Ko Olina Beach Restrictions

[littleBeast]

Just got back from Aulani and it was great! I love the immersive resort life there. One thing I wanted to mention to anyone that is going (since I did not know about it..) are the very restrictive rules for the beaches. Ko Olina (which is the entire area/community where Aulani is, composing many hotels and large stretch of coastline) has an “Aloha Patrol” that will not allow private beach chairs, umbrellas, or any large “unsightly” toys. I carried the large Disney Sebastian and Disney Flounder pool floats (both single user floats) all the way to Aulani to use at the beach (since I knew in advance that private pool floats are not allowed in the pool) and was told I could not use it. They told me the beach (and apparently somehow the ocean???) is private property. You can use a small donut float or a noodle.

So don’t plan on buying any of that stuff at Costco or Walmart on your way to Aulani because you’ll just be disappointed. Also, there are zero waves in the lagoons so I wouldn’t bother buying a Boogie Board either (though if you plan to stay in Waikiki at all, the waves there are great!).

 

[nkereina]

They told me the beach (and apparently somehow the ocean???) is private property.

Hmmm. I believe that's what they told you, but I'm not sure that's accurate. All beaches in Hawaii are public - the sign over by Paradise Cove even says so. Perhaps Ko Olina just has these restrictions in place because of the nature of the gated community. People live there too I believe, so it operates like an HOA from what I understand.

I personally have not heard of this happening before, so I'll be interested to hear others' experiences on this. Thanks for sharing!

 

[littleBeast]

Hmmm. I believe that's what they told you, but I'm not sure that's accurate. All beaches in Hawaii are public - the sign over by Paradise Cove even says so. Perhaps Ko Olina just has these restrictions in place because of the nature of the gated community. People live there too I believe, so it operates like an HOA from what I understand.

I personally have not heard of this happening before, so I'll be interested to hear others' experiences on this. Thanks for sharing!

I went to the ABC store to have the float filled and the manager there was very adamant that I would not be allowed to use it anywhere in Ko Olina, that ALL of Ko Olina is private property (they do have public access to the beach). I did not believe her and called Aulani directly. They told me the same thing but she (the Aulani CS) also called the Aloha Patrol directly and asked them: they confirmed. So it seems pretty definite.

I will say I saw no one with any of the prohibited items, so it seems well enforced.

 

[kyton]

If your float is too large then yes, you will be requested to remove it - at any of the lagoons. We watched a group of twenty year olds try to launch a huge float once out the front of the Marriott - it was around 2m x 2m (one of those ones from Costco with seats etc). It didn’t even make the water before the patrol came down and told them to deflate it.

I actually appreciate that they enforce things like this - when you have small kids, it’s good to not have things blocking your view of them. If only they would stop people throwing footballs to each other in the water I would be even happier!

 

[littleBeast]

I don’t appreciate it at all. I understand it at the pool, as there is limited space and too many people. But the ocean??? I think it’s pretty outrageous. They don’t own the ocean no matter how rich their local residents or guests are.

The pool is the place for a relatively safe restricted environment with minimal toys and rough housing where people can keep track of their kids - with lifeguards. The beach is for everyone to enjoy, not just families with small children.

 

[Mommy2Logan]

The "privately owned" is a slippery slope that has drawn protests and anger from residents. Because the beaches are technically "man-made" by blowing the beach back up onto the land closer to the resorts to create the lagoon, they do not fall under the "all beaches are public". This drew a lot of hostility and protests so public access is allowed to keep people happy, but the resorts make the rules, but they certainly bend them when they want. For example, no alcohol is permitted on the beaches but many people, including myself, had alcohol on the beaches. As for the floatation devices, that is at their descretion. I was also there last week as well and there was a very large mermaid floaty as well as a plink flamingo floaty in Lagoon #4 (Aulani) on several of the days. We also spent quite a bit of time in Lagoon #2 in front of the Marriot Beach Club and there was an assortment of larger floatation devices. They weren't obnoxiously large, but certainly larger than the average innertube. The Four Seasons beach was littered with cigarette butts (also banned) right where the beach meets the sidewalk. They let people break the rules when they want to.

The Four Seasons got a slap on the wrist a few years back when they tried to build a rock wall to separate their beach from the Aulani beach. People said this violated the "public access" so the wall was taken down (and now a rope is there).

So basically the beaches are public, kinda sorta not really.

 

[kyton]

I don’t appreciate it at all. I understand it at the pool, as there is limited space and too many people. But the ocean??? I think it’s pretty outrageous. They don’t own the ocean no matter how rich their local residents or guests are.

The thing is it’s not a beach - it’s a manmade lagoon that is not huge. Plus it is open to everyone - not just the resorts - so they have rules and these rules are to be followed.

 

[Mommy2Logan]

They dont' own the ocean, but they do own the lagoon. This is why they won't come get you if you go past the rock wall, but if you are in the lagoon, they are coming in for you if you need rescuing.

If someone has an accident in the ocean, Aulani isn't getting sued. If someone has an accident in the lagoon, they can get sued.

 

[kyton]

We watched the CM’s chase a couple who decided to take a paddle board outside the breakwall. When I mean chase, the CM’s were landslide in a golf cart with a loudspeaker driving along the 4 lagoons yelling at the person to haul his butt back to Aulani’s lagoon. At that stage we were at the Beach Villa lagoon and watched them follow the dude to the marina lagoon where they finally obeyed their commands.

 

[HeightRequirement]

I'd be interested to see if Koolina received a variance to state law for their lagoon. The ocean is public and the shoreline is public. I believe part of the beach nearest to the hotel could be considered private because it extends beyond the shoreline. Just because CMs tell you Disney owns this and that, it doesn't mean they are correct. Maybe not worth the hassle of arguing with them, but they could be wrong.

 

[justme0729]

I brought a single size long lay down flat pool float to use in the lagoon and it was not a problem.

 

[kyton]

I don’t believe that Disney “owns” the lagoon out front - if they did they wouldn’t “share” with the public and Four Seasons. Ko Olina is a master planned neighbourhood so the lagoons are part of that ownership.

The security guards have no issues with floats within a certain spec. Now I don’t know what they are, but I have seen on different holidays floats that are h u g e being told to be removed. We stay in Ko Olina at least once a year, most years twice since 2012 and have stayed at each of the places other then Four Seasons and the security patrol every lagoon, as well as all open spaces (we’ve watched them remove people flying drones over the vacant sites a number of times).

 

[nkereina]

I'd be interested to see if Koolina received a variance to state law for their lagoon. The ocean is public and the shoreline is public.

FWIW, when we were there, there were buoys out where the lagoon met the ocean. Perhaps that's where its delineated. The lagoons were man-made by a private developer, so they may not fall under the same state laws if privately owned.

 

[Lewisc]

There is a public walkway for beach access between Aulani and the 4 Seasons. There are a limited number of public parking places near the beach.

Public access doesn't preclude rules on things like floats.

 

[Jessica Furukawa]

**Local tip** no promises, but if you head down to the 4th lagoon (the last one does not have a hotel with it; furthest south lagoon) you may get away with your floats, but everyone knows you can’t bring umbrellas, etc...

 

[heaven2dc]

I'm just trying to figure out how you would use those two floats at the beach in the ocean....would that even be safe? I just looked at pics of both and they are pretty big.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Why no umbrellas? Is this like a neighborhood with an HOA situation, where all the mailboxes have to match? Or is there some safety reason people can't bring their own umbrellas?