No, Aulani is not an all-inclusive resort. Your room rate does not include meals or drinks, and experiences such as the lū‘au, spa treatments, Rainbow Reef snorkeling, cabanas and many premium activities cost extra.
What surprised me is how much is included once you’re staying at the resort. The pools, lazy river, waterslides, beach, Disney character appearances, complimentary programming at Aunty’s Beach House and several scheduled activities don’t require you to buy an additional resort package.
So Aulani is better thought of as a Disney resort with a substantial collection of included amenities, not a traditional all-inclusive where your room, meals, drinks and entertainment are bundled into one price.
What Is and Isn’t Included at Aulani
| Aulani experience | Included with your stay? |
|---|---|
| Hotel room or villa | Yes, with your reservation |
| Waikolohe Stream lazy river | Yes |
| Resort pools and waterslides | Yes |
| Ko Olina beach access | Yes |
| Disney character appearances | Yes |
| Aunty’s Beach House complimentary programming | Yes |
| Selected resort activities | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| Breakfast, lunch and dinner | No |
| Alcoholic and specialty drinks | No |
| Makahiki character breakfast | No |
| KA WA‘A Lū‘au | No |
| Rainbow Reef experiences | No |
| Laniwai Spa | No |
| Private cabanas and premium seating | No |
| Many premium crafts, fitness experiences and excursions | No |
Is Food Included at Aulani?
No. Food is not included with a standard Aulani room or villa reservation.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks are separate purchases, just as they would be at most traditional resorts.
Aulani currently has dining ranging from quick-service food at Ulu Cafe and Mama’s Snack Stop to table-service meals at Makahiki and ‘AMA‘AMA. The resort also has lounges, poolside food, shave ice and other snack locations.
That means the food portion of your trip can vary enormously depending on how you eat. A family buying three resort meals every day will spend considerably more than guests who keep breakfast in the room, eat one resort meal and go elsewhere in Ko Olina for dinner.
For a better sense of that part of the budget, see our guide to food near Aulani and our current list of breakfast options near Aulani.
The Pools and Lazy River Are Included
This is where Aulani feels more inclusive than a normal hotel.
Disney currently lists many of the major Waikolohe Valley water features as Included With Your Stay, including Waikolohe Pool and Waikolohe Stream.
Waikolohe Stream is the resort’s lazy river and tubing area. Your stay also includes access to water areas such as Ka Maka Grotto, Keiki Cove Splash Zone, Menehune Bridge, Wailana Pool and the whirlpool spas.
You don’t pay a separate water-park admission fee every day just to use the main Aulani pools and slides.
Aunty’s Beach House Has Complimentary and Paid Experiences
Aunty’s Beach House is Aulani’s supervised children’s activity center for kids ages 4 to 12.
Disney currently lists Aunty’s Beach House itself as Included With Your Stay, and complimentary programming is available there.
However, that doesn’t mean every activity offered through Aunty’s is free. The resort schedule also includes separately priced premium children’s experiences.
That’s an important distinction throughout Aulani: a venue can be part of the included resort experience while specific upgraded activities inside it still cost extra.
Disney Characters Don’t Require a Separate Park Ticket
Aulani character appearances are another feature Disney currently includes with the resort experience.
You can see Disney characters appearing around the property without buying theme-park admission or paying separately for every greeting. Character schedules rotate, so the lineup changes by day.
If characters are important to your trip, our guide to which Disney characters appear at Aulani explains how the current system works.
Character dining is different. Makahiki’s character breakfast is a paid restaurant experience and is not included just because you’re staying at Aulani.
The current Makahiki experience is a three-course breakfast rather than the buffet format Aulani offered in the past. You can see the current pricing in our Aulani character breakfast guide.
Which Aulani Activities Cost Extra?
The easiest way to tell is to check Aulani’s Daily ‘Iwa activity schedule. Disney identifies premium experiences separately from the activities included with your stay.
Examples of experiences that can require an additional purchase include:
- Rainbow Reef snorkeling and fish-feeding experiences
- KA WA‘A – A Lū‘au
- Laniwai Spa treatments
- Private cabanas and casabellas
- Selected crafts and children’s experiences
- Some fitness classes and wellness activities
- Stargazing experiences
- Oahu excursions
- Beach-equipment rentals such as paddleboards
The exact schedule changes, which is why I wouldn’t build a budget around an old list of fixed activity prices. Check the current Daily ‘Iwa once your trip is close.
There Are Still Plenty of Things to Do Without Paying Extra
I wouldn’t make the mistake of assuming every scheduled activity costs more just because Aulani isn’t all-inclusive.
Disney currently marks several activities as included, including the Pau Hana Room community hall, selected ‘ukulele lessons and a number of family activities. The lineup varies by date.
The beach, pools and lazy river can also fill most of a resort day without spending another dollar on an organized premium experience.
That’s why I think the best way to use Aulani is to start with what’s already included and then add only the paid experiences that genuinely matter to your family.
Your Room Type Can Change How Much You Spend on Food
Because meals aren’t included, the room you book can affect the rest of your budget.
Aulani offers standard hotel rooms, studios, suites and Disney Vacation Club Villas. Larger villas can include a full kitchen, dining space and washer and dryer, while other room types offer more limited food-preparation options.
If you’re staying for several nights, having breakfast or snacks in the room can make a meaningful difference without turning the vacation into a cooking trip.
Our Aulani room guide explains the differences between the accommodation types.
How I Would Budget for Aulani Since It Isn’t All-Inclusive
I would separate the trip into three buckets rather than treating the room rate as the complete vacation cost.
- Room: Price the actual room or villa for your dates.
- Food: Decide roughly how many resort meals, character meals and off-property meals you expect.
- Premium experiences: Pick the lū‘au, snorkeling, spa, cabana or other paid activities you actually care about rather than assuming you’ll do everything.
Then treat the lazy river, pools, beach, character appearances and included activities as part of what you’re already paying for with the room.
For the larger budget, our Aulani cost guide looks beyond inclusions to the overall expense of the trip.
Can You Make Aulani Feel More Like an All-Inclusive?
Not literally. You can’t turn Aulani into a traditional all-inclusive package where unlimited meals and drinks suddenly become part of the room rate.
But you can make the spending much more predictable.
I would book the room first, choose one or two paid experiences in advance, budget for the meals you know you want, and deliberately use the included resort amenities for the rest of the trip.
If cost is the reason you’re researching all-inclusive resorts in the first place, our guide to booking Aulani for less covers current discounts, DVC rentals and other ways to reduce the upfront room cost.
The Bottom Line
Aulani is not all-inclusive, and food is not included in the room rate. You’ll pay separately for meals, drinks and premium experiences such as the lū‘au, spa, Rainbow Reef and cabanas.
What the room rate does give you is access to many of the resort features people come to Aulani for in the first place: the pools, lazy river, waterslides, beach, character appearances, complimentary children’s programming and selected daily activities.
That distinction is the key to budgeting correctly. Don’t price Aulani like an all-inclusive resort, but don’t assume the room rate buys you nothing beyond the room either.
You can check Disney’s current list of Aulani activities and what’s included before your trip.
