I’ll take a bit of Disney magic anytime I can, so it was a given I’d book breakfast at Disney Aulani Resort while staying on Oahu in Hawaii. A delicious Hawaiian themed character dining experience with a few Disney friends seemed the perfect way to start the day.
After breakfast I was able to take a look around the resort and check out the accessibility for this review.
Disney Aulani Resort character breakfast & resort review
We were staying at Waikiki Beach while on Oahu so it took us about 40 minutes to drive to Aulani but we built our visit into a bigger day’s outing to the North Shore area so the distance didn’t bother us. Fortunately you don’t need to be a guest at Disney Aulani Resort to book the character breakfast at Makahiki restaurant.
Disney Aulani Resort is the perfect fusion of Hawaiian culture with a touch of Disney detail and sparkle at every turn.
After checking in for our dining experience we had the chance to meet our host Mickey Mouse. This is both a fun way to start and also a good opportunity to get some lovely photos in the garden setting.
Depending on the time you arrive for your booking you will wait in line for around 10-15 minutes for Mickey. He’s a popular guy after all. Mickey graciously took quite a few photos, a little video and signed our souvenir surfboard. Like at the Disney Parks, you can purchase a photo taken by the Disney photographer or use your own camera or phone for a picture.
The seating is indoor and outdoor with good circulation space for anyone using a mobility aid to move around the restaurant.
Dining is a la carte from a menu with a good range of options. Amelia and I started with fresh fruit, juice and a traditional Malasada (a donut without the hole). The Malasadas are pillowy soft and delicious but I had to take mine to go as I was too full to eat it on the spot.
I chose an omelette with potatoes which was delicious and Amelia ordered the Mickey Waffles with fruit and potatoes. The potatoes are sooo good.
Amelia reports the original Mickey Waffles beat the red velvet waffles in flavour but it was great to have the opportunity to try something new.
Once seated in the restaurant two characters circulate and meet diners. Mickey stays just outside on greeting duty so make the most of your time with him when you have the chance.
On the day we visited we had Stitch and Pluto doing the rounds of the restaurant while we were dining. Having just seen the new live action Lilo and Stitch movie, Stitch really did steal the show. We chatted about the movie. Well, the truth is, I chatted and he gestured but we both agreed there should be a sequel so here’s hoping.
I’d seen a tip online about buying a small wooden surfboard from one of the ABC Stores (about USD$16) in Waikiki and getting the characters to sign it. Given we weren’t staying at the resort we only managed to get three characters to sign it but I thought I’d add some polaroid photos from the breakfast to give it a bit more pizazz. Pluto certainly had an interesting way of going about the process, resting the board on his nose to steady it as he signed it. Stitch was far more traditional in his approach.
We have done several character dining experiences both in Anaheim and at Paris Disneyland and I think Disney Aulani’s breakfast gets a perfect score for food quality and options. We also loved the live Hawaiian entertainers providing a soundtrack to our breakfast. The only thing I think that could improve the experience would be adding at least one more character to the mix because we love nothing more than interacting with our favourite Disney characters. At the Disney Parks there are often long lines to meet our favourites which is why we’ll often book character dining. It avoids the long waits and provides great photo opportunities.
In saying that, Mickey, Stitch and Pluto all proved great hosts and it’s not every day you can say you’ve had a hug from Stitch.
I highly recommend sitting outside for the lighting if you are keen on great character photos.
Accessibility at Disney Aulani Resort
Given we were just visiting Disney Aulani Resort and there were no unoccupied accessible/ADA guest rooms for me to inspect, I was left to wander the resort and gather whatever information I could to share.
The resort has good accessible paved walkways throughout the resort and gentle ramps where necessary. The pool offers various depths for swimming and a lovely shallow lagoon area for non-confident swimmers, or those that wish to sit in the water rather than swim.
A relaxing lazy river is a beautiful centrepiece to the resort and offers a pool seat for step-free access for guests with a mobility restriction.
Another ramp provides access to the beach and Ko Olina Lagoon which looked to be a beautiful spot for ocean swimming.
The calm waters and pristine sand was enticing on a warm summer’s day.
A beach wheelchair (fixed footplate) is available for guests who need it to traverse the sand to the water’s edge.
Braeden would absolutely love staying at this resort for the ease of access to the beach, the character meet and greet opportunities and activities. It is definitely somewhere I will be putting on our future must-visit list.
We were hosted for our breakfast at Disney Aulani Resort but as always our opinions are our own.
Book accommodation at Disney Aulani Resort here.
