Here at Aulani now….

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I respectfully disagree. I’m returning precisely because I wish to revisit the same sites. Too, there are so many additional desirable sites, excursions, and hikes which we couldn’t fit into our last (11-night) trip.

I agree, I’ve found very few places where I’ve ever felt like “been there, done that” has set in. Even after seeing everything, there usually more to discover, or favorites to return to. And over time, my view changes from a tourist to a local, and I get to discover things all over again. I know not everyone is the same though, so YMMV.

For Oahu, I can definitely say, there’s always more to redo and discover. Lived there in the 70’s, and go back pretty much every year. Still look forward to going “home” whenever I can.

 

[starlite_]

I think that you are missing the point. So many people don't do any research and think that Aulani is like another WDW. They believe that they are going to an entertainment, all inclusive type of resort and then are disappointed when they get there and there is not that much to do. I have even heard people ask about what type of rides do they have. People have this mental block when it comes to Disney and we are saying that Aulani is nothing like any other Disney hotel. You don't see that when people book other hotels in Hawaii. Nobody ever says that they are going to the "Marriott" on vacation, they say Hawaii. But for some reason, people staying at Aulani always answer with "I am going to Aulani". People come to these sites to get info and it would be remiss to mislead others. Like I said, the best advice that I can give you anyone is to see Aulani as you would any other Hawaii hotel. Plan your vacation to Oahu, not Aulani.

I didn't tho, I never said ppl shouldn't be prepared or do their research. Those ppl you are looking down on for asking about rides are doing just that, research.

I'm also not saying ppl can't be dumb and book without knowing what they signed up for.

I'm saying that we should be less judgmental and condescending to ppl who prefer to stay at the resort 24/7 regardless of the destination. Some ppl (like me) want to do and see the most sights possible in a vacation. Others like to sit at the pool in a resort bubble and relax and not move. Both are valid ways to travel and neither is inherently better that the other.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Others like to sit at the pool in a resort bubble and relax and not move. Both are valid ways to travel and neither is inherently better that the other.

Again, the problem is not what they *do*, it's what they *say*.

Sit at the pool in a resort bubble and relax and not move? Cool! A-okay in my book.

Sit at the pool in a resort bubble and relax and not move and then complain that there wasn't enough to do is another thing entirely.

 

[starlite_]

... You are going to one of the most beautiful places on the planet, go and explore instead of just sitting at your hotel. I compare it to going to Paris. Would you spend your whole trip at your hotel and never leave to see the sites? Of course not, so why would anyone do that at Aulani?

I agree. Can’t imagine going to hawaii and staying only at the hotel

Or cooking all of your meals in the room... Or eating at chain restaurants...

You'd have no trouble filling 3 days at Aulani staying just at Aulani if that's what you want. The people who have problems are the people who try to fill 7+ days at Aulani just staying at Aulani.

If this is your first trip to Oahu, I would make sure you do at least one of the Bishop Museum or the Polynesian Cultural Center. For me, a Hawaii vacation needs to have a cultural/historical component, a nature component, and a pure "relaxation" component. If you're going to skip any one of those three, there are places to go that are much cheaper and easier to get to.

It's like talking to a wall. This are the types of comments I'm referring to. This is like the vacation police. That last comment is literally saying that if ppl don't follow that system, they are doing it wrong and wasting their money.

Again, the problem is not what they *do*, it's what they *say*.

Sit at the pool in a resort bubble and relax and not move? Cool! A-okay in my book.

Sit at the pool in a resort bubble and relax and not move and then complain that there wasn't enough to do is another thing entirely.

And even if they messed up and didn't research and complained afterwards because they were disappointed. Isn't that also helpful to new planners to see when they are doing their research so they don't mess up what they want to do too?

This is my last comment regarding this to anyone, I feel like we've hijacked the thread enough.

 

[Lilsia]

And even if they messed up and didn't research and complained afterwards because they were disappointed. Isn't that also helpful to new planners to see when they are doing their research so they don't mess up what they want to do too?

But these people never come back and say, "I messed up and thought it was something that it wasn't". They tell others that Aulani is horrible and there is nothing to do, etc. They never see it for what it is, their expectations being what is wrong, it is always the resort's fault for not living up to their wrong expectations. The real issue is that people have a different mindset when it comes to vacationing at a Disney hotel. They already have it in their mind how it should be, and when Aulani is nothing like that, they think that is on the hotel and then leave bad reviews. Just last week on an Aulani FB group, some guy said that they checked out early from Aulani because they had "falsely advertised" the resort. It was overcast and there had been storms so the water in the ocean wasn't as blue as it shows in their pictures. Literally, that is exactly what he said. He blamed Disney for the weather and the ocean. And then you will have people who will read this and think how horrible it is that the water is not blue, when it was just how it looked for a bit after a storm. The truth is, most people don't want to do much research and they see it as like going to the Caribbean, all inclusive. For us to say that Aulani is not like that, and that the draw is the Island itself, is not being the "vacation police".

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It's like talking to a wall. This are the types of comments I'm referring to. This is like the vacation police. That last comment is literally saying that if ppl don't follow that system, they are doing it wrong and wasting their money.



And even if they messed up and didn't research and complained afterwards because they were disappointed. Isn't that also helpful to new planners to see when they are doing their research so they don't mess up what they want to do too?

This is my last comment regarding this to anyone, I feel like we've hijacked the thread enough.

I said:

For me, a Hawaii vacation needs to have a cultural/historical component, a nature component, and a pure "relaxation" component. If you're going to skip any one of those three, there are places to go that are much cheaper and easier to get to.

For me, a Hawaii vacation needs to have a cultural/historical component, a nature component, and a pure "relaxation" component. If you're going to skip any one of those three, there are places to go that are much cheaper and easier to get to.

For me, a Hawaii vacation needs to have a cultural/historical component, a nature component, and a pure "relaxation" component. If you're going to skip any one of those three, there are places to go that are much cheaper and easier to get to.

For me, a Hawaii vacation needs to have a cultural/historical component, a nature component, and a pure "relaxation" component. If you're going to skip any one of those three, there are places to go that are much cheaper and easier to get to.