Disney Aulani - they need better sales people

[mdcpr]

I've been really excited about booking a week at Disney Aulani for next year and I spoke to two people that were so disinterested in answering questions that I got totally turned off by then. With such a high-cost resort, you would think they would offer better service over the phone so people are enticed to book it. I'm very dissapointed.

 

[jaklgreen]

I think that this is a culture thing. I have spent about a month total at Aulani and loved it. The people are nice, they are just not gushing like so many are used to. It is the same with Europeans, they speak more in a matter of fact manner.
What questions do you have?

 

[mdcpr]

I think that this is a culture thing. I have spent about a month total at Aulani and loved it. The people are nice, they are just not gushing like so many are used to. It is the same with Europeans, they speak more in a matter of fact manner.
What questions do you have?

This is good to know! For starters, what are the best months to go, I.e. is February warm? Can they manage dietary restrictions? Are there teen clubs? What’s a good about of time to stay to enjoy it all?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

This is good to know! For starters, what are the best months to go, I.e. is February warm? Can they manage dietary restrictions? Are there teen clubs? What’s a good about of time to stay to enjoy it all?

It's warm year round. Hawaii has two seasons, wet and dry. My parents went in February once and found it was a tad chilly for swimming in the ocean for their liking since that's the wet season. But Aulani is on the dry side of the island, and even in the wet season, you're not getting rainy days or anything for the most part. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it changes.

Yes, they can absolutely manage dietary restrictions just as well as any other Disney resort. Procedures are all the same.

There is a teen spa called Painted Sky. No daily clubs similar to the kids beach house.

For a Hawaii trip, I recommend at least ten days if you can swing it. We typically alternate our days sightseeing and hanging back at Aulani.

Hope that helped!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I've been really excited about booking a week at Disney Aulani for next year and I spoke to two people that were so disinterested in answering questions that I got totally turned off by then. With such a high-cost resort, you would think they would offer better service over the phone so people are enticed to book it. I'm very dissapointed.

This is good to know! For starters, what are the best months to go, I.e. is February warm? Can they manage dietary restrictions? Are there teen clubs? What’s a good about of time to stay to enjoy it all?

You have unreasonable expectations. The booking agents on the phone are not salespeople or travel agents.

 

[Heppenheimer]

This is good to know! For starters, what are the best months to go, I.e. is February warm? Can they manage dietary restrictions? Are there teen clubs? What’s a good about of time to stay to enjoy it all?

I was there in March. Not sure how typical the weather was for that time of year, but it was almost too cool to swim. It was pretty windy as well, so that didn't help either.

I guess the amount of time you spend there depends on how starved you are for swimming at that time of year. We stayed for 6 nights, but that was mostly dictated by the length of the conference I attended while there. We had a rental car, so we took some daytrips. It wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to show my family (I'd spent two months on Oahu previously, so I'm very familiar with the island), but that probably would have been too much time for Aulani by itself.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I was there in March. Not sure how typical the weather was for that time of year, but it was almost too cool to swim. It was pretty windy as well, so that didn't help either.

I guess the amount of time you spend there depends on how starved you are for swimming at that time of year. We stayed for 6 nights, but that was mostly dictated by the length of the conference I attended while there. We had a rental car, so we took some daytrips. It wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to show my family (I'd spent two months on Oahu previously, so I'm very familiar with the island), but that probably would have been too much time for Aulani by itself.

We've done two trips over the last few years and 8 nights feels pretty good for us. We do probably 2 full days just at the resort, 2 or 3 full days out doing off-site attractions, hikes, etc., and the rest of the days we'll do an activity off-site in the morning and then spend some time at the resort in the afternoon and evening.

Our trips were both in January and we thought it was plenty warm to swim but obviously that's all a matter of personal preference.

 

[jaklgreen]

You can easily look up average weather and ocean temperatures to see what it is like. Hawaii is tropical so the temperature is pretty consistent year round.
Aulani does a really good job with food allergies, just like every other Disney restaurant.
There are no teen clubs like on the cruise line. All of their activities and what they offer are listed on their website.
Aulani is basically a really nice hotel on Oahu. It is not "Disney" like the parks or the cruise line. It is more a Hawaiian resort with a touch of Disney. So if you are looking for something similar to the cruise, with the children's clubs, then Aulani is not that place.
For me, it is never long enough. My first stay was 14 nights and my second was 16 nights at Aulani with a few nights in Waikiki for both trips.
I don't think that a trip to Hawaii would be worth it for anything less than 7-8 nights. At least not for those that are not on the west coast.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't think that a trip to Hawaii would be worth it for anything less than 7-8 nights. At least not for those that are not on the west coast.

This, and I definitely wouldn't island-hop unless the total trip was at least 2 weeks.

 

[networkpro]

This, and I definitely wouldn't island-hop unless the total trip was at least 2 weeks.

The jetlag for me is a the real killer. It was easier for me to deal with a 13-hour time difference than the 6.

 

[Lilofan]

I was there in March. Not sure how typical the weather was for that time of year, but it was almost too cool to swim. It was pretty windy as well, so that didn't help either.

I guess the amount of time you spend there depends on how starved you are for swimming at that time of year. We stayed for 6 nights, but that was mostly dictated by the length of the conference I attended while there. We had a rental car, so we took some daytrips. It wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to show my family (I'd spent two months on Oahu previously, so I'm very familiar with the island), but that probably would have been too much time for Aulani by itself.

Cross winds in HI are year round. Stayed in a hotel in Waikiki at times did not even need to turn on AC, enjoying island breezes. When we climbed Diamond Head it was very windy at the top.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The jetlag for me is a the real killer. It was easier for me to deal with a 13-hour time difference than the 6.

We try to use it to our advantage. We deliberately don't fully adjust so we wake up at 4 or 5am to "rope drop" everything before crowds arrive. Then we eat early dinners to take advantage of happy hour specials and we're in bed by 8:00.

 

[Lilofan]

We try to use it to our advantage. We deliberately don't fully adjust so we wake up at 4 or 5am to "rope drop" everything before crowds arrive. Then we eat early dinners to take advantage of happy hour specials and we're in bed by 8:00.

Great idea and I would enjoy a beautiful sunrise with a steaming cup of 100% Kona java at hand. Life is too short, enjoy travel experiences when able to.

 

[Ayla]

This is good to know! For starters, what are the best months to go, I.e. is February warm? Can they manage dietary restrictions? Are there teen clubs? What’s a good about of time to stay to enjoy it all?

We went to Maui (so no Aulani) in late Jan/early Feb and were at the pool every day. It was plenty warm to swim/lounge.