Aloha, Peggy! Welcome to planDisney!
In just a few weeks, you will be arriving at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, taking in the gorgeous grand lobby for the very first time, feeling the warm tropical breeze, and taking that first sip of a mai tai. Ahhhh. That sounds just like a magical paradise, and I am SO excited for you. I am also planning my very first trip to Aulani, so, to get you the most informative answer today, I enlisted the help of all of my Aulani expert planDisney panelist pals, and I am more than happy to help you have the most magical upcoming tropical vacation!
First, let's chat about MagicBands. Officially, MagicBands are not currently in use at Aulani, however, some Guests with active MagicBands from a past Walt Disney World Resort vacation have reported success with using their MagicBands for entry into their room at Aulani. Since the MagicBand is linked specifically to you as a Guest, if you have an active MagicBand and used the same Disney log-in for Aulani as your My Disney Experience account, it is possible that the Band could work. However, you will get a room key upon check-in, and you can also use this to charge food and merchandise from the Aulani food and beverage locations, as well as the stores.
I would suggest going to the
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa website and hovering over the "Activities" and "Spa & Fitness" tabs at the top of the page to stay up to date with all of the amazing free and paid activities that the Resort has to offer. Click the "Included with Your Stay" link under "Activities" to take advantage of all of the free Resort activities! Here, you can also view the up-to-date
Aulani Resort Daily Activities Schedule, which will help plan out your Resort days. My pal
Kamini highly recommends participating in the "Make Your Own Mickey Ears" activity for a small fee, so, be sure to check the schedule for the dates and times of this oh-so-fun activity during your stay. A few of my planDisney pals have also informed me that the
Menehune Adventure Trail cannot be missed, and this interactive scavenger hunt throughout the Resort is FREE! How amazing is that?!
Did you know that you can
make your dining reservations at Aulani 30 days in advance?! Kamini recommends calling the Resort directly at (866) 443-4763 at 6:00 a.m. Hawaii time to make your dining reservations. My pal
Jacqueline highly recommends dining at the delicious Makahiki - The Bounty of the Islands. My pal
Doug recommended that you don't miss the Papalua Shave Ice located by Mama's Snack Stop in the Waikolohe Valley Pool Area. YUM!
Be sure to keep an eye on the
Aulani Know Before You Go page for the latest information on re-openings, as well as health and safety measures at the Resort. Here, you will find a link to the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travels website to view the latest travel requirements and restrictions. My pal
Julie informed me that Guests do get wristbands at check-in to prove vaccination status, which was super convenient throughout her magical vacation.
Peggy, I hope this was helpful. I'm wishing you pure magic in paradise! Stop by any time with any questions!
See ya real soon,
Mandy