Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
Disney's Ko Olina resort, with its own seven-acre water valley
About this hotel
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa stands on one of the Ko Olina lagoons on Oahu's leeward coast, and its real water park is Waikolohe Valley, about seven acres set between the resort's two towers. The Waikolohe Stream is a gentle lazy river; Tubestone Curl drops riders on tubes into it, and Volcanic Vertical is the body slide for older children and adults. Smaller children have the zero-entry pool, 3 feet 6 inches at its deepest, and the Menehune Bridge water play area, while the Wailana pool is the quieter option. Rainbow Reef is a snorkelling lagoon, and the Makai Preserve stingray encounter works by reservation only. Aunty's Beach House, the supervised kids club for ages 4 to 12, needs online pre-registration. Wet'n'Wild Hawaii, in Kapolei, is roughly 3.9 miles away.
- Waikolohe Valley: about seven acres of pools and slides
- Waikolohe Stream lazy river and Tubestone Curl tube slide
- Rainbow Reef snorkelling lagoon
- Aunty's Beach House kids club for ages 4 to 12
- About 3.9 miles from Wet'n'Wild Hawaii
Our take
Waikolohe Valley, seven acres of pools, slides and a lazy river between Aulani's two towers, is why many families never get round to Wet'n'Wild Hawaii at all. I would book Aulani for a week on Oahu with children aged 4 to 12, using the kids club, the lagoon beach and Rainbow Reef, and treat Wet'n'Wild, about 3.9 miles away in Kapolei, as one extra day for teenagers who want bigger slides than Volcanic Vertical. It makes less sense as a short base for Honolulu or Waikiki, which are a drive away. Across 14,016 reviews it averages 9.2, which on a sample that size says the polish is consistent.
- ✓Pre-register online for Aunty's Beach House before you fly: places for the 4-to-12 kids club are not guaranteed by registration, so do it as soon as your dates are set.
- ✓The Makai Preserve stingray encounter works by reservation only; book it early in the trip so a sold-out slot does not leave you without a second chance.
- ✓For toddlers, use the zero-entry pool, 3 feet 6 inches at its deepest, and the Menehune Bridge play area rather than the Waikolohe Stream, where tubes from Tubestone Curl land.
- ✓Plan Wet'n'Wild Hawaii on a day with a car: the park is about 3.9 miles away in Kapolei, and the drive along Farrington Highway is short.
Why we love it
- A zero-entry pool no deeper than 3 feet 6 inches
- Lagoon beach at Ko Olina on the resort's doorstep
- Stingray encounter at the Makai Preserve
Why guests love itAulani works best for families with children between 4 and 12, who get the most from both the water valley and Aunty's Beach House, the supervised club that lets parents take a few hours for themselves. The layout keeps everyone close: the lazy river, the zero-entry pool and the Menehune Bridge play area sit in one valley, so parents of toddlers and of older children can split up without losing sight of each other. Teenagers are the group most likely to find the slides limited, with only Tubestone Curl and Volcanic Vertical; I would give them a day at Wet'n'Wild Hawaii. Couples without children may prefer the quieter Wailana pool, but they will share the resort with many families.