Sell me on Aulani

[jodybird511]

Aulani is amazing and worth the money, IMO. We own there, and our typical trips looks like this: a few days on another island followed by a week in a 1 bdrm at Aulani, for a total of 10-11 days. The longer you can stay, the better, as it's a LOOOOOONG flight from the east coast. Next summer (was supposed to be this summer, but alas....), we plan to do 3 days at Disneyland, followed by 4 days on either Maui or Kauai, followed by a week at Aulani. The one thing I will say is that the food at Aulani, IMO, is only meh (with the exception of AMA AMA), and it's VERY pricey. That is why we only stay in a 1 bdrm--so we can do a lot of our own cooking and also make our own cocktails. This is a HUGE money-saver--esp the cocktails, as these typically run around $15 per drink at the resort. Like @cgattis mentioned, the ability to go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes is also really nice! The other thing I will say is that, at this point, I'd be cautious with renting points, as many people have ended up with really huge financial losses related to the pandemic. One hopes everything will be "normal" by then, but I think many have learned the lesson about the risk involved when renting points. Unfortunate for sure. To sum up, though, Aulani is my happy place, and it was devastating to have to cancel our trip this past June. Eagerly anticipating next June now though!

 

[bcwife76]

how was the weather during that time? Someone said some periods of rain - were there still come good beach/pool days?

Unfortunately it did rain quite a bit during our trip. We've travelled to Oahu and Maui over the years in February, March, April, May and August and I'd have to say Feb/March trips always had rain. And not just a passing shower. So personally I think we will probably not return in early spring (never say never, of course, and if that were the ONLY time you could travel then I would still go!

 

[davidher]

It sucks please don't go

 

[cmrdgrs]

how was the weather during that time? Someone said some periods of rain - were there still come good beach/pool days?

Yes, it can be rainy during this time. But, yes we did have some good weather too.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Aulani is amazing and worth the money, IMO. We own there, and our typical trips looks like this: a few days on another island followed by a week in a 1 bdrm at Aulani, for a total of 10-11 days. The longer you can stay, the better, as it's a LOOOOOONG flight from the east coast. Next summer (was supposed to be this summer, but alas....), we plan to do 3 days at Disneyland, followed by 4 days on either Maui or Kauai, followed by a week at Aulani. The one thing I will say is that the food at Aulani, IMO, is only meh (with the exception of AMA AMA), and it's VERY pricey. That is why we only stay in a 1 bdrm--so we can do a lot of our own cooking and also make our own cocktails. This is a HUGE money-saver--esp the cocktails, as these typically run around $15 per drink at the resort. Like @cgattis mentioned, the ability to go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes is also really nice! The other thing I will say is that, at this point, I'd be cautious with renting points, as many people have ended up with really huge financial losses related to the pandemic. One hopes everything will be "normal" by then, but I think many have learned the lesson about the risk involved when renting points. Unfortunate for sure. To sum up, though, Aulani is my happy place, and it was devastating to have to cancel our trip this past June. Eagerly anticipating next June now though!

For this reason, use a trusted owner, many owners who rented directly to people during the pandemic either fully reimbursed their renters or worked with their renters to reschedule. Yes, you may pay the same price direct to an owner as a broker (I usually charge the same or $1 or $2 more), but believe me an owner can do what a broker can't do because they own the points and you have a relationship with that owner and they want/have repeat business.

 

[kyton]

We’ve stayed at Aulani 5-6 times, Marriott 4-5 times both in a 2 bedroom as we are a family of 5. Personally I don’t think Aulani is amazingly better then the Marriott. Aulani has 3 pools, 1 adults only - Marriott has 3 pools, 1 is designated a “quiet” pool. Aulani has 2 slides, Marriott has 1. Aulani has the lazy river, Marriott doesn’t. Aulani shares the lagoon area with Four Seasons however every lagoon is publicly owned so you can use any of the four however you cannot use a hotel’s chairs without staying at that hotel. Aulani has a couple of restaurants and bars but so does the Marriott.

Roomwise - 2 bedrooms at both are pretty much the same. Fully stocked kitchens, laundry facilities in room plus plenty of space. They are both decorated with Hawaiian touches that are not overtly in your face.

The Marriott never seems as “packed” to us whereas Aulani can be extremely busy. Our kids only ever went to Aunty’s house once - they preferred to hang out with each other and made new friends wherever we stayed - so child minding never was a deciding factor.

They both have luaus on-site - we’ve never paid for one as we’ve been lucky enough to be in rooms / the restaurants close by when they’ve been on so watched that way.

I would stay at either and then a split in Waikiki - Ko Olina is a man made community so a bit “contrived” as lovely as it is. You definitely need a car to see as much of Oahu as possible IMO.

 

[Boardwalkin]

To compare, I guess the difference would be similar to staying on site at a WDW resort (Yacht/Beach) vs "offsite" at the Swan/Dolphin. Both excellent resorts but one is slightly more magical. (I've stayed at both).

This comparison is perfect. There is something a little more magical staying in a Disney hotel. Entertainment, ambient sounds, customer service. If this is a once in a lifetime trip I would spend the extra $1500 and stay at Aulani. Also, if your trip is only 7-8 days I would just do Oahu and not another island. You would waste a day traveling and there is plenty to see on the island.

 

[JM23457]

Also, if your trip is only 7-8 days I would just do Oahu and not another island. You would waste a day traveling and there is plenty to see on the island.

I don't know about that. It doesn't need to take all day to island hop. The flights between islands tend to be under an hour, and even including airport time, resort check-out & check-in, an efficient travrler can still devote half of the day to something else.

Some people like to spend a long time on one island, others like to island hop. Part of that is traveling style (transitions are easier for some travelers than others),while part is a matter of how likely is the trip to be repeated. Someone who intends to return to Hawaii within the foreseeable future might prefer to focus on one island, while someone not planning to return might want to see more than one island.

 

[Disney_Fan_01]

For this reason, use a trusted owner, many owners who rented directly to people during the pandemic either fully reimbursed their renters or worked with their renters to reschedule. Yes, you may pay the same price direct to an owner as a broker (I usually charge the same or $1 or $2 more), but believe me an owner can do what a broker can't do because they own the points and you have a relationship with that owner and they want/have repeat business.

Agree. I rented points for a few nights over Christmas directly from the owner with the caveat that if the trip had to be rescheduled, he would work with me. Still waiting for more details on when Hawaii might reopen, but as it stands currently; we may reschedule to summer 2021.

 

[dlavender]

We’ve stayed at Aulani 5-6 times, Marriott 4-5 times both in a 2 bedroom as we are a family of 5. Personally I don’t think Aulani is amazingly better then the Marriott. Aulani has 3 pools, 1 adults only - Marriott has 3 pools, 1 is designated a “quiet” pool. Aulani has 2 slides, Marriott has 1. Aulani has the lazy river, Marriott doesn’t. Aulani shares the lagoon area with Four Seasons however every lagoon is publicly owned so you can use any of the four however you cannot use a hotel’s chairs without staying at that hotel. Aulani has a couple of restaurants and bars but so does the Marriott.

Roomwise - 2 bedrooms at both are pretty much the same. Fully stocked kitchens, laundry facilities in room plus plenty of space. They are both decorated with Hawaiian touches that are not overtly in your face.

The Marriott never seems as “packed” to us whereas Aulani can be extremely busy. Our kids only ever went to Aunty’s house once - they preferred to hang out with each other and made new friends wherever we stayed - so child minding never was a deciding factor.

They both have luaus on-site - we’ve never paid for one as we’ve been lucky enough to be in rooms / the restaurants close by when they’ve been on so watched that way.

I would stay at either and then a split in Waikiki - Ko Olina is a man made community so a bit “contrived” as lovely as it is. You definitely need a car to see as much of Oahu as possible IMO.

Thanks for sharing.

I was just reading a blog last night with a very similar viewpoint. The family stayed at both and did a comparison. If I have to pay closer to $19 pp I'm not sure Aulani would be worth the extra $2500 for the week, given how well the Marriott is reviewed. That extra slide and lazy river would be fun, but not worth that much to me. Even though we are going to try and be there during an off peak time, crowding is a concern. Might try to still do 2 days there as the last 2 days as a splurge on top of the splurge of going to Hawaii, lol.

 

[nkereina]

Didn't get to read all the replies, but I know there's a lot of good info here already. Apologies if I'm repeating.

DH and I stayed 6 nights at Aulani at the end of our 16 day honeymoon in Hawaii. Prior to staying at Aulani on our trip, we had stayed at the Marriott Waikiki, Westin Maui, and Kauai Marriott. As Disney fanatics, we knew we had to at least try Aulani and are certainly glad we did. Its a gorgeous resort, service is top notch, and we would definitely stay again. All of that said, I tend to agree with the PPs who said there's nothing about the resort that makes it far superior to other high end resorts across Hawaii. In fact, we enjoyed Westin Maui the most because the pool complex was nicer, the resort was less crowded, and the resort itself was more spacious and easier to navigate.

One thing to consider about Aulani as well as the Marriott next door is that its in Ko Olina, which is a planned gated tourist community in the northwest corner of the island. The area is beautiful and the man-made lagoons are a nice feature to have, but you're not really experiencing true Hawaii. For this reason, I always stress the importance of having a rental car so you can explore Oahu. If you're ok with driving to all the destinations you'd want to see, and you're not afraid of the traffic, then Ko Olina can still make a good home base. Its just important to be mindful of its isolated location when planning what you want to do and the time you need to do them.

We don't have kids, but I have read from others that tweens can be a little bored. There's not much in the way of activities for them. They're too old for Aunty's at that point. Also, night time entertainment is lacking at the resort. Outside of music at Olelo Room and the luau, there wasn't much to do after the pools close. If you have plans that will keep the kids busy and are planning for early nights, its less of a concern. DH and I found evening activities to be few and far between across Hawaii in general, so we acclimated to waking up early and going to bed by 10ish or so.

Overall, I would say that Aulani is worth at least a couple night stay for the Disney fanatic. If you opt to stay elsewhere though, especially at the Marriott, you can always visit Aulani for a meal and to see the resort. We visited the Marriott while there and found the resort to be just as pretty and more peaceful - the layout is more open and it felt less crowded. I would also urge anyone staying at Aulani to do a split stay - whether on another island, or elsewhere on Oahu. We loved our 3 nights in Waikiki, which is a much more lively area and of course, one of the most famous tourist spots in Hawaii. It was a completely different vibe in Waikiki than any place else we visited in Hawaii, so definitely worth a visit even if not staying the night in the area.

 

[disneygeek401]

Aulani is AMAZING. We went in June 2019 as a graduation trip. Worth every penny. Without a doubt the nicest resort I have EVER been to. Yes, there will be sticker shock when you see not only the price of Aulani itself, but the cost of the flight out there, but it is well worth it. The food was really good, the pools were awesome, the rooms are very nice, it's just sooo good. Joe Rohde was the lead Imagineer on this project and he hit a home run on it. It was so good, it's easily one of my favorite places I have ever been to, and it is something that is high up on my list of places to go back to.

However, if you want a strictly "Disney" resort then go to the WDW theme parks because there you will get in your face unavoidable Disney. Aulani is a gorgeous HAWAIIAN resort with some Disney touches.

I also do agree with other posters that you should rent a car even if it is just for a few days. Ko Olina really isn't "Hawaii" and it is nice to be able to explore other parts of Oahu. If Aulani is the only place you are staying on the trip, then it would be a shame to just stay at Aulani for a week and not see anything else. And, food can get pricey fast at Aulani. It's nice to be able to explore the island, explore the area, and save a few bucks on food.

I would say the only cons are that there are not like a crap ton of things to do unlike DCL (they do have a Daily Iwa, similar to the DCL Navigator if you are familiar with that) but it is not as extensive. However, I did feel like the number of activities was substantial for the type of resort it is, and the type of vacation most people go on, since there are so many things to do in Hawaii, so most people aren't spending all day every day at Aulani. Also, there is not a lot of nightlife at the resort, and things do not stay open super late, however, this seems to be more of a Hawaii thing and not an Aulani thing

Overall, Aulani is so good. The ambiance/atmosphere is fantastic. The food was good. The pools were great. The views were fantastic and the resort as a whole was AMAZING and well worth a trip out there. It is by no means a perfect place (but nothing is) but it is well worth the $$$$.

 

[dlavender]

Aulani is AMAZING. We went in June 2019 as a graduation trip. Worth every penny. Without a doubt the nicest resort I have EVER been to. Yes, there will be sticker shock when you see not only the price of Aulani itself, but the cost of the flight out there, but it is well worth it. The food was really good, the pools were awesome, the rooms are very nice, it's just sooo good. Joe Rohde was the lead Imagineer on this project and he hit a home run on it. It was so good, it's easily one of my favorite places I have ever been to, and it is something that is high up on my list of places to go back to.

However, if you want a strictly "Disney" resort then go to the WDW theme parks because there you will get in your face unavoidable Disney. Aulani is a gorgeous HAWAIIAN resort with some Disney touches.

I also do agree with other posters that you should rent a car even if it is just for a few days. Ko Olina really isn't "Hawaii" and it is nice to be able to explore other parts of Oahu. If Aulani is the only place you are staying on the trip, then it would be a shame to just stay at Aulani for a week and not see anything else. And, food can get pricey fast at Aulani. It's nice to be able to explore the island, explore the area, and save a few bucks on food.

I would say the only cons are that there are not like a crap ton of things to do unlike DCL (they do have a Daily Iwa, similar to the DCL Navigator if you are familiar with that) but it is not as extensive. However, I did feel like the number of activities was substantial for the type of resort it is, and the type of vacation most people go on, since there are so many things to do in Hawaii, so most people aren't spending all day every day at Aulani. Also, there is not a lot of nightlife at the resort, and things do not stay open super late, however, this seems to be more of a Hawaii thing and not an Aulani thing

Overall, Aulani is so good. The ambiance/atmosphere is fantastic. The food was good. The pools were great. The views were fantastic and the resort as a whole was AMAZING and well worth a trip out there. It is by no means a perfect place (but nothing is) but it is well worth the $$$$.

There are so many nice touches that Aulani has.

One is the whale/dolphin noises piped in under water at one of the pools. Overall it looks like a great Disney resort. I like the comparison a PP gave of Yacht Club vs Swolphin. And to me, sometimes the Disney difference is worth it. But when I can get Swolphin at $180 and YC is going for $480 not so much, lol. But when YC is at $280 and Swolphin is at $180, sign me up!

Given all this, I'm pretty sure we are going to try and get 2 days at Aulani at the end. Have some time to figure it all out and I'm so appreciative of all the responses so far!

 

[dlavender]

I don't know about that. It doesn't need to take all day to island hop. The flights between islands tend to be under an hour, and even including airport time, resort check-out & check-in, an efficient travrler can still devote half of the day to something else.

Some people like to spend a long time on one island, others like to island hop. Part of that is traveling style (transitions are easier for some travelers than others),while part is a matter of how likely is the trip to be repeated. Someone who intends to return to Hawaii within the foreseeable future might prefer to focus on one island, while someone not planning to return might want to see more than one island.

This is the spot we are in.

I doubt we ever go back as a family. Just so many places we want to see. Since the flights are the huge cost just to get over there, I'm thinking we will want to see at least 2 islands. So perhaps 4-5 days where Aulani is and 4-5 days somewhere else. I don't think that would be too bad to pull off travel wise.

 

[orion2185]

lot's of great info here.
We often explain and compare Aulani to DCL cruise.
both are run and operated by same team...and you can tell.
Does not help if you have never been on a Disney cruise before

 

[scottmel]

I am in the minority here but we did not care for Aulani. To be fair, I am not a cruise person and it had the feeling of a cruise to me - isolated, etc. We did have a rental car. In 2019 we did a split stay between Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki and Aulani. Halekulani is 5 star unbelievable hotel - so quiet in heart of city. Very upscale. So we stayed here 5 nights then checked into Aulani which has Polynesian feel to me and noisy etc.

We had a rental car which is essential and explored a lot of the area. I had ONE resort day and it was enough for us. My DD19 at the time and DH asked after 3 days if we could check out early and go back to Halekulani. I had a spa day scheduled on day 4 so I asked to do that THEN we could leave. Spa is AMAZING. So worth it!

So we checked out early, returned to Halkeulni and flew back the next summer for an 11 night stay there. You feel as though you are the only guest in the entire hotel. you see no one.

In hindsite, we should have visited for a day - did the spa, had a meal there and left. If you like remote isolated feeling to relax etc. you may love it. Aulani never had a chance to me staying in Halekulani first.

 

[JM23457]

I am in the minority here but we did not care for Aulani. To be fair, I am not a cruise person and it had the feeling of a cruise to me - isolated, etc. We did have a rental car. In 2019 we did a split stay between Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki and Aulani. Halekulani is 5 star unbelievable hotel - so quiet in heart of city. Very upscale. So we stayed here 5 nights then checked into Aulani which has Polynesian feel to me and noisy etc.

We had a rental car which is essential and explored a lot of the area. I had ONE resort day and it was enough for us. My DD19 at the time and DH asked after 3 days if we could check out early and go back to Halekulani. I had a spa day scheduled on day 4 so I asked to do that THEN we could leave. Spa is AMAZING. So worth it!

So we checked out early, returned to Halkeulni and flew back the next summer for an 11 night stay there. You feel as though you are the only guest in the entire hotel. you see no one.

In hindsite, we should have visited for a day - did the spa, had a meal there and left. If you like remote isolated feeling to relax etc. you may love it. Aulani never had a chance to me staying in Halekulani first.

What was it you liked more about the other hotel? Fewer guests? More of a luxury hotel? Are you not really pool people? When you say Aulani was loud, what was loud about it? Thanks.

 

[nkereina]

What was it you liked more about the other hotel? Fewer guests? More of a luxury hotel? Are you not really pool people? When you say Aulani was loud, what was loud about it? Thanks.

I'm not the poster you quoted, but we visited Halekulani in Waikiki during our stay. While we didn't stay there, I'd agree with PP's assessment that it was true 5 star - everything felt very high end, service was over the top. The entire resort was serene and beautiful, yet you were steps away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. You could have your retreat at the resort, but still had the option to be close to the action. Being in Waikiki also gives you access to tons of tours to the different sites and attractions across the island, so IMO, its easier to go without a rental car while staying there.

I mentioned above as well that Aulani is in an isolated location in Ko Olina, as PP also mentioned. There's essentially one way to get there and one way to get out of there, on the highway, and its not close to any major attraction or site. Its a good 30 minute drive from the airport. If you are a planner like me and want to maximize your time there, Aulani's location is not conducive to this. You'll have long-ish commutes to most places, and traffic can be a nightmare at times. Obviously, its still doable but its not the best location depending on your objectives while staying there.

As far as it being loud, I would describe Aulani as being chaotic at times. Floor 3, lobby floor, has high ceilings and is open to the ground floor, which makes for bad acoustics for noise. The area is a busy atmosphere with people coming and going, arrivals/departures, walking from one tower to the other, the store, and then the chaos of the character meals at Makahiki on the ground floor directly below. Once outside, pool noise was typical, nothing out of the ordinary. The pathways are narrow and the resort is busy, so it can become congested. Especially when a character meet & greet is occurring along a pathway. There are some rooms directly overlooking the center pool complex, where all the outdoor area of the resort is, and those rooms would be in earshot of any pool noise or pathway noise. I think one factor to remember is that its a family resort, so there are many more kids here than would be at a resort like Halekulani or anything comparable. By nature, kids and families will be noisier, and Aulani is no exception to that.

 

[scottmel]

What was it you liked more about the other hotel? Fewer guests? More of a luxury hotel? Are you not really pool people? When you say Aulani was loud, what was loud about it? Thanks.

The above PP described Halekulani so well. Honestly the resort was at capacity and when I tell you I never saw ANYONE in the hallways, I might have shared an elevator with someone twice in my 16 nights there and there was never a wait for anything. It caters to the Japanese and the entire resort is so peaceful. I also appreciated the beach in Waikiki. The Aulani is just a lagoon and if you have toddlers it is perfect. We swam in the ocean everyday but never went in the Aulani lagoon. Halekulani was the best of both worlds as we could do a Hawaii 50 Tour, surf tour etc and be back in the peace of our hotel. What HAlekulani offers I don't think most people realize but by staying with them access to museums, gardens, symphonies, etc is free. So we visited several local tourist spots this way. Room Service was amazing and food was perfect. Nightly entertainment in the courtyard, best Sunday brunch I ever had in my life..the list goes on!!!!

 

[frank808]

I know we all love Disney more.

We are planning our 2022 Hawaii trip (never to late to start!). We have never been. Being native Floridians, a tropical vacation just hasn't appealed to me. But it's on DW's bucket list so 2022 here we come! Plus planning this trip out is giving me something else to do and looking at pictures of Hawaii is pretty fun.

Now, to get down to it. I'm only in prelim research phase as I understand there are many islands to visit and the pros/cons of each one. However, I started where any good disser would, Aulani! We don't own DVC and I am aware of renting points. Looking at purely cost, if I could rent at $15/pp our family of 5 would need at least a 1 bedroom. That would cost about $5000 for a week. Looking around, there seems to be a very nice Marriott that looks to be next door. We could rent a 2 bedroom ocean view there for $3500. Cost wise it seems to be a no brainer. However, we all know and love the Disney difference. We have 3 kids who will be 14, 10,8 in 2022 (took me way to long to do that math). IMO on site WDW hotels can be worth it under the right circumstances, but off site locations have really come up. Long story short, is Aulani worth the extra $1500 for the week? Anyone stayed at that Marriott for comparison? TIA!

I am a Marriott Koolina and Aulani owner that happens to be a local homeowner living 5 minutes away. Koolina is a resort community that has hotels, timeshares and homes in the resort area.

There is a lot to do on Oahu as there is hiking to the lighthouse at Makapuu, Pearl Harbor memorial with USS Missouri, Punchbowl, Polynesian cultural center, museums, sugar plantation, etc. You can make it as adventurous or relaxing as you like. Some like to spend their whole vacation and never leave the resort except to venture out for food. Others go out every day and explore the island. Then there are those that choose to spend some time at the resort and go out and explore the island. Only you know what type of family you fit into.

If you are the park commando type and staying at least 8 nights in Hawaii, I would do 4 nights on each island. That will give you 4 days on each island if this is your once in a lifetime trip to Hawaii. If you do island hop you will probably lose most of that day. If you have breakfast and checkout at 10am, load vehicle and drive to airport for interisland flight by 1200pm. Flight takes all of 30 minutes. Deplaning, picking up your luggage and then getting a rental car will take you to 2pm or so. Then driving to your new hotel will put you right at check in time. It will be at least 5 to 6 hours of travel time to get to your new hotel on another island. You could stay as others have suggested 2 nights at Marriott Koolina then do 2 nights at Aulani.

If you are the more relax at resort or the hit the parks in the morning then go back to resort for nap/pool time then I would say staying on one island is more your style. You could do 4 nights at Marriott and then 4 nights at Aulani to see the difference of both resorts and that would give you enough time to experience the resort. I would not like to pack, goto airport, go to new hotel and then unpack. We like to check into one resort for our whole trip at WDW.

Differences between Marriott and Aulani has been mentioned previously by others. Marriott is quieter and laid back vibe compared to the louder and more park like setting of Aulani. You can do 1br at Marriott. When you arrive ask for a roll away and you can put that in the study by the master bedroom. Gives you older one a little more privacy and he can have their own "room". The sofa bed in living room converts into a queen sized sleeper. At Aulani your kids will all be in the living room and one will have the murphy bed under the TV and the others will share the full size sleeper sofa. Bathrooms are about the same between the two. Both have full kitchens and washer/dryer in room. Aulani provides the same kitchen ware as the DVC units at WDW but you also get a rice cooker at Aulani. I find that the Marriotts at Koolina and Florida to provide a more complete set of kitchenware compared to DVC. Marriott Koolina 1br villas are 920 square feet vs Aulani 1br villas at 756 square feet.

As others have posted, Aulani is more "busy" and Marriott is more quiet. I think your young ones would like Aulani more as there are a lot more things for them to do and with a lot of Disney touches makes it magical. Marriott is a great resort but is a more laid back vibe. They both provide resort amenities and feel. As cmrdgrs has said the pool hours at Aulani are shorter than at Marriott. The adults only infinity hot tub is great at Aulani (especially at sunset) but the Marriott has 7 hot tubs and do not close till 11pm. Also the temps at Aulani are not as hot as the Marriott. Aulani has a great lazy river and two slides that are great. One is a long dark slide and the other slide you use a tube to ride down that ends in the lazy river(make sure you do the double tube with your husband or children). Marriott has one dark slide that does not compare to the Aulani one. Aulani has many crafts and activities that Marriott does not do. Also there is the trail that you use an Ipad to unlock some of that Disney magic at Aulani.

We like both resorts a lot but spend more time at Marriott now. When my son was younger he did not like to stay at Marriott Koolina and preferred Aulani. When he was around 12 years old, he told me he prefers to stay at Marriott instead. Now we only stay at Aulani when we have visitors or when I take my nieces and nephews for staycation. We have celebrated every Christmas at Aulani but this year, will be the first since Aulani opened, that we will be at Marriott instead. Now he is of that age that Disney is not magical anymore and the rides are to tame. We were in Orlando in June and he was sure happy that we did not go to WDW since it was closed. Will be back in Oct for Halloween and told him we will be doing WDW especially ROR. He was not to thrilled and asked to skip WDW like the summer trip. Told him that he will love ROR like he does Space Mtn and Expedition Everest.

PM me if you have any questions and I will help you as much as I can. If you can tell me what your idea of a vacation in Hawaii is, that would help me figure out what you would like to do. Many folks have said that this is their one trip to Hawaii but have now have visited many times. Whatever you decide to do, I am sure you will have a great stay.