What's the true story?

[NH Disneyfan]

Hey everyone - this is an incredible group and I can't wait to learn more about Aulani from you!

I've been researching a lot about this resort and as a DVC member, am considering a trip to Aulani in place of WDW in April 2017. I've heard the good and the bad - what should I expect?

The Good

• Service is that of a cruise.....on land (we've been on 4 Disney cruises)
• The resort is beautiful
• There is shopping nearby
• Lots to do

The Bad

• Crowds at the pool - can't find a chair
• Crowds at the beach - can't find a chair
• Crowds getting kids into the club
• Crowds walking around
• Crowds for dining reservations
• Murky/Dirty snorkel pool
• Pool closings due to sanitary conditions
• Dirty ocean lagoon, Disney/lifeguards won't let you go beyond the lagoon
• No mini golf (what happened to like a cruise?)
• No shuffleboard (what happened to like a cruise?)
• Food is terrible (a travel website with lots of reviews said this)
• Expensive (I expect this.....)

At travel time our DS will be 13, DD 11 (going on 12). What do you think? As lifelong Disney fans and DVC members, will we enjoy Aulani or should we stick with WDW or DL?

Thanks!!!!

 

[E&Cmom]

It has been a year and a half so I will recapping the best I can remember. We loved it and I would definitely go again. My kids were 11 and almost 8 when I went. I replied to your quote in bold.

Hey everyone - this is an incredible group and I can't wait to learn more about Aulani from you!

I've been researching a lot about this resort and as a DVC member, am considering a trip to Aulani in place of WDW in April 2017. I've heard the good and the bad - what should I expect?

The Good

• Service is that of a cruise.....on land (we've been on 4 Disney cruises)...... Definitely
• The resort is beautiful......absolutely gorgeous
• There is shopping nearby.....small shopping complex across the street, target, Costco and other stores within short driving distance.
• Lots to do...agree....great pools, lazy rive, water slides, family activities ( lei making hula lessons, animation classes, canoe building and racing, Ukelee lessons), informative tours of Aulani. Menuhin adventure trail, activities in Aunty's, boogie boards, other water sport rentals, and visiting other places on the Island.

The Bad

• Crowds at the pool - can't find a chair...yes but depends on occupancy when you go. We went week of Labor Day from Thursday to Thursday. Weekend of Labour day was packed 95% . On Monday everyone went home drop down to 50% we has no problem finding seats the rest of the week. Even on busy days we found 2 seats together ( just not 4) and not in the real popular places. I found quieter areas with seats.
• Crowds at the beach - easier to find seats at beach than by pool
• Crowds getting kids into the club- we never had an issue getting them in for free play . Yes , during that long weekend for scheduled actives. After everyone went home , no problem.
• Crowds walking around this never bothered me
• Crowds for dining reservations we got into Ama Ama for both breakfast ( twice) and lunch as walk ins. I scheduled our Character breakfast only a few weeks before.
• Murky/Dirty snorkel pool I disagree with. This. it was clean . Cooler though.
• Pool closings due to sanitary conditions we never had an issue while we were there but these things happen everywhere
• Dirty ocean lagoon, Disney/lifeguards won't let you go beyond the lagoon. Again I disagree to the first part. Yes to the other....safety.
• No mini golf (what happened to like a cruise?) don't need it...never missed it . Would not have even thought of it.
• No shuffleboard (what happened to like a cruise?) as above. But I never even played shuffleboard on our cruise.
• Food is terrible (a travel website with lots of reviews said this)disagree that it is terrible. We enjoyed almost everything we had. I can't think of an awful meal. DH is gluten intolerant and they were wonderful about substitutions and his options. Yes, they could have more selections especially if you are going for a week like we did . You also don't have to eat there all the time. There are other options nearby and if you have a car your can leave ko olina. .....I guess food is subjective though
• Expensive (I expect this.....)....it's Disney and it is Hawaii. Double Whammy. Saying that there are different options ( ie preparing some meals yourself, eating at cheaper places) to lower the costs.

At travel time our DS will be 13, DD 11 (going on 12). What do you think? As lifelong Disney fans and DVC members, will we enjoy Aulani or should we stick with WDW or DL?

I would definitely recommend to go! WDW and DL isn't going anywhere. Lol

Thanks!!!!

 

[cmph]

FYI - Aunty's is only for ages 3-12. Since DOBs are all over the paperwork, I don't think you'll be able to sneak a 13yo in, but I'm just guessing. Our trip is in 2 months, so I'm definitely not an expert! I will add that with an 8-night stay, we were able to pre-register for 3 activities (3 separate days) for our kids, so I'm not super concerned about the long lines in the morning. We'll be doing day trips to Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, etc, so we never intended to send the kids to Aunty's anymore than that.

 

[algae]

The Good

• Service is that of a cruise.....on land (we've been on 4 Disney cruises)
• The resort is beautiful
• There is shopping nearby
• Lots to do

Service is almost like a Disney cruise. E.g. all the cast members we interacted with are very friendly and competent.
Yes, the resort is beautiful--it's Hawaii, after all.

The Bad

• Crowds at the pool - can't find a chair
• Crowds at the beach - can't find a chair
• Crowds getting kids into the club
• Crowds walking around
• Crowds for dining reservations
• Murky/Dirty snorkel pool
• Pool closings due to sanitary conditions
• Dirty ocean lagoon, Disney/lifeguards won't let you go beyond the lagoon
• No mini golf (what happened to like a cruise?)
• No shuffleboard (what happened to like a cruise?)
• Food is terrible (a travel website with lots of reviews said this)

We've never had problems finding a chair at the pool or the beach. We've been there twice: once the week before Christmas and once during the 4th of July. Crowds weren't that bad. We never needed reservations for dinner. Snorkel pool wasn't that murky compared to the ocean. Never saw a pool close, but that can happen anywhere at anytime if you get enough small kids around. Yes, you cannot go past the buoys in the lagoon. That's not a Disney thing, that's a Coast Guard or Government thing. The design of the lagoon creates swift currents that can carry you out to the ocean and make it tough to get back. If you want mini-golf and shuffleboard, go on a cruise. Aulani is not a cruise. Food is pretty good. Skip the buffet, but go to Ama Ama's, the Ulu cafe and the bar for Happy Hour.

 

[aulanidreamer]

My two cents from your list of "bad"... the pool chairs were an annoyance but nothing that ruined our trip. We were there when the resort was at full capacity (week of Presidents Day), and it was doable. There were always seats at the beach, just maybe not with shade.

The food was great, they just don't have enough restaurants at this time. Hoping in a few months when the four seasons opens next door it will help. We had reservations before we arrived and only ate out three times, but I know I heard others with long waits. With half the resort hotel rooms with no kitchen, they do need another restaurant. Luckily we had a kitchen and it didn't impact us much. Ama Ama was very good food, expensive, but good. Off the hook was fine, actually reasonably priced for Hawaii. Nothing special, but good poolside food. Ulu cafe I only did pastries. Coffee bar... just go over to island coffee across the street it will be way better. The buffet for the character breakfast was awesome, didn't do dinner.

The cove was fun and if you want less crowd the other three are significantly less crowded. None were dirty. We saw the most fish in the public cove (#4) I think, nearest to the marina. The lifeguards are trying to protect you from the strong current. Watching the waves hit the breakers never made me want to try to fight them and lose to the rocks...

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

I haven't' been to Aulani. However, I HAVE been to Hawaii and if you have the budget for Aulani but are not sure if it's what you want, I still completely recommend a trip to Hawaii! There is no need to stick to WDW/DL

 

[Girimama33]

The Good

• Service is that of a cruise.....on land (we've been on 4 Disney cruises) I wouldn't really compare it to a cruise...but a Disney Resort
• The resort is beautiful Yes
• There is shopping nearby A few shops
• Lots to do...during the day. Not so much at night

The Bad

• Crowds at the pool - can't find a chair Yes...this can be an issue for some
• Crowds at the beach - can't find a chair Not as much as an issue
• Crowds getting kids into the club we never used it
• Crowds walking around Not an issue
• Crowds for dining reservations I made mine in advance, but we were able to book Ama Ama for 14 people for breakfast on our departure day the night before.
• Murky/Dirty snorkel pool I thought it was clean and maintained.
• Pool closings due to sanitary conditions We did experience pool closures when we were there over the summer. Not too many when we were there in the spring.
• Dirty ocean lagoon, Disney/lifeguards won't let you go beyond the lagoon Lagoon is not dirty. That side of the island does not have the crystal clear water that you find by Kailua/Waimanalo. The lifeguards will discourage you from exiting the lagoon
• No mini golf (what happened to like a cruise?) Not sure why this is important...it is not a cruise
• No shuffleboard (what happened to like a cruise?) Not sure why this is important...it is not a cruise
• Food is terrible (a travel website with lots of reviews said this) We enjoyed our dining experiences while there
• Expensive (I expect this.....)

 

[AdamEfimoff]

I am wondering what would be price point that people want this hotel to be at?

 

[Amw1064]

We went to Aulani for the first time last summer. At that point we had been on 23 Disney cruises. I thought the lagoon area reminded me of being at Castaway. The water slides, a small Blizzard Beach and the hotel a mixture of Polynesian/AK. I wasn't looking for mini golf or shuffleboard. We thought it was the best vacation we have ever done. I can't give you one complaint. We were there June 10-20 last summer and we never had an issue getting a chair. Just followed the rules on checking it once an hour. Never had an issue getting a chair down by the beach and my daughter was 12 so she never went into the kids club. We did all the family events. I guess I would say that is kind of a pain waiting in that line to sign up for Ukulele lesson, animation art, etc. We did the character meal and loved it. Every worker at Aulani from the restaurants to cleaning people are super friendly so that reminded me of a cruise. We liked all the food we ate and the pool was never closed in our 10 day visit. Also character lines were much shorter than the cruise and always very easy to find. We loved it. So much in fact we bought points and are going back this summer.

 

[JoeA]

I'm here now and maybe a few Mai tais today but why do people compare this to a cruise experience? It's a beautiful beach front resort.

Pools may get shut down but you have parents and peeing kids to blame, not the hotel. The lagoon is fun and not dirty/murky (just swam to the "balls" and water was very clear.

I have never had more than pool side food service, which is decent, but there are also places across the street to eat, including the ABC store (decent food at economical prices).

 

[AdamEfimoff]

delete

 

[LoveMickeyM]

We went to Aulani for the first time last summer. At that point we had been on 23 Disney cruises. I thought the lagoon area reminded me of being at Castaway. The water slides, a small Blizzard Beach and the hotel a mixture of Polynesian/AK. I wasn't looking for mini golf or shuffleboard. We thought it was the best vacation we have ever done. I can't give you one complaint. We were there June 10-20 last summer and we never had an issue getting a chair. Just followed the rules on checking it once an hour. Never had an issue getting a chair down by the beach and my daughter was 12 so she never went into the kids club. We did all the family events. I guess I would say that is kind of a pain waiting in that line to sign up for Ukulele lesson, animation art, etc. We did the character meal and loved it. Every worker at Aulani from the restaurants to cleaning people are super friendly so that reminded me of a cruise. We liked all the food we ate and the pool was never closed in our 10 day visit. Also character lines were much shorter than the cruise and always very easy to find. We loved it. So much in fact we bought points and are going back this summer.

What kind of excursions did you do? I would like to next year go to Aulani. What is the minimum amount of days to stay at Aulani and be able to enjoy it? I am not sure how many day to stay.

 

[nkereina]

PPs have it covered. I've not been yet but from my own research in preparation for our trip in September, I did not get the impression there was much shopping nearby. It would require a drive on the highway to get to any real shopping like a mall. I've also heard that the resort lacks stuff for adults to do in the evening hours. So shopping and lots to do would not be on my list of pros for Aulani. As far as your cons, it's my understanding that the beach chairs are not hard to come by and while you can make reservations for your on property meals, you may still be able to get into the restaurants without one. YMMV.

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

I'm here now and maybe a few Mai tais today but why do people compare this to a cruise experience? It's a beautiful beach front resort.

Pools may get shut down but you have parents and peeing kids to blame, not the hotel. The lagoon is fun and not dirty/murky (just swam to the "balls" and water was very clear.

I have never had more than pool side food service, which is decent, but there are also places across the street to eat, including the ABC store (decent food at economical prices).

Love the ABC store!! Just came back from 10 days at Aulani and I bet our dinner came from there at least half of those nights. Hate spending a ton of money on food, especially with a kiddo who doesn't eat much, so the deli's hot food options were perfect!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's not a cruise. (Others may be different but I don't go on cruises to play minigolf and shuffleboard) On a cruise, you're stuck. Noplace to go other than the boat. Get a car, and you can tour all over Oahu. Probably even find some minigolf.

The food wasn't terrible. I didn't try the buffet though, can't speak to that.

Biggest issue to adults at night is that the pools close by 8 (they did in September). But...there's a nice bar (Olelo room) and Monkeypod across the street to catch some music.

 

[JoeA]

Love the ABC store!! Just came back from 10 days at Aulani and I bet our dinner came from there at least half of those nights. Hate spending a ton of money on food, especially with a kiddo who doesn't eat much, so the deli's hot food options were perfect!

Heck, we may have been at the ABC store at the same time! And yes, we were there getting dinner!

 

[Regan117]

They also have the shopping shuttle to the Ala Moana shopping center, which is massive. So if you wanted to shop, that is a great option.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We are going for our 5th time in may. We have only gone in either April or may and have never had crowds. Mom always up early to work out and get coffee so I always save our chairs in our fav spot. We have eaten at all the restaurants and they are fine. We have an adult disabled daughter and we always being her friend and they love the character breakfast. Usually one night my husband and I go to ama ama for dinner. It's always been good but expensive.

We are DVC members and stay on points for 10 nights on a one bedroom ocean view. The suite is clean and lovely with a great view. The one and two bedroom suites have washers and dryers, ovens, big fridge, enough utensils and dishes for cooking and eating.

We usually rent a car because we don't have to pay for parking as DVC members and it makes it easy to go for ,groceries or visit a good friend in Honolulu. But we rarely leave the resort. We just sit by the pool and read all day. My daughter and friend run around looking for characters and meeting cast members. The staff is universally wonderful especially to our girls.

I make breakfast every day and often make lunch and bring it to the pool. I make a few dinners but we go out a lot. Across the street there is Monkeypod with music and decent food. There is a taco place which is just okay, a pizza place and sushi, which is great. There is also an ABC market where you can buy prepared foods and groceries.
Just down the street is a Roy's which has excellent food.
And in Kapolei, the town you pass as you are coming to Aulani there are several chain restaurants and big grocery stores.
My husband and I like to play tennis and there were courts next door at the old Marriott which is now a four seasons. I hope the courts are open by the time we get there.

We are not beach people although my husband likes to snorkel when he can. We rarely go to beach but there is a great walk from Aulani down past several lagoons to the end and back. Merest for early morning walking. A

 

[cedricandsophie]

Sorry...I was trying to correct something and accidently hit post.

The walkway is great for early morning walks before it gets hot. Also there are free fitness classes on the beach most days.

The only downside to Aulani for us is th lack of evening entertainment. The lunge has a singer every night but I do get tired of Hawaiin music all the time. I'm hoping that the new Four Seasons next door will have nightly entertainment with some modern rock and roll or jazz.

We also go to DW once or twice a year...here right now...and just hang out at resorts. We have been here 10 days and haven't gone to the parks once. And we have been on many Disney cruises. Aulani is much more like a resort than cruise. A really nice resort! We love it! I hope you will too.

 

[JoeA]

Sorry...I was trying to correct something and accidently hit post.

The walkway is great for early morning walks before it gets hot. Also there are free fitness classes on the beach most days.

The only downside to Aulani for us is th lack of evening entertainment. The lunge has a singer every night but I do get tired of Hawaiin music all the time. I'm hoping that the new Four Seasons next door will have nightly entertainment with some modern rock and roll or jazz.

We also go to DW once or twice a year...here right now...and just hang out at resorts. We have been here 10 days and haven't gone to the parks once. And we have been on many Disney cruises. Aulani is much more like a resort than cruise. A really nice resort! We love it! I hope you will too.

I believe the 4 Seasons is expected to open in June, according to one of the pool area servers. I guess a lot of Disney CMs are going over there to work.