Finally made it to Aulani! Update***Interesting info...

[mommy2eee]

After an exhaustive 20 hour day from the Toronto area...we are here at Aulani on my DD9's wish trip! This place is amazing! As we arrive around 11:30pm (5:30am east cost time ) we really didn't see how spectacular it was until this morning!
So interesting info...as per previous posters...the chair saving policy is changing TOMORROW!! When we were grabbing wristbands and towels this morning we were advised that starting tomorrow the new policy will be "no saving chairs before 8am and that unless you are sitting in them, unattended items will be removed".
So tomorrow morning will be interesting!
**Update...To clarify this policy is in effect for before 8am when everything opens. So we were down by Ulu around 6:30am and I observed a few signs with this new policy. I did not observe any chairs being taken. We then left the property to go to Pearl Harbor so I didn't see things closer to 8am.

 

[SeaPic]

That is interesting! Let us know how it goes.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I can already tell you how it's going to go. We frequent a resort that adopted and enforced a similar policy. If the chair was unoccupied for 30 minutes your stuff was removed and your seats were given away. Some people just shrug and accept. Some people were pissed!!

They would come back with this perplexed look on their face. What?!? Where's my stuff?!?
Then the anger. What?!? What do you mean they cleared it!?! This is my chair!!
Then the lies. I wasn't gone that long!!
Then threats. This is how you treat guests?!? I want to speak to a manager right now!!

I'm kind of twisted. I LOVED watching people get mad.

I'm glad to see places with this policy. Chair saving is rude and selfish.

 

[blondietink]

When we were there last week nobody checked for chair saving and they were all gone before 8 am. Plenty of chairs on the beach, though. If it is enforced, it won't last long due to complainers.

 

[jtba]

When we were there last week nobody checked for chair saving and they were all gone before 8 am. Plenty of chairs on the beach, though. If it is enforced, it won't last long due to complainers.

I'm curious which part of the resort you were that you couldn't find chairs. we were there too but still found chairs even if we arrived after 8, though they weren't always at the prime spots and with shade. we sat near the lazy river on Monday, then by the family infinity pool Tue-Thu. this was taken by the towel stand at 8:03 am Thu, 4/14:


On Friday we went down at 8 and there were lots of empty chairs by the lazy river, too.

i did hear other guests saying the same thing you did though, so i wonder if we were at different parts of the resort.

 

[alohamom]

Oh WOW-thanks so much for posting this info! At least Aulani is acknowledging that there is a problem and trying to cut off the behaviour. Glad to hear you made it safe and are finally getting to enjoy Aulani.

 

[Mokat76]

I hope the staff sticks to this new policy, though I feel bed for pool area staff. They're in for s tough time.

 

[vikequeen]

There has to be some minimal grace time on chairs -- I agree the policy needs fixing (it was nightmare when we were there in March). But if I am actually at the pool all day, I should be able to be in the pool for 30 minutes with my kids and have a chair to come back to.

 

[jtba]

There has to be some minimal grace time on chairs -- I agree the policy needs fixing (it was nightmare when we were there in March). But if I am actually at the pool all day, I should be able to be in the pool for 30 minutes with my kids and have a chair to come back to.

hear hear! i wonder where i would put my stuff if i couldn't leave it on the chair unattended while i'm in the pool/beach?

 

[jtba]

i also think they should add A LOT more chairs with shade. we don't need to have a great view, but guaranteed shade would be nice.

 

[northshoremama]

After an exhaustive 20 hour day from the Toronto area...we are here at Aulani on my DD9's wish trip! This place is amazing! As we arrive around 11:30pm (5:30am east cost time ) we really didn't see how spectacular it was until this morning!
So interesting info...as per previous posters...the chair saving policy is changing TOMORROW!! When we were grabbing wristbands and towels this morning we were advised that starting tomorrow the new policy will be "no saving chairs before 8am and that unless you are sitting in them, unattended items will be removed".
So tomorrow morning will be interesting!

I'd love to hear an update on this? How'd it go this morning??

 

[crystal1313]

Seems like if they would add an area to put ones stuff, it might clear up the issues? I haven't been yet, but I am shocked they don't offer lockers to put your stuff while in the pool area. I hear a lot of people say they just want an area to store their stuff.

 

[jtba]

i did buy a KYSS bag, which i read about on the DCL disboards and comes with a chain and combo lock so you can chain it around something. it was very handy to leave it behind chained to a pole when we were at the main pool on our last morning and didn't want to bother finding a chair. even though someone could've slashed it or broken the lock, i felt pretty safe leaving my iPhone and other stuff in there while we went to the pools.

but yes, totally agree with having some legitimate space to put one's stuff. mostly though, people just want chairs with shade. some of the umbrellas on the beach could be folded up, so aulani could implement more of those in the pool areas to give people a choice.

 

[blondietink]

I'm curious which part of the resort you were that you couldn't find chairs. we were there too but still found chairs even if we arrived after 8, though they weren't always at the prime spots and with shade. we sat near the lazy river on Monday, then by the family infinity pool Tue-Thu. this was taken by the towel stand at 8:03 am Thu, 4/14:

View attachment 164065
On Friday we went down at 8 and there were lots of empty chairs by the lazy river, too.

i did hear other guests saying the same thing you did though, so i wonder if we were at different parts of the resort.

We often only did a walk through that early on our way out of the resort in the am for island touring. The only chairs we could ever get early were near the fire pit or at the beach.

 

[jtba]

The only chairs we could ever get early were near the fire pit or at the beach.

:/

 

[Silver Queen]

I have always heard that they allowed unoccupied chairs to be vacant for one hour, not 30 minutes. That seems very reasonable to me. We are here now and have not experienced any problems even later in the morning.

 

[Supplanter]

There has to be some minimal grace time on chairs -- I agree the policy needs fixing (it was nightmare when we were there in March). But if I am actually at the pool all day, I should be able to be in the pool for 30 minutes with my kids and have a chair to come back to.

Its still 30 mins from when they tag it with a towel over the top so its probably more like an hour anyway

 

[Vernie822]

Have an AMAZING and MAGICAL TRIP!!!!

 

[Silver Queen]

It doesn't help that there are a number of people who don't believe in taking their towels to the Return Towel bins when they leave. They leave them on the lounges and new folks who come by are not sure if they're occupied or not. We just returned yesterday and on one occasion mentioned to one of the refreshment servers that no one had been in the lounges for an hour and a half. She immediately took the towels off and we moved over so the family on the other side of us could seat two more of their group. I just don't understand people who can't be bothered to pick up their towels or trash when they leave.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

This thread brings to mind the place my parents used to stay in Florida. The people would go out and put their towels on the good chairs before dawn, and then they would sit on their balconies where they could see the pool and just lay in wait for someone to make a move to sit on their chairs. Then they would come running down from their rooms to confront the interlopers, screaming "THAT'S MY CHAIR!" at them. Once they chased the people away, then they'd go back up to their rooms. They'd sit in those chairs maybe an hour or two all day. It was actually kind of fascinating to watch. I always wondered when they'd start peeing on the chairs to mark their territory like dogs. That's about the level of thought and maturity in this process.