Aulani just informed me the following is currently closed...

[jves]

Which test? Our Walgreens in Michigan can't guarantee the PCR test in less than 72 hours but the ID NOW test is less than 24 hours (and most report getting results in 1-2 hours). We will be taking tests this week so I can't speak from first hand experience yet.

we used carbon health which is an approved vendor; it was $180 a test and was prett easy (even for my 5 year old)

 

[jves]

Some of the restaurants we ate in:

Monkey pod Kitchen Ko Olina
Roys Ko Olina
Cheesecake Factory Kapolei
Haleiwa Beach House North Shore
Duke’s Waikiki
Kalapawai Cafe and Deli Kapolei
Olelo Room (Appetizers and Drinks with Live Music) Aulani
Mad Bene Kapolei

Also note that DoorDash, Grubhub and UberEars deliver from most of local fast food and chain restaurants.

are you seeing a lot of online delivery services delivering in Kapolei (ie to Aulani)?

 

[jves]

I’d say wait a bit longer until more things come online...my Aulani experience was truly magical and I want to keep it like that!

Monkey pod was fabulous though

kualoa ranch was open and we were able to get last minute reservations pretty easily for a 1 hour atv tour which i was told is the most popular tour

 

[Lilsia]

We were supposed to go last year for my daughter's HS graduation and rescheduled for this coming May. None of those things on the list is a deal breaker for us. We did the Luau last time, plus there are other Luaus on the Island going on. My "baby" is almost 19 so Auntie's is not even relevant to us. The Spa would have been nice, but it's not like the only spa on the planet is at Aulani. We are long past the point of doing meet and greets since we have "met" them all numerous times. We look at our trip as a vacation in Hawaii with Aulani being the resort that we stay at. I use DVC points so it's not an issue of spending money. We are planning on staying 16 nights at Aulani and another 5 nights in Waikiki. We will have a car and will be exploring the Island and plan on eating at as many local places as possible so not having Ama Ama is also another non-issue for us. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what they want out of a vacation. We are people that have the mentality of enjoying ourselves no matter what comes our way and look to what we can do and not what we can't. You can always find what's not there if you are looking for it. Also, why would I care about someone else's wedding anyway? It's not like we go to watch other people get married. That is weird to me.

 

[mickeee]

are you seeing a lot of online delivery services delivering in Kapolei (ie to Aulani)?

Yes there are quite a few places that deliver. You can check them yourself. In the DoorDash or UberEats or Grubhub app try putting in the Aulani address for delivery. The app will ask you that it looks like your a little far from the destination and are you sure? Just say yes and it will list you all the restaurants that deliver to Aulani at that particular time. Make sure to take in the time difference and only check during lunch or dinner times in Hawaii to get the best results!

 

[DRussell83]

We were supposed to go last year for my daughter's HS graduation and rescheduled for this coming May. None of those things on the list is a deal breaker for us. We did the Luau last time, plus there are other Luaus on the Island going on. My "baby" is almost 19 so Auntie's is not even relevant to us. The Spa would have been nice, but it's not like the only spa on the planet is at Aulani. We are long past the point of doing meet and greets since we have "met" them all numerous times. We look at our trip as a vacation in Hawaii with Aulani being the resort that we stay at. I use DVC points so it's not an issue of spending money. We are planning on staying 16 nights at Aulani and another 5 nights in Waikiki. We will have a car and will be exploring the Island and plan on eating at as many local places as possible so not having Ama Ama is also another non-issue for us. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what they want out of a vacation. We are people that have the mentality of enjoying ourselves no matter what comes our way and look to what we can do and not what we can't. You can always find what's not there if you are looking for it. Also, why would I care about someone else's wedding anyway? It's not like we go to watch other people get married. That is weird to me.

21 day vacation? K really want your PTO policy

 

[Lilsia]

21 day vacation? K really want your PTO policy

I work part time so can take off whatever I want.

 

[swooshbear]

We were there for Thanksgiving and while some things were not open, it was really nice to see the resort quiet and not packed with people. On weekdays, it was easy to find a pool chair at almost any time of day. During normal times, the pools are jammed pack and people are sitting on the little concrete walls waiting for a chair to open up. I can't wait for things to get back to normal but I will also miss how peaceful it is right now and how you can just put your feet up and relax.

 

[alyssao]

I work part time so can take off whatever I want.

What is the mask policy at the pool? I heard in November they were making people in lounge chairs wear masks, but that now they are not.....what have you observed?

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Which test? Our Walgreens in Michigan can't guarantee the PCR test in less than 72 hours but the ID NOW test is less than 24 hours (and most report getting results in 1-2 hours). We will be taking tests this week so I can't speak from first hand experience yet.

Would you be willing to post your experience with Walgreens and response times (for another Michigander)?

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

What is the mask policy at the pool? I heard in November they were making people in lounge chairs wear masks, but that now they are not.....what have you observed?

It's basically no mask required near the pool including in lounge chairs. Chairs are spaced out in groups of 2-4 and zip tied together.

We didn't spend a ton of time in lounge chairs but long enough that I think if they were enforcing it, we would have been reminded.

Would you be willing to post your experience with Walgreens and response times (for another Michigander)?

It was really straight forward:
-You can only make an appointment a few days in advance and they're in 15 minute time slots. Only certain locations do the ID NOW testing so check that prior so you are prepared for the trip: https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/covid19/testing?ban=covid_testing
-Test is done at the drive through pharmacy. You do not get out of your vehicle.
-You self administer the test with a nasal swab (5 circular rotations ~1" into your nose on each side). It's not as deep as the typical PCR test that a nurse does.
-My appointment was at 4:45pm and I had results in my email at 7:22pm.

 

[Lilsia]

What is the mask policy at the pool? I heard in November they were making people in lounge chairs wear masks, but that now they are not.....what have you observed?

From what I have see others posting from their recent trips, they are not making you wear a mask while sitting in your lounge chair. If you get up, you put it on.

 

[Jimmynguyen77]

We are planning a trip in April and hope there will be more activities. I spoke with a rep on the phone and they even said the movie night is cancelled. Have a 6 and 3 year old and going for them. From our few previous trips even when it was busy, the pools never felt full. Are the water slides still running? April is still a bit of time away so things may change now that more people will be getting vaccines.

 

[CateinPhoenix]

We are planning a trip in April and hope there will be more activities. I spoke with a rep on the phone and they even said the movie night is cancelled. Have a 6 and 3 year old and going for them. From our few previous trips even when it was busy, the pools never felt full. Are the water slides still running? April is still a bit of time away so things may change now that more people will be getting vaccines.

Yes water slides were running.