2 (ok maybe 3) Aulani Questions

[ElenaJane]

DH and I are going to have our first ever Aulani stay this February! I am ridiculously excited. We are only there for 2 nights sadly, as that was the most I could convince DH to do.

So here are my questions for you experts!

1. We rented DVC points and will be staying in a standard view hotel room. I understand this will mean no daily mousekeeping and a view of a parking lot. But does it mean a certain building or wing? Will we be in the DVC area or just in a regular room but with no Mousekeeping? Just curious!

2. Since we really only have one full day to enjoy Aulani, I am going to make it count. If the pool opens at 8am, do we need to get in line by 7:30am? This will be a Friday, mid-February. We have ADR for breakfast ("AMA" AMA) at 7am. If we don't try and get our pool chair until 8:30am, will we likely get some horrible sunny spot next to a trash can or something?! Ok, maybe this is 3 questions, but do any of you have any recs for a spot that has shade for at least part of the day, a partial view of the ocean, and not dead center of any kiddie pool? I think the adult area sounds nice in theory, but can you see any ocean?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[adamak]

1. You can request certain wing / buildings but not guaranteed. Check out the other thread on views / location of different type of rooms. You'll be in "DVC" rooms since you're using DVC points.

2. Generally you don't need to get there early. There is a line but it moves quickly.

3. Depends on how busy the resort is. Generally speaking the good seats will be gone by 8:30 am. Some chairs in the adult area faces the ocean. I prefer the chairs on the beach under umbrella. Then you're really staring at the ocean.

 

[thedogatemyhomework]

feb shouldn’t be too busy, but nearly all of the pool side chairs have little if any view of the ocean (best bet for near the pool would be on the ulu cafe side near the infinity pool)

 

[ElenaJane]

Thanks guys! I'll look into the threads about room views! Maybe I should make a beeline for the Beach, since that's the view I want the most! I am glad to hear that February may not be too busy. Though I am a WDW vet and prepared to navigate any crowd if need be!

 

[DVCRSheridan]

DH and I are going to have our first ever Aulani stay this February! I am ridiculously excited. We are only there for 2 nights sadly, as that was the most I could convince DH to do.

So here are my questions for you experts!

1. We rented DVC points and will be staying in a standard view hotel room. I understand this will mean no daily mousekeeping and a view of a parking lot. But does it mean a certain building or wing? Will we be in the DVC area or just in a regular room but with no Mousekeeping? Just curious!

2. Since we really only have one full day to enjoy Aulani, I am going to make it count. If the pool opens at 8am, do we need to get in line by 7:30am? This will be a Friday, mid-February. We have ADR for breakfast ("AMA" AMA) at 7am. If we don't try and get our pool chair until 8:30am, will we likely get some horrible sunny spot next to a trash can or something?! Ok, maybe this is 3 questions, but do any of you have any recs for a spot that has shade for at least part of the day, a partial view of the ocean, and not dead center of any kiddie pool? I think the adult area sounds nice in theory, but can you see any ocean?

Thanks in advance!!

Get yourselves a Casabella for the day! It's about $45 for the day, but you don't have to worry about fighting for a good spot or losing your spot if you're gone over an hour. Money well spent, my wife & I enjoyed it so much that we ended up getting 1 almost everyday we were there. They're located right at the edge of the beach so you'll have a beautiful ocean view, shade when you want it, sun when you want it, food/drink service and a quick walk up the steps to the pool area.

 

[keaster]

While the pool situation can get stupid, we have ALWAYS been able to get chairs and umbrellas on the beach! So if there is no spot at the pool, don't sweat it, head to the sand!

 

[ElenaJane]

Get yourselves a Casabella for the day! It's about $45 for the day, but you don't have to worry about fighting for a good spot or losing your spot if you're gone over an hour. Money well spent, my wife & I enjoyed it so much that we ended up getting 1 almost everyday we were there. They're located right at the edge of the beach so you'll have a beautiful ocean view, shade when you want it, sun when you want it, food/drink service and a quick walk up the steps to the pool area.

THAT SOUNDS PERFECT! Can I book a Casabella ahead of time? Or just the morning of? Thanks so much!

 

[Boardwalkin]

Did you book a DVC standard studio or hotel studio? There are 8 hotel rooms that can be booked as DVC. I believe all 8 are 5th floor facing the front of the resort. We had one last year and the view was decent for a standard view.

 

[ElenaJane]

Did you book a DVC standard studio or hotel studio? There are 8 hotel rooms that can be booked as DVC. I believe all 8 are 5th floor facing the front of the resort. We had one last year and the view was decent for a standard view.

Only 8?! I feel really lucky then. I wanted the two full beds, so the studio didn't appeal to me. I double checked and it definitely says hotel room:
Resort: Disney's Aulani Villas
Accommodations: Hotel Room-Standard View
Number of Points: 32

I am absolutely prepared for a view of a parking lot or even a tropical dumpster. Anything better than that will be a win in my book. 5th floor sounds good to me! Thanks!

 

[nkereina]

THAT SOUNDS PERFECT! Can I book a Casabella ahead of time? Or just the morning of? Thanks so much!

There's two different kinds. The casabellas on the beach are actually $75 for 9am-5pm and can only be reserved day of. DH and I booked one, but we didn't care for it. First, there were ALWAYS beach chairs and umbrellas available on the beach. The lack of chair situation only happens in the prime spots by the pool. So since there was always availability on the beach, we didn't think the casabellas were worth the cost. The servers weren't anymore attentive. The only benefit was that it had cushions. We also didn't like when the sun was low in the afternoon because the awning over the casabella no longer blocked the sun. We had to keep towels over our legs and got very warm.

There are also casabellas on the upper and lower veranda decks in front of AMA AMA that can be reserved in advance. But with these, you are reserving the whole deck which comes with more than one set of casabellas and is also more expensive. We didn’t like the location of these – very quiet, secluded, a good walk to the restroom and pool, and mostly shaded. I would only book these if you want to be off the beach and you are there during a very peak time of year and don’t want to be up early to get chairs elsewhere.

 

[DVCRSheridan]

There's two different kinds. The casabellas on the beach are actually $75 for 9am-5pm and can only be reserved day of. DH and I booked one, but we didn't care for it. First, there were ALWAYS beach chairs and umbrellas available on the beach. The lack of chair situation only happens in the prime spots by the pool. So since there was always availability on the beach, we didn't think the casabellas were worth the cost. The servers weren't anymore attentive. The only benefit was that it had cushions. We also didn't like when the sun was low in the afternoon because the awning over the casabella no longer blocked the sun. We had to keep towels over our legs and got very warm.

There are also casabellas on the upper and lower veranda decks in front of AMA AMA that can be reserved in advance. But with these, you are reserving the whole deck which comes with more than one set of casabellas and is also more expensive. We didn’t like the location of these – very quiet, secluded, a good walk to the restroom and pool, and mostly shaded. I would only book these if you want to be off the beach and you are there during a very peak time of year and don’t want to be up early to get chairs elsewhere.

$75 for the day? Wow, price has obviously been significantly raised over the past 2 years then, cuz we always paid right around $45. IMO, still well worth it for 1 day! I can't speak to the sun issue you encountered as we've only ever been in July/August and either we didn't have the same issue or it just simply didn't bother us enough to remember it being a problem. To each their own though! Happy Holidays!

 

[DVCRSheridan]

THAT SOUNDS PERFECT! Can I book a Casabella ahead of time? Or just the morning of? Thanks so much!

Morning of only for the beach ones. 1st come, 1st served.

 

[alldiz]

Hi,
Imo beach casabella are a waste. You are in the back row.

My fav spot is 1st row in front of infinity pool. Left side. Direct ocean view overlooking infinity pool. Nothing blocking a breeze. There are umbrellas. and we were mostly shaded... . Close to bathroom, Umi cafe and coffee/ reg bar. And free ice water station!!

I was there in July. To get these seats then 6:30 ish. East coast so was not a problem. To achieve this easily get your towels the night before and set up. You must stay in your chairs till after 8-8:30. You will know your neighbors then.
Any chance you can have breakfast 8:30ish. Enjoy quiet cup of coffee during early AM. So peaceful my fav part of day.
Happy plannng
Kerri

 

[nkereina]

$75 for the day? Wow, price has obviously been significantly raised over the past 2 years then, cuz we always paid right around $45. IMO, still well worth it for 1 day! I can't speak to the sun issue you encountered as we've only ever been in July/August and either we didn't have the same issue or it just simply didn't bother us enough to remember it being a problem. To each their own though! Happy Holidays!

Yes, price has increased. We were there in late September so the sun would have been setting earlier, so it depends on the time of year you go.

 

[Boardwalkin]

Only 8?! I feel really lucky then. I wanted the two full beds, so the studio didn't appeal to me. I double checked and it definitely says hotel room:
Resort: Disney's Aulani Villas
Accommodations: Hotel Room-Standard View
Number of Points: 32

I am absolutely prepared for a view of a parking lot or even a tropical dumpster. Anything better than that will be a win in my book. 5th floor sounds good to me! Thanks!

Our room had a king bed. I am not sure if all rooms have a king bed or if two is an option, but that might be something to request.

 

[owensamo]

Our room had a king bed. I am not sure if all rooms have a king bed or if two is an option, but that might be something to request.

When we had a standard hotel room for a night a few years ago, we were overlooking the path to the parking garage. The room had 2 beds - there were 3 of us, so a King wouldn't really have worked.

 

[ElenaJane]

There's two different kinds. The casabellas on the beach are actually $75 for 9am-5pm and can only be reserved day of. DH and I booked one, but we didn't care for it. First, there were ALWAYS beach chairs and umbrellas available on the beach. The lack of chair situation only happens in the prime spots by the pool. So since there was always availability on the beach, we didn't think the casabellas were worth the cost. The servers weren't anymore attentive. The only benefit was that it had cushions. We also didn't like when the sun was low in the afternoon because the awning over the casabella no longer blocked the sun. We had to keep towels over our legs and got very warm.

There are also casabellas on the upper and lower veranda decks in front of AMA AMA that can be reserved in advance. But with these, you are reserving the whole deck which comes with more than one set of casabellas and is also more expensive. We didn’t like the location of these – very quiet, secluded, a good walk to the restroom and pool, and mostly shaded. I would only book these if you want to be off the beach and you are there during a very peak time of year and don’t want to be up early to get chairs elsewhere.

Hi,
Imo beach casabella are a waste. You are in the back row.

My fav spot is 1st row in front of infinity pool. Left side. Direct ocean view overlooking infinity pool. Nothing blocking a breeze. There are umbrellas. and we were mostly shaded... . Close to bathroom, Umi cafe and coffee/ reg bar. And free ice water station!!

I was there in July. To get these seats then 6:30 ish. East coast so was not a problem. To achieve this easily get your towels the night before and set up. You must stay in your chairs till after 8-8:30. You will know your neighbors then.
Any chance you can have breakfast 8:30ish. Enjoy quiet cup of coffee during early AM. So peaceful my fav part of day.
Happy plannng
Kerri

Thanks so much for the input! I looked into the AMA AMA Casabellas, and they seemed great. I would love to be away from the hustle and bustle and the more shade the better! I went ahead and rented the upper level 2 of the AMA AMA Verandah. It is a bit pricey, but the peace of mind I have is worth it to me! Now we can enjoy breakfast and know we have a place to lounge with a view of the Ocean all day! Thanks for letting me know about the Casabellas! I only knew about the Cabanas before! Happy Holidays everyone!!

 

[cgattis]

Thanks so much for the input! I looked into the AMA AMA Casabellas, and they seemed great. I would love to be away from the hustle and bustle and the more shade the better! I went ahead and rented the upper level 2 of the AMA AMA Verandah. It is a bit pricey, but the peace of mind I have is worth it to me! Now we can enjoy breakfast and know we have a place to lounge with a view of the Ocean all day! Thanks for letting me know about the Casabellas! I only knew about the Cabanas before! Happy Holidays everyone!!

We didn't use them, but the location there is just prime. I think you'll enjoy it there.