What's so great about Aulani?

friedela

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
We've been looking at taking a trip next year, we've done Disneyworld and Disneyland and honestly I can't imagine anything topping those trips. We want to wait a couple years and bring my mom with us to DW again but would like to do a trip somewhere in-between. We have been to Hawaii about 13 years ago and really enjoyed it. However when I look at Aulani youtube videos and their website I am just not "WOW'D". It looks like a typical resort but with some high priced character meals which just don't feel the same as seeing the characters in the parks. I have read reviews from people saying it was a huge disappointment and the lack of Disney magic was a big let-down. I am a huge Disney parks fan and I know this is an entirely different experience, but it just doesn't look magical at all and I wonder what it is about this place that draws people in?

So what do you all think? What sets Aulani apart from every other Hawaiian resort? Does Disney magic live at Aulani?
 
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If the videos haven't wow-ed you then you might not be the right type for Aulani.

We enjoy the resort (5 visits, with #6 later this year) because it is so different than all the other Oahu resorts that seem to be simply large white buildings with palm trees. Aulani was built to be more reflective of the Hawaiian culture. There is detail throughout the resort that pays homage to the native beliefs. We love seeing all of the as much as we love just enjoying the pool/beach there.
 
People mock me for saying this because duh but for Disney people it warrants saying--Just because you like Disney World, doesn't mean you're going to like Aulani and Aulani is not a theme park and it's not Blizzard Beach/Typhoon Lagoon with a hotel attached. I am DVC so I love staying at Aulani on points but if the parks is what you love and not hanging out by the pool lounging, there's no reason to think Aulani would be an amazing experience for you.
 


We just did Aulani this past July (9 nights there, 3 on Waikiki). It was not our first visit to Hawaii, but it was our first to Aulani. We've done multiple Disney cruises and WDW many times. We enjoyed it as we are big beach/water/outdoor people. The best way I can describe it is as a beautiful Hawaiian resort with Disney touches. It is NOT a Disney resort in Hawaii, if that makes sense. With all of that being said, Hawaii as a destination is pretty amazing. Oahu has lots to offer from beaches to hikes to quirky beach towns to the crazy nightlife and energy of Waikiki. We did a mix of resort beach days (the lagoon is lovely and calm and we all enjoyed the pools esp the infinity edge pool, the lazy river, and the 2 slides) and activities (zip lining, North Shore, surf lessons, hiking Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, etc). It made a great home base for us for the 9 nights that we were there. It is in a very quiet gated community so having a rental car is a must in my opinion. I personally could not imagine going all that way and not leaving the resort (maybe if we had the money to go to Hawaii often I would feel differently but we don't plus it is a 6 hour time change for us).
 
It really sounds like Aulani / Hawaii isn't for you and your family. While I like Disneyland and WDW, I enjoy being in Hawaii even more, even if it's busy Oahu. It's what floats my boat, the kind of vacation my family and I enjoy.

I will say you will probably be sorely disappointed, if you don't go in expecting a different kind of vacation experience.

Great3
 


At the end of the day, Aulani IS just a resort. It certainly will have a different feel than Disneyland or Disney World. Aulani is not a theme park and its an entirely different vacation.

I always say that people who go to Aulani should go there wanting a Hawaiian vacation, rather than an Aulani vacation. Aulani was designed under the premise/assumption that people would stay there as their home base while exploring the island, but its turned out it attracts Disney fanatics from all over the world that travel there JUST for Aulani and do not leave the resort. I think these people are often let down, because IMO there is not enough to do or places to eat at the resort itself to constitute a trip all the way to Hawaii just for it. Its a great place to visit coupled with a split stay, or time away from the resort exploring IMO. The appeal is in the beauty of Hawaii, because the resort itself is not that much different or more grand than any other resort I've been to. In fact, Atlantis in the Bahamas trumps it for me, and Caribbean beaches and Florida gulf beaches even trump Hawaii's beaches for me.

So, I would say that if you've done Hawaii or are not interested in visiting Hawaii, Aulani doesn't warrant a trip in and of itself. But if you ARE interested in Hawaii, it makes for a great place to stay for a Disney fan.
 
I have been to Aulani twice. Going to go back next winter. There is NOTHING special about Aulani. Its a nice hotel with a reasonable but not great amount of amenities and extremely overpriced dining. The thing about Aulani that is good is 1) it is on Oahu 2) it isn't in Honolulu and 3) its cheap to stay there with DVC points. Point 3 is why I go there. Honolulu sucks, and Ko Olina is great. Oahu is a nice island and its cheap to stay if you are staying on points. If I was paying cash I wouldn't be going back. I would either stay at Turtle Bay (because the North shore is even better than Ko Olina imo) or go to another island to mix it up but the price is so good on points that its irresistible. Also as this will be our third trip we will be running out of unique things to do. We did so much on our last trip and Oahu isn't that big. The furthest you can drive is about an hour and 15 minutes before you start getting closer to your hotel again. You go to Hawaii to experience Hawaii. Honolulu isn't Hawaii, its Buffalo NY (or insert any mid sized american city that has a couple nice spots surrounded by slums) with Palm trees. The rest of Oahu (especially the Eastern shore) is Hawaii.
 
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At the end of the day, Aulani IS just a resort. It certainly will have a different feel than Disneyland or Disney World. Aulani is not a theme park and its an entirely different vacation.

I always say that people who go to Aulani should go there wanting a Hawaiian vacation, rather than an Aulani vacation. Aulani was designed under the premise/assumption that people would stay there as their home base while exploring the island, but its turned out it attracts Disney fanatics from all over the world that travel there JUST for Aulani and do not leave the resort. I think these people are often let down, because IMO there is not enough to do or places to eat at the resort itself to constitute a trip all the way to Hawaii just for it. Its a great place to visit coupled with a split stay, or time away from the resort exploring IMO. The appeal is in the beauty of Hawaii, because the resort itself is not that much different or more grand than any other resort I've been to. In fact, Atlantis in the Bahamas trumps it for me, and Caribbean beaches and Florida gulf beaches even trump Hawaii's beaches for me.

So, I would say that if you've done Hawaii or are not interested in visiting Hawaii, Aulani doesn't warrant a trip in and of itself. But if you ARE interested in Hawaii, it makes for a great place to stay for a Disney fan.
I co-sign all of this! I said a lot of the same things as you. It’s a nice home base for a Hawaiian vacation, not a Disney one!
 
For me, the most "Disney" piece of it is the service, which is really what I pay for when I do Disney anyway. I mean, otherwise, I could just go to Six Flags, right? This is also why we love Vero Beach. The Disney level of customer service with a few Disney touches here and there, but mostly just a beach resort.
 
We are longtime WDW lovers. Became DVC members in 2008. Over the years I have become less and less interested in the whole over the top Disney themed resorts. That is why we love our points at AKV. It is a step down from the other Disney resorts in the whole DisneyBubble experience. It is a bit calmer and less in your face Disney 24/7. What others really don’t like about AKV is what I enjoy most. I can immerse myself in all things Disney at the parks as much as I choose to, then head back to a nice resort to unwind.

Aulani is even less Disneyfied. It is a really nice resort in a beautiful place with Disney touches. If you need the in your face Disney feel like WDW, then Aulani is NOT for you. If you are looking for a relaxing stay at a nice resort that has Disney themes, it may just work for you.

we have been to Aulani once and are going back in a month and can not wait.
 
On the Pro-Aulani side, we have had pixie dust level customer service while staying there. Im not sure that’s something you can find easily.
 
We are dvc owners at aulani and a few other DW resorts. We have been to aulani every year for six years and going again in may, we stay at least 10 days. Obviously we love it especially my husband, he’s a trial attorney and usually has a hard time relaxing but not here. We have been to all the islands and all around Oahu so we never leave. And we rarely go to beach, we sit at pool all day, read, do the lazy river and the slides a few times. Usually go out to dinner but eat breakfast, except for one character breakfast, in the room and make lunch and bring it to the pool. We get a one bedroom ocean view and sit on our lanai in the late afternoon with drinks and apps, listening to music. There are a couple of places at night That have music and it is always very Hawaiian. If I had one gripe it’s that I wish they played contemporary music more often.

aulani has a wonderful luau. Disney characters appear for a very short time, but it is a great show and the food is very good. It is very much authentic Hawaiian.
Aulani is Close to a four seasons, next door, and a Marriott, at the next lagoon over. The four seasons has some restaurants and has a happy hour from 3 to 5 that my husband and I go to for drinks and to sit on the terrace. The Marriott also has a couple of restaurants, one is Longhi which we like. If you go on a Tuesday, you can sit on the Terrace And watch or listen to their luau,

we have even found a little Catholic Church a few miles down the road that is completely charming. We go there for Sunday mass.

There are characters around, you just need to read the schedule every day to see where they are Appearing, They have a community center with activities, some Free, some not. I have a disabled adult daughter and we always bring her friend. Like the Disney Cruise line, it’s a safe place for them to be on their own, walking around, seeing the characters, visiting the comm center for activities. And the staff is wonderful with them.

If you are looking for Disney in your face, it’s much more subtle than that. And if you want convenience to sites around the island, it’s not really that either Because of the location and driving time. But for us, it’s always heaven.
 
If Hawaii itself or a beautiful resort to hang at the pool/ beach everyday doesn't sound like your kind of vacation, then you probably won't like it. We love going to the pool/ beach everyday (and Hawaii itself) so it is one of our favorites.
 
We are dvc owners at aulani and a few other DW resorts. We have been to aulani every year for six years and going again in may, we stay at least 10 days. Obviously we love it especially my husband, he’s a trial attorney and usually has a hard time relaxing but not here. We have been to all the islands and all around Oahu so we never leave. And we rarely go to beach, we sit at pool all day, read, do the lazy river and the slides a few times. Usually go out to dinner but eat breakfast, except for one character breakfast, in the room and make lunch and bring it to the pool. We get a one bedroom ocean view and sit on our lanai in the late afternoon with drinks and apps, listening to music. There are a couple of places at night That have music and it is always very Hawaiian. If I had one gripe it’s that I wish they played contemporary music more often.

aulani has a wonderful luau. Disney characters appear for a very short time, but it is a great show and the food is very good. It is very much authentic Hawaiian.
Aulani is Close to a four seasons, next door, and a Marriott, at the next lagoon over. The four seasons has some restaurants and has a happy hour from 3 to 5 that my husband and I go to for drinks and to sit on the terrace. The Marriott also has a couple of restaurants, one is Longhi which we like. If you go on a Tuesday, you can sit on the Terrace And watch or listen to their luau,

we have even found a little Catholic Church a few miles down the road that is completely charming. We go there for Sunday mass.

There are characters around, you just need to read the schedule every day to see where they are Appearing, They have a community center with activities, some Free, some not. I have a disabled adult daughter and we always bring her friend. Like the Disney Cruise line, it’s a safe place for them to be on their own, walking around, seeing the characters, visiting the comm center for activities. And the staff is wonderful with them.

If you are looking for Disney in your face, it’s much more subtle than that. And if you want convenience to sites around the island, it’s not really that either Because of the location and driving time. But for us, it’s always heaven.

Since you mentioned going to Sunday mass...

If you ever go to DL, Christ Cathedral is a wonderful option. We went last month and found the community very welcoming, the sermon excellent, and the acoustics lovely in the newly refurbished main area (formerly the Crystal Cathedral on tv).
 
Since you mentioned going to Sunday mass...

If you ever go to DL, Christ Cathedral is a wonderful option. We went last month and found the community very welcoming, the sermon excellent, and the acoustics lovely in the newly refurbished main area (formerly the Crystal Cathedral on tv).
Any tips for masses near DW then? 🙂
 
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We visited Aulani for the first time in the summer of '18 with our 2 kids that are now 5 and 9. We had already visited most of the other islands on prior trips and on that trip spent 4 nights in Waikiki and then 4 nights at the Aulani. For a family with young kids the Aulani was a hands down - nothing else comes close - winner relative to anywhere else we ever stayed.

We had enjoyed our time in Waikiki but the level of relaxation and lack of stress just wasn't there like it is at the Aulani. I'll echo what most of the other posters have already said - for a family Hawaiian vacation we haven't found anything else that comes close. After that trip we became DVC owners and now have our 4th trip planned for this June. A few of our friends are so tired of hearing us talk about it that they are finally coming with us for this trip too. We've already brought both sets of grandparents.
 

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