Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Aulani and their staff. We ended up booking a stay somewhat last minute, and I’m so grateful we were able to rearrange our plans to make it happen. Some highlights: the characters pop up throughout the day, and it absolutely made our son’s week getting to meet some of his favorites. Auntie’s Beach House was fantastic for kids, we took advantage of it whenever we could. Special thank you to Jason, you’re amazing! I highly recommend signing up for one of the special events at Auntie’s (there’s an additional fee, but it was worth it for us). While the food was definitely expensive, it was good quality, convenient, and prepared quickly. The pizza was out of this world, and the poke bowls were delicious. The pools were warm, clean, and surprisingly never felt overcrowded. Every staff member we encountered was kind, helpful, and truly added to the experience. Cons: honestly, we didn’t have many negative experiences. Most of our challenges were related to crowd levels and pricing, which is fairly expected at a destination like Aulani in Hawaii. Experiences do sell out quickly, so learn from our mistake — book things like character breakfasts months in advance if possible. Otherwise, our stay felt nearly perfect.

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa is a beautiful place to stay, and the service is exactly what you’d expect from Disney — top-tier. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly, helpful, and incredibly attentive. Disney really does customer service better than anyone, and this resort is no exception. That said, it is very expensive. The room rates alone are high, and some of the restaurant pricing feels a bit excessive. We did the 3-course dinner (can’t remember the name of the restaurant), and while the food was good, paying around $85 per person for a steak, a bowl of soup, and a slice of cheesecake felt like a lot for what you get. I genuinely enjoyed my stay, but for the price, it almost feels like you need to spend the entire day at the resort to get your money’s worth. If you’re someone who likes to be out exploring or doing tourist activities, paying $600+ per night and then leaving most of the day might feel wasteful. With that in mind — if you love swimming, relaxing, and soaking up the sun all day, you’ll absolutely love this place. If you’re more of a go-go-go type traveler, this might not be the perfect fit. If we came back, it would probably be just for a couple of days. Overall, beautiful resort, amazing staff, and a great experience — just be prepared for Disney-level pricing.

This was one of the very best stays we have ever had at a Disney Resort. They have the best staff, all very nice and helpful. They celebrated our honeymoon every night at dinner with special desserts. They met us every morning at the door when we left for the day, then greeted us when we came back. They are the absolute best! And they also take care of the kids with activities and programs for them as well as all of the pools.

Staff were very friendly, always greeting with, "Aloha," or some other greeting. Rooms are well kept and the Hotel theme is very well utilized. While pricey, food portions are very generous and most water activities are complimentary. This is definitely one of the best Disney hotels not only for its theme, but for its effort in impressing anyone who has the pleasure of visiting

This resort comes with a hefty price tag , so expect bigger rooms, great bedding , a comfortable bed, great coffee in the room, clean carpet, smiling staff, etc. The whole place smells like a spa. This is our second time staying at this resort : first when the kids were 7 and 4, and now they are 16 and 12. I have to say that the resort has not aged a bit ; it is truly well kept. We had a great time; however, I do feel that when the kids were younger, they enjoyed this place more. The Ulu Cafe is superb! Make sure you try their pizza, which is made to order. It is probably one of the best meat lovers' pizzas we have ever tasted. Their acai bowls are also very good. The refillable mugs are worth it if you are a coffee lover or like to drink soda . I am disappointed that they no longer have the free refill hot chocolate , which they had the first few years. We dined at their AMA AMA restaurant, and it was just okay. The steak dinner is not bad , but we expected more, considering that this is a high-end resort. Their MAKAHIKI restaurant no longer offers buffet dinners like before ; it is now plated. We did not go there this time for this reason. We have enjoyed their buffets on every trip to Oahu in the past. They offer malasadas for almost $5 apiece for a plain one. I almost could not believe the pricing , so we opted out. The alcoholic drinks at the resort are quite disappointing ; a number of them tasted like dish soap, which made me sad. Parking can be quite the trek. Expect the resort to be super busy with lots of kids running around, which we did not mind ; we love the little ones and expected exactly this environment. Be patient at the crazy river, as the wait for a tube can be a bit long, but you will eventually get one. Staff from food, parking, bell services, and food services to the front desk are all very friendly. We used their after-check-in service and change room area , which we very much appreciated. The highlight for me as an adult was the infinity pool and the adults-only hot tub. I also appreciated the enclosed toilet area in our room. They really need to look at their alcoholic drink recipes ; also, more food options at the Ulu Cafe would be a plus. The gift shops are a bit disappointing. They also need to add a bit more food items in the gift shop like a little mini convenience store like the other Disney Resorts in Florida.

To me, the stay was worth it. I am a family of 4 and we booked a Aulani, 1-Bedroom Villa - Ocean View.. The room was so spacious and comfortable for the 4 of us. My kids got their own bed each while my husband and I had a private room. The housekeeping service was really impeccable. We loved the quality of cleanliness in the room and had no issues. The hotel of course really caters to families and the kids and they really do an amazing job. We loved the option to drop of our kids at the Auntys free play program in the morning. What a great program! We felt so safe leaving them for the hour and a half so we got the time to go on a run, grab a coffee and donut (which you need to try because they are delicious!) , do a load of laundry or whatever to just get the time to yourself. Pool area is so well thought out and the lagoon is beautiful and perfect for littles. Loved the dinner show and all the Christmas decorations and character breakfast. Just really a perfect way to spend good quality time with family and very easy to keep kids occupied. I will say, if staying for more than 3 days, have a rental car feels like a must to get to see more of the island outside of the resort. It’s a bit far away from a lot of the main landmarks most tourists will want to see on the island. But overall so happy with our stay and had a wonderful experience.

Nice resort especially for young kids, the pool area and mickey shaped treats seem great. I did get to go to the luau and i really enjoyed the performances. The food, drinks and service were great too. I only went her for a wedding / reception. It is magical and lovely, but the time it takes me to walk from the hotel room to the pool to the lobby, I feel I could've walked a good portion of Waikiki. Its not my kind of trip and also out of my price range for my family of 6.

Aulani was a beautiful resort and our family had a blast. Everything is quite expensive but that’s how it seems to be in Hawaii in general. We loved the rooms, the pools, and the beach. All the character photo ops were fun but we didn’t do many other activities because we didn’t know you had to reserve them so far in advance of your trip. The food throughout the resort varied in taste and quality, some of it a lot better than others. Overall it was a fun family vacation and a beautiful location with lots of fun little shops across the street and you can go eat at the Four Seasons next door too!