Not an Official Trip Report but let me share some tidbits from our Aulani Vacation

[aboveH20]

I have a new found appreciation for those of you who take the time to do extensive photo laden trip reports. Thats a whole lotta work! While I won’t attempt a full blown trip report, I would like to share some tidbits from my recent Aulani vacation because I know how much I enjoyed reading and learning from these boards before we went.

Brief intro -- My husband and I are “young” retireds who both love Disney. We’ve done Disney trips together and solo. I went to Disneyland Paris solo for my last birthday ending in zero, however invited my husband along for this year’s ending in zero birthday at Aulani. We have two twenty something sons who’ve both relocated to California in the past year. One for work (hello Hollywood) and one for school (goodbye Navy). We live in the frozen tundra of upstate New York (Saratoga country). We are not DVC owners.

Short story long . . back in July when I was first planning we were going to stay at Aulani for six nights then do the Norwegian cruise line Pride of America island tour. My mother’s health intervened and the trip was in doubt, so I didn’t want to make any reservations I couldn’t cancel without penalty. When Disney came out with the promotion of one free night for every three booked, we extended our stay to eight nights -- got free breakfast each morning at Ulu Café -- and did not extend our trip past the Aulani stay.

I’ll be back to report on

°O° our two meals at Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives establishments
°O° Iolani Palace
°O° Polynesian Cultural Center
°O° Pearl Harbor
°O° Matsumoto’s shave ice
°O° Discounthawaiicarrental
°O° Catamaran snorkeling excursion
°O° Ama Ama, Longboard’s, Monkeypod
°O° assorted etcetera

When we first got back I posted a photo of the new reusable mugs, if you're interested. They're on the DVC Resorts forum.

 

[aboveH20]

Here's a brief chronological update.

Some of us east coasters have discussed pros and cons of flying non-stop versus a couple hops along the way. We're three hours from NYC so don't have the option of flying non-stop from Newark, therefore broke the trip into three legs. We left Albany at 5:40 AM on United and arrived in Honolulu at 5:08. Fortunately we managed to dodge all of the storms which have been relentlessly hitting the country this year.

From this thread I got the lead about renting a car from DiscountHawaiiCarRental. In the past I've had good luck with "naming your own price" at Priceline, but Discount Hawaii Car Rental beat them AND two extra drivers were free. I HATE being charged for extra drivers. We had the car for 8 days, I paid for a full tank of gas (so much easier than finding a gas station IMHO) and it was $246. We ended up driving 310 miles.

My other pre-arrival tidbit is that is seems like Hawaiians have decided to keep their state "clean and natural" by having as few road signs as possible. Surely I'm not the only one who was confused about the Aulani entrance. As we drove around the island we would have liked more signs letting us know we were getting close (Dole, PCC, etc).

 

[DisSarahK]

Can't wait for your tips--we arrive the 26th of March and I need all the tips I can get!

 

[abthomas]

Looking forward to your report, especially the catamaran snorkel excusion.

 

[aboveH20]

Can't wait for your tips--we arrive the 26th of March and I need all the tips I can get!

Are you able to fly non-stop?

Aulani is in the flight path of Honolulu airport and we saw plane after plane come it. I'm not sure why the island hasn't sunk!

 

[aboveH20]

One pre-pre arrival thing I should have mentioned is that prior to the trip I read James Michener’s Hawaii. I highly recommend it, and I know that I saw Oahu differently because of the background. Of course, due to my mother’s illness I had plenty of time to make it through 900+ pages, but read it if you can. OR, another book that was recommended on these boards (and I couldn’t find who suggested it, sorry) is Shoal of Time by Gavan Daws. I just ordered it from Amazon yesterday and am looking forward to getting another 600 page history lesson. Some say it is a more accurate historical account.

Our Discount Hawaii Car Rental was through Thrifty. (We had a sporty black Ford Focus which was more than adequate for our needs.) The clerk asked where we were staying and when I said Aulani he said we had a long trip ahead of us. I asked how long and he said 45 minutes (so I guess he just meant longer than if we were staying in Honolulu). I asked how long we should plan on for the return trip. He said to plan on three hours! He said traffic can be pretty congested and that people have missed their flights because they didn’t allow enough time for the return trip.

There has been so much discussion about traffic that I need to say we didn’t have much of a problem, but we traveled off peak. We arrived on a Sunday night about 5 PM and our return flight was on Monday at 9:45 PM. It took us slightly more than half an hour to get back to Thrifty from Aulani. Obviously we were going against rush hour traffic, and it was the beginning of March, probably not the height of tourist season. Even when we asked the concierge at Aulani how much time we should allow for the return trip she said an hour and a half, so I guess we were lucky.

We arrived at Aulani, let the valet take the car, and received the lie greeting. It was after 6 PM on a Sunday night and we both got the kukui nut leis. I know a lot of women want the flower lei, but I thought the kukui would make a more “keepable” souvenir so I was glad to get it. They presented me with a birthday button, keys to the room, and then gave us a brief tour of the lobby.

Am I the only one who was surprised by the lobby? Surprised at how small it seems compared with the zillions of photos we’ve seen online? I was expecting something similar to Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have to say, I was momentarily disappointed.

 

[aboveH20]

I shouldn't have left off my last post saying I was disappointed. Maybe caught off guard or confused is more correct. The lobby was just smaller than I expected.

Having left home at 4 AM and spent time in two (well, actually four) airports, we weren't really sure if we were hungry, but found our way to Ulu Cafe, got the refillable mugs and salads before heading to an early rack.

We arrived on February 23 and these are the new mugs. We saw at least 50% of the old "wallpaper" mugs being used. I don't know if the change is very recent or if people have become accustomed to reusing their old mugs, bet let me present Mr. Blue and Mr. Green. The only two choices.

 

[aboveH20]

Looking forward to your report, especially the catamaran snorkel excusion.

Thanks for the question. We went to Aulani with no reservations except for Pearl Harbor. The first day we asked another couple about their experiences and they highly recommended the catamaran excursion and Big Wave Shrimp on the North Shore. We took both recommendations.

I haven’t been snorkeling since my childhood days and that was in a pond. My husband got his SCUBA certification years ago, so that’s our experience level! A couple vans picked us up at Aulani. Aulani provided a Disney “guide” and towels. We drove about half an hour to the dock.

After a brief safety review they served a light lunch and each adult was given two adult beverage tickets. (I don’t think most people used them, we didn’t.) Soda and juice were included. Goggles, snorkel, inflatable vest, and fins were provided. Some people brought their own. We motored out to a spot and then got in the water. You could jump over the side or go down the ladder. I chose the ladder, which was smart for a newbie, I just wish someone had told me to put the snorkel in my mouth before getting in the water.

The fish were amazing. All sorts of colorful patterns. I saw three turtles hanging out on the floor of the ocean. Pretty cool! Not everyone saw the turtles, but there was one near the shore who greeted us on our return to the dock. On the way back we also saw whales breeching. I don’t think it’s common to see the whales. We didn’t see any dolphins.

The crew was very friendly and engaging. I forget to mention, there’s a ukulele player on board. I haven’t quite figured out why, unless it’s to add some local color. I was glad I went, especially since I got to see the turtles and never having snorkeled before was really impressed with the colorful fish. For two adults it was $308.

 

[aboveH20]

A few tidbits about food . . .

First, I’ll say that I won’t claim my palate is sophisticated enough to offer in depth insight about preparation of any of our meals. There will always be people who love and hate a restaurant, so I’m just giving brief notes in case something I say resonates with anyone. Second, I’m not a terribly fussy eater and my mantra has always been my favorite meal is any meal I don’t have to make. Which is not to say the bar is low, but a meal has to be pretty terrible for me not to like it.

Not knowing how the five hour time change would affect us, we had dinner reservations at Ama Ama at 5 PM (opening) the night of our first full day. It was my birthday and the only reservation we had for the trip. I felt guilty ordering Colorado lamb for my first meal in Hawaii, but lamb is a favorite I don’t have very often so ordered it and enjoyed it. My husband had the fish of the day, also very good. We weren’t hungry enough for appetizers or dessert, but I have to say that I was surprised that my birthday button didn’t get me a birthday cupcake at the end of the meal. I agree with all that it’s not cheap, but we enjoyed it and would make it a once a trip meal.

We had two dinners at Monkeypod. The first time I had pizza, which was very good, the second time I had a turkey burger which I really enjoyed. I hate to say the turkey burger was the best meal I had during the week, but I definitely recommend it. The first night we had pie, which I’d read so much about on these boards. The waitress said it was big enough to take some home, but she underestimated how much we like pie! I had coconut cream, my husband had the strawberry cheesecake special. Yum, yum.

One of the most discussed Aulani topics seems to be -- to luau or not to luau. I read all that I could and asked around during Starlit Hui to get people’s opinions, and we’d pretty much decided against it until we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center (more on it later). Short story long, there are three dinner choices at PCC. We opted for the New Island Luau and while the food wasn’t stellar, it certainly compared favorably with a good potluck supper, so we were happy with our decision.

A couple nights we just grabbed something at Ulu Café. One night when we were full from lunch I just had a fruit salad, once we had the Cuban sandwich (not my favorite), and once we had the pork dinner.

Next up, lunches, including our two Diners, Drive-ins and Dives meals. (One was planned ahead of time, one we didn’t realize was a Triple D until we says Guy’s face painted on the side of the truck.)

 

[poohj80]

Can't wait to read more as we arrive in a few days and you are hitting on all the same questions I have been asking.

 

[abthomas]

Thanks for info on catamaran excursion!

 

[aboveH20]

We LOVED our view. If (when!) we return we will request the same room. We had a glorious view of the ocean which we enjoyed daytime and nighttime. We left our sliding door open at night to hear the sounds of the valley and didn't even mind being awoken by what I'm guessing were "coconut tambourines" and cowboy songs from the buffet. At $620/night I had high hopes, and I was very happy.

I took very few photos, and probably should have taken another photo from the balcony of Diamond Head, which was way off in the distance. I got a great view of Diamond Head flying into Honolulu. Sit on the right side of the plane. My husband was on the left and missed it.

I can't remember what time of day I took the photo, but the place looks deserted, doesn't it?

Waiane Building, room 1030.

Can't wait to read more as we arrive in a few days and you are hitting on all the same questions I have been asking.

You will love it! Now that we've forgotten how long the plane ride is, we're planning our return.

Thanks for info on catamaran excursion!

You're welcome. Mahalo. (We found out the mahalo means thank you and is also the appropriate response to thank you.)

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[DisSarahK]

Now I'm off to check our plane reservations to see what side of the plane we're sitting on…too late to change anything, but you have me curious!

 

[aboveH20]

Prior to Hawaii I’d been to two restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, one in Poughkeepsie and one in Queens. Guy (yes, we’re on a first name basis) has been to over a dozen Hawaiian places so I chose Nico’s Pier 38 in Honolulu for my third Triple D venture. I made sure to watch the episode first and had my husband watch it as well. In the morning we went to Iolani Palace, the only palace formerly inhabited by royalty in the United States. As I said earlier, I plowed through 900 pages of Michener’s Hawaii so I was interested in Hawaii‘s past. Nico’s was relatively easy to find since we were already in downtown Honolulu. It’s a simple place, not too crowded on a weekday afternoon at 2, and feeling rather unadventurous we both had fish and chips. It was sooo good. Afterwards my husband asked what kind of fish, and found out it was swordfish. How often does fish and chips get made with swordfish?

We had lunch twice at Mama’s Snack Shop (at Aulani). Once I had Portuguese sausage and once coconut shrimp with fries. Both were very good -- the trick is to find Mama’s. I wonder how many people on short stays at Aulani (or too lazy to look at a map, like me) leave the resort never having found Mama's or the shave ice place next to Mama’s because it’s somewhat off the beaten path -- or I was never on the right path. Either is possible.

When we asked the concierge for maps and directions he recommended Romy’s which is on the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center. I had made notes about Giovanni’s shrimp truck, but he nixed that idea and suggested Romy’s. It was excellent. Messy, rustic, and a bit of a wait for the food to be cooked (20 mins?), but excellent. I had spicy shrimp and my husband had garlic shrimp. Be forewarned that they’re served with shells on (split down the back) and heads, so there’s no neat way to eat them. Dining is outside on covered picnic tables, with an outdoor utility tub for cleanup, and a portajohn for . . . well, you know what it’s for.

PS It’s a shack, not a food truck. Cash only, but they have an ATM. Very yummy!

On our Pearl Harbor day we had lunch at their outdoor eatery. It felt very American to be having a hot dog at the sight of so much history with people from so many other countries around us.

The people who recommended the catamaran excursion to us also recommended Big Wave Shrimp for our North Shore drive day. Fortunately we wrote down the street address because it was a long way from the turn off to Haleiwa. On the way to Big Wave Shrimp we drove past Matsumoto’s so at least we had an idea of where we were headed next for our shave ice. We didn’t realize that Big Wave Shrimp was a shrimp truck until we pulled in, and didn’t realize that Guy beat us there until we saw his picture painted on the side of the truck. We checked out the episode when we got home; he had ribs. At a shrimp truck. He had ribs. I had lemon pepper shrimp, my husband had the spicy shrimp, and they were both very good -- and headless!

Then we went to Matsumoto's for shave ice. The line wasn't too long and we each opted for shave ice with beans. When in Rome, and all. That's an experiece I won't have to repeat. Fortunately they put the beans in the bottom of the cone (unless you get a bowl, then they're on top, you've been warned!). I was able to eat all of the shave ice and then I actually had a fair number of the beans because I kept waiting to "get it". I never got the attraction of having beans with perfectly good shave ice, but I know some enjoy the combo. My husband had three of his beans which was four too many.

On the other hand, at Aulani we had the sweetened conensed milk on the shave ice. Now that's a treat!

Our last meal of the trip was at Longboard’s. It’s a good five minute (maybe even six, seven or eight) walk from Aulani along the oceanfront walk. We did it to go someplace different. It’s another one that gets mixed reviews here but worth it to try it out. My husband loved his taro burger and my tuna melt was good as well.

Following along!

Thanks for joining in.

Now I'm off to check our plane reservations to see what side of the plane we're sitting on…too late to change anything, but you have me curious!

I wonder if "lefties" can see Aulani. We certainly saw many, many planes while we were at Aulani.

 

[jerseygal]

ENJOYING reading your tips!

Hope that you had or are having an AWESOME VACA!

Nicos Fish and Chips Sounds FABULOUS!

This "shaved" ice is really sounding DELICIOUS!

CANNOT WAIT FOR OUR MAY AULANI TRIP! COMING SOON, YAY!!

 

[lablady]

So happy to hear that you enjoyed your trip! We'll be there in 1 week!

Glad to hear that Nico's was good. We are planning on going there on our Pearl Harbor day.

Did you do the catamaran trip out of Ko Olina's harbor? We booked with Ko Olina Ocean Adventures again, because we had an awesome time with them in 2012. It's super convenient and wonderful to just drive around the corner back to Aulani after a day out!

We had Aoki's shave ice when we were there, the line for Matsumoto's was out the door! It was really delicious. I never thought about what the "beans" actually are. Are they soybeans or something? We didn't try them.

 

[aboveH20]

°O° If you're going to collect wristbands make sure you get one the first day, even if you arrive late. It didn't occur to us to get a wristband on our arrival day, so our collection isn't complete. They have 13 different colors, so there's a goal -- stay 13 days!

°O° We were surprised that Ulu Cafe closed at 9 PM, so no soda refills after 9. Keep that in mind if you're a soda drinker. I'm guessing the time depends upon time of year, but we were caught off guard so check ahead. We quickly looked at the daily Iwa and thought it was open till 11, but we misread, breakfast was served until 11.

°O° While the cast members all wear name tags, many of the names are Hawaiian and therefore not as easy to remember afterwards. I got an online survey following our trip and really wanted to commend a couple cast members. Two people I had to describe as best I could by job title and physical description. I honestly think a little acknowledgement goes a long way, so in retrospect I wish I had asked a couple cast members to write down their names.

ENJOYING reading your tips!

Hope that you had or are having an AWESOME VACA!

Nicos Fish and Chips Sounds FABULOUS!

This "shaved" ice is really sounding DELICIOUS!

CANNOT WAIT FOR OUR MAY AULANI TRIP! COMING SOON, YAY!!

Yes, our trip was awesome. The weather in May should be ideal.

So happy to hear that you enjoyed your trip! We'll be there in 1 week!

Glad to hear that Nico's was good. We are planning on going there on our Pearl Harbor day.

Did you do the catamaran trip out of Ko Olina's harbor? We booked with Ko Olina Ocean Adventures again, because we had an awesome time with them in 2012. It's super convenient and wonderful to just drive around the corner back to Aulani after a day out!

We had Aoki's shave ice when we were there, the line for Matsumoto's was out the door! It was really delicious. I never thought about what the "beans" actually are. Are they soybeans or something? We didn't try them.

Less than a week -- you must be sooo excited.

It was fun to go to a Triple D spot. It should work out well to go on your Pearl Harbor day.

We did the catamaran through though Aulani, and the company is Hawaii Nautical. I'm guessing they're all basically the same.

Here's what Google has to say about azuki beans

What are Azuki beans - A sweet paste made from the East Asian-grown red azuki beans. The beans are first boiled then mashed into a paste and sweetened. Hawaii shave ice stands use a version of the paste that keeps a good portion of the softened beans intact rather than completely mashed. As with ice cream, the paste is scooped into the center of the shave ice cone as ice is being added for an extra kick of sweetness midway through the treat. In a shave ice bowl, azuki bean paste is more often ladled over the top of a finished ice dome after the syrup has been poured.

Like I say, it must be an acquired taste.

 

[wanderlust17]

Thanks so much for the tips! We are going in 13 days!

Off topic: You have a submariner in the family?? My husband is on a sub. Go Navy!

 

[aboveH20]

Thanks so much for the tips! We are going in 13 days!

Off topic: You have a submariner in the family?? My husband is on a sub. Go Navy!

Hopefully DVC hasn’t copyrighted “Welcome Home” because I made this for my son’s bed when he came home from deployment. After six years in the Navy he’s now attending college in California.

My husband is an army vet, so there’s some good natured rivalry during the Army-Navy football game.

(Lately I’ve been thinking I’d like to see Australia and am trying to get past the long flight. Then I try to comprehend what it’s like for submariners to be submerged for months at a time. Hmmmm.)