Honeymoon at Aulani questions

Hello fellow disboard members

My Fiance and I are starting off our Honeymoon at Aulani and staying 3 nights. We are flying in on a saturday and flying out to Kauai on Tuesday to continue the trip. I have been reading several other threads which have been very helpful on places to go on the island, and the aulani merch. So I wanted to thank everyone for that information it has been wonderful.

So this will be mine and my husband to be's first time in Hawaii, and we are big disney people as we have already traveled to 4 out of the six disney properties in the world.


Here are the couple things I am curious about:

1. Has anyone ever done the new Luau at Aulani, if so what is it like? How long is the whole thing, and what time does it start? (We are planning to do this saturday night on the day we arrive, we are taking that saturday to relax at the hotel)

2. Opinions on the breakfast and lunch or dinner dining plan and having the resort mugs, is it worth it?

3. I LOVE YOGA, has anyone done the Yoga on the beach at Aulani, how much is it and is it worth the price? Also how early must you be there?

4. Aside from renting Snorkeling gear if we don't bring our own, are there any other charges to do the snorkeling at aulani?

5. Which characters do meet's there?

6. Has anyone else been on a honeymoon there? If so could you please share your honeymoon experience.

7. Since we will arrive to Aulani around 2pm Saturday, I wanted to know how likely is it that we will be able to get a cabana on the beach or spot near the pool?

8. How is the sun in hawaii is it very strong, were coming from florida, but I'm worried about my fiance, he is very fair skinned, at home he has to apply sunscreen every 2 hours, wanted to know if that would be the case there too.

Outside aulani were going to Pearl harbor, Dole plantation, Iolani Palace, and around honolulu are there any hole in the wall eateries you recommend we try?

Thank you in advance for all the input.

Congratulations!!! DH and I spent 6 nights at Aulani and 3 nights in Kauai on our honeymoon last September. My trip report link is in my signature if you're interested. Kauai was our favorite island (we spent time on Maui too) - you will love it!

2. We didn't do the dining plan. We did have breakfast at AMA AMA and Makahiki and dinner at Makahiki. Also dinner at Ulu Cafe. All of it was good. Especially loved breakfast at AMA AMA - it was empty with awesome views. Dinner at Makahiki after the character meal (6:30pm or later) was also great - it was half quiet and peaceful, which is odd to say about a buffet! We had a nice table outside. We did buy the refillable mugs and I did think it was worth it. We filled them up often since we spent a lot of time by the pool, and we thought the refill stations were conveniently located. We never buy the mugs at WDW, but thought it was worth it at Aulani.

6. We didn't experience anything out of the ordinary for our honeymoon at Aulani. It was noted on our dinner reservation at Makahiki and our server brought a special dessert to our table with the word "Congratulations" written on it. Where are you staying in Kauai? We stayed at the Marriott in Lihue and they gave us champagne.

7. I can't speak to how busy this time of year is, but when we were there in September, the beach casabellas were the only ones available same day and most of them were available all day long. These are the two seater loungers with an awning. However, i believe they are only available until 5pm so you definitely wouldn't get your money's worth. Cabanas are few and far between and are reserved months in advance. I doubt any would be available but even if they were, it wouldn't be worth it that time of day. You should be able to find chairs by the pool in late afternoon. There were always chairs available on the beach or on the deck in front of AMA AMA when we were there. The deck in front of AMA AMA is a stone's throw to the pool.

8. We are from upstate NY and I went tanning a little prior to our trip. My first few days I wore SPF 30 and then moved to SPF 15. I'm German so somewhat fair skinned. I got some minor burns when I didn't re-apply quickly enough but nothing major. The nice thing about Aulani is that umbrellas are everywhere between the chairs so we didn't think shade was hard to come by.

As far as restaurants, we loved Kono's in the North Shore. There's one in Kailua now as well. Also Matsumoto shave ice in the North Shore. We also ate at Anna Miller's which is a 24 hour diner near Pearl Harbor. The DIS Unplugged Podcast team recommends it there also.

RosalindMarie said:

Hello fellow disboard members

My Fiance and I are starting off our Honeymoon at Aulani and staying 3 nights. We are flying in on a saturday and flying out to Kauai on Tuesday to continue the trip. I have been reading several other threads which have been very helpful on places to go on the island, and the aulani merch. So I wanted to thank everyone for that information it has been wonderful.

So this will be mine and my husband to be's first time in Hawaii, and we are big disney people as we have already traveled to 4 out of the six disney properties in the world.


Here are the couple things I am curious about:

1. Has anyone ever done the new Luau at Aulani, if so what is it like? How long is the whole thing, and what time does it start? (We are planning to do this saturday night on the day we arrive, we are taking that saturday to relax at the hotel)

2. Opinions on the breakfast and lunch or dinner dining plan and having the resort mugs, is it worth it?

3. I LOVE YOGA, has anyone done the Yoga on the beach at Aulani, how much is it and is it worth the price? Also how early must you be there?

4. Aside from renting Snorkeling gear if we don't bring our own, are there any other charges to do the snorkeling at aulani?

5. Which characters do meet's there?

6. Has anyone else been on a honeymoon there? If so could you please share your honeymoon experience.

7. Since we will arrive to Aulani around 2pm Saturday, I wanted to know how likely is it that we will be able to get a cabana on the beach or spot near the pool?

8. How is the sun in hawaii is it very strong, were coming from florida, but I'm worried about my fiance, he is very fair skinned, at home he has to apply sunscreen every 2 hours, wanted to know if that would be the case there too.

Outside aulani were going to Pearl harbor, Dole plantation, Iolani Palace, and around honolulu are there any hole in the wall eateries you recommend we try?

Thank you in advance for all the input.

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My wife and I went to Aulani 3 years in a row (2013-2015) including our Honeymoon the 1st trip. We absolutely loved it, hence the following 2 trips lol With only 3 nights it's gonna be tough to really do a whole lot at Aulani or on Oahu when you factor in travel and everything. Onto the specifics you asked about...

1) It wasn't a full blown luau when we were there. It was still the Starlit Hui, more of just a show than an actual luau. So I can't speak much to this. My wife and I did the luau next door at Paradise Cove.

2) We never did the dining plan. While we LOVE Ama Ama (especially for breakfast), we enjoyed going to some of the other restaurants off property (specifically MonkeyPod Kitchen across the street). As for the mugs, I don't know if they'll be worth it for you guys since it's only 3 nights. We were there for 21 nights, 14 nights and 16 nights so they were WELL worth it for us lol Really just depends how much you plan on using them.

3) Didn't participate in the beach yoga, but had a great view of it from breakfast at Ama Ama. Always looked very peaceful and I believe it's done early enough where the beach isn't crowded yet.

4) My recommendation for snorkeling gear would be to stop at the Target 5 minutes away and buy your own. We did this our 1st trip and it made a world of difference compared to the resorts gear. Much more comfortable and the lenses were significantly clearer. Well worth the money. If you want to check out Rainbow Reef or the lagoon without your own gear it's $20/day or $40/length of stay I believe.

5) The characters rotate so it's tough to say. We've seen Mickey, Minnie, Lilo, Goofy, Chip n Dale, Donald, Pluto, Duffy.... I know Moana was there recently, not sure if she still is.

6) Our 1st trip there was our honeymoon. It was absolutely amazing. We couldn't have asked for anything more. It's a perfect blend of kid friendly activities and adults only areas. They actually made quite a few changes and renovations between our honeymoon and our trip the following summer that made some stuff even more adult friendly and romantic. The infinity hot tubs are adults only now (or at least they were as of 2 years ago), theres an adults only pool, bar and seating area now which is quite relaxing even though it's away from the beach. Lanikai spa is amazing. If you can squeeze it in, get yourselves a couples massage and enjoy the amenities there. Do yourselves a favor and rent a chasuble for a day (or everyday lol). It's $40 for the day I believe, but more than worth it. They're comfortable, private and maybe best of all they're yours for the day no matter how often you come and go. Otherwise the chair policy allows them to move your stuff if you leave it for more than an hour or 2 I believe.

7) Arriving that late in the day, you're not likely to get a casabella that day. Our experience was that you had to be there as soon as they opened in the am to reserve 1 (with rare exceptions). As for a cabana, maybe but at that point it wouldn't be worth the money because I believe they only rent them until 4pm (maybe 5pm). Your best bet that 1st day would be to just find yourself a spot either on the beach or by the pool. Or maybe that'd be a nice time for the couples massage!

8) Respect the sun! Even the Florida sun doesn't compare. Or at least it didn't when we were there. I usually only use like SPF 4 or 8 and don't have to use a ton, but I learned my lesson QUICKLY in Hawaii that I needed stronger lotion and more often.

Outside Aulani, it's really all about what you're looking for. We really had zero desire to go back into Honolulu or Waikiki after our 1st time or 2. Just wasn't what we were there for. We didn't want the city and touristy type stuff. Maybe you guys would love it though, everyone's different. Of all the time we've spent there I think we went into the city maybe 3 times and they were all on our 1st trip. Being limited for time, I think you could probably find something better than the Dole Plantation, but again that's all personal preference. We preferred hiking and snorkeling at different spots around the island rather than that. We enjoyed the Honolulu Zoo (1 of our few trips into Honolulu lol). As for good eats, MonkeyPod Kitchen right across from Aulani in Ko Olina is our #1! We absolutely LOVE it. Music, food, drinks, beautiful sunsets. Just great. Cinnamon's for breakfast on the Windward side is awesome. You'd never know it by looking at it, but the food is great! We also really enjoyed Roy's in Ko Olina. Bunch of cool little places up along the North Shore where you can just kinda see what catches your eye as you're driving along.

I could go on for days lol please don't hesitate to reach out if you have anymore questions or anything specifically about something I mentioned. If we can't be in Hawaii, we love to talk about Hawaii! lol

RosalindMarie said:

Outside aulani were going to Pearl harbor, Dole plantation, Iolani Palace, and around honolulu are there any hole in the wall eateries you recommend we try?

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In my opinion, if you do all those things off-site, with the amount of time you have, you're not going to have much time to spend at Aulani. Unless you're doing those things in your arrival/departure days? We just got back, and for the cost of Aulani (and how beautiful it is), I'd want to spend all three days there.

We skipped the Dole plantation after hearing details from three close friends who'd been--just didn't sound that appealing and there was already a long line to get in at 9:30 am when we passed it. You could do all your Honolulu activities on your departure day (depending on your flight times), or maybe do PH and the palace mid-day to afternoon and then partake in the Honolulu nightlife. But I really think once you see (and feel) Aulani, you'll want to stay there the whole short time.

I also second buying your own snorkel gear (we love our Ocean Reef whole face masks), but after snorkeling around the islands, my kids didn't even want to do it at Aulani because it's so small. I think a single day pass will be plenty for two adults. And I know I JUST said spend more time at Aulani, but the snorkeling up at Hanauma Bay is really super, so if you could squeeze that in, I think you'd enjoy it. We really liked Poipu Beach too, so check that our while you're on Kauai. No matter how much you look at maps, it's still amazing how small that island really is, so you should have plenty of time to check out most anything you want to see there.

RosalindMarie said:

Outside aulani were going to Pearl harbor, Dole plantation, Iolani Palace, and around honolulu are there any hole in the wall eateries you recommend we try?

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If you spend a day in Honolulu, we highly recommend Sweet E's for breakfast (kalua pork eggs benedict and other wonderful things) and Side Street Inn for late lunch/dinner (boneless kalbi, fried rice, fried pork chops - all served family style and very delicious).

cgattis said:

In my opinion, if you do all those things off-site, with the amount of time you have, you're not going to have much time to spend at Aulani. Unless you're doing those things in your arrival/departure days? We just got back, and for the cost of Aulani (and how beautiful it is), I'd want to spend all three days there.

We skipped the Dole plantation after hearing details from three close friends who'd been--just didn't sound that appealing and there was already a long line to get in at 9:30 am when we passed it. You could do all your Honolulu activities on your departure day (depending on your flight times), or maybe do PH and the palace mid-day to afternoon and then partake in the Honolulu nightlife. But I really think once you see (and feel) Aulani, you'll want to stay there the whole short time.

I also second buying your own snorkel gear (we love our Ocean Reef whole face masks), but after snorkeling around the islands, my kids didn't even want to do it at Aulani because it's so small. I think a single day pass will be plenty for two adults. And I know I JUST said spend more time at Aulani, but the snorkeling up at Hanauma Bay is really super, so if you could squeeze that in, I think you'd enjoy it. We really liked Poipu Beach too, so check that our while you're on Kauai. No matter how much you look at maps, it's still amazing how small that island really is, so you should have plenty of time to check out most anything you want to see there.

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This is 100% correct. No way you'll be able to do all those things off-site and still have time to enjoy Aulani/Ko Olina. With only a few days, I'd definitely recommend just enjoying Aulani as much as possible. Although I do always tell anyone who goes to Oahu that Pearl Harbor really is a must.

As for the snorkeling, I wouldn't waste my time with Rainbow Reef. It's cool for younger kids who may not feel comfortable enough in the ocean just yet, but I'd stick to the lagoon. There's plenty out there once you find the right spots (a little further out and along the rocks mostly).

We have been to Aulani twice. Once while we were engaged and once at the beginning of our Honeymoon. It is a great choice for a honeymoon. One of our favorite things we did was the couples massage at the spa. Not cheap but we definitely thought it was worth it. We really enjoyed spending time in the Hydrotherapy Garden before and after the massage too. The adult pool area is nice although not the best views but we could always find loungers there, which as I'm sure you read people often complain about in the main pool area. We also found loungers in front of ama ama often with nice ocean views. We really enjoyed spending time in the adult infinity hot tub too.

keighttf said:

We have been to Aulani twice. Once while we were engaged and once at the beginning of our Honeymoon. It is a great choice for a honeymoon. One of our favorite things we did was the couples massage at the spa. Not cheap but we definitely thought it was worth it. We really enjoyed spending time in the Hydrotherapy Garden before and after the massage too. The adult pool area is nice although not the best views but we could always find loungers there, which as I'm sure you read people often complain about in the main pool area. We also found loungers in front of ama ama often with nice ocean views. We really enjoyed spending time in the adult infinity hot tub too.

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Yes... to ALL of this!

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I agree with PPs who said that's too many off-site activities for just 3 nights at Aulani. Pearl Harbor is worth it, but the Dole Plantation and Iolani Palace are not in my opinion. We stopped at Dole on our way to the North Shore. Took about 25-30 minutes to get there and we spent about two hours there. But knowing what we know now, it would have been no biggie to miss it. We didn't go inside Iolani Palace but we did drive past it and while it's pretty, I can't imagine it's worth going there just for that. Maybe stop by on your way to Waikiki, if you're doing that one night.

We had 6 nights at Aulani and spent 3 full days just enjoying the resort, which we felt was perfect to us. We also stayed 3 nights in Waikiki before Aulani and used that time to do a lot of sightseeing. If sightseeing is very important to you, I'd suggest staying in Waikiki both for cost savings and convenience. We stayed at the Marriott Waikiki and it was a great location and a really good price point for us.