Locks for the sliders are from the inside, unless for some reason the "first floor" is different..
One important note:
It is "Island/Garden" view, not "Island" view. When we went in May 2012, we had a view on the 2nd floor Waianae Tower looking straight into the wall of the spa.
Still had a phenomenal stay, but do be aware you run the risk of getting those if you book Island/Garden view. I'll try to find my photos from that trip and upload them later...
Tidefan- would love to see those photos.... if you get a chance could you post them over on the "Aulani Villas and Views" thread? There are hardly any (if any at all) photos of that view category in the Waianae Tower overlooking the spa. It would be great to have them.
Here is the link:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2907389
As tidefan's photos show, there is a wide variance in views within the "Island/Garden" category at Aulani. Some villas in the Island/Garden category include very nice views of the ocean. But there are a large number of Island/Garden villas that will give you nothing more than views of landscape and island.
Anyone who books the island view category thinking they will get views of the ocean runs the risk of being disappointed.
Personally, I like views. We spend a fair amount of time on our balcony during our trips, whether at the start of the day or in the afternoon or evening when we are relaxing after a long day. And when we are sitting on our balcony, I like having a view. We always book a Savanna View villa at AKV and we prefer the Theme Park View when staying at BLT.