Did Aulani Blow You Away?

[Kmk2]

These are the most recent titles of TripAdvisor reviews of Aulani if you sort by date - it’s almost like people can have a wide range of views, positive or negative, on Aulani for a wide range of reasons.


- “pros and cons”

- “Paying for the Disney Name”

- Not the Disney level of service/standard anymore”

- “Poor Treatment of DVC Members”

- “Spectacular resort, will return”

- “ Family fun but magic lacking”

- “ If you have teens, don't go.”

- “Did not meet expectations”

- “Fine, if you want a Disney World”

- “very nice property”

- “BEWARE - Dirty Pools - Got Staph Infection”

 

[Shivanair]

I love the other Peter Dominick designed Disney Resorts (Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Californian) so I was expecting the same level of character. While Hawai'ian themed, Aulani doesn't have the expansive lobby, the cozy "hidden" nooks, and the resort-wide related art piece displays of the aforementioned Disney resorts. It seems like the emphasis was shifted to the outdoor design, which I guess makes sense for a beach resort.

Have you taken the art of aulani tour? Or the tour on the tablets (aside from the scavenger hunt mode, there is an excellent art and nature tour mode).

 

[Paul Stupin]

These are the most recent titles of TripAdvisor reviews of Aulani if you sort by date - it’s almost like people can have a wide range of views, positive or negative, on Aulani for a wide range of reasons.


- “pros and cons”

- “Paying for the Disney Name”

- Not the Disney level of service/standard anymore”

- “Poor Treatment of DVC Members”

- “Spectacular resort, will return”

- “ Family fun but magic lacking”

- “ If you have teens, don't go.”

- “Did not meet expectations”

- “Fine, if you want a Disney World”

- “very nice property”

- “BEWARE - Dirty Pools - Got Staph Infection”

I think you should take all this to heart, cancel your reservations if you have them, and make a firm decision to never, ever go.

 

[imbelle]

Have you taken the art of aulani tour? Or the tour on the tablets (aside from the scavenger hunt mode, there is an excellent art and nature tour mode).

An art of Aulani tour would have been right up my alley, had I known about it. I didn't see it as an offering on the website when I was planning my trip. The front desk won't even give you a paper map, let alone a printed schedule of activities. I'm not one to cart a cell phone around on vacation, especially not to the beach. But thanks for letting me know about it.

 

[Paul Stupin]

An art of Aulani tour would have been right up my alley, had I known about it. I didn't see it as an offering on the website when I was planning my trip. The front desk won't even give you a paper map, let alone a printed schedule of activities. I'm not one to cart a cell phone around on vacation, especially not to the beach. But thanks for letting me know about it.

There’s also an “interactive treasure hunt” you do with an iPad around the pool area called the Menehune Adventure Trail. It activates all sorts of fun surprises.

 

[Lilsia]

We'll just have to agree to disagree. The OP's question was "Did Aulani Blow You Away?". My answer was no. I didn't hate it but based on Peter Dominick's other resorts, I was expecting more unexpected and unique design elements. And it's not a size thing (I appreciated the Coco Palms and Kona Village uniqueness when I stayed at those resorts). To me Aulani was just a standard hotel design with a Hawai'ian overlay. Nothing wrong with that, just not as interesting to me personally.

Next time you are there, stroll over to the Four Seasons and look at their lobby. You might appreciate Aulani much more when you compare it to it's neighbors.

 

[imbelle]

Next time you are there, stroll over to the Four Seasons and look at their lobby. You might appreciate Aulani much more when you compare it to it's neighbors.

Actually, I had brunch at the Four Seasons while I was there. But yes, I chose to stay at Aulani. I've stayed in quite a few hotels in Hawai'i, including the Royal Hawaiian, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, Halekulani, Kona Village, Coco Palms, Volcano House, etc. Some have more Polynesian flavor than others, some have more history, some are more explorable. The decor is not the only element that gives a hotel "character" for me personally. So my answer to "Did Aulani blow you away?" was no specifically because with it being a Peter Dominick design, I was expecting more interesting and unusual use of interior spaces, as this seems to be a trademark of his hotels for Disney. Like I said, Aulani is fine for what it is. I did not hate the resort or my stay there.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Actually, I had brunch at the Four Seasons while I was there. But yes, I chose to stay at Aulani. I've stayed in quite a few hotels in Hawai'i, including the Royal Hawaiian, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, Halekulani, Kona Village, Coco Palms, Volcano House, etc. Some have more Polynesian flavor than others, some have more history, some are more explorable. The decor is not the only element that gives a hotel "character" for me personally. So my answer to "Did Aulani blow you away?" was no specifically because with it being a Peter Dominick design, I was expecting more interesting and unusual use of interior spaces, as this seems to be a trademark of his hotels for Disney. Like I said, Aulani is fine for what it is. I did not hate the resort or my stay there.

Aulani was not designed by Peter Dominick.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Aulani was not designed by Peter Dominick.

Yeah but why didn't he design it to look and feel like a national park lodge in the American Southwest?

 

[Paul Stupin]

Yeah but why didn't he design it to look and feel like a national park lodge in the American Southwest?

Ha…good question! And what better way to welcome visitors to the islands than a huge, dark, multi story lobby, engulfed in shadows?!

 

[cgattis]

It’s so salty here, I need a margarita!!

 

[jimmymc]

This thread in a nutshell:

"Aulani was good but not great."

"Why?"

"The resort looks nice but it didn't blow me away and isn't as unique as I was expecting."

"You're wrong"

"But I said my opinion?"

"No, still wrong."

 

[CaptainAmerica]

This thread in a nutshell:

"Aulani was good but not great."

"Why?"

"The resort looks nice but it didn't blow me away and isn't as unique as I was expecting."

"You're wrong"

"But I said my opinion?"

"No, still wrong."

Respectfully, that's not the debate.

"The resort looks nice but it didn't blow me away and isn't as unique as I was expecting" is an opinion, and that's fine. I disagree with it, but different strokes and all that.

"Aulani was designed by Peter Dominick" is factually incorrect. It's not an opinion, it's just wrong.

Being disappointed in Aulani for not being like Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge is like being disappointed in Miami Beach because for some reason you thought it would have Olympic-caliber ski resorts. I guess technically it's an opinion but it's divorced from reality in a factual sense.

 

[jimmymc]

Respectfully, that's not the debate.

"The resort looks nice but it didn't blow me away and isn't as unique as I was expecting" is an opinion, and that's fine. I disagree with it, but different strokes and all that.

"Aulani was designed by Peter Dominick" is factually incorrect. It's not an opinion, it's just wrong.

Being disappointed in Aulani for not being like Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge is like being disappointed in Miami Beach because for some reason you thought it would have Olympic-caliber ski resorts. I guess technically it's an opinion but it's divorced from reality in a factual sense.

I don't think nitpicking about who designed what has any influence on how much you enjoy it.

Being told this is the best Disney resort, an opinion frequently posted on the boards and said by members of the Dis Unplugged, sets the bar very high for a first Aulani trip. Wilderness Lodge is my favorite WDW resort, so if someone says Aulani is going to be better, then I'm going to make some comparisons. DVC owners also have to choose where to spend their points, so comparing resorts even if they are completely different destinations is something many of us have to do. Telling someone their opinion is based on having the wrong expectations doesn't retroactively change the way they felt at the time of their trip. Their experience has already happened.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Wilderness Lodge is my favorite WDW resort, so if someone says Aulani is going to be better, then I'm going to make some comparisons.

Better or worse is an opinion. Nobody ever told anybody that Aulani would be similar to Wilderness Lodge.

 

[jimmymc]

Better or worse is an opinion. Nobody ever told anybody that Aulani would be similar to Wilderness Lodge.

Yes, that is an opinion which sets expectations.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Yes, that is an opinion which sets expectations.

I think the very title of this thread, “Did Aulani Blow You Away?,” just invites contrarians to say no. I own CCV as well, but comparisons between the two are just too subjective to be particularly helpful. It’s like saying an orange is better than an apple. But yeah, Aulani did blow me away.

 

[imbelle]

Respectfully, that's not the debate.

"The resort looks nice but it didn't blow me away and isn't as unique as I was expecting" is an opinion, and that's fine. I disagree with it, but different strokes and all that.

"Aulani was designed by Peter Dominick" is factually incorrect. It's not an opinion, it's just wrong.

Being disappointed in Aulani for not being like Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge is like being disappointed in Miami Beach because for some reason you thought it would have Olympic-caliber ski resorts. I guess technically it's an opinion but it's divorced from reality in a factual sense.

I don't remember where I read/heard that Aulani was a Peter Dominick designed resort (Maybe a bus driver? Ha Ha). If that is incorrect, it would explain a lot about why the interior spaces were not used in ways that were as unusual or interesting to me as the other Peter Dominick resorts. I never said that I wanted a replica of AKL or WL, only a comparable level of design interest. It doesn't appear that I can articulate this in a way that conveys understanding, and continuing to defend an opinion is rather like trying to proving a negative. So I'll leave it at that. Time to crawl back under the bridge fellas, lol.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't remember where I read/heard that Aulani was a Peter Dominick designed resort (Maybe a bus driver? Ha Ha). If that is incorrect, it would explain a lot about why the interior spaces were not used in ways that were as unusual or interesting to me as the other Peter Dominick resorts. I never said that I wanted a replica of AKL or WL, only a comparable level of design interest. It doesn't appear that I can articulate this in a way that conveys understanding, and continuing to defend an opinion is rather like trying to proving a negative.

I just don't understand why you're obsessed with interior spaces. The Florida properties need aggressive artificial cooling because of the heat and humidity, so interior spaces are the whole ballgame outside of pools. Hawaii (particularly oceanfront Hawaii with a sea breeze) has the luxury to tear down those walls, figuratively and literally. It just seems weird to me to grade indoor spaces and outdoor spaces separately when the purpose of the design is to draw you outdoors and make the transition between the two as seamless as possible. In Orlando, it's 92 degrees and 100% humidity. In Ko Olina it's 82 and dry with light wind. Why would you want to be inside?

Time to crawl back under the bridge fellas, lol.

Disney communities are so toxic haha. The people who like Disney's products are the trolls and the people who sling negativity are the heroes.

 

[Paul Stupin]

I don't remember where I read/heard that Aulani was a Peter Dominick designed resort (Maybe a bus driver? Ha Ha). If that is incorrect, it would explain a lot about why the interior spaces were not used in ways that were as unusual or interesting to me as the other Peter Dominick resorts. I never said that I wanted a replica of AKL or WL, only a comparable level of design interest. It doesn't appear that I can articulate this in a way that conveys understanding, and continuing to defend an opinion is rather like trying to proving a negative. So I'll leave it at that. Time to crawl back under the bridge fellas, lol.

But all those Peter Dominick lobbies, as appropriate for Orlando as they are, are basically the same, so by constantly referencing that single template you are saying that’s exactly what you want. And it’s inappropriate for Hawaii.
In spite of your dissatisfaction with Aulani’s design, I hope you enjoyed the resort!