I really wanted to LOVE this place! The grounds are pretty and the room are soundproof, beautifully designed and in a picturesque areas of the island. But the check-in process is poor - had to prove I was a DVC member at check-in. I have never had to produce my DVC card any other resort in which I have stayed. Valet says they will hold their car for you for 30 minutes - well they take it and then you have to wait thirty minutes for them to retrieve it. Do not be fooled, the snorkeling in the lagoon is so cloudy, you can't see fish. Very crouded with many families from Japan. There is a huge Japanese presence in the workers and also the food (please note I am not prejudice - just stating a fact). It is very expensive for all the food, and most people staying here are NOT DVC members. The resort is not secure and you can walk in from the parking deck without a room key - we never wore arm bands and no-one questioned anything. It is very crowded with people off the street and from the parking deck. Family next to us at the beach (using Disney chairs) were not even staying at the resort. Mostly a water park for children and not a lot of restaurant choices. Our room was great and quiet - but is not kept up. Appliances don't work well (washing machine too loud to use while we were there), microwave turntable wouldn't turn and said they would fix it after we left - and bathrooms not very clean. Not up to Disney standards - will not stay here again. I will sell my points and stay somewhere else - like the Marriott down the street. On a positive note, there is a long walk-way that you can jog or walk and see a beautiful side of the island - but this is also easy access for other who are not staying at the resort just to walk on. Was on a 3rd floor room, but my only view was of palm trees at the pool.

We were SO excited to wrap up our trip to Hawaii at Aulani since we always love staying in Disney resorts. This was a HUGE disappointment. Mayhem. Overbooked. Disorganized. From trying to find a bellhop, to waiting in line for nearly 30 min to check in luggage in a obscenely crowded lobby while they prepped a room for us ALL day (promised 4 pm, but wasn’t til much later)?! This place definitely does not have the Disney charm (or the aloha spirit of HI) that the other resorts have. All pool chairs were empty, yet filled by 8am with white towels - people place their towels on chairs and leave them to save their place for later in the day - good luck finding an open spot. Lazy river wasn’t lazy at all - kids are allowed to swim in it weaving thru tubes without any tube - big safety issue. On a positive note, the luau was super, but they told us to arrive by 4:45 to get good seats - didn’t start until 6 pm - so we stood in line for an hour. The lagoon was very much man made and way too small to rent their paddle boards - don’t even bother; rent snorkeling gear (?!) - a joke! Stick with the gorgeous neighboring lagoons and beaches that Hawaii has to offer. Food overpriced and over rated. Couldn’t wait to get out of Aulani after two days. Huge disappointment. Wish we stayed elsewhere during their “peak season”. Don’t waste your time or money - soooo much better out there.

This is a great resort to families. Lots of activities excellent accommodations. I highly recommend this for families. Lazy river is relaxing. They have two water slides. They have adults only pool which is quite and separate for all kids play areas. The beach area is awesome. Disneys has done a fantastic job.