Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa: March 2021 Trip Report

Written by Tink's Travel Planner, Kathy. 

​My family and I just returned from our fourth stay at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Oahu, Hawaii.  Things were a little different this time due to the restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic but we still had an amazing time.  

---

The first order of business before heading to Hawaii was creating an account on www.travel.hawaii.gov and entering our travel plans.  Then we had to take a Covid-19 test from a Hawaii trusted testing partner within 72 hours of our flight.  We choose to take our tests at City Health Urgent Care in Livermore, California.  This facility offers testing specifically for travel to Hawaii and they sent us an official document stating that the testing was approved by Hawaii.  The test cost $20 per person and we got our results in 32 hours.  We had a few other options for testing near us that would have not cost anything but the turn around for testing was variable and did not guarantee they would be done by 72 hours.  Once we got our negative test results we loaded a pdf document into each of our Hawaii travel accounts and we were given a QR code to show upon our arrival.  

One more thing I did before our trip was download the Aulani app and enter our reservation information.  The app has a daily schedule of activities as well as all sorts of information about Aulani.  

We traveled out of Oakland, California directly to Honolulu, Hawaii on Southwest Airlines.  Once we arrived at the Honolulu airport we were directed to a screening checkpoint where they checked our QR code and negative test results.  Then we were given an exemption from quarantining which showed up just under the QR code as a green check mark and we were good to go.  We had to show the QR code again when getting our rental car and when arriving at Aulani to verify that we did not have to quarantine.  

I received an email saying our room was ready at around 3 PM before we arrived at Aulani but we still needed to check in to show our QR code and get our room keys.  On our previous visits to Aulani we were always given a fresh flower lei and kukui nut necklace as we entered the resort but because of the physical distancing requirements they were currently not offering this service.  We did miss the normal greeting but were still very happy to arrive at this beautiful resort.  When we checked in we were told that face coverings must be worn at all times around the resort except for when eating, drinking or swimming.  

We had booked a deluxe studio with a standard view.  We liked the location of the room which was not far from the elevators on the 7th floor and the view was very nice as well, I would consider it more of an island view then a standard view. The room had a queen size bed, a sofa bed, a kitchenette with a small fridge, sink, microwave and coffee maker, a bathroom with separate toilet room, a table with two chairs and a balcony with a patio table and two chairs.

We had the next six days to explore and enjoy the resort and Hawaii.  Each morning we got a new colored wrist band to be able to use the pool area and beach chairs.  The wristbands were given out at the pool area and this was the same location that we could check out towels and a life vest for my daughter each day.  All the swimming pools were open as well as the water slides, lazy river and Menehune bridge kid’s water play area during our entire stay.  The pool chairs were spread out in groups of 2-4 to maintain physical distancing and it was always easy to find a spot to put our stuff in the morning although by midday it seemed like most pool chairs were occupied.  We spent a lot of time at the beach as well and the beach was always less crowded then the pool area with lots of seating/lounging open throughout the day.  

Dining options were more limited during this trip than our previous vacations to Aulani.  Our favorite restaurant, Ama Ama was not open at all which we were a bit sad about.  Buffets and character meals were also not offered however the Makahiki restaurant which typically has buffets for breakfast and dinner had a family-friendly preset 3 course dinner available but without characters.  KA WA’A a Lu’au at Aulani was not operating during our trip but we learned that they would be opening back up again in a few weeks on March 27, 2021.  We ended up getting most of our food at Ulu cafe which is a quick service location adjacent to the Wailana pool.  They had hot and cold options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Ulu cafe had refillable popcorn buckets available to purchase with free refills for Disney Vacation Club members or $2 for non members.  Refillable drink mugs were not available during our stay and only bottled and canned beverages were available to purchase.  Our favorite dessert to get at this location was Dole whips!  Sit down poolside dining was open at Off the Hook and we did eat there a few times as well and enjoyed the food options.  Snack locations around the pool area were also available with a variety of desserts and snacks available for purchase.  

One thing that we tried for the first time on this trip was Rainbow Reef, a salt water lagoon that guests can snorkel in.  My five year old daughter was very excited to try snorkeling for the first time and this was the perfect spot for her to practice because it was in a safe, enclosed environment.  The lagoon was open each day from 10 AM-3 PM and tickets were available to purchase for a day of snorkeling or for your entire length of stay.  Snorkel equipment is provided but guests can also bring their own gear which is what we did.  We loved swimming around the lagoon and seeing all the fish.  My daughter especially enjoyed swimming up to the viewing window and waving at guests on the other side.  For guests that would like to view the fish up close but not get wet they offer fish feeding for a small charge several times a day which is a fun interaction from the walkway around the lagoon.

Disney characters were out throughout the day on the Halawai lawn where the luau usually takes place.  Just about every 30 minutes a new character or two would come out and guests were able to say hi and take photos with them from a distance.  There was a photo pass photographer out there taking pictures as well which were available for purchase online.  Even though on our previous trips we had much closer interactions with the characters we really enjoyed spending time on the lawn and getting photos with them.  We felt like these interactions provided us with some Disney magic.  

The Laniwai spa and Aunty’s Beach House were both closed during our vacation.  This was my daughter’s first trip where she would have been old enough to go to Aunty’s Beach House, a supervised kids club for guests ages 3-12 and I’m sure she would loved it but there was plenty of other stuff for her to do around the resort and we did not feel like we missed out on anything.  I had previously taken a tour of the Laniwai spa but never had a treatment done there so I did not mind that it was closed.  I would love to try out the spa on a future trip when they can safely reopen.     

There were several activities that I saw on the Aulani app throughout our vacation such as make your own Mickey ears, Menehune Adventure trail, painting with light and star gazing.  Some of these activities had an extra charge and some were complimentary.  We did not do any of these activities but it was nice to know that they were offered so guests had lots of options to stay entertained. The two gift stores were open during our stay and we enjoyed visiting them daily to pick out unique souvenirs.   

On our departure day we booked a reservation at the Ko Olina lounge in the Honolulu airport.  This private lounge is free to use and only available for guests of Aulani and other Ko Olina resorts.  We enjoyed the lounge and were able to watch a movie and relax on comfortable seats and sofas until our plane was ready to board.  

Overall we had a fantastic time at Aulani and did not feel like our experience was diminished with the restrictions and closures.  I look forward to many more Hawaiian vacations at Aulani.
​