Aloha Jason!
I am so excited to hEAR you have an upcoming stay scheduled for next July in tropical paradise at
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai‘i. My family stayed here for the first time earlier this year and we are already counting down to our next stay this coming spring. If you are anything like me, I expect you will already be planning your next return vacation before your July holiday ends!
Unfortunately Jason, Aulani does not currently offer any type of meal plan, nor does it use MagicBands which are provided to guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. However, upon check-in at Aulani, you will be issued a room key which can in turn be used at your discretion for room charging privileges at any of the many restaurants, cafes, lounges and bars at Aulani, or when paying for merchandise or services throughout the Resort.
I am also happy to confirm that
Disney PhotoPass is available at Aulani, and indeed, I highly recommend that you take full advantage of this terrific service. As with Disney PhotoPass services at Walt Disney World, you will find PhotoPass photographers located at multiple locations throughout the Resort to take your family's photograph and document your trip's special memories. My family loves Disney PhotoPass services, as it is the best way to ensure that everyone in the family gets in the picture. We have been amazed at the stunning quality of the photos we receive. In fact, the natural beauty and spectacular scenery at Aulani makes for some of the most gorgeous backdrops for family portraits. If you can, I highly recommend reserving a special family portrait session on the beach. While there is an added cost for the session, currently Aulani offers a significant discount on the Disney PhotoPass CD when the portrait session is booked.
Mahalo,
Trish