Aulani
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Been there twice. Rented a car for both trips. I highly recommend doing this even though it is expensive to park a car there. The freedom that you get from having a car is invaluable. We did the touristy things in the am and then enjoyed the resort in the pm. Then we either ate at the resort or we ventured out to a local restaurant. Aulani is awesome and very beautiful. Ask away any questions you may have
This pic is from our room.
@RIDisneyPinGuy, I’m glad you liked my post :blush:
I’ll attempt to answer your questions:
How does the Aulani luau compare to Spirit of Aloha? Especially food-wise?
I’ve never been to the Spirit of Aloha, but from the reviews and descriptions I’ve read about it, I think the Aulani Luau offers a wider selection of food, and has a full bar. It also seems like the Aulani Luau has a lot more cast member interactions and the first hour guests are mingling around doing activities (especially good for the kids). I liked that the show was not just in front, but through the middle of all the seating, so there really wasn’t a bad seat. I can’t really comment on the performances since I haven’t seen Spirit of Aloha.Do you consider Aulani a good use of DVC points?
In general, yes. I think the quality and exotic environment are worth the higher points per night than most of the DVC resorts.
For us, this was a big splurge vacation and we planned ahead, banked, and borrowed points in order to have a 2BR Ocean View room. There is definitely a premium for that ocean view. I consider Aulani comparable in points usage to Grand Floridian and Grand Californian, and about 20% more than Bay Lake Tower. For example, for the 10 days on our trip, the total was 800 points. This is 7% more than the Grand Floridian lake view. A standard view would have been 608 (less than the 630 pts for Grand Floridian std view), island view would be 638, and poolside view 718 (less than the 754 pts for a 2BR at Grand Californian).
So, it’s worth the premium, but not what I would consider the best value for annual points usage every year.and the big one… If you could, would you take this vacation over again?
Yes, without hesitation. This was our first trip to Hawaii, and I wouldn’t have altered anything about it. If (hopefully when) we go again, there is still much more to do on Oahu, but I would also be tempted to split the stay and hop to another island.Cheers
Thank you!
About the chairs: Two of the days we were there we got a late start and didn’t get down to the pool until 9:00-9:30 and there weren’t any left. However, there were always more than enough chairs at the beach. I’d say less than half were ever occupied the whole trip. So, it wasn’t a big deal and we just set-up at the beach and when we wanted to use the pool, it was a short walk.
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
Thanks again! @85glht, I completely agree about the car
@Acamm, thanks, it was definitely an amazing trip. A few more days and I think I would have never gotten on the plane back home!
Good to know! I’m an early riser and the bf is not so I’m not even sure that trying to reserve chairs would work for us if you can only hold them for an hour. And then with the whole rushing to get back down there…..doesn’t sound it like something I’d want to put myself through
I’ve been to Hawaii twice. The first time was when i was 15 with my whole family and we stayed in Oahu for a couple of days before we flew to Kauai. I highly recommend visiting that island. Its tiny but SO beautiful. The second time was when I graduated HS and my aunt and I went to Maui. It’s a bit more touristy than Kauai but not nearly as bad as Oahu.
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