There are a surprising number of ways to save money at Aulani. Save money on rooms, activities, food, and more at Disney Aulani.
A trip to Aulani a Disney resort and spa for most families will be a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, but if you follow these tips you can save enough money that Aulani could possibly become a trip you take a few times during your lifetime.
Table of Contents
18 Ways to Save Money at Aulani
Room Savings at Disney Aulani
The cost of staying the night at Aulani is enough to prevent many families from staying here. When I was looking at how much it cost to stay the week we were there nightly rates ranged between $500 – $780 a night. But if you book many months in advance the nightly rate is drastically reduced.
It was interesting to speak with other guests and find out how they booked their rooms. Many people stay elsewhere on the island and only spend a night or two here. There’s nothing wrong with doing a stay that way, but Aulani is so fantastic you really need at least 3 nights. We were there six nights and it still felt too short.
1. Military discounts
Military discounts are available at Aulani. To get the best deal book an early bird rate and use your military discount for an additional 30-40% off.
2. Book a package
Book a package that includes flights and transportation and if at all possible one of the excursions offered.
3. Use a Vacation Planner
Use a vacation planner. Now, this may sound crazy, but travel agents often have access to deals that no one else can access. This means it’s more than worth it to get a free quote.
4. Craigslist
Craiglist is still a thing? Why yes, it is! Look through Oahu Craigslist to see if any Disney Vacation club members are trying to rent out their week.
5. Shop Around
Check Travelocity, Expedia, and other sites to see if they are offering any deals. Once you check Travelocity for a deal they will start sending you discounts for Aulani.
Food Savings at Aulani
Enjoy the food, but know when to go and what to order.
6. Buy the refillable mug.
There is no telling how many times a day we refilled our mug. I filled it with coffee every morning and during the day the kids were hitting the Sprite and Fanta.
7. Lunch at Ama Ama
Ama Ama is expensive, so if you plan to dine here, I recommend you eat lunch here instead of dinner. You will end up saving around $35 without even trying.
8. Pizza Deals
Ulu Cafe offers a daily pizza special. The pizza is large enough to feed a family of four and costs just over $20. This makes it one of the cheapest meals to get at Aulani.
9. Cheap Eats
The snack shack at the pool has meals for under $10. It’s a great place to grab lunch. Notice that there is little price difference in the kids chicken fingers and the adult chicken fingers. I opted to order my kids’ adult portions and then we had leftovers.
10. Happy Hour
The ‘Ōlelo Room offers a daily sunset happy hour from 5 – 7 PM with $5 – $9 food options like these $9 Loaded Nachos.
11. Eat dinner off property.
There are many nearby restaurants that are a short drive away. I recommend Kalapawai Cafe & Deli. There happens to be a Chili’s and a Cheesecake Factory nearby too. There are a few restaurants within walking distance just across the street from the main entrance. I’ve heard good things about the pie served at Monkeypod Kitchen.
12. Fill the kids up on shaved ice.
A Mickey Mouse shaved ice is only $5. (Eat them fast, they melt quickly!)
13. Stock your room with breakfast food.
You have a full kitchen so take advantage of it, by getting some items for breakfast. Eating in your room each morning will add up to substantial savings. There is a Walmart nearby as well as a Safeway.
14. Make Your Own Meals
If you are staying somewhere in an Aulani suite with a kitchen you can make meals instead of spending money eating out. Amazon Fresh will deliver groceries in Oahu.
15. Stick to the character breakfast
If you want to do an Aulani character meal do it in the morning. Aulani character breakfast is cheaper during breakfast than it is during dinner. Here is a super short video of our experience at the character breakfast. You can try to book the breakfast as late as possible. That way everyone can load up on buffet for breakfast and lunch. Here’s a short video of our experience at the Aulani character breakfast!
Activity Savings at Aulani
One of the best parts of staying at Aulani is the many activities that are included in your stay.
16. Participate in the included activities.
There are so many offered each day that if you can take advantage of just one a day you will have a ton of fun. Here is a list of our 10 favorite included activities at Aulani.
17. Make sure when you book, it includes some perks.
Many of the people sitting with us at the luau booked a package that included the show. So, again look around and see if you can find a vacation package. You might just find one that includes activities.
18. Utilize the beach.
I cannot believe how many people were not going down to the beach. This is basically a private beach and they have sand toys and boogie boards you can check out for free.
I haven’t stayed at Aulani (yet), but when I went to Hawai’i my family stayed at the Ko Olina Beach Villas Resort condominiums that are a few coves down. (All adults, I couldn’t talk them into a Disney vacation–boo!) The beach is definitely overlooked. It’s gorgeous, and even though it’s technically a public beach, the cove by Aulani is basically all Disney property guests. While we did splurge on coffee from Island Vintage Coffee for our kitchen, we stocked all the breakfast food from Target. Monkeypod Kitchen is walking distance from Aulani, and has some sweet happy hour deals on food and adult beverages.
For entertainment, there are also other luau options outside of Aulani nearby. There is one at Paradise Cove that you can walk to, and there are others within driving distance. I also loved the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and found the narrated train ride really fascinating. (My brothers will mock me about this until I die.)