Aulani logistics

[kid-at-heart]

Like many of you on this board I am now making plans to visit Hawaii - in a couple of years. Thanks a lot Disney...

I have never traveled to Hawaii and am a little unsure of what I am doing. I am hoping others will jump in with advice and save me hours of research.

I know I need to research/plan for:

When to go? For us it will be which month are airfares the cheapest from the mid-west to Hawaii.

Which airport will we be flying into?

Do we fly straight from Michigan to Hawaii or should we layover somewhere?

How do we get from the airport to Aulani? Must we rent a car? We would prefer not to rent a car.

If we do not rent a car, what other activities are nearby which we can walk/use public transportation to get to?

What else do I need to consider/research to make our trip as stress free as possible?

Thanks for your help.

Kate

 

[bgraham34]

A lot can change in a couple of years. The cost of fuel could make a trip impossible. Airlines can go belly up in no time especially with fuel prices.

You will fly into Honolulu airport but i don't know if you will have a direct flight from Michigan and once again things can change.

You can get a taxi to take you to the resort.

 

[Pakey]

The resort is 30-45 minutes from the airport so that could be a pretty expensive cab ride. Also, from what I have read, there is not much around the resort in terms of dining, etc. I have been to Hawaii several times and I can't imagine going there without having a rental car. Two things I would definitely recommend seeing on Oahu would be Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center, neither of which are close to Aulani. Oahu is my least favorite of the islands but I would still want to see a few things other than the resort if I were going there.

I've been to Hawaii in November, December, February, March and May. The temperatures are pretty consistent. The only time I would try to avoid would be whenever the Japanese are out on their big holiday as Oahu is a very popular tourist destination for Japan and things will be more crowded.

 

[Podgieree]

I just booked a stay today for October. We plan to rent a car as the nearest bus stop is 2 miles away. I would check with others in the midwest about the best plan for flying.

 

[Starr W.]

We went to Hawaii for 17 days last summer. We fly out of Detroit, so I started poking around at times/layovers etc about a year out. We went with Delta because 1) they had a direct flight from DTW-HNL only 8.5 hours, same as I'm used to flying direct flights to Europe. 2) had a ton of skymiles, and I used them to upgrade 4 tickets to 1st class both ways.

If I had to connect, I was looking for 1hr-2hr layovers, I'll pay more than sit around in an airport.

We flew out on Wednesday and stayed 3 nights in HNL to see Pearl Harbor etc. Friday we left to spend a week on the BI, then on to Kauai for the final week.

I booked my long haul flights first(got to the price/miles level I wanted) then booked interisland later.

We rented a car for 1 day on Honolulu to go to Pearl, if I was staying out in the Ko olina area I would rent a car.

 

[donaldsgirl]

Hi! As was answered already, you will fly into the Honolulu airport which is on H-1 (interstate) The resort is at the far end of the bottom half of the island opposite of Honolulu/Waikiki. I WOULD NOT suggest you leave the area that the resort is in (Koalina, which is a very nice area) unless you have a rental car. Right outside of the resort area is one of the worst/roughest parts of the island and I wouldn't feel very safe using public transportation/walking in that particular area. You would really miss alot of cool things there if you didn't get a car for at least a day or so. Ala Moana Mall in Waikiki is AMAZING and very interesting to see, great shopping! The cultural center is an all day thing and is NOT TO BE MISSED! Very very interesting and it is on the opposite side of the island. Depending on traffic from Koalina it could take 40 minutes or 3 hours (after 10 am going and either before 3pm or after 7 pm on the way back and it should be a pretty quick drive.) Pearl Harbor is a must see as well. The Navy base (Pearl is just outside the gate) is right off of H-1 so it is a straight shot from the resort. Also, there is a little hole in the wall place called the Dixie Grill that is VERY close to the base/Pearl that is great for lunch, it is on Kamehameha (Kam) Hgwy about .5 miles from the Pearl Harbor parking area. (My husband is a Naval Officer and we were stationed there twice.) If you can you may want to head to the other side of the island via H-3 to Kialua and Kaneohe Bay. It is a beautiful drive and the view coming into Kaneohe is BEAUTIFUL!! It is a very picturesque little town. Have fun!! Watch out for the spam and rice, also try the poi and let us know what you think of it!!

 

[slowly]

Like many of you on this board I am now making plans to visit Hawaii - in a couple of years. Thanks a lot Disney...

I have never traveled to Hawaii and am a little unsure of what I am doing. I am hoping others will jump in with advice and save me hours of research.

I know I need to research/plan for:

When to go? For us it will be which month are airfares the cheapest from the mid-west to Hawaii.

Which airport will we be flying into?

Do we fly straight from Michigan to Hawaii or should we layover somewhere?

How do we get from the airport to Aulani? Must we rent a car? We would prefer not to rent a car.

If we do not rent a car, what other activities are nearby which we can walk/use public transportation to get to?

What else do I need to consider/research to make our trip as stress free as possible?

Thanks for your help.

Kate

Aloha Kate,

The Aulani is situated in Koolina which is a resort area to begin with as the Marriot timeshares have been there already for many years and another hotel that is used by football players during the Pro-Bowl in Jan. There is a nice golf course which is parallel to the resorts and hotels. If you don't rent a car the Aulani will have all the thing that a resort normally will have. Roy's which is a popular restuarant is across the street which is known throughout the world for it's Island/Asian/Western fusion meals. He has won numerous awards. There is also a Luau called Paradise Cove which is frequented by Tourists and locals. The Luau is within walking distance.

The Honolulu airport is about 35 mins away and depending on traffic it could be longer. If you are planning to stay at the resort and take in the sun and the beach a car is not necessary as long as you get a shuttle to and from the airport. If you plan to see the island a car is a must. Koolina is west of everything. Waikiki is about 50 mins to an hour away due to traffic but the distance is only about 30 miles.

If you have kids coming here in the off season will be tough but if you don't Feb-early March and then late Sept-Nov are when the flights come down in price. The city right before Aulani is Kapolei which has all the Big Box stores and some good restuarants and it's probably only a 10 min bus ride to that area. There's Target, Kmart, Costco and numerous restuarants there. One of my favorite sushi restuarants is located in that area call Kazuko.

If want more information let me know and I will be glad to share as much as I know. We live in the area and are very happy that Aulani is here. Looks very nice as we visited the models.

 

[heathpack]

You should really plan on renting a car. Ko Olina is not really near too much else and you will want to see a bit of the island.

Any time of the year is nice, but Ko Olina is on the leeward side of the island and the water is very tranquil and clear in winter. That is also whale watching season if that appeals.

Great things to do on Oahu include Pearl Harbor, beach hopping on the north shore, visiting Honolulu, driving Tantalus in the hills north of Honolulu, snorkeling, and swimming.

One of the best experiences we have ever had was in Wainane, west of Koolina. It was a snorkel swim with wild dolphins.

H

 

[kid-at-heart]

You guys are awesome! It would have taken me hours of research to have collected this much information. Per your advice, we will rent a car, unless between now and trip-time, Disney comes up with decent alternatives for getting around the island.

If airfares are decent then we would prefer to travel Jan or Feb. Hopefully those months will continue to be low fare. In the past we have always flown home (Washington) during the summer but for the past few years airfare has skyrocketed during summer months. I was not sure if the same thing occurred for travel to Hawaii.

Good to know about the 8.5 hour flight from DTW. That is one of our airport options.

Have any of you planned a long - day or two layover in order to break of the trip? If so, where?

Again, my thanks,
Kate

 

[Starr W.]

You guys are awesome! It would have taken me hours of research to have collected this much information. Per your advice, we will rent a car, unless between now and trip-time, Disney comes up with decent alternatives for getting around the island.

If airfares are decent then we would prefer to travel Jan or Feb. Hopefully those months will continue to be low fare. In the past we have always flown home (Washington) during the summer but for the past few years airfare has skyrocketed during summer months. I was not sure if the same thing occurred for travel to Hawaii.

Good to know about the 8.5 hour flight from DTW. That is one of our airport options.

Have any of you planned a long - day or two layover in order to break of the trip? If so, where?

Again, my thanks,
Kate

DH and I both have done the really long haul flights to Asia, I just get on the plane and get there as quick as possible. The fewer times I have to go through TSA BS the better when I travel.

 

[Disneyfriend]

Hi there! You've already gotten some great advice here, but I thought I'd add a few thoughts. We live on Oahu about 25 minutes from Ko Olina.

You'll definitely fly into Honolulu. Last summer my daughter flew from Honolulu to Michigan for a college summer program, and she had to take two flights to get there. The non stop between Honolulu and Dallas is quite nice.

I agree that you'll want to rent a car, and that Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center are two absolute must dos. Another option is the Bishop Museum. It's closer to downtown Honolulu and is an interesting blend of natural history and Hawaiian history.

Just about any time is a pretty good time to visit. It does tend to be a bit cooler and rainier during the winter months. Then again, January and February are prime whale watching months (but you'll have to take a sight seeing cruise to see them, probably).

The Aulani is beautiful. We toured the 2 BR villa model and thought it was lovely. The whole property is very similar in look/feel to Animal Kingdom Lodge, except that it obviously has a Hawaiian theme instead of an African theme. The 2 BR villas were extremely similar to the 2 BR Kidani villa where we stayed last fall - and I mean that as a compliment!

Hope that helps a little! Happy planning.

 

[downontheBW]

We've been to Oahu twice in the last 7 years; and visited other islands as well. Flying out of western NY, there's nothing direct but I try to minimize the number of hops so prefer the long haul if possible. We've had direct from Atlanta and Chicago - either were fine. I'd love to do direct from DTW.

It just costs a lot to get to Hawaii. January is probably not quite as expensive as Feb-Apr. We've visited in April, Oct, Nov. Hawaii weather is quite consistent.

As others have said, unless you just want to enjoy the resort, a car is a must. KoOlina isn't really near that many things - at least the touristy things. We never rented a car because we stayed in Waikiki. But outside of that area, I'd rent a car. Besides driving, there are quite a few tour companies that will do a circle tour to take you all over the island. We did the tour thing on the small buses, not the huge ones.

In addition to places already mentioned, I'd recommend a visit to Diamond Head. It looks like a mountain in the distance but is actually a dormant (I think) volcano. It's a bit of a climb, including many stairs - some inside the mountain that will take you to a beautiful view from the top. Especially interesting because one view is from a "pill box" hidden in the mountain that held machine gunners during WWII.

As mentioned, drive the H-3 highway from Honolulu on the west coast to Kaneohe on the east coast stopping at Pali overlook to view the valley and ocean to the east - Pali means mountain in Hawaiian. Just about the most beautiful view anywhere. Do some image searching on the net.

If you go in the winter, you may be able to see the huge surfing waves on the North Shore. They're not very predictable since the big ones are caused by storms but you may get lucky. They say when the 30 foot waves come in, the ground shakes.

I've heard many people say they don't really like Oahu but maybe they don't get out of Honolulu. Here's a few more if you wish to venture outside of Ko Olina: walking Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head in the distance, Iolani Palace, south shore blowhole, snorkling Hanauma Bay, the 2 little islands off Lanikai Beach, Byoko-in Japanese Temple.

OK - I'm done... Hawaii is awesome! I need to get back there.

 

[bgsnmky]

I hope it is ok that I jump in here...we are going for 17 days too...and visiting multiple islands.

We are JUST now contemplating flying from DFW to HNL instead of straight to Maui and using our Disney points.

we have two time shares for the other two weeks, but coming in on Thursday/fRiday and would need to pay for two nights somewhere. before using our timeshare on Maui.

I had heard that Aluani is far away from everything..so it sounds like if we are there for just two night...we should hit pearl Harbor and just enjoy the resort...

Or skip and save for another time!

Looks like we could land at HNL if early enough and do pearl harbor when we arrive right?

 

[Tikihula]

I hope it is ok that I jump in here...we are going for 17 days too...and visiting multiple islands.

We are JUST now contemplating flying from DFW to HNL instead of straight to Maui and using our Disney points.

we have two time shares for the other two weeks, but coming in on Thursday/fRiday and would need to pay for two nights somewhere. before using our timeshare on Maui.

I had heard that Aluani is far away from everything..so it sounds like if we are there for just two night...we should hit pearl Harbor and just enjoy the resort...

Or skip and save for another time!

Looks like we could land at HNL if early enough and do pearl harbor when we arrive right?

If I understand correctly, you're thinking of using DVC points for a stay at Aulani - is that right? Aulani is not scheduled to open until August 2011. It is still under construction, but they do have preview models open for touring.

 

[slowly]

Hi Kate etal

A way to break up the flight would be to stop at the Grand CA property in Disneyland. That's actually our Home property. Depends on where your layover is but the Grand Villas are slightly bigger in size than at Aulani.

My father recently flew from Newark, NJ to HI for under $650 including tax. Historically late Jan-Feb the fares are lower but you need to check everyday. The best option is to take advantage of the 30 day cancellation policy with DVC to get the airfare that will work for you. I know it can be nerve racking but it works. My friend flew from Newark in early April in 2009 and got a fare for less than $400! You need to check everyday. When I was checking my father's flight on a Friday it was over $900 but the following Monday it was at the $650 fare. Then I checked later that week and it shot up again. One tip is to go on Orbitz to check for fares and once you see a good fare then go onto the actually airline's website and book it there.

As you can tell we like to travel and I have a good handle on airfares both going and coming to HI. Hope this helps.

 

[Disneyfriend]

I hope it is ok that I jump in here...we are going for 17 days too...and visiting multiple islands.

We are JUST now contemplating flying from DFW to HNL instead of straight to Maui and using our Disney points.

we have two time shares for the other two weeks, but coming in on Thursday/fRiday and would need to pay for two nights somewhere. before using our timeshare on Maui.

I had heard that Aluani is far away from everything..so it sounds like if we are there for just two night...we should hit pearl Harbor and just enjoy the resort...

Or skip and save for another time!

Looks like we could land at HNL if early enough and do pearl harbor when we arrive right?

Probably not. It's best to get to Pearl Harbor very early in the morning (say, before 7 am) to beat the crowds. I personally would not want to tour Pearl Harbor after getting off a flight from the mainland. Best to save it for another morning, imo.

But if you need to stay for two nights, you could come in on day one, enjoy the resort, maybe do a luau or just relax. Day two wake up early (the time zone will work to your advantage here) and hit Pearl Harbor. Leave by mid to late morning and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the Aulani.

Not a bad way to go.

And the Aulani is approximately 35-40 minutes from the airport - roughly the same distance as most Waikiki hotels, but just in the other direction. Pearl Harbor is fairly close to the airport, relatively speaking.

HTH.

 

[nifferearly]

We stayed at the Marriott timeshare at Ko Olina 5 years ago. The resort is beautiful!

To the OP, depending on where you are in MI you might also want to consider flying out of Chicago. My parents are going in May and got air from Chicago to Honolulu for $450!

You really should get a car! Search for coupon codes and it won't be too expensive. It was fairly easy driving on Oahu. We drove around the whole island and there was so much to see outside of Honolulu. You really need a car to experience all of Oahu.

Happy planning! We're planning to go in January of 2012.

 

[michellebriana]

Hi Everyone,

This thread is very helpful! I just booked my trip to Aulani in September. This will be my first trip to Hawaii. I was wondering if there were any day trip to other islands and if so what would be recommended. I would love to see as much as I can while there!

Thanks,
Michelle

 

[kid-at-heart]

I love everyone asking additional questions and receiving diverse answers regarding Aulani and Hawaii. The more folks who jump in with their questions and answers, the more knowledge gained and the less stress incurred in planning an Aulani vacation.

After reading everyone's suggestions about renting a car we have decided it is the way to go.

Thanks all!
Kate

 

[SuzanneSLO]

As to time of year, we have owned a vacation rental in Maui for 9 years and track the rental income by month. Our best month is February based on rent received divided by days available. Our best month overall is January, followed by March. Our slowest month is September, followed by May. Early December is also slow.

Before we became owners, we used to travel in early January every year and found it to be very frustrating to get reasonable airfare and car rentals. Often, the only option was to book late.

We now travel in May and October and can usually get very attractive air fare about 90 days in advance. -- Suzanne