For those of you who know about Aulani, or have been lucky enough go there, you need no further explanation of how incredible this place is.
Disney came to town, and as they always do, created a masterpiece. On the beautiful Leeward coast(that's the west side) of Oahu, Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa sits on a quaint 21 Acres of pristine Oahu beachfront property.
Here they have traded in Sleeping Beauty’s Castle for a sprawling jungle themed complex complete with 4 pools, 3 water slides, a lazy river, grottos, water spraying jungle gym, hot tubs, spas, cabanas and even an artificial reef for first time snorkeler’s. I encourage you to Google some more pictures if you want to better understand the epic-ness of this place.
And that’s only on the grounds. The building itself is just as impressive. Hawaiian influence is everywhere from the giant bamboo pillars that appear to be holding it up, to the inlays on the tile floor. Trust me when I say this place is detailed down to the last rivet and is sure to impress.
As if the water attractions aren't enough to keep the kids busy and all jacked up on vacation the entire time, Disney also has some of their celebrity stars mixing it up with the guests while they play on the grounds.
Kids get an autograph book to collect signatures from Chip & Dale, Minnie, Goofy, Lilo/Stitch and even Mickey himself if they are lucky enough to see him.
And these are just the things you can do on your own. There is also a whole schedule of shows and activities you can sign up for. For instance kids can sit around a fire and listen to Hawaiian stories at sunset, classic Disney movies are played outside where you can sit in the grass and watch them under the stars, or you could go on an adventurous scavenger hunt lead by one of the original natives who lived on Oahu hundreds of years ago.
Private Beach for Guests
Disney was also wise enough to know that some parents won’t tote their kids several thousand miles to Hawaii just to chase them around all day in a theme park (that’s what Anaheim is for). If you go to Hawaii, you want to relax yourself.
To entice those parents that want a vacation AND actually get to relax a little bit, Aulani offers the services of Aunty’s Beach House. This is a 5,200 sqft supervised kids clubhouse where you can drop them off for a day of fun, while you enjoy a much deserved (or several) Piña Coladas. Or as Disney puts it –
“While the kids play and enjoy imaginative amenities, parents can reconnect or enjoy uplifting downtime.”
Sold.
So all and all this place is great. The service is amazing, the location/grounds unbeatable, and a built in babysitter to boot. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well if you can afford it, it is true. But Mickey isn't out here just signing autographs and getting a sun tan. The Mouse. gets. paid.
For a family of 5 their most conservative accommodation consisting of 1 king bed, one queen-size sleeper sofa in living room and one pull-down bunk-size bed in living room, Disney charges a meager $741/night.
Goofy at Character Breakfast
For a family of 4 you can get away with paying less than that, but you’re still in a cramped room with your kids and no privacy. Of course for those who are willing to spend a small fortune on a suite or villa, you have that option as well.
If you’re like me and don’t want to pay the premium for the extra bed, and would rather cram 3 people in one bed, or have one sleep on a couch or whatever. This is not possible.
Disney requires that you register all guests (including kids) and rooms have a limit for occupancy to prevent this.
Personally, I really just wanted to be able to enjoy the grounds and water slides and not pay for the over priced and undersized rooms. Unfortunately this is not an option either. In order to enjoy the water slides and other amenities you must be staying at the hotel as well. Apparently Scrooge McDuck is the CFO and runs a tight ship.
However, in the midst of my many anonymous calls to customer service to see what the lay of the land was, I found out an interesting loophole. When you stay for one night you get to use the facilities for the day you check in, and the day after.
To take advantage of this I decided I would look for more spacious digs in the area and then purchase a stay of one night and 2 days of Disney fun. Oahu is an amazing island after all, and going all that way to only see Disney's 21 acres would be a crime.
A quick search lead me to a beautiful 3 bedroom 1700 sqft villa, literally across the street from Aulani (10 min walk through a gorgeous golf course) that charged $1795/Week. This was perfect. I had a relative palace to call home for a week and was in an excellent location to explore other parts of Oahu at our leisure.
Our morning walk to Aulani
What also was nice is that we didn't waste a second on the first or last day we had access to the resort which is usually eaten up by packing/unpacking and travel. I almost felt sorry for the folks waiting for check-in next to me with all of their gear in tow. It was obvious they hadn't had a chance to decompress from travel yet and you could feel the tension...wait till they see their room :)
There was a little trade off, like having to walk home with tired kids after a day of fun, and buying groceries for breakfast instead of just heading downstairs to a restaurant. But personally, I will eat a fresh papaya with lime (and a dash of salt) on my own back porch with the sun on my back over a $35 buffet breakfast any day. We also had our spare room in the hotel that we used to get out of the sun for a bit or take naps. It was perfect.
By doing the above our family was able to experience this amazing theme park without losing the relaxed calming effect that Hawaii is supposed to instill in its visitors.
If 3 days isn't enough for you, or you want the full pampered hotel & spa experience no matter the cost, then please adjust your plans accordingly. One thing is for certain though. Find a way to check this place out. It is an experience you and your family will cherish.
*450 sqft with 2 beds and 6 ppl is a fast track to the nut house. I don't recommend this experience to anyone!!