Oh boy, where to begin! Anyone that has experienced the magic of Disney Aulani will tell you what a special place it is. For us, Aulani is special because our memories there took place at turning points in our family’s life and hold a special place in our hearts.
Living 20 minutes from Aulani, we’ve planned three vacations over the years.
The first was in August 2021- it was still covid so there were some restrictions, but we had the BEST time! It was pure magic and happened just before several big changes both exciting and difficult. Two weeks after Aulani we finally won the housing lottery in the new development we had been trying for all year. We had also been trying to grow our family, and two weeks later started fertility testing and treatments.
We found out we were pregnant in November, but our hearts were broken by loss in December. While we were still expecting I had set up our second vacation for January 2022- I was dying to go back! I had no idea this visit would fall the day after the follow-up appointment with the doctor. Truthfully it cast a shadow, but it was also the first weekend that I started to feel myself again, felt I could start healing, and that there were exciting things to look forward to. We did a family photography session and framed these photos for our new-at-the time home, which we still have hanging up today.
Our third time to Aulani was July 2024 – for our babymoon! I was 7 months pregnant with Baby Kieran and we had so much fun and made the best memories. One of my favorites was how my belly button popped out in the infinity pool whenever I went in…I had no idea that was a thing!
This year when we started thinking about wedding venues, I reach out to Aulani right away- I knew it was our spot.
The Aulani website is a wonderful resource to start planning your Aulani experience, for instance dining reservations, excursions, and making a reservation at Aunty’s Beach House for your little ones to explore Hawaiian culture while you get some much needed time off to explore on your own. (Note: Aunty’s Beach House books up quickly so try to book well in advance if you can!)