Did Aulani Blow You Away?

[HairyChest]

I’m a DVC owner and have been blessed by staying at the Deluxe resorts in Disneyworld. I’m debating a trip to Aulani and other then Pete singing it’s praises, I wanted to hear from fellow travelers especially if you are used to staying Deluxe at WDW. Did Aulani blow you away? Did it wow you and make you not want to leave?

My favorite resort is the Polynesian so from what I’ve seen, Aulani should be right up my alley.
Also, I only have 4 nights planned to be in Hawaii so any first timer tips would be appreciated.

P.S : Does Aulani NOT have tiki torches lit all over the resort?? It’s one of my favorite parts about the Polynesian.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I wouldn't go to Hawaii for any less than a full week at the absolute bare minimum, regardless of where you stay.

Aulani is orders of magnitude better than any Walt Disney World property. There are better/"finer" resorts in Hawaii, but none of Disney's other resorts compare.

 

[PalmettoPath]

We love Aulani. We typically spend two weeks there. They have kukui nut torches (or facsimiles of the actual kukui nut torches), which is more authentically Hawaiian for sure. We love the resort for many reasons, including the little authentic details and cultural theming.

 

[HairyChest]

I wouldn't go to Hawaii for any less than a full week at the absolute bare minimum, regardless of where you stay.

Aulani is orders of magnitude better than any Walt Disney World property. There are better/"finer" resorts in Hawaii, but none of Disney's other resorts compare.

I would love to go longer but it’s a 4 days or none kind of situation. I figure I’ll go to get a taste and if I’m hooked, rearrange my points next year. Right now I’m in the phase of wanting to only go to Disneyworld with all the points I have because I love it so much.

 

[SueInBoston]

I was absolutely blown away with the Ocean view 1 bedroom at Aulani. Poly is nice but Aulani is much more authentic. My home is BVC.

 

[cgattis]

Coming from a fellow tiki torch lover, you won’t be disappointed. Not to spoil it, but they have a very unique accent lighting that you will LOVE also. I actually found myself at a couple of the Maui resorts thinking they needed them too!

 

[ironz]

We've owned DVC several years and have always used it at WDW. Lucked into a last minute studio at Aulani prior to the Hawaii-Vancouver DCL cruise. SOOO glad we went! It was only 2 nights, in a studio without much of a view (std studio), but the grounds of Aulani are lovely and we really, really enjoyed the whole atmosphere.

One drawback-- it's not really close to anything else we did in our limited time, and we didn't rent a car, so spent a decent amount of money on taxi/rideshare.
Also, if you go to Pearl Harbor, plan your visit earlier in the day rather than later, as traffic between Honolulu and Aulani is pretty heavy after 4:30 pm.

Have fun!!

 

[Van@Disney]

One thing to keep in mind, the poly is kind of a disney take on polynesian culture. But, Aulani has gone to great lengths to display Hawaiian culture and worked with local people to do so. If you can appreciate it as a distinct experience I’m sure you will love it.

 

[htguy]

I wouldn't go to Hawaii for any less than a full week at the absolute bare minimum, regardless of where you stay.

Aulani is orders of magnitude better than any Walt Disney World property. There are better/"finer" resorts in Hawaii, but none of Disney's other resorts compare.

Can you give examples of what make Aulani better than any WDW property? Thanks.

 

[Van@Disney]

Maybe not better, just different. But luau and pools, lazy river etc. are some of my favourite features.

 

[disneyfan123]

Aulani was a major reason we bought into DVC. It’s an incredible resort. We’ve been able to stay at BWV, AKL, SSR along with Aulani, and AUL is the best resort by far. The pool is amazing, the location is great, restaurants are really good, luau is fantastic and the spa is top notch. We are heading back there at the end of January and the whole family is super excited, even though it‘s a 12 hr plane ride from where we will be living then (on the west coast now but moving to the east coast).

 

[Lilsia]

I fell in love with Hawaii the second that I stepped off of the plane. It air smells so fresh there. And Aulani is a beautiful resort that I also love. My last trip was 16 nights and it was not long enough. I bank and borrow my points to go to Aulani. I rather pay cash at Disney and use my points at Aulani. Aulani is going to ruin the Polynesian Resort for you.

 

[Lilsia]

We've owned DVC several years and have always used it at WDW. Lucked into a last minute studio at Aulani prior to the Hawaii-Vancouver DCL cruise. SOOO glad we went! It was only 2 nights, in a studio without much of a view (std studio), but the grounds of Aulani are lovely and we really, really enjoyed the whole atmosphere.

One drawback-- it's not really close to anything else we did in our limited time, and we didn't rent a car, so spent a decent amount of money on taxi/rideshare.
Also, if you go to Pearl Harbor, plan your visit earlier in the day rather than later, as traffic between Honolulu and Aulani is pretty heavy after 4:30 pm.

Have fun!!

Yeah, Hawaii is a rent a car type of vacation destination. Definitely worth it to be able to drive around and explore the Island.

 

[Great3]

I would love to go longer but it’s a 4 days or none kind of situation. I figure I’ll go to get a taste and if I’m hooked, rearrange my points next year. Right now I’m in the phase of wanting to only go to Disneyworld with all the points I have because I love it so much.

Since it's all or nothing, I would just plan on re-arranging the points, save/borrow for a longer trip for first time in Hawaii, and go later. While I love Aulani, it's Hawaii that wows me! The sheer beauty of it!!! You can't do it justice by doing a resort only stay at Aulani, or just visiting Pearl Harbor on the trip. You actually need to go around the island, especially towards the northern areas to appreciate what it is that makes you want to return year after year.

Unless you live on the West Coast, where it's about 5.5 hours plane ride and maybe do-able in 4 days. But if you are in the East Coast, or somewhere in the middle, I agree with others, 7 nights minimum. For me personally, it's 10 nights minimum. Good Luck on what you decide to do.

Great3

 

[OKW Lover]

I'll echo all the above comments saying at Aulani is significantly better than the Poly (or any of the WDW deluxe resorts) and you should go for at least a week.

 

[abdgeek]

I’m a DVC owner and have been blessed by staying at the Deluxe resorts in Disneyworld. I’m debating a trip to Aulani and other then Pete singing it’s praises, I wanted to hear from fellow travelers especially if you are used to staying Deluxe at WDW. Did Aulani blow you away? Did it wow you and make you not want to leave?

My favorite resort is the Polynesian so from what I’ve seen, Aulani should be right up my alley.
Also, I only have 4 nights planned to be in Hawaii so any first timer tips would be appreciated.

P.S : Does Aulani NOT have tiki torches lit all over the resort?? It’s one of my favorite parts about the Polynesian.

View attachment 677780

I’m a DVC Member and Aulani is one of my home resorts. As such, I typically stay there every couple of years while also visiting the other Hawaiian Islands. At WDW, I’ve stayed at just about every DVC resort(WDW AND DL), and Aulani is by far my favorite! Aulani is a resort destination in itself. You have the beach, pool, spa, luaus, Rainbow Reef, etc., all without leaving the property. You can also book tours from Aulani on their website that take you to various sites on the island. While most people only use Aulani as a homebase while visiting the rest of the island, given your short stay, you will have to decide if your goal is to just visit and enjoy the resort or the rest of the island. I agree with OP that 4 days may not be enough time—it is if you only want to do the resort; it isn’t if you want to see Oahu because the day you arrive and leave are normally days when you can’t do much. Good luck with your decision.

 

[jimmymc]

It is a spectacular resort. It's not over the top extravagant like you might get from a Four Seasons, but it is so well themed and feels like home. Like I can see myself living there.

 

[pjacobi]

For my once-in-a-lifetime trip, Perl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, an active volcano and Na Pali coast were more important to me. The Disney resorts in Florida are a lot closer and cheaper, plus a short stroll to Disney World.


-Paul

 

[Great3]

For my once-in-a-lifetime trip, Perl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, an active volcano and Na Pali coast were more important to me. The Disney resorts in Florida are a lot closer and cheaper, plus a short stroll to Disney World.


-Paul

LOL, this!!! For me personally, there's no comparison between WDW and Hawaii. Thus why I own two contracts at Aulani as home resorts instead of at WDW. While I love WDW, given a choice, I will always choose Hawaii/Aulani every single time!

Great3

 

[Cara]

We just spent 5 nights in Waikiki, 7 nights on the Pride of America interisland cruise and 2 nights at Aulani. Keep in mind we're 2 adults with no kids (and we were there over a weekend, which is busier), but I was not blown away. It was a beautiful resort, but I don't think I would make an effort to stay there again unless we had grandchildren with us. It was very crowded, and not everything was open post-Covid when we went.