Trip Report *COMPLETED* Aloha...E Komo Mai to Our Aulani Adventure!

Hi Everyone!

Based on the feedback we received during our last trip report, which you can read here, we have decided to write a trip report chronicling our first visit to the Aulani resort in Ko 'Olina, Hawaii. Not sure if this is the place for such a report as it's not WDW-based but figured I'd start here and if it's moved, so be it.

We just returned yesterday afternoon after a terrific eight days in paradise. Amazing to think how quickly things came and went, especially considering we made this reservation using our DVC points seven months ago, but the visit will be one we look back on for a long time. We didn't put together a pre-trip report or anything so here is a short preamble before we dive into all the sunny details.

So...for those of you who read our last report, you may recall that our last visit to WDW was not supposed to happen. Instead, we were 48 hours away from traveling to Honolulu for our second visit to the island. We were booked to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, not Aulani. Less than two days before we were to take off, hurricane Lane hit the Hawaiian islands and our trip was wiped out. Our last minute scrambling allowed us to salvage our vacation and resulted in an unexpected return to the World. That trip was fantastic but we couldn't help feel lousy about missing out on Hawaii.

It was something we looked forward to for months so when we returned from WDW, Kelly and I decided we would try it again, this time focusing on using our DVC points to stay at Aulani. Our plan was to look at an April 2019 visit and as the seven-month window crept closer, we kept a close eye on the availability of a standard view studio. The day finally came that we were able to jump on the DVC site and we were most pleased to snag a studio for a trip from April 6 - 13!

We were pretty jacked up but felt a little guilty revealing to our moms, Ally and Deb, that we were heading back to Hawaii. They were so excited to be going to the islands with us before the hurricane and you could tell they were disappointed not to be included on this trip. Alas, we had a long-awaited beach vacation to look forward to and the added bonus of some Disney magic!

This report might not be as detail-oriented as a typical WDW visit, but we took a lot of pictures and explored the resort as best we could while we were there. Hopefully it gives you a good look into what Aulani has to offer.

Mahalo in advance for reading along. Kelly and I are excited to share our latest trip with you!
 

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
April 9 - "Extremely low battery. Find the nearest charging station now"

Now that we were more than a few days into the trip and adjusted to the time change, you'd think that we'd be able to sleep in a little but it was becoming clear that our morning routine would start somewhere between 6-7 am as we were up again around 630. I wasn't too disappointed getting up early but I know Kelly wanted more sleep!

Oh well! we got up and got the kids a little breakfast while we started to get ready for the day. Nothing out of the ordinary, cereal, toast and fruit to kick off the day. I was tempted to dig into the cheesecake but instead opted for a Larabar and a coffee.

Before long we were dressed, packed and ready to head down to the pool to select our seats before lining up for our daily wristband and towels. Both Kelly and I were hoping for a new change of scenery but the kids were adamant about keeping chairs where we had them the first few days. There were already a bunch of families down by the pool reserving seats but our typical space was wide open so we grabbed four chairs around two tables and two umbrellas and stashed our stuff.

After a few minutes of sitting and waiting, we were in the line for towels and received yet another new colour of band for the day.
IMG_0328.JPEG


With our towels in hand and now back on our seats, we made the pilgrimage up to the slides to ensure our day started the right way. All four of us took a few trips up and down the slide which forced our bodies to get used to the cool pool water right off the bat. I think we probably ripped down the slide about four times before jumping into the neighbouring hot tub to warm up for a few moments as the sun had yet to fully crest the hotel and half the pool was still shaded.

Kelly and I made our way back to the chairs for a little bit while the girls jumped back into the main pool to splash around and play. THe sun was fully out and it was another gorgeous day in Disney paradise.

IMG_9082.JPEG

IMG_0331.JPEG
IMG_0332.JPEG


One of the things I was really looking forward to was getting a cup of fresh brewed 100% Kona Coffee from the coffee stand near the adult pool. With Kelly and the kinds now in the pool, I decided to make my way over and grab a cup of deliciousness. There was a line of about three people in front of me but with only one barista manning the hut, the orders took a little longer to fill than I was expecting. No issues though, the folks in line were friendly to chat with as was the barista.

When it was my turn, I placed my order only to find out the Kona coffee was 100% gone! Our barista made a quick sprint backstage to grab a new giant carafe of freshly brewed coffee and was back within a few minutes. She filled my cup, apologized for the inconvenience and comped my coffee. I thanked her and left a nice tip before running into Kelly and the kids who had just grabbed a few snacks from the ULU Cafe. Donuts and cookies for the kids and these freshly baked donut balls for me.

IMG_0333.JPEG


We went back to the seats to eat our treats. That first sip of coffee was outstanding. I'd been looking forward to Kona coffee for weeks and I was not disappointed. Paired with the donut balls, it was the perfect mid-morning snack. For us Canadians, they were kind of like a bigger, much better version of a TimBit, likely a munchkin for you Dunkin fans.

The kids downed their snacks quickly and were back in the water. Kelly and I relaxed at the chairs for a while as we watched them play. My coffee was fantastic down the last drop and I took some of our downtime to dive into one of my favourite books.

IMG_0335.JPEG


It was Masters week so I thought this was an appropriate choice. For any golf fans out there, this is a great book loosely based on the Tiger Woods scandal from years back. In this book, Tree Tremont is the trouble golf phenom and there are a number of amazingly accurate parallels to the real world issues Tiger faced a decade ago. Highly recommended read.

While I was reading Kelly to the kids over the Menehune Bridge to spend a little time in the splash park. It reminded me of many of the WDW resorts that have these splash parks built in around the pool like the Grand, the Poly, Frech Quarter, among others. The kids staying at Aulani had a multitude of options to keep them entertained and this was just another great feature they could enjoy. Our kids loved the setup and really seemed to like that they could do it independently. The two of them flew around the play area for quite some time while Kelly sat back and took in the show!

Photo 0103.JPEG
Photo 0107.JPEG
Photo 0095.JPEG


After a while, I was feeling a bit greedy that I was relaxing, reading my book so I set it down and strolled over to find the girls. My timing was perfect as I ran into them with a PhotoPass photog.

IMG_0334.JPEG


They were definitely big fans of the shaka throughout the trip!
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
April 9 - "Extremely low battery. Find the nearest charging station now"

Now that we were more than a few days into the trip and adjusted to the time change, you'd think that we'd be able to sleep in a little but it was becoming clear that our morning routine would start somewhere between 6-7 am as we were up again around 630. I wasn't too disappointed getting up early but I know Kelly wanted more sleep!

Oh well! we got up and got the kids a little breakfast while we started to get ready for the day. Nothing out of the ordinary, cereal, toast and fruit to kick off the day. I was tempted to dig into the cheesecake but instead opted for a Larabar and a coffee.

Before long we were dressed, packed and ready to head down to the pool to select our seats before lining up for our daily wristband and towels. Both Kelly and I were hoping for a new change of scenery but the kids were adamant about keeping chairs where we had them the first few days. There were already a bunch of families down by the pool reserving seats but our typical space was wide open so we grabbed four chairs around two tables and two umbrellas and stashed our stuff.

After a few minutes of sitting and waiting, we were in the line for towels and received yet another new colour of band for the day.
View attachment 374650

With our towels in hand and now back on our seats, we made the pilgrimage up to the slides to ensure our day started the right way. All four of us took a few trips up and down the slide which forced our bodies to get used to the cool pool water right off the bat. I think we probably ripped down the slide about four times before jumping into the neighbouring hot tub to warm up for a few moments as the sun had yet to fully crest the hotel and half the pool was still shaded.

Kelly and I made our way back to the chairs for a little bit while the girls jumped back into the main pool to splash around and play. THe sun was fully out and it was another gorgeous day in Disney paradise.

View attachment 374655
View attachment 374651View attachment 374652

One of the things I was really looking forward to was getting a cup of fresh brewed 100% Kona Coffee from the coffee stand near the adult pool. With Kelly and the kinds now in the pool, I decided to make my way over and grab a cup of deliciousness. There was a line of about three people in front of me but with only one barista manning the hut, the orders took a little longer to fill than I was expecting. No issues though, the folks in line were friendly to chat with as was the barista.

When it was my turn, I placed my order only to find out the Kona coffee was 100% gone! Our barista made a quick sprint backstage to grab a new giant carafe of freshly brewed coffee and was back within a few minutes. She filled my cup, apologized for the inconvenience and comped my coffee. I thanked her and left a nice tip before running into Kelly and the kids who had just grabbed a few snacks from the ULU Cafe. Donuts and cookies for the kids and these freshly baked donut balls for me.

View attachment 374653

We went back to the seats to eat our treats. That first sip of coffee was outstanding. I'd been looking forward to Kona coffee for weeks and I was not disappointed. Paired with the donut balls, it was the perfect mid-morning snack. For us Canadians, they were kind of like a bigger, much better version of a TimBit, likely a munchkin for you Dunkin fans.

The kids downed their snacks quickly and were back in the water. Kelly and I relaxed at the chairs for a while as we watched them play. My coffee was fantastic down the last drop and I took some of our downtime to dive into one of my favourite books.

View attachment 374682

It was Masters week so I thought this was an appropriate choice. For any golf fans out there, this is a great book loosely based on the Tiger Woods scandal from years back. In this book, Tree Tremont is the trouble golf phenom and there are a number of amazingly accurate parallels to the real world issues Tiger faced a decade ago. Highly recommended read.

While I was reading Kelly to the kids over the Menehune Bridge to spend a little time in the splash park. It reminded me of many of the WDW resorts that have these splash parks built in around the pool like the Grand, the Poly, Frech Quarter, among others. The kids staying at Aulani had a multitude of options to keep them entertained and this was just another great feature they could enjoy. Our kids loved the setup and really seemed to like that they could do it independently. The two of them flew around the play area for quite some time while Kelly sat back and took in the show!

View attachment 374683View attachment 374684View attachment 374656

After a while, I was feeling a bit greedy that I was relaxing, reading my book so I set it down and strolled over to find the girls. My timing was perfect as I ran into them with a PhotoPass photog.

View attachment 374654

They were definitely big fans of the shaka throughout the trip!

Great start to the day!
 

Janir

Well-Known Member
When we finally were ready to head down to the pool it was about 730. We figured we'd have prime pick of the seats and we could hold some chairs for the day. We ended up taking the elevator down to the courtyard level and the first thing I noticed was the Polynesian version of several Disney classics playing. Throughout the trip, there were versions of Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Under the Sea, Be our Guest, You've Got a Friend in Me and many others. It was actually a really cool touch!
Been following this TR, as one day the wife and I will go back to Hawaii and use DVC points to stay vs just visit.
The Aulani music is available as a CD in the Gift shops. Its awesome hearing the classics in Hawaiian. Worth picking up if anyone visits Aulani and wants the music.
 

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Been following this TR, as one day the wife and I will go back to Hawaii and use DVC points to stay vs just visit.
The Aulani music is available as a CD in the Gift shops. Its awesome hearing the classics in Hawaiian. Worth picking up if anyone visits Aulani and wants the music.

Thanks for reading along! Hopefully you get to Aulani soon. I'm definitely missing it!

Clearly I didn't look hard enough around the gift shops to find this CD. I loved the Hawaiian spin on the classics, would have been great to bring them home. Next time!
 

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Catching up with the clan in the nick of time allowed us to grab a few more cool family photopass pictures. Kelly was all about getting as many pictures as we could. Whenever she'd see any photopass photog she made sure we were following closely behind to take advantage of their cameras.

Photo 0097.JPEG
Photo 0098.JPEG


However, in this case, without a shirt handy, there is no advantage to anyone...

Photo 0101.JPEG


With a handful of new pics loaded onto our photpass card, we made our way back to the seats. The girls, of course, jumped back in the water and Kelly and I decided to order a refreshing drink as it was getting pretty steamy outside.

IMG_0338.JPEG
IMG_9084.JPEG


Couldn't ask for a better morning and we were certainly enjoying every moment of the beautiful sunshine.

IMG_0341.JPEG
 

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Now that we were rested and well-refreshed thanks to our drinks, the kids dragged us over to the infinity pool to hang out there for a while. I was happy to head over and get a different view of the resort from this side of the pool deck. Every chair was spoken for in the surrounding area and I ended up getting a look at the place I would have loved to set up camp early one morning. There was a row of chairs that were steps from the pool but looked out over the wall that separates the resort from the beach that gave an amazing view of the lagoon/ocean. I was all in on those chairs but as is always the case, my opinion matters for nothing.

The pool area itself was very cool. A long, narrow pool that widens as you get towards the infinity wall. There was also a grotto-like area that housed the pool and a perched up hot tub. I would come to learn very quickly that this hot tub was actually hot. Like really HOT. This was my kinda hot tub. Thankfully it was completely covered so you were shaded from the sun while you cooked in the water.
IMG_0339.JPEG

IMG_0342.JPEG

IMG_9088.JPEG

IMG_9087.JPEG

IMG_0340.JPEG


The kids immediately loved the pool. As soon as they dove in and started swimming around, they quickly realized that they were hearing all sorts of different ocean sounds underneath the water. They were hearing whales signing and dolphins chirping all over the place. They loved swimming from area to area to find new sounds.

The pool itself was pretty full but still offered plenty of space to maneuver. Only tight squeeze was trying to find space near the infinity wall to hang over and stare out at the ocean. It really was a beautiful setup. We spent a lot of time in this pool watching the kids practice their swimming and trying to find new sounds under the water. I much preferred this pool to the main pool but the draw of the waterslides was too much for the kids to give up throughout the trip.

Something about the wall made this pool that much better to me.
IMG_0343.JPEG
IMG_0344.JPEG


And the view back towards the resort wasn't too bad either...
IMG_0345.JPEG


Kelly had instructed me to wander down to the beach area to get a photo of the three girls hanging over the wall enjoying the setting. I wasn't one to object to this task as it gave me a chance to put my feet in the sand for a moment and take in the beauty around me.
IMG_0346.JPEG


And Kelly was happy cause I got the shots she wanted!
IMG_0349.JPEG


At this point, it was early afternoon and we had yet to eat lunch. We decided to hang out in the water for a little longer but we would soon end up returning to the room for a bite to eat and to take a break from the sun. Our later afternoon/evening plans consisted of driving into Honolulu to visit the Ala Moana Centre so we could do some shopping and grab a meal at Bubba Gump. Kelly was most excited to get to some of the American stores we don't have in Canada and to make yet another visit to Target!
 

Darstarr

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Now that we were rested and well-refreshed thanks to our drinks, the kids dragged us over to the infinity pool to hang out there for a while. I was happy to head over and get a different view of the resort from this side of the pool deck. Every chair was spoken for in the surrounding area and I ended up getting a look at the place I would have loved to set up camp early one morning. There was a row of chairs that were steps from the pool but looked out over the wall that separates the resort from the beach that gave an amazing view of the lagoon/ocean. I was all in on those chairs but as is always the case, my opinion matters for nothing.

The pool area itself was very cool. A long, narrow pool that widens as you get towards the infinity wall. There was also a grotto-like area that housed the pool and a perched up hot tub. I would come to learn very quickly that this hot tub was actually hot. Like really HOT. This was my kinda hot tub. Thankfully it was completely covered so you were shaded from the sun while you cooked in the water.
View attachment 375585
View attachment 375587
View attachment 375594
View attachment 375593
View attachment 375586

The kids immediately loved the pool. As soon as they dove in and started swimming around, they quickly realized that they were hearing all sorts of different ocean sounds underneath the water. They were hearing whales signing and dolphins chirping all over the place. They loved swimming from area to area to find new sounds.

The pool itself was pretty full but still offered plenty of space to maneuver. Only tight squeeze was trying to find space near the infinity wall to hang over and stare out at the ocean. It really was a beautiful setup. We spent a lot of time in this pool watching the kids practice their swimming and trying to find new sounds under the water. I much preferred this pool to the main pool but the draw of the waterslides was too much for the kids to give up throughout the trip.

Something about the wall made this pool that much better to me.
View attachment 375588View attachment 375589

And the view back towards the resort wasn't too bad either...
View attachment 375590

Kelly had instructed me to wander down to the beach area to get a photo of the three girls hanging over the wall enjoying the setting. I wasn't one to object to this task as it gave me a chance to put my feet in the sand for a moment and take in the beauty around me.
View attachment 375591

And Kelly was happy cause I got the shots she wanted!
View attachment 375592

At this point, it was early afternoon and we had yet to eat lunch. We decided to hang out in the water for a little longer but we would soon end up returning to the room for a bite to eat and to take a break from the sun. Our later afternoon/evening plans consisted of driving into Honolulu to visit the Ala Moana Centre so we could do some shopping and grab a meal at Bubba Gump. Kelly was most excited to get to some of the American stores we don't have in Canada and to make yet another visit to Target!
Those chairs you speak of overlooking the beach were always taken by this one family when we were there. I think there were 11-12 chairs in a row and they would take them all and use 4. One morning I couldnt sleep so I went down to the pool and sat in one of those chairs, leaving 3 to my right. The woman from “that” family came down and saw me and said, “excuse me, are you going to use those chairs?”, and she gestured to the three chairs to my right. “Yes I am” I answered. I sat there all day and I let other people enjoy those seats. They would come and go and I would reclaim them in between then let the next couple sit there who wanted to. I felt like Robin Hood a little bit.
 

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Those chairs you speak of overlooking the beach were always taken by this one family when we were there. I think there were 11-12 chairs in a row and they would take them all and use 4. One morning I couldnt sleep so I went down to the pool and sat in one of those chairs, leaving 3 to my right. The woman from “that” family came down and saw me and said, “excuse me, are you going to use those chairs?”, and she gestured to the three chairs to my right. “Yes I am” I answered. I sat there all day and I let other people enjoy those seats. They would come and go and I would reclaim them in between then let the next couple sit there who wanted to. I felt like Robin Hood a little bit.

That’s amazing! Well done! That’s such an outstanding location so I’m not surprised they would be a hot commodity but I applaud your efforts! Love hearing about chair liberators at resorts like this.
 
Last edited:

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Those chairs you speak of overlooking the beach were always taken by this one family when we were there. I think there were 11-12 chairs in a row and they would take them all and use 4. One morning I couldnt sleep so I went down to the pool and sat in one of those chairs, leaving 3 to my right. The woman from “that” family came down and saw me and said, “excuse me, are you going to use those chairs?”, and she gestured to the three chairs to my right. “Yes I am” I answered. I sat there all day and I let other people enjoy those seats. They would come and go and I would reclaim them in between then let the next couple sit there who wanted to. I felt like Robin Hood a little bit.

Atta girl - way to go !! You've got spunk! :joyfull:
 

Lensman

Well-Known Member
Those chairs you speak of overlooking the beach were always taken by this one family when we were there. I think there were 11-12 chairs in a row and they would take them all and use 4. One morning I couldnt sleep so I went down to the pool and sat in one of those chairs, leaving 3 to my right. The woman from “that” family came down and saw me and said, “excuse me, are you going to use those chairs?”, and she gestured to the three chairs to my right. “Yes I am” I answered. I sat there all day and I let other people enjoy those seats. They would come and go and I would reclaim them in between then let the next couple sit there who wanted to. I felt like Robin Hood a little bit.
Well done!

All the chair stories make me think of the viral Gran Canaria sun-lounger dash videos.

OTOH, I can't speak from the moral high ground since I'm the designated family spot staker for parades and fireworks. I wonder if it could be my retirement job?

OP: Great trip report! Really makes me want to try out Aulani!
 

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well done!

All the chair stories make me think of the viral Gran Canaria sun-lounger dash videos.

OTOH, I can't speak from the moral high ground since I'm the designated family spot staker for parades and fireworks. I wonder if it could be my retirement job?

OP: Great trip report! Really makes me want to try out Aulani!

Thanks a lot for following! If you do visit, I can almost guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
Those chairs you speak of overlooking the beach were always taken by this one family when we were there. I think there were 11-12 chairs in a row and they would take them all and use 4. One morning I couldnt sleep so I went down to the pool and sat in one of those chairs, leaving 3 to my right. The woman from “that” family came down and saw me and said, “excuse me, are you going to use those chairs?”, and she gestured to the three chairs to my right. “Yes I am” I answered. I sat there all day and I let other people enjoy those seats. They would come and go and I would reclaim them in between then let the next couple sit there who wanted to. I felt like Robin Hood a little bit.
You go Robin Darstarr!! People that do that annoy the you know what out of me!

Matt-Love the pics of the pool/beach and your family, looks so wonderful!
 

polynesiangirl

Well-Known Member
So fun to see others having a good time at one of my favorite places in the world, my home resort Aulani! (Glad you checked out Monkeypod -- we eat there multiple times on every trip!) Beautiful pics; you have a lovely family. Thanks for sharing!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom