Aloha, Kelly, and welcome back to planDisney. What an amazing Christmas surprise you have planned! There’s no better place to create special family memories and I just love the holiday season there, when the lobby is decorated in sparkling decorations! Now let’s talk about what to expect at Aulani on New Year’s Eve.
I chatted with a Cast Member who said Aulani doesn’t usually organize activities specifically for New Year’s Eve, but the restaurants sometimes have special holiday menu items. She suggested calling Aulani closer to your stay to ask about any planned seasonal offerings since they don't have any information yet.
However, there may still be a bit of pixie dust in store on your check-in night! In past years, sometimes there’s been a midnight fireworks show in the lagoon to ring in the new year. It was organized by Ko Olina Resort for the whole area to enjoy from the beach, including Aulani guests. Fireworks haven’t been confirmed yet for this year, so ask a Cast Member when you check in to see if they have the latest information.
However, Aulani is magical no matter what day of the year it is, and I have a few ideas to help create some core memories for your ‘ohana! First is to book a
Private Portrait Session so you’ll have lots of pictures to remember your time together. My family did a session at sunset, and the colors in the background were incredible!
Speaking of the sunset, one of my other cherished Aulani memories is having dinner at
‘AMA’AMA. My recommendation is to make a reservation about an hour before sunset. The views are just as amazing as the food! Dining reservations can be made 30 days in advance, and it’ll be especially important to have reservations if you want to eat at
Makahiki or ‘AMA’AMA during that busy holiday week.
For dinner, I also love the
KA WA’A Luau right on the Halawai Lawn at Aulani. It looks like the New Year’s Eve show is sold out, but if you’re interested in attending that night, try calling the company that runs the show. In my experience, they sometimes have additional tickets that don’t show up on the website. Attending a luau on New Year’s Eve would be a uniquely Hawaiian way to spend the holiday!
And finally, I wanted to share one of my family’s favorite activities, the ‘Ohana Ho’okani Pila ‘ukulele lessons. You need to make a reservation through the
Pau Hana Room page to participate. It’s extremely popular, so make sure you book right at the 45-day mark when reservations open. Learning to play Disney songs on the ‘ukulele is definitely a core memory!
I hope you have the most magical stay at Aulani with your ‘ohana! And if you have any other questions, we’d love to have you back at planDisney.
JoAnna