Aloha Kira!
Welcome to planDisney and mahalo nui (thank you very much) for stopping by planDisney with your question. Kira, you must be getting so excited as your tropical Hawaiian vacation is just on the horizon. When the spirit of Aloha meets the magic of Disney, happiness is where you are! Our family is visiting
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in August for the third time, and there's no place I'd rather be than riding the Hawaiian roller coaster ride at Aulani.
Kira, how exciting that you will be taking advantage of one of my favorite activities at Aulani, snorkeling. Learning about and seeing the indigenous fish of Hawaii is truly a magical experience. While you may be trying to find Nemo and friends, I recommend looking for the humuhumunukunukuapua'a (or humuhumu for short) which is the Hawaiian state fish. Its bright blue lips and unique coloring make it hard to miss, but you don't always see it. So if you see one, give him some fin!
To confirm, Kira, I called Aulani about your question regarding snorkel rentals. For
Rainbow Reef, you can purchase Length-of-Stay-Access and you get a wristband so you can flip your fins in the reef when you like. The last time we were there, we returned our snorkel gear every day and a fresh clean one was provided on the next day. When I called to confirm the current policy, the Cast Member stated typically you return it each day but this could change. Usually, there is a Cast Member managing the reef so you can inquire with them about what you do at the end of your snorkel.
If you rent any of the snorkel equipment at
Makiki Joe's at the beach, that is a per-day rental at $25 per set per day (price is subject to change) and that is returned each day. In fact, the policy is that all beach equipment rented from Makiki Joe's must remain in the lagoon area. So, you can't use the same snorkel set for Rainbow Reef that you use at the Lagoon - unless it's your own, in which case you would need to have your snorkel set checked by the Cast Members at Rainbow Reef to ensure it's safe for use in the reef.
Kira, under the sea all the fish are happy and you will be too when you join them in the beautiful waters of Hawaii and in the crystal clear waters of Rainbow Reef. At Aulani, we got no troubles because life if the bubbles!
I hope this helps you, Kira and if you have any additional questions about your upcoming Aulani vacation,
stop back and see me here. At planDisney, we are your vacation planning 'ohana. 'Ohana means family and that means nobody gets left behind!
A hui hou (until we meet again),
Keri