Some Lounge Chairs now are bookable

[AstroBlasters]

Been here all week, zero chair problems at the pool and on the beach.

A completely different world than when school is out for Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter break….

 

[AstroBlasters]

Pool chair situation at 8:15 this morning, as viewed from my lanai (and this is just what’s visible):

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It’s amazing the taste and smell memories that are conjured up when I look at those pictures…. Enjoy tour trip!

 

[DonMacGregor]

A completely different world than when school is out for Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter break….

Exactly why we don’t go during holidays or the middle of summer. Fall and spring for us every time.

 

[htguy]

Exactly why we don’t go during holidays or the middle of summer. Fall and spring for us every time.

Interesting. It must be the lack of cash guests, since the DVC points rooms are nearly all booked for the next few days.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Interesting. It must be the lack of cash guests, since the DVC points rooms are nearly all booked for the next few days.

I think it’s a different demographic.

 

[jaydis208]

We really enjoyed the reserved malia deck casabella on this trip. We spent the entire day there alongside jumping in and out of the pool, lazy river, slides, and beach. Definitely suggest bringing your own snacks. We also ordered food from the server but it was just OK. The view is the perfect spot overlooking the lagoon/beach. And great for people watching. Those walking through on the main road pass right in front of you, but most have their face in a dole whip sundae. For late april, it was more of a want than a need since there were plenty of chairs. Our stuff felt a little more secure there. Not sure if we didn't meet their food/drink quota lol or there were people eager to book, but at the end of the day, they asked us if we wanted to keep the next day's reservation. We decided to give it up to start exploring the island. I would definitely book at least one day every future trip. Just a nice, calm and relaxing and semi private spot to chill out.

 

[Dobermanns]

The 90-day booking window for the casabellas in front of ama ama. Does it work like ADR such that I can reserve for the length of stay? At midnight local time? Hoping I don’t have to wake up to call at 3am Pacific each morning Also, does DVC discount apply like for the ones on the beach? Thanks!

 

[Paul Stupin]

The 90-day booking window for the casabellas in front of ama ama. Does it work like ADR such that I can reserve for the length of stay? At midnight local time? Hoping I don’t have to wake up to call at 3am Pacific each morning Also, does DVC discount apply like for the ones on the beach? Thanks!

Luckily, it does work for length of stay, so like me you only have to make that 3 AM Pacific call once.

 

[Dobermanns]

Luckily, it does work for length of stay, so like me you only have to make that 3 AM Pacific call once.

Thank you! Yeah I haven’t ever booked a cabana or lanai at AUL as it’s just hubs and me. But we love the casabellas, since I don’t like laying out in the sun.

 

[bbn1122]

My family will be at Aulani for the first time in early September, is this a quieter time, since everyone is back in school?

I am hoping when we need a couple of chairs during our stay we can find them. I am used to this same problem on DCL cruises too.
But CM onboard the ships have been trying to help with the folks who put a towel down for the day.

 

[jaydis208]

The 90-day booking window for the casabellas in front of ama ama. Does it work like ADR such that I can reserve for the length of stay? At midnight local time? Hoping I don’t have to wake up to call at 3am Pacific each morning Also, does DVC discount apply like for the ones on the beach? Thanks!

DVC discount does apply, I had forgotten all about it, but the agent checking us in noted it was already automatically applied. We bought a mickey shaved ice with that

 

[laocoholic]

Someone may have already mentioned this but get your pool wristbands and towels at night for the next day. You will be ready in the morning and not have to stand in line at 8am. Sadly, guest are out at 6am saving chairs.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Someone may have already mentioned this but get your pool wristbands and towels at night for the next day. You will be ready in the morning and not have to stand in line at 8am. Sadly, guest are out at 6am saving chairs.

Are you there now? 6AM seems really early, especially for early June— I guess the summer rush has begun?

 

[laocoholic]

Are you there now? 6AM seems really early, especially for early June— I guess the summer rush has begun?

Yes, here now. First row of chairs almost all taken by 8am.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Yes, here now. First row of chairs almost all taken by 8am.

First row by 8 is less surprising than first row by 6. I think when we were there husband had to be out at the chairs by 6:50 for the chairs with the best views? We never wanted to be at the pool so no idea how/when they get booked.

 

[CastAStone]

Are all chairs a battle?

Like If you just want *a* place to sit in the general pool area - don’t care if it’s shaded, don’t care about location, etc, is that still a battle in the kid heavy season?

Are their better times of day? Can I assume afternoon is better?

 

[laocoholic]

Are all chairs a battle?

Like If you just want *a* place to sit in the general pool area - don’t care if it’s shaded, don’t care about location, etc, is that still a battle in the kid heavy season?

Are their better times of day? Can I assume afternoon is better?

Getting chairs that are together late afternoon is like a scavenger hunt. We circled around the whole pool area then split up and couldn't find any chairs. Singles here and there though. A member can assist in looking.

We ended at the beach and that was full also. I think it clears up a little after the pool dance party around 330ish.

 

[Paul Stupin]

First row by 8 is less surprising than first row by 6. I think when we were there husband had to be out at the chairs by 6:50 for the chairs with the best views? We never wanted to be at the pool so no idea how/when they get booked.

Yeah, the chaises in front of Ama Ama facing the ocean are all reserved by 7-7:30 at the latest, in our experience. What a pain! But if it’s just towels with no one actually there, theoretically you could have an attendant remove them.
Also, if you want to reserve early, many people take fresh towels at the end of the day before to put them on chaises the next morning.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Are all chairs a battle?

Like If you just want *a* place to sit in the general pool area - don’t care if it’s shaded, don’t care about location, etc, is that still a battle in the kid heavy season?

Are their better times of day? Can I assume afternoon is better?

The answer to this question depends on two things (1) do you want one chair (not so bad) or multiple chairs together (exponentially more difficult with each additional chair) and (2) how willing you are to take take chances moving plain towels or miscellaneous placeholder items when you can’t find empty chairs.

We could usually find one chair to dump all our stuff on while riding the lazy river (but often a chair chair and not a lounge chair). I will generally help myself to a chair if there are no chairs available and I see several chairs with nothing but resort towels (or resort towels and a disposable water bottle) — I figure if someone returns in the next 25m I’ll give them the chair back and if they come later I can tell them it was empty when I got out there. I did this 3 or 4 afternoons during our week trip and never once had anybody say anything to me— one morning around 8 I tried to sit down on an empty solo chair next to a towel chair (in front of AMA AMA) and had a single guy 5 chairs away explain he was reserving the entire row (about 8 chairs?) for his family. I went to an inferior chair nearby for 60m and on my way to breakfast noted there were still less than 4 people present where he had probably been saving chairs for 2+ hours. If Disney actually enforced its policies and cleared unused chairs, there would be plenty of chairs in the late afternoon.

 

[AstroBlasters]

The answer to this question depends on two things (1) do you want one chair (not so bad) or multiple chairs together (exponentially more difficult with each additional chair) and (2) how willing you are to take take chances moving plain towels or miscellaneous placeholder items when you can’t find empty chairs.

We could usually find one chair to dump all our stuff on while riding the lazy river (but often a chair chair and not a lounge chair). I will generally help myself to a chair if there are no chairs available and I see several chairs with nothing but resort towels (or resort towels and a disposable water bottle) — I figure if someone returns in the next 25m I’ll give them the chair back and if they come later I can tell them it was empty when I got out there. I did this 3 or 4 afternoons during our week trip and never once had anybody say anything to me— one morning around 8 I tried to sit down on an empty solo chair next to a towel chair (in front of AMA AMA) and had a single guy 5 chairs away explain he was reserving the entire row (about 8 chairs?) for his family. I went to an inferior chair nearby for 60m and on my way to breakfast noted there were still less than 4 people present where he had probably been saving chairs for 2+ hours. If Disney actually enforced its policies and cleared unused chairs, there would be plenty of chairs in the late afternoon.

I was definitely down before 7am to ensure prime seating after learning the game during our first trip. I smiled when I snagged prime seating before a grandparent (whose family took over an entire section the day before) came down at 6:55 and became angry when he saw that myself and one other dad roped off 8 seats between us.

I only reserved 4 chairs, even though we had 6 in our group, because the odds of us all being at the chairs at the same time were slim and for those brief moments someone could sit on the front and back of the chair.

I think if most people had some common courtesy it wouldn’t be an issue, but everything Disney seems to turn into a winner take all/hunger games mentality.

Thus my 3am wake up 90 days before the trip to book guaranteed seating for every day of the trip…. Stress neutralized.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they continue to section off additional locations for paid seating.