Aluani questions

[BitsnBearsMom]

Christmas is over so I need to start final planning we leave in 6.5 weeks for our big celebration trip to aluani - can't wait - have a few questions I hope you folks can help with.

Info so you have the info needed to give opinions....... I'm travelling with Dh (50th birthday celebration trip), ds21, ds 16th birthday celebration trip and my 'I beat cancer' and managed to get through a stem cell transplant celebration trip - I'm still not back to 100% energy levels so I've tried to organize activities that I can manage but that will still be good for the guys. I can do most things but will need time and places to rest occasionally when it all gets to be too much. We arrive on feb 11th late at night and leave late at night on the 19th. We have a car rented for the whole time we are there and have never been to Hawaii before.

We have finally convinced Dh that we should do a helicopter tour as our 'big' tour. We are at aluani the whole time so I'm wondering which company/tour would be the best to do if anyone here has already done one. Are we better to book direct with a company or book something through aluani?

Pearl harbour tour. Is the 'free' one enough? My 16yo is interested in all of the history and 21yo seems interested in this tour so we are debating if we should do more then the free one or if that is enough. Does this need to be booked ahead of time or is day of/week of soon enough? And will during the week be better to do then on a weekend or is it always busy? I don't want to book too much for the first few days we are there until I figure out how hard it will be for the time change switch for all of us.

I have the character breakfast booked for our first morning and want to celebrate ds' 16th birthday that meal - any idea if aluani can accommodate and make a nut free cake for him as he is allergic to nuts?

Anything else that is a must do while we are there? We are already planning to do a drive to the north shore - boys want to see surfers but have no desire to try it, want to see Waikiki beach, dole plantation and we will do the,paradise cove luau. Nothing is set in stone - other then the fact that pearl harbour is a must do - so we are open to anything.

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

First of all, congratulations on your cancer victory! This sounds like it will be a very special trip for you and your family Aulani is our home property, so we are there every year. It's truly my happy place!

My daughter and I will be there February 12th - 21st, so we will be there around the same time!! I've never done the helicopter tour, so I can't really help you with that. We have done Pearl Harbor though. We did the USS Arizona Memorial tour, and that was more than enough for us. Aside from the short boat ride out to the Arizona memorial, there is plenty to see and do there. I would highly suggest you get your tickets NOW though. You're going to be there during mid-winter break, so it's going to be very busy. If you don't get your tickets now, you may not get them at all. There are a small number of walk-up tickets available each morning, but they go fast! Here is the link you want to get those tickets: http://www.recreation.gov/showPage....arbor/home.jsp&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369

We always try to plan our trips into Honolulu for Wednesday's so we can hit the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. This is THE PLACE to buy your souvenirs! Here is a link for more info: http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/content/home.aspx

We do not have any food allergies, but we have friends that do, and I have always heard about how accommodating the Disney chef's are to those who have a special diet. I'm sure if you talk to them in advance they will be able to accommodate your needs!

The drive to the North Shore is nice, and it was surprisingly fast! It was only 45 minutes from Aulani, which was faster than what I thought it would be. The Dole Plantation is on the way too!

We're doing the Paradise Cove Luau on Valentines Day. I've heard mixed reviews about it, but to me, it's more about the experience

I would suggest signing up for the Groupon Honolulu deals. There have been some amazing ones lately! I booked our dolphin swim and shark cage swim through those.

Are you staying in a hotel room or a one/two bedroom unit? If you're going to be in a unit with a kitchen, there is a Costco the exit before Aulani. I always stop there and the Target across the street on our way in (the Target has a nice little grocery section).

If you have any questions about Aulani, let me know! I'm so excited for you and your family!!

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

I just jumped on the Groupon site and what do you know, they have an offer up right now for a Helicopter tour! https://www.groupon.com/deals/genesis-helicopters

 

[Anal Annie]

First, congratulations on your cancer survival and all the other birthdays & celebrations you have going on.

We have been to Hawaii 5x now with our last visit including a stay at Aulani. I have gone to Pearl Harbor on every trip (it's just that moving and special to me). We did the USS Missouri on both of our last 2 trips and also went thru the submarine on the last trip bcuz my DH loves WWII history etc. When we went to Paris we had to go to the War museum there too (Les Invalides which includes Napoleons Tomb). It's just his thing tho. If anyone in your group is super interested in that part of history the USS Missouri is a tour of the battleship - and is often your only chance to ever tour such a ship. The Missouri is the ship where the treaty was signed ending the war and is fascinating to go through. You should definitely try to get reservations for whichever tour you decide to do tho and if you include the Missouri you should allow the better part of a day there (or about 5 hours). We like to go there on Sundays to avoid rush hour traffic (and we go EARLY in the mornings to avoid as much of the daytime heat as possible.)

We have not done helicopter tours on Oahu but have done them twice on the Big Island to see the volcano and waterfalls etc. The last time we used Blue Hawaiian and they were very professional (tho not the cheapest).

The only other thing we planned in advance on our last trip was surf lessons on the north shore. We made any and all dining reservations the day of or day before for all of our meals (did not do Ama Ama but did Makihiki at Aulani, Monkey Pod across the street and Roy's which is down the street). We have always done our luau's on Maui….

Have fun planning and enjoy the resort!!

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Excellent info - thanks!! Will get on to getting our pearl harbour tickets. And the groupon for the heli tour is a great price.

Which package did you go with for paradise cove? I will need to email them to figure out if they can accommodate my 16yo's allergies.

I've read through the post about aluani but the amount of info in there is overwhelming.

Our dates are feb 11-19 - we arrive late at night on the 11th and leave late on the 19th - we have our room booked until the 20th as it was booked before flights and since we leave so late we just kept it. I tried to get a 1 bedroom when I booked but ended up with a studio. Well 3 different views of studio to cover our time. But wait list came through so we are in a pool/garden view studio the whole time. Not ideal with travelling with 2 grown boys but at least we get to go and we will have a great time regardless!! And we have become good at organizing meals with just using the microwave

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

We are just going to do the cheapest package, the Hawaiian Luau. I don't drink, and I'm traveling with a 14 year old, so I don't need the extra tickets. And based upon previous luau's I've been to, I know I don't need front row seats

Here is a threat that you really might enjoy! http://www.disboards.com/threads/aulani-whats-the-one-thing-you-wish-you-knew.3180904/

As far as dining, there are lots of options right in Ko Olina (where Aulani is) Across the street are several restaurants, including an ABC store that has a more than decent deli. The sit down places at Aulani are ok. For the price and the quality of the food though, not my thing. I do like the Ulu Cafe though for grab and go. If you Google Ko Olina dining you will find lots of information! The next city over (the one right before the Aulani exit, where the Costco is) is called Kapolei. TONS of dining there. Everything from fast food to fancy sit down, and everything in between!

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Super info.

I will have to email them at the paradise cove to see what we need to do to make sure they can accommodate ds and his food allergies. He is pretty nervous about buffet meals. We are doing the character breakfast as I just felt it would be a great start to the trip. And I'm hoping I can get a cake for the nut allergic ds so we can celebrate his 16th birthday.

Now that Christmas is over we are all getting excited for the trip. 6.5 weeks and counting

 

[SingingMom]

Congratulations & Best wishes!

We did the best package at Paradise Cove luau because we were celebrating DD's 21st birthday. We sat in the front row at the stage & the servers brought our food to us, we didn't have to stand in the buffet line. That was worth the price to me, because there are a TON of people! (Bring some cash to tip the artisans that make the palm wreaths etc)

We enjoyed Monkey Pod across the street, the Italian restaurant next door at the Marriott (I think that has since changed to Four Seasons?) loved the Pearl Harbor visit (the museum was so moving), DD & DH had a surfing lesson, and we took a snorkeling excursion. All were booked through Aulani except the surfing lesson - I did that prior to the trip.

It was a nice trip - but was very disappointed with the "beach" at Aulani. Man made cove, no waves, chairs pushed together on the sand. We ended up at the adult pool most days which was nice, but that's not what we went to Hawaii for.

 

[southerngirl528]

As an aside about the manmade lagoons in Ko'Olina, the ocean is quite rough along this part of Oahu's coast and it would not be safe without the seawalls and those lagoons. I know it's not the same as a natural beach but there are so many gorgeous beaches a very short distance from Aulani if one wants the total beach experience.

 

[SingingMom]

As an aside about the manmade lagoons in Ko'Olina, the ocean is quite rough along this part of Oahu's coast and it would not be safe without the seawalls and those lagoons. I know it's not the same as a natural beach but there are so many gorgeous beaches a very short distance from Aulani if one wants the total beach experience.

Yep - the beach DD & DH went to for their surfing lessons was glorious. I wish I had spent extra time there! We didn't rent a car, and I really expected to roll out of bed and onto the beach. lol I have to admit I prefer Bermuda.

 

[AulaniNutz]

Yep - the beach DD & DH went to for their surfing lessons was glorious. I wish I had spent extra time there! We didn't rent a car, and I really expected to roll out of bed and onto the beach. lol I have to admit I prefer Bermuda.

So what beach was it?

 

[SingingMom]

So what beach was it?

Eek.. don't remember! We booked the lessons with "Girls Who Surf". They picked us up at Aulani and drove us to the beach, which had a campground type area with restroom facilities. We could see Diamond Head far off to the left. lol I'll see if I can find the name!

 

[SingingMom]

Kalaeloa Beach

This was the link:

http://surfhnl.com/koolina-lessons/

 

[AulaniNutz]

Kalaeloa Beach

This was the link:

http://surfhnl.com/koolina-lessons/

Thank you. book marked for June....