The Best Things to Pack for Disney’s Aulani
Packing for Disney’s Aulani is pretty easy! You will want items that will help make your stay comfortable and save you from spending money on those expensive items at the resort. Disney’s Aulani is a beautiful resort but it also gets very hot so you want items that do well in the heat and are small enough to pack in a carry-on bag. Here are 8 Things to Pack for Disney’s Aulani Resort!
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Things to Pack for Disney Aulani Resort
Waterproof Tote Bag
A waterproof tote bag proves indispensable for a vacation at Aulani given the resort’s abundance of water amenities like pools, water slides, and beaches. The bag allows you to keep valuables like phones, wallets, and cameras protected from water damage when swimming, lounging poolside, or playing at beach and water park areas.
A waterproof tote is also essential for organizing sun protection, towels, water bottles, and other pool or beach gear in one convenient, portable place instead of juggling separate items.
Beyond water protection, a waterproof tote also safeguards belongings from Hawaii’s occasional rain showers en route to restaurants or activities. The bag eliminates rental fees for park lockers and enables you to easily carry necessities with you everywhere across Aulani’s extensive grounds.
For maximizing convenience, organization and protection from water, a waterproof tote is a travel must-have for enjoying Aulani’s wonderful aquatic features worry-free.
External battery Power Bank
We always keep an external battery pack in our backpacks or beach bags to charge our phones. We use our phones as cameras on vacation and I didn’t see any charging stations at the resort.
Since Aulani has a ton of activities, entertainment options, and family memories to capture, an external battery pack proves extremely valuable for keeping your devices powered up during a trip to Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii. In between snapping photos around the expansive grounds, the long days exert a toll on phone and camera batteries.
Having a lightweight, portable external battery readily available in your bag allows you to conveniently recharge on the go when batteries run low at inopportune times. Whether waiting to watch the sunset over the lagoons or during an excursion like a catamaran sail, you can plug in without having to retreat all the way back to your hotel room. The battery pack also comes in handy when kids want to watch videos or play games on tablets at restaurants or while relaxing poolside.
In addition, during days of heavy usage, the battery pack provides the extra juice needed to keep devices from dying before day’s end. Having the external battery alleviates battery anxiety so you don’t have to stress about conserving power and missing out on photos or memories. The convenience of an instant recharge makes an external battery pack a vacation necessity when visiting a top activity destination like Disney’s Aulani resort.
This one and this one are two inexpensive options that we travel with.
Travel Sunscreen
In 2021, Hawaii enacted new sunscreen laws so make sure you bring or buy reef-safe sunscreen!
When visiting an oceanfront destination like Disney’s Aulani, using reef-safe sunscreen helps preserve the health of Hawaii’s delicate coral ecosystems. Most regular sunscreens contain chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate that studies show contribute to coral bleaching and reef damage.
Reef-safe sunscreens avoid these harsh chemicals, relying instead on mineral active ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These natural barrier formulas provide safer UV protection that won’t harm the vibrant marine life you’ll encounter snorkeling in Aulani’s protected lagoons. You’ll also avoid damaging Hawaii’s fragile coral reefs if you take a beach excursion.
Beyond protecting aquatic life, many reef-safe brands offer broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays, providing peace of mind you’re fully shielded from the strong Hawaiian sun. The mineral sunscreens also often contain moisturizing ingredients like coconut or kukui oil that nourish skin while blocking burns. As visitors of Aulani guests can help preserve reef health for future generations by wearing conscientious, reef-safe sun protection.
Non-perishable Snacks
One of our favorite snacks to pack are these That’s It fruit bars. We also make sure to pack nuts and applesauce packages for easy-to-grab snacks. A lot of the food at Aulani isn’t healthy so it’s nice to be able to have something low-calorie to munch on.
Quality Swimwear
With its extensive water amenities including multiple pools, water slides, and both ocean and lagoon access, guests at Disney’s Aulani resort have ample opportunity to enjoy the water. Bringing several swimsuits allows you to alternate suits between saltwater and chlorinated water to increase each swimsuit’s lifespan.
Rotating swimsuits prevents wear and tear that can occur when repeatedly using the same suit in different water environments. The ocean’s salt can deteriorate spandex fibers quicker than pool use. You’ll get optimal wear by using one suit for the pools and waterslides, and a separate one for the beach lagoons and ocean. Having extras also allows you to rinse out the swimsuits between wears so they last the entire trip.
Additionally, having multiple swimsuits means you always have a dry backup option after water activities or poolside lounging. With kids in tow, unexpected accidents or spills can happen, so a spare suit is useful. Different styles like a sporty suit for water slides or cute dress coverup for meals provide versatility too. At an aquatic resort like Aulani, packing extra swimwear ensures you’re prepared to enjoy all the fun-filled water activities.
We always bring 2-3 swimsuits for each family member so they always have a dry one! We alternate these Speedo swimsuits for the kids. We also try to bring a themed swimsuit and coverup to keep in with the Disney theme.
Towel Clips
With its lush tropical setting and abundance of poolside lounge chairs, having towel clips comes in handy for securing towels at Disney’s Aulani Resort. The towel clips attach fabric to chairs, preventing your towels from accidentally falling or blowing away while swimming or playing in the water parks.
They also keep towels firmly wrapped around you while walking to and from the pools or strolling around the resort, allowing you to stay modestly covered up. The clips eliminate frustration when other guests inadvertently remove or displace your pool towels. And they provide peace of mind that your belongings remain in place while you’re off enjoying Aulani’s amenities. Towel clips are a simple yet useful item that prevents towel troubles and keeps your poolside spot secure as you relax and unwind on your Hawaiian vacation.
When we lounge poolside we do so on towels and it’s so annoying when the wind picks up and the towels slip down. Towel clips help keep the towel secured to the chairs and I don’t think Aulani has any to borrow so I bring my own.
Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is key in a tropical destination like Hawaii, making reusable water bottles incredibly useful for a trip to Disney’s Aulani resort. Carrying your own water bottle allows you to easily refill for free at the resort’s many filtered water stations instead of having to continually buy single-use plastic bottles. This saves money while reducing waste.
Refillable bottles also provide cold, filtered water conveniently on hand to stay refreshed in the warm Hawaiian climate while lounging poolside or exploring the expansive resort grounds. Insulated bottles help keep contents cooler longer when out and about. Having your own reusable water container cuts down on resort waste while keeping you drinking and saving money. Whether headed to the beach, the pools, water parks or just walking around Aulani, a trusty refillable water bottle is a vacation necessity.
The resort has ice water stations set up in several different places. We were able to fill up our water bottles and enjoy cool water all day. Hydro flasks are lightweight enough to pack but also keep water cold throughout the day.
Waterproof Shoes
With its wealth of water amenities including pools, splash zones, and beach access, waterproof shoes come in handy for vacations at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii. Waterproof footwear allows you to comfortably walk in wet areas and participate in water activities without having to bring continual changes of dry shoes.
Sandals, water shoes, and water-resistant sneakers transition seamlessly from the pools and beach to other resort facilities. Your feet stay dry traversing wet pool decks, walking to restaurants, or touring the grounds. Waterproof kids’ shoes are especially useful for playing safely in splash pads without slipping. Having waterproof footwear prevents soggy feet when enjoying Aulani’s amazing aquatic offerings.
Reefs are a favorite of ours to wear throughout the resort. The concrete around the pools gets HOT when the sun is out. I also noticed lots of water near the bathroom entrances and for obvious reasons wanted my feet protected.
OTHER AULANI ARTICLES:
What Aulani Visitors Should Know About Hawaii’s new Sunscreen Law!
Everything to Know About Laniwai, a Disney Aulani Resort Spa
