Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa

Always enjoy the lazy pool.

What a special place done in a very Disney style. We booked a Oceanview studio and it was lovely. My only suggestion would be get rid of the tub shower and go with a modern up-to-date shower, the room and the overall property is extremely clean and well kept as you would expect from a Disney property. The facility is busy and there are lots and lots of families, however, you can find places to relax and even take walks on the beach undisturbed on a lovely walking trail. The pool area is definitely the most crowded and most of the restaurants on property you need reservations for although if you go at off times, you can usually get right in. The other thing to be prepared for is the pricing as nobody makes you feel better about parting with ridiculous sums of money than the good folks at Disney, so be prepared and just know going into it, you will be spending a lot of money ! Things are very expensive. The character breakfast is a must and I would strongly urge you to try the different restaurants as they all have a different vibe and feel. The highlight for me and our group was the luau on Friday night. In true Disney style they tell the story of the history of Hawaii and help you understand the amazing culture of this paradise. I strongly urge you to enjoy the luau and not only was the story and the acting great, but the food was wonderful. Lastly, the wonderful staff, they are happy and make you feel that way, clearly they enjoy their jobs and they project a great attitude for this facility.

Prior to my visit, I was confident Disney’s top-notch customer service and attention to detail would be the factors that distinguished Aulani from other resorts. Though it goes without saying Aulani is a beautiful property, the amenities are worth nowhere close to the given price tag, and the Disney standard for hospitality / customer service was sorely lacking. The good things about Aulani (nice beaches, pools, and sunsets) could be found at an island resort at another destination for half the cost and significantly better customer service. I’m not joking when I say the Polynesian at WDW was more like what I expected an actual Hawaiian resort to be (and at least I got a complimentary lei there, unlike Aulani!). During my stay, I stayed in both a studio and one of the hotel rooms available to book with DVC points. The studio was cute and very similar to ones I’ve stayed in at other DVC resorts, both in the design of the room and amenities. The hotel room, however, was pretty beat and not worth the price tag at all (stained furniture, half-working shower head, dollar-store shower curtain, dust, etc.); it looked like it had been a while since attention was given to the room. It’s worth noting that, had I paid cash, both of these rooms would’ve cost $750 a night during the relative “low” season; to be blunt, the room didn’t feel like it was worth half that price. Though trivial details don’t make or break a vacation, they reflect the limited effort put into offering an experience that matches the premium price tag. In terms of resort offerings, the beach was one of the few places that had a “paradise” feel; likewise, the infinity pool overlooking the beach was an oasis. The lazy river was nice at times, though often became filled with debris and kids messing around with inner tubes as the day went on (which also made it hard to find a tube at times). Beyond the pools, room tours, and character spots, it was hard to find an activity that wasn’t a “premium experience” (i.e., extra money). The amount of adults who signed up for ukelele lessons admittedly because it was a free activity (pretty much the entire room) was hysterical and reflected the limited nature of complimentary offerings. I didn’t travel with kids, but I can’t imagine how much would’ve been spent if opting to do the various paid offerings (and before thinking you can just tell your kids “no” to all of these activities, the plenty of screaming/crying kids around the resort will tell you otherwise - the lifeguards were looking for a couple missing kids per day). Overall, I was disappointed in the staff at Aulani - the disdain for tourism was evident in quite a few, while others were friendly enough to play the game but seemed insincere. Across the course of my trip, I only had a handful of interactions with staff members that actually came off as genuine (gift shop and character attendants). The front desk staff was pretty stoic and not very welcoming or helpful. Weekend

The resort is beautiful. Definitely has that Disney up keep…. But for me, didn’t have that Disney magic. We came in around 11 and had to wait for our room to be done but you are allowed to use the park before check in. Rooms were standard and spacious for our family of 4. Characters walk around the pool area at certain times… we never really looked for them and ran into goofy, Minnie and Daisy Duck. Food on the resort is comparable to prices in Waikiki. However nothing was great, but also not bad.. Kids loved the lazy river and slide! Most pool levels is 3’-4-3” I think. Overall great experience.. but for the price tag and the lack luster Disney experience.. I can’t give the full 5 stars.

We just got back from a trip and stayed at Aulani on the last leg. We were ready to get out of there. We did not have a good experience. It was just an expensive and overcrowded water park. The pool area was decent but just way too crowded. The rooms were small for the price, they charge extra for any activity or amenity, and the shower in our room was broken and didn’t get fixed before we left. We didn’t feel any Disney magic there, only a lot of chaos and “come see the vacation club villas”. Their luau had good food and music but was simplified with a Disney style story so I wish we had gotten to go the the cultural center instead. We had just left Koloa Landing on Kauai and it was paradise in comparison. Still a great pool area (multiple areas, some busy and some quiet), spacious and relaxed and a two bedroom, two and a half bath villa for only a little more than two tiny rooms at Aulani. They had a ton of extras included like soccer, a putting green, free activities with a prize of a snow cone for the kids, and they made S’mores with the kids. They even gave every kid a little backpack with a compass, binoculars, and activity book at check in. We will go back to Hawaii but we will definitely skip Aulani next time.

We were very excited to visit Aulani this month. Since it was our first big trip in a couple of years, we splurged for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom villa, "Ocean View." Given the price difference between rooms, I never expected to ... NOT see the ocean from our room. We ended up with an "external" view, meaning if you stood in the very corner of the room, or on the edge of the TINY balcony, you could see the ocean. The manager informed me that I should have called to request a room type after we booked. This seems INSANE to me. We spoke to a manager who offered to change rooms the next afternoon. That didn't work for us (we have a toddler). We asked for other accommodation to make up for the crappy room; none was given. We were told they may be able to do something the NEXT time we visit. Very disappointed. I will say, the spa is excellent. And most of the staff were lovely.