Just got back from 3/19-3/26 Aulani Trip, Wins and Fails

[WHH]

I've used this board for information in the past in planning my family's Disney Cruises, trips to Disney World, and last week's trip to Aulani. I wanted to pay it forward a bit in case others are planning an Aulani trip in this (hopefully waning) era of covid and were interested in our thoughts and experiences. I know I learned some invaluable stuff reading the board!

First, we have a family of 4, with two little girls ages 8 and 9. My father went with us (age 73) so we had a total of 5 people. We aren't DVC, and I wouldn't describe us as huge Disney people. We really like Disney's attention to detail, service, and of course family atmosphere.

Arrival/Testing

Despite about 5 panic attacks, this went really smoothly. We used Walgreens ID Now and had results back in two hours. Last leg of our flight left at 10am EST, and my family tested about 12:30 CST 3 days (just under 70 hours) before. When the tests came back, it had a Pacific time zone stamp and this worried me (it read as 9:30 PST and our last flight was 10 AM EST), but the screener didn't care and didn't look at anything other than the date. The line to see the Safe Travels screener was long, but it moves very quickly.

Car Rental/Driving

What you hear about rental car prices right now is true. I paid $700 for a Chevy Blazer for the week. Overall, it was more than worth it with the amount of driving we did but still a hefty toll. And I'm going to drop some knowledge on you if you don't already know: while navigating Oahu is easy (only 3 major highways),everyone drives like they are really old, really drunk, or just learning to drive. As a bonus, the speed limit on the highway fluctuates between 40-60, they'll throw in some confusing "double lines" between lanes (as in you can't change lanes with the flow of traffic on the highway). As a super extra bonus: you guys know those convenient exit signs that will tell you if there's gas or food off an exit? Let me disabuse you of the notion right now that exists on Oahu. Nary a one. So, while I would ABSOLUTELY rent a car, just wanted to drop a warning there is a learning curve.

Restaurant Wins:

We didn't dine a ton on property because Ama Ama is closed and Makahiki has a weird menu right now that looked a little expensive for what it is...but we found the book Oahu Revealed to be an incredible source. Legends Seafood in Chinatown may have been the best meal we had. Nico's pier was amazing, and best meal of the week was Buzz's Original Steakhouse in Kailua. The deli at the ABC Island market across the street was also very good. Giovanni's shrimp truck was good, as was Matsumoto's (but world's best? I don't know..). The food in Oahu was really good. Even the poke bowls at Aulani were delicious, IMO.

Restaurant Fails:

I beg of you not to go to Monkeypod. It was just the most average meal I may have ever had, with the benefit of waiting 2 hours and being super expensive for what it was. This was the only restaurant fail of the week.

Sightseeing Wins:

There were no fails. Diamond Head, North Shore (Waimea Falls hike), Bishop Museum, Waikiki - all very cool. What a beautiful island with accessible hikes. My Dad wasn't able to do Diamond Head as it's strenuous (I'd say a 6 year old can do it but over 70 you'd need to be in great shape). Consistent rainbows, just lush and vibrant and really everything I imagined. Nothing disappointed.

Thoughts on Property:

I'm probably going to hurt some feelings here, but the property didn't feel like a Disney property to me. And that's fine, like I said we aren't huge Disney people. It feels like nice hotel someone put the Disney name on. Maybe it would be different non-covid. Aunty's Beach House wasn't a loss for us as my kids don't love kid's clubs.


Overall, I am thrilled to have gone. Happy to answer any questions for anyone with an upcoming trip!

 

[Noodlez]

Monkeypod was our worst experience last time we were there too! Despite having a reservation they just gave us a buzzer and made us stand in the street for far too long. I can't say the staff were rude, we barely saw them. The food was below average. I thought from the prices that it would feel like a restaurant, but we would have been happier at McDonalds!

 

[EmilyS92003]

If you remember, was there any sort of activities happening while you were there? I’ve looked at the daily iwa online and it seems like there’s nothing to do right now besides the pools? Thanks in advance!

 

[Drjohnnyd]

Thanks for your insights. Disappointing to hear about Monkeypod. That’s been one of our regulars since Aulani opened.
I thought I read the Luau was opening back up but I don’t see anything on it. Was it running during your trip?
Interesting you picked up on the lack of Disney feel. From the start that has been their mission. They want to celebrate the Polynesian culture while providing Disney level service. We live in Anaheim so mind leaving Mickey behind.

 

[nono]

As a bonus, the speed limit on the highway fluctuates between 40-60, they'll throw in some confusing "double lines" between lanes (as in you can't change lanes with the flow of traffic on the highway). As a super extra bonus: you guys know those convenient exit signs that will tell you if there's gas or food off an exit? Let me disabuse you of the notion right now that exists on Oahu. Nary a one. So, while I would ABSOLUTELY rent a car, just wanted to drop a warning there is a learning curve.

That is so hilarious to read, because I drove there for 2 weeks Jan/Feb and didn't notice these things. I mean, I guess I did notice the no change lane double lines, but I didn't think twice about it. Also never thought about the "services available" signs. Good observations!

 

[Paul Stupin]

I've used this board for information in the past in planning my family's Disney Cruises, trips to Disney World, and last week's trip to Aulani. I wanted to pay it forward a bit in case others are planning an Aulani trip in this (hopefully waning) era of covid and were interested in our thoughts and experiences. I know I learned some invaluable stuff reading the board!

First, we have a family of 4, with two little girls ages 8 and 9. My father went with us (age 73) so we had a total of 5 people. We aren't DVC, and I wouldn't describe us as huge Disney people. We really like Disney's attention to detail, service, and of course family atmosphere.

Arrival/Testing

Despite about 5 panic attacks, this went really smoothly. We used Walgreens ID Now and had results back in two hours. Last leg of our flight left at 10am EST, and my family tested about 12:30 CST 3 days (just under 70 hours) before. When the tests came back, it had a Pacific time zone stamp and this worried me (it read as 9:30 PST and our last flight was 10 AM EST), but the screener didn't care and didn't look at anything other than the date. The line to see the Safe Travels screener was long, but it moves very quickly.

Car Rental/Driving

What you hear about rental car prices right now is true. I paid $700 for a Chevy Blazer for the week. Overall, it was more than worth it with the amount of driving we did but still a hefty toll. And I'm going to drop some knowledge on you if you don't already know: while navigating Oahu is easy (only 3 major highways),everyone drives like they are really old, really drunk, or just learning to drive. As a bonus, the speed limit on the highway fluctuates between 40-60, they'll throw in some confusing "double lines" between lanes (as in you can't change lanes with the flow of traffic on the highway). As a super extra bonus: you guys know those convenient exit signs that will tell you if there's gas or food off an exit? Let me disabuse you of the notion right now that exists on Oahu. Nary a one. So, while I would ABSOLUTELY rent a car, just wanted to drop a warning there is a learning curve.

Restaurant Wins:

We didn't dine a ton on property because Ama Ama is closed and Makahiki has a weird menu right now that looked a little expensive for what it is...but we found the book Oahu Revealed to be an incredible source. Legends Seafood in Chinatown may have been the best meal we had. Nico's pier was amazing, and best meal of the week was Buzz's Original Steakhouse in Kailua. The deli at the ABC Island market across the street was also very good. Giovanni's shrimp truck was good, as was Matsumoto's (but world's best? I don't know..). The food in Oahu was really good. Even the poke bowls at Aulani were delicious, IMO.

Restaurant Fails:

I beg of you not to go to Monkeypod. It was just the most average meal I may have ever had, with the benefit of waiting 2 hours and being super expensive for what it was. This was the only restaurant fail of the week.

Sightseeing Wins:

There were no fails. Diamond Head, North Shore (Waimea Falls hike), Bishop Museum, Waikiki - all very cool. What a beautiful island with accessible hikes. My Dad wasn't able to do Diamond Head as it's strenuous (I'd say a 6 year old can do it but over 70 you'd need to be in great shape). Consistent rainbows, just lush and vibrant and really everything I imagined. Nothing disappointed.

Thoughts on Property:

I'm probably going to hurt some feelings here, but the property didn't feel like a Disney property to me. And that's fine, like I said we aren't huge Disney people. It feels like nice hotel someone put the Disney name on. Maybe it would be different non-covid. Aunty's Beach House wasn't a loss for us as my kids don't love kid's clubs.


Overall, I am thrilled to have gone. Happy to answer any questions for anyone with an upcoming trip!

We always really enjoy Monkeypod. We also have never had any problem with Hawaiian drivers. For us, Aulani is just Disney enough to plus the experience, but not so strongly Disney that it becomes overwhelming. Did you ever enjoy the Aulani lagoon, the swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding? How bout the pool area? The storyteller?

 

[Paul Stupin]

I've used this board for information in the past in planning my family's Disney Cruises, trips to Disney World, and last week's trip to Aulani. I wanted to pay it forward a bit in case others are planning an Aulani trip in this (hopefully waning) era of covid and were interested in our thoughts and experiences. I know I learned some invaluable stuff reading the board!

First, we have a family of 4, with two little girls ages 8 and 9. My father went with us (age 73) so we had a total of 5 people. We aren't DVC, and I wouldn't describe us as huge Disney people. We really like Disney's attention to detail, service, and of course family atmosphere.

Arrival/Testing

Despite about 5 panic attacks, this went really smoothly. We used Walgreens ID Now and had results back in two hours. Last leg of our flight left at 10am EST, and my family tested about 12:30 CST 3 days (just under 70 hours) before. When the tests came back, it had a Pacific time zone stamp and this worried me (it read as 9:30 PST and our last flight was 10 AM EST), but the screener didn't care and didn't look at anything other than the date. The line to see the Safe Travels screener was long, but it moves very quickly.

Car Rental/Driving

What you hear about rental car prices right now is true. I paid $700 for a Chevy Blazer for the week. Overall, it was more than worth it with the amount of driving we did but still a hefty toll. And I'm going to drop some knowledge on you if you don't already know: while navigating Oahu is easy (only 3 major highways),everyone drives like they are really old, really drunk, or just learning to drive. As a bonus, the speed limit on the highway fluctuates between 40-60, they'll throw in some confusing "double lines" between lanes (as in you can't change lanes with the flow of traffic on the highway). As a super extra bonus: you guys know those convenient exit signs that will tell you if there's gas or food off an exit? Let me disabuse you of the notion right now that exists on Oahu. Nary a one. So, while I would ABSOLUTELY rent a car, just wanted to drop a warning there is a learning curve.

Restaurant Wins:

We didn't dine a ton on property because Ama Ama is closed and Makahiki has a weird menu right now that looked a little expensive for what it is...but we found the book Oahu Revealed to be an incredible source. Legends Seafood in Chinatown may have been the best meal we had. Nico's pier was amazing, and best meal of the week was Buzz's Original Steakhouse in Kailua. The deli at the ABC Island market across the street was also very good. Giovanni's shrimp truck was good, as was Matsumoto's (but world's best? I don't know..). The food in Oahu was really good. Even the poke bowls at Aulani were delicious, IMO.

Restaurant Fails:

I beg of you not to go to Monkeypod. It was just the most average meal I may have ever had, with the benefit of waiting 2 hours and being super expensive for what it was. This was the only restaurant fail of the week.

Sightseeing Wins:

There were no fails. Diamond Head, North Shore (Waimea Falls hike), Bishop Museum, Waikiki - all very cool. What a beautiful island with accessible hikes. My Dad wasn't able to do Diamond Head as it's strenuous (I'd say a 6 year old can do it but over 70 you'd need to be in great shape). Consistent rainbows, just lush and vibrant and really everything I imagined. Nothing disappointed.

Thoughts on Property:

I'm probably going to hurt some feelings here, but the property didn't feel like a Disney property to me. And that's fine, like I said we aren't huge Disney people. It feels like nice hotel someone put the Disney name on. Maybe it would be different non-covid. Aunty's Beach House wasn't a loss for us as my kids don't love kid's clubs.


Overall, I am thrilled to have gone. Happy to answer any questions for anyone with an upcoming trip!

We always really enjoy Monkeypod. We also have never had any problem with Hawaiian drivers. For us, Aulani is just Disney enough to plus the experience, but not so strongly Disney that it becomes overwhelming. Did you ever enjoy the Aulani lagoon, the swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding? How bout the pool area? The storyteller?

 

[WHH]

If you remember, was there any sort of activities happening while you were there? I’ve looked at the daily iwa online and it seems like there’s nothing to do right now besides the pools? Thanks in advance!

There are some. Kids can do the mehune bridge adventure/scavenger hunt- and my kids did enjoy that. There’s a “make your own mickey ears” thing at a cost. Rainbow reef snorkeling is available.

The Luau is coming back soon but wasn’t going on when I was there. Same with storytelling. Spa is open at 4 Seasons next door but not at Aulani. The day lockers/shower are also closed so if you have a later flight and have time to kill I recommend Bishop Museum because it’s right by the airport.

As to the poster asking about pool area, kids had a blast. And I enjoyed infinity pool area. I didn’t love jockeying for a chair at 8 am. But I knew going in that was the situation (like $37 parking per day) so doesn’t feel cool to complain about either. One thing i did not know going in was that prior to parking in the Aulani deck, i would have to grease the sides of the rental with Crisco to squeeze it in to any available spots.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Sorry for the double post!

There are some. Kids can do the mehune bridge adventure/scavenger hunt- and my kids did enjoy that. There’s a “make your own mickey ears” thing at a cost. Rainbow reef snorkeling is available.

The Luau is coming back soon but wasn’t going on when I was there. Same with storytelling. Spa is open at 4 Seasons next door but not at Aulani. The day lockers/shower are also closed so if you have a later flight and have time to kill I recommend Bishop Museum because it’s right by the airport.

As to the poster asking about pool area, kids had a blast. And I enjoyed infinity pool area. I didn’t love jockeying for a chair at 8 am. But I knew going in that was the situation (like $37 parking per day) so doesn’t feel cool to complain about either. One thing i did not know going in was that prior to parking in the Aulani deck, i would have to grease the sides of the rental with Crisco to squeeze it in to any available spots.

Hmm. Never have had an issue with the size of the Aulani parking spaces. But maybe I’m biased, my wife and I love the place. We never sit right by the pool, so the chair jockeying is never an issue, and opt instead for the chaises facing the ocean in front of Ama Ama. But we really enjoy the ocean, the lazy river, walking along the beach pathway, and the lagoon. And watching the sunset from either our balcony or the jacuzzi!

 

[cgattis]

There are some. Kids can do the mehune bridge adventure/scavenger hunt- and my kids did enjoy that. There’s a “make your own mickey ears” thing at a cost. Rainbow reef snorkeling is available.

The Luau is coming back soon but wasn’t going on when I was there. Same with storytelling. Spa is open at 4 Seasons next door but not at Aulani. The day lockers/shower are also closed so if you have a later flight and have time to kill I recommend Bishop Museum because it’s right by the airport.

As to the poster asking about pool area, kids had a blast. And I enjoyed infinity pool area. I didn’t love jockeying for a chair at 8 am. But I knew going in that was the situation (like $37 parking per day) so doesn’t feel cool to complain about either. One thing i did not know going in was that prior to parking in the Aulani deck, i would have to grease the sides of the rental with Crisco to squeeze it in to any available spots.

Yeah, I drive a Tahoe or a Suburban every day, and it was a squeeze to get a minivan in there! Sounds like you had a great trip; we really had no touring “fails” either. Everything is just so amazingly beautiful, I was planning our return trip on day two of our first one!! Lol

 

[WHH]

One thing I forgot to mention: Please make your dinner reservations as early as possible. A ton of places aren’t re-opened. Some I called had closed for good. The ones that are open have very limited capacity.

We wanted to try Duke’s in Waikiki but couldn’t get a reservation. They seat half the restaurant walk up, but when we went (on a Tuesday at 5:30), the wait was 3 hours. We audibled to plan B -Nico’s - which worked out for us as it was excellent.

 

[3ZrWe]

I've used this board for information in the past in planning my family's Disney Cruises, trips to Disney World, and last week's trip to Aulani. I wanted to pay it forward a bit in case others are planning an Aulani trip in this (hopefully waning) era of covid and were interested in our thoughts and experiences. I know I learned some invaluable stuff reading the board!

First, we have a family of 4, with two little girls ages 8 and 9. My father went with us (age 73) so we had a total of 5 people. We aren't DVC, and I wouldn't describe us as huge Disney people. We really like Disney's attention to detail, service, and of course family atmosphere.

Arrival/Testing

Despite about 5 panic attacks, this went really smoothly. We used Walgreens ID Now and had results back in two hours. Last leg of our flight left at 10am EST, and my family tested about 12:30 CST 3 days (just under 70 hours) before. When the tests came back, it had a Pacific time zone stamp and this worried me (it read as 9:30 PST and our last flight was 10 AM EST), but the screener didn't care and didn't look at anything other than the date. The line to see the Safe Travels screener was long, but it moves very quickly.

Car Rental/Driving

What you hear about rental car prices right now is true. I paid $700 for a Chevy Blazer for the week. Overall, it was more than worth it with the amount of driving we did but still a hefty toll. And I'm going to drop some knowledge on you if you don't already know: while navigating Oahu is easy (only 3 major highways),everyone drives like they are really old, really drunk, or just learning to drive. As a bonus, the speed limit on the highway fluctuates between 40-60, they'll throw in some confusing "double lines" between lanes (as in you can't change lanes with the flow of traffic on the highway). As a super extra bonus: you guys know those convenient exit signs that will tell you if there's gas or food off an exit? Let me disabuse you of the notion right now that exists on Oahu. Nary a one. So, while I would ABSOLUTELY rent a car, just wanted to drop a warning there is a learning curve.

Restaurant Wins:

We didn't dine a ton on property because Ama Ama is closed and Makahiki has a weird menu right now that looked a little expensive for what it is...but we found the book Oahu Revealed to be an incredible source. Legends Seafood in Chinatown may have been the best meal we had. Nico's pier was amazing, and best meal of the week was Buzz's Original Steakhouse in Kailua. The deli at the ABC Island market across the street was also very good. Giovanni's shrimp truck was good, as was Matsumoto's (but world's best? I don't know..). The food in Oahu was really good. Even the poke bowls at Aulani were delicious, IMO.

Restaurant Fails:

I beg of you not to go to Monkeypod. It was just the most average meal I may have ever had, with the benefit of waiting 2 hours and being super expensive for what it was. This was the only restaurant fail of the week.

Sightseeing Wins:

There were no fails. Diamond Head, North Shore (Waimea Falls hike), Bishop Museum, Waikiki - all very cool. What a beautiful island with accessible hikes. My Dad wasn't able to do Diamond Head as it's strenuous (I'd say a 6 year old can do it but over 70 you'd need to be in great shape). Consistent rainbows, just lush and vibrant and really everything I imagined. Nothing disappointed.

Thoughts on Property:

I'm probably going to hurt some feelings here, but the property didn't feel like a Disney property to me. And that's fine, like I said we aren't huge Disney people. It feels like nice hotel someone put the Disney name on. Maybe it would be different non-covid. Aunty's Beach House wasn't a loss for us as my kids don't love kid's clubs.


Overall, I am thrilled to have gone. Happy to answer any questions for anyone with an upcoming trip!

Thank you for taking the time to share your trip! I bought into DVC last year and my first stay is at Aulani this coming June. Just booked my flight so the countdown has officially begun! HOORAY!!

 

[EmilyS92003]

Ok random question. Did you guys see any characters? I had seen them listed on the app as of a few days ago then all of the sudden they’re all gone. Does anyone know if they’re still doing characters or no? Thanks!

 

[Julia M]

One thing I forgot to mention: Please make your dinner reservations as early as possible. A ton of places aren’t re-opened. Some I called had closed for good. The ones that are open have very limited capacity.

We wanted to try Duke’s in Waikiki but couldn’t get a reservation. They seat half the restaurant walk up, but when we went (on a Tuesday at 5:30), the wait was 3 hours. We audibled to plan B -Nico’s - which worked out for us as it was excellent.

I just tried to book Dukes today (3/27) for April 9, 10 or 11 for dinnner. The only available times were after 9pm.

 

[pinkxray]

Thank you for sharing.

 

[DVC Doctor]

Sad to hear about Monkeypod as that is usually one of our favorites

 

[WHH]

Ok random question. Did you guys see any characters? I had seen them listed on the app as of a few days ago then all of the sudden they’re all gone. Does anyone know if they’re still doing characters or no? Thanks!

Yes, we did see characters at a distance. Typically they would appear on a balcony and wave.

 

[WHH]

Sad to hear about Monkeypod as that is usually one of our favorites

I’ve gotten this response a lot- maybe I caught them on an off night? The mahi tacos were really soggy and the wings were way underseasoned. My wife did like the Mai Tai! She had the macadamia crusted mahi and was likewise unimpressed though...

 

[monsterkitty]

I’ve gotten this response a lot- maybe I caught them on an off night? The mahi tacos were really soggy and the wings were way underseasoned. My wife did like the Mai Tai! She had the macadamia crusted mahi and was likewise unimpressed though...

We were there the same time as you guys! Were you the ones who laughed with us when a few parents were bragging about their straight-A honors 8th grader who was taking trig because it's a requirement at their rigorous middle school? I looked at my DH and said, "One of these parents is on the DIS Boards and the couple close to us burst out in laughter.

Anyway, traffic was a nightmare coming out of Honolulu and I find your comments about the drivers 100% accurate.

Parking spots were very hard to get into. And we had a small Kia (do not recommend - horrible car!)

We were going to wait for Monkey Pod and decided it wasn't worth 90 minutes. Others we talked to said that the quality was not the same as it once was. Instead we went across the street to the Pizza Corner and had a really good pizza. Although at that point I was really hungry and cardboard would have been amazing.

Really bummed there were no Mickey Bars or Chip and Dale Mickey Cheese crackers at Aulani. We had to settle for a Dole Whip.

We knew we couldn't get into Dukes so we went upstairs to the Hula Grill and had the most amazing fish tacos we've had in a long time. I actually had the fish and chips but DH and I split with each other.

 

[heaven2dc]

When you mentioned there were no signs at exits regarding food or gas, I had to stop and think what you meant as I haven't seen those signs in years where we live lol. I didn't even know there were some states that still had those! I remember the list of restaurants/gas stations on a sign when we did road trips years ago and you'd get all excited knowing there was an I-Hop up ahead (yes we still get excited having breakfast at I-Hop on a rare occasion lol). Then when we pulled off the exit, we wouldn't find one Over all it seems like you had a great trip.