From my Day 2 Post over on dvcfan.com:
Aulani Re-opening Stay, Day 2
*Long Post warning* Aulani continues to shine during reopening with incredibly low crowds, an acceptable (to us) level of amenities, and a few surprises here and there. There are some areas in need of improvement, but overall the experience is great and well worth the current Kama'aina (locals) rate of 50%(!!!) off that the majority of guests are utilizing. We just extended from two night to four because we cannot expect to ever see this ratio of crowd versus price again. Come for the photos, stay for the story.
-Capacity and Pool Deck: We verified through the front desk that the 65% room cap is directly related to Hawaii's phase 2 reopening plan. If and when we get to phase 3, that cap could increase. If so, I would begin to become concerned about space on the pool deck and restaurant capacity. Today we were at 20% capacity and would estimate that a similar 20% of lounge chairs remained empty though the day. Unlike days past where 6am meant starting to stake your claim, today at 8am the deck was near empty and quality options were present throughout the entire day. Signage indicates that pool capacity is limited by pool chairs, so theoretically a family of 5 would need to occupy 5 chairs rather than squeeze in to 3. This brings up more questions than I have answers on how the pool deck will be managed as capacity rises. The space to move around felt adequate off the pool deck. On deck, chairs are spaced to be able to walk through or around, but rarely both. This spacing did not account for two-way traffic, such as between two rows of chairs where the front row is right on the pool edge, for example. I expect chair fung shui to continue to evolve as crowds rise.
-Guest behavior: all in all good, with exception. The loose guidelines of pool deck masks have led to many levels of interpretation. We saw numerous people moving about freely without a mask, seemingly on their way either to or from a pool. By the rules, you could walk from the adult pool lounge chairs (behind Ulu Cafe) over to the waterslide (by Off Da Hook), but you are *encouraged* to maintain your mask on until the last opportunity to remove. Well, that encouragement did not inspire greatness with some select guests who appeared to stroll freely unmasked. In that case, I am not confident *yet* that a CM would intervene until I personally observe such an interaction. I expect this will become the source of highest tension: the grey area of masks in or near water. We did see some very mindful guests who kept masks on in the water, especially in the splash and kid’s areas where they would never get wet. If not for the open air and island breeze, this much variation in masking and distancing would cause me an ulcer. If the laziness and/or entitlement pendulum swings too far, I see mask usage in or near pools to become a topic of friction between those who care and those who do not.
-Cabana: There are large cabanas for reservation that run $400+ and are located between the Grotto, Adult Pool, and Menehune Bridge Water Play area, while small cabanas (fancy covered chairs, really) line the terraced decks along the lagoon. Available from 10-6, the large cabanas comes with water, fruit plate, dessert plate, sunscreen, portable speaker, TV, safe, lounging couch, and two premium lounge chairs. Different from previous visits was not having a dedicated server for the cabanas and no ability to bring a pack-n-play (a fantastic feature, IMO). We were allowed to lug the P-n-P from our villa, but the staff couldn’t handle them. This seemed odd as we had the same item delivered by bell services to our room. We had booked a cabana in the expectation that high crowds would put a premium on chairs early, but that was not the case at current capacity levels. Looking back, we would have not gone with a cabana today and saved that for a more crowded day.
-Food: We utilized Pool Side dining today, which is essentially a mobile version of Off Da Hook. The staff was running hard, as they only brought back 40% of pool deck wait staff in total. Our server was great, continuing the strong trend of every CM interaction being exceptional. The pool deck menu is updated and the not-to-be missed include #1 Ahi Poke Nachos, #2 Volcano Fries, and #3 Fried Cauliflower. Gone are the Fish and Chips, you will be missed my friend. Ulu Cafe continues to offer a rotating sandwich (Chicken Katsu), pizza (Spicy Kilauea), and hot plate (BBQ ribs) option along with the all-day menu. Dole Whip is currently only at Ulu Cafe but missing are any special themed cupcakes. Off Da Hook is a controlled entry/exit with table service vice walk up open seating and looks a bit tight for "socially distanced". Upon further review, Ama Ama shows no indication of adjusted seating or opening at all. Maka Hiki re-opening as a family style meal now has multiple, independent CM statements.
-Merchandise: Limited edition items popped back up in Kalepa's through the day to include a refresh on the Make-A-Wish x Aulani spirit jersey, Duffy & friend print
Loungefly bags, and Wishables (insanity, I tell you). Hale Manu possibly reopens this weekend, but the store CMs appear to be running on daily, if not hourly, guidance. Their consistent lack of knowledge on store openings and merchandise arrivals is either intentional to deter planners or so poorly communicated as to appear to be intentional.
-Surprise: Characters showed up! We had apparently missed Mickey on the balcony yesterday, but today we were able to catch Mickey AND Minnie just above Ulu Cafe, enjoying the balcony of a 3BR Grand Villa where most certainly they are hand-making the rest of the Christmas merchandise that has yet to arrive. Later, we found signage and stanchions for PhotoPass near the common entrance between Olelo Room and Maka Hiki that implies some form of character meet & greet/selfie may be coming?
-Dynamic plans: We made the call to extend our stay in the case the crowd levels rising warranted cancellation due to the inability to still feel safe. The front desk CM was able to accommodate but would require us to swap rooms, as their protocols are requiring extremely strict management of rooms with someone coming in behind us. We begrudgingly accepted but were pleasantly surprised when later we got the call we could remain in our same room! This little bit of magic seems to still be possible, just not always as quick or easy given the added layers of safety.
-Impression: We tacked on two more days, so that should sum up how we feel. Right now feels good, but we are worried the future may cross our threshold of comfort if crowds increase and/or social responsibility decreases. But that means we can keep the DVC Ohana up to date as the week unfolds. Let us know if you want us to dive into any area not yet covered. Mahalo and Aloha!
