Update & Tips for Aulani in Hawaii
We were at Disney’s Aulani Resort on Oahu, Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, and figured since we haven’t shared an update from that resort in a while, now would be a good time. So, we have some new info and tips for Aulani. We also have a ShellieMay Aulani plush giveaway at the end of the post!
In addition to today’s post, we’ve updated our Aulani Resort & Spa Trip Planning Guide with new info and photos from our visit. As Aulani is still relatively new, it’s constantly changing and evolving, so it’s good to have current info if you’re thinking about or planning a visit.
We were only at Aulani for the day (we priced out staying there and our jaws about hit the floor–it was Presidents’ Day week, though), but one thing that caught my attention was how much busier it was than our last two visits. The pool areas were all pretty busy, and the meet & greet lines for every character were really long.
On the character front, Moana was now meeting at Aulani! As we were not registered hotel guests, we did not partake in any character meet & greets (the lines were too long for us, anyway), but it was cool to see that she was there. Actually, there were a number of neat Moana-inspired additions around Aulani.
One really clever way Moana was integrated into Aulani was at the Mo‘olelo Fireside Stories. “Uncle” recounted some of the same Oceanic legends that are featured in Moana. (Apparently, later in the evening, Moana also participates in the storytelling.)
Given Moana’s cultural authenticity, it’s a perfect fit for Aulani. When it comes to Disney, “synergy” is often viewed as a four-letter word, but this is the perfect use, I think. If properly integrated, there are ways to enhance Aulani with more from Moana, in a way that will give Aulani more authenticity and a more “Disney” feel for kids. I view that as a win-win.
Moana finally debuted in Japan over the weekend (March 10, 2017), and it topped the weekend box office with a $6.3 million take. If Moana continues that strong pace, it’ll be interesting to see if more is added to Aulani, which is a popular destination for Japanese tourists.
The other big change at Aulani is that the Starlit Hui has been retired, and Ka Wa’a Luau has replaced it. The Starlit Hui was free entertainment, something of a quasi-luau without the dining component. Ka Wa’a is a full, paid luau and is comparable to popular options at the Polynesian Cultural Center and Paradise Cove.
I’m not quite sure how to feel about this. Starlit Hui was excellent, with incredibly production value and it seemed culturally authentic. Most importantly, it was free. By contrast, Ka Wa’a is over $100 per person.
Despite this, we were eager to give Ka Wa’a a try to see if it were worth the money. Unfortunately, the only night it was showing that we were in Oahu was our first night, and that wouldn’t work with our schedule. We did Paradise Cove instead (which I just reviewed on TravelCaffeine.com).
One of Sarah’s big priorities for the visit was merchandise, the exclusive ShellieMay and Duffy stuff, in particular. Aulani has always been strong on the merch front, but it seems like they’ve upped their game since our last visit. (I don’t know how that’s even possible.)
In addition to the Duffy stuff, there were a ton of tasteful Aulani designs, and also a lot of co-branded items in Hale Manu (the high-end clothing store near the main KÄlepa’s Store gift shop) that were really high quality…but also really expensive. There’s a new Tori Richard shirt I really liked, but spending ~$100 on a Hawaiian shirt didn’t seem like a wise idea.
Dining at Aulani remains something of a mixed bag. Previously, we were moderately impressed by Off the Hook Pool Bar. Our experience was not nearly as good this time; the food was so-so (at best) and the drinks were all smaller and served in plastic cups instead of glass ones.
On the other hand, Ulu Cafe remains a strong counter service option, so long as you’re good with a flatbread or their daily specials. Still, the menu isn’t all that diverse–for a resort this large, you’d expect more from its main counter service restaurant.
Given Aulani’s high level of service and quality, dining is a definite weakness. It’s not all bad or even mediocre, but it’s not on par with the rest of the resort. Too bad, as there’s a lot of potential.
Next door to Aulani, what was once the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort is now the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. Even though the luxury JW Marriott brand is no slouch, this is definitely an upgrade. The hotel was closed for over a year of renovations with the rebranded resort opening last summer.
I suspect Disney is pleased with this. Even though it doesn’t benefit Disney directly, a chic neighbor further positions Ko Olina as one of the emerging, trendy areas for affluent visitors to Hawaii.
I intended to tour the Four Seasons and share some photos from the resort, but less than 5 minutes after walking onto its property, I was kicked off. Apparently, I don’t have the “look” of Four Seasons clientele.
Actually, I suspect it has more to do with me walking from Aulani’s beach through Four Seasons’ beach. Had I walked through the front into the lobby, I doubt it would’ve been an issue.
Regardless, I’d be interested in staying at this Four Seasons at some point. In quickly browsing the Four Seasons site, the resort and its rooms look really nice.
Overall, we remain really impressed with Aulani. It’s like Animal Kingdom Lodge (with pools inspired by Beach Club) with a different theme, more to do, and set in paradise. On our last two visits to Hawaii, we have not stayed at Aulani, instead opting for the North Shore and Waikiki Beach, and we’ve regretted the decision each time. (Not so much with the North Shore, which is beautiful, but Waikiki is not my scene.) Not only is Aulani a great way to get a dose of Disney on a visit to Hawaii, but it’s one of the nicest resorts in Hawaii–even if you were to take away the Disney elements.
Giveaway
This giveaway is actually being hosted by our other blog, TravelCaffeine.com, which details our our non-Disney adventures–we’re just sharing it here. Over there, it’s “Hawaii Week” (I feel like I’m hosting Wheel of Fortune right now), meaning we will have a new post about our trip to Hawaii every day this week. If you are going to Aulani, we think these posts will be helpful, as you are going to want to explore Hawaii outside of the Disney resort.
The prize is a brand-new (well, aside from that time some fool placed her on a poolside rock and awkwardly took photos of it… 😉 ) ShellieMay plush, exclusive to Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa!
Here is a bit more explanation for some of the entry options, since we had some confusion in the last giveaway:
- Comment on any of our Hawaii blog posts on TravelCaffeine. Commenting on this post is not an entry.
- Subscribe to our TravelCaffeine email newsletter. You need to go to that link and sign up via the form there; the entry field on the giveaway form below is confirmation that you signed up–it’s not how you sign up. (I know: that’s unnecessarily confusing, but I didn’t make the giveaway widget.)
- Share! Those options are pretty self-explanatory…
Please be sure to read the instructions for each giveaway entry method and then verify it in the giveaway form above. Good luck in the giveaway!
Your Thoughts
What do you think about Disney replacing the free Starlit Hui with a paid luau? Have you seen the new Ka Wa’a Luau? Any thoughts on its value for money? Any other opinions regarding Aulani or tips of your own to add? Do you think more Moana here would fit the theme and vibe of the resort? Please share any comments or questions you have below, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Were you able to attend the Fireside Stories as a non guest? We are staying next door at the Ko Olina Beach Villas and have our Character Breakfast booked, but was curious if it was worth walking over in the evening for the stories.
We’ve been at Aulani all week. There’s no sign of LILO or STITCH. I thought these characters were Aulani staples. Sadness!
Another vote for Monkeypod Kitchen here–we stayed at Aulani for a week about two years ago. We loved just about everything at the resort except the dining. Like you mentioned, it was so-so…but for us, many of the meals dipped below so-so to downright insulting, given the price and compared against overall high quality of the resort. I was hoping in this post that maybe the food improved, but alas, I guess they’re still trying to iron out the kinks?! Monkeypod was our savior, truly…we walked there almost every night!! The food is good, but the drinks are where they really shine!!! I suppose the next time we visit we’ll see if the Four Seasons is another better dining option too.
Just a note on Hawaii’s beach laws. All beaches in Hawaii are public property and accessible to everyone. There’s even a requirement for public access to the shoreline every 500 yards (how far IN you have to walk is a different story). Four Seasons may try to prevent you from walking on their beach, but legally they can’t, so long as you’re along the beaches and shorelines below the “upper reaches of the wash of the waves.” There’s a $2000 fine for obstructing access. Push back next time and keep walking. I have friends who live in Hawaii full time and they gave me this advice the last time I visited. It’s come in handy.
Haha, yeah, we have similar laws in California. I was trying to check out the actual resort from the beach, not stay along the shoreline. Thanks, though!
We are DVC members and saved two years of points to go to Aulani, and we did not regret a minute of it. We stayed at a Marriott near the airport on our arrival day (why waste the points just to sleep), and climbed Diamond Head Volcano the next day before driving the 40 minutes to Aulani. We had a one bedroom suite that had a pull-down trundle bed for my 13-year-old and a pull-out couch for my 22-year-old daughter. There was plenty of kitchen space and two balconies overlooking the water play area. The pools, water slides, and snorkling were fantastic, but the best experience was the character breakfast. I still yearn for the french toast with custard topping! We rented a car so we could go to the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, and the Dole Plantation. Aulani was a beautiful resort to call home when we came back tired and needing some pool time. In the afternoon, the pool became less crowded and we watched many sunsets from there.
We were in Oahu last week staying with friends, but we went to Aulani for the character breakfast and dinner at Ama Ama. Found your dinner review to be perfectly on point – apps were so so but the chateaubriand was DIVINE. Breakfast was fine and a surprise for the kids who were thrilled that Mickey was on vacation in Hawaii too. But given the price of rooms, I would rather stay at Four Seasons next door.
While I’ve deemed 2017 as “the year with little-to-no travel” (too much traveling in 2015-2016), these posts are continuing to cement Hawaii as my next big adventure. You are dangerous for my bank account!
Tom,
You can you provide some quick insight on what you can and cannot do at Aulani if you are a resort guest versus visiting for a day?
You cannot use the pools. I suspect you cannot partake in the recreational offerings (I don’t know for sure, haven’t tried). You can shop, dine, hang out on the beach, or take a resort tour if you’re a DVC member.
Does dining include the character meals?
We loved our visit to the Aulani — the rooms were very nice and the property is gorgeous. But the two major dings against the property are crowd control and food options. During mid-summer it was just as packed as a theme park. That meant getting up early for the equivalent of a “rope drop” to get pool chairs and towels which made most of my family members cranky. (The morning we didn’t we were unable to find two chairs together anywhere on the property.) The food options were the other challenge during our week-long stay. Our room had a kitchenette so we walked to the Ko Olina center for breakfast supplies. The Ulu Café was our usual lunch option (and decently priced, considering). We enjoyed Ama Ama but there are only so many meals you can eat there. We took the free shuttle to the Monkeypod Kitchen at the end of the week and wished we’d found it sooner.
“We took the free shuttle to the Monkeypod Kitchen…”
I haven’t done this–nor did I know there was a free shuttle there. Thanks for the tip!
We stayed over President’s Week and had a fantastic time! It was our first visit, so we didn’t have anything to compare it to, but the only place Aulani fell flat for us was the food. The one time we considered eating at Ulu, the line was out the door. Our dinner at Ama Ama was nice, but we managed to get the only table that didn’t have a nice view (towards the back cornered in by hedge on two sides) and found the prices definitely didn’t match the food quality. That said, our breakfast at Ama Ama was the highlight meal of the trip!
We did go to the luau and had a fantastic time! I was pleased that Mickey and Minnie only made a short appearance – 5 minutes tops for the hula the kids were invited to come up and dance. The food was good (not great) but we thought the show was wonderful!
We did the Paradise Cove Luau instead of Ka Wa’a. Family we traveled with booked it, but they said they found the price difference to be noteworthy and while we’re all big Disney fans, we were more interested in paying for something without characters. I’ll comment more on that on the Travel Caffeine post, but I mention it here because we noticed that many times, the luau was the only major offering taking place at Aulani after 8 p.m, and considering its hefty price tag, I think it’s a real shame. We enjoyed Aulani a lot, but for those in our party who are night owls, the lack of resort offerings in the evening if you don’t pay for the luau is really inexcusable for the cost to stay there. For us, the remote location seemed like a positive, but it works against Aulani after 8 when the pools and most casual/counter service dining locations are closed. Even community hall closed at 9. (This was over Chinese New Year week, which was admittedly rather quiet, according to the Cast.) This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy Aulani; far from it. But I wonder if I’d have felt differently on this point if I’d been when the Starlit Hui was offered.
“…we’re all big Disney fans, we were more interested in paying for something without characters.”
Everything I’ve read suggests that no Disney characters are part of the main show. Given the great efforts Disney has made to ensure the authenticity and respectfulness of Aulani, I’d be shocked if Ka Wa’a is not one of (if not the) most authentic luau on Oahu.
I agree about Aulani lacking activities in the evening, but that’s pretty much par for the course in Hawaii outside of Waikiki.
This was the part of a longer trip where I delighted in not having to plan, so I didn’t read up as extensively as I normally might, but characters before rather than during main show does sound right. That was still enough to raise a touch of skepticism for some in our party, though, so we went with an option that sounded good to all of us, and we has no regrets. I’d be interested in Ka Wa’a if we returned, but for this trip and this travel party, what we did worked out quite well. Semi-related on the respectfulness and attentiveness end, if not luaus: the art and culture of Aulani tour was a major highlight of our stay, as was going off the resort for a venture to Bishop Museum. Together those were really wonderful ways to better understand the influences on the resort.
Great review. My sister lives in Honolulu and we’ve been going for years. AKL is my all- time favorite so I was thrilled with the direction they took Aulani. I love it. It has gotten increasingly crowded every time we have been, which makes me sad. The first time we stayed it was absolutely perfect. This past July it was a zoo of tourists. But still gorgeous. And the new luau breaks my heart! We stayed on a first floor villa overlooking the lawn where the starlit hui was and had great views. It truly was a spectacular production and with the rooms costing so outrageously much, I think that should be a perk for resort guests. We would never pay over $100 a person for that luau, and it makes me so sad! Such a ripoff on top of crazy high prices. I miss the olden days of Aulani! We will still continue to visit on day trips, and we love Ama Ama and Ulu Room. I just hate that its so crowded and expensive now! (Kinda like WDW). Overall, its gorgeous and will always hold a special place in my heart.
I’m very saddened to see the Starlit Hui has been retired. What a shame. I felt that this show was a true Aulani highlight. Why why why??
Thanks so much for all of your hard work (and fun) to make this blog what it is. I’ve been reading Disney blogs for years & this is BY FAR my favorite. You guys rock!