Cabanas... Whats the 411?

[aiellestad]

Hey y'all.
We are a family of 5. Mom, Dad, 5 yr old, 11 yr old and grandma. Will be there in a few months. Having a cabana seems really nice but the prices are high. In our past trips, we never struggled to find chairs or get a place to put our stuff down. For those who have rented a cabana, what is the major benefit or appeal? TIA!

 

[pinkxray]

We just rented one on Easter. We spent a few days prior at Aulani and we didn’t really have an issue finding a chair either. I did think about cancelling. However it was a splurge trip since we were celebrating my 40th and our 20th anniversary so we kept it.

The best part for me is having somewhere to go back to and it kind of forced us to hang out at the pool. We spent almost the whole time running around the pools that day and it was awesome. We would take a break and hang out in the cabana for an hour or so to recharge/eat/ get out of the sun. Usually we would take a break and go back to the room which as a family of 5, once we were in the room it was hard to get everyone back out of the room.

It was also nice not to have to keep a constant eye on our chairs and worry about them. One day we were in the pool at 830. We had put our stuff on the chair right near the pool. At 905, the attendant was already putting a towel on our chairs after 35 minutes.

It was definitely a splurge that is not needed but like I said we spent the whole day down at the pool area which was great. It was one of my favorite days.

 

[fatgreylady]

Hey y'all.
We are a family of 5. Mom, Dad, 5 yr old, 11 yr old and grandma. Will be there in a few months. Having a cabana seems really nice but the prices are high. In our past trips, we never struggled to find chairs or get a place to put our stuff down. For those who have rented a cabana, what is the major benefit or appeal? TIA!

OH MY GOSH!!! I got one last time, and will NEVER not get one again!!! Game changer! You have a personal attendant whom you can text/call when you need anything, you get a cooler, water bottles, all the clean dry towels you can wish for, shade, and comfy chairs! SOOOOO worth it! (got a polar patio at blizzard beach).

 

[pinkxray]

OH MY GOSH!!! I got one last time, and will NEVER not get one again!!! Game changer! You have a personal attendant whom you can text/call when you need anything, you get a cooler, water bottles, all the clean dry towels you can wish for, shade, and comfy chairs! SOOOOO worth it! (got a polar patio at blizzard beach).

LOL. I was thinking about the padded chairs too! So comfortable.
I keep thinking when we go back we don’t really need a cabana…..but I want one

OP- I have a quick trip report going. There is a post about our cabana experience on page two, post 33 if you want to see some pics.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

Thanks to OP for this thread. Would love to also hear thoughts on the Executive Lanai versus Cabana. Is it worth making a location request?

Thanks!

 

[jimmymc]

I think the cabanas are really nice if you're staying at the resort all day. It allows you to bring all your stuff down and never have to go back up to the room.

I would never get one because I travel solo or with one other person, but with a family I think it's a really nice thing to have all day for basically the cost of an excursion.

 

[jimmymc]

Thanks to OP for this thread. Would love to also hear thoughts on the Executive Lanai versus Cabana. Is it worth making a location request?

Thanks!

I don't think the executive lanai is worth it. You're better off just getting chairs early on the beach.

 

[CWTC]

how far out can these be reserved and how would we reserve one?
Thanks in advance!!

 

[Jennifer Bernstein]

As soon as you have a hotel reservation number, you can book.

 

[CWTC]

As soon as you have a hotel reservation number, you can book.

Thanks - as soon as I read this, we called and booked cabana for December!!

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

We’re splurging for one day of our stay in August. Can’t justify (or afford ) any more. But now I am wondering if I should also reserve Casabellas for a couple of days. Seems like it will be nice knowing we have a sunshade all day at the beach.

I grew up on Oahu, so being out in the sun all day doesn’t concern me, but my wife’s from Singapore, and she brings an umbrella when we go to Ala Moana!

 

[jimmymc]

We’re splurging for one day of our stay in August. Can’t justify (or afford ) any more. But now I am wondering if I should also reserve Casabellas for a couple of days. Seems like it will be nice knowing we have a sunshade all day at the beach.

I grew up on Oahu, so being out in the sun all day doesn’t concern me, but my wife’s from Singapore, and she brings an umbrella when we go to Ala Moana!

Casabellas don't take reservations. I would try the normal umbrella and chairs the first day and rent one later if you want to.

 

[coconuts23]

Casabellas don't take reservations. I would try the normal umbrella and chairs the first day and rent one later if you want to.

The casabellas on the Ama ama lanai/deck do take advanced reservations! There are three categories: upper, lower, and executive.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

I just called today to book a cabana for our August trip. There were none available for any of our three resort days! So I guess they go pretty quick.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I just called today to book a cabana for our August trip. There were none available for any of our three resort days! So I guess they go pretty quick.

Yes - since there’s no deposit, or cancellation fee, people tend to book them early. Check at the resort the morning before you want one, and they might have some cancellations available.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

Yes - since there’s no deposit, or cancellation fee, people tend to book them early. Check at the resort the morning before you want one, and they might have some cancellations available.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Roxas_XIII]

Do all casabellas take advanced reservations, or just the Ama Ama ones? The website seems to say that the beachside ones are day-of only, while it doesn't specify for the others.

I'd reeeeeeeally love to book in advance, but since there will just be two of us, I wouldn't feel good about reserving more seating than we need (the Ama Ama ones seat a minimum of 4, I think).

 

[coconuts23]

Do all casabellas take advanced reservations, or just the Ama Ama ones? The website seems to say that the beachside ones are day-of only, while it doesn't specify for the others.

I'd reeeeeeeally love to book in advance, but since there will just be two of us, I wouldn't feel good about reserving more seating than we need (the Ama Ama ones seat a minimum of 4, I think).

Only the ones by Ama Ama. The beachside ones are day-of only and you reserve those at Makiki Joe’s Beach Rentals shack. If you go when they open (I think 8am), you should be totally fine to get one.

 

[dsiind]

FYI, just got back, and we had the Executive Lanai for our pool day. So worth the money! Great service by the attendant for lunch, included water and fruit plate, etc. Loved the location, as we were close to everything, but off of the beaten path so I did not feel like there were a lot of lookie-lou's peeking in all the time (like I did when walking by cabanas!). My wife wanted something with a view of the ocean, but girls wanted to be near pools, so it was a perfect compromise. I did not even miss not getting a fridge or TV, like in cabanas. Would definitely recommend to those who can fit it into their budget.

 

[yensid's offspring]

I'm dyslexic and reading quickly I thought the topic was "Cannabis What's the 411" my brain works in funny ways. I was all ready to respond and then thought slow down and read that again. "Cabanas" that makes more sense. Oh well.