Planning for May - not much time!!!

[GatorChris]

Honestly, I've always thought we'd never go to Aulani. For that much money, we could do a WDW vacation, and it's hard to top that. But I had a friend call me and say that he had 250 points he had to use by this summer and he wasn't going to use them. I won't tell you how insanely low the per-point cost was, but it became a deal I couldn't refuse. With summer being very busy for me, May is all I had. So....spend 5 nights at Aulani or 8 nights at WDW. Since we're not fans of heat (Californians melt in the South), we decided to skip Florida in May (still trying to console myself) and grab an ocean view room at Aulani.

But.....I dont' know a thing about this place! Never researched it because I thought we'd never go. And now we leave in 2 months for this paradise. I've got lots of questions about this resort and the surrounding area/island. We did Oahu back in 2003, and the only thing I remember is that Waikiki is BUSY. So I've got some questions for the experts...and anything you'd like to add that you loved/hated, throw it my way.

1. I read that there are some taxes/fee that DVC members still have to pay (after points) at the resort due to Hawaii regulations. True? And if true, how much?

2. Tell me about the swimming/snorkeling reef area. Is that free (probably not since it's Disney)? Do I need to reserve a time?

3. For those who've rented points from DVC members, did you have to pay for parking?

4. I have 3 kids (12, 11, and 6). Tell me about Aunty's and the Tween thing. Would my 12 year old hate the age 4-12 thing at Aunty's? Is Aunty's fun enough to just leave the 6yo without her siblings?

5. In the one-bedroom suites, what are the fridges like? Mini or full size?

6. Looking for Gluten Free options for my wife who has Celiac. I know Disney is good about GF, but are there any places nearby that offer GF grub?

7. We want to do some stuff beyond the resort. Of course, we'll do Pearl. But all I remember is Waikiki and Diamond Head. Are there some really awesome beaches to hit? Waterfalls to see? Is Dog still working in Hawaii

8. Finally, the Luau there seems.....a tad pricey. Are there any awesome Luaus we can check out? Good show, of course, but I'm looking mostly for that roasted pig.

Thanks for any tips you can give. Really excited about all of this.

 

[PrincessJewel]

Hi GatorChris, here are some of my thoughts:

1. I read that there are some taxes/fee that DVC members still have to pay (after points) at the resort due to Hawaii regulations. True? And if true, how much?

Yes I believe everywhere in Hawaii has this resort fee. It was pretty minimal our total was $50-$60 I believe. At first I thought that was per night and freaked out but then found out it was for entire stay. So I'm guessing it was about $12 a night maybe?

2. Tell me about the swimming/snorkeling reef area. Is that free (probably not since it's Disney)? Do I need to reserve a time?

The Snorkel reef has a fee. It was $20 for a day or $40 for the week. So if you think your kids will go a lot it is probably good to purchase. If you are going to be out and about touring it may not be worth it. It includes all the snorkel equipment which you can use both in the fish tank/lagoon area and in the beach cove.

3. For those who've rented points from DVC members, did you have to pay for parking?

Before we were members and rented points in WDW our key card would still show DVC and we would get parking privileges. I'm hoping someone can answer more recently if that is still the case in this scenario.

5. In the one-bedroom suites, what are the fridges like? Mini or full size?

The DVC villa features a full size fridge.

6. Looking for Gluten Free options for my wife who has Celiac. I know Disney is good about GF, but are there any places nearby that offer GF grub?

Disney is always amazing with food allergies. We attended the Character Breakfast and the Luau and both times a chef came out and walked me around to show me what was safe for my allergies (corn and soy). I don't know of any specific GF options near by but I'm sure they could accommodate. There was a lovely place called Monkey Pod, a mexican place and a pizza place (I believe they have a gluten free crust upgrade on the menu but I'm not 100% on that).

7. We want to do some stuff beyond the resort. Of course, we'll do Pearl. But all I remember is Waikiki and Diamond Head. Are there some really awesome beaches to hit? Waterfalls to see? Is Dog still working in Hawaii

On this trip we avoided Waikiki. Diamond head is good for a hike. Hanuama bay for snorkeling. There are some great beaches over on that east side of the island like in Kailua. Waterfalls yes, check out the north shore Waimea falls. So much to do! We will be writing up an itinerary report soon to share. We had a really nice balance between busy touring days and relaxing resort days. Stay tuned!

8. Finally, the Luau there seems.....a tad pricey. Are there any awesome Luaus we can check out? Good show, of course, but I'm looking mostly for that roasted pig.

The Luaus are pricey. We have been to one in the past and were severely disappointed. We decided to break the bank and do the VIP luau through Disney and it was much more enjoyable especially with the bar package for us. There is also a Luau place right next to the Disney resort people say to check out.

 

[acndis]

4. I think your 12-year old may be too old for Aunty's but it depends who is at the resort. My 10 year old liked it but did not ask to go except for the tween event they had during our days there. He loved that! He also returned one evening to play on the computers and had fun. Your six year old will probably love it. The counselors were really nice and fun when we were there.

7. We LOVED Waikiki but we are City Folk. We will stay 5 days in that area next time. The beach is crowded but beautiful and we loved the shops and restaurants. We also went to Kualoa Ranch. That might be fun for your kids. Our son loved it (so did we!)>

 

[JFox]

Honestly, I've always thought we'd never go to Aulani. For that much money, we could do a WDW vacation, and it's hard to top that. But I had a friend call me and say that he had 250 points he had to use by this summer and he wasn't going to use them. I won't tell you how insanely low the per-point cost was, but it became a deal I couldn't refuse. With summer being very busy for me, May is all I had. So....spend 5 nights at Aulani or 8 nights at WDW. Since we're not fans of heat (Californians melt in the South), we decided to skip Florida in May (still trying to console myself) and grab an ocean view room at Aulani.

But.....I dont' know a thing about this place! Never researched it because I thought we'd never go. And now we leave in 2 months for this paradise. I've got lots of questions about this resort and the surrounding area/island. We did Oahu back in 2003, and the only thing I remember is that Waikiki is BUSY. So I've got some questions for the experts...and anything you'd like to add that you loved/hated, throw it my way.

1. I read that there are some taxes/fee that DVC members still have to pay (after points) at the resort due to Hawaii regulations. True? And if true, how much?

2. Tell me about the swimming/snorkeling reef area. Is that free (probably not since it's Disney)? Do I need to reserve a time?

3. For those who've rented points from DVC members, did you have to pay for parking?

4. I have 3 kids (12, 11, and 6). Tell me about Aunty's and the Tween thing. Would my 12 year old hate the age 4-12 thing at Aunty's? Is Aunty's fun enough to just leave the 6yo without her siblings?

5. In the one-bedroom suites, what are the fridges like? Mini or full size?

6. Looking for Gluten Free options for my wife who has Celiac. I know Disney is good about GF, but are there any places nearby that offer GF grub?

7. We want to do some stuff beyond the resort. Of course, we'll do Pearl. But all I remember is Waikiki and Diamond Head. Are there some really awesome beaches to hit? Waterfalls to see? Is Dog still working in Hawaii

8. Finally, the Luau there seems.....a tad pricey. Are there any awesome Luaus we can check out? Good show, of course, but I'm looking mostly for that roasted pig.

Thanks for any tips you can give. Really excited about all of this.

We are also planning a trip for May! Passed on Abu Dhabi and picked Hawaii instead. What are your dates?

 

[nkereina]

1. I read that there are some taxes/fee that DVC members still have to pay (after points) at the resort due to Hawaii regulations. True? And if true, how much?

2. Tell me about the swimming/snorkeling reef area. Is that free (probably not since it's Disney)? Do I need to reserve a time?

3. For those who've rented points from DVC members, did you have to pay for parking?

4. I have 3 kids (12, 11, and 6). Tell me about Aunty's and the Tween thing. Would my 12 year old hate the age 4-12 thing at Aunty's? Is Aunty's fun enough to just leave the 6yo without her siblings?

5. In the one-bedroom suites, what are the fridges like? Mini or full size?

6. Looking for Gluten Free options for my wife who has Celiac. I know Disney is good about GF, but are there any places nearby that offer GF grub?

7. We want to do some stuff beyond the resort. Of course, we'll do Pearl. But all I remember is Waikiki and Diamond Head. Are there some really awesome beaches to hit? Waterfalls to see? Is Dog still working in Hawaii

8. Finally, the Luau there seems.....a tad pricey. Are there any awesome Luaus we can check out? Good show, of course, but I'm looking mostly for that roasted pig.

1. I don't recall how much it was either, but I agree that the cost was negligible.

3. No! Anyone staying on points, whether you rented or you own, receives free parking.

7. Check out my trip report in my signature. We did Kualoa Ranch which is awesome for all ages. We also loved exploring the North Shore. We did Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head, but they are one and done for us. We wouldn't do them again on a return trip. I would also suggest visiting the Waikiki area at least one night for the experience - we love the shopping and the busy vibe there. WAY different than the quiet, secluded vibe in Ko Olina. We also loved the beaches in Kailua, which are on the windward side of the island - opposite side from Aulani, though not a super far drive. I definitely recommend renting a car, whatever you do.

8. Paradise Cove Luau is next door to Aulani, walking distance. Not sure how the price compares. The Polynesian Cultural Center also offers a luau, but you'd have to drive and they do not serve alcohol if that's a factor for you. Again, not sure how the price compares.

 

[GatorChris]

We are also planning a trip for May! Passed on Abu Dhabi and picked Hawaii instead. What are your dates?

Getting there on the 7th and staying through Saturday. I'd stay longer, but I ran out of points to rent!

 

[GusGus16]

Stayed in January on rented points and can confirm if you are staying on DVC points parking is included.

Highly recommend Lanikai Beach, it is just beautiful, there are no facilities at that beach but Kailua beach just down the road has bathrooms. There is a pillbox hike very close to Lanikai, for the adventurous not terribly difficult, but some steep areas, it is less than 2 miles total.

If you want excellent brunch Koko Head Cafe-Chef Lee Anne Wong is GREAT! One of the best meals that we had! Not too sure there gluten free options though...

 

[GatorChris]

Highly recommend Lanikai Beach, it is just beautiful, there are no facilities at that beach but Kailua beach just down the road has bathrooms. There is a pillbox hike very close to Lanikai, for the adventurous not terribly difficult, but some steep areas, it is less than 2 miles total.

Wow, that Lanikai Beach looks amazing. No facilities there could be a problem for the kids, but that looks like a place to hit. How's the parking there? I keep reading about a place like Hamauna Bay and how there's never parking if you get there after 8am.

 

[czmom]

We are going in May for the first time too! Check out Chief's Luau. It's not far from Aulani and much cheaper.

 

[TLCP]

Loved the Paradise Cove Luau next door...Google for pricing discounts available as there are many out there!

 

[wanderlust7]

Wow, that Lanikai Beach looks amazing. No facilities there could be a problem for the kids, but that looks like a place to hit. How's the parking there? I keep reading about a place like Hamauna Bay and how there's never parking if you get there after 8am.

The parking problem at Hanauma Bay is because it's popular with tourists and also because the parking lot is on a hill, so much more limited.

Kailua/Lanikai is more popular with locals, so if you go on a weekday it'll be less crowded. We were at Kailua last time on a weekday, late afternoon, and had the place virtually to ourselves. Kailua has parking lots. Lanikai, you'd have to park in the residential neighborhood and find a beach access path.

 

[JFox]

We are trying to book our activities during the weekdays. I figured all the usual locations would be busier on the weekends.

 

[JFox]

We are trying to book our activities during the weekdays. I figured all the usual locations would be busier on the weekends.

 

[princessbride6205]

We were at Aulani for our first trip this past week. Our taxes were $58 for 5 nights in a studio.

We are usually commando park people, but I purposely took a different pace at Aulani. We enjoyed the resort half of our time there, and planned excursions the other half. We loved hitting as many activities at the resort as possible, especially Uncle's fire pit storytelling and the animation lesson at Pau Hana community hall. For booking off-site activities: Something else to note is that traffic is insane if you need to go towards Waikiki. It took my husband 2 hours to get to Waikiki on a Tuesday leaving Aulani at 6am.

The beach next door at Paradise Cove is excellent for walking-distance snorkeling. We spent almost 2 hours there one morning. We remembered Hanauma Bay from previous Hawaii trips 15 years ago(!) but were told by locals to try our cove instead.

If you want to eat at the Disney restaurants, I'd make your reservations as soon as you can.

We did the Paradise Cove Luau - we were looking at booking VIP at either Disney or there, but Disney was sold out by the time I got around to booking. For VIP, prices were pretty comparable. Paradise Cove is a hokey style of luau, for example: getting a guy from the audience on stage in a coconut bra. My husband and I were saying they haven't changed the show since 1968. Even with the most expensive ticket, a soda still costs you $4 and you are supposed to tip your servers, the lei-making craft people, buy the sunset photo, etc. If I buy a VIP ticket, I want everything included. Also, the bathrooms. My 10yo came out and said "Those are worse than my school, and that's saying something." At least at Disney, you know you're getting a restroom you feel comfortable using! HOWEVER, if someone has never been to a luau and is prepared for the nickel-and-diming, it's not a bad experience. The food was pretty good, and the performers were too. My husband left saying, "Even though I'd never do this again, I feel like a first time visitor to Oahu needs to see this."

 

[pharmama]

1. I read that there are some taxes/fee that DVC members still have to pay (after points) at the resort due to Hawaii regulations. True? And if true, how much?

Hawaii Transient Tax Chart 2018 for DVC: https://www.dvcrequest.com/point-chart/aulani_disney_villas_2018_tax.html