Aloha Catherine, and welcome to planDisney! Starting the day by eating breakfast with Mickey and friends sounds like the perfect birthday celebration. So I’d be happy to chat about securing a
Makahiki reservation for your granddaughter’s special day!
The booking windows for Aulani experiences, like dining and activities, have varied over the years. As the Cast Member you spoke with confirmed, currently,
dining reservations can now be booked up to 45 days in advance. However, you’re not completely out of luck! When my family vacationed at Aulani last year, we didn’t book any dining reservations in advance since we weren’t completely sure of our schedule. By the time we decided we’d like to do the character breakfast at Makahiki, it was completely booked for the week we were there. But we were able to eat there during our vacation, and had a great time with the characters!
I’d suggest checking the website periodically in the weeks leading up to your trip. Other guests are always changing their plans, so I’ve had good luck snagging reservations closer to our visit. If you’re still not able to book breakfast, I’d recommend visiting Makahiki in person once you get to Aulani. While it’s not guaranteed, sometimes they have spots available that may not appear on the website. My family ended up stopping by one night and got a reservation for the following morning.
While you’re at Aulani, I also wanted to share a couple of tips for visiting with little ones. First, be sure to stop by
Rainbow Reef! When my nephew was a toddler, he loved watching the fish and snorkelers from the windows. And, if you’re an Aulani resort guest, you can also sign up to feed the fish. It’s a great way for kiddos to interact with the fish if they’re too young to snorkel. If your granddaughter likes playing on the beach, you can borrow sand toys from
Makiki Joe’s (it's complimentary for Aulani resort guests). My nephew spent hours playing with those toys!
I hope your family has a wonderful birthday celebration at Aulani next month! And if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to visit us again at planDisney.
JoAnna