My family was fortunate enough to stay at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. We are Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and used our points to stay in a one-bedroom ocean view villa for nine nights. Heavenly!

One of the perks, as DVC members, is the Mahalo Member Mingle.  Mahalo Member Mingle is a special morning gathering for members and their families.  Currently, the gathering is on Mondays.  I applaud this, just for the alliteration alone!  All those M’s!  Okay, that’s the grammar nerd in me.  The time and the gathering are subject to change so if you are a DVC member visiting Aulani, check with the DVC desk at the resort for more details.

DIStracted Tip:  Mahalo Member Mingle can be a popular event, so I recommend stopping at the Disney Vacation Club Preview Center at Aulani early in your stay.  They will provide you with a ticket for each member of your party.  This ticket is also your raffle ticket!

According to the DVC website, the invitation says “Stop by, grab a coffee and learn the latest on what adventures await you. Guest speakers will be on hand to inform you about various Resort and island offerings you won’t want to miss.”  We attended on Monday morning.  It was scheduled for 8:00am so I was very happy to hear that coffee would be available!  My family was happy to see that not only coffee was offered.   There was also juice, tea, milk, muffins, croissants, and pastries.

Yes, some of the get-together is a “sales pitch.”  But it’s extremely soft sell (REALLY soft). The presenter talked about some of the tours available at the resort and some of the hotel’s amenities.   It really is a “mahalo” (Hawaiian for “thank you”) for members and their families.

DIStracted Tip: DVC members receive a 10% discount at the resort’s stores.  There are also discounts on some of the recreation offerings, such as beach rentals and cabana rentals.  Make sure you bring your DVC membership card with you!  If you are unsure about a discount, ask!  It’s worth asking a question to save a little money.

The member get-together is scheduled for one hour and includes some fun trivia contests, complete with prizes.  My son, Jeremy, was the first to raise his hand and name all of the Seven Dwarfs.  He won a DVC drawstring bag.  Some other lucky members won umbrellas, pins, and waterproof cell phone pouches.  There was one grand prize – a large basket filled with lots of goodies.  After the Mingle was over, everyone that attended received a Disney Vacation Club Aulani baseball cap.  So everyone who attends is a winner!

Is it a “must attend” event?  No.  Is it fun?  Yes.  And it really did make me feel appreciated for being part of the DVC family.  Have you attended?  What did you think?