Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas reviews
7163 TripAdvisor reviews
Disappointed in Disney...
Venture762555 on Dec 29, 2024
This was my third visit to Aulani Hotel, and unfortunately, it will likely be my last. My previous stay, about seven years ago, was much more enjoyable, but it seems the quality of the hotel has significan...tly declined since then. The resort now feels overcrowded, making it nearly impossible to find seating at the pool or beach unless you reserve your spot as soon as the towel service opens at 8 a.m. While the water slides, lazy river, and beach lagoon were the main reasons we returned, several changes have diminished the overall experience: No room service for meals. No breakfast or dinner buffet. No complimentary water in the rooms at check-in. No water stations with cups available at the pool or beach. Guests are required to either bring their own reusable cup or purchase a Disney-branded one for $22.95 (plastic) or $34.95 (metal). This system feels impractical and unhygienic. The cups are indistinguishable, which increases the risk of accidentally using someone else’s, and the rooms lack sponges and dish soap for proper cleaning. For a resort in a hot climate, failing to provide easily accessible water feels like a calculated move to encourage guests to spend more on drinks. At most upscale hotels, guests are offered bottled water when departing from the valet area for day trips—unfortunately, this is not the case at Aulani. While there is a water station at valet, it’s only available midday for check-in guests, not in the mornings when most people head out. Other disappointments include the absence of traditional lei or necklace greetings upon arrival, a decline in food quality, and fruit that often tastes less than fresh. Disney, you can do better. Guests expect high-quality service and amenities, not constant nickel-and-diming. It’s time to raise the bar and restore the experience that once made Aulani special.
Excellent resort - fantastic lagoon and great amenities
WeekendWarriors (Canada) on Dec 28, 2024
Excellent resort - has all the amenities, great for families December 2024 We spent 3 nights here with a family of 4. It had all the usual Disney perks (character appearances, etc). The resort was 5 star a...nd very very comfortable. All the amenities were on site. The man made lagoon was excellent for swimming and kids. We went in December so it was low season, but I can see the beaches being very full in peak season. The outdoor pools were excellent was well, but getting a poolside chair was very difficult (and this was low a season as well!). The highlight definetely was the man made lagoon. We rented snokels and fins for the lagoon, but we didn't see any fish in the lagoon. Boogey boards were free to rent. Also - we opted to NOT swim the Rainbow Reef (man made pool) with the fishes, as it smelled like an aquarium, not sure how clean that water was and we didn't see anyone swimming in Rainbow Reef. There is a laundry room, so that was very convenient to do our own laundry. Overall, an excellent experience and a 5 star resort. We would highly recommend to others especially families with small kids. The resort is not cheap, so you are paying Disney-like prices for everything. One very practical tip - if you don't want to eat Disney, pricey resort food - just walk across the street from Aulani - and you will find Monkey pod restaurant, and Island Market store (like an ABC store in Hawaii but better and larger)) which has a great assortment of foods, groceries and beach items. Much cheaper compared to buying and eating on the resort. You can literally buy dinner there.
Amazing ??
mohsenm202 (San Diego, California) on Dec 28, 2024
Wow upon first arrival beautifulHotel. At first, I was a little bit skeptical. My friends had come and said it was a little bit older resort. The room was fabulous poolside view No noise just a bea...utiful view. All of the staff have been so accommodating and amazing. So far there’s been tons to do, at the resort. Especially for the my son. And we keep hearing about additional adventures. We are doing the Rainbow reef snorkel today. And the traditional luau. And tomorrow we have the character breakfast too as well. Story time by the fire was a great ending to last night.
Children's Paradise (But Made my Granddaughter Cry)
GDit0611 on Dec 27, 2024
On the plus side, the grandkids really enjoyed all of the pool areas and the beach. The 2-year old especially loved the character appearances and the character breakfast. And the Mickey ears activity (alth...ough $$$) was fun. I would have rated it 5-stars except for service problems that a resort of this caliber shouldn't have. On the minus side, one of the staff members made my 8-yo granddaughter cry. She was trying to help the 2-yo on the jungle gym water slide. The staff member (Shaina) snapped at her and said that she was too big to go on the slide (although there is no sign that we saw that specified this). She told my granddaughter to get off and then added, "You can go almost anywhere else in the whole resort!" (in an accusing tone, along the lines of, why are YOU going on this baby slide!) My granddaughter was upset for quite a while, saying that she was just trying to help her little brother. Why is there no clear sign? And staff should be kinder in warning older kids. Secondly, had an unpleasant experience at the Makahiki, when checking-in for the character breakfast. I went to stand in line at the velvet rope, since there was someone in front of me at the hostess desk. That person finished, so I stepped up. The "hostess" snapped at me, "Ma'am, please step away from the desk! I'll call you when I'm ready for you!" WOW, I was taken aback at how hostile she was...when all I did was naturally step up to the desk when it was my turn. I looked at the greeter, who also had an uncomfortable look on her face. Our whole group was shocked. A few minutes later, the "hostess" said, "OK, I'm ready for you now." Weird, because it wasn't like I could see through her monitor or anything, while she worked on whatever she was doing. I did not note her name, but this was unacceptable behavior--I have never experienced anything like this in all my years of extensive travel. A few other notes. The children loved the flaky pancakes. The food at the resort is very expensive, as is typical of such places. Even the restaurants across the street were very pricey. The beach water is nice and calm, great for kids. The snorkeling lagoon is very chilly (at least in December), so we only made one round in it. If you are able to walk to the beach to the right of the hotel (facing the hotel), there are lots of sea turtles that swim right by you, but note that the water has a very strong current, so you will need to hold on to young children. The cleaning service for the 2-BR villa was excellent. The pool areas were well-staffed in terms of being able to look around and quickly find someone to ask a question on directions, etc. Generally, staff members were friendly (with the 2 surprising exceptions above).
Beautiful resort and great for kids
GreggMS (Grand Rapids, Michigan) on Dec 19, 2024
We enjoyed our stay here. Perfect place for couples who have children. The staff was excellent. The people at the front desk were very nice and very helpful. They all looked like they were having a goo...d time. The rooms were beautiful and quiet. They have many pools and jacuzzi's so there is always plenty of room to swim and soak. I wish they had longer hours on the rainbow reef. It is only opened from 10-3 so I did not have time to snorkel. The water slide is a blast. One side is open to ride on an inner tube and the other side you can ride on your back. They have lifeguards at the bottom of the slide and they make sure that everyone is okay. Just be careful at the bottom of the slide. It is much deeper than I thought and they water outlet pushes a person down slightly. Just be sure to take a deep breath at the end it case you become disoriented. There are people stationed at the bottom of the slide who provide assistance when needed. Beautiful sunsets! The food is very expensive and they should lower the prices. The workout room was nice and I was able to use their elliptical trainer. The shuttle they provide from the airport was $50 for two people. The shuttle service only allows one carry on and one check in per person.