We recently were fortunate enough to travel to Oahu and stay at Disney’s Aulani Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii. Here’s a quick review of our stay at the hotel.
Since having a child, we have found that our view on vacations has changed from being DINKs (dual income, no kids). We used to sit at a peaceful zen like resort – those days for us our gone – and that’s okay! Now we are embracing our full inner child to play with our actual child – and that includes staying at the Disney Aulani!
The lobby is beautiful when you walk into the hotel – big, spacious, feels like you walked into a large Hawaiian resort. My only very minor gripe is that you can’t see the ocean very well right from the lobby. Check in was very smooth and our room was ready early. Then we headed straight to the pools.
The pools are the BEST part of the hotel. The lazy river is the best lazy river I have ever been on. I went around it more times than I could count. The hotel provides the inner tubes so you don’t need to worry about lugging any over. Plus, they have life jackets free for the kids to check out if you desire. Below is a quieter pool. They have many pools and 2 water slides. They also have a splash pad (pictured above). What I did not like about the pools is people save chairs and don’t sit in them. I never saw Disney enforce the “1 hour and we will remove your stuff” policy they have posted everywhere.
The beach the hotel sits on is a man-made lagoon so the water is very tame, which is perfect for kids. I read somewhere they have nets so there aren’t supposed to be any sharks either, which is one less worry. I personally prefer other beaches but the kids certainly love this one! The hotel shares the beach with the Four Seasons next door, a wedding chapel as well.
The food and surrounding restaurants I thought were mediocre. Granted, I am vegetarian and Hawaiian cuisine is not up my alley, so I am aware of that. We did a lot of cooking ourselves as we stayed in a villa with a full kitchen.
One thing I was worried about staying here is that it would be “too Disney” and not enough Hawaiian feeling. The hotel is not “in your face Disney” – you certainly don’t feel like you’ve walked into Disneyland. That said, they do have free character meet and greets. You can choose to go to them or not. I did see a character or two walk through the pool area, but it’s only for a brief moment, like below with Mickey walking by.
The other thing they have at the hotel is their own salt water lagoon. They have viewing windows so it’s like you’re visiting an aquarium! You can snorkel in the lagoon too but that is an extra charge. I saw the line to get a spot started early int he morning and then it was sold out. I think it is great for children who want to snorkel but perhaps aren’t quite ready for the open ocean. Our daughter was too small to do this at this time.
So, is staying at the Aulani “worth it?”
I would say yes – if you have kids. Is this a hotel I would have chosen to travel to without kids? No. But, if you are a Disney fan without kids then I would say yes, worth it. But Disney certainly knows how to cater to families and the Aulani is no different. The pools are absolutely hands down the best. The cost of the hotel is certainly a decision factor. We went during low season and rented DVC points through a third party company to get a deal. Would I go here during high season peak week? No, I would not.
Now, I’m going to share a travel must have for young kids… the best little suitcase! The kids can pull it themselves. If they get tired they can ride on it and you can pull them. It can unfold into a bed on the plane! It is FANTASTIC!
below in the widget to shop are some other finds. The travel set is wonderful for the airplane! I also found the perfect swimsuit for those wanting a little more coverage but don’t want to wear a one piece!
Check out my review of the Grand Hyatt Kauai.
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