Earlier this year we finally travelled to Hawaii and stayed at Aulani (one of our bucket list hotels) after our original trip was cancelled in 2020 (we all know what happened there) and I am happy to say that we had an incredible time. So much has changed since we first planned our stay a few years ago so I decided to write this blog and travel guide with all of the up to date information, do’s and don’ts as well as hints, tips and advice and anything else I can think of to help make the most of your stay at the paradise that is Aulani.

Before our trip I read many blogs about Aulani but the vast majority of them mainly focused on travelling with children or staying there as a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member but all of my information and writing in this blog is based on us as two adults travelling to Hawaii by ourselves and booking and staying in a regular hotel room at the resort.

Where and What is Aulani?

Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa to give it its full name is located in Ko Olina, near Kapolei on the leeward side of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, twenty miles from Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Aulani was designed as a beautiful Hawaiian resort with Disney touches throughout (do not think of it as Disneyland in Hawaii because it’s definitely not) and focuses on Hawaiian storytelling, language and culture – Aulani is even home to the largest collection of contemporary Hawaiian art in the world. If you are looking for a full on Disney experience or a theme park then Aulani is not the place for you. Aulani consists of 351 hotel rooms and suites and 481 Disney Vacation Club studios and villas.

How to Get to Aulani

The easiest way to get to Aulani from Daniel K. Inouye Airport (HNL) is to rent a car as there is a new large onsite car rental facility next to Terminal 2 and it is a very simple and easy drive between the two – without traffic the journey should only take about twenty five minutes. There are also taxis and Ubers readily available at the airport if you need them and you can also book the Hele Hele Shuttle transfer before you travel through Disney or directly online.

Be aware though if you rent a car for your entire stay (which I do recommend as a way to explore the island of Oahu) then it will currently cost $37 a night to park at Aulani and self parking and valet are the same price. We were completely aware of how much parking would be for our four night stay and we just factored in the cost to our budget when booking our trip. However if you are staying as a Disney Vacation Club guest, then parking is free of charge.

How to Book a Stay at Aulani

Aulani is an incredibly popular resort to stay at whilst in Hawaii and it often sells out so booking as early as possible is definitely recommended – we booked our stay over a year in advance as soon as reservations for our dates opened. We made our booking on the official Aulani website and a few weeks before we travelled to Hawaii we also telephoned and added any room requests that we had – we simply asked for a room with a king bed and on a higher floor.

When booking to stay at Aulani, you need to know that it is going to be expensive and prepare yourself for the associated sticker shock. However keep an eye out for special offers on the Aulani website which appear throughout the year which often include a substantial discount if staying a certain number of nights and/or resort credit. They will also apply any of these discounts to your booking even after you have booked as long as there is still availability.

Another important tip is to make sure you book the room with the view (either Standard, Island Garden, Poolside Garden, Partial Oceanview or Oceanview) that you want to have. Do not book the cheapest standard view room and hope to be able to see the beaches and the ocean or the Waikolohe Valley as you will be very disappointed as you will be overlooking the car park or the conference centre.

I often see that people recommend to others to rent DVC points to be able to stay at Aulani but this is not something we wanted to do or were even remotely interested in so we booked a regular resort hotel room – we simply prefer booking direct and not through a third party and having full control (as well as flexibility) over our reservation.

When is the Best Time to Visit Aulani?

Aulani is popular to visit all year round but there are times that the resort will be incredibly busy – and a lot more expensive – so it’s best to avoid these times if possible. Try to avoid peak times such as public holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the US school vacation times such as Summer Break and Spring Break. Travelling during the shoulder season (as well as during the week) is highly recommended as not only will it be quieter as well as cheaper, the weather will also be much better and the temperatures a lot more comfortable.

Due to timing (as we combined our trip to Aulani with a cruise on the Disney Wonder from Honolulu) we stayed at Aulani during Golden Week in May 2022 which is one of the biggest Japanese holidays of the year (Hawaii is a major Japanese travel destination) but thankfully it was not busy at all and a lot quieter than we thought it would be.

Make sure to stay at Aulani itself for at least three or four nights at an absolute minimum. You are already travelling a long way to visit Hawaii so you need to make the most of your stay as there is a lot to do at the resort but you also need to make sure you have time to chill and relax.

The Waikolohe Valley at Aulani

The pool area at Aulani is known as the Waikolohe Valley (Waikolohe means “Mischievious Water”) and is made up of the large Waikolohe Pool, the Ka Maka Grotto, the Wailana Pool, the Rainbow Reef, the Menehune Bridge, Keiki Cove and the lazy river known as the Waikolohe Stream. In the middle of the Waikolohe Valley is the Pu‘u Kilo volcano featuring two waterslides called the Volcanic Vertical and the Tubestone Curl – the latter of which delivers you straight into the Waikolohe Stream and is a great way to start a lap of the lazy river.

The best times to enjoy the Waikolohe Stream as well as both of the waterslides is either early in the day or late afternoon when you can make the most of the peace and quiet. There are also two adult only hot tubs located at Alohi Point overlooking the ocean which along with the all ages Ka Maka Grotto are the best place at Aulani to watch the sunset.

Snorkelling is available in the Rainbow Reef lagoon which is home to hundreds of tropical fish and there are both daily passes as well as length of stay passes (which are much better value) available for purchase.

To be able to use all of the facilities in the Waikolohe Valley, you will need to get a wristband from Kawele Korner each day of your stay (the wristbands change colour every day) which ensures that only registered and paying resort guests can use the pools, lazy river, hot tubs, towels and sunloungers.

To help stop people from hogging sunloungers when they are not using them, you can only “reserve” one from 8:00am each morning and anything placed on top of them before this time and left unoccupied will be removed. Also during busy times if it is noticed by the Cast Members at Aulani that a sunlounger has not been used for some time, they will fold the towels on it a certain way and a one hour countdown starts. If the towel has not been moved when they check back one hour later then everything will be taken to Kawele Korner leaving the sunlounger/s free for anyone else to use. We did not have any issue getting a sunlounger during our stay. Yes the ones that are located in the prime spots right next to any of the pools do go early in the day but there was always plenty of others (even if a little further away from the pool as well as in the shade or by the beach) available at all times.

Meeting Disney Characters at Aulani

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Goofy, Max, Stitch, Angel, Duffy, ShellieMay, ‘Olu Mel and Moana can all be found at Aulani enjoying their vacation time in Hawaii and after a very long two years of no character hugs, I was over the moon that they returned two weeks before our trip.

The character schedule for the day will be available every morning from 8:00am by calling 2447 (CHIP) from the phone in your room as well as on the Aulani website and on the Aulani app at the same time. Not all of the characters will be out each day (we did not see ‘Olu Mel at all as he was always off swimming in the ocean) so there are no guarantees that you will be able to meet all of them during your stay.

The characters can usually be found by the entrance to the Ewa Tower, the Hālāwai Lawn, the Koi Pond, Kawaii Korner as well as walking around the Waikolohe Valley. The waits to meet the characters were never long but it is always best to get to each location a few minutes early to be close to the front of the line. One great thing at Aulani was that there was no rushing and the characters took their time with each party so we were able to get some brilliant photos as well as have lots of laughs.

Photopass is available at Aulani however the Cast Members will also take photos for you with your own cameras and phones.

To ensure that only paying Aulani resort guests can meet the characters, you will need to either show your room key or have your pool wristband on display. The only way to meet the characters if you are not staying at Aulani is by booking the character breakfast at Makahiki.

What are the Menehune?

The Menehune are the mythical shy, magical and mischievous little people of the Hawaiian islands who come out at night who construct great bridges, canoes, houses and temples – and possibly even Aulani itself. Even the Menehune Bridge in the Waikolohe Valley was said to have been constructed by the Menehune in one night hence why it leaks just slightly!

There are over three hundred Menehune hidden everywhere throughout the resort and it is great fun to try and spot them during your stay especially when you least expect it – make sure to look up, down and even behind things as you never know when you will find another one.

You can also do the interactive Menehune Adventure Trail scavenger hunt which is a free of charge activity which involves checking out an tablet from the Pau Hana Room located on the ground floor of the Ewa Tower. Aunty presents the tour of the Waikolohe Valley which involves learning about Hawaiian culture and the Menehune and solving clues which lead you to various spots around the resort. During the trail, certain scenery that you might have noticed around the resort will come to life and some surprises might happen.

The Menehune Adventure Trail should take about an hour to complete so make sure to wear comfortable shoes as you will do a lot more walking around the Waikolohe Valley than you expect and it is a great way to explore and get to know the resort.

Where to Eat at Aulani

There are both quick service as well as table service restaurants located at Aulani:

Makahiki: The Bounty of the Islands offers a character breakfast as well as dinner – it is very popular so reservations are essential.

‘Ama ‘Ama which offers signature dining with views of the ocean and the sunset has been closed since the start of the pandemic but will be reopening soon in Autumn 2022.

Ulu Cafe offers both quick service as well as grab and go items for breakfast, lunch as well as dinner including pizzas, poke bowls and açai bowls. You can also find the amazing ‘Olu Mel cupcake here.

Off the Hook is a poolside bar and restaurant which offers cocktails as well as food throughout the day – we had a very relaxed dinner here on our last night at Aulani

Mama’s Snack Stop is located in the centre of the Waikolohe Valley and is the perfect place to grab lunch by the pool – I can highly recommend the Coconut Breaded Shrimp.

You can buy the famous Mickey-shaped Shave Ice at Pāpālua Shave Ice which is located in the Waikolohe Valley next to Mama’s Snack Stop.

Dole Whip is available from Little ‘Opihi’s on the beach as well as the Ulu Cafe.

The ‘Olelo Room is a bar about the Hawaiian language which serves cocktails and appetisers (including sushi) and the bartenders all speak Hawaiian so you can learn some new words whilst you are there – everything you see is also labelled with its Hawaiian name. There is a Happy Hour at the ‘Olelo Room as well as live music every evening – I loved listening to it from our balcony whilst we were getting ready for dinner each night.

If you wish to dine at Makahiki or ‘Ama ‘Ama you will need to make a reservation online and bookings open thirty days in advance.

There are also a number of restaurants located in the Ko Olina Center located opposite Aulani including the incredible Monkeypod Kitchen, Mekiko Cantina, Eggs ‘n Things, Tropic Poke as well as coffee shops including Island Vintage Coffee and Starbucks.

What to Pack for Aulani

The best thing about Aulani is that you really do not need to take much with you so your packing list will be very small – all you really need is a credit card and a small amount of cash (to use at any roadside food stands if exploring the island), a camera, hat, sunglasses, comfortable shoes, swimwear and your passport and/or driving licence. Hawaii is very casual so you do not need to dress up when you are there (most people I saw wore t-shirts, shorts and flip flops in the evenings) and you can also do laundry at Aulani if you need to wash anything that you brought with you.

One item I wish I had taken with me and have since bought for my next trip is a waterproof case for my iPhone so I could keep it with me when I was in the pool and lazy river so I had it available to take photos instead of having to leave it in the room.

The sun in Hawaii is strong and you can easily burn very quickly (I found this one out from experience when my arm got burnt from standing on a beach for ten minutes taking photos of a turtle) so you need to make sure that you have a high factor sunscreen with you and ensure that you continuously reapply during the day. You can only use Reef-Safe sunscreens in Hawaii so we simply purchased what we needed at Target in Kapolei once we arrived. It was no more expensive to buy it there (contrary to what I had read online), it saved weight and space in our luggage and we knew that we were buying one that was okay to use. I would also recommend taking a long sleeved rash guard with you to use whilst in the pool or in the Waikolohe Stream to help protect you from the sun whilst you are in the water.

One random but essential item to make sure you have with you is a small pair of scissors so you can cut those annoying pool bands off your wrist when you have finished using the pools and lazy river at the end of each day.

How to Save Money at Aulani

There is no denying that Hawaii is expensive in general however there are some things you can do whilst staying at Aulani to save money:

Aulani offers a Refillable Mug for $22.95 per person which includes unlimited refills for the length of your stay on soft drinks from the Freestyle Machines located at Ulu Cafe and at the Lava Shack. Basic tea and filter coffee from the Ulu Cafe is also included however the speciality coffees at the Wailana Coffee Bar will be a separate and extra charge.

We did not buy a Refillable Mug during our stay but getting a tea or coffee from the Ulu Cafe, the Wailana Coffee Bar, Island Country Coffee or Starbucks each morning will quickly add up but there is a coffee maker available in each room and you can also get a kettle from housekeeping on request to make tea which we did as soon as we arrived – we simply brought tea bags with us from home and bought some milk in the shop once we arrived.

Talking of shops, you can also visit Island Country Market opposite Aulani or Safeway or Target in nearby Kapolei (if you have a car) to buy drinks and snacks for your room – the prices were nowhere near as expensive as I was expecting. All rooms will have a fridge to keep items cool and if you are staying in one of the villas with a kitchen, you can also buy groceries and cook your own food instead of eating out for every meal.

Remember to check for Happy Hours at Aulani as well as at the other bars and restaurants in the Ko Olina area to save money on cocktails each day as well as food.

Island Country Market located opposite Aulani also has a full deli counter offering hot breakfast items, burgers, sandwiches, salads, poke bowls and pizza which you can bring back to your room and enjoy whilst sitting on your balcony.

Get out of Aulani and Explore Oahu

As much as I had always wanted to stay at Aulani for as long as I can remember, there was no way I could fly half way around the world and not leave the resort and not see anything else during our time in Oahu – you cannot come to Hawaii and not see any of Hawaii itself! My tip would be to make the most of the time difference (it’s an absolute killer) and the resulting jet lag and the inevitable early starts and get out of Aulani and explore the island.

As we had a rental car for our entire stay (which I highly recommend as Aulani is not really close to anywhere else on Oahu) we had the freedom to go where we wanted and when we wanted so we hiked Diamond Head for sunrise on our first morning and also visited Kualoa Ranch early the following day. Both times we were back at Aulani around lunchtime or early afternoon which allowed us the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the resort – this way we had the best of both worlds.

There is also a car rental office located at Aulani so it is possible to rent a car just for a few hours if needed and other places in Oahu that are an easy drive from Aulani are Pearl Harbor, the Byodo-In Temple, the North Shore, the Dole Plantation as well as the City of Honolulu itself.

The KA WA’A Luau at Aulani

The Luau at Aulani is called KA WA’A and is performed on certain nights on the Hālāwai Lawn. As it is popular you will need to book tickets when they are released so make sure to keep an eye on the website – you also do not need to be a resort guest to be able to book tickets.

Shopping at Aulani

There are two gift shops located in the lobby close to the entrance to the Ewa Tower – Kalepa’s Store which sells Disney and Aulani specific merchandise such as t-shirts, ears, pins, bags, mugs, postcards, magnets, Christmas decorations and spirit jerseys as well as some grocery items and Hale Manu which offers more expensive items such as jewellery.

Aulani is also where you will be able to buy as much Duffy and Friends merchandise as you could possibly want. Aulani is home to ‘Olu Mel but you can also buy items featuring Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, Stella Lou and Cookie Ann – sadly Lina Bell has not made her way to Hawaii just yet.

There is also one more shop called the Lava Shack located under the Pu‘u Kilo volcano in the Waikolohe Valley which sells snacks, beach wear and other pool items.

If you see something you want, make sure to buy it when you see it in case it sells out whilst you are there.

Other Tips for Staying at Aulani

Before travelling to Hawaii, make sure to download the Aulani iPhone or Android App where you will be able to see your resort reservation, access online check in and check daily activities and character schedules.

If you want to take photos of Aulani when it is quiet, make the most of the jet lag and the time difference and take a slow walk around the resort early in the morning and enjoy the peace and the calm.

Enjoy the sunrise from your balcony with a tea or coffee in hand – it really is the best way to start the day.

You can access the Maka’ala (lobby) from Level 3 of the car park. When leaving the parking structure, go down to Level 1 to exit as this will take you straight out of Ko Olina much quicker without the need to drive further into the resort area and do a U-Turn if you used the other exit located near the lobby.

If staying in a Standard or Island Garden view room, you can get a good view of the Waikolohe Valley from the elevator lobbies on each floor of both the Ewa and Wai’anae Towers.

If you arrive at Aulani before your check-in time, you can collect your resort wristbands and use the pools and meet characters until your room is ready.

If travelling with children, you can pre-register and reserve times at Aunty’s Beach House before you arrive at Aulani.

Boogie boards are available free of charge on the beach from Makiki Joe’s.

Brunch at Longhi’s in the neighbouring Marriott Ko Olina is highly recommended and only a short walk around the lagoons – the Açai bowl was to die for!

When in the Waikolohe Stream (lazy river) try to spot as many hidden animals that you can which are carved into the rocks.

Turtles and Seals are regularly spotted at Paradise Cove which is located on the other side of the Four Seasons Hotel next to Aulani.

Late afternoon, walk around the lagoon to Sunset Point where the view of both Aulani as well as the sunset is incredible.

Make sure to watch Poolside Stories in the evenings where Uncle shares stories of Hawaiian tales and legends – it really is beautiful to watch especially when he sings and plays the Ukulele.

If you have a late flight out of Honolulu, you can reserve a time on your departure day to use the Luana Lounge for one hour (where you can can change and have a shower if you have been in the pools all day since checking out of your room) before leaving for the airport.

Is Aulani Worth It?

Whilst Aulani is located away from the crowds and the nightlife of Honolulu, from the moment you arrive and walk into the lobby and hear the Kealiʻi Reichel soundtrack playing, you will instantly be transported to your new happy place.

Was it worth the price for us? Yes it was.

No it was not cheap (we knew this before we booked) but this trip meant everything to us after so many years of waiting and it was never a question of where we were going to stay as we simply did not want to stay anywhere else in Hawaii.

Every time I walked out onto our balcony and saw the view of Aulani, the Waikolohe Valley and the ocean I felt happy and relaxed which I had not done in a very long time. The peace and quiet of Ko Olina as well as that little bit of Disney was perfect and exactly what we both wanted.

I still cannot believe that I finally went to Hawaii this year. Aulani really lived up to all expectations and it really was a dream come true.

Since this blog post was written back in 2022, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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