Any and all information/suggestions would be quite welcome at this point.
10:36am on 7/9/26 by
goofygardiner
I've never been but following as we're considering a trip in the future.
10:40am on 7/9/26 by
popupcamper
Dh and I went last December as part of a larger Hawai'i trip. It was a lovely and relaxing 5 nights. We took advantage of the adult pool, ate multiple times at the Olelo room (and enjoyed the live music!), and relaxed. Dh has food allergies which made 1/
10:44am on 7/9/26 by
KLuck
the 2 prix fixe restaurants not worth it. We also ate at Off the Hook (breakfast and dinner once each) and had a fancy dinner next door at Mina's Fish House at the Four Seasons. There are many other nice places to eat that don't work w dh's restrictions.
10:49am on 7/9/26 by
KLuck
We did rent a car (free parking w DVC). One day we drove up to the North Shore and another day we hiked Diamond Head. There are oodles of botanical gardens if you are into that sort of thing like I am lol and Pearl Harbor ofc (had been before) 3/
10:51am on 7/9/26 by
KLuck
The luau gets good reviews, but we did another luau on the Big Island. There are lots of characters to meet! We splurged on a 1 br ocean view and I am so happy we did that. We spent a lot of time on our balcony (Ewa tower, one of those w a long balcony)
10:55am on 7/9/26 by
KLuck
It is nice to be able to just relax there. There are good places across the street to eat at. There's also a grocery store. The resort places are good too. The traffic from airport to Aulani can be very heavy.
10:57am on 7/9/26 by
bucketfoot
Paging @Totsy :)
11:56am on 7/9/26 by
cdlla
I will be there in September and can report back. We are also doing it as part of a larger trip to other islands.
12:15pm on 7/9/26 by
VikeQueen
We went for 7 nights in the summer of 2023. A few thoughts: the resort is amazing. We loved our stay. We rented DVC points and our room overlooked the center pool area out to the ocean.
12:19pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
After 4 nights we grew tired of the pool and lazy rivers and lack of food. As others said, there are some great restaurants across the street but we were frankly bored. 4 nights and 3 days was plenty to take in all the resort has to offer.
12:20pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
Getting and holding pool chairs is a thing. I would go down about 8:30 to get ours. One person has to be present at all times to hold the chairs. The quick service and sit-down restaurants are nice but again for only so long.
12:21pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
Any island in Hawaii is amazing but having been to other islands, Oahu is probably my least favorite. It's the most crowded. We felt Aulani was one and done for us. We had come from Kauai and wished we had spent more time there. So much so....
12:23pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
...that we decided if we ever return to Hawaii we are going back to Kauai. I don't mean to sound like a downer about Aulani. We are glad we went. We just wished we spent 4, 5 nights max. Better times and places can be had in other parts of Hawaii.
12:24pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
I forgot to mention the luau - 200% would do that again at Aulani. Absolutely beautiful, magical and the food was delicious. My daughter was 12 and she cried when it was over because she was so entranced by the beauty of the show.
12:27pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
We love Aulani. I would definitely recommend renting a car so you can explore the island. Agree about the luau, we really enjoyed it. I'll throw in a different perspective on the restaurants...
12:34pm on 7/9/26 by
njhyndman
...Makahiki does a good character breakfast so I'd recommend it if you like character meals. I really enjoyed AMA AMA at sunset for meal. However it is expensive and more for foodies. It's a lovely resort.
12:36pm on 7/9/26 by
njhyndman
I agree with everything you said @shock. I own Aulani DVC points so we have been a few times. But I can only stay there for so long. And I think having a car to get out to explore the island is a must if you can possibly do it.
12:38pm on 7/9/26 by
VikeQueen
The Luau is lovely, but it is less traditional than another luau you might experience elsewhere.
12:38pm on 7/9/26 by
VikeQueen
Yes! Forgot about the character breakfast! It's the best character breakfast I have ever attended. Food and character interactions were the best! Non-hurried and delicious.
12:43pm on 7/9/26 by
shockbl
We've gone over Christmas and New Years for the last two years. Extended family in a 2-bed villa. We love it. We did a week on the north shore and then transferred to Aulani. Always had a rental car. We love the island.
12:45pm on 7/9/26 by
silvest
We're planning a big trip in Feb. current plan is basically every other day at the resort, alternating with something elsewhere. There's a lot to see and do on Oahu. We're planning Pearl Harbor, north shore, PCC, Honolulu and maybe a boat trip.
12:47pm on 7/9/26 by
RememberWhen
My BFF had a similar impression as @shock. She was glad when they moved to the Marriott nearby. She thought Aulani was too hectic and had too many screaming kids with families jostling for pool seats. And she had teens with her. She would not recommend it
1:16pm on 7/9/26 by
evamarie320
as a romantic couples destination lol.
1:17pm on 7/9/26 by
evamarie320
I agree its very much a family destination but when we went, DH and I found pockets that were more quiet/serene and less surrounded with kid enrgy. Here are some ideas. Very early mornings on the beach. Sublime. Yoga classes, paddleboard. We were
1:30pm on 7/9/26 by
Totsypooh
Jetlagged anyway. After dark around the resort and by the water. Also very quiet and pretty esp after the pool closes. We are next door at Minas Fish house. A great alternative to Ama Ama and very formal/romantic. We got massages at the SPA and the adult
1:32pm on 7/9/26 by
Totsypooh
Only area was very nice and we pretty much had it to ourselves. One of the funnest things we did together was the ukelele class. DH is already a guitar player but i was utterly amazed. They did the 4 chord thing where you can play a dozen different songs
1:33pm on 7/9/26 by
Totsypooh
How did I forget to mention the spa? We both enjoyed it (I had a facial bc I don't like people touching me lol) The adult pool was sooooo quiet compared to the main pool. We both liked the lazy river and the slides when not overrun w kids (evening)
2:42pm on 7/9/26 by
KLuck
OMG yes - the spa!!! I have been to a lot of different spas and Aulani is by far my favorite.
3:22pm on 7/9/26 by
njhyndman
Chiming in with another vote for the spa! We were there a week and alternated one day staying at the resort with one day off site excursions and loved that schedule.
6:44pm on 7/9/26 by
Rjcsmom
This is great information. Thank you. Tell me more. You can't possibly oversaturate me at this point.
Any thoughts on when to get good prices on flights, and from where? I am Canadian, near Toronto, but I'm happy to fly from Buffalo or Detroit.
8:36pm on 7/10/26 by
goofygardiner
We actually added an extra day at the front and back of our trip and flew from Chicago to San Francisco (sight seeing day there) and then from San Fran to Hawaii the next day so our flights were about 4 hours each vs. one 8 hour flight.
9:35pm on 7/10/26 by
Rjcsmom
We stayed there for half our trip, and half at the Royal Hawaiian. We had a rental car. We absolutely loved the resort. I agree with all that the other posters mentioned. We liked snorkeling at their beach. I saw a small octopus, so that was a big plus.
12:33am on 7/11/26 by
tiana
The lazy river was a joy, the luau was good, but I prefer a more authentic one, and the character breakfast was wonderful. I agree with going across the street for food and other things. So much island to explore. Try to hit Waimanalo Beach!
12:35am on 7/11/26 by
tiana
Sfl
7:45am on 7/11/26 by
peterpan4ever
To me this luau was less cheesy than others I've been to. We prefer Oahu to Maui but those are the only two we've visited. I agree that likely 4 or 5 nights can be enough unless you really work to find other things to see/do other places to eat.
9:32am on 7/11/26 by
aliceinwonderla
That made us decide that on our trip next summer we would split stay. If you decide to do that, keep in mind that points system for Aulani differs in that weekend is not more than weekday. For that reason we chose Aulani for Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon and
9:35am on 7/11/26 by
aliceinwonderla
Other resort/ island during week. Have heard that locals like to book weekends there though so might be tough at 7mo. Have also heard flying Tues or Wed is sig cheaper and that seems to be true.
9:37am on 7/11/26 by
aliceinwonderla
I also feel like I read somewhere that Aulani will undergo refurb in 2027. Not sure if that is still true, but maybe by 7mo mark you will have a better idea.
9:40am on 7/11/26 by
aliceinwonderla
When you log into the DVC site and search for Aulani, you get this message "From April 5, 2027 - May 7, 2027, the Waikolohe Stream lazy river and Tubestone Curl tube slide will be closed for maintenance."
10:30am on 7/11/26 by
KLuck
I believe the soft goods refurb was in 2021 which means Aulani is due for hard goods refurb in 2028, if DVC sticks to the schedule.
10:34am on 7/11/26 by
KLuck
Thank you. I appreciate your information.
10:11pm on 7/11/26 by
goofygardiner
Oh yes the luau was great. Lots of pre-luau cultural activities and not kitchy at all. With a little disney flair which was nice. I also really liked how secluded the beach area was. So different than the wild party vibe on waikiki beach.Even fancy hotels
9:43am by
Totsypooh
We did also have a car and did kualoa ranch, pearl harbor and all the other fun touristy things. Also we went to costco for souvenirs like all the macadamia things and the shortbread cookies they sell everywhere
9:45am by
Totsypooh
How "Disney bubble"'ish is the resort?
1:03pm by
goofygardiner
Most rooms will see other hotels and buildings. The non-ocean side of the building is on a major road with a shopping/dining complex just down the way. If you stay indoors and in the pool area, it's very Disney with background music etc
2:49pm by
KLuck