Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa

Our family trip to Aulani “A Disney Resort” was the most magical experience and best family trip by far that we have ever taken. The mix of great views, astonishing pools, awesome restaurants, and food added up to be a perfect family experience. This resort should get five stars from every customer of the resort. Inside the resort there are a bunch of different experiences with a wide family range. They have nighttime activities such as Art of Animation and Ukelele lessons, which make you feel like a professional. They have great hours for their beach rentals such as boogie boards and sand toys. They are both free to rent out, and the Hawaiian sand’s soft smooth texture makes it perfect for a nice sandcastle for the kids. Here in Aulani there is one of the most awesome lazy rivers you’ll ever see. They also have waterslides that pump max adrenaline. There are multiple shops, restaurants, and an ice cream shop all just across the street and a few steps away from the resort. The Aulani gift shop immerses you into Hawaiian culture mixed with all of Disney’s fun, playful characters. The now famous munchlings in the gift shop go fast though, so if you see something you like one day, get it fast, because it might not be there next. The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) runs a fantastic program inside the resort to help get you to become a member at a large discount. You can even get a free shoulder puppet out of the deal! The resort also has a parking garage that you can park your rental or primary cars in for all your out-of-resort adventures. All in All, the whole Hawaiian resort of Aulani was ravishing in all aspects. I recommend staying in this magical place, because you’ll want to come again.

Our first time at Aulani, and on Oahu, and it was incredible! My husband and I spent 4 nights in a DVC deluxe studio room with an ocean view overlooking the inner resort and it was amazing. The views are incredible and gorgeous, it’s serene and calm at times. Sitting on the balcony in the evenings was magical! Our room was great, spacious and very comfortable for the two of us. We both had good sleep with the beds and we loved the kitchenette which had a small sink, microwave and refrigerator. They also provided a Keurig and basic dishes/utensils. Housekeeping is available every other day if needed. We were in the Ewa tower and there is one main elevator area, with 6 elevators. If your room is not near them you have a very long hallway to walk down. We were next to elevators and that was convenient. Staff was very friendly and helpful during our stay and they made you feel welcome!! We easily found our way around the resort and the lazy river is a MUST. We spent hours relaxing in the river and it was amazing. There are many pool options and 2 water slides, we easily accessed whatever we wanted. We snorkeled a lot so spent more time in the lagoons and coves next door. We didn’t snorkel in Aulani’s lagoon since there were a lot of casual swimmers and others learning to paddleboard. We spent our last day/night during the tsunami warning of July 30th and watched the resort go into lockdown! Around 3pm we had just returned to our room and heard the alerts. The beach was cleared first and then we heard whistles and saw the pools and lazy river evacuated. There was no chaos at all, everyone seemed to cooperate and head back to their rooms. We didn’t realize how serious the alerts would be. It was a vertical evacuation and everyone had to go to 3rd floor or higher. Guests on 1st and 2nd floors were re-roomed and this was announced on the speaker systems. We then realized why the lobby, store and restaurants were on the 3rd level of the resort! It was built with this in mind and the resort was more than ready to handle it. We watched staff close up the lobby doors and get everyone inside. Hallways had giant safety bags ready to implement in the event waters did rise. It was so fast how prepared the resort became. Helicopters were flying above for a few hours and sirens were sending alerts. It was a probably once in a lifetime event!! At 7pm all was closed and elevators were stopped. We had room alerts until 9pm and then they directed us to watch tv, phones and listen to phone voice mails for updates throughout the night. Thankfully our area was not affected and in the morning, resort was back to normal operation. We’ve never been in an emergency situation and the resort handled it very well. Everyone stayed calm and was accommodated quickly. We felt very safe and secure being there!! The pool/beach chairs fill up early and fast! We did other things instead and found that chairs were more available after dinner time and into the night. We hung out in the evenings in the chairs enjoying the lights and all the stars in the sky, grabbed some dole whip (Vanilla was YUM) and found it very relaxing! Also, the refillable mug option is a MUST! We used that everyday and had drinks anytime we wanted. Soda, water, coffee, tea, lemonade, etc. Ulu Cafe was our go to eatery. Very convenient and easy to order from. Awesome breakfast burrito and pizza!! We didn’t make reservations at any of the sit down restaurants, to save on costs. We did eat at the more casual off the Hook once and that was good, all the food is amazing!! We saw characters a lot and checked the Aulani app when character meets were happening and saw everyone we wanted, that was so much fun!!! Each day is a little different in what characters are out and about, so we saw almost everyone during our stay. It’s a gorgeous resort that is well run and all the staff was incredible. We LOVED our stay and didn’t want to leave.

Stayed in a vacation club villa, which was tired, run down and dirty. The grounds, although lovely, were not up to Disney standards when compared to Disneyland or Disneyworld. Staff was good. Pools and lazy river were great. Food is exorbitantly expensive ($6 for a medium roast coffee; $9 for a dark roast. $180 for sandwiches and salads for 6 at the Ulu Cafe). Bring money but don't expect the extraordinary signature Disney experience of Disneyland or Disneyworld, both of which are clean and well-cared for.

We are DVC members and have never been to Hawaii or Aulani. This was the year. It was 6K just for flights from Texas. We did 3 nights at Land in CA to break up flight. Once we got to Aulani, it was an island paradise. The resort is stunning and we love the lodge feel. We had one bedroom villa. Super spacious and the kitchen was a great cost savings on food. Lazy river was great. Food was just ok at restaurants. The main negative was that it was at 98% capacity. Way too crowded. You could barely walk. Had to go sit in pool chairs at 7am to even have a shot at getting a few. They need to get more seating or keep occupancy at 85% max so the people who pay a fortune can enjoy it. We loved the week there however. They did a great job during the Tsunami warning. We were on 4th floor and we were worried.

I've heard my friends speak of going to Aulani religiously and never included myself into the conversation because I never thought I'd go. I knew it was pricey and out of my budget. I had a chance to go and it was a great opportunity. I like how it was in a quiet part of Oahu. You feel like you're in your own little Disney bubble, which is nice for a short while. This place was like a Disney Great Wolf Lodge by the beach. The facility is gorgeous. You know Disney goes all out with details. The rooms were on the small side. When we got to the room, there was a leftover takeout container under a chair by the table. That means the cleaners didn’t vacuum or clean the floor thoroughly. We had joint rooms and the rubber from the conjoined doors kept falling off. I understood they weren't going to clean your room daily, but they didn't take our trash out. How do you have small unlined trash cans in the rooms and not come and pick up trash daily? We had takeout boxes stacked and starting to smell funky. I had to call for someone to come. The lady was super nice and gave me some extra trash bags. I didn't stress too much about going on the slides because we had just been to Universal Orlando Volcano Bay and Great Wolf Lodge in the last 3 months. The lines for the slides are really long, even at 8 am. I found myself caught up in the madness. The free activities were booked right when they were released. Aunty's Beach House needed a waitlist at 8 am. There's a line to get a wristband and chairs in the morning if you want to have a place to relax during pool time. Not all the areas are shady and by 7:30 am, the good spots are all taken. We were up and planning our attack by 7 am. This is not how I planned to relax on vacation. Seeing my kids happy made it worth it. After a full day at the resort I needed to get out and see the island. We made a quick shopping and shaved ice trip. I figured the only thing that separates this place from a water park is the lagoon which was my favorite. The beach lagoons are man-made and are great for kids. One of the free things they offered was boogie board rentals so you know we are gonna grab some of those. We were wading in the lagoon when a seal swam right behind us. It was really cool. I thought it was a big grey dog at first. There are some fish in there, but I didn't have snorkel gear to see more. I noticed there are more chairs available at the beach than the pool. There was a point when it wasn't fun. This was when all the chairs by the pool and beach were taken, it was really sunny, and the kids were hungry. You get tired of paying for overpriced resort food, but you feed the family before hangry kicks in and you have to deal with the consequences. The luau was really cool. We enjoyed the music and dancing. An added bonus was not having to drive to the luau. There were cool activities for the kids (tattoos, lei bracelets, poi pounding) and a nice variety of food to choose from. I am not a picture person. My kids don't like taking pictures with characters. These ones were so cute, I couldn't resist. Olu Mel, ShelleyMae, and friends, were too cute!!! I take with me great memories. However, you say Aulani, I feel anxiety.

We have stayed here twice now and both times have been a wonderful experience! We came in January of 2024 as Hawaii first timers with our kids and it was incredible to stay at a hotel that offers so much. The ambiance is as Disney always does… amazing! We had the parlor suite both stays and the room was incredibly clean and had the most amazing view of the resort and ocean. The kids loved the pools and lazy river and we all enjoyed just lounging poolside and grabbing drinks and snacks from Off the Hook throughout the day. We spent a lot of time in the lagoon as well when we weren’t out walking around nearby checking things out. We found the staff very friendly and helpful as well. We look forward to coming back again!

We stayed in a one bedroom villa for three nights. The room was nice except for the couch bed my two teens slept on was hard as a rock the mattress was paper thin and worn out. Worst couch mattress we have ever experienced and we travel a lot. The pool area was crowded a row of 12 chairs would be covered in peoples stuff with only 2 people to be seen. Don’t plan on getting a pool chair. The line to go down the water slide was 20 minutes at least. All the activities were booked so my kids couldn’t do any of them. We loved the lagoons and lazy River. Food wasn’t very good. Beautiful property. Would definitely stay somewhere else next time.

We stayed at Aulani in July for a week in a one bedroom garden view. We got a full view of the luau garden and we could also see the ocean which was a nice surprise! Aulani was way better than I was expecting based on some of the reviews. It was fully booked because it’s peak summer but it never felt full or overcrowded at all. Good soundproofing on the balcony doors and in between rooms. We barely heard other guests. It was nice to sit on the balcony and listen to the luau, and it ends by about 8.30pm so really wasn’t annoying at all. The only loud night was when they had a dvc party but that was only an hour, no big deal. The hotel is lovely, much better than other Disney properties I’ve stayed at. Beautiful design. Friendly staff. Pools and lazy river were so fun and the beach was beautiful. Yes the pool chair situation can be a bit crazy but I decided to not be part of that. However I feel like you could easily get up at 6am and take your coffee to reserve chairs, I was always awake early because of jet lag. We spent most time at the beach and never had a problem getting chairs with an umbrella. Went down at later at 9am one morning and there were still about 15 chairs open and another day went at 2pm when people were leaving. Still chairs available. Much less chaotic on the beach and one morning i got to listen to the yoga music while relaxing, it was beautiful. Also I didn’t experience lines for anything much, even for shave ice there were only about 7 people in line. Food on the beach was actually tasty we had the tuna sandwich and fries and some drinks. I was expecting it to be bad and it wasn’t! I’d order it again right now lol. Never had any issues getting floats for the lazy river or slide. Probably the longest line we experienced was for the slide but still not too bad, 10 or 15 mins max. Bring your snorkel there are colorful fish in the ocean and we saw quite a few while borrowing a boogie board to help us float. No turtle for us this time but some people said they saw one early one morning. Room was nice. Couple of things to note. The sofa bed is quite hard, my 14 year old slept fine on it though. The pull out bed under the tv can fit an average adult on it just fine, but it is also hard. Kids won’t care but just be aware. Also if you are noise sensitive like me the air con unit in the living room is on the louder side. Fine in the daytime but I could not sleep in the living room. Again son slept just fine. Completely quiet in the bedroom though and that bed is amazing. Pillows are also really good. Spare blanket is inside the coffee table btw. Bed has a duvet on it but sofa bed only has sheets so you might need that. Is it expensive? Yes but all resorts are if you have a kitchen etc. We ate most breakfasts and lunches in our room which saved money and also helped because my kid has a dairy intolerance. We ate at the Mexican across the street twice and monkey pod, both were good. ABC market across the street also has food and souvenirs but I wouldn’t get your main groceries there because the selection is limited and it’s $. We ordered from target on instacart. They delivered to the hotel and you just go down and meet them. Bell services helped me up to my room. Make sure to tip instacart shoppers properly not 5%! They work hard at finding all your items or substituting them. My shopper was so fantastic. We rented a car for the week. Valet parking is $40 a day but so worth it because we explored the entire island. The valet guys are super nice and fast. Traffic also wasn’t bad if you’re from any city, it’s comparable. Avoid rush hours and you’re just fine We had a very late flight and check in and didn’t arrive until past 10pm. Just be warned that nothing is open at that time. There are a couple of vending machines that you can use but I advise stopping somewhere for food if it’s late. Do your research before you go, there are so many websites that offer tips, Reddit and trip advisor too. Plan out where you’re going and what you want to do because tickets for Pearl Harbor etc disappear fast. Activities at the hotel book up way in advance too, but with just a little preparation you won’t be disappointed. Aulani is so great, very minimal Disney but it’s there if you want it. We appreciated how understated it was and there was much more focus on Hawaiian culture. Dole whip fantastic! Shave ice delicious! We re very happy we chose Aulani. Waikiki was an absolute zoo when we went and it was a relief to drive back to the peaceful Ko Olina area.

We all know both Hawaii and Disney are expesive but the “Disney queue” system kinda bothered me on Hawaiin time if that makes any sense. Id give it a 4/5 if this was the only problem but we paid a fortune for a 3 bedrooom Villa and the air conditining was not sufficient in the “Primary” I tried to fall asleep in about 74-75 degrees and just couldnt so called engineering the 1st night. He explained that the 3 bedroom was not “ducted” properly. I said, look it Hawaii, I get it, can I get a fan ? No sir, we dont have any. “So the hotel has no solution to our Master Suite being 74 degrees while set at 68 and all other bedrooms properly ?”. “No, we apologize”. I Uber’d to Target to the next day and bought a high speed for $59.9 but really Disney ? We have large family and asides the AC, the space worked great for us, but how could possible return after that? The 2 main reataurants are tasty but small and expensive portions luke the cruises and Deluxe Orlando and Cali hotels. Food overall was 4/5. Hotel 4/5. Room and Cust Service pertaining to 2/5.

We booked a pool-view, one-bedroom suite that slept 5. The room was beautiful and spotless! Disney never disappoints in this area! The resort offered a plethora of activities, including incredible pools, beach rentals, and a lazy river. I just thought the price, as compared to other Disney Resorts and Hawaiian resorts, was way overpriced! This was. A girls' trip (my daughters, one of their friends, and one of mine). The resort provides a flower clip for your hair. There were three clips in the room, and I asked for two more, which weren't provided. For the price we paid, we should have had leis and flowers for the 5 of us!