The only catch? It's for kids ages 3 to 12 only.
If you've got a baby or toddler younger than three, you can still take them to Aunty's Beach House during "open house" hours – from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. – to play in the space, but at the end of that time period, only those of-age children being dropped off can remain.
(Aulani does offer on-site babysitting through a third-party service called Kama'aina Kids Sitters, but it's for a substantial fee of $30 per hour for one child, for a minimum of four hours – or, roughly $120 a pop.)
I went to Aulani this year with my husband, and my 4-year-old and 2-year-old, and if I could have done one thing differently, I would have waited just one more year so that I could have fully taken advantage of this offering. Because we couldn't take advantage of the free childcare for both of our kids and didn't want to pay so much to have a sitter watch our youngest child solo, we made a point to visit Aunty's Beach House as a family and my husband and I took turns doing adults-only activities, like stand-up paddling and snorkeling.
But knowing how we could have shared in those moments without the stress of one parent having to watch both kids in the pool made us realise what a good deal it would have been. And it's making us seriously consider a return visit.
If you've booked your trip to Aulani and plan to take advantage of this amazing service, don't forget to submit the registration form at least two days prior to your arrival. And, because Disney takes this responsibility seriously, proof of age might be required. (I tried putting my two-year-old in a moustachio'd disguise, but nobody was buying it. OK, in all seriousness, I did ask if there was any wiggle room, and they assured me they strictly adhered to their safety standards. They wouldn't even let my 4-year-old traverse the 5-and-up outdoor jungle gym.)
And if you're still on the fence if this included-with-your-stay amenity is worth it, read on for a virtual tour of sorts.