Why DVC Members Stay at Aulani

For the past several months, I’ve explained why Disney Vacation Club members pick vacations at various DVC resorts. Well, some of the explanations are simpler than others. Here’s why DVC members stay at Aulani Disney Vacation Club Villas. 

It’s a Free Hawaiian Vacation

We’ll discuss several other highlights of an Aulani vacation. Still, we should employ Occam’s Razor here. DVC members adore Aulani because our DVC Points allow us to stay for free in a luxurious Hawaiian resort. 

While you never need to leave the Disney campus, Aulani resides only 15 miles from the thriving nightlife and tourist sections of Waikiki, one of the best tropical destinations in the world. Tourists love this area, especially its signature beach. Plus, on the way to Waikiki, you drive through Honolulu, the iconic capital city of Hawaii. 

So, when you stay at Aulani, you enjoy all the comforts of Disney, but you’re also a short drive away from all the dazzling amenities on the island of Oahu. You’ll find all sorts of tourist activities like helicopter rides, deep-sea fishing and diving, and visiting Pearl Harbor National Memorial. 

To a larger point, Hawaiian vacations embody the dream of an exotic getaway. As proof, consider the following. The current population of the state of Hawaii is 1,446,146. In April 2025, Hawaii hosted a total of 833,219 visitors, meaning that 37 percent of the people in the state that month were tourists. During calendar year 2024, Hawaii hosted nearly 11.3 million guests, which suggests that tourists outnumbered the locals by a factor of 7.8 to 1. That’s how much we all want to visit Hawaii. And thanks to DVC, we can!

The Theming Is Immaculate 

You’re obviously going to Aulani to be in Hawaii, but there’s more to it than that. This resort is also arguably the most meticulously themed property in the entire DVC catalog. That statement may sound like an exaggeration until you realize one thing.

Once upon a time, a boy from Sacramento, California, moved to Hawaii, where he spent the rest of his youth. Later, this future Disney Legend became the de facto creator of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After that, Disney approached him about returning to his roots and building a new hotel at Aulani.

That individual was former Imagineer Joe Rohde, a native Hawaiian who made sure that Aulani embodied the best of Disney AND Polynesian heritage. You’ll realize this fact the moment you set foot in the hotel lobby, as the colorful arched ceilings provide a sense of tranquility. 

Rohde has seemingly distilled the entirety of his upbringing into a single building, and management has thrown in healthy amounts of Lilo & Stitch and Moana since then. Aulani somehow feels like the deluxe version of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and I’m a Poly superfan saying that. 

Pools As Far As the Eye Can See 

Here’s a link to all the pools and grottos listed on the official Aulani website. I count nine, although one shouldn’t be there, as it’s a “Shaded Retreat.” Still, have you EVER stayed at any hotel that offers eight different pools?

That’s not even the best part. Thanks to the lush foliage and exotic island touches, every part of the Aulani campus looks like something Disney generated using Unreal Engine 5. It’s an absolutely breathtaking backdrop. And it just so happens that you can swim there. 

You’ll find all sorts of unique options here, including lazy rivers, splash zones, and even the opportunity to swim with the fish. Rainbow Reef is a 3,800-square-foot saltwater lagoon, the only one of its kind in Oahu. Waikolohe Streams provides plenty of twists and turns for those of us content to go tubing on a lazy river for hours. It’s an ideal way to relax in the Hawaiian sun. Should you prefer something more adventurous, you can try the Volcanic Vertical waterslide at Waikolohe Pool.

I haven’t even mentioned Menehune Bridge, which will become the place where your child never wants to leave. The menehune statues will charm them while reminding them that anything is possible at Disney. Touches like this permeate throughout all the pools and aquatic backdrops at Aulani. This place is paradise. 

Exquisite Dining

Finally, we have the fourth exceptional reason why people visit Aulani. Imagine an upscale version of the food at the Poly. That’s what you’ll get when you travel to Hawaii, and you don’t even need to leave the resort to find it.

To me, the highlight is the outdoor barbecue feast known as KA WA‘A – A Lū‘au on Oʻahu. When else in your life could you attend an authentic Hawaiian luau? That’s why this one is a must-do during your visit.

As far as conventional restaurants go, you’ll find an ideal combination of modest dining, such as Off the Hook and Ulu Café. You can counterbalance these smaller meals with splashy dining at Makahiki – The Bounty of the Islands and ‘AMA’AMA – Contemporary Island Cooking. The latter two restaurants are both on the shortlist of best overall restaurants in the DVC program. 

Should you feel ambitious, you can also drive to Waikiki or Honolulu for more fine dining. There are even some Michelin star restaurants on the island. Personally, I don’t see the need, though. With ten restaurants, lounges, and snack shacks onsite, you’ll never go hungry at Aulani.

Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.