How does Aulani compare with other Hawaiian high end properties?

[StefR]

I have visited Hawaii many times before having children but now that I'm looking to plan next years trip. By then I will have a 6 month old and a 4 year old so I'm thinking about Aulani.

Perhaps this is a bad place to ask but I'd love some honest opinions about how Aulani compares to other premium properties likes the Four Seasons, etc..

Of course I love the idea of a family friendly property with some Disney magic but when I look at the room decor, the way you have to prebook Aunty's months in advance, and crowding, I'm having a hard time understanding how it competes. Is this a mid range resort with premium pricing because its Disney? Or is there genuinely something special about this place that warrants picking it over other resorts?

 

[alohamom]

I have visited Hawaii many times before having children but now that I'm looking to plan next years trip. By then I will have a 6 month old and a 4 year old so I'm thinking about Aulani.

Perhaps this is a bad place to ask but I'd love some honest opinions about how Aulani compares to other premium properties likes the Four Seasons, etc..

Of course I love the idea of a family friendly property with some Disney magic but when I look at the room decor, the way you have to prebook Aunty's months in advance, and crowding, I'm having a hard time understanding how it competes. Is this a mid range resort with premium pricing because its Disney? Or is there genuinely something special about this place that warrants picking it over other resorts?

I would say it compares with the Hyatt Kauai or perhaps just below the Grand Wailea Maui in that it has a spectacular pool, lovely grounds, the ocean front setting and the feeling of being welcomed as a family rather than intruding on couples vacations (as you might feel in some resorts like The Four Seasons) The finishings to me were not the same level of high end as some resorts we have stayed at but there was an attention to detail that made Aulani unique for me.(for example, the music in the elevators are Disney songs sung in Hawaiian, the interactive Menehune Trail that I thought would be good for the kids but was so fun for me too, the Oleo lounge with Hawaiian words everywhere) I have said this before in this thread, I thought Aulani was going to feel forced and plastic (as compared to other resorts we have stayed in on all the islands) and it was a total fluke that we stayed the first time but it was honestly the opposite. I think it is above a mid-range resort but not quite premium with incredible pools.

 

[Mommyof3inVA]

I have not been to Aulani yet (planning currently) however I have stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. They offer a lot of great family activities along with Camp Penguin for children (additional fee) plus beautiful pools, water slides, movies by the pool, etc. However as a Disney loving family I think it is worth the extra $$ for my children (all under 9) to see the characters, experience the Disney magic, etc. at Aulani. HHV does not offer kitchens which is another factor for my family. We need a kitchen and it helps us to save money.

 

[catmegs]

I will definitely stand by Aulani, especially for the age of kids you have. Disney has family travel down pat, and so many little touches have been thought of it makes travelling with little kids so easy. We stayed in a two bedroom villa with our 4 and 6 year old and I thought the room was much better designed for families than other 'luxury' resorts we have tried. Its great having a kitchen, and things like a pack n play and high chair are already in the room closet. The pools are super safe, tons of kids activities, and Aunties was the best kids club we've ever tried. However, the disclaimer is DON'T go at peak time. Since our kids were young and we didn't have to worry about school schedules we went in mid-November. The place felt very uncrowded and never had a line for anything. It is a super special place

 

[vikequeen]

We stayed at Marriott Ko Olina vacation club two years ago, Aulani (DVC) this year. My kids are little older that yours (9 and 11). My thoughts:

• Room was smaller at Disney, but better thought out/better organized for families. And slightly better appointed.
• We went at a peak time. As others said, don't if at all possible. It was much too busy. It turned me off the resort a bit. so much so that we won't likely ever stay as long as we did this trip again (at least not at a peak time). We were there 10 nights. in the future, we will split islands and likely only stay at Aulani 4 - 5 nights.
• the pool was definitely much, much better.
• More and better restaurant/food options at Disney.

Its a beautiful place, but they have too many guests for the facilities available at busy times.

 

[StefR]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Are there universally agreed times that are low periods in Hawaii? Obviously summer and holidays would be peak but Im wondering when the lowest occupancy is? (I always thought Hawaii is packed year round)

 

[85glht]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Are there universally agreed times that are low periods in Hawaii? Obviously summer and holidays would be peak but Im wondering when the lowest occupancy is? (I always thought Hawaii is packed year round)

We have been to Aulani twice in September. All (most) kids are back to school and we have found that the resort was not crowded at all.

If I may make a suggestion, if it is in you budget, is rent a car for your stay. This way you can visit other areas of the island at your own pace. Lots of shopping to be done at/near Waikiki beach too.

 

[StefR]

Thanks @85glht - thats great to know!

 

[Silver Queen]

We loved Aulani and the wonderful attention to detail that Disney puts into their resorts. Although we have enjoyed staying in some high end deluxe resorts we don't get the same "welcome home" feeling that we do at Disney. We appreciate the luxury there, but it feels more like we are in someone else's house.

 

[E&Cmom]

i agree with the post about September. We went the week of Labour Day ( Thursday to Thursday). The first few days were crazy busy but as soon as Monday came long, everyone went home. One of the CMs said it dropped from 90 to 50% occupancy.

Our last few days there was wonderful. No crowds for snything. i wish I could have pushed our trip back a few days.

 

[alohamom]

We appreciate the luxury there, but it feels more like we are in someone else's house.

I think that is exactly it Silver Queen, Aulani doenst feel like you are in someone elses house. Very well said!

 

[keolalessary]

We loved Aulani so much after the first time we stayed there that we ended up purchasing DVC and making it our Home Resort!

2 years later, we still love it. We actually like Aulani more the more we stay here. The detail and freshness of Aulani is second to none. If you don't decide to stay at Aulani this time make sure to stay there after your youngest is 3 years old. Aunty's Beach House offers (currently and could change) free child activities for children who are potty trained and 3 years and older. Our kids LOVE Aunty's.

Hope you have a blast, either way you go.

 

[mrspark812]

We stayed at Marriott Ko Olina vacation club two years ago, Aulani (DVC) this year. My kids are little older that yours (9 and 11). My thoughts:

• Room was smaller at Disney, but better thought out/better organized for families. And slightly better appointed.
• We went at a peak time. As others said, don't if at all possible. It was much too busy. It turned me off the resort a bit. so much so that we won't likely ever stay as long as we did this trip again (at least not at a peak time). We were there 10 nights. in the future, we will split islands and likely only stay at Aulani 4 - 5 nights.
• the pool was definitely much, much better.
• More and better restaurant/food options at Disney.

Its a beautiful place, but they have too many guests for the facilities available at busy times.

Thanks for the info! We just stayed at the Marriott Ko Olina in April for my birthday and had a great time. I am glad to read a comparison between the two resorts. We did walk down to the Aulani for breakfast at Ama Ama on my birthday because who doesn't want to spend their birthday at Disney. ;-) I agree about the crowds at the Aulani vs the Marriott, the Aulani seemed like everyone was packed into one area where as the Ko Olina things felt more spread out. That said, the pool at the Aulani looked incredible! And I second the food. The food we had at Ama Ama was AMAZING!!!

 

[heybets30]

We were there in October - FOOLISHLY booked the same week that Oahu schools had fall break. Aulani was a MADHOUSE, 100% capacity by the weekend. So, we were a bit put off. My then 6 & 8-year olds LOVED everything about it, except for the crowds. Saw WAAAAY too many families fighting over stupid pool chairs. Kids loved the proximity of all the pools, and that they could pop in & out of each - and Aulani is fabulous for that, if that's what you want. I had to diligently work to get them into Aunty's on non-scheduled premium package days (Surf's up, Fish are Friends), so that was a pain in the you-know-what to do while on vacation, up and in line at 6:45am just to get them in for lunch. Your kids are small enough, Aunty's might not even be in the equation. Kids thought it was amazing. We had some not-so-great CM service, so as adults paying a lot for vacation, we left feeling like we wouldn't rush to return. Kids are DYING to go back - for Aunty's. But, we also stayed at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island the 4 nights before Aulani, on the concierge-level floor, and absolutely no comparison. We were catered to for just about EVERYTHING, the room was fabulous, the grounds spectacular. It was relaxing, spread out, a resort in every sense of the word. Aulani - there was a LOT of figuring things out. We thought of Aulani as very do-it-yourself. I was surprised how small the grounds are. It is not a sprawling resort - a la anything on the Big Island or Maui. We stayed in a DVC hotel room, it was a perfectly fine hotel room. But, having stayed at the Four Seasons Maui, the Halekulani, and the Fairmont previously, no comparison. Grand Wailea, when we stayed, was showing it's age a bit. We received MUCH better service at the Waikiki Outrigger Reef our first night on Oahu (though AWFUL, HORRIBLE pool for young kids) than Aulani. As a family, we all agreed we'd go to Grand Wailea down the road with the kids - mainly for the water/pool features (after we go back to the Fairmont Orchid!).

Best advice I got, and could get, was to SCOUR the DIS boards for information. You'll learn so much that will save you so much time & hassle when you get there! I know I probably sound negative, but I think we had our sights set SO HIGH, and when we got there & got some ruder CMs and the crowds were ridiculous, and it took 45 minutes for me to drive our rental car out of the parking lot the 50 or so yards because so many people were checking in, we were pretty let down. We are VERY glad we went & tried it, that's for sure. The kids had an amazing trip - TONS of memories. Hubby and I also really liked Aunty's so we could check in the kids & go to dinner across the street.

 

[Mazz519]

We stayed at the Halekulani 2 times and Aulani last year... Both places are different both high end but Halekulani was super nice service was just ridiculous.... at Aulani cast members are great and treat you fantastic but the overall service at the Halekulani was better.... Aulani is much better geared for the family and kid thing.... my kids loved it

 

[jpessa]

We were there in October - FOOLISHLY booked the same week that Oahu schools had fall break. Aulani was a MADHOUSE, 100% capacity by the weekend. So, we were a bit put off. My then 6 & 8-year olds LOVED everything about it, except for the crowds. Saw WAAAAY too many families fighting over stupid pool chairs. Kids loved the proximity of all the pools, and that they could pop in & out of each - and Aulani is fabulous for that, if that's what you want. I had to diligently work to get them into Aunty's on non-scheduled premium package days (Surf's up, Fish are Friends), so that was a pain in the you-know-what to do while on vacation, up and in line at 6:45am just to get them in for lunch. Your kids are small enough, Aunty's might not even be in the equation. Kids thought it was amazing. We had some not-so-great CM service, so as adults paying a lot for vacation, we left feeling like we wouldn't rush to return. Kids are DYING to go back - for Aunty's. But, we also stayed at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island the 4 nights before Aulani, on the concierge-level floor, and absolutely no comparison. We were catered to for just about EVERYTHING, the room was fabulous, the grounds spectacular. It was relaxing, spread out, a resort in every sense of the word. Aulani - there was a LOT of figuring things out. We thought of Aulani as very do-it-yourself. I was surprised how small the grounds are. It is not a sprawling resort - a la anything on the Big Island or Maui. We stayed in a DVC hotel room, it was a perfectly fine hotel room. But, having stayed at the Four Seasons Maui, the Halekulani, and the Fairmont previously, no comparison. Grand Wailea, when we stayed, was showing it's age a bit. We received MUCH better service at the Waikiki Outrigger Reef our first night on Oahu (though AWFUL, HORRIBLE pool for young kids) than Aulani. As a family, we all agreed we'd go to Grand Wailea down the road with the kids - mainly for the water/pool features (after we go back to the Fairmont Orchid!).

Best advice I got, and could get, was to SCOUR the DIS boards for information. You'll learn so much that will save you so much time & hassle when you get there! I know I probably sound negative, but I think we had our sights set SO HIGH, and when we got there & got some ruder CMs and the crowds were ridiculous, and it took 45 minutes for me to drive our rental car out of the parking lot the 50 or so yards because so many people were checking in, we were pretty let down. We are VERY glad we went & tried it, that's for sure. The kids had an amazing trip - TONS of memories. Hubby and I also really liked Aunty's so we could check in the kids & go to dinner across the street.

OMG I panicked when I saw your post, because I'm going in October. Just checked and I'm going the week AFTER Hawaii's fall break. Phew!

 

[WDW_Diane]

We stayed next door to Aulani at the Ko Olina Beach Villas on our trip to Oahu three years ago, rented thrugh VRBO. Our 20 year old daughter was with us, so no little kids. We visited Aulani daily to shop, sightsee, have our photo with Mickey, and we enjoyed a dining reservation at Makahiki on Father's Day. We loved visiting over there, but for the price we would have paid for a regular room there, we had a 1200 square foot, 2 bedroom/bathroom showplace with a full upscale kitchen, ocean view lanai, washer/dryer, the works. It was perfect for our family. We could hear the Starlit Hui from our lanai. The lagoon at our resort was always much less crowded than the one at Aulani. By the way, you are free to visit any of the lagoons or beaches, all Hawaii beaches are public.

However.... had our daughter been young at the time, she would have loved playing in the Aulani pools and lazy river and the Disney ambiance. We might have selected it with the tiny room and no kitchen so she could experience it. In fact, my husband and I are soon spending 3 nights at Aulani after our 5 nights on Kauai. I loved Aulani and look forward to it. We rented DVC points through David's.

We have spent many, many vacations at WDW and DL, love Disney resorts and their attention to every detail. They are our standard every time we vacation. Your kids will love it.

 

[85glht]

We stayed next door to Aulani at the Ko Olina Beach Villas on our trip to Oahu three years ago, rented thrugh VRBO. Our 20 year old daughter was with us, so no little kids. We visited Aulani daily to shop, sightsee, have our photo with Mickey, and we enjoyed a dining reservation at Makahiki on Father's Day. We loved visiting over there, but for the price we would have paid for a regular room there, we had a 1200 square foot, 2 bedroom/bathroom showplace with a full upscale kitchen, ocean view lanai, washer/dryer, the works. It was perfect for our family. We could hear the Starlit Hui from our lanai. The lagoon at our resort was always much less crowded than the one at Aulani. By the way, you are free to visit any of the lagoons or beaches, all Hawaii beaches are public.

However.... had our daughter been young at the time, she would have loved playing in the Aulani pools and lazy river and the Disney ambiance. We might have selected it with the tiny room and no kitchen so she could experience it. In fact, my husband and I are soon spending 3 nights at Aulani after our 5 nights on Kauai. I loved Aulani and look forward to it. We rented DVC points through David's.

We have spent many, many vacations at WDW and DL, love Disney resorts and their attention to every detail. They are our standard every time we vacation. Your kids will love it.

Good info! However, I don't think you need to be/ have a child to enjoy the pools or lazy river. My wife and I are almost 50 (no kids) and have enjoyed these amenities..... Especially after running around the island to do the "tourist" things. Just my $.02

 

[AdamEfimoff]

Thanks for the info! We just stayed at the Marriott Ko Olina in April for my birthday and had a great time. I am glad to read a comparison between the two resorts. We did walk down to the Aulani for breakfast at Ama Ama on my birthday because who doesn't want to spend their birthday at Disney. ;-) I agree about the crowds at the Aulani vs the Marriott, the Aulani seemed like everyone was packed into one area where as the Ko Olina things felt more spread out. That said, the pool at the Aulani looked incredible! And I second the food. The food we had at Ama Ama was AMAZING!!!

I wonder how the Four Seasons compares!!

 

[blondietink]

We were there in October - FOOLISHLY booked the same week that Oahu schools had fall break. Aulani was a MADHOUSE, 100% capacity by the weekend. So, we were a bit put off. My then 6 & 8-year olds LOVED everything about it, except for the crowds. Saw WAAAAY too many families fighting over stupid pool chairs. Kids loved the proximity of all the pools, and that they could pop in & out of each - and Aulani is fabulous for that, if that's what you want. I had to diligently work to get them into Aunty's on non-scheduled premium package days (Surf's up, Fish are Friends), so that was a pain in the you-know-what to do while on vacation, up and in line at 6:45am just to get them in for lunch. Your kids are small enough, Aunty's might not even be in the equation. Kids thought it was amazing. We had some not-so-great CM service, so as adults paying a lot for vacation, we left feeling like we wouldn't rush to return. Kids are DYING to go back - for Aunty's. But, we also stayed at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island the 4 nights before Aulani, on the concierge-level floor, and absolutely no comparison. We were catered to for just about EVERYTHING, the room was fabulous, the grounds spectacular. It was relaxing, spread out, a resort in every sense of the word. Aulani - there was a LOT of figuring things out. We thought of Aulani as very do-it-yourself. I was surprised how small the grounds are. It is not a sprawling resort - a la anything on the Big Island or Maui. We stayed in a DVC hotel room, it was a perfectly fine hotel room. But, having stayed at the Four Seasons Maui, the Halekulani, and the Fairmont previously, no comparison. Grand Wailea, when we stayed, was showing it's age a bit. We received MUCH better service at the Waikiki Outrigger Reef our first night on Oahu (though AWFUL, HORRIBLE pool for young kids) than Aulani. As a family, we all agreed we'd go to Grand Wailea down the road with the kids - mainly for the water/pool features (after we go back to the Fairmont Orchid!).

Best advice I got, and could get, was to SCOUR the DIS boards for information. You'll learn so much that will save you so much time & hassle when you get there! I know I probably sound negative, but I think we had our sights set SO HIGH, and when we got there & got some ruder CMs and the crowds were ridiculous, and it took 45 minutes for me to drive our rental car out of the parking lot the 50 or so yards because so many people were checking in, we were pretty let down. We are VERY glad we went & tried it, that's for sure. The kids had an amazing trip - TONS of memories. Hubby and I also really liked Aunty's so we could check in the kids & go to dinner across the street.

FYI. If you go to the very bottom of the parking garage at Aulani, there is an exit out to the side street. Avoids the problem going by the lobby area and there is a light so you can turn left instead of having to make a u-turn to get out of Ko-Olina.