dwheaton
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2006
- Messages
- 746
It's been a few weeks since we visited Aulani, and I've finally recovered from jet lag and the bad cold I caught on our overnight flight back. So now I can talk about our trip! This was my first time staying at Aulani, and it was incredible. I was surprised to talk with people that visit every year; they're obviously doing pretty well for themselves, or it's because they're DVC members.
Here's the basic summary. We booked a one-bedroom villa for seven nights beginning on Thursday, March 14. I had originally booked a deluxe studio, but I decided to upgrade when I thought about the space. I went with my wife and two girls, who are 9 and 6. The villa gave us a lot more space, which was great to have over a week. We used the 30% discount from the Aulani website, and chose an Ocean View villa since it was the only one left when we booked in November. I did not make a specific room request, and we ended up in #662 in the Ewa tower. Our room overlooked the Hulawei Lawn and had a view of the Ocean. I was concerned at first we didn't get a higher floor, but it was quiet on that side of the resort. We also had a view of the movies and the luau from our balcony on a few nights.
To avoid just rambling for a long time, here's a summary of my highlights and a few minor issues:
HIGHLIGHTS
- The lobby - I could basically just stay there all day and look at the details. The music in the background is perfect. It reminds me of the Jambo House lobby, but the open-air set-up makes it even better.
- Aulani at night - In a similar vein, the resort is just so serene and gorgeous at night. Since the pools close at 8 (and some close earlier), it's quiet and just a beautiful setting.
- Meeting characters - My daughters met every character that was at Aulani, some multiple times! With the exception of the elusive Shelly Mae, we didn't have to try very hard either. We stumbled upon them a lot, and lines were usually short. The characters also interacted well, especially Moana.
- The water slides and lazy river - The pools were good, but what really excited my girls were the slides (which were exciting for adults but okay for them) and just being silly on the lazy river.
- Refillable mugs - this might seem like a weird thing to include, but it was the best value on our trip. We got Kona Coffee with them constantly and used the Coke Freestyle machines for sparkling water. We're not soda drinkers, but it still worked out well.
- The Luau - this was a pricey add-on, but it was totally worth it. I liked how the show incorporated a lot of the culture into the story and wasn't just about the expected spectacle. The fire throwers were incredible, but it also mixed in the island's history too.
- The relaxed beach area - my daughters haven't been to the beach that often, so this was a perfect spot for them to enjoy it without being worried about big waves or crowds.
- The service - I found nearly everyone we encountered to be super friendly and helpful. They also did a great job hosting the activities around the resort.
- Makahiki Buffet - This was super pricey, but we did both the dinner and the breakfast with the characters. I preferred the options at the breakfast but enjoyed both meals. The characters were again excellent, and the staff made sure we met everyone. The Aunty in the morning was a fun performer.
ISSUES (minor)
- The pool chair policy needs to be stricter in some way. I know that it's a difficult challenge with people just putting towels on the chairs so early in the day. We didn't have any issues early in our trip, but the resort got more crowded in the last 2-3 days. The chairs got hard to come by then, and some chairs were unoccupied for a really long time.
- Our toilet - it was super loud every time you flushed it! This is not a big deal but did get a little tiring.
- The prices (in some cases) - I know that food in Hawaii is expensive because it's an island, and in some cases I felt the Aulani rates were fair. Other times, not so much. We took advantage of the Island Market across the street and found values like the pizza at the Ulu Cafe, so that helped a lot. We also ate at the Off the Hook pool bar, which had good food and wasn't as pricey.
- Just Tacos. I'd been warned about this restaurant, but my daughter is picky and likes some Mexican options. This was a mistake, and we knew it once we entered. Bland food and so-so service.
Overall, we had an incredible time. There were a lot of moments when I looked around and couldn't believe we were actually at Aulani. It's the best resort I've ever stayed at by a mile.
If you have any specific questions, I can definitely answer them!
Here's the basic summary. We booked a one-bedroom villa for seven nights beginning on Thursday, March 14. I had originally booked a deluxe studio, but I decided to upgrade when I thought about the space. I went with my wife and two girls, who are 9 and 6. The villa gave us a lot more space, which was great to have over a week. We used the 30% discount from the Aulani website, and chose an Ocean View villa since it was the only one left when we booked in November. I did not make a specific room request, and we ended up in #662 in the Ewa tower. Our room overlooked the Hulawei Lawn and had a view of the Ocean. I was concerned at first we didn't get a higher floor, but it was quiet on that side of the resort. We also had a view of the movies and the luau from our balcony on a few nights.
To avoid just rambling for a long time, here's a summary of my highlights and a few minor issues:
HIGHLIGHTS
- The lobby - I could basically just stay there all day and look at the details. The music in the background is perfect. It reminds me of the Jambo House lobby, but the open-air set-up makes it even better.
- Aulani at night - In a similar vein, the resort is just so serene and gorgeous at night. Since the pools close at 8 (and some close earlier), it's quiet and just a beautiful setting.
- Meeting characters - My daughters met every character that was at Aulani, some multiple times! With the exception of the elusive Shelly Mae, we didn't have to try very hard either. We stumbled upon them a lot, and lines were usually short. The characters also interacted well, especially Moana.
- The water slides and lazy river - The pools were good, but what really excited my girls were the slides (which were exciting for adults but okay for them) and just being silly on the lazy river.
- Refillable mugs - this might seem like a weird thing to include, but it was the best value on our trip. We got Kona Coffee with them constantly and used the Coke Freestyle machines for sparkling water. We're not soda drinkers, but it still worked out well.
- The Luau - this was a pricey add-on, but it was totally worth it. I liked how the show incorporated a lot of the culture into the story and wasn't just about the expected spectacle. The fire throwers were incredible, but it also mixed in the island's history too.
- The relaxed beach area - my daughters haven't been to the beach that often, so this was a perfect spot for them to enjoy it without being worried about big waves or crowds.
- The service - I found nearly everyone we encountered to be super friendly and helpful. They also did a great job hosting the activities around the resort.
- Makahiki Buffet - This was super pricey, but we did both the dinner and the breakfast with the characters. I preferred the options at the breakfast but enjoyed both meals. The characters were again excellent, and the staff made sure we met everyone. The Aunty in the morning was a fun performer.
ISSUES (minor)
- The pool chair policy needs to be stricter in some way. I know that it's a difficult challenge with people just putting towels on the chairs so early in the day. We didn't have any issues early in our trip, but the resort got more crowded in the last 2-3 days. The chairs got hard to come by then, and some chairs were unoccupied for a really long time.
- Our toilet - it was super loud every time you flushed it! This is not a big deal but did get a little tiring.
- The prices (in some cases) - I know that food in Hawaii is expensive because it's an island, and in some cases I felt the Aulani rates were fair. Other times, not so much. We took advantage of the Island Market across the street and found values like the pizza at the Ulu Cafe, so that helped a lot. We also ate at the Off the Hook pool bar, which had good food and wasn't as pricey.
- Just Tacos. I'd been warned about this restaurant, but my daughter is picky and likes some Mexican options. This was a mistake, and we knew it once we entered. Bland food and so-so service.
Overall, we had an incredible time. There were a lot of moments when I looked around and couldn't believe we were actually at Aulani. It's the best resort I've ever stayed at by a mile.
If you have any specific questions, I can definitely answer them!