The ‘Olelo Room

Wait staff was in character and always smiling and spoke fluent Hawaiian. Beverage selections were just right. Pupu menu was very good. Entertainment selection of live singers were excellent. Music wasn’t too loud like Moneypod, which is across the resort. Food quality was good, and a lot of good energy. You have the choice of valet parking or self parking at the resort. However, you must spend more than. $ 37 in order to get free parking. Validation is done by Cast Members at that bar. Front desk is not able to provide validation, only restaurant.

Our experience here was nothing like they advertise. Our bartender was terrible, no interaction with us. No friendly aloha. However, live music is great. Won’t be returning.

So… super disappointed. I’ve been wanting to come here for awhile. We ended up staying at the Aulani for Mother’s Day weekend and I was looking forward to 5pm (when they open) to experience the Olelo room. A couple months back I met a cast member who raved about the language and culture the Olelo room had to offer and I couldn’t wait to check it out. The atmosphere is beautiful but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to overlook the WORSE experience I’ve had.
Upon arriving I knew it was first come first serve which I was cool with after all it was expected. I’ve seen great reviews on Unilocal and the food looked amazing so of course I was excited. We sat ourselves and were greeted within a normal time frame.
Huge disappointment number one, Our server said «hello and welcome folks, is this your first time here?» I answered very ecstatic and practically screamed «YES»!!! Thinking he was going to give me all the highlights, recommend something, or share something in Hawaiian with me. NOTHING. Instead I got «okay I’ll give you a couple minutes to look at the menu.
So turns out everything I saw on Unilocal besides the edamame was no longer available. Not anyone’s fault but that super killed it for me right there. Especially after the mediocre service. So I go on to order after waiting 10 min for my server to return. I ordered some drinks, edamame, nachos, kanpachi sashimi, tempura, sliders, and the cheesy bread.
3 different food runners dropped our food and I couldn’t wait to dig in since I was starving and waited all day for this! I assumed my server was busy since its been almost 5 min since all our food was out and he hadn’t checked in so I kindly asked another staff member for shots and chopsticks… I sat there for 12 min (yes I counted) before someone came to check on me and I repeated myself again and they could tell I was annoyed so of course they brought it right away. Mind you, I still haven’t seen my server since we ordered.
The edamame was fine. Very salty in a good way. The sliders I ordered medium came ridiculously well done, the kanpachi sashimi did not taste fresh and honestly was surprised at the portion size. The tempura was 5 pcs and was «okay». Nachos, again «okay» so at this point I was just super post because I knew I’d be spending $ 100 and the food sucked. I chose not to finish and just pack it up and salvage what was left of my appetite and try something else. I waited so long for our waiter to come so I could ask for the check that I was on the verge of walking out. No joke waited another 15 min til my server came (for the first time since we got our food) finally asked for the check. In the time I sat down and ate the tables around me turned twice. The food came out fast but idk I think I just had a horrible waiter. Im a waiter myself so honestly I’m very understanding because I know how it is when your busy. But the thing was when we arrived it wasn’t busy. My server didn’t drop any of my order or even bother to check on us. Check came and it was a little over $ 100 (expected at a resort but definitely not worth it) i still tipped 10% because I just can’t stiff someone being in the same industry. I’m a decent 20% tipper but F if I was going to give my server that I can barely remember because I hadn’t seen him) anyways went to ulu café a grab and go place and they were effing amazing compared to my experience at Olelo room. So needless to say I will NEVER go back OR recommend this place to anyone. And I’m super sad about it.

Fun atmosphere and decorations. We ordered nachos, fries, calamari — and whatever else was on the happy hour menu. It was fabulous and the prices were perfect. If you are staying at the hotel, I recommend dropping the kids off at Aunty’s House in the evening and spending the night enjoying this restaurant/​bar!

The Leeward side does not have a lot of happy hour places to brag about. But if there is one that stands out from the rest, this place would be it. Happy Hour is from 5 –7pm. I suggest get there early!
The Olelo Room is located in Aulani hotel and resort. It’s by the koi pond and has first come first serve seating. Here are the reasons I love this place:
— This place is family friendly! Bring the kids, make them enjoy the entertainment and food with you. They can also explore the Aulani grounds for the secret doors or look for some of the hidden menehune.
— parking is free with validation. All you need to do is purchase $ 35. For a family of 5 we easily hit $ 35 for the bill.
— the happy hour menu items are priced below $ 10 and they are meant to be SHARED :) they have a few items, but it’s big portions! I forgot to tell some fellow Unilocalers this and they had TOO much food. They also have the regular menu available for anyone that wants more. It is on the pricey side tho, so keep that in mind.
— The happy hour entertainment is always amazing! They have great acts like Ben Vegas and Maila Gibson, Tony Conjugation and many more! It’s always fun to see kids and adults dancing together. I think that’s what makes this place so whimsical!
— the food is consistently good. I’ve been here many times and have never been disappointed. I do suggest if there is something to get, it’s the chocolate cake. It is NOT on the menu. If they give you hard time, tell them it’s the one from ama ama. They’ll bring it over, I promise! This cake is small, has a chocolate fudge center topped with chocolate nut brittle and gold flakes. There is a gluten free option for anyone with gluten allergies.
— besides the great entertainment and food, the place is full of beautiful photo ops! It’s by a Koi pond surrounded by trees. It’s really cute to see the sun set and the trees slowly light up like if fairies live in the trees. (My daughter thinks it’s where tinker bell lives hahaha)
Overall, this is a beautiful place to bring visiting family, catch up with friends, have a date night with the kids. If you are visiting the Leeward side and wondering what to do, try Olelo Room out. Dont forget to try the chocolate cake! You won’t be disappointed.
—- Aggie signing off!

Located in the stunning beautiful Disney Resort, Aulani, the ‘Olelo Room has happy hour from 5pm to 7pm. Unfortunately for us, we just missed it.
After walking the Koolina shoreline, L and I decided we wanted drinks! I remembered a high recommendation from a fellow Unilocaler, and off we were to the ‘Olelo Room. Easy to get to from Lagoon 1 parking, just drive around to the main parking lot entrance. Very clean and brightly lit.
Located on the ground floor, below the lobby, The ‘Olelo Room is a room but it opens up into a beautiful, large lanai setting with couches, chairs and long tables providing a family setting where kids can do what they like. Hopefully not get too loud so other patrons can enjoy the live music. I was looking for an open table but they were all taken. L and I sat at the perimeter of the room on a bar table with stools. Glad to feel the wind on this warm night helped to abate our thirst. It’s 7:05pm when our waitress came with menus. I immediately text another Unilocaler who highly recommended the place what to order because everything looked so good. We placed our orders listening to the live entertainment. Local boys bringing back some oldies from that past when Hawaii was making the scene in entertainment. It was nice to feel that energy again.
Stormy Ginger $ 13.00
Bacardi Superior Rum, Ginger Beer, and fresh Lime Juice with a dash of Peychaud’s Bitters. I’ve got this thing with ginger beer lately. So, when I saw it here that made up my mind. A nice refreshing drink and surely hit my thirsty spot. Went down smooth while cooling the body down. Didn’t take much either.
Cucumber Lychee Fizz $ 13.00
Effen Cucumber Vodka, Lychee, and fresh Lemon Juice topped with Ginger Ale.
L allowed me to get a taste and this was good too. More refreshing than my drink.
Loaded Nachos with Ground Beef and Cheese Sauce $ 9.00
First, the appetizers could be a meal. They were huge. And good too. Wish there was more of a kick to it like some peperoncini or spicy salsa. Good though.
Crispy Calamari with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauces $ 15.00
Not too much batter, but a little too much oil however still edible. Hoping I wouldn’t get sick and I didn’t. This was brought out in a bowl with three dipping sauces. The marinara, although on the sweet side, seem to pair best. There wasn’t enough and kept asking more. You would think after the 5^th time they would get the hint and just give us a bowl of it. Sorry, couldn’t remember what the other two were.
We closed the place down and it was time to go. L and I had a good time. We made it to the lobby but it got confusing after that. We eventually made it back to my car and got home safely.
I would recommend getting here for happy hour and not after. I also recommend making sure you can trace your steps back to your car. I do recommend the loaded nachos but remember, they are huge good for 3 — 4 people with small appetites. Same with the calamari. This is a very relaxing place with a nice chill ambiance bringing the whole family experience together in a loosely laid out bar environment. I would come back here. And often.
Next time I will have to try the chocolate cake. It’s not on the menu. Don’t tell anyone.

We just stopped in for the first time. Good was great and the price was very reasonable. We have gluten allergies and they have tons of options. Will definitely come back!

We were easily able to find a table at the start of happy hour, and we were quickly served. We ordered the 3 cheese and garlic bread (really good), the crispy duck potstickers (only ok), and the Kalua Sliders (very tasty and tender!). My picky dd sent back the sliders because she didn’t realize that they had slaw on them, but it was replaced quickly with a plain one. We also ordered a Wailua Wheat and a Shirley Temple, and it came up to under $ 30. Not bad for a meal at Aulani! It definitely was more than enough food.
Only complaint was the live music was loud — it made conversation different and left our ears buzzing when we left.

I would recommend to get there early for the happy hour. We had a hard time finding a table, since it is an open seat system, and someone who came after us snatched a table before us. So that was bit annoying but everything else was great.
I noticed that they changed the happy hour menu and took off all the seafood stuff unfortunately. Now they are all deep fried greasy stuff. I wish the menu had a little more variety. Nonetheless they were all good. We ordered pork sliders, garlic cheesy bread, garlic fries, pot stickers and nachos. My pineapple minty fizz was great as well.
The service, music and scenery were all good too. 5 happy hour appetizers, 1 cocktail, 3 beers came out $ 50…Awesome deal.
P. S. Parking validation is $ 35.

Very nice atmosphere and seating over seeing the outside of aulani resorts
Service: very slow it took 10min to even get an acknowledgment when the bar was pretty empty for a Disney property this was unusual. I saw this type of service to other guest.
Drink: mixed drinks had no alcohol flavor it seems that is was only pineapple juice
Bartenders: making fun of guest and just joking around instead of paying attention to the guest
— — —
Service the «off the hook» is 1000% better

Love their bar area… perfect place to learn some Hawaiian vocabulary! They decorate the place with Hawaiian words. Super cute!
In the evening, there are live music. Sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the ocean breeze, having a nice cocktail and beautiful music… that is called vacation!

I must say that this is the worst service I’ve ever got. Don’t know our server’s name but he really didn’t know what his job was. We sat there for an hour without any acknowledgement! Had to flag down another waitress to order food. Once we got our food, he did not say one word to us. He Just put our food down and left. And we did not see him for the rest of our stay. Although we did see him service our neighbors right away. It makes me so upset to know that we spent a lot of money to stay at Aulani and we expect the highest quality of service. Bad service= NO TIP!

Ambiance:
Immerse yourself in the Hawaiian culture in this place. Menu, the chair, the table, etc Hawaiian word labeled on it. Friendly service is what you would expect in this restaurant to immerse yourself in the Disney experience. So you are partially paying the $$ for the ambiance and the Disney experience. Not just for the food and drinks.
Drinks:
What I like about this place is their drink list. All their signature drinks are especially created for Aulani. Their mai tai is really good.
Food:
They do have a happy hour, but the food selection is limited and different from their regular menu. Love their sliders with fries. Their fries are fresh and hot. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are big enough to have that contrasting texture. Their sliders are made to order. Keep in mind that the paddies will cook more as time passes. If you don’t like your food piping hot or will take awhile to eat them, you should order one level down. Example: if you like medium, order medium rare.
Service:
Great service. They overcooked our sliders a bit and we asked to have them redone. They gave the new ones cooked promptly and provided us with extra fries.
Note:
Last call is around 10 – 10:15p for food and drinks. Also you don’t need to stay at the resort to eat here or other restaurants/​bars. You just need to spend $ 35 in various restaurants to get a 4hour parking validation.

Located on the first floor of the Disney resorts. This place is an open seating informal place to eat. Definitely worth checking out.
Drinks: the alcoholic drinks menu is fairly extensive with speciality Hawaiian themed drinks.
Food: the food menu is really limited with only a few items. However, We got the beef sliders and were delightfully surprised. Bonus point for the good fries.
Service: they have the authentic Hawaiian hospitality with a touch of Disney.

My wife and I had the opportunity to stay at Aulani for 2 nights and we were not sure what to do for dinner on the first night. We weren’t super hungry because we had a late lunch. So we decided to try out the ‘Olelo Room for drinks and some small bites. We ordered the cheese plate, the macadamia nut hummus and I ordered their Ahi Poke! We also ordered 2 drinks, the honeydrop and the Puka punch blended! Everything was good. The cheese plate was good it had a variety of things. And the hummus was very good with the macadamia nuts. My fave was the ahi poke! It was fresh and fancy because their smoke it which I think is standard? It was good I highly recommend it!
Their drinks were decently priced by pricey disney standards that is! And this venue is cute because they play on teaching you Hawaiian words. They did a great job with the décor. Anyways check it out. I hear they have a happy hour so may go around that time if you are on a budget

The semi-​pool bar in Aulani is really identically close to an airport bar or Marriott Courtyard. Don’t expect too much or any sort of dialogue from the bartenders as they will likely never see you again. Also don’t expect a nice pour as they will likely never see you again.
I got a premium labeled Super Margarita and a Piña Colada. The Super was amongst the sourest concoctions I’ve ever had. Made almost entirely of sweet and sour mix and doused with a incredibly sour lemon-​lime foam pushed it way over the top. No salt or hint of tequila. Really gross when it comes down to it and I did not see any actual tequila poured. I’d have a hard time making this for friends as they’d pour it out and take over.
The Piña Colada tasted good/​standard and was blended somehow or somewhere. The mixture probably came out of a pre-​mixed sugar concentrate bag somewhere thru the nozzle, put in a machine and served. It tasted good, but so does orange soda from the tap. The giant pineapple wedge and leaf garnish looked really nice, but sort of got in the way near the end. It tasted just like a good smoothie from Jamba Juice. But I really expect to have a tinge of alcohol in my drink, not just sugar

My husband and I stayed at Aulani for 7 days. One or 5 of those days were spent just being sloths on a lounge chair. This one particular day, the laziness dragged on and we did not feel like leaving the resort for anything. Not even food.
We were not really that hungry anyway, so we decided on Sunset Hour at the Ōlelo Room. Actually, we did «after» sunset hour because I did not want to miss the gorgeous sunset. But I digress. The happy hour menu is minuscule. Not much to entice us to eat when we’re not hungry. So we just ordered the one grown up item on the menu… Mini Corndogs. Plus some garlic fries. Each of us also ordered a drink. His had rum, don’t remember what it was but it was pretty much watered down and tasteless. I ordered a Pineapple with vodka and basil concoction that was pretty tasty though.
The Corndog thingies were fine. I don’t see how those can be messed up. The garlic fries were not bad either. Everything tasted fresh, so that’s a plus. The corn dogs come with tater tots. If I had known that, I would have nixed the fries.
Our server was friendly and attentive. She came by about 10 minutes before 7 for last call orders before happy hour ended. The live duo that was playing that night was great. The Ōlelo Room itself is very nice and welcoming. Soft lighting and not overly loud.
All in all, we had a nice time. Pricey of course, but it is what it is.

I stayed at Aulani for 5 nights and ate at every dining venue. This was by far my favorite!
They have a great Sunset Menu (like a Happy Hour) with special prices from 5 – 7 PM each day (I think)… as well as a regular menu. While the food menu is small, it features a nice variety of appetizers, from standard bar food to fresh seafood dishes. I had the oyster shooters, ahi tuna, tater tots and pork nachos. The nachos are awesome! And I also ordered wine (a good deal during Sunset Hours).
There was live entertainment the evenings I was there. And the service was excellent. All the bartenders and cocktail servers speak fluent Hawaiian, which fits the language-​inspired theme of the lounge area.
This was a relaxing place to enjoy an early, light dinner.

Great place at Aulani resort to grab drinks, snacks and enjoy some live music!
You can skip the cheese bread, because it is was it is. Tuna poke was nice and plump, fresh, and delicious. The fries was also a great snack and goes well with the spicy wings.
The burger dessert is too cute! and was surprisingly delicious!

During a recent stay, the fiancée and I decided to stop by for some (non-​alcoholic) drinks and a light snack before dinner. Service was quick and friendly, and the atmosphere nice. Honestly, I love the standard music they play in the lobby, so I could do without the live music, but I certainly appreciate that it’s there.
So what did we have? I don’t remember the name of the drinks, but both were good. The fiancees had pineapple and some other things, as well as some spices. Mine was something to do with pineapple and ginger. For our little snack, we decided on sweet potato tots with Sriracha aioli, spicy ketchup, and honey mustard. Delicious!
How much did we spend? Who knows… you charge it to the room and forget it! If I really had to give a number, I think we probably spent somewhere between $ 20-​$ 25 with tax and tip… not, cheap, but certainly good! Just don’t become a permanent regular here!