Aulani Resort Review: A Disney Paradise in Hawaii

Hi, I’m Katie! Are you new here? I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel! I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world but my specialty is Disney travel. Want to work together? Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!

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If Disneyland is the happiest place on earth and Disney World is the most magical place on earth than Aulani is the most peaceful place on earth. Aulani: A Disney Resort and Spa is a Disney-owned resort located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Aulani is also Disney Vacation Club property, Disney’s version of a time share, but all room styles are also available for typical hotel reservations. 

I visited Aulani in July of 2019 as part of my larger Hawaiian trip and it was by far the highlight of a fabulous trip. I’ll be sharing my reviews and experiences from that trip as well as all the details you’ll need for your own trip!

Getting There

Aulani is located in the Ko Olina area of Oahu. Ko Olina is a suburban, residential resort area on the island about 30 minutes outside of the city of Honolulu. 

Within a 15-minute drive of the resort are plenty of recognizable stores and restaurants. There are also several local restaurants, shops, a golf course, the Paradise Cove luau, and other luxury hotels within a 10 -15 minute walk. 

Upon landing at Honolulu Airport your trip to Ko Olina is about a 25-minute drive, though there can be traffic even in paradise. My recommendation is to rent a car for your stay so that you can explore the island during your stay but Aulani does offer the purchase of airport transfers. 

Aulani offers a self-parking deck and a valet option so be sure to add this cost into your budget. 

When you arrive you will be offered beautiful flower or kukui nut leis. Upon check-in, bell services will help you unload your car at the main entrance and then provide self-park instructions, if needed. 

Once you check-in, you’re able to utilize the entire resort, even if you check-in prior to official check-in time and your room is not yet ready. Bell services will gladly hold onto your bags while you enjoy the resort. If this is your plan, make sure to have a backpack or small bag to cary with you with your essentials for the day. 

Rooms

We had a standard 1 king room with ocean view that included a sleeper sofa as well. The room was moderate in size and very clean with lovely decor. The view was fantastic and we could see the ocean and the whole resort. Having a balcony was a great feature. 

Aulani offers a wide variety of rooms from our standard room to multiple bedroom suites with kitchens. The views vary and you can book your room based on it’s view. If a room with a view isn’t important to you, this can be a great way to save some money and enjoy the views from around the resort. 

Activities 

Once you’re ready to enjoy the resort there are so many things to do.

Pools: 

• The entire middle of the resort is essentially a low-key water park.
• Everyday you’ll go to the towel counter with you room key to get a wristband that shows you’re allowed to utilize the pools. 
• There are several pools including zero-entry and an infinity. 
• A lazy river flows all around this area. 
• There is a water jungle gym and splash pad.
• One pool is full of fish and for additional cost you can rent snorkel gear and swim among them or you can watch them for free through Aquarium panels on the side. 
• Plus there’s a water slide! 

Beach:

• The resort is right off the beach for easy access. 
• The beach is a lagoon so the water is very family friendly with small waves and little current. 
• Surfing lessons and other activities are available at additional cost. 
• There is also a paved walking path along the beach that takes you through the Ko Olina ocean side. 

Spa:

• The Aulani spa, Laniwai, is a full-service spa that offers many treatments which you can book before or during your stay. 
• Even the little ones can participate with a selection of kids-only services. 
• There is even an outdoor hydro-therapy garden. 
• A large fitness center is available for all guests to use. 

Aunty’s Beach House:

• Included with your stay, kids 3-12 can be dropped off to play at Aunty’s Beach House where they can craft, play games, watch Disney movies, and more in a fun and safe environment. 
• Be careful…they might be having so much fun they won’t want to leave!
• This is a game-changing addition for families allowing parents to have some alone time during a family vacation. 

Characters: 

• You can meet and greet Disney characters throughout the resort. 
• Call the character phone line every morning to find out who will be out and where they will be. Make sure to arrive 5-10 minutes early to make sure you get a place in line as characters only appear for about 20 minutes at a time. 
• Characters include Mickey, Minnie, and friends in their Hawaiian vacation wear and, of course, Moana and Stitch are hanging around. In addition, Duffy and Shellie Mea the Disney bears who are huge in Disney’s Asian parks, are often there as well. 

Other Activities: 

* Check the events calendar online or provided in print in your room. * 

• Menehune Adventure Trail – Play along with a high-tech, interactive scavenger hunt throughout the property. 

• Arts and Crafts – The community hall has classes daily including ukulele lessons or t-shirt stamping, some of which have a small fee. Make sure you sig-up in advance if possible as these can book up. 

• Live Entertainment – Fire-pit Stories with Uncle tell Hawaiian tales with you in a fun setting. There are also musical performances throughout the resort. 

Shopping:

• There are two gift shops on property with tons of Aulani exclusive merchandise. 
• If you are a Duffy fan you will find lots of items featuring him and his friends that can be hard to find outside of the Asian parks. 
• Duffy’s friend ‘Olu Mel, a sea turtle, lives at Aulani so he has lots of merchandise available as well. 

Photography:

You will see Disney photographers around the resort, especially with the characters. They capture a lot of magical moments and you can view and purchase these photos in the gift shop.

Ka Wa’a Luau

This was the highlight of our stay, the Ka Wa’a Luau was amazing. 

Before dinner you can participate in activities like making lei bracelets or getting temporary Polynesian tattoos. 

Seating is family-style in three sections of long tables across the lawn in front of the stage. We were seated at the front of the third section and I had no issues with my view. For closer seating, however, you can upgrade to the VIP package. 

Moana stopped by the stage to welcome us all and then dinner was served buffet style. The food included roasted pork and other classic Hawaiian dishes. There was also chicken and “kid friendly” options, a little something for all palates. It was all very tasty and all-you-could-eat and the buffet was packed-up before the show started. While non-alcoholic drinks were included, there was also a bar where you could purchase alcoholic drinks. The VIP package includes the cost of alcoholic drinks.

I don’t eat dairy, which can sometimes be challenging in a buffet setting, but I had flagged my reservation as having a special dietary need when I made it. Once we were seated, a manager walked me around the buffet pointing out what I could and couldn’t have. I was pleased to see there were plenty of options for me. I saw him doing this with several other guests with special dietary needs as well. This is the Disney difference at work and a huge plus for me. 

As dinner wound down before the main show started, Minnie and Mickey arrived to give us all a hula lesson. The show itself was outstanding and featured authentic traditional hula, dance, and costume led by a narrator taking us through the stories of Hawaii. I throughly enjoyed it and the talent of the performers was evident. It was even educational about Hawaiian lore. 

I think Ka Wa’a is not to be missed during your stay at Aulani

Restaurants 

It’s important to note that Aulani is not all-inclusive nor do they offer any kind of dining plan. The cost of food and drinks can be a major expense because this is Hawaii, this is a resort, and prices reflect that. Make sure to plan ahead for food in your budget. 

Some ways to cut down on this expense:

• Go Shopping – If you plan to stay in a room with a full kitchen or can consider upgrading to one I suggest you make a stop at Costco, Target, etc. once you arrive. Stock up and prepare your own meals. 

• Make use of that coffee maker – Save the cost of breakfast by packing instant oatmeal packets and any additions you want to add like raisins or nuts. Don’t forget to brig some bowls and spoons so you can prepare them with the hot water from the coffee maker. 

• Pack snacks – You can fly with fully packaged snacks so grab some granola bars at home and save the cost of a $5 quick snack everyday when you’re hungry in the middle of the afternoon.

Makahiki – This  buffet style dining is available for breakfast and dinner and both seatings include character meet-and-greets. If you love characters, this is a must do during your stay. We experienced breakfast here and really enjoyed the character interactions as well as the food. The buffet had all the classics, even Mickey waffles, plus some Hawaiian additions. Again, I was taken around the buffet by the chef due to my dietary restrictions and told what was safe for me to eat. The difference here was that he offered to make me a dairy free version of something in the back if I would like. I took him up on his offer and got some dairy free Mickey waffles. This service felt just like the Disney parks for me. Advanced reservation suggested. 

‘Ama ‘Ama – This is the most elegant dining option at the resort with outside beach-view seating. Check the dress code before dining because no swim suits are allowed here.  Advanced reservation suggested. 

Ulu Cafe – A grab-and-go stop with lots of classic options. Make sure you try the poke bowls, acai bowls, and of course a Dole Whip. 

Pool Side – There are several bars and snack shops around the pool deck. Make sure you visit the shave ice stand to get a shave ice with mickey ears! 

Excursions

You can have a fabulous time just staying at Aulani but you don’t want to come to Hawaii and not explore a little. If you rented a car, you can drive yourself on excursions around the island very easily. Nothing is more than an hour or so away

Aulani can arrange several excursions for you but they are far more expensive that way, especially if you have a group of more than 2 people. 

Some of the highlights of the island are:

• Waikiki: For a city-meets-beach-town atmosphere, you will find the beach, high-end shopping malls to ABC Stores, and tons of good food. 

• Pearl Harbor – You can visit this historic site and take a boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial. Best to book your tickets in advance. There is also an aviation museum, and submarine and battleship tours. 

• Dole Plantation – Visit this pineapple plantation to see how the iconic Hawaiian fruit grows. In additional to the train tour of the planation, there are several other tourist activities. Make sure you enjoy a Dole Whip while there!

• Diamond Head – Hike to the top of this popular mountain for a great view of the island and Honolulu. Arrive early to beat the crowds and find ample parking. 

• Hanauma Bay – A fantastic and popular snorkeling site, parking here can be very limited so best to arrive early or make other arrangements. 

• Kualoa Ranch – With many different tours and activities available, the ranch is a popular filming location for movies, most famously Jurassic Park. 

• North Shore – Drive the North Shore ,a surfers paradise, and visit beaches and small beach towns. Make sure to stop for shave ice. 

• Polynesian Culture Center – Think Colonial Williamsburg for Hawaii. The center features a lot of live and family-friendly entertainment. 

Overall our stay at Aulani: A Disney Resort and Spa was amazing! The service was stupendous and the resort was beautiful and full of culture. I highly recommend a stay here to any Disney fan or family that wants to travel to Hawaii. I can’t wait to visit again someday!

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Click here to check out all of my Hawaii blog posts: Hawaii Posts

I hope you found this interesting and informative. Considering a trip to Aulani? I’m a travel advisor and would love to work with you! Check out my website katievtravel.com to request a vacation quote or email me at katiev@themagicsyours.com with any questions. I’d love to make your vacation dreams a reality!