Planning Disney Hawaii -- best time?

[ge0rgette2]

Best time to go to Hawaii might be? Any suggestions?

We are thinking of going end of next year into 2013, is there a better time to go -- I'd love to go at an off time even if I have to take my daughter out of school in 2013 for a few days.. We are flying from NY and I know the airfare is crazy expensive... I need time to save I'm sure, as we are doing a DCruise this coming May.

Thanks!

 

[ge0rgette2]

OMY!!! November 2012 - 7 days, family of 4, $22,000 LMAO!!! and if I downgrade, $8,000 for a week!

Hmm - might have to re-do my vacation plans!

 

[sayhello]

For Hawaii itself, it depends on your definition of "best". In general, the best weather is Sep/Oct or May/June. It's also not that crowded, and less expensive then. If you really want to see whales, the best (but most crowded & expensive times) is Feb-April.

As you can see, as far as Aulani is concerned, there's not really a "cheap" time yet...

Sayhello

 

[ge0rgette2]

You are sooooo right about 'cheap'.. I'm sure other areas/hotels/islands in Hawaii are cheaper. I knew Disney would be more expensive but not that bad!
I need to get out more I guess, hehehe!

 

[leslieh]

We did this 5 years ago, airfare, 9 nights, rental car and food etc. about 5000.00. For a family of 5 teens/adults. Stayed at Turtle bay (north shore) for a few nights, then to Waikii for the remainder. May be going to Aluni next summer but will only get the hotel, the rest I can do on my own. Air fare is crazy right now. Back then under 500.00 for each from the east coast.

 

[Diskidatheart]

The most affordable way to go to Hawaii is by renting a condo. You can use VRBO as a source for renting from owners, but you need to be cautious who you rent from. There are many condos being foreclosed on in Hawaii due to the economy, so make sure you are renting one from someone who is reputable and appears to rent out frequently (You can use the calendar for that). If you stay at a mega-resort, it's going to cost you an arm and a leg no matter where you stay.

As far as best time to go, it really depends on what you want to see and which island you go to. They all have different climates and depending on which part of the island you go to, it may be rainy season. For example, Kauai's rainy season is over the winter time, but if you stay on the south shore, you are more likely to get better weather and the ocean is calmer on the south. The north shore of Kauai can be wonderful as well, but it's really hit or miss during the winter months. On the other hand, if you go to Kauai in the summer, the south shore's water is definitely rougher than the north shore. I'm not familiar with Oahu as it's the one island that I haven't been to...yet. Oahu (for the most part) is more commercialized than the others, however, there are parts of it that are supposed to be absolutely gorgeous. I will get there someday, but I just enjoy Maui and Kauai too much to give them up.

 

[gabzee]

We went to Hawaii two summers ago. We decided to "island hop" for 2 weeks. I don't know if you want to stay on one island or get to visit a few. When we went in late June- early July, it was absolutely beautiful. It did get chilly at night sometimes. For part of our trip we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It is a fantastic hotel and would recommend it to anyone. There are always promotions going on for hotels. Right now they have a promo going on for $179 per night (I know it doesn't apply to when you go but it is early). There is the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu and the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island. There are so many activities to do at both of these hotels. I would suggest exploring these two options. Since Hawaii is expensive, maybe you want to think about a split stay (if you want to island hop that is easy or just switch hotels in the middle of your vacation). This way you get the feel of Disney in Hawaii as well as another hotel but it wont be crazy expensive.

 

[Pakey]

We've been 5 times and are planning our 6th visit to be to Aulani next year (using DVC points).

For larger groups, I suggest looking into renting a house or condo. We did a 2 bedroom ocean front on Maui for $500/night; this condo was huge, well appointed, and we could walk onto the beach. I've also stayed at the Four Seasons on Hawaii, the Hilton on Oahu, the Grand Wailea on Maui and my favorite, the Ritz on Maui.

We've always had great weather but we've only been to Oahu, Hawaii and Maui. We've been in November, January, February, March, May. The islands have been easy to drive on our own and it would be cheaper to sightsee rather than in a prepaid tour situation.