Aulani - here now - post your questions

[gonzalj1]

Hi folks,

Arrived last night after about 16 hours of travel. Didn't stop the kids from spending an hour in the pool before we all crashed at about 11 local time last night

Check in was seamless. We did online check in which made the process super easy. Never needed to go to the front desk. We were greeted at the valet by name, given our room keys, a quick tour of the lobby and off to our rooms! Smoothest process I have ever experienced.

The resort is beautiful. We have only seen it at night so far but coming in from the highway you can see it from a mile or so out and it really stands out in how well it blends in if that makes sense. The resort next store is all stark white and looks like it was built there. Aulani gives you a sense that is was just grown from the surrounding area by nature. The imagineers have truly outdone themselves.

Anyway, we will be just hanging around the resort today so feel free to post any questions you have and I'll see if we can get them answered for you.

 

[lovesthebeach]

We are due to arrive there in 11 days so I'll be following this post. Ill be doing my online checkin tomorrow...so excited!!

 

[gonzalj1]

We are due to arrive there in 11 days so I'll be following this post. Ill be doing my online checkin tomorrow...so excited!!

We will still be here! Rather we will be back. We leave the 10th for a week long cruise then check back in on the 17th for 4 more nights. So far this place lives up to the hype!

 

[JOANNEL]

Is there anything you suggest we bring with us? Are the towels decent size at the beach or should we bring them? Shampoo/conditioner do they give you enough for a week? We will be there next month!!!

 

[lovesthebeach]

We will still be here! Rather we will be back. We leave the 10th for a week long cruise then check back in on the 17th for 4 more nights. So far this place lives up to the hype!

Wow that sounds great!! Are you finding Jet Lag to be a problem?

 

[yolie912]

Nice! Hope you are enjoying your stay! What was your room category and were you happy with the room they gave you?

 

[Mickey Mantle]

Is there anything you suggest we bring with us? Are the towels decent size at the beach or should we bring them? Shampoo/conditioner do they give you enough for a week? We will be there next month!!!

Towels are big enough. We went to Target and bought towels our first morning there. Hardly used them. You would only need towels if you plan on hitting other beaches outside of the resort. We bought shampoo and soap as well.

 

[wdrl]

I'm not surprised you're enjoying Aulani. Its a great resort.

Any information you can pass along on the status of the construction projects at Aulani. The last I heard is that all the projects are suppose to be finished by the end of September. Any photos you can post would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gonzalj1]

Is there anything you suggest we bring with us? Are the towels decent size at the beach or should we bring them? Shampoo/conditioner do they give you enough for a week? We will be there next month!!!

We brought shampoo and conditioner. My family of four would only make it a couple days with what is in the room. You can always get more if you run out I think.

The towels are fine for my family. They might be a little small if you're Pooh sized though.

Wow that sounds great!! Are you finding Jet Lag to be a problem?

Surprisingly no. We arrived (with DD 11 and DS 9) at 6:30 PM and we were all able to make it until about 11 PM. The rest of the family was up about 6 this morning while I was the lone one on the balcony at 3. It's 5 PM as I write this and I am doing fine today. I think I'll be fine tomorrow. Considering this is 6 hours behind our normal time zone I find this a pleasant surprise.

We might crash in a day or so and I'll let you know if we do. But for now I am optimistic.

Nice! Hope you are enjoying your stay! What was your room category and were you happy with the room they gave you?

Thanks. So far so good. Today was spent by the pool and it was very relaxing. We had reserved a Pool/Garden view studio and we are happy. we got exactly what we expected close to the lobby and on the fourth floor in Ewa tower. Nice easy commute to the pool.

I'm not surprised you're enjoying Aulani. Its a great resort.

Any information you can pass along on the status of the construction projects at Aulani. The last I heard is that all the projects are suppose to be finished by the end of September. Any photos you can post would be greatly appreciated.

Construction seems to be moving along. We heard it a little today by the pool but that's because we set up shop right next to the construction walls. Not too bad from a noise perspective if you are away from the wall. No pics yet. I'll see if I can share some later in the trip.

We leave on Saturday for our cruise but will be back to Aulani on the 17th for four more nights. This time in a 1BR OV. I will try to post pics of both rooms when I get a chance. Of course, I forgot my card reader so I may have to pick one up at Target (very conveniently located about 10 minutes away) to post for you folks. You might have just given me the excuse I need to convince the wife!

 

[lovesthebeach]

I think there's Wifi in the rooms but is it anywhere else in the resort?

 

[NC State Tigger]

How was the drive from the airport? We are scheduled to arrive about 4:30pm when we go in Oct. I'm concerned about the traffic and it getting dark earlier that time of year.

What did you do for dinner on your arrival evening? I think my guys will be starving by the time we land and pick up the rental car.

Hope you have a great vacation.

 

[amym2]

We'll be there in October and our two kids are the same age as yours (DS11 and DD9). Are you doing any excursions? Have the kids been to Aunty's Beach House yet? Or have you done any of the family activities? Our kids have never been willing to use kids clubs (even on the Disney cruise), so I'm not holding my breath, but I would like to take advantage of some of the activities they offer.

I'd love to hear any dining suggestions for kids those ages- are you eating at any of the Aulani restaurants? Any meals anywhere that your kids especially enjoyed?

That's amazing that your family slept until 6. We'll be coming from the eastern time zone, and our kids never sleep past 7:30am even when they have been up until midnight, so I have a feeling we'll all be up by 4.

 

[wdrl]

We leave on Saturday for our cruise but will be back to Aulani on the 17th for four more nights. This time in a 1BR OV. I will try to post pics of both rooms when I get a chance. Of course, I forgot my card reader so I may have to pick one up at Target (very conveniently located about 10 minutes away) to post for you folks. You might have just given me the excuse I need to convince the wife!

Thanks for the update on the construction. I'd love to see some photos of the new enhancements, but would also like to hear if the Aulani CMs think they are still on target for completing everything by the end of September.

Is DVC still offering the tours of the Grand Villa on the 10th floor? I highly recommend you check out the Grand Villa if you get a chance. Its also a good way to see the construction going on near the Waianae Building.

By the way, I assume you will be cruising on the NCL's Pride of America. We did the cruise in September before staying at Aulani. A definite highlight for us was taking helicopter excursions over the volcano out of Hilo and over the island of Kauai. Quite expensive excursions but well worth it.

Have fun!!

 

[gonzalj1]

I think there's Wifi in the rooms but is it anywhere else in the resort?

So far we've had WiFi everywhere we went except the beach. In our room, in the lobby and all around the pool area. I can't say there wasn't WiFi at the beach because now that I think about it I never looked at any of my devices because I was so taken by the scenery.

How was the drive from the airport? We are scheduled to arrive about 4:30pm when we go in Oct. I'm concerned about the traffic and it getting dark earlier that time of year.

What did you do for dinner on your arrival evening? I think my guys will be starving by the time we land and pick up the rental car.

Hope you have a great vacation.

The drive from the airport was a non-issue. No traffic. Our flight landed at 6:30PM and we were on our way after getting or luggage and rental by about 7:45 PM. It was dark by then but the drive was not a problem. Our GPS (read: my iPhone with Google Maps) worked great and we even made a stop of Target for some breakfast items.

We'll be there in October and our two kids are the same age as yours (DS11 and DD9). Are you doing any excursions? Have the kids been to Aunty's Beach House yet? Or have you done any of the family activities? Our kids have never been willing to use kids clubs (even on the Disney cruise), so I'm not holding my breath, but I would like to take advantage of some of the activities they offer.

I'd love to hear any dining suggestions for kids those ages- are you eating at any of the Aulani restaurants? Any meals anywhere that your kids especially enjoyed?

That's amazing that your family slept until 6. We'll be coming from the eastern time zone, and our kids never sleep past 7:30am even when they have been up until midnight, so I have a feeling we'll all be up by 4.

We are not doing any of the Aulani excursions. Today we are off to Pearl Harbor and a little island touring on our own.

Aunty's House has not been on the agenda. We saw a big line yesterday waiting for them to open so it seems many do take advantage. Our kids are really looking forward to family time so I think their time at Aunty's will be minimal at best.

Breakfast was the aforementioned Target items but I did get a cappucino and almond croissant from The Olelo room. Both were good if not a little expensive ($10 total).And I'm from North Jersey!

Lunch was at Off the Hook. DS and I both had cheeseburgers, A little over done but not bad. DD had the chicken fingers and wasn't crazy for them. She ate two of the four she got in the adult portion. Probably should have ordered the kids size. DW got a veggie wrap and said it was good. All in all, it was a decent, if unforgettable lunch.

Dinner was a different story. Yesterday was DWs birthday so I surprised her with reservations at Ama Ama. We had a table overlooking the ocean and got to watch the sunset while we had dinner. It was stunningly beautiful. The food was very good as well. DW had the rack of lamb it was very good even though my wife ordered it medium (I prefer lamb rare) and I had the pork chop which was fabulous cooked medium. For sides we had the potato puree and the asparagus. Both were good but the potato was excellent. Smooth and buttery. Oh and we shared the Ama Ama chopped salad based on a review I saw here and it was phenomenal. All in all a very good meal on a special day with great atmosphere.

The kids were fine with the meal at Ama Ama. DS had pizza (Hawain) and DD had ravioli. Again DD did not finish but she had her included dessert anyway! I don't think she was crazy about the ravioli. Keep in mind she is a picky eater.

We plan on Monkeypod, shrimp trucks and some more Hawaiin food when we return on the 17th. I guess we will outside the resort today on our Pearl Harbor and self guided islan tour as well. We'll let you know what we find.

 

[gonzalj1]

Thanks for the update on the construction. I'd love to see some photos of the new enhancements, but would also like to hear if the Aulani CMs think they are still on target for completing everything by the end of September.

Is DVC still offering the tours of the Grand Villa on the 10th floor? I highly recommend you check out the Grand Villa if you get a chance. Its also a good way to see the construction going on near the Waianae Building.

By the way, I assume you will be cruising on the NCL's Pride of America. We did the cruise in September before staying at Aulani. A definite highlight for us was taking helicopter excursions over the volcano out of Hilo and over the island of Kauai. Quite expensive excursions but well worth it.

Have fun!!

Thanks for the tips. We will try to check out the GV and get some pics an update for you. We are leaving the resort extra early this morning so whether we get it today or not will depend on when we return.

 

[SingingMom]

We are thinking of Aulani at some point in the near future. If you stay for a week, is there enough to do for adults? Our Dd is 20, so it would be the three of us.

Thanks!
Enjoy your cruise!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[gonzalj1]

We are thinking of Aulani at some point in the near future. If you stay for a week, is there enough to do for adults? Our Dd is 20, so it would be the three of us.

Thanks!
Enjoy your cruise!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Assuming sun, sand, surf and pool are your thing I would answer with a resounding yes!

We are just venturing out into the island today so can't yet speak to the surrounding area. But I have heard the golf here is spectacular.

There are also lots of activities and excursions available through the resort. I think you'll be fine for a week.

 

[SingingMom]

Assuming sun, sand, surf and pool are your thing I would answer with a resounding yes!

We are just venturing out into the island today so can't yet speak to the surrounding area. But I have heard the golf here is spectacular.

There are also lots of activities and excursions available through the resort. I think you'll be fine for a week.

Thanks for your quick response ! It is nice to know there are also excursions available through Aulani. I'm not big on planning our own! Lol

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[dianeschlicht]

How was the drive from the airport? We are scheduled to arrive about 4:30pm when we go in Oct. I'm concerned about the traffic and it getting dark earlier that time of year.

What did you do for dinner on your arrival evening? I think my guys will be starving by the time we land and pick up the rental car.

Hope you have a great vacation.

It won't be dark in Hawaii at that time any time of the year. Remember that Hawaii is nearer the equator, so the daylight hours don't fluctuate much during the year. We ate casual the first night and planned our Pearl Harbor tours early the first full day because we knew we would be awake early (coming from the central time zone). It took us about 3 days to acclimate to the time change.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We are thinking of Aulani at some point in the near future. If you stay for a week, is there enough to do for adults? Our Dd is 20, so it would be the three of us.

Thanks!
Enjoy your cruise!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

We were 3 adults in February, and we found plenty to do! I will say though, the pools and hot tubs can be a little daunting if you don't have kids. I would have preferred a little adult spa area we could have gone to without paying the prices for the Lawani Spa. LOVED the spa, but it was really the only place to get away from splashing little ones in hot tubs.

We spent mornings walking the beaches and loved going to the little rocky beach area just beyond the Marriott. We loved going early in the morning and walking on the rocks to see the sea turtles and crabs. We even got to see a Monk Seal there one day. They had the area around him roped off so people couldn't disturb him.

Other than that, we used Aulani like we would any other resort. It was a launching off spot for us to go exploring in our rental car. We were not new to Hawaii, so we knew pretty much what we wanted to see.