Aulani Cabanas and Executive Lanai

WeLoveAriel0505

Yearning to be @ WDW with my family............
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Can someone give me some information on which are the best Aulani Cabanas and why they are and pros/cons of the Executive Lanai?

Thanks!
 
Do you have young children or adults only in your party?
If you have young children, the Menehune Bridge area is great because you can enjoy the cabana while they play there. it is pretty noisy though (rushing water). DD loves playing there, so it was great for us.
If you have adults only, the adult pool would be ideal since it is quiet, and the likelihood of getting one would be good.
The cabanas at the Ka Maka Landing are probably the most desirable for families. They book up fast, so if you are not one of the first 3 groups to book a cabana, you may not even give the option.
The Executive Lanai over looks the lagoon so it has the best view, by far. It just lacks the electricity amenities the cabana has (fan, tv, fridge). You also do not get the dessert platter.
We have stayed in all of the above (except for the adult cabana), and my family prefers the Executive Lanai....mainly for the view. It also has more seating than the cabanas.
 
We had a cabana at Menehune bridge which was great because we could sit while the kids played. But.... It was far from the bathrooms and soda. We were staying right above the bridge and our second cabana day realized it was way faster (and nicer) to go back to the room for the restroom!

The ones at Ka Maka landing are more Conviently located, but far enough from the pool that you could not possibly sit in them and watch the kids swim, if that is something you need!
 
We spent our 25th anniversary in the Executive Lanai. It doesn't have electricity, so no TV (not really what I was after). They did serve us a great fruit platter and served drinks all day. Top notch Disney service for sure.

The location of the Executive Lanai is great. You get a view of the ocean rather than a view of the pool. You aren't next to another group in the next Cabana and it has more room. When we were there, it was $25 cheaper than a Cabana. We were supposed to be out of there at 6:00 pm (I think), but they let us stay another 45 minutes or so to watch the sunset.

The only complaint is that it is right by a gate and people don't realize that you have it rented unless they read the sign. Don't be surprised if you need to kick somebody out. Spread out to avoid this.

I would do the Lanai over any Cabana for sure.
 


Is there a specific cabana number you would request? We would probably do best in the aka Maka ones if they are availabile.
 
We spent our 25th anniversary in the Executive Lanai. It doesn't have electricity, so no TV (not really what I was after). They did serve us a great fruit platter and served drinks all day. Top notch Disney service for sure.

The location of the Executive Lanai is great. You get a view of the ocean rather than a view of the pool. You aren't next to another group in the next Cabana and it has more room. When we were there, it was $25 cheaper than a Cabana. We were supposed to be out of there at 6:00 pm (I think), but they let us stay another 45 minutes or so to watch the sunset.

The only complaint is that it is right by a gate and people don't realize that you have it rented unless they read the sign. Don't be surprised if you need to kick somebody out. Spread out to avoid this.

I would do the Lanai over any Cabana for sure.
What is the cost of the lanai?
 


What is the cost of the lanai?
Its $350 for the day and there's only one, so its advisable to book early.

To echo what was mentioned a few years back, the lanai has beautiful ocean views and some privacy in that you're away from other cabanas and chairs. Its a bit of a walk from the lanai to the restrooms and the main pool, but an easy walk down to the beach to the lagoon. As PP noted, the lanai is off the main stairwell between the deck by Ama Ama and the beach, so there's a lot of foot traffic that passes by and there may be instances where you need to remind people that its a private reserved space. Its also a very sunny space - there are umbrellas to provide some shade, but the afternoon sun tends to beat directly inside. We reserved beach casabellas that face the same direction and it got to a point late afternoon that the casabella awning no longer provided shade and we had to drape towels over our legs which was no fun.
 
If the prices are the same would u book cabana or executive lanai?

I also saw from previous posts that it could still get hot with lanai in the sun. How much protection does the umbrellas give u?
 
By mid-afternoon, the lanai is full sun, and the umbrellas and casabellas really don't provide any relief from it. That being said, we prefer the lanai, b/c of the beautiful beach/ocean view.
 
I also saw from previous posts that it could still get hot with lanai in the sun. How much protection does the umbrellas give u?
As PP and I mentioned, the awnings from the casabellas and the umbrellas both only tip so far that there ends up being little reprieve from the later afternoon sun. We were there in late September and from around 3pm on, we had to keep towels on our legs. It got to the point where it was too much, so we left.
 
Do you have young children or adults only in your party?
If you have young children, the Menehune Bridge area is great because you can enjoy the cabana while they play there. it is pretty noisy though (rushing water). DD loves playing there, so it was great for us.
If you have adults only, the adult pool would be ideal since it is quiet, and the likelihood of getting one would be good.
The cabanas at the Ka Maka Landing are probably the most desirable for families. They book up fast, so if you are not one of the first 3 groups to book a cabana, you may not even give the option.
The Executive Lanai over looks the lagoon so it has the best view, by far. It just lacks the electricity amenities the cabana has (fan, tv, fridge). You also do not get the dessert platter.
We have stayed in all of the above (except for the adult cabana), and my family prefers the Executive Lanai....mainly for the view. It also has more seating than the cabanas.
The adult pool is currently not adult only. At least that is what i been reading
 
They said adult pool is gonna be family pool up until next year. The executive lanai is now the same price as all the other cabanas, so i decided with cabana since u don't get extra amenities or dessert with lanai.

My party is adults but i heard from reviews there's no issues with getting chairs in that area. But i went with family cabana since its closer to things than adults area plus its closer to the infinity pool.
 

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