Aulani ~ A Favorite Family Vacation
Located in Ko’Olina on the beautiful island of Oahu, Aulani brings the best of the best to your vacation. Lush vegetation, green mountains, bright rainbows, gorgeous beaches, the mighty Pacific, top-notch accommodations plus the unmatched quality and service only Disney can provide make Aulani a destination you will never forget!
There are so many things to do at Aulani! If you want to spend your day relaxing by the beach or one of the many pools, there are certainly plenty of opportunities for that. If you want to explore the resort or enjoy some thrills, there are many wonderful opportunities there as well. Here are a few of my favorites …
Lazy River
Grab a single or double tube and head to the top of Pu’u Kilo, the volcano-like structure in the middle of Aulani, to plummet down the water slide and sail right into the Waikolohe Stream - Aulani’s lazy river.
Take a tour of the lazy river, and wave to the characters like Stitch and Donald Duck that frequently stand on the bridges over Waikolohe to wave to those tubing by, or jump out of the lazy river and head right back to the top of Pu’u Kilo to do it again!
Rainbow Reef
Aulani has a massive salt water lagoon known as Rainbow Reef where guests can watch the fish swim by. For a little more adventure, guests can snorkel in Rainbow Reef!
Being the Pacific, the water is cold, but you quickly warm up as tropical fish swim all around you. Aulani provides all the snorkeling gear, including a floating vest. For a first timer like me, this was a great introduction to snorkeling with guaranteed amazing views of many colorful fish.
Not keen on swimming with the fish in Rainbow Reef? Consider feeding them instead. Marine biologists are on hand to tell you all about the fish you see and share fun facts about them. We learned so much and really enjoyed asking questions of the marine biologist!
PRO TIPS
1 - If you’re even thinking about snorkeling more than once, get the length-of-stay pass. It’s less expensive than buying two, single-day passes.
2 - The feeding fish experience at Rainbow Reef fills up fast so book it first thing in the morning. Plan to arrive at the desk at least 15 minutes before they open.
Professional Beach Pictures
Every night around sunset, professional Disney photographers are set up on the beach to capture your Aulani vacation in pictures. Sometimes there are multiple photographers and if so you can hop back and forth between them to get shots from all angles and viewpoints as the sun goes down. The photo session is free, and you can purchase pics through Disney’s PhotoPass. We used two of the photographers that were set up to take family pictures and had over 100 images to choose from! We got family shots, kids only pictures, pics with just mom & dad, and solo kid photos. These are some of the best photos ever taken of our ohana and these all quickly became favorites of mine for sure. They perfectly capture the aloha spirit.
BEST. TIME. EVER.
Menehune Adventure Trail
Both kids and parents can enjoy the Menehune Adventure Trail. Using a tablet, kids follow video clues from Aunty about magical and sometimes mischievous experiences that the Menehune are causing throughout the resort. Once you determine the location of the Menehune, check in on the tablet and witness the magic firsthand! It’s challenging but super fun.
PRO TIP
Make sure you’re in the right spot to cue the magic. During your stay, observe others on the trail so if you get stuck, you’ll have a clue on where to go!
Characters
I’ll always be a kid at heart (I specialize in Disney travel after all!) so I loved meeting the Disney characters at Aulani. They are frequently on the bridges over the Waikolohe Stream, at a character breakfast, or they can be found (picture ready!) on the Halawai Lawn. You will see many of the regular Disney crew, such as Mickey, Minnie, and Donald, but also Aulani’s turtle friend, Olu Mel, Stitch, and Moana!
These are just a few of my favorite Aulani activities, but there are so many more! You can go star gazing, learn to hula, listen to stories by the pool or campfire, make your own Mickey ears, take ukelele lessons, play ping=pong on the beach, take a morning yoga class or grab a boat ride. So much to do!
The daily activities can always be found on the Aulani app. No matter what you do, you and your ohana will love a trip to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. Aloha!
Lacey Bordewick
Adventure Specialist Lacey loves travel and views it as a great way for families and friends to reconnect away from the hustle bustle of regular everyday life.
Travel is more than just time away, it’s time for adventure and magic.
Click here to start your adventure today!
