adults to do and we have spent most of our time driving to get to the things that interest us. We will probably rent our points out next time and stay where the action is.

Tangentially related, what are your favorite spots in Waikiki? I've avoided it in the past due to the crowds and traffic, but I might visit next time.

 

[RichVIII]

We went to Aulani in 2017 hoping it was going to be one and done with us. We have been wanting to go back ever since. And we actually booked Christmas at Aulani. I was worried about our daughter not liking the idea and she was like, that sounds amazing.

So why have we wanted to return? It was the first Disney vacation we actually relaxed! We spent a lot of time as a family and not running to parks for rope drop, trying to make fast passes or dining reservations. We planned some other activities, including going to big island. When we got away from Aulani, we just wanted back to the "bubble." We are certainly glad we did most of it but did cancel some things just to enjoy the resort. Is it over the top the nicest resort we have ever stayed, no. But certainly one of the nicer Disney properties for sure.

I will also say, we have friends who want to stay until they see the prices - which people pay. I feel like it is a great use of points to the dollar value you pay.

The time change (as east coasters) was the hardest part for us. Enjoy! Go...you will want to go back.

 

[Gymgal272#]

We just spent 5 nights in Waikiki, 7 nights on the Pride of America interisland cruise and 2 nights at Aulani. Keep in mind we're 2 adults with no kids (and we were there over a weekend, which is busier), but I was not blown away. It was a beautiful resort, but I don't think I would make an effort to stay there again unless we had grandchildren with us. It was very crowded, and not everything was open post-Covid when we went.

I agree with you completely being an adult couple who just returned from Aulani! It was extremely over crowded, only one adult only area in the swimming complex (whirlpool) which wasn’t enforced, and just missing the charm and services it once had on our first visit back in 2019 which was adult only too. In my opinion, this is a resort that now caters to families with young children exclusively and if that’s you, it’s a great resort for your vacation. If your an adults only couple and want to stay in Ko Olina, reserve the Marriott or the four seasons. Marriott was both adult and kid friendly and a beautiful resort with far better food then Aulani. Just my two cents.

 

[Cara]

I agree with you completely being an adult couple who just returned from Aulani! It was extremely over crowded, only one adult only area in the swimming complex (whirlpool) which wasn’t enforced, and just missing the charm and services it once had on our first visit back in 2019 which was adult only too. In my opinion, this is a resort that now caters to families with young children exclusively and if that’s you, it’s a great resort for your vacation. If your an adults only couple and want to stay in Ko Olina, reserve the Marriott or the four seasons. Marriott was both adult and kid friendly and a beautiful resort with far better food then Aulani. Just my two cents.

10/10 would take our ocean-front tower room at Moana Surfrider over Aulani.

 

[imbelle]

We're also an adult couple who just got back from Hawai'i. We stayed 2 nights at Halekulani, one at Moana Surfrider, and then 5 nights at Aulani. It was a good balance of activity in Waikiki and vegging on the beach in Ko Olina. My spouse was hesitant about the Aulani portion of the trip since Ama Ama was closed and there was no designated adult pool. But we found that the pool behind Ulu cafe was relatively kid free since it doesn't have a lot of embellishments and we didn't see any kids in the two level adult whirlpool while we were there. We got our upscale meal fix by walking over to the Four Seasons.
My spouse said that staying at Aulani was like staying at a Hawai'ian Animal Kingdom Lodge except that the guests don't leave for the parks during the day. I would agree that the flavor is more AKL (same architect) than Poly.
The trip was an interesting contrast in luxury hotels vs Disney hotels. This was an anniversary trip so Halekulani had fresh fruit and champagne in the room waiting for us. At the pool they would bring around trays of chocolate dipped bananas or Italian ice. And the hotel stay included free admission to several museums. Moana Surfrider brought a box of jellied fruits to our room, and at check in they gave us a complimentary book about the hotel and a list of free activities. All unasked for on our part but you felt that the staff bent over backwards to take care of you. At Aulani the staff is pleasant enough but we couldn't even get a printed map or activities schedule when we requested one. It was like, "Oh yeah, we're back at Disney". The price per night was comparable for all three resorts for the same level of room. So if you just want to knock Aulani off of your Disney hotel bucket list, it's a perfectly serviceable resort, just not the most luxurious option for the money.

 

[jimmymc]

I want to add a little bit to my answer earlier. I don't enjoy Waikiki and prefer to stay away from there, and the Ko Olina is the second best place on the island to do that after the North Shore. Aulani isn't the best resort in the area, but when you already own DVC it's by far the best value. I'm not sure I would pay cash to stay there more than a few nights.

 

[cgattis]

This was an anniversary trip so Halekulani had fresh fruit and champagne in the room waiting for us.

Now that you mention it, we had an anniversary at Aulani too, and we didn’t get champagne, but we did get a card signed by Mickey and Minnie. In contrast, last week, the Wailea Beach Marriott sent champagne to our cabana and another bottle and box of chocolate covered Mac nuts to our room.

 

[La2kw]

If you plan on doing thing mostly in Waikiki, I can see wanting to stay there. But for most of the Island, it takes about the same amount of time driving from Aulani as it does from Waikiki. We usually stay a few nights in Waikiki at the end of our trip, but man, the city noise gets annoying. Especially after the peace of Aulani.

If I am staying in Waikiki, I don’t have to drive to Waikiki. I can just walk out my door. Aulani is a great resort built on the wrong side of the island.

 

[La2kw]

Now that you mention it, we had an anniversary at Aulani too, and we didn’t get champagne, but we did get a card signed by Mickey and Minnie. In contrast, last week, the Wailea Beach Marriott sent champagne to our cabana and another bottle and box of chocolate covered Mac nuts to our room.

We are here now celebrating our anniversary and we got a button.

 

[La2kw]

Tangentially related, what are your favorite spots in Waikiki? I've avoided it in the past due to the crowds and traffic, but I might visit next time.

I haven’t found much traffic, it’s the long drive from Aulani I don’t like. I don’t think it’s overly crowded either. But I’m from LA and enjoy city travel. I think the beach in Waikiki is pretty awesome and much better than the beach at Aulani. But I am from SoCal and I like waves at my beaches. I also like being able to walk to a number of restaurants and shops. There aren’t many choices here at Aulani. Frankly, we find it pretty boring here at Aulani. The best part is we are using our points up that we haven’t been able to use due to the pandemic.

 

[Lilsia]

If I am staying in Waikiki, I don’t have to drive to Waikiki. I can just walk out my door. Aulani is a great resort built on the wrong side of the island.

I kind of like the location. I like going into Kapolei and having store and restaurants close by. I also like Waikiki for what it is, but what I hate about it is the city noise. All night long you hear sirens, just like any other city. The peace and tranquility that you get at Aulani is worth it to me.

 

[cgattis]

We are here now celebrating our anniversary and we got a button.

Happy anniversary! No better place to spend it than Hawaii!

 

[DVacationer]

I’m a DVC owner and have been blessed by staying at the Deluxe resorts in Disneyworld. I’m debating a trip to Aulani and other then Pete singing it’s praises, I wanted to hear from fellow travelers especially if you are used to staying Deluxe at WDW. Did Aulani blow you away? Did it wow you and make you not want to leave?

My favorite resort is the Polynesian so from what I’ve seen, Aulani should be right up my alley.
Also, I only have 4 nights planned to be in Hawaii so any first timer tips would be appreciated.

P.S : Does Aulani NOT have tiki torches lit all over the resort?? It’s one of my favorite parts about the Polynesian.

View attachment 677780

We are in the same boat. Firstimers planning a trip to Hawaii, DVC owner, all adults. The reason I’m going is because of being in the DVC club and always wanting to see Hawaii so this was a great way to do it ($$). I’m actually looking to add another island visit during my trip (thinking Maui most likely but maybe Kauai?). Anyone have suggestions for which island to visit with Oahu?

 

[cgattis]

We are in the same boat. Firstimers planning a trip to Hawaii, DVC owner, all adults. The reason I’m going is because of being in the DVC club and always wanting to see Hawaii so this was a great way to do it ($$). I’m actually looking to add another island visit during my trip (thinking Maui most likely but maybe Kauai?). Anyone have suggestions for which island to visit with Oahu?

What all are you planning to do on Oahu? Might help in suggesting other things you might like on another island.

 

[DVacationer]

Aulani, see Waikiki/food and drive around to see the beautiful greenery and beaches. We are foodies and love nature. We have a person in a wheelchair with us so we can’t do crazy hikes but want to see the beauty of Hawaii that’s accessible.