Aulani expansion work status

[hamilton23]

Anyone who is at Aulani now, can you give an update regarding the expansion work? Is it disruptive to your enjoyment of the resort? We arrive in a week.

Plus, has anyone recently received any credits back from DVC due to the expansion work? I know they were giving refunds of some points back in the fall. I called a few weeks back and member services did not offer up any refunded points due to ongoing work.

 

[nordkin]

We returned home from Aulani on 1/25 and there was only one day with a lot of jack hammering that we found annoying. We did not receive credit back for any points, but received a pin when we arrived that was attached to a card about the construction.

 

[Kidoctr]

I'm sitting in my studio right now and was just going to post about the property updates. From the 'Iwa that we got at check-in yesterday:

- guest use BBQs are unavailable - no date when they will be avail again
- Tubestone Curl slide reopened today (Feb 1)
- Menehune bridge will be down 1-7 feb and back open again on 8 feb

HTH ~

 

[Kidoctr]

Here's the pin we got yesterday - I think I was little overwhelmed and tired when we arrived and didn't catch that this pin was for the construction. LOL.

The noise that we hear all the time is the beep beep of the construction vehicles when they back up. It's not affecting our vacation at all, really.

 

[pixiedust71]

I'm sitting in my studio right now and was just going to post about the property updates. From the 'Iwa that we got at check-in yesterday:

- guest use BBQs are unavailable - no date when they will be avail again
- Tubestone Curl slide reopened today (Feb 1)
- Menehune bridge will be down 1-7 feb and back open again on 8 feb

HTH ~

This is the first time I had heard anything about the slides or bridge being affected by the construction. Any ideas why the slide was closed (and are you able to confirm it is back open today?)? And any idea why the bridge is down for a whole week? That's got to be frustrating for families there with little kids! I don't recall any mention of that as being part of the areas affected by the expansion.

 

[donkthemagicllama]

The other slide was down last week... I think they close one at a time for maintenance (similar to how they close typhoon lagoon / blizzard beach one at a time during off season). It is unrelated to the other construction at Aulani.

While my son was playing on the Menehune bridge last week, I noticed a few elements that had been turned off/broken, and the whole thing looked faded... Hopefully they're fixing these elements and repainting.

I gather January/February is off-season, and they have to do maintenance sometime.

 

[pixiedust71]

donkthemagicllama: Good to know. Thanks.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Sounds like it's mostly manageable except for the "no BBQ grill" thing. We arrive in 13 days!

 

[Casemily]

I'm sitting in my studio right now and was just going to post about the property updates. From the 'Iwa that we got at check-in yesterday:

- guest use BBQs are unavailable - no date when they will be avail again
- Tubestone Curl slide reopened today (Feb 1)
- Menehune bridge will be down 1-7 feb and back open again on 8 feb

HTH ~

Thanks for the update! We are going to be there with my 2 weeks shy of 3 year old daughter on Monday. I'm hoping all the things a less than three year old can do aren't closed when we're there, lol. Ugg, oh well.

 

[Neraj]

Menehune bridge has been delayed, won't go down until around the 5th of Feb. They are still waiting on a part.

 

[Safflower]

Just got back from a 6 night stay today- here are my construction avoidance tips!

Overall, it was not negative. *We did hear it, but we knew to expect it, and didn't make it a big deal. However, here are some tips to help you avoid it as much as possible:

In the two level hot tub, only use the top level. The rocks block most of the view of the construction walls.
*
Always be awake before 7am. Construction starts then, so think of it as another alarm Or, just sleep with the door closed- that will block a good portion of the construction noise.

When eating at Ama Ama, sit on the right side (when facing the ocean) of the restaurant. This is less important at dinner once the sun goes down.

Don't stay in the long end of the Waianae tower if possible. You'll be much closer to the construction then.*

Request a room closer to the elevator banks if possible. You'll be farther from the ocean, but will be blocked from most of the construction and the noise.*

HTH

 

[pixiedust71]

Menehune bridge has been delayed, won't go down until around the 5th of Feb. They are still waiting on a part.

Oh no. If it is down for a week then that is totally going to negatively effect our vacation. We have small kids and they were SOOO looking forward to the Menehune Bridge. I am really bummed now.

I just can't believe that they already need to fix something that is so new. It's not right to a family to have the quiet pool down for expansion, construction all over the place and then also close the one water thing specifically designed for little ones. I'm sorry but I am really upset now.

 

[WDWmom08]

I just got off the phone with the lobby concierge about booking a cabana for our trip in July. They didn't have any available for our entire trip and he followed up by saying it could be because of the construction. I said that I thought it was supposed to be done mid year which would be June and he said they delayed completion til the fall.

 

[nicola28]

We were there this month and it in no way made a negative impact on out trip. Best vacay ever and trust me I am picky! Disney creates an atmosphere that makes you see past construction walls. Trust me you will have the best time!