DisneyHawaiitravel

Full Review- Disney Aulani- The Best Hawaiian Vacation

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Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, located on the Hawaiian Islands is a favorite family vacation. We love the beach, pools, food, and spa. With luxury accommodations and amenities, it truly is a magical getaway.

We are so happy to share this full review with you. Special thanks to Disney for hosting this amazing vacation! We can’t wait to go back!

After the first two consecutive nights and days of fun at Aulani, we were getting a really good feel for the resort.

We loved the character breakfast, but decided to try an oceanfront breakfast today at ‘Ama’Ama! Pete and the older two had dinner there and said it was amazing, so we had to try it for breakfast too, because when in Rome at Aulani…

This was what we had the pleasure of looking out over as we ate…

Shout out to the AMAZING coffee…

And then there was the food. All of it was delicious. Emmy went the traditional route.

Pete opted for the pancakes. He wants you all to GET THE PANCAKES!

One of the five thousand reasons we love Disney Resorts is that they totally get different dietary concerns.

They offered us so many vegan options and we went with our favorites. Hawaiian fried rice, breakfast potatoes and pancakes & waffles (not pictured, because we ATE THEM ALL before we took a picture)! Sorry, not sorry.

We also found the Daily ‘Iwa. 

This lists all the day’s activities and fun. Be sure to pick one up each day to plan out how you will spend the day. I know that many stay at Disney Aulani with their Disney Vacation Club points especially for all the activities.

Emmy opted for some kid’s club fun at Aunty’s Beach House while Maddie and I took a walk along the path next to the beach and lagoons in Ko Olina. 

We also saw the Aulani boat sailing by…

After we were back on the resort, we stopped and filled up our popcorn bucket before we went back to our hotel room. We bought it once and then got refills for $1. Total bargain, but more importantly, it is a delicious treat and is very similar if not the same as what we get at a Walt Disney theme park, like Disneyland!

We even saw Disney characters, like Mickey hosting a pool party when we were walking to Rainbow Reef!

Of course, Emmy went snorkeling at Rainbow Lagoon again. She was determined to count each and every one of those 1,000+ fish… but she realized it was harder than it sounded. Ha!

Then it was time for KA WA‘A – A Lū‘au at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa!

Here is a quick review for you of the luau at Disney Aulani:

We enjoyed the VIP experience with early check-in, priority up-front seating, complimentary beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and an enhanced welcome lei. We also had our own check-in area. 

The fun starts before the show and dinner with a lot of hands-on family-friendly activities. 

And the tastiest drinks! The non-alcoholic one has a hint of vanilla and I still can’t stop thinking about it!

The kids liked it too!

I loved that the activities were just as fun for the older two as for Emmy. 

The popular options included lei making and getting temporary tattoos!

Dinner is served in the traditional buffet style and our table was quietly called to the line with music playing in the background.

There were a lot of vegetarian and kid-friendly options.

For us vegans, and for those that follow a gluten-free diet, the chef is happy to provide a separate, and equally delicious meal. We had plenty of fresh fruit and salad from the buffet and were brought out a fresh tofu stir fry. 

Of course, there was just the right amount of Disney magic added. Like with these Moana cupcakes for dessert and Mickey joined the luau at the beginning too!

I loved that this luau was even more than a show.

There was a deep storyline that was equally entertaining as it was educational.

Lot’s of fire, songs, singing and music to round out the evening.

There were also audience participation moments and Em loved being a part of the show. 

She had so much fun dancing with all the other children too!

Mickey!

She barely made it back to our room afterward. Having fun is exhausting!

Be sure to watch our full video to see all the fun and pin this for later!

We really appreciate all the Hawaiian culture at Aulani and love that we can get such an amazing tropical vacation while still staying in the United States. With the pool areas and all the other amenities, including a lazy river, Disney Aulani is a vacation to remember!

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

42 Comments

  • You guys had an amazing time. That place, Ama Ama it’s just amazing, What a view. And the food… hm… the food. The activities are fun as well. I want to go there as well

  • This would be a blast! We just LOVE all things Disney. I’ve never been to Aulani before, but I always hear how incredible it is. One day, I hope. We are going to Disney World in October at least.

  • Aulani is on my Disney bucket list. It looks AMAZING and it’s Hawaii with a Disney touch. Sounds like paradise to me.

  • OMG OMG OMG!! YOU ARE BRINGING SO MANY MEMORIES BACK TO ME BECAUSE ON MY HONEYMOON MY HUSBAND AND I STAYED IN THE 4 SEASONS NEXT DOOR… AND I REMEMBER WE WENT TO THE BUFFET AT THIS HOTEL AND UM, YESSSSS!!!! I ATE SOOOO MUCH SASHIMI, IT WAS CRAZY! BUT CRAZY AWESOMMME!! Aw man, now I really want to go re-live my honeymoon!

  • I have always wanted to go there. What are these times you’re going to find an extra person in your suitcase when you travel. You look like a fun family travel with and I love to travel. This place looks gorgeous and if I can ever get off to Hawaii again I definitely want to go here.

  • I hear Disney vacations are the cream of the crop! You have the cutest family! We want to take my kids on a Disney cruise soon!

  • This resort really sounds like it has everything, I mean Hawaii, Disney A SPA! Yes Please! I would most definitely love to go for a holiday here.

  • I have always wanted to go Hawaii and to go with Disney that would be amazing! The food, the views, and the activities look outstanding!!

  • Hawaii is amazing on its own and add Disney in there and you must have A May Zing! It looks like the perfect family vacation, they have something for everyone. We’ve been talking about taking our kids and grandchildren to Hawaii, this may be the perfect place!

  • It must suck to be on vacation all the time. LOL! It all looks amazing. One day my family and I will be able to do this.

  • That looks amazing! I have dreamt about the Aulani and Hawaii in general. We have yet to visit, but one day soon I will make it happen. Look at that pool photo! Just amazing.

  • Hawaii looks like a great place for a vacation. The food looks great as well.

  • How amazing are these pictures! I feel like I am almost there with you having the time of my life. Although I have been to DW in France it doesn’t have a PATCH ON THE ONE IN HAWAII! MY GOAWD!

  • “Aloha Mickey” <— This is what I think of when I see Disney in Hawaii. It looks like a fantastic time – the weather beautiful, and souls – happy. Looks like we can spread the "Happiest place on Earth" to the islands! With much aloha, ???? Xo, Evelyn, PathofPresence.com ????

  • That looks like a lot of fun. My favorite part of most vacations are the fun foods we get to eat that are not at home, sounds like I need to plan a trip.

  • We spent 4 days at Aulani last year! It was absolutely amazing. We missed out on the luau and snorkeling in Rainbow Lagoon, though!

  • . I’ve never been to Aulani before, but I always hear how incredible it is. One day, I hope to get there. Disney is great no mater where it is located . Your pics are amazing.

  • This looks like you guys had a wonderful time. I just love all the attractions and food. I appreciate the vegetarian options too. Now I want to plan a vacation there!

  • I would absolutely love to take my family there. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and mixing Disney with Hawaii? OMG, dream come true!

  • Oh Aulani sounds absolutely incredible! I keep hearing amazing things about the resort. That luau looks incredible with all the dancing and fire show.

  • Wow! What a fantastic family vacation! One of my Bucket List items is to take my grandkids snorkeling for the first time. I’ve also never been to Hawaii. So this would be the ultimate for me and my grandkids.

  • Oh man! I can tell you all had an amazing time. Looks like you all had a great time! I haven’t been to Disney in years. I totally want to get back there. I think it’s anazing that Disney has so many options.

  • I would love to visit Hawaii and this looks like a great way to do it! Disney always does it up right! What a fabulous experience your family had!

  • What an incredible trip. This truly looked like the trip of a lifetime, for both mom, dad and the girls too. Certainly made me want to book our next family vacation there.

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