Aloha Katie, and welcome back to planDisney! It sounds like you have a magical vacation in paradise coming up, so let’s make sure you’re all set with your MagicBands.
I’m happy to share that you can use both MagicBand 2 and MagicBand+ at Aulani. I love not having to carry around a room key or wallet while I’m in and out of the pool all day. Both types of MagicBands can be used to open your hotel room door, enter and exit the parking garage, charge purchases to the room, and pick up your pool wristbands and towels. Speaking of wristband pickup, you can usually get the next day’s wristband in the afternoon. My family usually does this, so we’re all ready to go in the morning, especially when we want to stop by an early
character meet and greet.
Now, if you’re looking for a bit of extra pixie dust, it can be fun to have the newer MagicBand+ at Aulani. You’ll find it lights up and vibrates as you explore different areas of the resort, like the lobby and lazy river. If you’re in the market for an upgrade, you can buy an Aulani-themed MagicBand+ over at
Kalepa’s Store!
When you check in on your first day, have your MagicBands handy so a Cast Member can link them to your reservation. If your MagicBand is linked to your MyDisney account on the
Disney World website, and your Aulani reservation is linked in the Aulani Resort app (while logged into your MyDisney account), you should be able to use your MagicBand right away. But I’ve found that Aulani Cast Members like to manually link everyone’s MagicBands to ensure they work smoothly.
As you get ready for your visit, be sure to download the
Aulani Resort app so you don’t miss any of the fun activities! When you open the app, you can see the schedule by pressing the Aulani icon towards the bottom of the screen (I like to select View List to easily scroll through everything). Keep in mind that character meet and greets aren’t added to the schedule until the morning of each day (in my experience, it’s usually between 8:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M.). Some activities also need to be reserved up to 45 days in advance through the
Pau Hana Room page. I recommend booking the popular ‘Ohana Ho’okani Pila ‘ukulele lessons right when your booking window opens. Learning to play Disney songs on the ‘ukulele is one of my family’s favorite core memories!
Safe travels, and I hope you have the most magical stay at Aulani!! If you have any other questions, you’re always welcome at planDisney.
JoAnna