Aulani Disney! one word MAGICAL

[elleny76]

We stay at Aulani for 8 days during school spring break and Now we are home and miss it a lot! We wont be going back any time soon since its 11 hours flight from NYC . But We really miss Aulani. My Son keep asking me when we are coming back to the resort..(lol) Maybe in 3 years from now and making a stop somewhere betw Las Vegas or LA. We have so many great places in the Caribbean and short flights but my family really loves Aulani. As always Disney Did IT again!

 

[m4travels]

We are looking forward to our short 5-day stay in September after a Vancouver to Hawaii cruise. We visited the resort a few years back when we were on a Disney cruise and loved the look of it all. Waiting for paradise.........

 

[rickandcindy23]

If you love Disney, Aulani is indeed magical. If you aren't a huge Disney fan, the commercialism is a turnoff. We had guests stay on our points, and they did not like anything about it. They had a one bedroom for two nights, and she said it's crowded and not a place she would ever visit again. Strong words, for a person who loves Disneyland.

 

[davidvel]

If you love Disney, Aulani is indeed magical. If you aren't a huge Disney fan, the commercialism is a turnoff. We had guests stay on our points, and they did not like anything about it. They had a one bedroom for two nights, and she said it's crowded and not a place she would ever visit again. Strong words, for a person who loves Disneyland.

That's exactly how I would describe it.

 

[SueDonJ]

Cindy, your friend's experience is what I expect to feel so I doubt we'd ever choose Aulani. I'm a freak for Walt Disney World in Florida; it's my second-favorite vacation and I love that it's possible to go there and have a completely magical time while never stepping foot off of Disney soil. But I just can't imagine wanting a similar experience in Hawaii because there's so much more to see/do away from the Disney footprint, or even Anaheim or Vero Beach because the footprints are so much smaller. Disney's Hilton Head property is intriguing but only for off-season stays when direct access to the beach isn't important.

IMO if you're not going to a Disney property to be completely immersed then you're paying too much - whether cash or DVC MF's - for a place to sleep. Plus no matter which Disney properties you're talking about there are so many other lodging/timeshare options in the same areas that exceed Disney's brand standard of the actual rooms/units (except maybe OKW which as the first DVC property has very large and comfortably-designed units.)

 

[gmarine]

My family and I love Disney, having been to both Disneyworld and Disneyland multiple times. We visited Aulani while staying at Marriotts Ko Olina last summer and found Aulani to be much too crowded and busy compared to the Marriott. I had assumed we would love Aulani but it was just the opposite. We really disliked how packed the beach and pools were. Had we not first stayed at Marriott Ko Olina maybe we wouldnt have disliked Aulani so much but it was a huge disappointment compared to the Marriott. It was a beautiful resort but the crowds were just too much for us.

 

[Eli Mairs]

We were at Marriott's Ko Olina for two weeks and then moved to Aulani for two days last week.
Ko Olina is awesome. We walked over to Aulani several times to check it out while we were there. We were not impressed, as it was so noisy and crowded, and we thought we would regret spending the large number of points for our two bedroom villa.
Despite the obvious negatives, we were pleasantly surprised. The staff was very friendly and welcoming, the villas are spacious and lovely, and the view from our 14th floor Oceanside villa was spectacular.
We stayed away from the crowded pools, and lounged on the chairs facing the lagoon, enjoying the lovely view.
Edited to add:
If you are looking for a Disney experience, I would not recommend this resort. Other than the occasional characters showing up for a photo op, and the shops selling Disney merchandise, there is little else Disney. We take our grandchildren to Orlando and stay at OKW, our home resort, but will not be taking them to this resort.
We are happy to have been able to check it out, to come to this decision.

 

[rfc0001]

We have been to Hawaii dozens of times, and love the quiet tranquil 5-star resorts, but also love Aulani. It's a completely different experience, perhaps antithetical to the typical Hawaiian resort, but it is still great fun for families with kids. That said, you'll spend all day in the pools and never leave the resort, so if you go to Hawaii and don't stay anywhere other than Aulani, you are missing out.

 

[Southerngirl528]

Elleny76, mahalo for sharing your experience! My DH & I have stayed at Aulani 3 different trips with NO kids and absolutely love it. It is a very special place. Maui is our first love, and we spend a few weeks every year there but we will always return to Aulani. Being a DVC member makes it super easy for me to do, but I would stay there anyway if I was not a member. The hustle and bustle of Waikiki are not our thing so the Ko Olina area is perfect for our Oahu stays.

I think when people expect a "Disneyland" experience, they have not done their homework before booking/staying at Aulani. There was a really good article in Hawaii magazine interviewing Keali'i Reichel (if you are a Hawaii freak like me, you will know who that is), who was very reticent to be a cultural advisor to Disney when Aulani was being planned. It took a friend of his asking him to just meet w/Disney. Keali'i wrote several pieces of music for Aulani, and for the official blessing/opening ceremony. His handprint is all over the Starlit Hui show which was performed at Aulani until recently when they went to a luau format.

I know of no resort in Hawaii or anywhere else that pleases everyone. I wouldn't give you 10 cents for a primo hotel in Vegas. Not my thing. But lots of folks love it. Aulani's prices are pretty much in line with any other high end beachfront Hawaiian resort IMO. I think it is the fact that Aulani is very vertical and that Waikolohe Valley pools area fills up the area between the towers, that makes it feel crowded at times. But in 3 stays I have not once had any problem at all finding nice pool chairs or getting into AMA AMA to dine.

I have found the Aulani experience to be lovely, from the staff to the attention to detail on Hawaiian culture and lore. They have truly outstanding live Hawaiian music in the 2 lounges nightly. Almost all of them being Na Hoku Hano Hano award winners. I have personally spoken at some length with Teresa Bright, whom DH & I LOVE to hear while at Aulani. She is native born and I asked her what she thought about Disney's declaration that Aulani would be "big Hawaii and little Disney". She surprised me by saying how amazed she was each time she came to perform at the attention to detail and how very well she was treated there.

Aulani is not for everyone, anymore than is Hilton Hawaiian Village or Halekulani for everyone. And for various reason. That's the beauty of it all. Hawaii holds something for almost everyone.

 

[frank808]

Elleny76, mahalo for sharing your experience! My DH & I have stayed at Aulani 3 different trips with NO kids and absolutely love it. It is a very special place. Maui is our first love, and we spend a few weeks every year there but we will always return to Aulani. Being a DVC member makes it super easy for me to do, but I would stay there anyway if I was not a member. The hustle and bustle of Waikiki are not our thing so the Ko Olina area is perfect for our Oahu stays.

I think when people expect a "Disneyland" experience, they have not done their homework before booking/staying at Aulani. There was a really good article in Hawaii magazine interviewing Keali'i Reichel (if you are a Hawaii freak like me, you will know who that is), who was very reticent to be a cultural advisor to Disney when Aulani was being planned. It took a friend of his asking him to just meet w/Disney. Keali'i wrote several pieces of music for Aulani, and for the official blessing/opening ceremony. His handprint is all over the Starlit Hui show which was performed at Aulani until recently when they went to a luau format.

I know of no resort in Hawaii or anywhere else that pleases everyone. I wouldn't give you 10 cents for a primo hotel in Vegas. Not my thing. But lots of folks love it. Aulani's prices are pretty much in line with any other high end beachfront Hawaiian resort IMO. I think it is the fact that Aulani is very vertical and that Waikolohe Valley pools area fills up the area between the towers, that makes it feel crowded at times. But in 3 stays I have not once had any problem at all finding nice pool chairs or getting into AMA AMA to dine.

I have found the Aulani experience to be lovely, from the staff to the attention to detail on Hawaiian culture and lore. They have truly outstanding live Hawaiian music in the 2 lounges nightly. Almost all of them being Na Hoku Hano Hano award winners. I have personally spoken at some length with Teresa Bright, whom DH & I LOVE to hear while at Aulani. She is native born and I asked her what she thought about Disney's declaration that Aulani would be "big Hawaii and little Disney". She surprised me by saying how amazed she was each time she came to perform at the attention to detail and how very well she was treated there.

Aulani is not for everyone, anymore than is Hilton Hawaiian Village or Halekulani for everyone. And for various reason. That's the beauty of it all. Hawaii holds something for almost everyone.

I totally agree with your post.

Different strokes for different folks.

Agree with your sentiment that Aulani is a touch of Disney with more focus on the Hawaiian experience. Also Disney did not get a very warm reception by the hawaiian community as the community thought it was just another "hawaiian" themed hotel. Disney silenced the naysayers and won praises for its depiction of the hawaiian culture. Truly surprised a lot of us locals were we have experienced big corporations use "hawaiian" way but never truly meaning it or even consulting with the local community with what it entails.

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[smmatrix]

Aulani is indeed very special. Over the past many years, we have stayed at most of Disney's resorts, and it was our stay at Aulani which convinced us to become DVC members. We wanted to own a piece of paradise and we plan on going every year. We live in Oregon so it's a short 5-hour flight for us. If it weren't for Aulani, no way would we consider DVC membership based on their other resorts.

 

[elleny76]

Yes, Its a very busy resort with tons of families with happy kids all over running, screaming happiness, laughing, having fun. We like to see people and movement while in vacation after all we have a 5yo and he needs that. We are not the kind to lay on the beach all day (lol) You can find me on the beach with my child sitting on the sand making castle for hours.(1) We stayed 7 days in Hilton Hawaiian Village. We liked the Hilton village as well, nice super lagoon with cool water sports BUT the pools were ice cold! and many people NO guests were on property. (2) We toured Waikiki in the trolley and by foot, the zoo, dole plantation, We climb hike Diamond Head, we ate at Giovanni's truck and others truck at north shore..etc (3) Then we moved to Aulani Disney of the next 9 nights_10 days(no 8 days ). Aulani has it all and it feels very private, clean, friendly and HEATED pools! We travel every 3 months somewhere and often we go to Orlando since we have AP for Disney parks. We have been in Bahamas_Atlantis, cruises, Cancun, etc and this is the first time I heard my child and my husband asking when are we going back to AULANI(lol) My son had it all, he sow all the characters, dance in the pool with goofy, played at the beach(with free Aulani beach toys and boogie boards) did aqua sports, ate shaved ice with mickey ears every day, lunch by the pool , went down the slide as many times he wanted, used the lazy river to relax. We would go downstairs from 10am until 6pm! Amazing! Then for dinner we will go across the street to ABC ( nice hot plates dinner for only $7) and other restaurants with awesome prices. (Aulani is a place that has it all for vacation even if you want to do tours or no this place is magical...all in one!)

 

[icydog]

If you love Disney, Aulani is indeed magical. If you aren't a huge Disney fan, the commercialism is a turnoff. We had guests stay on our points, and they did not like anything about it. They had a one bedroom for two nights, and she said it's crowded and not a place she would ever visit again. Strong words, for a person who loves Disneyland.

I had the exact same take on the place. No Disney theming. Way way way way too crowded! No good restaurants. Terrible attitude from cast members. The second week we stayed at Marriott's Ko Olina and of course it was incredible. I couldn't wait to get out of Aulani. I will never return either!

 

[icydog]

Aulani is indeed very special. Over the past many years, we have stayed at most of Disney's resorts, and it was our stay at Aulani which convinced us to become DVC members. We wanted to own a piece of paradise and we plan on going every year. We live in Oregon so it's a short 5-hour flight for us. If it weren't for Aulani, no way would we consider DVC membership based on their other resorts.

This is what makes Disney Vacation Club so great. We had exactly opposite takes on Aulani and the Walt Disney World resorts. I hope you enjoy your vacations. I see you have little kids. I take my little grandkids to Disney World which is a short 2.5 hr trip from my house in NJ. You should try Ko Olina once though.

 

[icydog]

View attachment 3783 We were at Marriott's Ko Olina for two weeks and then moved to Aulani for two days last week.
Ko Olina is awesome. We walked over to Aulani several times to check it out while we were there. We were not impressed, as it was so noisy and crowded, and we thought we would regret spending the large number of points for our two bedroom villa.
Despite the obvious negatives, we were pleasantly surprised. The staff was very friendly and welcoming, the villas are spacious and lovely, and the view from our 14th floor Oceanside villa was spectacular.
We stayed away from the crowded pools, and lounged on the chairs facing the lagoon, enjoying the lovely view.
Edited to add:
If you are looking for a Disney experience, I would not recommend this resort. Other than the occasional characters showing up for a photo op, and the shops selling Disney merchandise, there is little else Disney. We take our grandchildren to Orlando and stay at OKW, our home resort, but will not be taking them to this resort.
We are happy to have been able to check it out, to come to this decision.

My feelings exactly about DVC at WDW. I'm glad I went to Aulani first though. I really didn't like it and Ko Olina felt like I was in Paradise.

 

[bendadin]

Digging this up...

How much are the taxes on DVC points for Aulani? I am in the beginning stages of planning a Hawaii trip for next September. My husband just about hyperventilates every time I suggest going to a different island so Oahu might just have to be the choice. I can't match Marriott Ko 'Olina since I have RCI.

I'm hoping that the crowds will be lower after Labor Day.

 

[rhonda]

Digging this up...

How much are the taxes on DVC points for Aulani? I am in the beginning stages of planning a Hawaii trip for next September. My husband just about hyperventilates every time I suggest going to a different island so Oahu might just have to be the choice. I can't match Marriott Ko 'Olina since I have RCI.

I'm hoping that the crowds will be lower after Labor Day.

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/faq/pre-arrival-checklist/hawaii-tax/

 

[bendadin]

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/faq/pre-arrival-checklist/hawaii-tax/

Thank you.

 

[blondietink]

Just checked out of Aulani last Friday. Never had Any problems finding 4 lounges at the pool together any time of day. Low crowds, lots of characters, lots of photos around. Weather was perfect, staff friendly. Lazy River closes at 6 pm and pools at 8 pm. Fall is our favorite time in Hawaii.

 

[bendadin]

Just checked out of Aulani last Friday. Never had Any problems finding 4 lounges at the pool together any time of day. Low crowds, lots of characters, lots of photos around. Weather was perfect, staff friendly. Lazy River closes at 6 pm and pools at 8 pm. Fall is our favorite time in Hawaii.

Good to know. We are hoping to go there next September.

 

[alwysonvac]

Just checked out of Aulani last Friday. Never had Any problems finding 4 lounges at the pool together any time of day. Low crowds, lots of characters, lots of photos around. Weather was perfect, staff friendly. Lazy River closes at 6 pm and pools at 8 pm. Fall is our favorite time in Hawaii.

Thanks for sharing.

Fall is our favorite time too.
I may a mistake staying over Labor Day weekend three years ago with my nieces

Did your stay this past week include a weekend (when the locals are out of school /off from work)? If so, did you notice an increase in crowds on the weekend vs weekday?
Wondering if things have died down a bit.

Even though it was a mob scene during Labor Day weekend, there were plenty of available lounges at the adults only pool. Were you able to find 4 pool lounges any time of the day around the other pools this past week? Were you also able to get Lazy River tubes anything during the day?

 

[blondietink]

The weekends were slightly busier, but still manageable. We did touristy things on the weekends ..... Pearl Harbor, Missouri, Dole Plantation, etc. To avoid the local crowds at the beaches and resort.