The resort is located in Ko’Olina, on the leeward side of Oahu, about
30-40 minutes from Honolulu Intl’ Airport. Ko’Olina is a much quieter area than
the hustle & bustle of Waikiki.
The moment you pull up to the
resort, you will be in awe. We were greeted by name as soon as we stepped out
of the car (how the heck did they know who we were?!). We arrived a bit earlier
than our room was ready, but that was no issue. The bell hops took our
belongings, gave us our key cards for our room, and little gifts for each
member of the party. I received an Aulani pin, and the kids received Menehune
necklaces. We were given a brief tour of the grounds, and were told we could go
right out and enjoy the resort while we waited for our room. We decided to take
advantage of the time by walking across the street to the ABC store, and
stocking up on drinks and snacks for our room.
Once we
returned from the store, our room was ready, and our luggage was brought
straight to the room. We had an island view standard room, which included a
mini fridge. There are studio and larger rooms that feature kitchenettes. We had 2 queen beds, with the cutest pineapple
& Mickey head designed quilt (available for purchase in the gift shop).
There was also a carved wooden lamp of Mickey & a surf board (also
available for purchase). In regards to the island view, I would recommend
upgrading to pool or ocean view, or just sticking with standard view. The only
difference between standard & island view is how high up in the resort you
are.
Once we
were settled in, we changed into our swimwear, and headed for the pools! We
first went to get our towels & daily wrist band, as resort amenities are
for registered guests only. Once we had those, we went straight to Waikolohe
Stream (lazy river). My boys were not in the water more than 10 minutes before
they started screaming “best vacation ever!!!”. I knew right then & there,
the money was well spent.
We enjoyed the lazy river for a while, before they
were ready to check out the Menehune Bridge (a water play structure). There is
now also the new Keiki Cove Splash Zone, where kids can run & around and
get wet, without having to get in a pool.
The
boys made many friends, and spent many hours playing in the Waikolohe Pool (the
main pool, with zero entry). There are also 2 waterslides, one which drops you
into this pool, the other into the lazy river.
The slide that drops you into
the lazy river, you ride down on an inner tube, and the slide for the pool, you
just go on your bottom (we LOVED this one). There is also the Ka Maka Grotto
(infinity pool), which is for families. We spent variety little time here, as
the pools are much smaller than the Waikolohe, and the kids didn’t feel they
could play as hard. The views from this pool are amazing. There are also
cabanas that can be rented for full or half days at the pools.
We
spent some time at the lagoon, were you can also rent beach toys. The water in
the lagoon is very calm, and there is some sort of netting to help keep the big
fish out of the lagoon. We walked the path from the Aulani lagoon, around the
neighboring resort, to some beach that was behind private property (no beaches
on Oahu are private, so feel free to explore the beaches). We had heard that
earlier dolphins and sea turtles were spotted, but we must have missed them, as
we didn’t see a single one.
Since
we missed them, we decided it was best for us to see some fish! We headed back
to the resort, to experience Rainbow Reef (private snorkeling lagoon). They
offer single day passes, or multi day passes for the length of your stay. They
also provide all the equipment needed for snorkeling. The water in this lagoon
is pretty cold compared to the other waters we had spent time in, so it took
quite a bit of adjusting.
We took turns snorkeling, so one of us could always
go over the viewing windows and take pictures of the others of us snorkeling.
It just took a few attempts for my boys to learn how to snorkel, next thing I
knew, they were on the other side of the ‘reef’. When you finish in the snorkeling lagoon,
there are warm showers in which to rinse off.
Ready
for some Disney characters?! Characters are featured at various times
throughout the day, and each character does not appear every day. They rotate.
Characters found at Aulani are Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Chip, Dale, and
Stitch. Pluto did not want to ride in the cargo space on the plane, so he
stayed back on the mainland.
All of the above characters do meet n greets,
except Goofy, he appears different times during the day and does entertainment at
the pools. And guess what?! He gets IN the water!! We got a kick out of that!
Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy can also be found at the character breakfast,
Mahahiki.
There
is also Aunty’s Beach House, which once my kids were introduced to it, I could
not peel them away. It is a free child care service; that’s right, free, for
kids ages 3-12. There are premium experiences offered at an additional fee, and
each of my boys did one of those. These are available on a first come, first
serve basis, and you can sign up for them when the Beach House opens in the
morning for any day during your visit. Your daily ‘Iwa (daily newsletter) is
left in your room nightly during turndown service, and lets you know what
activities will be offered the next day, and at what time and location. One of
my boys picked the experience ‘Fish are Friends’. This activity took place over
lunch, so it included his lunch in the cost. The kids also got to make fish
food, and they went up to Rainbow Reef to feed the fish. They also received
drawstring backpacks, and a copy of Disney’s Oceans on DVD. The older of my two
boys did an experience called “Surfs Up with Chip n Dale”. This event took
place over dinner time, so it included his dinner meal. The kids then had time
to decorate mini surf boards, which they got to keep, followed by a dance party
with Chip n Dale at Aunty’s Beach House. They got a drawstring backpack as
well, although a different one. There are more premium experiences offered than
just these two, some are kids only, some are for families.
In
addition to Aunty’s Beach House, there is Painted Sky, for teens ages 13-17.
Painted Sky is a teen hangout area, much like those on Disney Cruise Line,
where teens can play video games, go on computers, participate in other
activities, as well enjoy their own spa treatments.
Speaking
of spa treatments, there is Laniwai, Disney’s spa for adults. Laniwai is open
daily, and offers a variety of packages from facial treatments, to various
massage therapies, to couples massages, and more. Most spa treatments last
roughly an hour.
In
addition to the adults spa treatments, there are various areas around the
resort that are adults only, so if you are traveling sans children, there is
still some areas you can be tucked away in tranquility. There is the Wailana
Pool, for resort guests over 18 years. The resort was undergoing renovations
when we visited, and this pool was not yet open. Now I need to go back, and see
this pool for myself! In addition to these adult only spots, there is also yoga
& fitness centers, as well as golf featured at Aulani.
There are also many activities for families to enjoy together.
There are various excursions that can be booked through Aulani, such as a
catamaran experience, and there are even activities right on Aulani property,
some of which are free of charge. There are movies under the stars, which were
being offered twice a week during our stay, stories around the fire pit, and
the Starlit Hui, a Hawaiian cultural show complete with hula dancers. In
addition to these free activities, there are premium experiences for families
as well, such star gazing and Hawaiian art classes.
Tucked
away on the side of the pools, are lockers and showers that can be used for
free while you enjoy the pools. In this same room, there are computers with
printers should you need to print something, such as boarding passes. Next door
to this room, is a family activity room. Some of the Hawaiian art classes are
held here, but they offer more than just this. They have a TV, where I believe
you can watch movies. There are books and puzzles that can be enjoyed, as well
as a decent sized collection of movies that you can rent over night for $2-3
each, limit of 2 per night. We often picked up a movie at the end of our day,
and would watch it until we fell asleep. There is also an activity offered
here, that is kind of like a cross between hide & seek, and a scavenger
hunt. You are given a device to take around the property with you, and you
follow clues.
My
youngest & I also created our own adventure on our last night. Aulani has
many, many hidden Menehune around the resort, there are likely over 200. And
they are EVERYWHERE. From hiding in bushes, to being in Rainbow Reef, to hiding
in elevators, and more. This is a fun, and free activity, and can really send
you off all over the resort.
There
resort also features two gift shops, where in addition to souvenirs they sell a
small assortment of food & drinks for those of you staying in rooms with
kitchenettes. Even frozen pizza! You can also purchase your refillable mug
here, to use around the resort.
Food.
How have I not mentioned food?! Aulani features a few different type of dining
experiences, from beachside dining such as ‘Ama ‘Ama, to the above mentioned
character dining, to pool side dining at Off the Hook, and quick service such
as Mama’s Snack Stop. There are also places that sell shave ice (amazing!), as
well as Mickey Bars. Aulani also offers cocktail lounges, and of course, room
service. Reservations are recommended
for ‘Ama’Ama and Makahiki. At Off the Hook, you can use their dining tables, or,
you can remain in your beach chair and one of the waitors/waitresses will take
your order and bring your food to you.
There
are also a few options for dining off property, within walking distance, such
as Roy’s and Monkeypod. They are located over near that ABC store I mentioned
earlier, as well as some shops. I am sure there are also dining locations
within the surrounding resorts, but we did not explore them.
