Aloha Aulani!

 

Aloha Aulani! 

We just got back from the most AMAZING trip ever made possible by Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa in Ko’ Olina! I’ll be honest, and my expectations for this trip were wickedly high. But in true Disney fashion, everything at this resort was incredible! 

Our experience was probably a little different than most as we went during COVID times. Hawaii is very strict about COVID protocols so prior to going there was a whole lot of pre-trip requirements including taking COVID tests exactly 72 hours prior to the final leg of our travel. You can find current protocols and restrictions at https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/

Getting to Aulani

Aulani is located in Ko’ Olina which is about a 45 minute drive from the Honolulu airport. BUT I will warn you, traffic is very real and very
busy on the major interstates. We ultimately were glad that we rented a car because Ko’ Olina is pretty isolated, but be prepared for a drive with constant traffic. (It was a small price to pay to be able to explore more of the island.) 

Ko’Olina is a small resort area with a golf course and a shopping area. If you need some essentials during your trip there is an ABC store across the street as well as a few boutiques and restaurant. Target and Costco is also located ten minutes from the resort and is also a great place to stock up on water and snacks. 

Checking In 

Checking in was an easy experience. We checked in online so even before getting to Hawaii we got a text saying our room was ready! When we got to Aulani we automatically went to park in the parking garage, I would say you should probably pull up to the front and get your room key so you don’t have to get a parking ticket. Once we were inside the lobby, the first free cast member helped us out. She was SO nice and definitely had that Disney touch I’ve come to love. She had a ton of information to give us so that portion took a while, definitely ask questions about where to find things because the resort feels HUGE! We had an extra touch of Disney magic and were upgraded to a partial ocean view on the eleventh floor. The view was incredible and each room has an amazing balcony! We drank coffee and cocktails on the balcony almost every day. The room had a king sized bed, and a queen sized pullout. It was just the two of us so we didn’t every check out the queen sized pullout, but the room was very spacious! It also included a desk and the balcony had two chairs and a small table. The shower was one of my favorite parts of the room—it was a waterfall shower head and the water pressure was INCREDIBLE. Seems like a silly thing to rave about but after a day at the beach, having some high pressure water is an absolute asset to getting all of the sand off! 

Fun side note, we had an amazing tour guide who mentioned that all of the water on Oahu comes from rain reservoirs up in the mountains. It is then purified through the volcanic rocks and takes 25 years to come down into the local water supply! 

As amazing as the room was, we didn’t spend a whole lot of time there. The resort was so huge that we did spend a ton of time exploring! I will say again, DO NOT hesitate to ask for help finding things. Everyone we encountered was so nice and happy to help us. The Aulani app is a great way to see what all is open also, since some things are still closed due to COVID. The app seemed to be a lot more functional when we were actually at Aulani, it seemed a little slow and buggy prior to our arrival. It was very informative about what restaurants/food options were open and where we could find the various activities.  

All the Eats

We ate breakfast each day at Ulu Cafe. Breakfast was okay, they had some fresh options such as bagel sandwiches and some pre-made breakfast wraps. You could also order Acai bowls, oatmeal, and breakfast platters with the choice of eggs, rice OR potatoes, bacon OR Portuguese sausage. We stuck with the smokes salmon bagel sandwich and the breakfast wrap. By far my favorite thing at Ulu Cafe was the DOLE WHIP! You could get pineapple, vanilla, or swirl. We love a good classic and stuck with the pineapple dole whip but heard many people raving about the swirled option! Right next to the Ulu Cafe was Wailana Pool bar. We went there every morning for the 100% Kona coffee and even though we’ve only been home for a day, I swear I’m having Kona coffee withdrawals. From  6:30am-10:30am you can get coffee and specialty coffee drinks. I would absolutely recommend getting there early as the drinks are handmade and the line can get long! DEFINITELY TRY THE 100% KONA. There is a small coffee shop across the street, but we were not nearly as impressed with the coffee there as we were with the Wailana coffee bar! 

The first night we were pretty beat from the travel day, so we wanted something informal to eat, we ended up walking right in to The Olelo Room. We were SO impressed with it. The menu boasts of sushi and appetizers and you will not walk away disappointed. We ordered cocktails to start (and we made sure to ask about having them served inside of a pineapple ) and then we split an order of the spicy tuna roll and the sliders. We got a Blue Hawaiian and a Tropical Itch. Having them served inside of a pineapple was a little excessive (and cost an additional $9) but it really made for a fun and unique experience. 

The sushi was SO fresh and tasted absolutely delicious. It was hard to decide what exactly to order because there was so much on the menu that looked delicious! We actually ended up at The Olelo Room twice because there was more we wanted to sample. The second time we went to the Olelo Room, I ordered a cocktail inside of pineapple (again) and we got the Olelo Ahi Poke and Popcorn Fries. The fries were a TRIP. There was some surprise wasabi we  weren’t prepared for but otherwise it was SO good! It was savory, sweet, and spicy! Plus it combined two of my favorite things ever, popcorn and fries! (Pro-tip, if you’re obsessed with popcorn they sell the most deliciously smelling popcorn right in Ulu Cafe! The smell took me right back to Mainstreet!) There was a lot more on the menu that looked incredible at Olelo Room, but unfortunately we only had so many days that we could eat there! It also doesn’t open until 5, so that might affect your plans a bit. 

We also made a reservation at Makahiki, usually I believe that area is used for character dining but while we are in the COVID era, it was turned into regular sit down dining. At the time of our visit, it was one of two sit down dining options and included a prefixed menu of three courses. For starters, we got a Caesar salad and corn soup. I am a HUGE soup person and the corn soup was AMAZING. I’ve been told that the salad was good as well, but in my opinion It is hard to beat that soup option! The entrees were amazing as well—we got the catch of the day which so happened to be a seared ahi tuna and the ribeye steak. The ahi tuna was so good I didn’t even take a picture! I was too focused on eating! The ribeye was also very tender and delicious, it came with mashed potatoes which is always a plus. We actually were not impressed with the desserts, maybe it was because we had just eaten an amazing appetizer and entree, but the desserts left something to be desired. We got a Kokoleka Chocolate Entremet, and the Kona Coffee Cheesecake. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Chocolate Entremet because I’m not a huge fan of mousse, but there was just something off about the cheesecake. We did get an amazing surprise from our server, and she brought out a complimentary celebratory treat for us, it was a mini bundt with whipped cream and chocolate! The night we made a reservation at Makahiki just so happened to be a very special day for us as we had just gotten engaged earlier that day!  We told our waitress and she was so happy for us that it really added to our experience. Then she surprised us with celebratory buttons and a little sweet treat to share. It was just a reminder than Disney Cast Members really go the extra mile to make experiences special for you!  

Things To Do! 

There were constant activities taking place at and around Aulani! From the multiple sparkling swimming pools to the water slides and lazy river, you’d have to really try to be bored while staying at Aulani. If pools aren’t your speed, there is the beach just steps away from Aulani and you can check out complimentary beach toys and towels! There are even chairs with umbrellas spread out and waiting for your enjoyment. There is literally everything you need to have the perfect beach day at Aulani. If you are into more extreme water sports, you can rent a SUP (Stand up paddle board) or charter an open water adventure and cruise around the surrounding resorts in a boat that looks straight from Moana! Don’t worry if your way finding skills aren’t up to par yet, as you embark on your water adventure with guides. 

If you need a break from fun in the sun, there are plenty of activities around the resort as well. You can make your own mickey ears, have a socially distinct Mickey and Friends meet and greet, or learn how to paint with light! There are tons of events located in your app, that can give you a break from all of the water play. I’ll be honest, the majority of our time was spent at the beach but we did give the water slides and lazy river a whirl. We definitely did something wrong when we did the two person raft slides though because upon exiting our tube we flipped and were submerged in the water. (It was definitely a user error) It gave us a big giggle and we had SO much fun on the slides. They exit right into the lazy river so you can stay right in your tube and go another round or two on the lazy river. 

The Bottom Line…

Aulani is absolutely amazing and practically perfect in every way. The cast members make the trip extra special with their touch of pixie dust. Based on beauty alone, I would 100% recommend a stay at Aulani, but when you add in the touch of magic I would 10/10 visit again and again. I’m not lying when I say I teared up when we checked out. 

From the rooms, to the food (and OMG the food), to the atmosphere, Aulani made our Hawaii experience so amazing! It doesn’t hurt that we got engaged while we were here either ;) We definitely can’t wait to make it back to Aulani, but until we do…Aloha ʻoe Aulani!