Any experiences stopping over in Hawaii after a long USA trip?

[losfp]

Ok, so I might have read the word "Aulani" so many times in the last week that I'm now looking into what it would take to add "just one more stop" to our 2015 trip

I thought I'd ask here first because in my experience, we take holidays very differently to Americans (longer, for a start!!, and I want to see if anyone has done Hawaii to wind up a longer trip.

Background - I'm currently planning a 2015 trip that will involve about 12 days in WDW, 3 days at Universal, 7 nights on a Disney cruise and about 8 nights at Disneyland. We will have two kids (7 and 2) with us, and probably tons of luggage, maybe 6-7 suitcases full of shopping.

Some questions

- How long a stay would make it worthwhile? 4 nights? 7 nights? I won't even dream of leaving Oahu in the time we have available. There's 12 nights available to me after the cruise and I'm thinking about sacrificing a couple of Disneyland days to allow for our trip to wrap up in Hawaii.
- Full trip at Aulani? Or split it up with some nights at, say, Waikiki?
- Car is essential?
- If you've had to do it, how did you manage large amounts of luggage?
- What activities are essential? I'd like to do Pearl Harbour, maybe a day of driving around Oahu

Many thanks in advance

 

[Meemoo]

Hi there,

I always choose to stop by Hawaii on my way to the mainland USA. I much prefer 9 hours the way home than 14 hours! I just love Hawaii and it is the perfect relaxation after spending time in the parks. I have been to Hawaii 5 times now, Aulani in the last two visits. My advice, if you are going to go to Waikiki, do it first! Actually - I recommend you visit Waikiki if you have never been to Hawaii but now I am happy to avoid it. We love Aulani, and it is much more convenient if you have a rental car as it is quite isolated.

As for time, I would recommend the Waikiki part first - and do one of Roberts Hawaii Circle Island tours which will take you around the whole island, you will see all the must sees, and also there is a tour you can also visit Pearl Harbour with also if that interests you. So maybe a few nights Waikiki, then I'd do at least a few at Aulani too. I'm not sure if this works in with your dates but they do a really great Halloween at Aulani with trick or treat and partys.

If you are simply just wanting to relax and not explore after all your wonderful plans prior to Hawaii, head straight to Aulani!

Regarding the luggage, there is a taxi service from Honolulu Airport called Charles Taxi, they do a flat rate to Aulani, they have the big 7 seater people movers so you could squish lots of luggage in there, although maybe there would be some type of extra fee.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Ok, so I might have read the word "Aulani" so many times in the last week that I'm now looking into what it would take to add "just one more stop" to our 2015 trip

I thought I'd ask here first because in my experience, we take holidays very differently to Americans (longer, for a start!!, and I want to see if anyone has done Hawaii to wind up a longer trip.

We stopped off in Hawaii at the end of a 5 week trip. I thought it was well worth the short hop there. It made the 10 hour flight home more palatable.

We've also stopped in Hawaii at the end of 3 week trip.

In those days, airlines used to let you do that without additional charge. It's been a while since I've looked at stopping off in Hawaii on the way home but I'm not sure you can do this on the one ticket without the extra $$$ anymore. Of course, now that I've posted it, I'm sure someone will come along and correct me.

Specific answers in purple below.

Background - I'm currently planning a 2015 trip that will involve about 12 days in WDW, 3 days at Universal, 7 nights on a Disney cruise and about 8 nights at Disneyland. We will have two kids (7 and 2) with us, and probably tons of luggage, maybe 6-7 suitcases full of shopping.

Some questions

- How long a stay would make it worthwhile? 4 nights? 7 nights? I won't even dream of leaving Oahu in the time we have available. There's 12 nights available to me after the cruise and I'm thinking about sacrificing a couple of Disneyland days to allow for our trip to wrap up in Hawaii.


This depends on what you want to do in Oahu. Both times, we've stayed 3 nights.


- Full trip at Aulani? Or split it up with some nights at, say, Waikiki?

This will come down to your budget. I haven't stayed at Aulani but it looks beautiful.


- Car is essential?

If you want to see sights around Oahu, you can use their circle bus. But we've always had a car for the flexibility and convenience.


- If you've had to do it, how did you manage large amounts of luggage?

We travel light and factor in laundry time. Even with the additional shopping, we make sure that the car can cope with the bags. Mostly, it's the last day that is the worry. We tend to have bags sitting in the front of the car if we're sightseeing and have checked out of the hotel. These days, we leave the bags in concierge or arrange for late check-out.


- What activities are essential? I'd like to do Pearl Harbour, maybe a day of driving around Oahu

Pearl Harbour.
Waimea Falls
Diamond Head
North Shore and/or Sunset Beach
Eat at a Luau
Byodo Inn Temple
There's also the Polynesian Cultural Centre. 3 trips to Hawaii and I've still yet to make it there!



Many thanks in advance

 

[losfp]

Thanks guys - I appreciate the comments

I'll keep looking into it. Wifey is getting really sick of me drifting over to her and saying "So... I've been thinking...", knowing that it's something to do with the holiday that's still almost 1.5 years away!!!

Will have to see how the numbers stack up in terms of cost to arrange a stopover flight, accommodation etc. I do think it'd be nice to do a relaxing few days to finish up... But then again we are the sort of traveller who would spend the entire time driving all over the island sightseeing and not relaxing much

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We are stopping over in Aulani at the end of our upcoming trip. I've never been to Aulani before, but will be able to feed back in 2 1/2 months time.

I have been to Waikiki before and to be honest I didn't like it. I expected a relaxing beach paradise, and what I saw was a city with a crowded beach. It was back in the days when I didn't research like I do now and I can only blame myself for going with false expectations. When I think of a perfect beach destination, I think of something much more isolated and natural - definitely no high rise buildings in the background.

Despite this, I am excited about Aulani as the resort looks so beautiful and the pools great. We only have time to spend 3 nights there and I have no intention of leaving the resort other than to go to happy hour across the road at Monkey Pod.

We looked into car hire, but for our needs it worked out much the same price to get airport transfers. These include 2 suitcases per person.

As far as flights go, look into Hawaiian Airlines. We are flying return with them on our upcoming trip and given that we are travelling in peak school holidays, I was stoked with what we ended up paying. The only downside is that we have a short layover in Hawaii on the way there. The upside is that Hawaiian have one of the most liberal baggage allowances of all airlines flying from Aus/NZ to the USA. It sounds like you are going to need a good baggage allowance.

In your research, do check out one way flights. They generally aren't the scary price that they used to be, and you may be able to get a deal on a direct airline there and Hawaiian on the way back.

 

[losfp]

Thanks WanderlustNZ

I think I would like to drive around the island so will look into car rental. Waikiki is so famous that I couldn't go to Oahu and not spend a night or two there before heading to Aulani.

I think mostly I'm still sore that I have been to Honolulu twice before, and never set foot outside the airport - stopped over en route to YVR for our honeymoon. It was midnight each time so pitch black, and I couldn't even see outside

 

[mellyB]

I'll be following this with interest. As Hawaii is part of our planned trip at the end of 2015.

I'm currently planning 7 nights in Hawaii. 4 in Waikiki, thinking Hilton Hawaiian village and 3 nights at Aulani. Hadn't thought about car hire or the like, but reading this wondering if we'll hire a car.

I have also been advised Hawaiian Airlines would be the best option to fly but will see when flights are released early next year.

 

[ssour]

The only downside is that we have a short layover in Hawaii on the way there.

But you avoid immigration and customs at LAX, so that's a plus in my book!

Normally adding Hawaii on to an Orlando trip more expensive if everything is ticketed all together in my experience. You're pretty much stuck with Qantas for flights as none of the American carriers fly from HNL to Australia. Hawaiian can get you to Orlando but it's usually via New York! You could do Hawaiian to LA return and just do Orlando return separately but then you don't have your luggage allowance for those flights.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

But you avoid immigration and customs at LAX, so that's a plus in my book! Normally adding Hawaii on to an Orlando trip more expensive if everything is ticketed all together in my experience. You're pretty much stuck with Qantas for flights as none of the American carriers fly from HNL to Australia. Hawaiian can get you to Orlando but it's usually via New York! You could do Hawaiian to LA return and just do Orlando return separately but then you don't have your luggage allowance for those flights.

You're right. Avoiding the immigration is a plus to the situation.

Sorry, I meant to say that Hawaiian would only get you as far as LA. You would need to book separate domestic flights.

Having everything ticketed altogether definitely has it's benefits when it comes to luggage and short layovers, but it's still worth researching the option of breaking your international and domestic flights up. From my experience it's often cheaper (even with the extra cost of luggage). Also it means you actually have a choice of domestic airline. The 5 hour flight across country is still a long one with little kids and there are some airlines that are reasonably comfortable and provide screens in the back of seats (e.g. Virgin America), and others that are basically a flying bus when it comes to comfort and amenities.

With little ones, and for the sake of sanity, I also recommend at least one night stopover (e.g. An airport hotel in LA) on the way there.

 

[DVCAustralia]

The Hawaiian stopover is a great idea, did it last time and it is very nice.

I am not a fan of Waikiki, and particularly not for staying there as many of the properties are either old or expensive, but for the first visit it is probably worthwhile for a couple of nights.
I would though endorse MellyB in staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village as it is a quality property you can book directly with Hilton online for a reasonable price (remember the resort fee is additional) and it is close for access to the huge Ala Moana shopping centre. The trolleys are cheap and handy to get you from place to place with young children.
I LOVE Aulani and even own DVC there. I strongly recommend you do a DVC points rental for it. It is worth at least three nights as there are character photo times, heaps of children activities, and the pool area is spectacular with real slides and a lazy river.

In regard to airfares, Hawaiian Airlines is worth trying for but I have only done it for Hawaii and the east coast, not the west coast. It may be possible to book it all as Virgin codeshare (SYD - LAX (VAust.) LAX - MCO - LAX (VAmer.) LAX - HNL - SYD (HA)) but not sure about baggage. Otherwise just book Hawaiian to LAX and book a LAX - MCO ticket each way with any airline(s) (Just add the baggage fees to the cost of the ticket to get the actual cost).

 

[Meemoo]

We are stopping over in Aulani at the end of our upcoming trip. I've never been to Aulani before, but will be able to feed back in 2 1/2 months time.

I have been to Waikiki before and to be honest I didn't like it. I expected a relaxing beach paradise, and what I saw was a city with a crowded beach. It was back in the days when I didn't research like I do now and I can only blame myself for going with false expectations. When I think of a perfect beach destination, I think of something much more isolated and natural - definitely no high rise buildings in the background.

Despite this, I am excited about Aulani as the resort looks so beautiful and the pools great. We only have time to spend 3 nights there and I have no intention of leaving the resort other than to go to happy hour across the road at Monkey Pod.

We looked into car hire, but for our needs it worked out much the same price to get airport transfers. These include 2 suitcases per person.

As far as flights go, look into Hawaiian Airlines. We are flying return with them on our upcoming trip and given that we are travelling in peak school holidays, I was stoked with what we ended up paying. The only downside is that we have a short layover in Hawaii on the way there. The upside is that Hawaiian have one of the most liberal baggage allowances of all airlines flying from Aus/NZ to the USA. It sounds like you are going to need a good baggage allowance.

In your research, do check out one way flights. They generally aren't the scary price that they used to be, and you may be able to get a deal on a direct airline there and Hawaiian on the way back.

You will love Aulani! If Waikiki isn't your thing, Aulani definitely will be Listen out for the beautiful music in the lobby, you will know what I mean!

 

[losfp]

Sooooo... whatchasayinis...... Waikiki is kind of like Surfers Paradise. Maybe I should pass I'll have a look. If I'm short on days, I'd prefer to head directly to Aulani anyway.

I've been pricing it out based on Oct/Nov 2014 to see what it might be like for Oct/Nov 2015. Surprisingly The Flying Rat seems to be quite cheap compared to even Hawaiian. Might see if there's any sales etc.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Sooooo... whatchasayinis...... Waikiki is kind of like Surfers Paradise.

Definitely similar. You'll probably find the shopping to be a bit cheaper in Waikiki and the water will be warmer, calmer, and clearer, but if it's anything like when I was there, you'll have to look for a free spot on the sand to lay down your towel. I've never seen Surfers as crowded as I saw Waikiki.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

You will love Aulani! If Waikiki isn't your thing, Aulani definitely will be Listen out for the beautiful music in the lobby, you will know what I mean!

I think I already know what you mean. It's that feeling you get from arriving somewhere special that you can't quite describe to others who haven't been there. I got it at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at WDW.

 

[Meemoo]

Sooooo... whatchasayinis...... Waikiki is kind of like Surfers Paradise. Maybe I should pass I'll have a look. If I'm short on days, I'd prefer to head directly to Aulani anyway.

I've been pricing it out based on Oct/Nov 2014 to see what it might be like for Oct/Nov 2015. Surprisingly The Flying Rat seems to be quite cheap compared to even Hawaiian. Might see if there's any sales etc.

Agreed, like a Surfers Paradise and a packed one at that! Maybe just a drive by it in a tour bus will do the trick, then you can say you've seen it, then head back to Disney

 

[DVCAustralia]

If you decide to skip completely then you can still drive to Ala Moana and park there for free. Maybe even take a trolley from there to Waikiki and back.

 

[zanzibar138]

I haven't done this yet, but is definitely something I'm considering at some point

I would honestly bypass Waikiki and just head straight to Aulani. I'm not a beach person anyway, and I'm really not a big fan of 'high rise beaches'. I think 4 nights is a good amount of time. Out of those 4 nights, I'd probably spend one day exploring the island. I think after a long trip, I'd be pretty happy to spend most of my time floating around on the lazy river

 

[ColinA]

Disney have a set price agreement with Charley's taxis from Honolulu airport to Aulani and return. You call them after you collect your luggage and tell them the gate No. Not a good idea to try to get a taxi from outside.

We always get Aulani bell services to book for the return.

http://charleystaxi.com/

 

[losfp]

If you decide to skip completely then you can still drive to Ala Moana and park there for free. Maybe even take a trolley from there to Waikiki and back.

That could be an idea I'm still deciding whether to self-drive or let someone else do it. I'm not sure how it would work out costwise.

Disney have a set price agreement with Charley's taxis from Honolulu airport to Aulani and return. You call them after you collect your luggage and tell them the gate No. Not a good idea to try to get a taxi from outside.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look into it and compare the cost of a car rental...

 

[ColinA]

That could be an idea I'm still deciding whether to self-drive or let someone else do it. I'm not sure how it would work out costwise.



Thanks for the tip! I'll look into it and compare the cost of a car rental...

If you are a DVC member or renting DVC points parking for a car is free. If you are a hotel guest you might be charged $35.00/day

Read the info here to get the exemptions under day pass info.

http://resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort/faq/