Aulani Newbie

[KaystotheKingdom]

Alright we are going to take the plunge and head out to Aulani from the east coast!

I’m trying to manage my points appropriately in advance of this so mu question for those that have been or go more regularly:

We are looking at early/mid Feb 2026 with party of 7- 3 adults and 3 kids. We would need either 2 studios or a 2 bedroom.

Do you think we need to rent points to take advantage of the 11 month booking window ( and then in turn rent out our points) or is the 7 month availability decent?

Tue other piece of this is we want to do 3 nights at a Disneyland dvc- I’m guessing renting might be necessary for that?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

[Van@Disney]

I hope you love Aulani as much as we do. It’s my happy place.

I’m not sure about disneyland hotel DVC tower, but Grand Californian definitely requires an 11 month booking time.

Aulani should be ok for 7 months booking, February is not a peak time. Its more likely you will get a two bedroo, but you may have luck with the two delux suites.

Have a great time!

 

[newdeal]

2 studios will need way fewer points but you won't get a kitchen. We have only been a few times but have never had a problem booking at 7 months. We have booked in February, October, and April. If you are renting points you might want to skip spending the money on Disneyland DVC and just rent a hotel nearby there.

 

[Van@Disney]

Ditto on the Disneyland suggestion. It’s great to stay on property but very pricey if you don’t have the points. You can go to get away today for hotel deals or call them. They are also often best for park tickets. There are hotels literally across the street from the park, so it’s easy to do.

 

[KaystotheKingdom]

Ditto on the Disneyland suggestion. It’s great to stay on property but very pricey if you don’t have the points. You can go to get away today for hotel deals or call them. They are also often best for park tickets. There are hotels literally across the street from the park, so it’s easy to do.

Any hotels in particular you recommend? Will have a 10, 7, and 2 year old. I’m not married to on property though they look so nice.

We should have the points, I’m just unsure of availability at 7 months since our home resort is Boulder Ridge.

 

[Mercdesman]

We are lucky, our home is Aulani. We are going for the first time in June. We are also east coasters and are going to stay at DL for two days to break up the long flight out to Aulani. We decided to lower the view at Aulani so we could use them at DL. We opted for the garden view at Aulani.

We got a studio at the Grand Californian to also save points. Hope you all have fun when you go!!

 

[WDWLODGE]

We are getting ready for our first trip in a few weeks. We booked late January into early February at 7-months. We have an Island Garden View Studio. If I recall the standard views were booked-up, but we wanted a Garden View anyway.

For Disneyland/GC you are likely to need the 11-month window. Definitely GC anyway. We are also stopping at DL for 3-nights before Aulani. We opted to stay across the street at the Dessert Inn.

 

[KaystotheKingdom]

How many nights are you going in aulani? We too are thinking 3 nights in Disneyland which would give us 6 full days in aulani- hoping that’s enough to see a lot for a first trip! The rest of our extended family is skipping Disneyland and doing 9 days aulani.

 

[WDWLODGE]

How many nights are you going in aulani? We too are thinking 3 nights in Disneyland which would give us 6 full days in aulani- hoping that’s enough to see a lot for a first trip! The rest of our extended family is skipping Disneyland and doing 9 days aulani.

We have 8-nights booked in Aulani. We arrive at 11AM & depart at 11:30PM, so we have almost 9 full days.

 

[tidefan]

IMHO, I would not go to Aulani unless I had at least a 1-bedroom unit. To us, having the Kitchen is extremely important with how much food is out there, of course, YMMV. Our first stop on every Aulani trip is the Costco in Kapolei...

Also, if you are IG View, I'd call Member Services and request Ewa Tower, high floor. You may get a partial ocean view, but you will definitely get a view of the Luau. You can watch it from your balcony instead of paying all that $$...

 

[MsChristy12]

IMHO, I would not go to Aulani unless I had at least a 1-bedroom unit. To us, having the Kitchen is extremely important with how much food is out there, of course, YMMV. Our first stop on every Aulani trip is the Costco in Kapolei...

Ditto! Portions for most places are big! We had so much leftovers that on the days we didn't leave the resort, we had more than enough for lunch and dinner. A lot better than eating the expensive but just okay food at the resort.

 

[KaystotheKingdom]

IMHO, I would not go to Aulani unless I had at least a 1-bedroom unit. To us, having the Kitchen is extremely important with how much food is out there, of course, YMMV. Our first stop on every Aulani trip is the Costco in Kapolei...

Also, if you are IG View, I'd call Member Services and request Ewa Tower, high floor. You may get a partial ocean view, but you will definitely get a view of the Luau. You can watch it from your balcony instead of paying all that $$...

Super helpful- thanks! Do you rent a car? Or do they have grocery delivery options similar to WDW?

 

[tidefan]

Super helpful- thanks! Do you rent a car? Or do they have grocery delivery options similar to WDW?

We always rent a car. It’s great for getting around the island. And with DVC points, parking is included

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

Yes, there are grocery delivery options similar to WDW. I've used Foodland in the past and was happy with their deliveries. Unlike WDW, Aulani will not hold groceries.

 

[oswald1]

Super helpful- thanks! Do you rent a car? Or do they have grocery delivery options similar to WDW?

Agree with the above comment. Get at least a one bedroom for the kitchen. Don't pay for breakfast/lunch. Food on the islands is very expensive. If you spring for an ocean view 2 bed (higher up), you will see whales jumping from your balcony (which is amazing!). Rent a car and see the entire island. Especially, the north shore and pipeline surf. Lots of surfing competitions in Feb. North Shore has great shopping and restaurants. Iolani Palace tour is interesting. Go to the coffee farm and Dole plantation. Also love the Kualoa Ranch, where Jurassic Park was filmed. Do Not Miss: Pearl Harbor--you need to buy your tickets in advance so plan accordingly. You will love this vacation! Aulani is so fun for kids, don't miss the Yukulele lessons and the Luau. All the activities are wonderful for kids.

I would book a 2 bed at Aulani at 11 months, but 7 months is possible. I would book Disneyland hotel at 11 months.

I used Door Dash for grocery delivery from Safeway grocery.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

If you are going to Disneyland resort in late Feb, you might be able to get a decent promotional rate at one of the hotels. If you can’t, we like the courtyard Marriott across the street from the main DL entrance (it’s often expensive too, but they have better rooms for 5 people, with bunkbeds).

 

[disneyeveryyear]

We are headed to Aulani (for the first time) 2/5 - 2/12. I was able to book both our 2BR and Studio (both Island/Garden view) exactly at 7 months. I had to call in because there is something wrong with my points on the website. I did stalk it for a little while and both rooms were available for at least a week. The studios were sold out before the 2BRs. I can't wait, we are just 24 days away!