My Thoughts on Our Aulani Trip (3-14 to 3-21)

[dwheaton]

It's been a few weeks since we visited Aulani, and I've finally recovered from jet lag and the bad cold I caught on our overnight flight back. So now I can talk about our trip! This was my first time staying at Aulani, and it was incredible. I was surprised to talk with people that visit every year; they're obviously doing pretty well for themselves, or it's because they're DVC members.

Here's the basic summary. We booked a one-bedroom villa for seven nights beginning on Thursday, March 14. I had originally booked a deluxe studio, but I decided to upgrade when I thought about the space. I went with my wife and two girls, who are 9 and 6. The villa gave us a lot more space, which was great to have over a week. We used the 30% discount from the Aulani website, and chose an Ocean View villa since it was the only one left when we booked in November. I did not make a specific room request, and we ended up in #662 in the Ewa tower. Our room overlooked the Hulawei Lawn and had a view of the Ocean. I was concerned at first we didn't get a higher floor, but it was quiet on that side of the resort. We also had a view of the movies and the luau from our balcony on a few nights.

To avoid just rambling for a long time, here's a summary of my highlights and a few minor issues:

HIGHLIGHTS
- The lobby - I could basically just stay there all day and look at the details. The music in the background is perfect. It reminds me of the Jambo House lobby, but the open-air set-up makes it even better.
- Aulani at night - In a similar vein, the resort is just so serene and gorgeous at night. Since the pools close at 8 (and some close earlier), it's quiet and just a beautiful setting.
- Meeting characters - My daughters met every character that was at Aulani, some multiple times! With the exception of the elusive Shelly Mae, we didn't have to try very hard either. We stumbled upon them a lot, and lines were usually short. The characters also interacted well, especially Moana.
- The water slides and lazy river - The pools were good, but what really excited my girls were the slides (which were exciting for adults but okay for them) and just being silly on the lazy river.
- Refillable mugs - this might seem like a weird thing to include, but it was the best value on our trip. We got Kona Coffee with them constantly and used the Coke Freestyle machines for sparkling water. We're not soda drinkers, but it still worked out well.
- The Luau - this was a pricey add-on, but it was totally worth it. I liked how the show incorporated a lot of the culture into the story and wasn't just about the expected spectacle. The fire throwers were incredible, but it also mixed in the island's history too.
- The relaxed beach area - my daughters haven't been to the beach that often, so this was a perfect spot for them to enjoy it without being worried about big waves or crowds.
- The service - I found nearly everyone we encountered to be super friendly and helpful. They also did a great job hosting the activities around the resort.
- Makahiki Buffet - This was super pricey, but we did both the dinner and the breakfast with the characters. I preferred the options at the breakfast but enjoyed both meals. The characters were again excellent, and the staff made sure we met everyone. The Aunty in the morning was a fun performer.

ISSUES (minor)
- The pool chair policy needs to be stricter in some way. I know that it's a difficult challenge with people just putting towels on the chairs so early in the day. We didn't have any issues early in our trip, but the resort got more crowded in the last 2-3 days. The chairs got hard to come by then, and some chairs were unoccupied for a really long time.
- Our toilet - it was super loud every time you flushed it! This is not a big deal but did get a little tiring.
- The prices (in some cases) - I know that food in Hawaii is expensive because it's an island, and in some cases I felt the Aulani rates were fair. Other times, not so much. We took advantage of the Island Market across the street and found values like the pizza at the Ulu Cafe, so that helped a lot. We also ate at the Off the Hook pool bar, which had good food and wasn't as pricey.
- Just Tacos. I'd been warned about this restaurant, but my daughter is picky and likes some Mexican options. This was a mistake, and we knew it once we entered. Bland food and so-so service.

Overall, we had an incredible time. There were a lot of moments when I looked around and couldn't believe we were actually at Aulani. It's the best resort I've ever stayed at by a mile.

If you have any specific questions, I can definitely answer them!

 

[dachsie]

Sounds like you had a great time! Did you do the regular or VIP luau? Did you try the snorkeling area or did you snorkel at the beach area and how was it?

 

[dwheaton]

Sounds like you had a great time! Did you do the regular or VIP luau? Did you try the snorkeling area or did you snorkel at the beach area and how was it?

We just did the regular luau. I think it was the right choice since we weren't planning to drink a ton. We still ended up with a good view and got to do most of the activities. My wife did the snorkeling area and thought it was okay. She was a little disappointed by it and said it looked more impressive from the outside. I thought it looked cool, but I didn't end up doing it based on her reaction. It seemed super popular, though.

 

[denecarter]

Did you take advantage of the kitchen in your villa?

I’m wondering if having the option to make a few inexpensive and quick meals might be a good option. I’m taking my parents next summer and they aren’t as into eating out as I am. Of course, if groceries are crazy high or hard to get, it might not be worth it.

 

[jodybird511]

Did you take advantage of the kitchen in your villa?

I’m wondering if having the option to make a few inexpensive and quick meals might be a good option. I’m taking my parents next summer and they aren’t as into eating out as I am. Of course, if groceries are crazy high or hard to get, it might not be worth it.

We cook a lot at Aulani. The food costs on property are crazy expensive and not worth it in terms of quality, IMO--this is one of my VERY few complaints about Aulani. We always rent a car so that we can get groceries at Target, but there are a lot of groceries available right across the street at the ABC shop, though pricier than Target. We tend to eat almost all breakfasts and lunches in the room. We do about half of our dinners in the room. We plan ahead and bring thins like condiments and spices so that we don't have to purchase these. We do things like pasta with meatballs, tacos, etc. You will save a TON of money by doing this. I know a lot of ppl don't like to "cook" while on vacay, but for us, it actually makes it more relaxing--to not HAVE to get dressed and ready to go out for every meal. FYI, we also buy our own booze and make cocktails to drink by the pool (lots of folks do this, based on what I've read here). Last trip, we bought a bottle of rum, a couple bottles of Mai Tai mixer, and brought insulated tumblers with lids from home. The total cost for this was somewhere around $45 give or take. Cocktails at the resort run about $13-$16, so you can do the math in terms of savings.

 

[dwheaton]

Did you take advantage of the kitchen in your villa?

I’m wondering if having the option to make a few inexpensive and quick meals might be a good option. I’m taking my parents next summer and they aren’t as into eating out as I am. Of course, if groceries are crazy high or hard to get, it might not be worth it.

The kitchen was really helpful, especially the full fridge. With the exception of our buffet at Makahiki, we ate breakfast in the room every day. We didn't do any complicated cooking, but just being able to have the basics like milk and some other staple foods on hand (plus a full set of dishes and a dishwasher) was huge. We had planned to rent a car and go to Target, but we ended up deciding not to take the time. I went to the ABC market across the street a few times and picked up a lot of fruit and other items that were cheaper there than at Aulani. I wouldn't say that place was cheap; in fact, some random things like butter were so pricey there that we bought at Aulani. I did buy some beer there, which saved a lot from buying it all at Aulani. A six-pack was like $12, which is high compared to home but better than $8 per beer.

For the kitchen, if you're looking to cook more, it definitely works out well. They have everything you need in the villa, and it's plenty big. We sometimes got pizza at the Ulu Cafe, which is a relatively good value at $20. And having the big fridge allowed us to keep that and eat the leftovers regularly. Things like that made a difference in saving time and money on groceries for sure.

 

[nkereina]

Thanks for your review! Good call on switching to the 1BR. We thought a studio was tight for two adults, being smaller than a standard hotel room. I couldn't imagine four people in one!

As far as the prices across the street, Ko Olina is a planned gated tourist community. Everything in the vicinity is aimed at tourists and the prices are reflective as such. That's why so many of us stop in Kapolei for groceries because you avoid *some* of the markup there. But definite sticker shock - I do understand that!

The pool chair situation, in my experience, was no different than any all inclusive resort we've been to or any cruise we've been on. Same people playing the same games at 6am throwing books, flip flops, towels, t-shirts on chairs to reserve them for whenever they decide to wander down later. I will give Aulani credit for making some attempt to police it - as far as I know, they still do the folding of the towel on the back of the chair and will remove it after an hour if it hasn't been moved. The level to which they practice this may depend on how busy the resort is at any given time. But we were made aware of this in September, a slow time of year, and did see it in action. You're also always within your right to remove towels yourself that appear to have been abandoned or untouched for a period of time. Everyone's comfort level is different with this though.

 

[dwheaton]

Good points on the pool chair situation. I actually thought the concerns were way overblown during our first few days when the resort was less crowded. But it was definitely a challenge as the week progressed. I feel like it's a no-win situation for the staff at Aulani; they don't want to anger guests but have to try something. I saw them folding towels over chairs pretty often but didn't see much beyond that. They were definitely giving it a shot.

The studio would have been a challenge for sure. We've stayed in a normal room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but we spent most of our time in the parks. We definitely needed more space here to have any relaxation, and the villa was really nice.

 

[nkereina]

But it was definitely a challenge as the week progressed.

Did you find the pool chair situation the most difficult on towards the weekend? As the weekend nears, many locals descend on Aulani for long weekend "staycations" (or even island hopping trips for some). This fills up the resort, and makes the resort amenities like the pool and chairs much more crowded, because these people are staying there to enjoy the resort. They aren't out exploring the island.

 

[ajjonesehc]

Did you take advantage of the kitchen in your villa?

I’m wondering if having the option to make a few inexpensive and quick meals might be a good option. I’m taking my parents next summer and they aren’t as into eating out as I am. Of course, if groceries are crazy high or hard to get, it might not be worth it.

We were just there the first week of February. It was our first trip to Aulani so we tried out a lot of the restaurants, but offset this expense by using the kitchen. It was great and had basically everything we needed. We did have a car so we made a couple trips to Costco and target for supplies. We used the Costco pre-made meals for quick and easy lunches or dinner. We also took advantage of the rice cooker in the room for a couple meals. We don’t usually cook at WDW or DL when staying in the villas, but really enjoyed doing it here.

TIP: if you decide to make rice while you’re there pick up some furikake (dried seaweed and toasted sesame seeds) at Target. Makes a great topping for your sticky rice.

 

[dwheaton]

Did you find the pool chair situation the most difficult on towards the weekend? As the weekend nears, many locals descend on Aulani for long weekend "staycations" (or even island hopping trips for some). This fills up the resort, and makes the resort amenities like the pool and chairs much more crowded, because these people are staying there to enjoy the resort. They aren't out exploring the island.

I started to notice the challenges on the weekend, but it really picked up actually on our last three days (Monday to Wednesday). I think a lot of families came for Spring Break and arrived on Saturday and Sunday, then started taking up spots early in the week. It was great on our first two days (Friday and Saturday).

 

[Bmlors]

Did you find the pool chair situation the most difficult on towards the weekend? As the weekend nears, many locals descend on Aulani for long weekend "staycations" (or even island hopping trips for some). This fills up the resort, and makes the resort amenities like the pool and chairs much more crowded, because these people are staying there to enjoy the resort. They aren't out exploring the island.

We were there Monday-Monday (Apr 1-8) and Sunday was the only day that really seemed busy. This has been discussed elsewhere, but the pool chair situation depends on where you're at. If you're wanting to be right near the prime kid area, then it'll be challenging. The adult pool area, beach chairs and chairs in front of Ama Ama were all fairly available any time we went down.

 

[nkereina]

This has been discussed elsewhere, but the pool chair situation depends on where you're at. If you're wanting to be right near the prime kid area, then it'll be challenging. The adult pool area, beach chairs and chairs in front of Ama Ama were all fairly available any time we went down.

We were there in September, a slow time of year, and I'd say the adult pool chair availability was iffy. You could likely find one somewhere, but finding two or more together was challenging at times. The beach chairs and chairs in front of Ama Ama were plentiful, but as you mention, its not where people want to be. Especially if they're trying to keep an eye on their kids in the pool. But to my earlier point, weekends are noticeably busier at the resort. Not only with the chairs by the pool, but even in the lazy river and other pools. A little more chaotic in our experience.