Crazy Question... Anyone else think Aulani is overrated?

[Kmk2]

^ Luckily you aren’t the arbiter of what is a legitimate complaint. And the purpose of this board is to post experiences - I’m sure some people want housekeeping and the other things I mentioned. Some will be like - that’s not what is important to me.

If their extensively reduced services, activities, and reduced dining don’t bother you, that is great. But their TripAdvisor reviews are a dumpster fire - so it’s not just me (a DVC owner at Aulani) who is dissatisfied. And it’s heartbreaking to look at the old daily Iwa packed with activities- and see the threadbare experience they are offering today.

They have a great staff who are working hard and the physical structure is beautiful- but Disney corporate is looking recoup losses and I think aulani is on the front lines of that b/c it’s a distant DVC location.

 

[scoobdoo]

I imagine why Aunty's is not open because of the State mandates on gatherings. The State keeps going back and forth on their numbers. .

the four seasons kids’ club has been open for months

 

[Lilsia]

the four seasons kids’ club has been open for months

I know that, but they have a fraction of the kids as guests that Aulani does. There is no way that Aulani would be able to open with enough capacity. So would you rather risk making a whole bunch of your guests angry and them yelling at you that they booked their trip thinking that they can get their kid's into Aunty's? Or would you rather keep it closed until it can be open at full capacity and be safe? This is kind of no brainer here. They are saving themselves a huge headache.

 

[aam808]

towels, go the night before for the band. I don’t wait in line for check-in. I go super early and wait for the text. My Magic Bands have been enabled for door entry for a long time. I do wait in line for the water slide. People have different experiences!

How early do you usually go to check in? Does the entire Ohana go with you as well?

 

[Lilsia]

How early do you usually go to check in? Does the entire Ohana go with you as well?

Right now, everyone has to go to the front desk to check in and show their QR code for the Hawaii safe travels. If there is a line of not is hit or miss depending on flight times. We got pretty lucky when we went last time. Our bags came out fast from the plane and there was no line at the car rental counter. We arrived at the resort late morning and there was no line at check in. Nothing you can do about it.

 

[jimmymc]

The rates Aulani charges are luxury rates. They are going to have to define what they want to be - b/c without the things I listed they are no longer competitive in the luxury market IMO.

This is key. For what you typically pay in cash for a regular room at Aulani, there are other options right in the area. While I think it's worth the points, I doubt I would ever pay cash for a room without a big discount.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The lagoon is actually one of the reasons why we do like Aulani over other hotels on the ocean. I think too many underestimate how dangerous the water can be. I would be like you and stressing every time someone let their kid near the water. Currents are no joke. I think the lagoon is a bonus, not a negative.

I am also one who also mentioned not really liking the manmade lagoon but it's certainly understandable why they have it for those several resorts in the area. The manmade lagoons IMO would be a con to any of the resorts right in Ko'Olina that have them so not exclusive to Aulani. It's a great option for families and those who like very timid waters but it's okay for those to find that to be a bit dull.

If you've been to the Atlantic side of FL that has rough waters too. In fact they were rougher than Makaha was and we went right when surfing season was about to start. Our condo did have a placard discussing the dangers of the undertow, etc. The difference between the two places IMO is that I had a hard time getting into the water in Makaha but once you were there it was fine, I choose to mostly stay out my husband floated on the boogie boards (that the condo owner provided) and while the beach was hardly crowded when we were there I did see kids going into the water. But when I was in FL as a kid I had an easier time getting in the water but the constant rough waves made it hard to stay in. I vividly remember feeling the waves long after I got out. Millions let their kids near rough waters, Hawaii hardly got the stake on that. But if it is a main point obviously people will pick places that suit them better.

I know that, but they have a fraction of the kids as guests that Aulani does. There is no way that Aulani would be able to open with enough capacity. So would you rather risk making a whole bunch of your guests angry and them yelling at you that they booked their trip thinking that they can get their kid's into Aunty's? Or would you rather keep it closed until it can be open at full capacity and be safe? This is kind of no brainer here. They are saving themselves a huge headache.

I doubt that the amount of kids a hotel gets as guests would impact a state's mandate on gatherings. I mean if it's limit of X it's a limit of X. Besides is this impacting restaurants? Meaning do they have an occupancy limit? Just looking up that's been removed so no I don't think mandates have anything to do with this.

Seems more like right now Disney doesn't see the point of having it open, perhaps it's staffing issues (I'm willing to be this is the biggest reason), perhaps it's "don't want to go through the trouble" issues, regardless that I don't think needs someone to side with them just to side with them. And you already said you would never use Aunty's so it makes no difference to you, well to others it would make a difference so...

Going to Hawaii is worth it. I must not have the glamourous lives that some of you live because I am having a hard time thinking that things are not amazing. I see how lucky I am to be able to even afford to go to Hawaii and you see, "I have to wait in line behind other people to get my lunch". We just see things differently.

Listen my husband and I never thought we'd get to Hawaii ourselves. We ended up in 2016 looking at places in Oahu and found a condo for 7 days that was a little over $1,000 total, plus 1 night's worth in Honolulu for like $120+. It was a great deal for us and the view was so amazing. We used Delta SkyMiles points for 1 ticket (but had to make 3 stops on the way home to keep the ticket under the point threshold that we had which 3 stops was a lot) and then paid cash for the other ticket. We felt lucky to have gone.

But regardless of that you don't get to tell people they are complaining about stuff you couldn't dream of complaining about just because you were lucky to afford to go there yourself. You don't know their situations either and even if they could afford it with ease and even if it may seem miniscule to you in the grand scheme this thread was about Aulani feeling overrated, that's going to open up people to talking about how they felt about Aulani. To some the lines that they personally experienced didn't make them enjoy Aulani as much as someone else and that fact alone shouldn't mean a conversation about privilege is warranted. It just makes it sound like a conversation about the pros and cons to someone can't be had because darn it they should just feel fortunate enough to make it to Hawaii and that's just not what the thread's intent was originally about.

 

[longboard55]

All hotel prices have gone up since covid. I. Would say the most similar resort is the Grand Waleia. We use to get rooms around $500. Now I see $1200. Everything cost more and gives less.

 

[scoobdoo]

I know that, but they have a fraction of the kids as guests that Aulani does. There is no way that Aulani would be able to open with enough capacity. So would you rather risk making a whole bunch of your guests angry and them yelling at you that they booked their trip thinking that they can get their kid's into Aunty's? Or would you rather keep it closed until it can be open at full capacity and be safe? This is kind of no brainer here. They are saving themselves a huge headache.

so, annoy 100% of parents or 50% of parents?

 

[Lilsia]

I doubt that the amount of kids a hotel gets as guests would impact a state's mandate on gatherings. I mean if it's limit of X it's a limit of X. Besides is this impacting restaurants? Meaning do they have an occupancy limit? Just looking up that's been removed so no I don't think mandates have anything to do with this.

Aunty's is considered a "gathering" place that is different from the actual hotel and has it's own occupancy requirements, like all child care facilities do. And right now, they have gone back to 50% occupancy of a venue. So, as I said earlier, if the occupancy for Aunty's is normally 30, then they can only allow 15 in there now. The problem is that the State keeps changing their rules as things change with infection rates. If they opened a couple of months ago when they dropped their gathering requirements, they would now have to implement the new requirements that the State just changed. And I have seen way too many people say that they will only go if Aunty's is open. So imagine you are one of those people and great, Aunty's is back open. So you book your trip and get there and bam, the State changed their limits and now your little Kaidyn and Braidyn are not able to get in. Are you telling me that they are not going to get a bunch of angry parents? I think that the mandates have a lot to do with it. With how the State changes them at whim, how are you going to staff, and plan your days?

 

[Inga]

I have lived in Nova Scotia, directly on the Atlantic Ocean, and know the rip tides are far worse in Hawaii be anything I have experienced here. I consider Hawaii oceans very different than East coat of North America.

 

[Lilsia]

so, annoy 100% of parents or 50% of parents?

How are you annoying 100% of parents? You assume that all parents want to drop their kids off at Aunty's and you assume that all kids want to go. Sorry, but that is not the case at all. And there is no way that the facility could even hold 100% of the kids there. Believe it or not, there are parents that want to spend their time with their kids on vacation. Some work a lot and don't see their kids that much and don't want to be separated from them on their trips together. There are kids that don't enjoy going to Aunty's, etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Aunty's is considered a "gathering" place that is different from the actual hotel and has it's own occupancy requirements, like all child care facilities do. And right now, they have gone back to 50% occupancy of a venue. So, as I said earlier, if the occupancy for Aunty's is normally 30, then they can only allow 15 in there now. The problem is that the State keeps changing their rules as things change with infection rates. If they opened a couple of months ago when they dropped their gathering requirements, they would now have to implement the new requirements that the State just changed. And I have seen way too many people say that they will only go if Aunty's is open. So imagine you are one of those people and great, Aunty's is back open. So you book your trip and get there and bam, the State changed their limits and now your little Kaidyn and Braidyn are not able to get in. Are you telling me that they are not going to get a bunch of angry parents? I think that the mandates have a lot to do with it. With how the State changes them at whim, how are you going to staff, and plan your days?

There is no such wording that Aunty's is closed for capacity reasons and places have been very upfront about that because it allows them off the hook. The only thing I could find about gathering restrictions is indoor large gatherings of an expected 1,000 or more attendees being 50% which ended today. And Aunty's doesn't have that issue. Also it states that under businesses category there is no restriction and that includes operations not operating under events. I don't think a place for youths to be at is considered an event but just part of normal operations.

If your whole premise is Hawaii keeps changing things on a dime then no other place like it would be open because they too would have issues with staffing, they too would have issues with angry parents, and they too would feel like the ups and downs present too much of an issue, etc. If the Four Seasons has their kid club open then I'm not sure that your reasoning works. And if other hotels in Hawaii also have theirs open it wouldn't work either. It's not personal if someone says they don't want to go to a family friendly resort because they don't have a place for their kids to enjoy on their own. It's much like the cruise ships where they have kid clubs and people enjoy having that option.

I think you're over emphasizing the parental anger or at least I don't think that's the main or even fairly decent amount of a reason Disney is choosing to not have it open, since when have the truly cared what angers their guests lol, they are going to do what they want to do. Sure people would get annoyed if it closed when it was listed as open when they booked but a lot of people have been around the pandemic to know things close up when it's sudden. It's sorta both ways there's people willing to go but wish it were available to them or they are staying away from it because it's not available to them. If Disney sees enough revenue without it it's not as much of an incentive to put it back open and certainly wouldn't if they can't get the staff to do it which to me like many other places isn't so much mandates at this time but pay, stress and job industry change. FWIW back in my area the biggest city in our metro lost 40% of it's childcare licensed businesses, it wouldn't surprise me to see an issue with staffing (and not related to mandates) but rather just the type of occupation it is.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have lived in Nova Scotia, directly on the Atlantic Ocean, and know the rip tides are far worse in Hawaii be anything I have experienced here. I consider Hawaii oceans very different than East coat of North America.

Nova Scotia quite a long way from FL and is in a different climate. I do feel like your anxiety towards the ocean (which I wouldn't want to live near an ocean with that anxiety) may make it more amplified in your feelings but I don't really think the original person who you quoted was trying to make such a big deal out of it. They were just saying they don't want to stay at Aulani for too many days so they can experience a less chill water environment even if they wished the lagoons weren't there.

Hawaii does have rip tides that are of a different feel but unilaterally it would be unfair to discuss Hawaii's ocean environment like no other place has rough waters since your premise started with the waters in Nova Scotia to begin with it seems fair to discuss other places too. Although please don't take this to mean I'm downplaying Hawaii, as I said I was in a rougher part, but I don't think quite as many people take into consideration as much as you are the waters. It might be a perk to them to have those tamer waters but parents may prefer that on one trip and have no issues with another trip.

 

[Inga]

Nova Scotia quite a long way from FL and is in a different climate. I do feel like your anxiety towards the ocean (which I wouldn't want to live near an ocean with that anxiety) may make it more amplified in your feelings but I don't really think the original person who you quoted was trying to make such a big deal out of it. They were just saying they don't want to stay at Aulani for too many days so they can experience a less chill water environment even if they wished the lagoons weren't there.

Hawaii does have rip tides that are of a different feel but unilaterally it would be unfair to discuss Hawaii's ocean environment like no other place has rough waters since your premise started with the waters in Nova Scotia to begin with it seems fair to discuss other places too. Although please don't take this to mean I'm downplaying Hawaii, as I said I was in a rougher part, but I don't think quite as many people take into consideration as much as you are the waters. It might be a perk to them to have those tamer waters but parents may prefe

ok I think we’ve hit a ridiculous point in the conversation - I’m out

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

ok I think we’ve hit a ridiculous point in the conversation - I’m out

okay

 

[Version 6]

There is no single answer to this question, because value is relative. Relative to what you enjoy, your financial situation, your family circumstances, etc.

Personally, I enjoy Aulani and I'm prepared to pay the prices they ask.

Totally understand if others consider it "overrated" - again, all that really means is that they don't consider that it provides value for money based on their own personal circumstances. To each their own.

So, in a nutshell - if you consider Aulani good value for money, great! Go there and enjoy it.

And if you don't, also great! Find somewhere you like and have a great time.

We won't (and don't have to) all agree on this point.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

My view right now while I might be upset some things aren’t here like they use to be I still think this is absolute and utter paradise

 

[mort1331]

delete

 

[CaptainAmerica]

so, annoy 100% of parents or 50% of parents?

Annoy 100% of parents moderately months in advance so they can plan accordingly and choose to cancel or postpone their trip if they're unhappy with the situation rather than annoy 50% of parents day-of, in the middle of their vacation. Absolutely, every time.