One thing I love about Disney World vacations is planning them.  For me, spending time working out the best parks for the best days, deciding where we will eat, making touring plans and securing FastPass+ reservations allows me to start enjoying the vacation long before it begins.  Plus, Disney World vacations aren't cheap, and the planning helps me feel like I'm doing my part to get the most bang for our Disney buck.  

Our time at Aulani was different.  There isn't much to plan.  I made 2 dining reservations, the character breakfast and an adults only dinner for our anniversary.  That's all.  The rest was just fly by the seat of our swimsuits.  It turns out, that's a really great way to vacation.  Now, it helps that we have been to Hawaii before and we stayed at Waikiki first, so our time at Aulani was not shared with the wonders of the island as a whole.  I'm glad we took this approach and I would do it this way again.

Our second day began bright and early, actually what's the word for earlier than even the sun?  Because that's the time the Schneiders like to rise.  In fact, I was at the quick service for coffee before the coffee was ready!

Day 2 was the day of our character breakfast buffet, Makahiki- The Bounty of the Islands.  Makahiki is also open for dinner, but at dinner the characters only visit on select nights.  Since we are morning people and tend to fade as the sun goes down, I always opt for character breakfasts.  Makahiki is just like character meals at WDW, except the food is better, Mickey, Minnie and Goofy are in their Hawaiian hang out wear, and Aunty visits to entertain the kids.

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you are well aware that my photography skills are lacking.  And when it comes to this buffet, I made a major mistake.  The food at the buffet was delicious, the best we've ever had at a Disney breakfast buffet.  There was amazing variety, and the Asian influence (like fried rice!) was a real crowd pleaser at our table.  And I took 1, terrible picture of all the food.  Oh man.  I need to do some serious work on my food photography!

While we were eating, the characters were making the rounds.  Up first, Goofy!

After Goofy's dance party, Minnie took to the floor to lead the kids in a conga line.

It was a great breakfast and I would definitely recommend it!  In fact, if you ever find yourself in Hawaii, but not staying at Aulani, you can still book a meal here at Makahiki and enjoy all the festivities and character interactions.  

A word about our outfits.  Yes, I made the shirts.  In case you can't tell, they say "aloha" but the O in aloha is a mickey head with a palm tree on it.  I was pretty proud of them, but they didn't photograph well.  Anne's shirt was way too big, so I made it into a dress, which she loved.  Anne and I are wearing Mickey ears with hibiscus flowers.  These are available to purchase at Aulani for $29.95.  Of course I think that is a ridiculous amount to pay, so I made these prior to our arrival.  Both pairs cost me $10 in supplies and the $50 I saved bought a few poolside drinks!

After breakfast the kids wanted one thing, and one thing only.  KID'S CLUB!!!!  The club doesn't open until 9:30, so we went and got in line.  While we were waiting, some of the American Idol contestants walked by.  They were going into a restaurant for sit down interviews.  

​With the kids occupied, it was time to relax by the pool and read a book!

One thing I often read in online reviews about resorts is that there are no beach or pool chairs available, and pre-trip that is something I read about Aulani.  We never found that to be true.  On this day, we got perfect, front row poolside chairs at 10am.  If you came down at 1pm, you would not have gotten these chairs, but there were plenty of others.  Yes, people put towels on chairs and then disappeared, but there were always chairs. I guess we were there in January and it might be different in July, but that was my experience.

After a few hours relaxing, I started to miss the kids.  So we dragged them from Aunty's Beach House and made them swim in the pool for awhile.  It's a good thing we did, because a special guest came by for some antics.

After a poolside lunch, it was time for some shave ice, which we ate in the shade of the snorkeling aquarium, Rainbow Reef.   

And no, we didn't get the cool ones with the Mickey ears that you see in all the commercials for Aulani.  Why?  Because they are made of ice, which melts in the hot sun.  Every single kid we saw get the Mickey ears was soon crying because the ears fell off.  

Then we took a trip down the lazy river.

Before our quick service dinner, I snagged a picture from the adult's only hot tub.  And that was the end of Day Five!

This trip was divided into two parts.  Part one was introducing the kids to Hawaii.  So we explored Waikiki, Diamond Head, and the North Shore.  Part two was total relaxation at Aulani, the Disney Resort.  For this second part, we were turning in the rental car and not leaving the resort.  As you can imagine, we were excited for total immersion in a Disney version of Hawaii.

It was about a 30 minute drive from Ford Island to Aulani.  As you cross to Ko Olina, where the resort is located, you notice the vegetation changes.  It was less green and lush on this side of the island.  The drive was easy, traffic was light and before we knew it, we spotted the resort.  Hooray!

From the minute we pulled up, I knew I was going to love this place.  Disney service is top notch and Aulani is no exception.  First, we were greeted by a cast member with a mini iPad like device.  He said, "Aloha Ohana! Can I get your name?"  I answered Schneider and he pulled us up on his device.  He said welcome again and out of nowhere a second man appeared to get our bags.  They showed Rob where he could turn in the rental car (there is an Alamo on site) and a female cast member approached us with fruit infused water, a lei for me, a kukui nut necklace for Rob, and Menehune necklaces for Anne and Ryan.  

This woman was to be our assistant for the duration of our check-in.  She started by explaining about the legend of the Menehune, playful spirits who live in the area and are hidden around the resort. If you are a WDW visitor, this is the Aulani version of a hidden Mickey.  There are over 300 Menehune waiting for you to find them! 

Next, she walked us into the breathtaking lobby with its gorgeous view of the ocean.  She pointed out the shops, the concierge desk, the tour desk, and bell services.  She also pointed out the area where the kids could watch tv while I checked in.  Brilliant! Then she stood in the check-in line with me and chatted about the resort and our vacation so far.  Once there was an available cast member to check us in, she introduced me to her by name and wished us a great trip.  This was such a warm and personalized way to check into a resort, and it set the stage so well.  Well done, Disney!

I should also tell you, this whole experience can be shortened by doing online check-in.  I didn't do this because I wanted to pay the balance of our reservation with a gift card.  The check-in cast member took care of that quickly and then let us know our room wasn't ready yet.  She verified my cell phone number and said they would text me around 4pm with our room number.  She also gave me a map of the resort and then check-in was done.

In our excitement, we had forgotten to put gas in the rental car.  Rob texted me that he was doing that and about 30 minutes from the time we had separated (him to do the car, me to do the check-in) he found me... in one of the stores of course!

At the start of our visit, they were filming American Idol at Aulani.  Did you know American Idol was still a thing?  Me either.  Apparently they were filming the top 40 at the resort.  They had the stage set up on the beach and the crew was everywhere.  We saw them filming various interviews in the resort restaurants during the day.  In the evenings they taped the competition on the beach stage.  you could go see it, but you had to stand in line for awhile and then you weren't allowed to leave during the filming block, which was 3 hours.  Pass.

Funny story.  At one point I was in an elevator alone with this young man in jeans and a t-shirt.  We were chatting and he asked if I was going to the taping.  I was like "I didn't come to Hawaii to stand in the sun and watch people I've never heard of sing."  He replied "oh" with a sad look on his face. Later, I saw him in line with the contestants waiting to go into the stage area.  Oops!  

Back to our First Day at Aulani Tale.  Reunited in the gift shop, we asked the kids what they wanted to do.  Of course they said, Kids Club! So we went to check it out and check them in.  First, we ran into some friends.

So we dropped the kids off at the kids club, Aunty's Beach House (the home of Aunty from Lilo and Stitch).  Now, if you are curious, it is very secure.  The whole thing is contained and the outdoors section isn't accessible except through the main entrance, which is well guarded.  The kids get magic bands that are scanned whenever they enter and leave.  The first time you visit Aunty's, you have to register and they take a picture of the whole family.  Then, every time you pick them up, they can tell you are who you are supposed to be.  You also create a password that you have to give each time you pick the kids up.  

I'll tell you more about the awesome Kid's Club in another post, because they have Open House hours and I was able to go in with the kids and see all the fun!  For now, all we knew is the kids were having fun and the adults were in search of a beverage.  Which we found, along with a flat bread at the quick service restaurant, Ulu Cafe.  Of course, Rob had to check in a beer.

We relaxed at the cafe and then we found some chairs in the shade to sit and relax in.  Then it was time for the room to be ready, but I never got a text.  So I walked to the front desk and got our room assignment.  Now is a good time for me to tell you about the rooms at Aulani.

Aulani is a Disney Vacation Club Resort, Disney's version of a timeshare.  Because it is DVC, there are two kinds of rooms, regular hotel rooms with two queen beds and Villas.  The Villas are available in studio (one king bed and a sleeper sofa with a kitchenette) or 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms (which have proper bedrooms and a full kitchen for preparing meals).  For our budget, we went with the regular hotel room, which we got with a military discount.  We also went for the standard island view (you can also pay for pool view, garden view, or ocean view).  

From what I read online before our trip, the standard view is a view of the parking lot with sometimes a squinty view of the ocean.  Also, most reviews said something like, always get a villa, never-ever-ever get the regular hotel rooms.  So I was prepared for (and more than a little worried about) a tiny room with a view of concrete.  When Rob and I arrived at our room, I learned that it is true, don't believe everything you read on the interwebs.

And now for a tour of the bathroom.  One thing the internet was right about is that the lighting in the bathroom wasn't that great.  They are going for a warm amber glow, and it's not great for putting on makeup.  Luckily, we were on vacation in Hawaii and who wants to stand in the bathroom putting on makeup anyway?

After photographing the room and unpacking, we retrieved the kids from Aunty's Beach House and heard all about their fun.  Then we went for a swim and a trip down the waterslides, which is something Ryan and I were very excited to try.

Our stay at Aulani was off to a great start!