Aulani Help

[makthompson]

Hello, I am a DVC member and recently booked a stay for November 2015 to Aulani. This will be the first time me and DH will have stayed there. When we booked it did not offer magical express. I looked it up and apparently they only offer that in WDW. I would think Disney would have some kind of transportation to and from The Aulani and Airport. Can anyone help us on this. Need advise and tips please.

We werent wanting to rent a car because it looks like it's 35 a day to park at Aulani. With being DVC members it's always waived at The Grand Californian Resort, will it be here as well?

Is it easy to get around the island without a car?

I heard it's hard to find parking in Waikiki, is this correct?

I just hate to spend the money on a rental car if we really do not need it.

Also, does Aulani have a luau they do?

Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Angela

 

[thedogatemyhomework]

parking should be waived for dvc members at aulani

getting around the island without a car is going to depend a lot on what you want to do, and how much you're willing to spend or wait. taxis are an option, there is a fairly good bus system, and airport shuttle services are available (not directly from aulani) most only go to waikiki tho. aulani does also have some tours you can book through them. most of the same things regarding cost/time apply to hawaii as they do to DL. definitely check on road closures due to rail construction if you're arriving at night/late afternoon.

parking can be difficult to find in waikiki particularly the free options near the beach. but thats going to depend a lot on when you try to find parking. the paid options typically aren't too difficult to get.

 

[makthompson]

That really surprises me that Disney wouldn't have a shuttle from the airport.

How can you book tours you wish to take that Aulani offers?

 

[Glent59]

As a DVC member you wont pay for parking at Aulani ( self park up to two cars per room). I find that renting a car is well worth the dollars invested in it.. even thought it might sit for a time without moving ( i rent a car in Florida EVERY trip...that way i'm not a Disney Prisoner ), but we have plans for Pearl Harbor, North Shore, Diamond Head among other things makes a car a valuable resource.. We are there in late September of this year, and we have a car for 10 days for less than 300 dollars including all taxes and fees.. and we have a larger car ( 9 of us going.. two total cars in our party ).

I wouldn't do it any other way...

 

[makthompson]

since the kids arent going with us this time I dont know how much we will venture off. We wanted to keep some of the tours for a family vacation. we will only be there for 3 full days. thought we would do a luau, snorkeling, beach, and maybe parasailing and a little shopping in waikiki. no definite plans on what we are doing but trying to find out if it makes sense to get a car or not. If most of the stuff we can do from our resort and only need a car to go to waikiki for a day then it would make sense to take a cab or bus.

 

[Sir William]

Hello, I am a DVC member and recently booked a stay for November 2015 to Aulani. This will be the first time me and DH will have stayed there. When we booked it did not offer magical express. I looked it up and apparently they only offer that in WDW. I would think Disney would have some kind of transportation to and from The Aulani and Airport. Can anyone help us on this. Need advise and tips please.

We werent wanting to rent a car because it looks like it's 35 a day to park at Aulani. With being DVC members it's always waived at The Grand Californian Resort, will it be here as well?

Is it easy to get around the island without a car?

I heard it's hard to find parking in Waikiki, is this correct?

I just hate to spend the money on a rental car if we really do not need it.

Also, does Aulani have a luau they do?

Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Angela

Just returned from two weeks at Aulani about a few weeks ago.

There is no shuttle service like Magic Express to Aulani. You either rent a car or use one of the taxi type shuttle services at the airport (and it's best to arrange this in advance). Some offer a roundtrip service for a small discount.

Getting around Oahu without a car is difficult and expensive. You can take some tours offered by the tour desk at Aulani, or you can rent a car from the Alamo desk at Aulani. You might consider this for a day trip to the USS Arizona Memorial and then Honolulu/Waikiki.

Public bus service is non-existent. Nearest bus stop is several miles away on Hwy 93 (and not the best road to be walking on). I looked into this on our trip 2 years ago and realized it wasn't really feasible.

Car rental prices change almost daily. I made my first reservation about 6 months prior and when the price went down made a new reservation. Over the 6 months I made at least 8 different reservations before the price began to go back up. I was able to get a car for our entire stay for less than a roundtrip shuttle for 2 plus a 1 day rental at Aulani.

Considering you're only there a few days, it might be best to call the tour desk at Aulani (phone number is on the Aulani website) to reserve any tours in advance, as they might be full when you arrive.

Aulani also offers a shuttle (fee) into some of the shopping centers (Ala Moana is one) in Honolulu a couple times a week.

Parking for DVC members is free. Parking in Waikiki can be difficult but not impossible. There are a number of parking garages (for a fee), but downtown traffic can be heavy.

Aulani does not have a luau, but Paradise Cove, one of the best on the island, is just next door. This can also be arranged with the tour desk at Aulani.

 

[amym2]

We paid less for a rental car on Oahu than we sometimes pay for one at WDW. I want to say it was something like $160 for 5 nights. Aulani is a good distance away from the airport, so you may find that it makes more sense to rent a car than pay for a taxi or shuttle both ways. If you really think you're going to stay at Aulani and not visit other areas, go without the car, but if you think you may want to venture around the island a bit and can get a good price, get a car.

Aulani does not have an actual luau, but they do have the Starlit Hui two nights per week and it has some Hawaiian dancing and entertainment (and is free). There's also Paradise Cove luau that is walkable from Aulani.

 

[makthompson]

Thank you for all of the information. I went ahead and booked a car 140 for 4 nights 5 days. not too bad. i was more worried about the 35 per night on top of that at the resort. If there was a shuttle i would just do that. but obviously there isnt.

So is it agreed pretty much by all that Paradise Cove is the best luau? I have been to Maui before, however DH has never been to the islands. just want to make sure he has the best time.

What are things that you would do there besides Pearl Harbor. We do not surf. Thinking about the Parasailing. Dinner Cruise sounds real nice for an evening.
Any special things we should know, like do's and don'ts?

 

[swooshbear]

Keep checking the car rental prices as they tend to fluctuate almost daily. Since there is no penalty to cancel, just re-book when you see a lower price.

I would recommend checking out the local grinds (food) around the island - some of my favorites are Mitsu-ken or Sugoi (garlic chicken), Side Street Inn (deep fried pork chops, fried rice), Rainbow Drive In (loco moco), Bubbies (mochi ice cream) to name a few.

I would also recommend going to the Windward side for the softest white sand beaches in Kailua, tons of water activities there without the crowds you find at Waikiki.

 

[DenLo]

We always make a car reservation early and then a 3 or 4 months before start checking for a lower price and always find one that is much lower than we booked.

DH and I are pretty sure that when we went to Ala Moana mall last October we did not pay parking. The place is undergoing construction so perhaps that is why it was free.

However for only 2 or 3 nights I wouldn't go anywhere, just stay at the resort and take advantage of the amenities there so I would only use a shuttle service. The Aulani website lists recommended companies. http://resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort/about-aulani/parking-transportation/ I have spoke to a number of folks that used Speedishuttle and like it.

 

[Glent59]

One more point on the rental. you can rent a car at Aulani for a day or three if you needed one... so you can take some shuttle service to and from the airport, then rent a car if needed at Aulani..

Also, depending on the dates you are there, there is also the "FIA FIA Luau" at the Marriott Ko Olina.. its only on Tuesdays, but feed back has been great, and that's the one we plan on hitting... its also walking distance..

 

[Girimama33]

I agree with DenLo...
If you are only going to be there a few days, I would take Speedi Shuttle (book through Aulani), and enjoy the resort while you are there. We used Speedi Shuttle on one of our trips there. The cost was $35 r/t and the process was very easy. If you want to do the USS Arizona Memorial, they have a great tour that picks you up from Aulani and takes you to PH. There were no lines to wait in, and we had time to visit all of the museums and the Bowfin before our ferry to the memorial.

 

[Sir William]

DH and I are pretty sure that when we went to Ala Moana mall last October we did not pay parking. The place is undergoing construction so perhaps that is why it was free.

Parking is free at the Ala Moana and Ward Center malls (very near each other), but neither of these are in the Waikiki area, which is what OP asked about.

 

[TavieP]

Just want to add on to what people said - we rented a car last December (free parking for DVC members) for our 4 days in Aulani and the freedom was well worth it. If you're interested in real snorkeling (the man-made reef in Aulani is cute but I think better suited for the kiddies), it's a short drive to Haunama Bay, and the snorkeling there was wonderful. We also did a drive to the North Shore one day to check out the food trucks.

 

[makthompson]

What great advise from everyone...keep it coming please if you have anything to add.

 

[makthompson]

I booked arriving Sunday and departing Thursday as they didnt have Thursday evening available. I do not have flight information yet but will be flying from SFO or SJC. This gives us 3 full days there plus arrival and departure days.
I like the idea of the shuttle, but it's almost $40. The car I reserved is $22 a day and like previously mentioned we can have freedom. Does anyone know how low the prices could go or do i have about the lowest for car rental?

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

Thank you for all of the information. I went ahead and booked a car 140 for 4 nights 5 days. not too bad. i was more worried about the 35 per night on top of that at the resort. If there was a shuttle i would just do that. but obviously there isnt.

So is it agreed pretty much by all that Paradise Cove is the best luau? I have been to Maui before, however DH has never been to the islands. just want to make sure he has the best time.

What are things that you would do there besides Pearl Harbor. We do not surf. Thinking about the Parasailing. Dinner Cruise sounds real nice for an evening.
Any special things we should know, like do's and don'ts?

I sign up for the Oahu Groupon offers and get those in my e-mail every few days. Great way to find deals on food and entertainment. There was even one in there for the Poly Center about a month ago.

 

[makthompson]

I sign up for the Oahu Groupon offers and get those in my e-mail every few days. Great way to find deals on food and entertainment. There was even one in there for the Poly Center about a month ago.

Awesome thank you! I will check into that.

 

[pArKsFaN]

We just arrived at Aulani so I thought I'd mention another option...Uber. It was our first time using that service and we needed a transfer from Hilton Hawaiian Village. Charley's taxi (Aulani has a contract with them) quoted $89 flat rate. Über ended up being $55. We also found a code online that gave us $30 off so it turned out to be a very good deal. We will probably do the same thing for our trip to the airport before we go to Kauai!

 

[nkereina]

We just arrived at Aulani so I thought I'd mention another option...Uber. It was our first time using that service and we needed a transfer from Hilton Hawaiian Village. Charley's taxi (Aulani has a contract with them) quoted $89 flat rate. Über ended up being $55. We also found a code online that gave us $30 off so it turned out to be a very good deal. We will probably do the same thing for our trip to the airport before we go to Kauai!

Glad to hear Uber is an option. Is this the only instance you used Uber while there? I'm curious as to how readily available they are out in Ko'Olina as compared to the busier Waikiki.