TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We brought our 4yr old here in late May and had a blast. Plotting a return trip. As others have said, you pay a Disney premium here, for everything. That said, it was magical for our son, and watching him live the magic was magical for us. I do recommend a poolside room. We got extra lucky and were on ground floor. That meant direct access to the pool complex from our patio which was awesome. Villa-style rooms have kitchens and laundry which are really convenient. We had breakfast in our room most days (toast and fruit from grocery store) which saved some cost. We also refrigerated leftovers from dinners to heat up for lunch following day. There is an ABC store across the street where you can buy food off-resort. Or you can go to Safeway or Costco if you have a car. On property, there are multiple food options, all with kid-friendly options. Or you can order from your pool chair, which is super convenient. On pool chairs…do believe the hype! You must claim them early, and maintain some presence in the chair. My husband was taking the early excercise classes (beach yoga, paddleboard yoga) so after that, he’d grab us chairs while I got our son dressed and fed. Chairs are much more available on the beach. Beach is great. Calm water is great for young kids. There was lots of boogie boarding and sandcastling and dad-burying going on. The sun is bright out there. Sunscreen up! You can borrow sand toys for free and the snack shack opens at 11. Pools are great. Main pool has a zero entry edge. There are pool party’s a couple times a week in the afternoon. And the water playground was a huge hit with our kiddo. Characters are around throughout the day. They post the schedule in the app each day so you know where to go. For our son, this was the best part, he loved it! The staff are all wonderful. I was really impressed. If you value the Disney-ness of it all, just understand the pricing going in. For us, the magic was really special and enjoyed. By all three of us. And we appreciated that every space had children in mind. We utilized the kids club (book early) and did some of our own meals. Hawaii is expensive, and this is at a premium. But i’ve been scrolling through our photos everyday since we got back home. My kid is beaming in all of them.

As I sit here on the ocean view balcony in my 1 br unit, I can’t say it isn’t beautiful. Oahu is a special place. It’s lovely and Disney has done an outstanding job bringing a slice Disney to Hawaii. What I can’t be pleased about is the cost of food. Most everyone will tell you that food prices are high in Hawaii, but that just isn’t true. There are many many places we went to enjoy dinners and total bill was just under $100.00 for four adults. Sadly, this being a family friendly property is nothing close. Every restaurant is price gouging here and there are no other alternatives other than to cook in the room. Dinner for kids at over 100 each with a price fixe menu and limited choices? I think not. You’d think there’d be a little Obama restaurant like at Disneyworld but no. Other than food options, it’s lovely. Rooms spacious, views at pool area are incredible. Fix the restaurant situation and you’ll get more bookings for sure.

Enjoyed the movie outside and the lazy river. Front desk was very friendly. However, didn’t give the wow factor. Wasn’t even close for the price one pays.

This is our 3rd time at Aulani and the resort has deteriorated in quality and service. The cost for the resort has increased considerably but otherwise the rooms have gone downhill. The rooms have aged and they are not well kept. They now only give basic amenities ie. a soap bar and lotion on the counter top. There was no blow dryer or robes, etc. The pool area and main lobby area are beautiful as per previous - but the service is not good. When speaking to the manager about the concerns we had about the room, the response was “this is just the way it is”. It’s just unfortunate as the experience we had twice before was much better.

First off, I did enjoy my stay here at Aulani. I really did, It's just that there are weird, very DIsney quirks that bugged me. The resort is beautiful. There are 4 different pools, one being adults only and another is the Lazy River. There are multiple places to sit for the day away from children, near children, near the pools, on the beach in the shade and on and on, Yes the hair game if big, but I watched and there were always chairs on the beach and fatther away from the pools. I stayed on the hotel side and had an ocean view room with a king bed and balcony. I slept like a baby. The bath has a bath and shower and was loaded up with towels. Every staff member was wonderful and kind. On my way to dinner one night I saw a staff member from the cleaning crew, standing and waving hello to folks with a roll of stickers he was giving out to kids with their parents. They were delighted. being on my ownm I rented a Casabella daily at $110. It's added up, but I need shade and this is the way I could guarantee it. They are 2 seated cabanas and are comfortable. Generally the prices are siilar to other resorts in Hawaii. I did have a problem with a banana costing $5. For some reason that was a line I wouldn't cross. And finally, seeing the characters throughout the day was a delight I didn't know I would love. Here is what bugged me about Aulani which I understand is common to most Disney properties: No glassware in the room, except for paper cups for the Keurig. I was in a hotel room, not DVC. Room cleaning is only every other day. Some may prefer that, I didn't. One of the pleasures of staying at a nice resort is a room that is cleaned daily. I could call for new towels if needed. I think what frosts me the most is this all done in the guise of environmental preservation, but there is plastic everywhere here and it just doesn't add up for me. The bands for the pool are fine, but perhaps they could make them easier to remove? You need to find someone to cut it off of you. All of these are minor but it's what bugged me. It may not bother you. If you can afford it and you want to have a great famiy vacation, this is an amazing option.