Aulani in April 2013 - What MUST-DO things should we do?

[ethanwa]

Ok we're going to Aulani in April (renting DVC points). We have a 7 year old boy and a 5 year old girl. We are there for 8 days, 2 of which are travel days (so really 6 useful days).

When on the resort, what are the MUST-DO things? Where should we be sure to eat? What fun things are "can't miss"?

Should we rent a car? If so, how many days and how do we pick it up and drop it off from the resort?

What is best for airport transportation?

We've never been there before (and me and the kids have never been to Hawaii at all) so we are excited! What is it like there??? We are so used to DL and WDW and are looking forward to a different kind of Disney vacation.

Thanks!

Ethan

 

[dsneygirl]

My son was in the middle of your kids (6) on our trip and we only left the resort for 1 full day out of 10. My son went to Aunty's Beach House for probably an hour or 2 every day to play, watch a movie. We did the Starlit Hui, movies on the beach, at the beach you can get sand toys on loan from the rental shack. He also love snorkelling in rainbow Reef.

Most days there was a pool party or pool games with the activity hosts and characters. He also did Stich's Space Goo and the Volcano activity.

We knew we would be back so we didn't feel the need to see all of Oahu. We spent an entire day on the drive to the North Shore and the sea turtles were the highlight for DS. Other than that there was more than enough to keep us busy a the resort and we were happy not to be on the move.

If you have any specific questions ask away.

 

[polly p]

The resort has a lot to keep your children occupied. You only need to rent a car if you plan on leaving the resort. We did rent a car and found it a lot cheaper to stock our room shopping at WalMart in Honolulu and the ABC stores a half mile away. I had teens though that ate constantly. We loved spending time on the beach and pool, waterslide areas. I can't wait to go back again. Feel free to ask questions. We did a luau, pearl harbor, north shore, honolulu and waikiki areas. But quite honestly next trip I don't want to leave the resort at least every other day.

 

[ethanwa]

We are going to rent a car for the full time. It just is easier that way. We can come and go as needed and we'd love to see other parts of the island, at least for a day or two. Good idea on the Wal-Mart trip for food.

Question... I am renting DVC points. Does parking cost anything for DVC members/renters?

Ethan

 

[Meemoo]

Hello,

You must be very excited to be visiting Hawaii & Aulani for the first time! We returned a month ago and loved it so much - it was what made our final decision to become DVC members. We traveled as a family 2 adults and our 2 kids (4 & 6 years).

Charley's Taxi's I felt were the best transportation experience we have had in Hawaii. (We have visited 4 times now) I recommend them for an airport transfer, especially if traveling with a family because they don't charge per person like the transfer shuttles, and they offer a flat rate price to Aulani. Send them an email to inquire but they seem pretty affordable. charleystaxi.com is their website.

We did not rent a car this time and we were quite happy staying at the resort but next time we will rent a car. We did a tour of the North Shore and there are some spots we'd like to venture to again and spend longer at than the tours allow. Plus, it would be nice to have more dinner options, Aulani dining can be quite expensive for a family.

Our must-do high lights include, the Ohana Family Movie Nights under the stars, The Starlit Hui, The Menehune Adventure Trail, and of course all the great pools and lazy river! The Character Breakfast may not be too appealing if you have tried other Disney Character Dining before. We've done Hong Kong Disneyland character dining and the food selection, quality and character range was much better. But it is still nice to do it all Hawaiian style - We did and don't regret it, was just a one off thing though!

Best Wishes for your upcoming trip, you will have a fantastic time!

 

[eva]

To see the Dailey Iwa click this link and look at the bottom of post 426. This will give you idea of what type of activities they offer each day. This trip report you find here is awesome!

 

[LisaT91403]

We visited in November with my 4 year old son. The things he liked the best:

- Menehune Bridge (he could have played there all day, every day)
- Waterslide and lazy river
- Starlit Hui
- Aunty's House: volcano activity, canoes with Uncle, Stitch's Space Goo, and Beach Party with Chip & Dale. Chip & Dale was the only activity for which there was an extra charge because it included dinner. He had a blast at that, and didn't want to leave.

We rented a car at the airport, and kept it for the week. There is no charge to park even if you are staying with rented points. We mostly used the car for runs to Target and the grocery store, and occasionally to go to dinner. We also went to the Dole Plantation to ride the train (DS is obsessed with trains).

Shave ice at the resort is good, and one of the only "bargains". Character breakfast food was not great, but DS had fun dancing around the room and taking pics with characters.

PM if you have questions. Have fun!

 

[Meemoo]

Hi LisaT,

You mentioned that you rented a car from the airport, what were the costs like to rent it for the week? We are considering doing this for next time.

My 2 kids just loved the Menehune Bridge too, I hubby & I loved being able to sit and relax whilst they had a blast!

 

[LisaT91403]

Hi LisaT,

You mentioned that you rented a car from the airport, what were the costs like to rent it for the week? We are considering doing this for next time.

My 2 kids just loved the Menehune Bridge too, I hubby & I loved being able to sit and relax whilst they had a blast!

We rented a Standard SUV from Alamo (through Costco) for ~$260 which included the taxes. That was for a week. You really have to watch the prices, as they change almost daily. Smaller cars were a lot less, but we had 4 people and luggage...and we don't pack light, unfortunately!

Seriously...that Bridge was the greatest. We got to lounge in our chairs and do nothing while DS had a blast! The CM's were super nice there, especially Alex and Tina. They knew my son by name after the first day, and were always keeping an eye on him. I've never really been able to let my 4 year old run "free" anywhere before...it was fantastic.

 

[jhonsmith]

Dear We spent an entire day on the drive to the North Shore and the sea turtles were the highlight for DS. Other than that there was more than enough to keep us busy a the resort and we were happy not to be on the move....!!!

 

[Meemoo]

We rented a Standard SUV from Alamo (through Costco) for ~$260 which included the taxes. That was for a week. You really have to watch the prices, as they change almost daily. Smaller cars were a lot less, but we had 4 people and luggage...and we don't pack light, unfortunately!

Seriously...that Bridge was the greatest. We got to lounge in our chairs and do nothing while DS had a blast! The CM's were super nice there, especially Alex and Tina. They knew my son by name after the first day, and were always keeping an eye on him. I've never really been able to let my 4 year old run "free" anywhere before...it was fantastic.

That sounds like a pretty good deal for an SUV - did that require a Costco Membership and could you simply collect it from the airport? We almost rented a car on our last trip but we were hesitant about driving on 'the other side of the road', being from Australia but being a passenger on so many trips, the roads in Hawaii don't look too challenging for us, so we're up for exploring next time! Yup, that Menehune Bridge was fantastic. My son is also 4 years old and I have never let him out of sight either but the resort just felt so safe and there were so many CM's, my son lost sight of his sister at one stage and a nice CM guided him back to us. The staff are really fantastic.

 

[dsneygirl]

We rented a Standard SUV from Alamo (through Costco) for ~$260 which included the taxes. That was for a week. You really have to watch the prices, as they change almost daily. Smaller cars were a lot less, but we had 4 people and luggage...and we don't pack light, unfortunately!

Seriously...that Bridge was the greatest. We got to lounge in our chairs and do nothing while DS had a blast! The CM's were super nice there, especially Alex and Tina. They knew my son by name after the first day, and were always keeping an eye on him. I've never really been able to let my 4 year old run "free" anywhere before...it was fantastic.

We had an SUV for 10 days for less that $200 through Alamo. We have been to Hawaii 3x and always found car rental prices pretty cheap.

Forgot about the Menahune Adventure Trail! I think DS did this one 10x!

 

[LisaT91403]

That sounds like a pretty good deal for an SUV - did that require a Costco Membership and could you simply collect it from the airport? We almost rented a car on our last trip but we were hesitant about driving on 'the other side of the road', being from Australia but being a passenger on so many trips, the roads in Hawaii don't look too challenging for us, so we're up for exploring next time! Yup, that Menehune Bridge was fantastic. My son is also 4 years old and I have never let him out of sight either but the resort just felt so safe and there were so many CM's, my son lost sight of his sister at one stage and a nice CM guided him back to us. The staff are really fantastic.

Yes, we needed a Costco membership to book that rate, but there are other deals you can find. Someone posted a Thrifty code on this board, and the rate was also really good. It's HT14004118; just enter it when you book on the Thrifty website. I think there's another one people use, something like discounthawaiicarrental dot com. We had a big SUV, but if you get a smaller car or smaller SUV, the rates can easily be less than $200 for the week.

 

[Meemoo]

Thank you for the insight into car rentals, will definitely be getting one next time