We had another great stay at Aulani. During this second visit the pool refurbishment was going on. It was really minimal and only slightly impacted our trip. We missed the lazy river a bit and we did have to walk around the path a bit futher to get to some of the character meet and greets, but overall this was not a big deal.
We continue to find the food and drinks disappointing at the resort, with the exception of Ama Ama. We know this going into any Disney trip though and its a trade off for the well-maintained lush tropical gardens, the soft Hawaiian music playing in the background, and the various pools and hot tubs and of course the lagoons.
The trip I took a HIIT paddle board class in the ocean that was my favorite part of the entire trip. I wish it had been offered every morning, but I was glad that I had the chance to at least do the one class.
I also did a massage which was the best massage I have ever received. The massage was slightly soured by the fact that it was intended to be a couples massage class but Auntie's beach house apparently doesn't take kids without parents until 9:30 which wasn't explained to us, so only one of us was able to show up to the massage and I was stressed when I arrived and disappointed. Nevertheless,I made the most of it.
The live music at the Olelo was very nice several of the nights and we realy enjoyed that.
There are things we really love about Aulani and its so hard to find that at any other resort in Hawaii that we've been to. You might find a place with beautiful tropical gardens and tiki torches and soft Hawaiian music, but then they don't have all the kids activities, etc. Or, you may find a place that caters to kids but doesn't have a swimmable beach (Grand Hyatt on Kauai, for example). Or perhaps you find a place with jaw dropping views in a romantic setting but doesn't have a kids club and the rooms have gone downhill (Princeville Resort). Or even down the street, the Marriott Beach Club. We like that location a lot as well, but it doesn't quite have nearly the amount of cultural experiences and architecture and decor. So while we don't love the food or drinks, we glady make due in exchange for everything else that Aulani has to offer. It truly is a magical place. Besides, with the Four Seasons next door and the good mai tais at Monkey Pod down the street, we had plenty of options nearby.
