Alunai Disney Resort

When staying at this resort should I also rent a car to see other parts of island? Is there a cost for parking?

If not this resort what other resort do you recommend?

Must sees?

If you plan to go around Oahu, a car is highly recommended. The resort is about 30 minutes to Waikiki and 45 minutes to North Shore with a beautiful drive down coastal roads.

The major downside is the $35 parking fee PER DAY for Non DVC members. Otherwise if you're a DVC member, parking is included.

Since the resort is not even a year old, there is a lot of things that needed attention. From Average to POOR Customer service to mediocre and expensive dining options. Beware of the breakfast with the Characters since there is literally ONLY 3-4 of the same characters available everyday. Mickey is there upon arrival and photo opportunity is available at a breakfast package cost of $32 for 3 prints. Unless you're willing to spend a lot of $$$, this resort will drain your pockets instantly. In all honesty, I think Disney overspent building this billion dollar resort and realized that they needed to recover quickly. I think this place is over-rated since I had to opportunity to stay for a week as a NON DVC guest.

On the positive side, this resort is well landscaped and kept clean. I just wish they would pay more attention to minor details to make guests feel at home or feel like family.

You should consider Marriott Vacation club next door. Not only do they have their own lagoon (BTW, Disney shares their lagoon with JW Marriott next door), they have by far better customer service across the board and treats everyone as family. Its a more quiet place and not overcrowded. And to top it off, the rates are by far more reasonable. In short, you can enjoy your vacation more knowing that your are not overspending for reasons beyond your control.

Hopefully this helps and enjoy your future vacation.

BTW, places to see include Romy's Shrimp shack North Shore, Pali Lookout, Byodo Temple, Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center, Paradise Cove Luau, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Swap meet, and of course Waikiki beach.

I agree with the above post. We stayed a week at the Marriott (rented on red week so no charge for parking) and spent a lot of our time that week touring the island. There are so many things to do, but the North Shore, Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and the swap meet are all a must in my view. We then stayed at Alunai for four nights and spent the entire time at the resort to let the kids swim and hang out at the beach. Three nights at Alunai would have been enough. It is a beautiful resort, but may become a bit crowded once Phase II opens in September. In all, our kids loved Alunai (13, 11 and 9) and I am glad we stayed for a few nights, but a week would have been far too much given the crowds. The Marriott is much more peaceful.