Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa Review

Over priced, so crowded we are Disney annual pass holders and thus is far from a Disney experience, prices are insane for what you get, wish we had stayed next door at the four seasons, never again

Great get away without being overly Disney. Great place for kids with the lazy river, hot tubs &areas dedicated to kids. Pricybut worth it.

Aulani is an amazing hidden world on Hawaii, different from any other resort. It has the typical Disney flare, from perfectly manicured foliage to artificial rock formations and waterfalls to top notch decor. The gift shops look like they could have been taken straight out of a Disney park. The pools are amazing and the beach engineered to be calm and serene no matter how rough the swells outside the little cove. My only complaint is the price - that Disney flare doesn't come cheap! Expect to pay at least double any other resort to stay here.

Great place for kids! A multitude of activities for kids. The food is just average including the luau, but the character brunch at Maha Kiki and the expensive Ama Ama was good. The live music is everywhere and very enjoyable. The luau activities for kids before the dinner was great, so arrive early. The show after the luau dinner was exceptional, but stay after to get photos with the actors. The wifi was horrendous in our room (55x) and they told us every day to get online between certain hours of the day. Overall, a very nice hotel, with many activities, especially the many pools with great slides, even for small kids.

Such a fantastic pool complex for the kids! I wish i had been there when i was younger! Alamo rental cars at the resort was easy to deal with and valet service great. Great gift store and beautiful decor throughout the complex.

Great beach resort Disney does Hawaii and does it well.

Awesome! The resort staff are the friendliest, the resort is beautiful. I only wish that adult activities and pools are open as late as the child care is open

Incredible family resort - tons of activities, great pools and lazy river (with many waterfalls), and beautiful sandy beach. Don't miss the interactive scavenger hunts for kids and the great activities at Auntie's!

Upon arrivall Aulani has been very disappointing. As a couple we reserved a King size ocean front room booking our travel months ago. We're celebrating our 31st anniversary. Having honeymooned at Disneyland and spent other anniversaries at Disneyland we were looking forward to coming to Aulani. In fact we spent more to come here than it cost for a suite at Turtle Bay, how I wish we would have gone there. So long story short we were given a room with two queen beds and promised part way throough our 10 day stay we can move to a king room. The front desk person said to me"this is more of a family place" making me feel that couples with kids aren't welcome here. If that doesn't happen were going to leave. Our first night we went to try and get dinner. The sit down restaurant was closed and staff nearby had no idea. We then went to the buffet to find that we couldn't even get our name on the list, so we ended up spending $100 for a regular meal via room service. This morning I called to make a breakfast reservation and was told you have to go in person to put your name on the list, which my husband did and the cast member put us on the waiting list and just shrugged her shoulders. Our prior experiences Disney was better than this clearly not at Aulani. Din't waste your money there are a lot of other nice places in Hawaii.

Loved the Makahiki restaurant. Wished they would include wristbands for the water play areas with large parties.

There are plenty of Disney souvenirs.
As for what was past time, there was thing which is 7-80% cheaper by sale.
Even if you do not stay, you may go to the shop only.

where to start? so much to do you don t even want to leave the resort. i discovered a snorkel tank which was so awesome and the pool attractions were amazing!!! the rooms were awesome as well

The staff is the best part of this resort. They are always very friendly, and willing to answer any questions that you may have about the island.

Wonderful, relaxing stay. Fun for entire family. Lots to do so read the daily Iwa. Some things require an extra cost, but not too many. Wonderful programming for littles and adults.

Ate lunch at Ama Ama! Best burger I have had in a very long time! The resort was the most beautiful one I visited on the entire island. I would definitely recommend you stop by and see it if you get the chance!

The atmosphere is amazing, the cast members are so kind and the food is great. We will definitely be going back.

While it is a nice hotel, it is rather pricy and out of the way, so that you are somewhat cut off from the crest if Oahu, and the Disney atmosphere is some what lacking. There is not a compelling reason to go here as there are other better options on the eastern side of Oahu.

Stayed here for a couple nights with all the amenities a family would need. Thought it would be fun to stay in Waikiki. Wrooong especially when you have a one year old. Why go to waikiki when you can just drive there. Aulani has there own beach, a lazy river. Water slide n mickey!!! Only fault is the food . Not the best but thats y you rent a car to get the island food. Next time!!! Aulani all the way!

I absolutely love this resort!!!! Hawaii is amazing but this resort ties it together! I might be in love with this! 5 stars is an understatement! If I could, I would rate it the world!

Our family had a wonderful time at aulani. All the staff were very friendly, and the resort itself was fabulous. We will definitely be returning again.

Outstanding, the resort is awesome. The people working here are friendly

I love visiting Tori from the front desk was great she showed us everything from the main desk and how beautiful the property is. I can't wait to come on back to stay.

Not cheap but very nice. My family really enjoyed meeting the Disney characters during the morning breakfast.

A tropical, magical, paradise. Aulani is great for everything from eating, shows, family activities, and pure relaxation.

The water is not Cristal clear like it used to be, but we went ahead to swim.
Also, it very difficult to find parking so plan accordingly.

Friendly staff, families everywhere, safe, picturesque, lots of activities for adults and children, clean pools and beach.

Absolutely fantastic resort. All the restaurants had great gluten free options and the staff everywhere was wonderful.

It was so family friendly and the pools were amazing.

Three less stars as there was an unpleasant encounter with a hostile staff member handing out the lei upfront. Front desk handled it five-star worthy! Pool was shut down! Room was great!

Great family resort. The kids and adults both love it.

Great Resort, beautiful beach and pool area. The food is so so.

Standard room size, good service, valet cost is the same as self parking, adult walkable eateries and market across the street (kids will complain) and the private beach has no waves, so it's more safe.

Everyone's very pleasant and aware of their surroundings. Hotel rooms are very pricey. Loved that the characters are always coming around to say hi during breakfast

This hotel is great, especially for kids. It's kind of far from Honolulu, so it's not near most of the touristy stuff. The restaurants are good but limited and there's only 2 shops in the hotel.

Great way to incorporate local Hawaiian culture and customs with Disney magic.

This place is Disney, and I love Disney! You'll feel just at home if you been to the other resorts, I really recommend!

Five star hotel, no question. Excellent place for all family.

Aulani Character Brunch....tiok the Grandkids AGAIN! Great venue....good food and Mickie and Company were awesome with the kids..

Beautiful campus. The resort is laid out really thoughtfully, and there is a lot to learn about local history & culture. The staff are helpful & friendly. Rooms are very comfortable. Would recommend.

We did not have a room at Aulani, but they had fireworks for the 4th of July. And it was great, people were excited and the workers were very helpful.

I rented a car for goods and sightseeing.
Especially great for families.
As a vacation, everything is complete here.
My husband, who is not interested in Disney, was surprised at the facility and wanted to stay there once. ..
I think it's a good idea to stay here for about 3 nights and move to Waikiki ...
I was shown a time-sharing room, but it was very nice.
In Hawaii, there are Hilton, Outrigger and timeshares, but only Aulani will have property and asset value.

There were many small things included that were not expected which helped me give this a 4 star rating.

Pros:
Service-Always intrusive by asking if you need anything
Clean
Quality
Facilities
Plenty of pool space and areas for small kids
Room was fairly big and clean
**We requested a microwave and bathroom scale which were brought to accommodate us.

Cons:
We were overcharged 2 times for the Character breakfast...the 2nd time is when we caught it. When we questioned the waitress and she assured us that the charges were correct. We later check the prices for children and we were right with our concern. After talking with the front desk, they found out we were overcharged $60 for 2 days at the Character breakfast. I'm an adult, so I tend to always check where I spend my money. It bothers we we had to be so involved with this to be sure we got our money back. As we all know, Disney is never a cheap experience. My problem was resolved by the front desk....should've been resolved when we questioned the waitress.

The lazy river was amazing and the beach area was wonderful.

The resort is nice and the service was good but it's very secluded, prices for food and other services are really, really expensive. Eg. $300usd to rent a vehicle for one day.

Situated south of Honolulu Airport, on the other side of Waikiki. It can be enjoyed as a beach resort different from Waikiki.

The environment was beautiful. Friendly people everywhere

This resort is so beautiful! Our room was clean, and the bathroom was perfect. I did not find it out dated. The staff was extremely friendly. Yes, food and drinks are pricey but go across the street and they have some dinning areas for food and drinks that are reasonably priced. They also have a small grocery shop to pick up snacks and drinks for the room.

You must go to their Luau!!! It was entertaining, and the food was pretty good.

I will definitely be coming back!

My first visit to Aulani and besides the fact that it is super expensive it was so much fun for my daughter it was worth it.

Disney in paradise. As with most things disney does its a cleab airy and spacious resort with a fantastic personal piece of ocean as well as water slides lazy rivers and beautiful hotub. And although it is disney down to the details its not overboard more like a very upscale island feel with a disney sprinkle coating.

The front desk Ken helped us get into our room quickly. The women at the hospitality desk near the bell hops made it magic to get into our room magically. I wish I had her name. The entire staff at the Disney Spa are the best in the world. A 5 star rating. So many staff members. However the General Manager Kim l believe her name is Kim. Runs a loving environment . Everyone is happy to work here. The Alulanii is the best property of all the Disney Properties.
Diane Bottjer will follow with many of the
Names that were so kind t o us . Diane Bottjer Eating at Ama tonight at 7:00 pm

Anyway, a fun place. Hawaii is a land of shopping, dining, lodging and dreams.

What an amazing resort that is true to the Disney standards! All of the staff went above and beyond to ensure our stay was magical. The rooms/grounds are immaculate, great lazy river, water slides, pools and semi private beach lagoon! Seeing Moana walk around always made my kids day. An amazing vacation!

Great customer service. Food was delicious. View is amazing.

I love how we don't need to fly to the continental US to get the Disney parks exclusive products.

While a nice place to visit I believe it is so overpriced you have to go elsewhere to eat

Aulani is an amazing place to stay with family. Tons of activities, great rooms, amazing views, all the swimming you can handle. Fantastic food and friendly staff. Great beach views and fantastic on site dinning.

The room was amazing and comfortable and the waterpark and beach were always fun to go to. Would go again.

I would have given it 7 stars if it was possible! This resort is top shelf. The grounds are perfect. The ocean front is a lagoon perfect for swimming. The rooms are beautiful and well appointed. There are multiple pools and hit tubs. There is even a lazy river. You can have a hotel room up to a twelve person villa. The restaurant's are well themed and the food is good. But like food anywhere in Oahu it is expensive. This is the place to go for a magical Hawaiian vacation.

Don't waste your money! This resort is over-rated, over-priced, and typical to what you would find with Disney. They are all about volume and have no personal touch or care whatsoever. We spent $800 per night and there was NOTHING out of the ordinary we received for that price. There are basically only two restaraunts at the resort and they book up fast. They don't tell you at check in to book your reservations for every meal Even for breakfast, we couldn't get in without a wait. Everything is extra and everything is a long wait. The Buffet is horrible. For $50 per person you get very slow service, the food quality is typical mass dining type and the selections are very limited. The only good thing at the Aulani is the spa. They have a very nice hydrotherapy area. Housekeeping staff is very nice and friendly as well. Management didn't seem the least bit interested to listen to our concerns. After a day at the water park there was nothing to do at night. Oahu has many other resorts with a lot more options of things to do for less cost and better food and service. I was very disappointed with this resort and will not be coming back, and do not recommend to anyone.

Buffet breakfast was outstanding! Minnie Mouse and Pluto were entertaining everyone every 30 min .

A little hard to get to but definitely worth the trip. Disney brought their own style to Hawaii.

My family and I love this piece of paradise! Service is awesome and accommodations are second to none.

We had a wonderful family vacation here in the spring. Love the fact that there is a kids club for kids 3 and up where they can attend registered activities as well as drop in play. My kids loved attending the morning family open house and the registered sessions were a hit too. Love that this resort is not too big and there are so many different things to do that you don't feel like you need to leave the resort. Mornings come early when adjusting to the time change and it is a really nice walk to walk along the ocean on the paved path to see the various coves. If you have a chance head over to paradise cove to try and see the sea turtles and there was lots of little fish swimming around the rocks. We attended the luau on site while it was being done inside and it was wonderful. The luau kept our 3 year old captivated the entire time. Having food allergies in our group we really appreciated the care taken by the chef to ensure our food was safe and to go through the buffet line with us to see what we would like and then they would prepare it in the back where there was no risk of cross contamination. We will definitely be back.

Food was average to below average. Atmosphere was great and the hotel was beautiful!

The hotel is beautiful and the service is friendly and helpful. The only complaint I have is that the doors inside the room, (between living space and bedrooms and bedrooms and bathrooms) have open slats that do not allow for very much privacy.

Aulani has friendly staff and the quality of everything is top notch. The seafood buffet is excellent. Rooms are clean and nicely decorated. Parking is expensive for non-guests.

Amazing view of the ocean and the pool are. The lazy river is relaxing and extremely enjoyable. The spa is out of this world. Cast members are always greating you and are very helpful.

I didn't stay but I walked through the grounds after lying my way past the staff handing out leis at the entrance - lemme tell you something... It makes sense that Disney would spend a ridiculous amount of money to make this resort completely full of everything you might need or want in Hawaii, but they did more than just that. It's almost sickening how much money they spent on that place - the only thing worse is how much more you pay per night. Still, an incredible experience, like walking through a celebrity's vacation home and gawking at all the useless stuff they spend their money on.

Fun, exciting, the lazy river was a blast, and all around just a wonderful experience. It is pricey, but everything in Hawaii is, however you get what you pay for. We stayed in one of the condos that had 2 rooms with a king and 2 queens. In the living room there was a full sized hideaway along with a single hideaway as well. We were able to comfortably fit 6 adults and 3 children. Costco and Safeway were within a quick driving distance, so with a full kitchen we were able to save money by cooking our own meals.

If you want a location far from the busy city, this is the place to be. More laid back, serene, very different and opposite of Waikiki.

If you want access to everything like mall, night life, hike to Diamond head, beach, restaurants, bars, cheese cake factory, live band, stay along Waikiki.

The staff is always so hospitable and friendly. Food is amazing and well received by my family. I can't imagine a better family vacation destination

You can come anytime. A space full of hospitality. Breakfast with Mickey and Minnie is also wonderful.
Pool slider was good too. It was an unforgettable vacation.

It's Disney, and it shows. Excellent service and stellar grounds. Way too crowded at times. Go during an off-peak week!!!