Aulani vs Disney World

[IronCloud]

We live in Southern California and are only a 30 minute drive to Disneyland so we go there a lot. I am looking for a new Disney experience for the family. So, right now we are debating weather we want to stay at Aulani for around 4 nights Summer 2016. Or, continue to save up to have an all out trip to Disney World in Summer 2017. I'm thinking 6 nights at The Contemporary, Polynesian, or Beach Club. 7 day park tickets just to have some full days and then other days just pop in the park for like 2 - 3 hours. Can you guys give me some pros and cons about Aulani and Disney World.

 

[alohamom]

I think it depends on the age of your kids, if you have any. WDW Florida and DL Cali are really very different. Even though they have many of the same rides and attractions, they are different versions of them. Pirates is shorter in Florida, Splash is much longer in Florida, DL has the Tarzan Treehouse, WDW the Swiss version. I could go on and on. There are rides like Expedition Everest that are fantastic and unique. Epcot's World Showcase is a vacation in itself. The new Disney Springs area (Downtown Disney) is so much bigger than in California, it is not my favorite but the kids love it. There are the water parks too, which are like no others I have been to because of the great Disney theme-ing.

Aulani is amazing, we loved Aulani and we have been travelling to Hawaii on a regular basis for over 20 years. We have stayed on all the islands, in resorts, condos and hotels however we were shocked by how much we loved our Aulani stay. I must say it isnt WDW tho, it is very subtle, low key Disney. If you have been to Hawaii, it is just that, Hawaii. A beautiful, compact, busy resort in Hawaii.

 

[IronCloud]

Well, we have two kids 16 & 14. They love thrill rides and swimming! So, we were thinking about the Beach Club because it's near Hollywood Studios which it seems to have a lot of thrill rides like California Adventure.Also it's also near Epcot because it has our favorite ride at Disneyland Soarin' Over California and Test Track looks cool. What time do you think is a better time to visit Spring Break or Summer! Thanks BTW

I think it depends on the age of your kids, if you have any. WDW Florida and DL Cali are really very different. Even though they have many of the same rides and attractions, they are different versions of them. Pirates is shorter in Florida, Splash is much longer in Florida, DL has the Tarzan Treehouse, WDW the Swiss version. I could go on and on. There are rides like Expedition Everest that are fantastic and unique. Epcot's World Showcase is a vacation in itself. The new Disney Springs area (Downtown Disney) is so much bigger than in California, it is not my favorite but the kids love it. There are the water parks too, which are like no others I have been to because of the great Disney theme-ing.

Aulani is amazing, we loved Aulani and we have been travelling to Hawaii on a regular basis for over 20 years. We have stayed on all the islands, in resorts, condos and hotels however we were shocked by how much we loved our Aulani stay. I must say it isnt WDW tho, it is very subtle, low key Disney. If you have been to Hawaii, it is just that, Hawaii. A beautiful, compact, busy resort in Hawaii.

 

[Aviator621]

I would not go to Aulani for just the Disney experience, it is much more subdued there. Instead, I would ask if the kids would enjoy what Oahu has to offer--great snorkeling, beaches, history, etc. I would also say 4 days is way too short to enjoy Oahu properly. If that is all you can manage, I would say go Disney World. (If the four day limitation is due to the high cost of Aulani, consider a split stay with another resort. For example, the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club just down the street also offers two bedrooms at much cheaper rate.)

For summer or Spring Break (Disney World), neither is ideal, but would recommend summer as early as possible, before it gets too hot, and before all the schools let out.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

I agree with alohamom. Aulani is Disney but a very subtle Disney. I also think you'll need at least a week to see everything that Oahu has to offer(if that interests you-Aulani is a perfect staycation but Hawaii is beautiful so I suggest venturing off and exploring). You'll be very limited (and isolated) with the 4 days. Ko Olina is located away from many shops, restaurants and attractions. Granted, there is an ABC store within walking distance from the resort, as well as a restaurant. I made the mistake of not filling up before I returned the rental car so I had to drive back and get gas. Ko Olina has no gas stations which is so strange.

My vote goes to WDW because you'll have it all there but if you really want to experience Hawaii, I'd try to stay a few more days at a later time. The swimming is great at Aulani but it definitely lacks a bit of the magic.

 

[IronCloud]

Thanks Everyone, will the "beaches" at Disney World like Stormalong Bay, Polynesian beach or Contemporary beach plus doing a water park be good enough to replace the experiences with water in Aulani.

 

[nkereina]

Thanks Everyone, will the "beaches" at Disney World like Stormalong Bay, Polynesian beach or Contemporary beach plus doing a water park be good enough to replace the experiences with water in Aulani.

IMO, no. If you're a beach/water family, WDW has some great pools (like Stormalong Bay) but the beaches are man made and you can't swim in the lakes. The closest beach on the ocean is about an hour from Disney World in Cocoa Beach. That being said, the water parks are great. I never recommend doing a water park on your first trip since there's so much more to see and do, but if water is very important, then they're worth visiting.

If you guys are Disneyland fanatics and have never done WDW, that would be my choice. It will really blow you away in comparison. Aulani would certainly be amazing, but it's essentially a beach resort so it's a completely different kind of vacation. Difficult to compare the two, really depends on what your vacation style is.

 

[gap2368]

then other days just pop in the park for like 2 - 3 hours.

disney world is much more spread out then disneyland so it can be harder to pop in and out of the parks for just a few hours it is doable but why spend $100+ on a ticket just for a few hours

 

[MakiraMarlena]

You're not spending $100 a day...a 7 day base ticket for 10 and older, if purchased right now would cost about $350, which is around $50 a day. Still have to decide if that is worth a few hours in a park.

There are no real beaches at WDW. There are manmade lakes with sand shores, but no swimming allowed in the lakes. Stormalong Bay is a great pool, but it is not a beach. A water park (maybe Typhoon Lagoon would be closer to it than BB) might compare to Aulani's water features but without the ocean or beach.

 

[IronCloud]

Tickets aren't $100 per day. Thats a one or two day ticket. After that the days get cheaper. So, it is cheaper to that if I get 7 day park tickets. Also, how would it be spread out? I never said I was getting hoppers. I mean't I would do 4 full days and 3 half days. Magic Kingdom 1 full day & 3 half days, Epcot 1 full day & 1 half day, and Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom 1 full day each. I never said id "pop in and out".

disney world is much more spread out then disneyland so it can be harder to pop in and out of the parks for just a few hours it is doable but why spend $100+ on a ticket just for a few hours

 

[nkereina]

The beaches at Aulani and all of Ko Olina are man made too. Water's real though.

Not to get nitpicky but while beach around the lagoon at Aulani is man-made, it's still in walking distance of "real" beaches on the ocean. You can't find that at WDW unless you are willing to drive an hour.

IMO, a Disney vacation is not a relaxing, lounge by the pool/beach type of trip. They are two very different, distinct vacation styles. So it's definitely dependent on how the OP's family likes to vacation, expectations of a vacation, etc. WDW is obviously worth a visit for any Disney fan, but if someone is longing for a relaxing vacation, Aulani might be the better choice.

We visit WDW every year but will be visiting Aulani next year for our honeymoon. We want a laidback, low key, sit on the beach with a cocktail type of Honeymoon which is why we opted for Aulani over our annual WDW trip.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

Well, we have two kids 16 & 14. They love thrill rides and swimming! So, we were thinking about the Beach Club because it's near Hollywood Studios which it seems to have a lot of thrill rides like California Adventure.Also it's also near Epcot because it has our favorite ride at Disneyland Soarin' Over California and Test Track looks cool. What time do you think is a better time to visit Spring Break or Summer! Thanks BTW

Just a note of caution. Hollywood Studios has only 2 real "thrill" rides, RockNRoller Coaster and ToT. I haven't been to DL since I was 8 (we're talking while Walt was still a recent memory) so I can't compare to California Adventure but don't expect a lot of rides of any sort at HS. I love the park, but don't necessarily go just for the rides. And Soarin is going to be swapped out for a newer version that takes us around the world.

I've never been to Aulani either, but I would cast my vote for WDW -- and I think you'll find 6-7 days ... isn't enough!

 

[North of Mouse]

Aulani and WDW are two 'very' different destinations IMO. If you're looking for a great Disney themed resort in the greatest setting, then Aulani is perfect. 'But', WDW has all the parks that truly make it a Disney destination (not just staying in a resort) and to us cannot be substituted with any place else.

 

[HopperFan]

Well, we have two kids 16 & 14. They love thrill rides and swimming! So, we were thinking about the Beach Club because it's near Hollywood Studios which it seems to have a lot of thrill rides like California Adventure.Also it's also near Epcot because it has our favorite ride at Disneyland Soarin' Over California and Test Track looks cool. What time do you think is a better time to visit Spring Break or Summer! Thanks BTW

DHS only has TWO thrill rides. Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster.

Thanks Everyone, will the "beaches" at Disney World like Stormalong Bay, Polynesian beach or Contemporary beach plus doing a water park be good enough to replace the experiences with water in Aulani.

The beaches have lounge chairs. You can NOT enter the water at the beaches. Stormalong Bay has multiple pools, slides etc that you can enjoy only if you are staying at the Yacht or Beach Club.

Tickets aren't $100 per day. Thats a one or two day ticket. After that the days get cheaper. So, it is cheaper to that if I get 7 day park tickets. Also, how would it be spread out? I never said I was getting hoppers. I mean't I would do 4 full days and 3 half days. Magic Kingdom 1 full day & 3 half days, Epcot 1 full day & 1 half day, and Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom 1 full day each. I never said id "pop in and out".

Just so you understand, this adds up to 8 days so you will need an 8 day ticket. For water parks you would need single day tickets for each time you go to a water park or add the water park option to your ticket.

 

[IronCloud]

OMG, thank you i barely realized that. I meant 1 full day at MK and 2 half days not 3.

 

[Anal Annie]

You just can't compare these 2 vacations. We have only been to Aulani once so far and DL twice but I have my 15th trip to WDW coming up in a couple of weeks so I do know my way around there.

First, I wouldn't go all the way to Hawaii for only 4 nights. Even living on the West Coast. It deserves more time and Aulani as a resort is simply spectacular and a full week would be best to get your value out of the cost of your flights. Second, there really is a huge difference between DL and WDW. DL is smaller and compact and the 2 gates are SOOO close to each other - it's not a big deal to park hop. WDW takes a lot longer to navigate so you lose time to transportation and IMO "half days" at some parks can be done by people who've been there before but not so much by people who aren't as familiar with them. Hoppers cost more but allow a lot more flexibility - you will likely find that you'll want to hop and may want to return to a park again that you didn't anticipate. WDW park tix cost way too much IMO to plan this trip with "popping in for 2 or 3 hours" in mind. "Popping in" is for annual passholders. Everybody should plan a few hours of down time every day but for the price of 7 day tix you wouldn't be getting your full value out of them with that 2-3 hour plan. JM2C.

Beach Club is an excellent choice for its "back door" entrance and walkability to the World Showcase at Epcot plus Storm Along Bay is probably the best pool on property. The pool at the Contemporary is also very nice - but SAB has the sand bottom which is unique. We adore Beach Club. We haven't stayed at the Poly yet - but will be staying there in the new DVC villas in June. People love the Poly for sentimental reasons. We also haven't stayed at the Contemporary but have stayed at Bay Lake Towers (since that's the DVC side). As others have mentioned if you're looking for a beach vacation you're not going to get that at WDW. You could plan to tack on a few nights at the beach tho while you're there and plan for more of a 10-day vacation - neither coast is very far away - if you're looking for waves you'd probably be better off on the Atlantic side. If you can't plan that much time you could drop back to 5 at WDW and 2 at the beach (DVC has a resort at Vero Beach you might be able to book). Just something to consider to work in both ideas...

 

[Anal Annie]

Tickets aren't $100 per day. Thats a one or two day ticket. After that the days get cheaper. So, it is cheaper to that if I get 7 day park tickets. Also, how would it be spread out? I never said I was getting hoppers. I mean't I would do 4 full days and 3 half days. Magic Kingdom 1 full day & 3 half days, Epcot 1 full day & 1 half day, and Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom 1 full day each. I never said id "pop in and out".

In your OP you said "pop in the park for like 2 - 3 hours" which could be taken as "pop in and out" (and which is how I would take it too).

 

[AMCSquared]

I grew up in SoCal, is a Aulani DVC owner, and have been to WDW couple times. Like everyone said, DL, Aulani, and WDW are all very different destinations. You can easily spend a week at WDW+water parks+Universal Studio (if you want) without feeling like you been to the same thing twice. That said, much like DL, WDW is still an amusement park. On the other hand, Aulani is more of a Hawaiian Resort first, with some Disney "sprinkles" in between. Aulani is simply not the same type of vacation as a hustle-n-bustle amusement park.

At end of the day, your family has to decide what kind of vacation you want. WDW is much like DL but in a much grander scale and everything that is associated with Disney. Aulani is a much more relaxing Hawaiian Resort with all the typical things you can do in a Hawaiian vacation. My kids are younger than yours but they like both WDW and Aulani. Even though I am about 10 minutes drive from the beach and go to it often during summer time, my kids still asks about when we will go back to Aulani.