Pros & Cons of Aulani Resort & Spa | The DVC Show LIVE | 05/04/20

[@gregwoolley8932]

So many places to visit, no need to do excursion through Aulani. Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki, North Shore, snorkeling, just driving the island and looking at beauty. Waimea Valley (botanical gardens and waterfall with life guard!). Dole Plantation, North Shore and on and on... IMO definitely island hop (not for a day!) Split stay w/other islands.

[@leialohadis6434]

I was born and raised there and we go back to visit we always get a car because food is a lot cheaper if you get out of ko Olina area. Hawaii is pricey but Aulani prices are crazy! It rains a lot in the winter more than any other time and the location where the aulani is tends to be dryer so it could be wetter on the other side of the island if you are driving in the same day. We suggest getting a car and seeing the island not just staying at the hotel. So much to do there! Dole plantation, Waikiki, hiking diamond head , Matsumoto’s, Leonard’s bakery, aloha tower, ala moana shopping center, valley of the temples, the Pali, to name a few. We are going back next year.. so excited! Probably getting a 1 bedroom this time. Love your show!

[@scoutmaster314]

In the things to do on Oahu discussion, I highly recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center. Picture a Pacific Island version of Epcot's World Showcase (smaller of course). During the day at the PCC you visit the individual "islands" where you learn about the history and culture of each island. Each area has live shows as well as interactive games & activities. At night, don't miss the "Ha ‐ Breath of Life" show: great story, dancing, fire twirling, etc. We've done this on all three trips in the past two years and it hasn't gotten old. Tips: 1) You don't need to pay for the ViP guided option if you speak English. 2) We get the cheapest seats for the night show and they are still decent seats. There are good onsite dining options and while they are likely more expensive than similar places in your hometown, they are way more affordable than similar restaurants at Aulani or in Wakiki. As a bonus (since Pete brought up Forgetting Sarah Marshall) Laie Point ‐ the "cliffs" Mila Kunis jumped from in the movie - is about a 5-10 minute walk from the parking lot of the PCC.

[@Jeff-bv1ek]

As Pete said, that lazy river is unbelievable. Not as long as the ones at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, but amazingly themed & generally much less crowded.

[@peggypalmacho9102]

The Arizona memorial is open again- but rent a car for all these excursions. North shore is mostly flat in summer- awesome snorkeling. Winter months for big waves.

[@JazzyLnae]

The best beaches on Oahu are on the east & north shores. Kualoa Ranch is a great excursion too. The Polynesian Cultural Center is a must if you're interested in learning about the various Polynesian islands/cultures.

[@barbarafritsche1686]

We love Aulani. We spend about 10 days there when we go to Hawaii. We do a lot of things away from the resort but we do a number of things at the resort. A good mix. The evenings are filled with dinner, campfire stories and music. Just very relaxing. We are older and have grown kids and grandchildren. They have traveled with us but we mostly go by ourselves. It’s a beautiful place to visit. Beautiful people, beautiful culture. We cook breakfast in the room, buy our groceries at Safeway and we eat where the locals eat. Great food and not expensive.

[@mfabiani115]

Wife and I visited rented a car and drove to Aulani from Honolulu last summer to have dinner. We weren’t disappointed but were not impressed either. Beautiful area and resort but besides some characters walking around you’d never know it was a Disney resort. (Maybe that’s the point , just an observation). We ate at the outdoor pool restaurant and it was 100 bucks for two entrees and two drinks. Crazy. I’m not sure why someone from the East coast would fly all the from the East Coast to specifically visit Aulani when Atlantis is close by and basically offers the same amenities and layout. To each their own though.

[@myrnapowell1637]

Great show thank y’all for working through this horrible time. I would be leaving this Saturday for Disney 😭😭😭

[@knappydiscgolfer1]

Can you guys do a show for HHI or Vero. Or perhaps a show that covers both. Two DVC shows for Aulani and none for Vero or HHI.

[@ericaschmerica10]

Yes please!! We spent the night on a sailboat at the marina that bumps up against HHI and it looked so cute. We drove past a couple castmembers waving at us with their Mickey Mouse gloves on our way to the slip and I instantly felt right at home.

[@poohj80]

The movie tour is at Kualoa Ranch and it is fabulous! Highly recommend the VIP tour! They always offer zip lining, horse back riding, snorkeling and then some.

[@kathyromack395]

We would have been leaving for Aulani in exactly 21 days. Not sure when it'll be smart to reschedule so we're thinking maybe May next year. There is so much to enjoy on Oahu we want to be able to see it all so waiting for some normalcy is our goal.

[@staceyhappilyeverafter391]

We loved doing the Menehunue trail, two adults but we loved it! We loved everything about Aulani (except having to go so far for coffe) and Hawaii. It was truly paradise and we can’t wait to go back. It’s worth buying Dvc just to go to Aulani and spend Two weeks every other year.

[@poohj80]

I also recommend visiting more than just Oahu when traveling to HI. Inter-island flights are cheap on Hawaiian Airlines so easy to book separately. We've seen Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and spent a couple days on Maui as well. It's easy to book a multi-city flight instead of round-trip to Honolulu. We actually found flying home from Maui was much cheaper than HNL so we saved money and island hopped.

[@jonnywilkinson3319]

Nice editing at the end 😂

[@brendanpike]

Jonny Wilkinson what was edited?

[@myrnapowell1637]

It wasn’t really that bad. But Sean had been trying to talk for awhile and people kept interrupting him not meaning to but I am sure it’s very aggravating to try to be a part of a group discussion when your not all in the same room. Love Sean, he’s sweetheart. I would have been more outwardly frustrated then him especially if it was my other half on the other end.

[@vfof5469]

I think Pete was pretty rough on Sean who was trying to add something quickly before Pete went on to something else. It wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great either - my first thought was I guess we are all get a bit feisty from quarantine. lol I kinda felt like everyone had issues talking over each other on this one and by that point Pete was probably getting a bit frustrated and unfortunately Sean caught it when he snapped.

[@Diane.in.Maryland]

Love Aulani. Been a number of times as DVC owners. If you are going to do Waikiki -- Royal Hawaiian 100%!

[@redbutterfly1779]

I live and grew up in Hawaii. Yes the food is expensive but not the prices you paid for a pineapple and frosted flakes. You paid more than double what we pay in town for food. As a local I would love to spend a couple of nights there but even with the local discount it is very expensive to stay at the resort.

[@RetrocadePodcast]

The grounds are amazing, the buildings are beautiful, lazy river is great, pools and hot tubs are fantastic. I had a car and got them to waive the parking fee, too.

[@arkanenoah]

The ONLY way i would ever consider the expense of Aulani is through DVC. I rented points last time and got an Ocean View studio for a pretty reasonable rate. Seeing the cash booking price was just insane. Booking directly was 900USD/night vs what i was paying renting points probably 300USD/night.

[@movietalker7388]

Can u do a video describing all the Shanghai Disney vacation options and resorts and attractions and shows?

[@mlmiami]

Great episode. Thanks! We plan to go next year using 2 years worth of points.

[@alethaw1406]

Don't forget a lot of your audience is from the west coast. I know plenty of folks who go to Hawaii every year. For us it's just as far as going to WDW. Also the jet lag is not that big of a deal if you are already on the west coast. It seems you have a lot of cons in this video and some are not even that big of a deal. For groceries, pack a big suitcase and fill half with dry goods from home. The bonus is then you will have plenty of room for your suveniers!

[@Jon-Chap]

Everything closes way too early there. 9:30pm there is one small bar open that is packed with kids because there is no where else with food open

[@happilieverholli9994]

Maui is the most beautiful island. I highly suggest island hopping if you go to Aulani.

[@movietalker7388]

Thank you for the shows they are interesting

[@stressaddict9713]

From experience, island hopping is great, but I don't think 3-4 days/island gives you a chance to appreciate the islands. Especially the big island.

[@scoutmaster314]

Other tips in addition to my PCC recommendation: Don't just go to Oahu - visit the other islands, they are all great and different - and try some of the other great resorts. Just visiting Oahu and thinking you know what Hawaii is like would be like visiting NYC and saying you know what America is like. It doesn't have to add that much cost onto your trip: when you are booking your flight, just select "multi-city' and plug in LIH (Kauai) or KOA (big island) and see what you come up with. Also don't just plan to be in Oahu for the days you have Aulani booked. Plan a few days at the beginning or end at the Royal Hawaiian or Moana Surfrider - those are the two great beautiful historic Wakiki resorts (go to their free hotel history tours even if you don't stay there). As Pete mentioned, Turtle Bay Resort is great too. Watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall before you go and plan to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center during that part of your trip - because it is nearby and you won't have to drive all the way back around the island at night after the show.

[@nickm1587]

Looks like Aulani is between $90-$100/pt now on the resale market

[@johnmack9677]

I feel like Jerry stole fiascos thunder in the beginning

[@dee_mcgee11]

He totally stole Corey's Star Wars thunder!

[@staceyswalwell5186]

I love Aulani, and since I am on the west coast of Canada it is easier to get to than Orlando. I am really hopin I don't have to cancel my reservation at the end of August.

[@sun_burstsclouds_break6346]

As East coasters, we love WDW and have been more times than we can count. Since recently expanding our real estate to include a rental property on Maui, we have been twice and are planning to go again next year. That being said, I would never island hop to Oahu to visit Disney World lol. If you think Aulani is giving you an authentic “taste” of Hawai’i, then it’s not doing its job. IT IS Hawai’i. There are so many other beautiful options for half the price. Hawai’i is pure magic, with or without the mouse. Your dollars will go much farther and you will see the best each island has to offer if you do your research and avoid the tourist traps..

[@janett253]

I've been to Hawaii many times, all the islands but never Aulani. Someday I'd love to try Aulani.

[@HandburglarPro]

Fiasco, not everyone lives on the East Coast. From Sacramento, I can get a direct flight to Honolulu for faster and cheaper than a connecting flight to Orlando. Going to Aulani I’m there by lunch. Orlando it’s dinner. So we do Aulani more than WDW.

[@movietalker7388]

R there any musical or entertainment performances at Aulani? Thanks

[@noellegraham5261]

Pete mentioned the lazy river, that he’s never seen anything like it.... I would love to hear how it compares to the Beach Club’s lazy river? Has anyone done pool days at both resorts?

[@wolfc87]

Noelle Graham yes I have, Aulani’s is 10x better

[@bodyloverz30]

If your paying cash, why bother staying at Aulani, as there are better hotels for less money?

[@RetrocadePodcast]

George B because the grounds are amazing. Lazy river, private beach, beautiful, comfortable rooms.

[@multidayticket]

Based on 7 stays since 2013: Pros: Beautifully designed resort still in nearly new condition. Cons: The restaurants are not good at any price, and have declined over time. The pool area is too small for the size of the resort, and just when it gets less crowded in the late afternoon, they close it.

[@tr_4600]

thanks for all this info. aulani is lovely but as a New Englander it would not be practical to have it as a dvc, better off renting someonelse's points. It seems like a good option for those on the west coast.

[@annemariec7659]

You guys are the best.

[@hugsscout]

There is a lot of Cruise ships that go around 3-4 islands which is a great way to see the other islands. I have done the Disney Cruise to Hawaii along with others. Most of them finished up at Honulula which were great way to see Aulani for a week before flying home.

[@angelas9467]

Been there twice and cannot wait to go back. We are in the middle of the country but the key is to fly to the West Coast spend the night, and taken early 1st class Hawaiian air flight and you can get them for a decent price

[@suechun8871]

Costco is near by to Aulani $3 Maui pineapple. $10 is the I saw you coming...but, I am sure it was good pineapple, mango and papaya. Pizza is great across the street from that store. Also Uber eats can bring different foods. Go out to Turtle Bay and have a great meal there.

[@pinseeker0879]

This is the first time I've noticed a golf course being mentioned on the show, even just as an offhand comment. Is there any way you could somehow incorporate a review or discussion of the WDW courses in a future video? Even though their courses are generally rated as excellent, they seem to get no love or are just ignored by the social media community.

[@suechun8871]

Buses and the trains will bring you in to town if you want to save money...trains will happen soon.

[@Beazle00]

There seem to be far more “cons” than “ pluses “ about Aulani. Thanks for your honesty anyway. That resort will suffer massively in the coming year due to the downturn in air travel .

[@DisTravelDuo]

Soooo not much besides the beach and pool. Not sure it's for us right now

[@peggypalmacho9102]

It’s unclear at the moment if oahu will be open by September.

[@68Polara500]

Aulani was a nice stay. We LOVED Rainbow Reef. Best snorkeling on the island. But, it IS pretty far from just about everything. It's murder driving to Pearl Harbor and other excursions. Kinda silly that they shut down their pools so early. Maybe next time, we'll stay only a couple of days at Aulani and then find a nice hotel over in Waikiki to be closer to Diamond Head and shopping. Speaking of shopping, the shops were pretty expensive.

[@amandaplummer2579]

most definitely not the best snorkeling on the island

[@mickeysmyspiritanimal223]

Hello Pete, Jerry, Sean, and Fiasco...and Craig!😎🚝👸🏽🏰🦸‍♂️🦸🏻‍♀️🧜🏻‍♀️

[@angelas9467]

DVC gets free parking , fyi. Get a car for sure

[@mr.tommorrow9420]

Fiasco, could you have worn a more worn out shirt?

[@tracysanborn8817]

Mr. Tom Morrow really? That’s the only thing you can come up with? Not to mention ... everyone has been quarantined at home for the last six weeks. Most people aren’t even getting out of their pajamas. What did you think of the show and Aulani?

[@bbkangs]

Tracy Sanborn chill damn

[@saddog873]

Sean is the worst thing about this channel.

[@fpsoftdev]

sad dog that’s not very nice or helpful criticism. Maybe mention how he can improve? I don’t mind Sean personally.

[@denisel1963]

Wish Sean would stop saying umm every 3 words 😕

[@kkristian8350]

Leave him alone