Aulani - Island hopping?

[wendypooh]

Hi All,

We are going to Aulani in May - was just looking at hopping between the islands.........WOW, is it expensive!!! Does anyone know of any less expensive ways to see the other islands?

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Way back in the day before airfare went up & security got so tight it used to be easy to just do a "day trip" to another island. It used to only cost about $95 pp round trip and you could just book a flight the day before & show up at the airport...and even just hop on the first available return flight back when you were done. Those days are long gone. With the security lines & cost up now the best thing to do is to just plan to change islands and spend a few nights to make it worthwhile. If you plan it right you can probably book your incoming flight into Oahu then book your return flight home from another island (book it as a multi-city trip). Then you can just book your inter-island flights separately on like Hawaiian Airlines. We usually fly into Oahu and home from Maui on a late night return & we use Hawaiian Air for the inter-island flights. IMO Hawaii is way to far and too expensive to NOT plan to stay on more than 1 island while you're there. We always visit at least 2 if not 3 islands while we're there. My plan for next summer (if we can book what we want at 7 months) is to stop in CA for 3 nights, go to Oahu for 4-5 nights and then to Maui for 4-5 nights. Ideally it will work out to be 3, 5 and 5 nights. We don't normally spend more than 2 or 3 nights on Oahu because it's our least fav. island but figure with Aulani we may as well take advantage of the property & stay longer.

 

[PhillyCPA]

Way back in the day before airfare went up & security got so tight it used to be easy to just do a "day trip" to another island. It used to only cost about $95 pp round trip and you could just book a flight the day before & show up at the airport...and even just hop on the first available return flight back when you were done. Those days are long gone. With the security lines & cost up now the best thing to do is to just plan to change islands and spend a few nights to make it worthwhile. If you plan it right you can probably book your incoming flight into Oahu then book your return flight home from another island (book it as a multi-city trip). Then you can just book your inter-island flights separately on like Hawaiian Airlines. We usually fly into Oahu and home from Maui on a late night return & we use Hawaiian Air for the inter-island flights. IMO Hawaii is way to far and too expensive to NOT plan to stay on more than 1 island while you're there. We always visit at least 2 if not 3 islands while we're there. My plan for next summer (if we can book what we want at 7 months) is to stop in CA for 3 nights, go to Oahu for 4-5 nights and then to Maui for 4-5 nights. Ideally it will work out to be 3, 5 and 5 nights. We don't normally spend more than 2 or 3 nights on Oahu because it's our least fav. island but figure with Aulani we may as well take advantage of the property & stay longer.

I agree completely. I can't imagine going to Hawaii and only checking out one island. We usually do 2 or 3 as well and Oahu is our least favorite. I haven't been to Aulani yet, but I'm hoping that changes my opinion about Oahu.

You can also check out Island Air. Last time I was in Hawaii it was significantly cheaper than Hawaiian. If you are terrified of smaller planes, this might not be the best choice for you because they fly prop planes and Hawaiian uses jets. I actually enjoyed Island Air more than Hawaiian because they flew at a lower altitude and the scenery during the short flight was beautiful.

 

[wendypooh]

Thank You both so much!!! We will be there at least 2 weeks, hopefully 3. Not only are we going to Aulani, but our son/dil are moving there - so, we'll be visiting them. We DEF. want to island hop so, I'll check out the airline you mentioned. We did decide that we'd have to at the very least spend the night on other islands - the flight times we were seeing were only giving a few hours in between!!! But, Thanks again, I appreciate the help!!

 

[Disneypapa]

Have you considered or looked into a cruise to the various islands. I have friends who have done it and enjoyed seeing the other islands that way.

 

[wendypooh]

Have you considered or looked into a cruise to the various islands. I have friends who have done it and enjoyed seeing the other islands that way.

I'm looking into it - wasn't sure about it, but it sounds like it might be best option for us!! Thanks!!

 

[aymekae]

We're going to Hawaii for the first time next month, and staying 9 nights at Aulani. Not visiting any other islands this time. (I'll be 4 1/2 months pregnant, so I don't want to do any of the hikes or more adventurous activities right now anyway). Next trip, though, I would love to cruise Hawaii and combine that with several nights at Aulani, so I can get a taste of the different islands.

 

[DisWitt]

While the "cruise Hawaii" sounds like a good idea, I have friends and family who have been very displeased with the ONE inter-Hawaii cruise that is offered by NCL. In short, because it's not an international cruise, it has to bide by all US labor and maritime laws (versus others - including DCL - being int'l cruises and using an international crew and working longer hours and such). Just look into it well before booking as reviews haven't been great.

On the other hand, if you have time, some of the Los Angeles - Hawaii cruises are nice if you have 2 weeks to spare AND don't mind spending 4 days at sea for the crossing. Not sure how the recent DCL one went (someone should have a TR in the forum).

OR... there are many travel companies like Pleasant Holidays who does day excursions between the islands with airfare and ground transport included. I know they work through the Aulani concierge, so maybe check out that route. But if you want to mountain bike down Haleakala on Maui or visit active lava fields on Hawaii or scuba off Molokai, best to book at least 1-2 nights where you'll be.

 

[wendypooh]

Thanks everyone, clearly I still have tons of research to do!!!!

 

[DVCismyhappyplace]

Check out Hawaiian Airlines, Go Airlines and Island Air. I've used all three of them to go interisland and have never had any problems.

 

[dboules]

I agree with a previous poster. We flew into the Big Island and then off at Oahu. We left early morning from Kona to Honolulu and did all the tourist stuff (beach, Pearl Harbor, etc) before we flew out late that night. Back then there were multiple local Hawaiian airlines but now that is not the case.
Sounds like a great trip either way!!
D

 

[wendypooh]

thanks again everyone for the suggestions, looking into all the different ones and deciding which will work best for us. I appreciate all the input!!

 

[Anal Annie]

As somebody who's been to Hawaii 4 times and who's done 4 cruises I would NOT recommend a cruise around the islands. They are each unique and each deserve a few nights stay to appreciate and explore. We love Hawaii and we love cruises...but those 2 don't belong together IMO.

 

[wendypooh]

As somebody who's been to Hawaii 4 times and who's done 4 cruises I would NOT recommend a cruise around the islands. They are each unique and each deserve a few nights stay to appreciate and explore. We love Hawaii and we love cruises...but those 2 don't belong together IMO.

Annie, thanks for the response, I've actually been feeling the same way with the research I've been doing. What do you suggest? Basically, we just want to take a couple of day trips - it shouldn't cost almost as much to island hop as it does to fly out there from new orleans......... it's nuts!!! Thanks for any suggestions!!

 

[epgirl]

I've been to the 4 major Hawaiian islands and each is unique, therefore, I wouldn't recommend just a day trip to island hop. I suggest to split your time and visit two or three islands for multiple nights each so that you can enjoy different attractions/sights. Be sure to go to Kauai......it is the most lush of the Hawaiian islands! You'll probably love Hawaii and want to go back anyway! You can then visit another island(s). I'm planning my 5th trip to Hawaii as we speak (type)!

 

[Anal Annie]

Annie, thanks for the response, I've actually been feeling the same way with the research I've been doing. What do you suggest? Basically, we just want to take a couple of day trips - it shouldn't cost almost as much to island hop as it does to fly out there from new orleans......... it's nuts!!! Thanks for any suggestions!!

Since each island has its own personality it's really a matter of preference and you need to sort of research what you want to DO on each island. We have stayed on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island and did a "day trip" to Kauai once. The time we went to Kauai we went from Oahu VERY EARLY, rented a car for the day and just drove around. We visited the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation/factory, hiked into the rain forest for awhile and drove part way around Waimea Canyon before we decided we'd best head back to the airport to catch the last flight back to Oahu. You can totally lose track of time. Kauai is beautiful but we didn't feel that we found as much to do there to warrant going back to spend the night although I suppose we SHOULD at some point. Waimea Canyon is like going to the Grand Canyon - it's beautiful but it's the same scenery for miles and miles. We felt Kauai was more of a honeymooners type quiet. So if you like to hike or if you're looking for a relaxing do nothing but lounge around kind of island I would suggest Kauai.

We also did a day trip to the Big Island once from Oahu before we had our son (staying at like an Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki is usually the cheapest option of any of the islands so that's why we did our day trips from Oahu when we did them). That time we flew into the Hilo side and we rented a car for the day and drove to both Akaka Falls State Park and then down to the southern coast to visit a black sand beach and swim with the sea turtles (VERY COOL BTW). We had booked a quick helicopter tour for the afternoon that just flew over the active volcano, Kilauea. (If you do just a day trip try to utilize and minimize the time spent at the airport for either early or late in the day if you book a helicopter type tour.) We soon realized that the Big Island truely IS big and that there was no way to see it all in a day so then we planned to go back to spend a few nights on another trip. So on our LAST visit to Hawaii we went to the Kona side and spent 3 nights. We did another helicopter tour - a longer one that flew over the volcano (I cannot stress just HOW COOL that is) and then up around the northern Kohala Coast to see the waterfalls. We did a LOT of driving on that trip for just general sightseeing and we brought our snorkeling gear and did some off-shore snorkeling (which was THE BEST EVER) on the Kona side. We still haven't seen everything on the Big Island. They really don't have good beaches on this island if you're a beach fantatic. As this is the youngest island the coast is covered with black volcanic rock - so there are not a lot of natural sandy beaches. If you're looking for super gorgeous beaches then you want to be sure to visit Maui!!

Maui is our favorite. There is a lot to do there. I have visited Maui on every trip. I have stayed in Ka'anapali 3 times and in Wailea 1 time (I think Wailea tends to be a little pricier to stay). My first time to Maui I did a day trip on a catamaran to the little island of Lanai which was very relaxing. It's really just a beach kind of day. We always book a snorkeling trip from Maui. There are a lot to choose from out of Lahaina or Makena. I have done the drive to Hana 2 or 3 times (I forget now how many). The last time we did not go up to Haleakala for sunrise bcuz we had our son with us and it didn't seem like a good plan to get him up at 2:00 am at that time but I want to do that again next time. It is simply AMAZING to see the sunrise from above the clouds. (This is not something you could do from a cruise.) What time you have to get up to make the long drive depends on what time sunrise is when you go. But it's about a 2.5 hour drive depending on where you're staying I think so if the sun comes up at 5:30 when you're there then you'll want to get up at like 2-2:30 to get dressed (WARMLY) and to head out. It is VERY cold up there. You don't want to be late & miss it so plan ahead. Since we're usually pretty wiped out that day we don't usually plan anything else for the rest of the day other than lounging by the pool / beach & napping. A lot of people who like to bike book a bike down Haleakala tour. They go up in a van then ride back down on bikes. Maui has lots to see and do so we like to spend at LEAST 4 nights there.

Oahu is our least favorite & we usually only spend 2 or 3 nights there before we move on. With Aulani though I figure we'll give it a try for 4 or 5 nights. Since we're using points it will be the cheapest stay for sure. I went to the Polynesian Cultural Center on my first trip and it was a long day. I haven't had the desire to return, although if we drove ourselves it might be better 'cuz we could leave whenever we wanted. The time I went I was on a bus with a tour group. And I was STUCK there. We left very early in the morning and didn't get back to our hotel until like 11:00 that night - it is on the opposite side of the island from Waikiki. Personally, I was done with it by like lunchtime, although they DO put on a very nice show at night. We usually go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and we ALWAYS, ALWAYS visit Pearl Harbor. Last time the USS Missouri was there so we toured that too which was cool. Pearl Harbor is probably why I always insist on visiting Oahu. I find it fascinating and just can't miss it, ever. It is one of the most moving experiences you can ever do. Having seen / done the Punchbowl I don't feel the need to ever go there again either.

Depending on the time of year you go you will probably want to try to go on a whale watching type excursion (best probably January - April).

Golf - if you golf you should plan to golf on one of the islands. I would recommend doing that on Maui or the Big Island probably. I personally don't golf but I surprised DH with a round on Maui once. It was the time we stayed in Wailea. I arranged it thru the concierge at the hotel we stayed at. Rented clubs & got the tee time all set up and he played on the course where the Gold Masters play. I went along for the ride / day and he was paired up with another couple. It was an amazing course. Very difficult for him because he doesn't golf a whole lot but it was just something fun for him to do once. The course ran along the coast and had some amazing views and old lava fields as obstacles etc. The couple that he golfed with were BIG golfers and they were literally golfing someplace different every single day!!

Island hopping can be a little time consuming. I would recommend going early. Get your rental car and get going. Just looking real quick on Kayak.com I see flight prices from HNL to KOA (Kona) are about $77 one-way and they are 43 minutes. Prices from HNL to OGG (Maui) are $73 one-way and are only 37 minutes. Flights from OGG to KOA are anywhere from $76 - $110 and would be a little longer (just under an hour I think). I saw some odd ball airlines listed that I am not familiar with (Mokulele and Pacific Wings to name a couple). I would probably research those a little bit before booking them but they are super short flights so I can't imagine they could be THAT BAD. You just want to make sure your luggage gets there with you if you're transferring islands. But you are literally up and then down on these flights.

Do a little research on the types of activities you like to so whether it's golf or snorkeling or historical / educational type stuff so you can make an informed plan. Rental cars are a MUST so budget for those too. There is no way to fully understand just how much there is to see and do in Hawaii until you actually GO there. If you are going for at least 2 weeks I would recommend trying to change islands 3 times. Last time we went was the first and only time we took our son but we only did 9 nights / 10 days. So we did 2 nights on Oahu (so we could take him to Pearl Harbor) then 3 nights on the Big Island and 4 nights on Maui. We found it to be a little too hectic of a trip. We should've planned for a couple more days to do 3 islands but we really wanted to take our son to see the volcano on the Big Island. In the future if we're only there for 10 nights like we will be on our next trip then I will limit us to 2 islands. It's too much packing & moving otherwise. But 2 full weeks is enough time I think to see 3 islands - while 2 or 3 nights is too rushed we feel 4-5 nights on each is adequate and want to move on.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Since each island has its own personality it's really a matter of preference and you need to sort of research what you want to DO on each island. We have stayed on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island and did a "day trip" to Kauai once. The time we went to Kauai we went from Oahu VERY EARLY, rented a car for the day and just drove around. We visited the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation/factory, hiked into the rain forest for awhile and drove part way around Waimea Canyon before we decided we'd best head back to the airport to catch the last flight back to Oahu. You can totally lose track of time. Kauai is beautiful but we didn't feel that we found as much to do there to warrant going back to spend the night although I suppose we SHOULD at some point. Waimea Canyon is like going to the Grand Canyon - it's beautiful but it's the same scenery for miles and miles. We felt Kauai was more of a honeymooners type quiet. So if you like to hike or if you're looking for a relaxing do nothing but lounge around kind of island I would suggest Kauai.

Not to laugh at your expense but all the things you listed to do in Maui you can do in Kauai. They have ziplining, 4 wheeling, hiking, snorkeling, seeing the napili coast is amazing, zodiac boats, tubing the ditch, helicopter tours, waterfalls, horeseback riding, caving, etc... Kauai has a lot to offer. I've been to Maui, Kauai and Oahu collectively over 20 times in the last 10 years. I live pretty close. I'll definitely retire there and we did pick Maui.

 

[wendypooh]

Since each island has its own personality it's really a matter of preference and you need to sort of research what you want to DO on each island. We have stayed on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island and did a "day trip" to Kauai once. The time we went to Kauai we went from Oahu VERY EARLY, rented a car for the day and just drove around. We visited the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation/factory, hiked into the rain forest for awhile and drove part way around Waimea Canyon before we decided we'd best head back to the airport to catch the last flight back to Oahu. You can totally lose track of time. Kauai is beautiful but we didn't feel that we found as much to do there to warrant going back to spend the night although I suppose we SHOULD at some point. Waimea Canyon is like going to the Grand Canyon - it's beautiful but it's the same scenery for miles and miles. We felt Kauai was more of a honeymooners type quiet. So if you like to hike or if you're looking for a relaxing do nothing but lounge around kind of island I would suggest Kauai.


We also did a day trip to the Big Island once from Oahu before we had our son (staying at like an Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki is usually the cheapest option of any of the islands so that's why we did our day trips from Oahu when we did them). That time we flew into the Hilo side and we rented a car for the day and drove to both Akaka Falls State Park and then down to the southern coast to visit a black sand beach and swim with the sea turtles (VERY COOL BTW). We had booked a quick helicopter tour for the afternoon that just flew over the active volcano, Kilauea. (If you do just a day trip try to utilize and minimize the time spent at the airport for either early or late in the day if you book a helicopter type tour.) We soon realized that the Big Island truely IS big and that there was no way to see it all in a day so then we planned to go back to spend a few nights on another trip. So on our LAST visit to Hawaii we went to the Kona side and spent 3 nights. We did another helicopter tour - a longer one that flew over the volcano (I cannot stress just HOW COOL that is) and then up around the northern Kohala Coast to see the waterfalls. We did a LOT of driving on that trip for just general sightseeing and we brought our snorkeling gear and did some off-shore snorkeling (which was THE BEST EVER) on the Kona side. We still haven't seen everything on the Big Island. They really don't have good beaches on this island if you're a beach fantatic. As this is the youngest island the coast is covered with black volcanic rock - so there are not a lot of natural sandy beaches. If you're looking for super gorgeous beaches then you want to be sure to visit Maui!!

Maui is our favorite. There is a lot to do there. I have visited Maui on every trip. I have stayed in Ka'anapali 3 times and in Wailea 1 time (I think Wailea tends to be a little pricier to stay). My first time to Maui I did a day trip on a catamaran to the little island of Lanai which was very relaxing. It's really just a beach kind of day. We always book a snorkeling trip from Maui. There are a lot to choose from out of Lahaina or Makena. I have done the drive to Hana 2 or 3 times (I forget now how many). The last time we did not go up to Haleakala for sunrise bcuz we had our son with us and it didn't seem like a good plan to get him up at 2:00 am at that time but I want to do that again next time. It is simply AMAZING to see the sunrise from above the clouds. (This is not something you could do from a cruise.) What time you have to get up to make the long drive depends on what time sunrise is when you go. But it's about a 2.5 hour drive depending on where you're staying I think so if the sun comes up at 5:30 when you're there then you'll want to get up at like 2-2:30 to get dressed (WARMLY) and to head out. It is VERY cold up there. You don't want to be late & miss it so plan ahead. Since we're usually pretty wiped out that day we don't usually plan anything else for the rest of the day other than lounging by the pool / beach & napping. A lot of people who like to bike book a bike down Haleakala tour. They go up in a van then ride back down on bikes. Maui has lots to see and do so we like to spend at LEAST 4 nights there.

Oahu is our least favorite & we usually only spend 2 or 3 nights there before we move on. With Aulani though I figure we'll give it a try for 4 or 5 nights. Since we're using points it will be the cheapest stay for sure. I went to the Polynesian Cultural Center on my first trip and it was a long day. I haven't had the desire to return, although if we drove ourselves it might be better 'cuz we could leave whenever we wanted. The time I went I was on a bus with a tour group. And I was STUCK there. We left very early in the morning and didn't get back to our hotel until like 11:00 that night - it is on the opposite side of the island from Waikiki. Personally, I was done with it by like lunchtime, although they DO put on a very nice show at night. We usually go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and we ALWAYS, ALWAYS visit Pearl Harbor. Last time the USS Missouri was there so we toured that too which was cool. Pearl Harbor is probably why I always insist on visiting Oahu. I find it fascinating and just can't miss it, ever. It is one of the most moving experiences you can ever do. Having seen / done the Punchbowl I don't feel the need to ever go there again either.

Depending on the time of year you go you will probably want to try to go on a whale watching type excursion (best probably January - April).

Golf - if you golf you should plan to golf on one of the islands. I would recommend doing that on Maui or the Big Island probably. I personally don't golf but I surprised DH with a round on Maui once. It was the time we stayed in Wailea. I arranged it thru the concierge at the hotel we stayed at. Rented clubs & got the tee time all set up and he played on the course where the Gold Masters play. I went along for the ride / day and he was paired up with another couple. It was an amazing course. Very difficult for him because he doesn't golf a whole lot but it was just something fun for him to do once. The course ran along the coast and had some amazing views and old lava fields as obstacles etc. The couple that he golfed with were BIG golfers and they were literally golfing someplace different every single day!!

Island hopping can be a little time consuming. I would recommend going early. Get your rental car and get going. Just looking real quick on Kayak.com I see flight prices from HNL to KOA (Kona) are about $77 one-way and they are 43 minutes. Prices from HNL to OGG (Maui) are $73 one-way and are only 37 minutes. Flights from OGG to KOA are anywhere from $76 - $110 and would be a little longer (just under an hour I think). I saw some odd ball airlines listed that I am not familiar with (Mokulele and Pacific Wings to name a couple). I would probably research those a little bit before booking them but they are super short flights so I can't imagine they could be THAT BAD. You just want to make sure your luggage gets there with you if you're transferring islands. But you are literally up and then down on these flights.

Do a little research on the types of activities you like to so whether it's golf or snorkeling or historical / educational type stuff so you can make an informed plan. Rental cars are a MUST so budget for those too. There is no way to fully understand just how much there is to see and do in Hawaii until you actually GO there. If you are going for at least 2 weeks I would recommend trying to change islands 3 times. Last time we went was the first and only time we took our son but we only did 9 nights / 10 days. So we did 2 nights on Oahu (so we could take him to Pearl Harbor) then 3 nights on the Big Island and 4 nights on Maui. We found it to be a little too hectic of a trip. We should've planned for a couple more days to do 3 islands but we really wanted to take our son to see the volcano on the Big Island. In the future if we're only there for 10 nights like we will be on our next trip then I will limit us to 2 islands. It's too much packing & moving otherwise. But 2 full weeks is enough time I think to see 3 islands - while 2 or 3 nights is too rushed we feel 4-5 nights on each is adequate and want to move on.

WOW Annie, Thanks for so much information, I appreciate it!!! I think we'll def. take the advice of many here and try to stay 2/3 days on each island at least - there is a lot we want to see and do, but with our son moving there, I'm sure we'll make many trips!!! Again, I appreciate your post!!!

Also, if you or ourdogcisco have any specific recommendations, hotels, tours, sites to see, restaurants, etc... anything really - PLEASE let me know!!

 

[ACDSNY]

I've been to the 4 major Hawaiian islands and each is unique, therefore, I wouldn't recommend just a day trip to island hop. I suggest to split your time and visit two or three islands for multiple nights each so that you can enjoy different attractions/sights. Be sure to go to Kauai......it is the most lush of the Hawaiian islands! You'll probably love Hawaii and want to go back anyway! You can then visit another island(s). I'm planning my 5th trip to Hawaii as we speak (type)!

This is exacting what I was thinking. Kauai is still our favorite after 3 trips. We still need to get to the Big Island so we'll have to plan a 5th trip.

 

[Anal Annie]

WOW Annie, Thanks for so much information, I appreciate it!!! I think we'll def. take the advice of many here and try to stay 2/3 days on each island at least - there is a lot we want to see and do, but with our son moving there, I'm sure we'll make many trips!!! Again, I appreciate your post!!!

Also, if you or ourdogcisco have any specific recommendations, hotels, tours, sites to see, restaurants, etc... anything really - PLEASE let me know!!

Whenever we travel (outside of Disney) I always use a combination of Trip Advisor and Frommer's for reviews on places to stay. We have found the Outrigger hotel chain to be fairly reliable in Hawaii and they always accurately met the reviews I've read on Trip Advisor...on Oahu we have tried 2 of them and we tried one on the Big Island and 1 on Maui (but the one we stayed at on Maui is now a Marriott - in Wailea). Outriggers are not 5 star plush but are more moderately priced (3-4 stars) and are a fair value for what you pay. We have also stayed at the Sheraton in Ka'anapali (Maui) and it's on our short list again for our next trip. We are planning to convert / transfer Amex. Reward points to our Starwood account which operates both Sheraton & Westin hotels - so we will pick one of those 2 on Maui next time - either one is fine with us - we'll just see which one is available whenever we go to book. Both are within walking distance (10 min.) of Lahaina which is the Whalers Village next to Ka'anapali. I would suggest if you have any Amex. points or HHonors or Marriott points saved up this is the time to cash 'em in!! If you belong to Costco you can always check on their rates too for the other islands...if you book hotels with them you can also book flights and rental cars (but you can't just book flights if you don't book a hotel etc). I have booked Hawaii thru them before too. Sometimes they have a deal for X number of nights or something. Worth at least checking IMO. You can call them for other options / dates not listed in their brochures. I'm sure others have their fav. places to stay as well....we've always had to go on a pretty tight budget tho - so I would imagine our stay at Aulani will top anything we've ever done there!!