Hello everyone, I hope you are well today! I’m back with another post all about saving money, and today it’s all about Aulani Resort in Hawaii! While Hawaii is an expensive location in general, there are definitely was you can save some money. Okay, let’s get started!
buy groceries/snacks/ breakfasts/ alcohol
I would highly suggest stopping at a grocery store or Target either during your trip or before you arrive to pick up some snacks! If you really want to save money on breakfasts you could pick up something and keep milk in the room refrigerator. We stopped at Target to get some pop, chips and Ethan got some beer, and it was just nice having snacks in the room. We didn’t want to have to pay Disney prices every time we wanted a small snack, and Ethan enjoyed having a beer on the balcony some days.
refillable mugs
Just like at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels you can pick up refillable mugs at Aulani! You can purchase them for a day or for the length of your stay. I would suggest purchasing one if you know you’d be drinking something from the mug (pop, coffee, etc.) every day of your trip. Looking back we wish we would have just bought the mugs instead of also buying a case of Cherry Coke from Target. We drank way too much pop on our trip!
snorkel gear
If you happen to have your own snorkel gear, you can bring it to use in Rainbow Reef! Rentals are available by day or for the duration of your stay, so this can easily save you money. But depending on how heavy it is and if it can fit in your luggage that might not work. But it’s something to consider!
use any affiliations
If you are a DVC member or Annual Passholder at any Disney Park worldwide you can save with an AP discount! There are discounts on rooms and packages, sometimes up to 30%. Also when shopping in the stores they will ask you if you are a DVC member, so we saved money on our trip! This was also applicable to beach rentals!
skip the luau
I would definitely suggest skipping the luau at Aulani to save money. There is another one offered at Paradise Cove within walking distance that you could go to if you really wanted that experience. It won’t have Disney characters, but also won’t have Disney prices. We skipped the luau because we don’t eat meat, but would maybe do it on the future.
plaza across the street
There is a plaza across the street that you should definitely utilize on your trip! We went to dinner at MonkeyPod twice and would recommend at least one meal there, and get a pie for dessert! There’s also a pizza place and some other restaurants as well as shops and a convenience store. I grabbed sushi for lunch one day from the convenience store which was definitely cheaper than at Aulani!
special offers page
Just like if you were headed to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, check the Special Offers page on the Aulani website! You never know and can find deals that include meal vouchers or high percentages off of rooms.
rent dvc points
Another alternative I would suggest looking into (if you know you are going far in advance) would be renting Disney Vacation Club points. There are companies that work with owners to rent out their points, and if you have a lot of people going or like larger accommodations (like 1, 2 or 3 bedroom villas) you can definitely save money by renting points. But for this, the further in advance the better.
use childcare
Aulani has clubs for the kids that is included in the cost of the rooms, so if you have kids take advantage of that! You can go to dinner while the kids play at Auntie’s Beach House. It’s similar to the club houses at Walt Disney World and the kids clubs on Disney Cruises. Activities are planned and event characters drop by to visit!
rent a car
Unfortunately Disney does not have a shuttle to Aulani from the Honolulu Arirport, so you are most likely going to be renting a car. This makes it easier to stop on your way at a grocery store or Target, and this way you can get around on your own. We did and it was really nice to go wherever we wanted. There is public transit available, but you’d have to check routes and schedules.
book excursions on your own
If I learned one thing from our trip, it was that we should have booked the one excursion I was most looking forward to ourselves. I mentioned this in other posts, but the Kualoa Ranch excursion we booked though Disney. It was cancelled 24 hours before because not enough people were signed up. But because it was so last minute everything was booked up and we didn’t get to go. Hopefully we will be back and get that chance! But now my #1 recommendation is to book yourself where possible. And because you wouldn’t be paying the Disney prices, you’ll probably save some money as well.
splurge: ‘AMA ‘AMA
I know this post is all about saving money, but if there’s one area I could tell you to splurge it would be to a meal at AMA AMA. It was honestly one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and because our excursion was cancelled, we went back again our last night. Then breakfast our last day. Seriously, we loved it and thought it was worth the splurge! Below is a look at the restaurant from outside, and what you can’t see behind me is the view of the ocean! Seriously worth it.
If you’d like to hear more about these money saving tips, check out the video below!
Do you have any money saving tips for Aulani Resort or Hawaii in general? Leave them in the comments below!
Other Aulani posts:
How to Save Money at Aulani! (you’re here!)
Thank you so much for joining me today!
