AULANI = PARADISE

Aulani is complete paradise!  Our family had a fantastic time at this hotel!

I reserved the one bedroom Island view villa for our family of five but at check in we were upgraded to an ocean view!!!  We never get this kind of luck so we were beyond excited!!  It was late when we got to the room so we didn't get to see the view until morning but it was beautiful!

The villa itself was extremely spacious with a kitchen area, banquet dining table, sofa bed and a hidden bed in the entertainment center.  The bathroom was accessible from both the foyer and the master bedroom.  The master bedroom had a king size bed, desk with a chair and a TV amore.  There were 2 balconies, one in the master bedroom and one in the living area.  I loved the colors of the Hawaiian decor and all the subtle Disney touches,   It was much more beautiful than these pictures depict:

Now on to the resort!!  There is so much to do here we really needed more time but we made the most of our time and accomplished a ton of things!  See all the activities offered HERE.

The pool areas are really amazing!  There are spots for all ages to have lots of fun.  Since the ages of our children are spaced out (14, 10, & 3), we did just that!

The Menehune Bridge is like a playground in the water and I think my ten and three year old could have spent all day there.  There are slides, bridges and buckets of dumping water.  The height is restricted to 48"and below to play and is enforced by the lifeguards.  Next don't miss the lazy river or Waikolohe Stream as they call it at Aulani.  There are also two water slides in the pool area which my daughters both enjoyed!  There is a splash area called Keiki Cove for little ones which was very close to the Grotto pool and hot tub.   Also,  Disney characters come out to pool area to mingle with the guests and you can snap all the pictures you want.  It was great!  One time we just hung out with Stitch for quite a long time by ourselves it was nothing like the long waits in the parks.  They also have an interactive dance party at the pool with several characters.  Our whole family enjoyed this!  There are photo pass photographers throughout the resort but they are not always with the characters.

There are so many many terrific activities to do at the resort!  Our family had a fabulous time taking Ukulele lessons, making fish prints, drawing animation cells,and making a small outrigger and racing it in the ocean!

The kids club also have planned activities you can sign up for or just have free time at Aunties.  My older daughter met with the teens at the ocean to do a craft and she enjoyed it.  Learn what other  daily activities they offer HERE and about the kid's club HERE.

The storytelling around the fire was a fun experience.  We had the opportunity to listen to the stories on two separate nights by two different "Uncles".  Honestly they both did a fantastic job of captivating both young and old in the audience.  

Absolutely do not miss the Starlight Hui!!!  This is such a well done event and is included in your stay!!  It was fabulous!  The kids or "keiki" get to immerse themselves in the Hawaiian culture before the show by enjoying crafts, music and dance.  If I had to pick something at Aulani that was my favorite (which I wouldn't want to because I loved it all....)  I would pick the Starlight Hui!

Look out for the Menehune!  They are all over the resort.  It was fun looking for them and then playing the iPad based game,  Don't miss this!

The breakfast at  Makahiki was a fun experience.  If you have been to character dining at one of the Disney parks it is very similar but I felt like there was much more engagement with characters than what we have experienced in the parks.  The kids danced with them and acted silly with them.  I would definitely  recommend eating here.  There were a lot options at the buffet.  And they not only had mickey waffles but they also had Stitch waffles!!  They had several different pineapples available including one that had black pepper on it!  It was fun trying new things and dining with the characters, not to mention the atmosphere at the restaurant was fabulous (we were sat on the lanai).

The quick service 

We ate at the Ulu Cafe a few times.  It was fast and easy.  This is where you refill your resort mugs.  It is the same size mug as at Disney World but with several different Aulani Designs on the mugs.

I also ordered a few treats for the kids in advance on the Aulani In Room Gifts and Surprises Page.  The kids loved these!  It was hard to eat the Stitch because he was so cute but they did!!

In the gift shop they have an area where you can buy food to make in your room.  Our family loves rice so I bought a large bag of rice to cook in the rice cooker located in the room.  They had cheese, bread and lots of other options to prepare yourself in your room or villa. 

We also ate at a local pizza shop across from Aulani called Pizza Corner.  The Hawaiian pizza with Kalua pork was amazing!

Last but not least, SHOPPING!!

We loved the selection of Aulani souvenirs they had at the shops in Aulani!

My tween daughter was able to get Shellie May here before she was available in the parks.  This was a highlight for her!!!  They have really cute outfits for Duffy and Shellie May in the shops at Aulani and some that are even specific to Aulani.

One day we hope to return to Aulani.  It was one of our very favorite journeys!  I feel like we only scratched the surface while we were at Aulani, there is definitely much more to explore here!!

Until next time Aulani!!

   

*This vacation was taken June 2015.  Some of the items pictured may be different or unavailable now.  But I am certain there will be fabulous selections no matter when you are there! *

Tips:

~Get to the pool area early for a good spot.          

~With that in mind make sure someone from your party is actually using the spot!  The lifeguards strictly enforce not saving chairs.  So you can't just throw your stuff down and go play for the day.   They will take up your things and you will have to collect them from the hut where you get your armbands.  There are details on this when you get your armbands,  Make sure you look at it!!

~Take a waterproof camera or get a waterproof case for your phone so that you can take pictures with the characters, etc while at the pool and the beach area.

~If you want to sign up for certain activities (including kids club activities) do it when they open!  The available slots fill up fast for popular activities.

~Get in line for the Starlight Hui early.  They seat you according to your place in line.  Also be aware you sit on the ground on mats.  Once you have your mat in place kick off your shoes and go immerse yourself in the Hawaiian culture!