Tips for Enjoying Disney’s Aulani Resort

Disney’s Aulani Resort is a beautiful hotel located on the South side of Oahu.  It is definitely out of the way and located on the road to Waianae.  Aulani is an upscale Disney resort, it’s not a Disney theme park.  There are thoughtful tributes to the Hawaiian culture with some Disney magic sprinkled in.  We found the Aulani to be clean with a highly trained and approachable Disney staff.  Here are  7 tips for enjoying Disney’s Aulani resort!

Tips for Enjoying Disney Aulani Resort in Hawaii

Collect Your Wristbands

Each morning get your wristbands!  They are needed to borrow towels and other items.  The popular thing to do is to stack them on your wrists! 

Explore the Pools

There are several pools on the Aulani property but we stuck to the kiddie splash area while my eldest ran around with a friend she made to the other pools.  The slides and lazy river are the best aspects of the resort, and even I went down the tunnel slide!  The Menehune Bridge is a large play structure that looked fun, but it was super crowded so my kids stuck to the pools.  When the pool area was busy there were any slide floats available to use.  Protip: If you want to experience the single or double slide donut, try the area in the morning. 

Visit Aunty’s Beach House (Kids Club)

Aunty’s Beach House has a sign-up line earlier in the morning.  Inside there are art and crafts tables, video games, dress up and a great staff on hand.  Both of my kids ended up staying for around 2 hours, enough time for their parents to get a drink and hang out at the poolside bar. 

Children need to be a minimum of four years old and potty trained.  There were so many fun things to do in this space that neither wanted to leave so when we return we will be sure to book longer times at the kids club.

Purchase a Reusable Mug

Invest in a refillable mug! Aulani serves delicious Kona coffee and every morning we enjoyed it while the kids played in the water.  In the afternoon, we filled it up with lemonade or water for a cool drink when we needed a break from the cocktails!  In addition, keep an eye out for the “mickey water” jugs of fruit water that are sprinkled throughout the resort.  We filled our mug several times this way.

Investigate the Daily Activities

The Daily’Iwa is the daily schedule that details the free activities the resort provides.  My kids fed the fish, met various characters, and did other activities that we found through the Daily’Iwa.  It’s a great perk that the resort offers, however, the schedule isn’t delivered to the room. You can find copies at the front desk each morning or on the Disney Aulani app. 

Stock up on Food

Food can be expensive at Aulani but there are many ways to stock your room with groceries.  There is an ABC Island Market store across the street from the resort and it’s a quick 10-minute walk from the front lobby.  We stocked up on snacks and were impressed by the variety of items they had!  The resort has several restaurants and two quick-service eateries if you don’t want to leave the resort.  We didn’t find a ton of healthy food options, Disney options include lots of fried items so we stopped at a nearby Target to pick up fresh fruit and whole grain crackers/bread.

Borrow Your Gear

Traveling with kids or teens to Aulani and need want to explore the water activities? Aulani provides free sand toys, boogie boards, and life jackets to borrow! Just head to the Makahiki Joe’s Beach Shack for more information!

Do you have any tips for enjoying Disney’s Aulani Resort I missed?  Share in the comments!