maxbuffmelvin
We hope that you’ll be coming back again.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2020
Our music is either a current or former MK parade or fireworks show, even if we are traveling to a non-Disney destination.
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3 islands, 2 weeks, 1 amazing honeymoon! COMPLETED 1/14!
- Thread starter Mollydolly334
- Start date
missjackiemcg
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2013
Oh, I can't wait to read all about that trip!!!! Tears and all!!
LOVE this tradition!!! I am a huge fan of all the Vacation movies!!
I'm glad I am not the only one who can't help themselves from watching Dance Moms, LOL!!!
So sweet!!
SimplyGoofy
"You are not Mickey Mouse... you are a rat!"
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2011
I’ve definitely felt that when packing! I hope you didn’t miss anything important (although, good excuse to buy another souvenir?
)As for your husband… I don’t understand it either. My husband is similar and is VERY streamlined in his packing. (His lack of toiletries, at least as compared to mine, probably helps too!)
That’s amazing on both counts! I love trying to spot landmarks from the plane.
WOW! What amazing pixie dust between the Jeep (love the yellow!) and your room! That view is AMAZING!!!
Dessert… the best part of the meal.I enjoyed MANY desserts throughout the trip and don’t regret a thing
No regrets necessary!
Mollydolly334
Honorary Floridian
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
I don't crave Taco Bell too often, but when it happens, I have to answer the callI, too, have heard the siren song of Taco Bell. Brave choice!
So neat that you got a fun Jeep and so much Pixie Dust on your first day! Magic, I swear.
Love that you started your trip with the proposal spot. May you have many years in the future doing the same thing!
We were REALLY feeling the Disney magic at Aulani today!! It was such a perfect start to the trip 
Haha, too funny! Musubi is the best- we actually have a Hawaiian restaurant here in the Milwaukee area that does a GREAT Spam musubi, so we will sometimes grab some there if we're missing Hawaii
Awwww, love it! The Wishes music in particular will always hold a special place in my heart
I'm SOOO excited but also a little anxious haha- I feel like we are going to be a Hot-Mess Express that entire trip
OMG Dance Moms has always been my favorite!! All of my friends and I would get together in my dorm room freshman year of college (2012-2013) every Monday and watch the new episode, haha!Thank you so much!! Aulani (and all of Hawaii) really is such an amazing vacation destination!!
Hahaha oh trust me... I didn't forget ANYTHING in that suitcase!! I packed like 25 pairs of underwear for a 15 day trip!!
I’ve definitely felt that when packing! I hope you didn’t miss anything important (although, good excuse to buy another souvenir?
As for your husband… I don’t understand it either. My husband is similar and is VERY streamlined in his packing. (His lack of toiletries, at least as compared to mine, probably helps too!)
That’s amazing on both counts! I love trying to spot landmarks from the plane.
WOW! What amazing pixie dust between the Jeep (love the yellow!) and your room! That view is AMAZING!!!
Dessert… the best part of the meal.
And so true; just with my makeup alone, I couldn't pack a carry-on bag!! Although I will say that I maybe wore makeup only 4 or 5 nights this trip; Hawaii is so casual-feeling that I never felt the need to put it on!Glad you share my sentiments on dessert
If I'm given a choice between sweet or salty, sweet wins every time!!!!It was such an incredible first day full of pixie dust!!
Mollydolly334
Honorary Floridian
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
Day 2
After passing out at 8:45 PM the night before due to our marathon travel day, it was no surprise that we were up by 6:30 AM! Jake and I were raring to go for our big excursion day!
When we traveled to Hawaii back in 2022, Jake and I spent only one night at Aulani and spent the 7 remaining nights in Waikiki. This was a great home base for us, and we loved the hustle and bustle of the city! We wanted to spend the bulk of our time this trip enjoying the amenities of Aulani, but we knew that we wanted to spend one full day stopping by all of our favorite spots from last year.
It was looking like a beautiful morning!
We grabbed the car from valet, and started the drive to our first destination- Kailua and Lanikai Beach!
One of the first pictures that Jake ever showed me from Hawaii was a picture of Lanikai Beach. This gorgeous beach is located on the east side of Oahu in the town of Kailua, and is known for being one of the most scenic beaches in the world! We visited twice last year and were absolutely charmed, so this was #1 for us on our excursion day! If I ever had to move to Hawaii, hands down, this would be the place I would move to.
It was an hour-long drive packed with amazing views!
As we drove further into town, we noticed how CROWDED it was for being so early (it wasn’t even 8:00 AM yet)! We consulted Google and realized that there was a 25K race going on that exact morning! D’oh! It was a little more difficult to find parking, but we ended up finding a spot at Kailua Beach Park and walked to our first destination- the Sunrise Shack!
I purposely matched my swimsuit to get an Insta-worthy picture today…I might be a little crazy It’s hard not to be when the building is this cute!
The Sunrise Shack is an acai bowl joint that I discovered on our last trip. They had a location right in the lobby of our hotel in Waikiki (The Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort), and I became OBSESSED with one particular acai bowl. I would have had one every morning for breakfast if I could! Once I found out that there was a location in Kailua, I was so excited to be reunited!
Behold… the Monkey Bowl (located on the right)!
“Blended base of banana, coconut cream, peanut butter, almond milk, dates, cinnamon and salt. Topped with granola, sliced bananas, peanut butter, coconut flakes, cacao nibs, and chocolate covered almonds.” This thing was a masterpiece! It was also the smallest size they offered- we saw some of the largest ones and they were absolutely enormous!
Jake went with the Tropical Bowl with mango, pineapple, banana, dragon fruit, and honey. I also got a cold brew! We LOVED our breakfast, the bowls were so refreshing! I am a peanut butter addict (especially when it’s paired with chocolate and/or banana), so this bowl is MOLLY in a nutshell! It was perfect beach fuel. It was gorgeous outside (Kailua is on the windward side of the island, so there’s always a perfect breeze), so we set up post at one of the picnic tables to enjoy our bowls. There were birds and chickens everywhere- foreshadowing for our time in Kauai!
I also bought a fun sticker, which I promptly placed on my laptop when we returned home.
Once we were finished, we started the trek to Lanikai Beach, which was about 1 mile away. However, I immediately realized that we DID NOT BRING OUR BEACH TOWELS! Ugh! We were so distracted and excited this morning that we forgot the one thing we needed for the beach So, we made a pit stop at a corner store.
2 towels and $70 later (no, that is not a typo! We are such suckers), we were finally headed over! We made it to the beach at 9:00 sharp.
It was a GORGEOUS morning! It misted a little bit on the walk over (which Jake did not enjoy, he HATES any and all rain), but the clouds parted to beautiful sunshine! We got so lucky with weather this entire trip, it rained for maybe a collective 1-2 hours for the whole two weeks.
We stayed until 12:30 PM, just swimming, walking the shore, and soaking up the sun! The sand here is so soft and white, it’s like sugar.
We stopped at the car so I could get my cover-up, and I had to document that I also matched the Jeep!
Our next destination was Buzz’s Steak House, located right at Kailua Beach Park! This was one of Jake’s favorite spots when he lived in Honolulu, and we enjoyed a great lunch here last year. We decided to just have a drink this time! I ordered the Deez Nutz (hehe), which was a blended coconut mojito! I love mojitos (they were my signature drink at our wedding), so this hit the spot after spending the morning out in the sun!
Jake ordered a Kona Longboard, and we had a really nice time just sitting outside and enjoying our beverages.
Then, we hopped in the Jeep and drove to the Kailua town center. Our next stop was our lunch destination- Kono’s! This is a fast-casual joint known for their burritos and many flavors of milkshakes. This was also one of Jake’s favorites while living in Hawaii. They have locations all around Oahu as well as in Las Vegas- it was on our list for last year, but we never made it over, so it was a priority for this year!
Had to laugh at their soda machine (Ice-T and Ice Cube)
Jake and I both ordered the “Haleiwa Bomber”, which is a breakfast burrito loaded up with kalua pork, potatoes, eggs, and cheese. We also added avocado and sour cream, because DUH! It came with a packet of chips on the side, and I decided to try the “Kono’s Mud Pie” milkshake, which was a blend of coffee, oreo, and caramel.
I got my milkshake right away, but they let us know that it would be about 25 minutes for our food. No prob! We plopped outside on the curb and I dug into my milkshake. However, I noticed that it was more vanilla than coffee, with barely any Oreos. Jake could immediately tell that I didn’t really like it (remember the whole “emotions on my sleeve” bit?), and said “I’ll get you a different milkshake. We’re on our honeymoon- it’s time to be spoiled!” I LOVE THAT MAN
I tossed that milkshake in the garbage and decided on a different one. This time, I went with the “Sneakers”, which was a blend of chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel (I’m assuming their play on a Snickers bar). This one was MUCH better, and I inhaled it! Lesson learned- don’t settle for mediocre milkshakes.
20ish minutes later, our food was ready. We were starving!
The burritos were good! I wish the potatoes inside were crispier and seasoned more. My burrito did the thing where the first half was really dry, and the second half was jammed with all of the avocado/sour cream and was super flavorful. I wish the whole burrito was just like the second half, haha! These definitely hit the proverbial spot after a morning of swimming.
After lunch, we decided to look in some of the shops in Kailua to let our food settle. Kailua has the cutest shopping! If my suitcases weren’t so heavy on the way over, I definitely could have done some damage.
We found some gems in the art gallery and home goods store.
At around 3:30, we decided to do a quick-change into nicer clothes in the Kailua Target bathrooms, and drove over to our final destination- Waikiki! We were pumped to hang out at our homebase from last year!
This drive took about 45 minutes, and we made it to Honolulu around 4:30. We had to park at the Ala Wai Canal, which was a bit of walk to downtown Waikiki, but it was nice to stroll around and take a peek Jake’s old apartment complex.
One thing that we noticed immediately was that it was still HOT! That was the theme for this trip- HOT HOT HOT! I brought so many cute jean jackets/cardigans to wear at night in case it got chilly, but I wore none of them!!
Another thing we immediately noticed was how crowded and busy Waikiki was. We were definitely happy with our decision to stay in a quieter area this time around! We walked all down Kalakaua Ave and made a pit stop at my favorite hotel in Waikiki- the Royal Hawaiian!
I mean… this view! Pictures do not do it justice. Plus- the hotel is all pink!! I love the gift shops in here (it smells soo good), so we took a look in those before grabbing a drink at the Mai Tai bar outside!
I just went with a Diet Coke, but Jake ordered a Mai-Tai! He said it was the best of the trip (and he had a lot!)!
Dramatic look!
I stole the little pink umbrella that came in his drink (It’s really cute and says Royal Hawaiian Resort on it), but it got all crushed in my purse by the time we got home. Booooo!
It was nearing time for our dinner reservation, so we did a slow walk towards the restaurant. We stopped in the Outrigger to reminisce on our engagement trip, and also looked through the Sheraton Waikiki.
Jake loves the Waikiki Beach Walk area, so we perused through the shops along there (this location has my favorite ABC store as well)! I decided to buy a packet of my favorite sour lychee gummies for the room.
We arrived at the Halekulani Resort right on time for our 7:00 dinner reservation at House Without a Key!
We had dinner here on our first full day last year, and we had the best ahi tuna poke EVER! So, we knew we needed to stop here again. I promise, we did try mostly new places this trip!! This day was just our “reminiscing” day
We were sat pretty quickly and had a great view of the ukelele band and hula dancers! Unfortunately… this is where service started to go downhill
Last year, we had excellent service and were really impressed. One thing that we loved was their bread service; they had a purple, taro-flavored bread that was a great combination of sweet and salty! However, we never received bread, so we figured that bread service wasn’t a thing anymore.
Our waiter was… nice at first. He went through entrees and specials with us and was very helpful when we asked his opinions on menu items/etc. Once we placed our orders, I said, “Oh, and one more thing, can you take a picture of us?”
Jake and I have a really nice picture of us from our trip last year, and I wanted to recreate it this year!
Picture from last year if anyone cares
I was a bit shocked when he rolled his eyes, did a small sneer, and said “Oh, you’ll just have to WAIT a minute.” Emphasis on the WAIT. Jake and I turned and looked at each other like
I’m positive that he heard me wrong, because he never brought up the picture again, and frankly, I was too scared to ask again. Even if he misheard me, WHAT would he be responding to in that way??? It really put us off unfortunately and started the dinner on a sour note.
Good thing the alcohol came out shortly after! I ordered an Aperol Spritz (one of my go-to’s) and Jake got a Kona Longboard. It was still nice and warm outside, and we loved the relaxing live music.
Onto the food! We started off with the ahi tuna poke, of course. Luckily, this was just as delicious as last year!!
Seriously, it has ruined all other poke for me. The texture is like butter; it just melts in your mouth!
For our main entrees, Jake went with the Ahi Tataki (guess it was a tuna kind of day!), and I decided on the 4-cheese pizza. The four cheeses were described as mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, and blue, with honey drizzled on top. I LOVE honey on my pizza, so I was very excited for this!
Now, when I read that this pizza was going to incorporate blue cheese, I was a little skeptical, since it’s not my favorite. I figure that most people agree with me when I say that a little bit of blue cheese goes a long way. I assumed that the pizza would maybe have a small amount of blue cheese crumbled on top, or maybe come with a blue cheese sauce to dip it in. What I was NOT expecting was that it would be the primary flavor of the pizza.
Yep, that’s right, it was literally a BLUE CHEESE PIZZA. Which was a shame because I love all of the other cheeses featured in it (I mean, hello, I’m from the cheese capital of the U.S!). I just couldn’t taste them under the strong flavor! Even Jake, who loves blue cheese, tried it and hated it. It was just wayyyyy too intense and overpowering. Plus, I felt like it made my breath reek!
I realized that I should have just ordered it without the blue cheese! I was able to eat most of the crust, but I still left feeling unsatisfied. Jake said that his tuna was "ok, but nothing special." We both felt like something was just missing….Oh yeah…. The taro bread I mentioned earlier? Imagine our surprise when all of the new tables being seated around us started getting baskets of bread…
Yep, we just never received the bread service
Paired with the rude waiter and my gross pizza, we were ready to get the heck OUT of there! We did mention the missing bread to the waiter, and he apologized and practically forced a loaf on us to take home. But, for us, the damage was already done, plus we didn’t really feel like eating stale bread the next morning for breakfast.
Sadly, House Without A Key was a dud! Maybe they should rename it to House Without Bread It also ended up being one of our more expensive meals of the trip. BOOOO! This was our worst overall meal experience of the trip, so I’m glad we got it done with early I guess??
Luckily, Jake and I are extremely resilient, and once we left the restaurant, we were back to our usual happy Hawaii selves I actually remember the drive back to Aulani being very fun this night; we like to be complete weirdos and imitate singers while listening to the radio (such as Fergie, Blink-182, Pink, Snoop Dogg, etc.) and we were cracking each other up!!
We got back to the room around 9:00 PM, and we were toast. It had been such a fun, eventful day! I had some of my gummies to get the blue cheese taste out of my mouth (YUCK!) and we hit the hay at 9:30, ready for some much-needed relaxation at Aulani the next couple days.
After passing out at 8:45 PM the night before due to our marathon travel day, it was no surprise that we were up by 6:30 AM! Jake and I were raring to go for our big excursion day!
When we traveled to Hawaii back in 2022, Jake and I spent only one night at Aulani and spent the 7 remaining nights in Waikiki. This was a great home base for us, and we loved the hustle and bustle of the city! We wanted to spend the bulk of our time this trip enjoying the amenities of Aulani, but we knew that we wanted to spend one full day stopping by all of our favorite spots from last year.
It was looking like a beautiful morning!
We grabbed the car from valet, and started the drive to our first destination- Kailua and Lanikai Beach!
One of the first pictures that Jake ever showed me from Hawaii was a picture of Lanikai Beach. This gorgeous beach is located on the east side of Oahu in the town of Kailua, and is known for being one of the most scenic beaches in the world! We visited twice last year and were absolutely charmed, so this was #1 for us on our excursion day! If I ever had to move to Hawaii, hands down, this would be the place I would move to.
It was an hour-long drive packed with amazing views!
As we drove further into town, we noticed how CROWDED it was for being so early (it wasn’t even 8:00 AM yet)! We consulted Google and realized that there was a 25K race going on that exact morning! D’oh! It was a little more difficult to find parking, but we ended up finding a spot at Kailua Beach Park and walked to our first destination- the Sunrise Shack!
I purposely matched my swimsuit to get an Insta-worthy picture today…I might be a little crazy
It’s hard not to be when the building is this cute!The Sunrise Shack is an acai bowl joint that I discovered on our last trip. They had a location right in the lobby of our hotel in Waikiki (The Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort), and I became OBSESSED with one particular acai bowl. I would have had one every morning for breakfast if I could! Once I found out that there was a location in Kailua, I was so excited to be reunited!
Behold… the Monkey Bowl (located on the right)!
“Blended base of banana, coconut cream, peanut butter, almond milk, dates, cinnamon and salt. Topped with granola, sliced bananas, peanut butter, coconut flakes, cacao nibs, and chocolate covered almonds.” This thing was a masterpiece! It was also the smallest size they offered- we saw some of the largest ones and they were absolutely enormous!
Jake went with the Tropical Bowl with mango, pineapple, banana, dragon fruit, and honey. I also got a cold brew! We LOVED our breakfast, the bowls were so refreshing! I am a peanut butter addict (especially when it’s paired with chocolate and/or banana), so this bowl is MOLLY in a nutshell! It was perfect beach fuel. It was gorgeous outside (Kailua is on the windward side of the island, so there’s always a perfect breeze), so we set up post at one of the picnic tables to enjoy our bowls. There were birds and chickens everywhere- foreshadowing for our time in Kauai!
I also bought a fun sticker, which I promptly placed on my laptop when we returned home.
Once we were finished, we started the trek to Lanikai Beach, which was about 1 mile away. However, I immediately realized that we DID NOT BRING OUR BEACH TOWELS! Ugh! We were so distracted and excited this morning that we forgot the one thing we needed for the beach
So, we made a pit stop at a corner store.2 towels and $70 later (no, that is not a typo! We are such suckers), we were finally headed over! We made it to the beach at 9:00 sharp.
It was a GORGEOUS morning! It misted a little bit on the walk over (which Jake did not enjoy, he HATES any and all rain), but the clouds parted to beautiful sunshine! We got so lucky with weather this entire trip, it rained for maybe a collective 1-2 hours for the whole two weeks.
We stayed until 12:30 PM, just swimming, walking the shore, and soaking up the sun! The sand here is so soft and white, it’s like sugar.
We stopped at the car so I could get my cover-up, and I had to document that I also matched the Jeep!
Our next destination was Buzz’s Steak House, located right at Kailua Beach Park! This was one of Jake’s favorite spots when he lived in Honolulu, and we enjoyed a great lunch here last year. We decided to just have a drink this time! I ordered the Deez Nutz (hehe), which was a blended coconut mojito! I love mojitos (they were my signature drink at our wedding), so this hit the spot after spending the morning out in the sun!
Jake ordered a Kona Longboard, and we had a really nice time just sitting outside and enjoying our beverages.
Then, we hopped in the Jeep and drove to the Kailua town center. Our next stop was our lunch destination- Kono’s! This is a fast-casual joint known for their burritos and many flavors of milkshakes. This was also one of Jake’s favorites while living in Hawaii. They have locations all around Oahu as well as in Las Vegas- it was on our list for last year, but we never made it over, so it was a priority for this year!
Had to laugh at their soda machine (Ice-T and Ice Cube)
Jake and I both ordered the “Haleiwa Bomber”, which is a breakfast burrito loaded up with kalua pork, potatoes, eggs, and cheese. We also added avocado and sour cream, because DUH! It came with a packet of chips on the side, and I decided to try the “Kono’s Mud Pie” milkshake, which was a blend of coffee, oreo, and caramel.
I got my milkshake right away, but they let us know that it would be about 25 minutes for our food. No prob! We plopped outside on the curb and I dug into my milkshake. However, I noticed that it was more vanilla than coffee, with barely any Oreos. Jake could immediately tell that I didn’t really like it (remember the whole “emotions on my sleeve” bit?), and said “I’ll get you a different milkshake. We’re on our honeymoon- it’s time to be spoiled!” I LOVE THAT MAN
I tossed that milkshake in the garbage and decided on a different one. This time, I went with the “Sneakers”, which was a blend of chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel (I’m assuming their play on a Snickers bar). This one was MUCH better, and I inhaled it! Lesson learned- don’t settle for mediocre milkshakes.
20ish minutes later, our food was ready. We were starving!
The burritos were good! I wish the potatoes inside were crispier and seasoned more. My burrito did the thing where the first half was really dry, and the second half was jammed with all of the avocado/sour cream and was super flavorful. I wish the whole burrito was just like the second half, haha! These definitely hit the proverbial spot after a morning of swimming.
After lunch, we decided to look in some of the shops in Kailua to let our food settle. Kailua has the cutest shopping! If my suitcases weren’t so heavy on the way over, I definitely could have done some damage.
We found some gems in the art gallery and home goods store.
At around 3:30, we decided to do a quick-change into nicer clothes in the Kailua Target bathrooms, and drove over to our final destination- Waikiki! We were pumped to hang out at our homebase from last year!
This drive took about 45 minutes, and we made it to Honolulu around 4:30. We had to park at the Ala Wai Canal, which was a bit of walk to downtown Waikiki, but it was nice to stroll around and take a peek Jake’s old apartment complex.
One thing that we noticed immediately was that it was still HOT! That was the theme for this trip- HOT HOT HOT! I brought so many cute jean jackets/cardigans to wear at night in case it got chilly, but I wore none of them!!
Another thing we immediately noticed was how crowded and busy Waikiki was. We were definitely happy with our decision to stay in a quieter area this time around! We walked all down Kalakaua Ave and made a pit stop at my favorite hotel in Waikiki- the Royal Hawaiian!
I mean… this view! Pictures do not do it justice. Plus- the hotel is all pink!! I love the gift shops in here (it smells soo good), so we took a look in those before grabbing a drink at the Mai Tai bar outside!
I just went with a Diet Coke, but Jake ordered a Mai-Tai! He said it was the best of the trip (and he had a lot!)!
Dramatic look!
I stole the little pink umbrella that came in his drink (It’s really cute and says Royal Hawaiian Resort on it), but it got all crushed in my purse by the time we got home. Booooo!
It was nearing time for our dinner reservation, so we did a slow walk towards the restaurant. We stopped in the Outrigger to reminisce on our engagement trip, and also looked through the Sheraton Waikiki.
Jake loves the Waikiki Beach Walk area, so we perused through the shops along there (this location has my favorite ABC store as well)! I decided to buy a packet of my favorite sour lychee gummies for the room.
We arrived at the Halekulani Resort right on time for our 7:00 dinner reservation at House Without a Key!
We had dinner here on our first full day last year, and we had the best ahi tuna poke EVER! So, we knew we needed to stop here again. I promise, we did try mostly new places this trip!! This day was just our “reminiscing” day
We were sat pretty quickly and had a great view of the ukelele band and hula dancers! Unfortunately… this is where service started to go downhill
Last year, we had excellent service and were really impressed. One thing that we loved was their bread service; they had a purple, taro-flavored bread that was a great combination of sweet and salty! However, we never received bread, so we figured that bread service wasn’t a thing anymore.
Our waiter was… nice at first. He went through entrees and specials with us and was very helpful when we asked his opinions on menu items/etc. Once we placed our orders, I said, “Oh, and one more thing, can you take a picture of us?”
Jake and I have a really nice picture of us from our trip last year, and I wanted to recreate it this year!
Picture from last year if anyone cares
I was a bit shocked when he rolled his eyes, did a small sneer, and said “Oh, you’ll just have to WAIT a minute.” Emphasis on the WAIT. Jake and I turned and looked at each other like
I’m positive that he heard me wrong, because he never brought up the picture again, and frankly, I was too scared to ask again. Even if he misheard me, WHAT would he be responding to in that way??? It really put us off unfortunately and started the dinner on a sour note.
Good thing the alcohol came out shortly after! I ordered an Aperol Spritz (one of my go-to’s) and Jake got a Kona Longboard. It was still nice and warm outside, and we loved the relaxing live music.
Onto the food! We started off with the ahi tuna poke, of course. Luckily, this was just as delicious as last year!!
Seriously, it has ruined all other poke for me. The texture is like butter; it just melts in your mouth!
For our main entrees, Jake went with the Ahi Tataki (guess it was a tuna kind of day!), and I decided on the 4-cheese pizza. The four cheeses were described as mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, and blue, with honey drizzled on top. I LOVE honey on my pizza, so I was very excited for this!
Now, when I read that this pizza was going to incorporate blue cheese, I was a little skeptical, since it’s not my favorite. I figure that most people agree with me when I say that a little bit of blue cheese goes a long way. I assumed that the pizza would maybe have a small amount of blue cheese crumbled on top, or maybe come with a blue cheese sauce to dip it in. What I was NOT expecting was that it would be the primary flavor of the pizza.
Yep, that’s right, it was literally a BLUE CHEESE PIZZA. Which was a shame because I love all of the other cheeses featured in it (I mean, hello, I’m from the cheese capital of the U.S!). I just couldn’t taste them under the strong flavor! Even Jake, who loves blue cheese, tried it and hated it. It was just wayyyyy too intense and overpowering. Plus, I felt like it made my breath reek!
I realized that I should have just ordered it without the blue cheese! I was able to eat most of the crust, but I still left feeling unsatisfied. Jake said that his tuna was "ok, but nothing special." We both felt like something was just missing….Oh yeah…. The taro bread I mentioned earlier? Imagine our surprise when all of the new tables being seated around us started getting baskets of bread…
Yep, we just never received the bread service
Paired with the rude waiter and my gross pizza, we were ready to get the heck OUT of there! We did mention the missing bread to the waiter, and he apologized and practically forced a loaf on us to take home. But, for us, the damage was already done, plus we didn’t really feel like eating stale bread the next morning for breakfast.
Sadly, House Without A Key was a dud! Maybe they should rename it to House Without Bread
It also ended up being one of our more expensive meals of the trip. BOOOO! This was our worst overall meal experience of the trip, so I’m glad we got it done with early I guess??Luckily, Jake and I are extremely resilient, and once we left the restaurant, we were back to our usual happy Hawaii selves
I actually remember the drive back to Aulani being very fun this night; we like to be complete weirdos and imitate singers while listening to the radio (such as Fergie, Blink-182, Pink, Snoop Dogg, etc.) and we were cracking each other up!!We got back to the room around 9:00 PM, and we were toast. It had been such a fun, eventful day! I had some of my gummies to get the blue cheese taste out of my mouth (YUCK!) and we hit the hay at 9:30, ready for some much-needed relaxation at Aulani the next couple days.
Last edited:
missjackiemcg
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2013
Not at all crazy!! And the pic is super cute, as well as the one where you match the JeepI purposely matched my swimsuit to get an Insta-worthy picture today…I might be a little crazy
Sort of like me ordering the Disney Cruise Line room decor package on my last cruise (which was like $80 or so) just so I could have the character beach towel that came with it...
Very dramatic LOL Love it!
Ew. So rude. Such a bummer that this dinner wasn't what you expected!
ambula603
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2019
Blue cheese pizza is a big NO for me, but those Acai bowls look divine! I am glad your day was full of food, that is how we like to travel!! Hate that the restaurant didn't live up to the memory but I am sure you will find some better places soon.
Gorgeous beach shots!
Gorgeous beach shots!
JBRB828
what dreams are made of
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2019
LaniKai is so beautiful and the first time I was there I was mesmerized with its beauty. All our trips to Oahu we always stop there. Parking is a big issue over the years. When we first went we had no issue, nowadays, since the internet came available, everyone knows about it and it has become quite crowded.
$70 for 2 towels? That’s Kailua for ya!
Sorry to read about your House without a Key dinner. Usually, it’s very, very good. And your waiter, wow, just wow. No picture or bread?!!
$70 for 2 towels? That’s Kailua for ya!
Sorry to read about your House without a Key dinner. Usually, it’s very, very good. And your waiter, wow, just wow. No picture or bread?!!
alohamom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2003
I am 100% with you on this!
I tell everyone who is going to Oahu to try and squeeze in a day or even a half day in Kailua/Lanikai, especially on this Aulani forum. It's such a fun easy drive, especially if you take the H3 (which it looks like you did) and you come out on the other side and see the East side vista. We usually pair Hanauma Bay with an afternoon of Kailua and then back to Aulani/Kapolei for dinner.
I would also live there in a heart beat. I wish there was a resort or two in that area but I understand why there isn't.
Loving your report, it is making me want to book our next Hawaii trip!
Mollydolly334
Honorary Floridian
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
Haha, I love the Disney money logicNot at all crazy!! And the pic is super cute, as well as the one where you match the Jeep
Sort of like me ordering the Disney Cruise Line room decor package on my last cruise (which was like $80 or so) just so I could have the character beach towel that came with it...
Very dramatic LOL Love it!
Ew. So rude. Such a bummer that this dinner wasn't what you expected!
I'm the exact same way!! It's easier to spend money when you're on vacation House Without a Key was a bust, but we ate at plenty of other amazing places this trip!!Thank you!
The Acai bowls are amazing!!! They really load it up with PB. Oh yes, both Jake and I are big foodies and love to graze while on vacation!! We like to do a mix of "local" foods as well as some favorite comfort food!Lanikai is one of my favorite places on Earth; the vibe of the entire beach and town is just unmatched. We really got lucky this time with parking; last year, Jake ended getting an $80 ticket since he parked in a no-parking zone (the sign conveniently went up AFTER we had decided to park thereLaniKai is so beautiful and the first time I was there I was mesmerized with its beauty. All our trips to Oahu we always stop there. Parking is a big issue over the years. When we first went we had no issue, nowadays, since the internet came available, everyone knows about it and it has become quite crowded.
$70 for 2 towels? That’s Kailua for ya!
Sorry to read about your House without a Key dinner. Usually, it’s very, very good. And your waiter, wow, just wow. No picture or bread?!!
). That's why we wanted to leave super early today!We were super surprised about House Without A Key; we loved it last year and the Halekulani hotel is very fancy! We had plenty of other great dinners this year though
Thank you!!
We love taking this route to Kailua! Even though we did a bunch of driving this trip, it never felt too long because we always had amazing views! Some day, Jake and I want to do a big family trip to Hawaii. I feel like renting a big house in Kailua would be so fun for that!!Thank you so much!!! Ahhhh, you guys will have a BLAST!! Maybe you'll come home with a new piece of jewelry like I did
Mollydolly334
Honorary Floridian
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
Day 3
Jake and I were up and moving by 7:00 AM this morning! If you know me in real life, you know that I love my sleep and I am NOT a morning person. If I’m allowed to sleep in, I will often sleep in until 11:00 like a teenager (yes, I am 29 years old!!). But, Jake and I were still not fully adjusted to Hawaii time, and to be honest, we never got adjusted. We were up by 7:00 AM and in bed by 10:00 every night for the entire two weeks! Which was totally fine by me; more time in the day to explore when you’re up early, and everything in Hawaii closes early anyway!
We jumped into our suits and headed downstairs. First order of business was returning the rental car- which turned out to be absolutely painless because the valet guys just told us that they’d take care of it!! A+ service for Aulani!!
We got down to the pool at 7:40. We still had a bit of time before we could get our wristbands and towels (the stand opened up at 8:00 AM every morning), so I grabbed an iced coffee from Off the Hook. I spotted a bride while we were waiting!! She’s very tiny, but you can kind of see her in the center of the picture.
I ordered the iced Aulani Special, which was a macadamia nut flavored mocha!
Every time I order a mocha, I always regret it because I prefer latte-based drinks. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely delicious and I drank every drop! Just a little rich for so early in the morning.
Jake and I scored some chairs right outside Off the Hook, but we were ITCHING to explore the grounds. It was funny; these first couple days, I hadn’t entered “vacation” mode yet and literally COULD NOT sit still. Even the day before at Lanikai Beach, I was up pacing the beach, swimming, etc- we clocked in 23,000 steps that day, which is equivalent to a Disney day for us!!!! Luckily, I got the hang of relaxing and doing nothing pretty quickly
We decided to take a lap around the Ko Olina lagoons!
We started out holding hands, but it was already HOT, and our hands got all sweaty, haha! It was fun to check out the Ko Olina Villas and Marriott properties! But, obviously, we liked Aulani the best We made a vow to do a “lagoon bar crawl” and check out the interior of the Four Seasons resort before we left Oahu!
By the time we got back to Aulani, it was 9:00 AM, and I had a craving for some Mickey waffles! So, we decided to get some breakfast from Off the Hook.
Jake and I were super fortunate in that we had like $600 worth of Disney gift cards to use up from wedding/family gifts, so all of our food, drink, spa, and recreation services purchased at Aulani went towards these gift cards. I ordered the Mickey waffles with berries and sausage, and Jake ordered the Sweet Bread French Toast with sausage. We also ordered orange juice to drink! I NEVER drink juice now, but it was a staple in our house as a child and I had it all the time. I loved drinking ALLLL of the juice on this trip, it felt so indulgent and nostalgic!
While we were eating, Jake and I decided to play “kiss, marry, kill” (well, the R-Rated version) between waffles, french toast, and pancakes. Jake decided to KILL WAFFLES. WHAT??? For me, it’s a no-brainer; I’ve never really enjoyed french toast so that was easily my kill. And if I couldn’t marry Jake, pancakes would be a pretty good second option
We also tried to book a couples massage at the spa, but all of the reservations were booked until the afternoon we left for Kauai. So, we booked a hair service for me instead for the next day at 11:00 AM, and we called the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island to book a couples massage there for the next Tuesday (8 days from now) at noon. We couldn’t believe that we would even still be in Hawaii 8 days from now!
As we headed down to the beach, we kept our theme of “treat yourself” and rented a casabella lounger for the day. We used Karamie’s (@paradesintherain) gift card that she so generously gifted us for our wedding- thank you Kara! It was looking pretty cloudy, so I wasn’t too concerned about being out of the sun. Jake also claimed that he “didn’t need sunscreen because it was so cloudy.” We’ll see how this plays out
Our day was pretty much spent in and out of the pools, lazy river, and beach! We were total doofuses at the lazy river, we spent like 20 minutes waiting for tubes, but we were in the wrong location We also tried waiting for the slides, but the waits looked looooong, and we were not waiting in line on our honeymoon! Overall, I like the pools at Aulani ok, but we really only spent extended time at the adults-only infinity pool, since it was quieter and more serene.
We enjoyed some drinks at the early hour of 11:45 AM (a True Blue Hawaii for Jake and a non-alcoholic Pineapple-Ginger Splash for me)!
At 12:45, I snacked on white-chocolate covered pineapple skewers with toasted coconut shavings
This was AMAZING; I only wish that the pineapple was thawed out a bit more (it came straight from the freezer), and I was way too impatient to let it thaw out myself! Jake also got a non-pictured Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar! I will say, as I’m getting older, pineapple is starting to bother my stomach and cause acid reflux. It’s such a shame, since the pineapple is so delicious and fresh in Hawaii. But, this was the last time I consumed raw pineapple this trip
I knew that getting some “real food” in would help my stomach, so we grabbed an order of Ahi Poke Nachos. It was really nice; they had a couple of CMs peruse the beach area from like 11-5 to take and deliver drink/food orders throughout the day!
These nachos were scrumptious and hit the spot. Perfect to share for a little lunch! We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling in the chairs and just talking, swimming, and listening to music. The sun wasn’t out in full force today, but this made it a really nice temperature for being outside all day. I had brought a couple books with me this trip, but I wasn’t quite in reading mode yet- I just wanted to soak in the sights!
Jake’s contact lenses were starting to bother him around 4:30, so he headed back to the room to put on some glasses. When he got upstairs and changed, he texted me that his back was really burnt!! This surprised both of us; Jake is Italian, so he tans pretty easily, plus it was overcast the entire day!
I told Jake to stay in the AC and apply some aloe gel (one of the 39402349038 random things I shoved in my suitcases). I took my time and stayed in the casabella chair until I was kicked out at 5:15, then spent some time in the adults-only infinity pool. The infinity pool is one of my favorite parts of the resort. It’s slightly warm, but not as hot as a hot tub, and it felt so nice to sit in there as it started to lightly mist outside. Jake came down at about 5:45 to take one last dip in the pool, but pretty much as soon as he came down, the light mist became a torrential downpour!! So, we rushed back up to the room!
It did make for some cool lighting around the horizon! Luckily, the storm only lasted about 30 minutes.
Jake and I were starting to feel pretty pooped (especially Jake due to his sunburn), so we just showered and laid down in the room for a bit before venturing downstairs for dinner at 8:00.
We were checking out the restaurant menus all afternoon, and decided to have tonight’s dinner at the Olelo Room! This place is pretty special to us; minutes after we got engaged, we came here to have champagne and celebrate
Flashback to 13 months prior- a lot had changed since then!!
Since it had been raining so hard before, the outdoor tables weren’t available due to them being too wet. Because of this, they also didn’t have any live music like they usually do So, we just took a seat at the bar. Our bartender was super sweet and had a CRAZY loud and high-pitched laugh; it was very entertaining throughout the meal
The drink menu really caught our eye when we were perusing it earlier at the beach. The bartender explained that they just re-vamped their entire menu a couple weeks before, so everything was pretty new!!
I decided on the Lychee En Voyage (Kai Lychee Vodka, Giffard Lichi-Li Liquer, Lychee Nectar and Lemon Juice) and Jake chose the Varietal (Kohana Rum, Pineapple Juice, Giffard Orgeat, Citrus Juice, Extract of Ube, and Coconut Milk float). I always seem to crave lychee-flavored things when I’m in Hawaii!
Both of our drinks were excellent. This new menu was a hit! We especially liked Jake’s drink, and this is what began our love affair with ube. I mean, COME ON, it’s PURPLE!
We weren’t in the mood for anything big, so we decided to share a couple appetizers (or “pupus” as they are called in Hawaii)! We chose the Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders with a side of french fries and Pua’a Kalua Gratin (a cheese dip with onion and kalua pork served with sliced naan bread).
The dip was delicious, but a little too onion-y for my gut (I have bad IBS and acid reflux that is often triggered by allium vegetables like garlic, onion, chives, scallions, etc.). So, Jake ate the dip, and I ate most of the fries and 2 of the burgers. We ordered the garlic aioli on the side due to the reason listed above, and Jake said that it gave the burgers a really nice flavor. I enjoyed mine with BBQ sauce! Everything was great here; this is kind of an unassuming place compared to all of the fancy restaurants at Aulani, so we were so pleasantly surprised!
About halfway through our meal, we were shocked by a large BOOM! Everyone scrambled to see what was going on, and we saw that they were putting on a fireworks show over the lagoon!! It was so crazy and very random; we later found out that it was shot off by a private event over at the Four Seasons. So, we didn’t get live music, but we did get some cool fireworks!
Bellies full, Jake and I were starting to get sleepy. This was a common occurrence throughout the trip- we would be totally fine and full of energy, then absolutely crash after dinner But, we definitely wanted to sample a couple of dessert options that caught our eye!
I went with the Roasted Pineapple Cobbler with haupia (coconut) gelato, and Jake went with the Waialua Chocolate Toffee Brownie with vanilla bean gelato, with the plan to split the two between us. We were both expecting to like the brownie more, but we were shocked and actually much preferred my cobbler! This was a big surprise, since we are both way more into chocolate-based desserts than fruit-based. The pineapple also didn’t bother my stomach; maybe because it was cooked? I did prefer Jake’s gelato, however, and stole most of it for myself
We wanted to take a stroll around Aulani at night, but the beach day was catching up to us! Fully satisfied, we walked back up the room and called it a night at 9:30 PM. One more full day left at Aulani (and on Oahu)!!
Jake and I were up and moving by 7:00 AM this morning! If you know me in real life, you know that I love my sleep and I am NOT a morning person. If I’m allowed to sleep in, I will often sleep in until 11:00 like a teenager (yes, I am 29 years old!!). But, Jake and I were still not fully adjusted to Hawaii time, and to be honest, we never got adjusted. We were up by 7:00 AM and in bed by 10:00 every night for the entire two weeks! Which was totally fine by me; more time in the day to explore when you’re up early, and everything in Hawaii closes early anyway!
We jumped into our suits and headed downstairs. First order of business was returning the rental car- which turned out to be absolutely painless because the valet guys just told us that they’d take care of it!! A+ service for Aulani!!
We got down to the pool at 7:40. We still had a bit of time before we could get our wristbands and towels (the stand opened up at 8:00 AM every morning), so I grabbed an iced coffee from Off the Hook. I spotted a bride while we were waiting!! She’s very tiny, but you can kind of see her in the center of the picture.
I ordered the iced Aulani Special, which was a macadamia nut flavored mocha!
Every time I order a mocha, I always regret it because I prefer latte-based drinks. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely delicious and I drank every drop! Just a little rich for so early in the morning.
Jake and I scored some chairs right outside Off the Hook, but we were ITCHING to explore the grounds. It was funny; these first couple days, I hadn’t entered “vacation” mode yet and literally COULD NOT sit still. Even the day before at Lanikai Beach, I was up pacing the beach, swimming, etc- we clocked in 23,000 steps that day, which is equivalent to a Disney day for us!!!! Luckily, I got the hang of relaxing and doing nothing pretty quickly
We decided to take a lap around the Ko Olina lagoons!
We started out holding hands, but it was already HOT, and our hands got all sweaty, haha! It was fun to check out the Ko Olina Villas and Marriott properties! But, obviously, we liked Aulani the best
We made a vow to do a “lagoon bar crawl” and check out the interior of the Four Seasons resort before we left Oahu!By the time we got back to Aulani, it was 9:00 AM, and I had a craving for some Mickey waffles! So, we decided to get some breakfast from Off the Hook.
Jake and I were super fortunate in that we had like $600 worth of Disney gift cards to use up from wedding/family gifts, so all of our food, drink, spa, and recreation services purchased at Aulani went towards these gift cards. I ordered the Mickey waffles with berries and sausage, and Jake ordered the Sweet Bread French Toast with sausage. We also ordered orange juice to drink! I NEVER drink juice now, but it was a staple in our house as a child and I had it all the time. I loved drinking ALLLL of the juice on this trip, it felt so indulgent and nostalgic!
While we were eating, Jake and I decided to play “kiss, marry, kill” (well, the R-Rated version) between waffles, french toast, and pancakes. Jake decided to KILL WAFFLES. WHAT??? For me, it’s a no-brainer; I’ve never really enjoyed french toast so that was easily my kill. And if I couldn’t marry Jake, pancakes would be a pretty good second option
We also tried to book a couples massage at the spa, but all of the reservations were booked until the afternoon we left for Kauai. So, we booked a hair service for me instead for the next day at 11:00 AM, and we called the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island to book a couples massage there for the next Tuesday (8 days from now) at noon. We couldn’t believe that we would even still be in Hawaii 8 days from now!
As we headed down to the beach, we kept our theme of “treat yourself” and rented a casabella lounger for the day. We used Karamie’s (@paradesintherain) gift card that she so generously gifted us for our wedding- thank you Kara!
It was looking pretty cloudy, so I wasn’t too concerned about being out of the sun. Jake also claimed that he “didn’t need sunscreen because it was so cloudy.” We’ll see how this plays out Our day was pretty much spent in and out of the pools, lazy river, and beach! We were total doofuses at the lazy river, we spent like 20 minutes waiting for tubes, but we were in the wrong location
We also tried waiting for the slides, but the waits looked looooong, and we were not waiting in line on our honeymoon! Overall, I like the pools at Aulani ok, but we really only spent extended time at the adults-only infinity pool, since it was quieter and more serene.We enjoyed some drinks at the early hour of 11:45 AM (a True Blue Hawaii for Jake and a non-alcoholic Pineapple-Ginger Splash for me)!
At 12:45, I snacked on white-chocolate covered pineapple skewers with toasted coconut shavings
This was AMAZING; I only wish that the pineapple was thawed out a bit more (it came straight from the freezer), and I was way too impatient to let it thaw out myself! Jake also got a non-pictured Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar! I will say, as I’m getting older, pineapple is starting to bother my stomach and cause acid reflux. It’s such a shame, since the pineapple is so delicious and fresh in Hawaii. But, this was the last time I consumed raw pineapple this trip
I knew that getting some “real food” in would help my stomach, so we grabbed an order of Ahi Poke Nachos. It was really nice; they had a couple of CMs peruse the beach area from like 11-5 to take and deliver drink/food orders throughout the day!
These nachos were scrumptious and hit the spot. Perfect to share for a little lunch! We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling in the chairs and just talking, swimming, and listening to music. The sun wasn’t out in full force today, but this made it a really nice temperature for being outside all day. I had brought a couple books with me this trip, but I wasn’t quite in reading mode yet- I just wanted to soak in the sights!
Jake’s contact lenses were starting to bother him around 4:30, so he headed back to the room to put on some glasses. When he got upstairs and changed, he texted me that his back was really burnt!! This surprised both of us; Jake is Italian, so he tans pretty easily, plus it was overcast the entire day!
I told Jake to stay in the AC and apply some aloe gel (one of the 39402349038 random things I shoved in my suitcases). I took my time and stayed in the casabella chair until I was kicked out at 5:15, then spent some time in the adults-only infinity pool. The infinity pool is one of my favorite parts of the resort. It’s slightly warm, but not as hot as a hot tub, and it felt so nice to sit in there as it started to lightly mist outside. Jake came down at about 5:45 to take one last dip in the pool, but pretty much as soon as he came down, the light mist became a torrential downpour!! So, we rushed back up to the room!
It did make for some cool lighting around the horizon! Luckily, the storm only lasted about 30 minutes.
Jake and I were starting to feel pretty pooped (especially Jake due to his sunburn), so we just showered and laid down in the room for a bit before venturing downstairs for dinner at 8:00.
We were checking out the restaurant menus all afternoon, and decided to have tonight’s dinner at the Olelo Room! This place is pretty special to us; minutes after we got engaged, we came here to have champagne and celebrate
Flashback to 13 months prior- a lot had changed since then!!
Since it had been raining so hard before, the outdoor tables weren’t available due to them being too wet. Because of this, they also didn’t have any live music like they usually do
So, we just took a seat at the bar. Our bartender was super sweet and had a CRAZY loud and high-pitched laugh; it was very entertaining throughout the meal The drink menu really caught our eye when we were perusing it earlier at the beach. The bartender explained that they just re-vamped their entire menu a couple weeks before, so everything was pretty new!!
I decided on the Lychee En Voyage (Kai Lychee Vodka, Giffard Lichi-Li Liquer, Lychee Nectar and Lemon Juice) and Jake chose the Varietal (Kohana Rum, Pineapple Juice, Giffard Orgeat, Citrus Juice, Extract of Ube, and Coconut Milk float). I always seem to crave lychee-flavored things when I’m in Hawaii!
Both of our drinks were excellent. This new menu was a hit! We especially liked Jake’s drink, and this is what began our love affair with ube. I mean, COME ON, it’s PURPLE!
We weren’t in the mood for anything big, so we decided to share a couple appetizers (or “pupus” as they are called in Hawaii)! We chose the Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders with a side of french fries and Pua’a Kalua Gratin (a cheese dip with onion and kalua pork served with sliced naan bread).
The dip was delicious, but a little too onion-y for my gut (I have bad IBS and acid reflux that is often triggered by allium vegetables like garlic, onion, chives, scallions, etc.). So, Jake ate the dip, and I ate most of the fries and 2 of the burgers. We ordered the garlic aioli on the side due to the reason listed above, and Jake said that it gave the burgers a really nice flavor. I enjoyed mine with BBQ sauce! Everything was great here; this is kind of an unassuming place compared to all of the fancy restaurants at Aulani, so we were so pleasantly surprised!
About halfway through our meal, we were shocked by a large BOOM! Everyone scrambled to see what was going on, and we saw that they were putting on a fireworks show over the lagoon!! It was so crazy and very random; we later found out that it was shot off by a private event over at the Four Seasons. So, we didn’t get live music, but we did get some cool fireworks!
Bellies full, Jake and I were starting to get sleepy. This was a common occurrence throughout the trip- we would be totally fine and full of energy, then absolutely crash after dinner
But, we definitely wanted to sample a couple of dessert options that caught our eye!I went with the Roasted Pineapple Cobbler with haupia (coconut) gelato, and Jake went with the Waialua Chocolate Toffee Brownie with vanilla bean gelato, with the plan to split the two between us. We were both expecting to like the brownie more, but we were shocked and actually much preferred my cobbler! This was a big surprise, since we are both way more into chocolate-based desserts than fruit-based. The pineapple also didn’t bother my stomach; maybe because it was cooked? I did prefer Jake’s gelato, however, and stole most of it for myself
We wanted to take a stroll around Aulani at night, but the beach day was catching up to us! Fully satisfied, we walked back up the room and called it a night at 9:30 PM. One more full day left at Aulani (and on Oahu)!!
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alohamom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2003
missjackiemcg
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2013
What an absolutely perfect beach day!! I am the same as you when I get on vacation--just want to go-go and see and do everything right away! Good thing you had two weeks to slow down and relax.
Mollydolly334
Honorary Floridian
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
Thank you!! We kind of did it haha... we walked through all 3 hotels but only got drinks at one
We'll try again next time!It was absolutely perfect; we were able to relax for most of the trip and I actually felt so refreshed coming back to work- that NEVER happens! For WDW trips, I end up coming back way more exhausted than when I leftWhat an absolutely perfect beach day!! I am the same as you when I get on vacation--just want to go-go and see and do everything right away! Good thing you had two weeks to slow down and relax.
Mollydolly334
Honorary Floridian
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2015
Day 4
Jake and I were up and at ‘em at 7:15 AM today! Today was bittersweet; it was our last full day at Aulani! So, we knew that we wanted to make the most out of the day. We were down at the kiosk by 8:00 AM sharp to grab our wristbands and towels, then went straight to the recreation desk to rent another Casabella lounger for the day! Since we got there nice and early, we had our choice of chairs for the day, and we ended up choosing the same chair as the day before since we loved the location so much.
The theme for the trip was “treat yourself,” so we really tried to splurge on all of the “extras” we could (within reason of course)! You only get one honeymoon!
I grabbed another coffee from Off the Hook at 8:45 AM. This time, I went with an iced caramel macchiato, which is my standard “fancy” drink at home!
Then, we popped over to Ulu Cafe to buy a quick breakfast for me. Last year, I had a DELIGHTFUL piece of coffee cake from the grab-and-go pastry section, and I have been dreaming about it all year long! So, I knew that I needed to get it before we left!
It was absolutely huge, but I finished it all of course! It looks simple, but it was just as good as I remember last year! And I am a cake connoisseur
Jake and I also realized that they had a wide variety of the “Hawaiian Sun” canned juice drinks in the refrigerated section! Jake grabbed a POG one, and I made a mental note to keep those in mind for later when I got thirsty on the beach.We updated some friends and family back home via Snapchat/Instagram!
It was a much clearer day today with no clouds and all sunshine! Luckily, Jake learned his lesson from yesterday and went heavy on the sunscreen today- and we had no other sunburn instances this trip for either of us
We enjoyed the weather and beach for a bit before I bid Jake goodbye for my appointment at 11:00 AM. I was going to get my hair braided at Laniwai Salon and Spa right here at Aulani!
No… not like this…
Throwback to 11-year old Molly
When I was a kid, I used to get my hair done like this all the time when my family would go to Mexico! I would leave it in for WEEKS, then my hair would come out in clumps when we finally undid them!I saw on the Laniwai Spa website that there was an option to get your hair braided into two dutch braids, and I thought that this would be a great option for the beach/pool for the next couple days! Plus, we still had a bit left on our Disney gift cards to use up, so I thought that this would be a good “treat yourself” moment.
The salon was a bit hard to find, but I eventually found it and was welcomed back! I experienced all three of our resort’s spas on this trip, and I will say that from what I saw of all of them, I liked Aulani’s best. The decor was the nicest and it seemed more “done up” than the other ones, plus I loved the relaxing music they played!
My hairstylist today was Pascal, and he did a great job! I will say I did an inward giggle at the thought of a big, burly man doing my hair in braids, but they turned out PERFECT! He also offered to put Mickey Mouse beads at the bottom, and of course I said yes
Here is how they turned out! Yes, I DOUSED my head in sunscreen all day!
So cute! This style was about $90, and I would say it was worth it. I kept it in for about 36 hours and it held up perfectly; I’m sure you could keep it in for much longer and it would still look great! This would be a great option for pre-teens or older kids as well.
I had a pretty funny interaction with the front-desk lady while I was paying. I was using one of our many Disney gift cards, and it said “Happily Ever After” with a picture of Cinderella Castle. She commented on how cute it was, and I responded, “Oh yeah, I just got married last week!” You should have SEEN her face!
She was so confused; she said in a hushed tone, “But you’re so young!!!” Once I corrected her on my actual age (I am 29), she broke out in laughter and said that I looked like a teenager!! It was funny to laugh together; it didn’t surprise me because I get that all the time. I’m constantly carded at bars/restaurants! My mom always says that I’ll be grateful for it one day!
Once I got back, I soaked up some sun/beach time for a bit before my first Hawaiian Sun of the day! These were really refreshing and a better alternative to alcohol for me.
Jake ordered a couple drinks throughout the day; knowing him it was probably a Mai Tai of some sort. I do remember that they ran out of Kona Longboard, so he settled for Maui Brewing Bikini Blonde!
Then, around 12:30 PM, we placed our lunch order, and it was delivered just after 1:00 PM. We both went with the same thing- chicken tenders! Jake ordered his with fries, and I decided on chips.
Sometimes, all you need is comfort food! These were awesome and really hit the spot; Jake especially commented on how good his food was. They kind of reminded me of Chick-Fil-A, which is a compliment because I love their tenders! All of the salt made me thirsty, so you better believe that I headed back to Ulu Cafe to try another one of these beauties…
I think the POG is my favorite flavor of these! While I pursued the shelves, I also noticed that the Mickey Spam musubis were out! I wasn’t hungry at all after our big lunch, but I got one of them to split between Jake and I. I heard that these were hard to find and I wasn’t about to pass up my only opportunity!
The musubi was tasty! As you can see, I enjoyed taking scenic photoshoots with my food this trip
However, after this, I was suuuuper full, so I took a quick 45-minute snooze. These chairs were so comfortable and perfect for napping!Jake and I continued to spend the afternoon in and out of the lagoon! It was super relaxing to swim and wade since the waves were very gentle. We also had some great people-watching at Aulani; I love watching families with kids while at WDW, and this reminded me very much of that!
We Facetimed our parents to show them our adventures, then around 3:45, I grabbed a snack!
You better believe that I was going to be having one of these babies at some point on our trip! It was HOT HOT HOT this afternoon, so this was a perfect little refresher. We stayed in our lounge chairs until 5:00 PM on the dot (they are available to rent between 8:00 and 5:00 every day), then I grabbed a brown sugar boba milk tea from Little Opihi’s. They didn’t have these on the menu last year, so I was very intrigued. No picture, but it was just ok!
Jake and I spent a wonderful 30 minutes or so relaxing in the adults-only infinity pool, then we headed upstairs to shower and change for the night! Tonight was the night that we wanted to do our “lagoon bar crawl”, and we were planning on going into the Ko Olina city center for dinner! Both the menus for Mekiko Cantina and MonkeyPod looked great, so it would be a gametime decision on what we would choose.
One thing that I loved about Hawaii was how casual it felt. I wore makeup maybe a total of 4 or 5 times this trip, and I never felt underdressed or out of place! It was always nice to get ready super quick and head right out! Jake and I left to walk the lagoons around 7:00 PM. We walked through the Ko Olina Vacation Villas complex, but there wasn’t really a bar to see! So, we headed towards the Marriott Ko Olina to check out their pool bar- Longboards!
We immediately noticed that it was poppin’! Lots of families and people were milling around, and it looked super crowded. But, luckily, we got a nice table and set of chairs and it only took about 20 minutes to get our drinks!
I ordered a Key Lime Colada, which was a creamier, key lime flavored version of a pina colada! It was good, but I could have used a lot more key lime flavor! Jake ordered a Corona-Rita, which is basically a traditional margarita and Corona beer mixed together. What he was not expecting was to get a full margarita and a full bottle of Corona, haha! Needless to say, he was feeling pretty merry for the next hour or so
There was an adorable stray cat that kept going near us…I wanted to pet her so bad, but it was clear that she had fleas
I wish I had some food to give her!We finished our drinks somewhat quickly, since we wanted to make it to Ko Olina before things started to close for the night! We looked through the Marriott grounds for a bit; it’s a nice resort for sure, but in my opinion, it doesn’t compare to Aulani. The interior kind of reminded me of the Outrigger we stayed at last year! There was also a big luau going on that night, so it was a little chaotic with tons of kids and people everywhere. Even though Aulani was crowded with children, we never got “chaos” vibes from it!
I’m not going to sugar-coat it; on the walk over, I was GROUCHY! The walk seemed sooo long, and I was just feeling irritable for some reason. We were both really in the mood for Mexican food (especially Jake after his Corona-Rita), so we decided to eat at Mekiko Cantina tonight! The menu looked great, with tons of options. We were sat right away in the outside patio area, and it was an awesome vibe from the start. There was a large family next to us, and their young kids were just all playing and having a grand old time in the grass! There was also a great musician singing and playing ukelele!
I’m not a big tequila drinker (unless it’s in shot form), but I didn’t want to pass up on their wide selection of margaritas! So, I ordered a virgin prickly pear margarita, while Jake got a Bud Light. We also put in an order of chips, salsa, and guacamole right away, after finding out that it’s not included here.
This was really good, it was nice to try something different! Although I’m not sure I’ll fully understand drinking something that’s slightly salty… definitely needed water on the side. We got our chips and salsa super quickly after ordering too.
You guys, I went to TOWN on this. I was like a ravenous animal, haha! At some point, I came up for air, and I just see Jake with this huge grin on his face. He was like “No wonder you were so grouchy earlier, you were just hangry!”
Ding ding ding! THAT’S why I was such a brat. I knew it had to be something; there’s no reason to be grumpy in Hawaii! It was weird though, because we had plenty to eat all day long! Maybe my stomach stretched or something
.Jake wasn’t too hungry, so we just ordered a couple more things for our meal. We decided to split the Elotes (Mexican Street Corn) and the Kalua Carnitas combo.
Picture is blurry because HUNGRY.
HOLY COW, THIS WAS AMAZING! And I don’t think my extreme hunger had anything to do with it, because Jake raved about this too! We both agreed that, food wise, this was one of the best (if not the best) food of the trip. The street corn was TO DIE FOR. It had such a perfect flavor, I wish I could have bought a bottle of that seasoning to put on everything. The kalua carnitas were also so tender and well-seasoned; it went perfectly with the rice, beans, and tortillas to make little tacos.
Overall, Mekiko Cantina was a 10/10. PLUS, it was way cheaper than our food had been so far at Aulani! If you need a place to eat in Ko Olina, look no further than Mekiko! The vibe there was just perfect all night long. The singer was playing great songs; at one point, he played a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, and I said to Jake “I wish he’d play ‘Name,’ that’s my favorite song by them.”
VERY full and satisfied, we decided to take a lap around the city center to see what was open. We looked around Island Country Market one more time, just perusing the souvenirs. Well, lo and behold, as soon as we entered the store, they started playing “Name” by the Goo Goo Dolls! You can’t make this stuff up!!! Both Jake and I were thoroughly creeped out, haha. It is a great jam though!
Every year, my Mom gets Jake a Hawaii-themed calendar for Christmas. I jokingly picked up a calendar called “Women of the Islands” to show Jake, but we CRACKED UP when we opened it up and it was full of topless (basically fully naked) women!!! We were shocked that they were just selling that right out in the open at the store!!
After that harrowing experience, we figured it was time to head out. It was about 9:00 PM, and we didn’t really feel like having another drink, but we wanted to finish up our “Lagoon Crawl” and at least see the inside of the Four Seasons resort.
On the walk over, we saw a giant roach!! EEK! We felt pretty familiar with the outdoor space at the Four Seasons resort, since we walked by it a lot the past couple trips. However, the inside was…. Strange. The ceilings were very tall and it was open-air; it kind of reminded me of a Hyatt Regency resort. But the strangest thing was how DEAD it was. It was actually pretty creepy; the entire lobby, pool, outdoor bar, and restaurant were deserted. We were literally the only two people there! I can definitely appreciate having a quiet and calm resort home base, but for us, it was way too quiet. We would MUCH rather spend half the money and stay at the fun and colorful Aulani instead!!
We took a slow walk through the outdoor space at Aulani, looking at all of the pretty lights around the pool area. Then, we packed up some of our stuff and headed to bed around 10:00 PM. Exciting things lie ahead for tomorrow!
missjackiemcg
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2013
You do have such a baby face, and your mom is right, you'll love that when you're older!!!
I definitely don't get carded as much anymore, which I sort of miss LOL, but I do still love the shocked faces I get from people when I say I have a son in high school. No one thinks I look old enough for that apparently! "merry" I love it!!! Sounds like it was a delightful stroll and crawl. Perfect fun after a sun-filled beach day!Jake ordered a Corona-Rita, which is basically a traditional margarita and Corona beer mixed together. What he was not expecting was to get a full margarita and a full bottle of Corona, haha! Needless to say, he was feeling pretty merry for the next hour or so
ambula603
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2019
Oh I giggled at so many things on this day! I love all the food pictures. The Mexican food sounds perfect and sometimes it is nice to just have a comfort food reset. (Mexican is my favorite, so it is very much my comfort food!)
Loved the braids, I wish I could braid that neatly! I am glad you didn't go all Monica Gellar/11-year-old you, though!!
Loved the braids, I wish I could braid that neatly! I am glad you didn't go all Monica Gellar/11-year-old you, though!!
maxbuffmelvin
We hope that you’ll be coming back again.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2020
I agree about Mekiko—delicious food, excellent drinks, and reasonably priced. I highly recommend it, and it is now a must-do on Aulani trips.
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