Mommy2Logan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2019
Just got back from Aulani. We really liked it and will likely be back, but the first few hours were so overwhelming and loud that we almost left. We actually spoke with guest services and they were going to release us and give us a refund but we were so tired we decided to stay the night and decide in the morning what to do. Ultimately we ended up staying the full 4 nights we had booked there and ended up liking it once we figured out how to navigate the crowds and find some quieter little pockets to hang out in.
The check in process was very loud and chaotic and contributed to our initial impression. It was the not the peaceful island vibe I had imagined, but felt more like a firedrill or Armageddon. I was rattled from that and then we went out to the pool which is a madhouse. Someone bumped into my son and knocked him over which resulted in a bumped head, tears, and an ice pack. It was overwhelming. There were no pool chairs whatsoever. If you can check in in the morning or later at night, that is when the lobby is less crowded. We arrived mid-day and it was crazy so if you come at that time, be prepared mentally for it to be loud and busy. We did the online pre-checkin and it was still a disaster. It was so loud that the woman checking us in kept checking us in under different people's last names because she couldn't hear us even with full shouting voice spelling our names. We ended up having to write our last name which is a super common simple spelling name but couldn't be made out through the shouting. Our son was overwhelmed by the chaos and freaking out and truthfully so was I.
That being said, this is a very nice resort but you need to come with a strategy. It will make it so much more enjoyable.
THE POOL CHAIR SITUATION: The rumors are true. You need a game plan to get chairs.
Every morning around 7-7:15 people start coming down to the pool to claim the highly coveted rows of chairs. Generally these are the first two rows of chairs near the zero-entry big pool just across from the zero-entry point. Also, the chairs with umbrellas that face out to the ocean near the adult only pool. The row behind them that don't have umbrellas go next. Also to go first are the chairs in front of the splashpad. Generally people have one or several people in their group go sit on the chairs they want around 7-7:15. By 7:20 the chairs in the above mentioned spots are gone. By 7:40 almost all of the chairs that have umbrellas are gone except over in front of Ama Ama near the wedding chapel (this turned out to be our favorite spot but the deck does get very hot on your feet so you have to wear your shoes to the pool as its a bit of a walk). We don't let our son go to the pool unattended so we didn't feel we needed to have a line of sight to the pool, so that area worked well for us though our preferred spot were the chairs facing the beach near the adult only pool but we only secured those one morning.
The line for the towels is forming around 7:45. Typically one family member keeps the chairs while another gets towels. We tried having just one member handle both tasks and that didn't work out; someone stole the chairs and our sunscreen and magazines. The more stuff you have at your chairs, the less likely it is to get moved or stolen. Nobody moved our stuff when we had bags and bags of stuff and clothes and food items out, but leaving just sunscreen and magazines wasn't enough.
You can probably find chairs without umbrellas mid-morning and mid-afternoon through evening but you will wish you had an umbrella.
The pool area is VERY loud, crowded, and not particularly relaxing. If you want to be close to the pool to see your kids swimming, bring and Ipod and headphones to listen to some music and tune it out. If you don't need to see your kids swimming because they are old enough to swim unattended or too young and you plan to be with them at the pool, I would get a chair further away from the chaos over on the deck in front of Ama Ama with the beautiful views of the ocean where it is much quieter and serene.
If you want to paddle board, go early in the morning before the waitlist has started. Also, less windy. If the beach feels loud and crowded, step over to the Four Seasons beach. They do have ropes up to distinguish between the beaches, but both beaches are public and you can build your sand castle at the Four Seasons where it is much more chill.
Other general comments:
The spa is amazing, worth the expense.
Ama Ama was the best food onsite. Other food was generally pretty bad. We liked the Mina's Fish House and Noe at the Four Seasons for splurge meals. Food at the luau was bad, but the entertainment was good. I've heard good things about the Paradise Cove luau nearby.
Line up for character meet and greets about 15 minutes before they arrive.
The lobby is best enjoyed in the morning.
You can follow the walking trail in front of the Four Seasons to walk over to some beautiful beaches. You have to walk over large slippery rocks in some places, but our four year was able to navigate it in crocs with the help of Dad and its worth the trek.
Longboard's at the Marriott nearby has very good frozen Mai Tais. Worth the walk, and its a pretty paved path with nice views of the lagoons.
Pack water shoes for the kiddos. The pool walking area is very slick and dangerous.
Overall a really beautiful resort that felt the most Hawaiian of the resorts at Ko O'lina. Nice Hawaiian music is piped in along the paths and the landscaping is so lush and tropical. Once you adjust to the initial shock of the crowds and noise level, it is quite nice. Bring lots of money for food. LOTS. We didn't eat any meals in the room and we spent $500 a day on food and drinks for two adults and one child. Breakfast at Ama Ama was $100 for the 3 of us. We'd probably do breakfast in the rooms next time but we sure did love those peaceful morning meals looking out at the ocean!
We generally spent about $150 on lunch (kids hotdog, pork tacos, coconut shrimp, pineapple juices for our son, and 4 mai tais). We generally spent about $250 on dinner at neighboring restaurants (Mina's Fish House, Noe, Roys). If you eat at Monkeypod for happy hour you can eat for $80-100 as a family.
The check in process was very loud and chaotic and contributed to our initial impression. It was the not the peaceful island vibe I had imagined, but felt more like a firedrill or Armageddon. I was rattled from that and then we went out to the pool which is a madhouse. Someone bumped into my son and knocked him over which resulted in a bumped head, tears, and an ice pack. It was overwhelming. There were no pool chairs whatsoever. If you can check in in the morning or later at night, that is when the lobby is less crowded. We arrived mid-day and it was crazy so if you come at that time, be prepared mentally for it to be loud and busy. We did the online pre-checkin and it was still a disaster. It was so loud that the woman checking us in kept checking us in under different people's last names because she couldn't hear us even with full shouting voice spelling our names. We ended up having to write our last name which is a super common simple spelling name but couldn't be made out through the shouting. Our son was overwhelmed by the chaos and freaking out and truthfully so was I.
That being said, this is a very nice resort but you need to come with a strategy. It will make it so much more enjoyable.
THE POOL CHAIR SITUATION: The rumors are true. You need a game plan to get chairs.
Every morning around 7-7:15 people start coming down to the pool to claim the highly coveted rows of chairs. Generally these are the first two rows of chairs near the zero-entry big pool just across from the zero-entry point. Also, the chairs with umbrellas that face out to the ocean near the adult only pool. The row behind them that don't have umbrellas go next. Also to go first are the chairs in front of the splashpad. Generally people have one or several people in their group go sit on the chairs they want around 7-7:15. By 7:20 the chairs in the above mentioned spots are gone. By 7:40 almost all of the chairs that have umbrellas are gone except over in front of Ama Ama near the wedding chapel (this turned out to be our favorite spot but the deck does get very hot on your feet so you have to wear your shoes to the pool as its a bit of a walk). We don't let our son go to the pool unattended so we didn't feel we needed to have a line of sight to the pool, so that area worked well for us though our preferred spot were the chairs facing the beach near the adult only pool but we only secured those one morning.
The line for the towels is forming around 7:45. Typically one family member keeps the chairs while another gets towels. We tried having just one member handle both tasks and that didn't work out; someone stole the chairs and our sunscreen and magazines. The more stuff you have at your chairs, the less likely it is to get moved or stolen. Nobody moved our stuff when we had bags and bags of stuff and clothes and food items out, but leaving just sunscreen and magazines wasn't enough.
You can probably find chairs without umbrellas mid-morning and mid-afternoon through evening but you will wish you had an umbrella.
The pool area is VERY loud, crowded, and not particularly relaxing. If you want to be close to the pool to see your kids swimming, bring and Ipod and headphones to listen to some music and tune it out. If you don't need to see your kids swimming because they are old enough to swim unattended or too young and you plan to be with them at the pool, I would get a chair further away from the chaos over on the deck in front of Ama Ama with the beautiful views of the ocean where it is much quieter and serene.
If you want to paddle board, go early in the morning before the waitlist has started. Also, less windy. If the beach feels loud and crowded, step over to the Four Seasons beach. They do have ropes up to distinguish between the beaches, but both beaches are public and you can build your sand castle at the Four Seasons where it is much more chill.
Other general comments:
The spa is amazing, worth the expense.
Ama Ama was the best food onsite. Other food was generally pretty bad. We liked the Mina's Fish House and Noe at the Four Seasons for splurge meals. Food at the luau was bad, but the entertainment was good. I've heard good things about the Paradise Cove luau nearby.
Line up for character meet and greets about 15 minutes before they arrive.
The lobby is best enjoyed in the morning.
You can follow the walking trail in front of the Four Seasons to walk over to some beautiful beaches. You have to walk over large slippery rocks in some places, but our four year was able to navigate it in crocs with the help of Dad and its worth the trek.
Longboard's at the Marriott nearby has very good frozen Mai Tais. Worth the walk, and its a pretty paved path with nice views of the lagoons.
Pack water shoes for the kiddos. The pool walking area is very slick and dangerous.
Overall a really beautiful resort that felt the most Hawaiian of the resorts at Ko O'lina. Nice Hawaiian music is piped in along the paths and the landscaping is so lush and tropical. Once you adjust to the initial shock of the crowds and noise level, it is quite nice. Bring lots of money for food. LOTS. We didn't eat any meals in the room and we spent $500 a day on food and drinks for two adults and one child. Breakfast at Ama Ama was $100 for the 3 of us. We'd probably do breakfast in the rooms next time but we sure did love those peaceful morning meals looking out at the ocean!
We generally spent about $150 on lunch (kids hotdog, pork tacos, coconut shrimp, pineapple juices for our son, and 4 mai tais). We generally spent about $250 on dinner at neighboring restaurants (Mina's Fish House, Noe, Roys). If you eat at Monkeypod for happy hour you can eat for $80-100 as a family.
Last edited:
...Oh well..we’re still going and hoping for the best!
I understand that because it is a public beach, the beach can be used by anyone, but the beach lounges should be monitored by beach staff.
