Have you been to Hawaii before? Have you been to Aulani before? How many nights are you staying? If you’ve never done Aulani before, and you’re staying more than maybe 5 nights, I’d recommend at least one night at Aulani. If you’re good with one whole day of not exploiting the island, you can really experience a lot of Aulani, esp if you check in early and out Las late as you can the next day. It’s the most beautiful resort I’ve visited in Hawaii, (with the possible exception of the Andaz on Maui) and if you love Disney, you’ll love all the details. Like the hidden animals on the lazy river walls—I think there were in the high double digits of them! And the menehune….plus the artwork, the kukui nut torches, just all the Disney deluxe kind of details. But yeah, I just had to argue with my husband on Sunday that FREE Marriott nights trump ski-in-ski-out sometimes, so I’d definitely maximize my budget by staying at the Hale Koa most of the nights (and I detest Waikiki, so that’s saying something).