Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai'i

What Aulani actually is

Aulani is a Disney resort hotel in Ko Olina, on the leeward west coast of O'ahu, roughly thirty kilometres from Honolulu's airport. It has pools, a beach, a spa and a kids club. It is not a theme park.

That distinction causes more disappointment than anything else about this property. A family arriving expecting rides leaves unhappy. A family arriving expecting Hawai'i with Disney in the details leaves delighted.

The architecture, the place names and much of the programming are Hawaiian first and Disney second. Characters pass through, evening storytelling draws on island legend, and the staff talk about O'ahu rather than a fairy-tale kingdom.

Is Aulani all-inclusive?

No. Aulani sells rooms. Meals, excursions, the spa and some activities are paid separately.

A great deal is included without anyone thinking of it, though: the pools, the lazy river, the beach and its equipment, Aunty's Beach House, the evening shows, fireside storytelling and the daytime cultural programming. Guests do spend a week here without paying for a single activity.

Be wary of sites advertising Aulani as all-inclusive. They are describing a product that does not exist.

Is there a resort fee?

No, and this is the single most useful fact on this page. Disney states it plainly: Aulani never charges a resort fee, and room rates include all applicable taxes.

In Hawai'i that is unusual. Daily resort fees are standard at comparable properties, and they land after the comparison has already been made. When weighing Aulani against a Waikīkī hotel, ask your advisor to add the other property's fees into the comparison.

Are there Disney characters?

Yes. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy appear around the grounds in island dress and pose for photos through the day.

The most structured meeting is the character breakfast at the Makahiki buffet. It takes a reservation, and it takes an early one.

That said, characters punctuate the day here. They do not fill it.

Can you visit for the day?

No. Disney sells no day pass. Pools, beach equipment and activities are reserved for overnight guests.

A visitor may dine at the restaurants, shop on property and book the spa. Swimming is not on the list.

Guests staying elsewhere on O'ahu ask this constantly. A straight answer saves them a drive.

Room, suite or villa?

Eight categories in two families. Hotel rooms and suites on one side; Disney Vacation Club villas, with full kitchen, washer and dryer, on the other.

For a week or more with children, a villa changes the shape of the trip: breakfast in the unit, beach laundry done, and no longer eating out three times a day. For four nights as a couple, a room is plenty.

The eight categories are laid out on our accommodation page.

Four ways to stay

Disney publishes four sample itineraries, and they map neatly onto the four kinds of traveller we actually see: couples, families with young children, multigenerational groups and families with teenagers.

Couples live around the adult pool, the spa and dinner by the water. Families with small children live in the lazy river and the kids club. Multigenerational groups take a villa and regroup at mealtimes. Families with teens alternate between the resort and excursions to the north shore.

Tell your advisor which of the four you are. It drives the room category, the location within the resort and the length of stay more than any other factor.

What disappoints some guests

Three things come up, and they are better known in advance.

There is no park, no ride, no parade. Anyone looking for that should be in Florida or California.

The beach is not private. There are no private beaches in Hawai'i; every shoreline is publicly accessible, and Disney says so itself.

And Ko Olina is far from Waikīkī. That is a feature for anyone seeking quiet and a drawback for anyone who wanted to go out every evening. Roughly thirty kilometres on the H-1, in traffic that thickens at rush hour.

Booking Aulani with Voyages AquaTerra

Aulani rewards an advisor, because three decisions are made before booking and are expensive to change afterwards: the accommodation category, the season, and the routing from Montreal, which always involves at least one connection.

Our Disney specialists know the property and know which questions to ask. Voyages AquaTerra is an EarMarked Gold Producer and an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, two official Disney accreditations.

Voyages AquaTerra holds a Quebec travel agent licence (702703), and your payments are covered by the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents, subject to the program's terms. Speak with an advisor at 1-866-628-6241.