Whoops, this post was in draft mode all this time, and I guess I forgot about it. So here it is nearly one year from my first set of Aulani tips.

Don’t Buy Bottled Water

Yes, the west side of Oahu is hot and dry, and you do need to stay hydrated. But this is the Disney Aulani where this basic necessity is provided to you. At the front check-in desk, you’ll immediately see the water containers perhaps with a fruity Mickey silhouette inside. Around the pool area, you’ll find more water dispensers brimming with ice cold water. These are out all day, constantly being replenished so you can always refill your own bottle or cup.

Tip: There’s also a water dispenser in the gym but that one does get empty often enough and while it’s there during the evenings, I believe it’s not available 24-hours like the workout facilities.

Dine on Kids’ Meals

The kids meals are pretty sizable. All the food is on the more expensive side, but the variety and convenience cannot be beat. While at the pools, you are literally surrounded by dining facilities – upscale to locale kine snacks, you name it.

Check Out Across the Street

Eating every meal at the Aulani will add up costs quickly. If you don’t mind a short jaunt across the street, you’ll find several eateries that’s more affordable. Don’t expect bargain prices since the tourists and guests of the nearby hotels are still a captive audience, but the price break is worth it.

My suggestion, make at least one reservation at the Monkeypod Kitchen at Ko’olina. The place is trendy and hip and the food is tasty though for the more mature palettes. There are kid options though. Get there early for Happy Hour special but be wary of the crowds during this time.

Starbucks Next Door

Although Starbucks and Disneyland have recently partnered, you won’t find the Seattle siren at Aulani. For her caffeinated song, you have to go next door to the Ihilani. Starbucks has a small spot in the Ihilani lobby but with big prices. Don’t expect local neighborhood costs, get ready for premium prices, but hey, you’re on vacation so go ahead. You can earn Starbucks Reward stars though I very much doubt you can redeem them at this location. If you can, do that to save yourself from a $6 mocha (that’s a slight hyperbole).

Resist the Shave Ice

All I can say is that buggah expensive. Convenient, yes, but not the best you can find. But then again, you would have to drive somewhere else for shave ice so if you want to splurge, you’ll at least save on driving.

The one benefit of the Disney Aulani fitness center being temporarily closed during my stay? Going out for morning runs and catching these sights.

And yes, the villas includes daily room cleaning and turndown. Down the hall, you can dump your trash and recyclables. If you bring your own food, the villa is a great option for families.

I called the front desk to ask about this and was told the fitness center was being remodeled and that it had temporarily moved to the conference rooms. I asked if it was open and was assured the relocated fitness center was open. So I headed to the conference rooms. There was a wedding going on in the main conference room (good choice of music by the way, hearing John Legend’s All of Me remix and Animals by Martin Garrix) as I wandered around looking for the fitness center. Then I saw this sign.

Confused, I asked a worker where the fitness center was since the above sign said it was closed. He replied that all the equipment had just moved back to its original location and suggested I head back to the Mikimiki Fitness Center. At this point, a full day of sun and swimming caught up with me, feeling too drained to work out.

Fast forward to Monday, May 26. The daily calendar announces the re-opening of the Mikimiki Fitness Center starting at 4am. No, I didn’t venture out for a workout at four in the morning, but I did stop by later in the day to see what changed.

After stepping inside the previously sealed doors, things looked exactly the same as the last time I was there.

I didn’t see any significant changes to the room itself so I’m not sure what the remodeling was all about. All I know is that getting a workout on Memorial Day weekend at the Aulani was not meant to be and that communicating the status (and whereabouts) of the fitness center to the entire staff is just too hard.

Yes, it did rain but not as bad as elsewhere on-island.

Here are a few more tips for your Aulani stay.

Bring a GoPro Hero

Since you’ll be spending a lot of time at the pools or at the neighboring ocean lagoon, you’ll need to get yourself a GoPro Hero action camera. While the activities at the Aulani are not actively intense, there are many picturesque views and opportunities to video or snap pictures below and above water. Maybe you can record the sounds of the whales and dolphins in the infinity pool. Oh, and work on that underwater selfie.

Don’t Fret the Weather

Our stay at the Aulani was marred by state-wide flash flood watches and warnings. The Windward side looked like this.

Thirty minutes later, the weather in Kapolei looked like this.

As the clouds poured on most of the island, an occasional sprinkle made you look up at the skies above Aulani for a moment before rejoining the fun.

Great (and Not So Great) Wifi

While in the main public areas or even by the pools, the free Wifi network is screaming fast. Signal strength is solid even on the outskirts, but the signal may not reach your room. There is no complimentary network access in your room.

Unique Gifts

For Disney fans, be sure to check out the KÄ€LEPA store for unique gifts. I mentioned the Crazy Shirts-made Mele Kalikimaka Aulani shirt, but there were many more collectibles to be found. Some were generic Disney items, but most featured the Aulani namesake.

Or maybe the pool is serenely vacated since a kid puked in it, and the lifeguards are keeping guests out until a full pool shock can cycle through. Serenity now!

The swimming pools are the biggest draw, surrounded by convenient (though expensive) eateries. All the pools are shallow, 3-6 to 4 feet deep, but not heated. There are several jacuzzis around though. One tip, the infinity pool felt a few degrees warmer than the main pool, and while underwater listen for the songs of whales and dolphins (for real). Aunty’s House entertains the kids, and the scavenger hunt is the best I’ve seen combining an immersive storyline, high tech, and exploration of the grounds, leading to active results (no spoilers).

Okay, the shirt is on the pricier side at $35 for men’s (sorry, didn’t check the price on kid sizes). But you won’t (yet) find this design anywhere else. They’re available in green or white and could be limited to stock in hand.

So how is your winter going?  The air is cooler here in Hawaii, but when the sun starts peeking out, it’s best to find some shade.

Just be sure not to use the rust-colored beach chairs at Ko Olina Lagoon #1. These belong to the new Disney Aulani resort and are for guest use only. It’s first come, first serve for the usage of the umbrellas, but these chairs are a different issue. And don’t ask the Aulani personnel manning the vacations booth. They know about the various vacation, travel, and lodging packages, but not about the use of the beach chairs. Be cordial to the Aulani worker whose job is to repossess Disney’s beach chairs, and the local boy might be cool enough to leave one for your use as a kamaaina.

Ko Olina on Dwellable