Brancaneve
That means Snow White in another language.
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2006
- Messages
- 1,595
Hello everyone! We are currently on our last full day of our Aulani trip using DVC points in a one bedroom villa with a standard view for the first four nights and then to an island view for the final three(switch was due to DVC scheduling). I found the standard view to be lovely, compared to our last trip four years ago, due to the mature trees that frame the mountains. Our island view was at an angle but allowed us to see a bit of the ocean which was an unexpected bonus.
Along with me for the adventure are my husband, 12 year old son and 14 year old daughter. My son has type 1 diabetes and I am happy to share some insight into managing his blood sugar levels while here for my T1D friends.
As titled, Aulani Near and Far will give my impressions of what I enjoyed near Aulani and what I would recommend for those venturing out.
Near Aulani:
In Kapolei, we enjoyed the grocery store Foodland. We bought a lot of fresh fruit and some tasty beef marinated in teriyaki. This was great for an impromptu and easy dinner in our villa. We also shopped at Safeway which I don't think was MUCH less expensive, yet Foodland offered a more enjoyable shopping experience. Foodland is also famous for their Poke, which was recommended to us by a friend who grew up on Oahu. Sadly we did not try it.
As a Target fan, I find myself wanting to tour every Target in every city that I visit. The Kapolei Target was awesome!
Next to Foodland is a Vietnamese and Boba restaurant called Tasty Shack. The food was delicious, fresh, and the employees were very welcoming. I had lemongrass chicken with rice and salad and my husband and daughter loved the Bahn Mi. The Pho broth was also tasty and we LOVED the smoothies and boba tea. I can say that it is a respite from the chicken tenders and hot dogs at the resort, and it is actually affordable.
I highly recommend the restaurant Monkeypod which is across the street from Aulani. The shopping center features several other restaurants (which we didn't try) and an ABC store for sundry items and snacks. Tip: The yummy Maui chips are half the price at the ABC store compared to the Aulani store.
We tried Monkeypod on two different occasions. The first was for their happy hour from 3:00-5:30. We are from California and at the start of our trip, 3:00 felt like 6:00 which is close to our dinner time. This is a great thing to do when you first get here, are tired, hungry and don't want to venture too far. The appetizers and wood fired pizzas are half off, and their cocktails are discounted as well (it was a bit too complicated for me to remember). Psssst.....try their Maui Mule
Our server was WONDERFUL and she gave us a brief history of the restaurant and its quest to serve farm to fork style food, with everything made in-house. The pizzas were quite good, with the exception of the soggy margherita, but the truffle fries and chicken wings were delicious.
The second time we tried Monkeypod it was for my birthday, towards the end of the trip and later in the evening. I had the fish special which was fantastic and my husband loved his New York strip. The kids were also happy with their meals. This is what is great about Monkeypod: it's not cheap but you can find reasonably priced meals(burgers and pizza) along with some outstanding dishes at a higher price point. Whereas entrees at other restaurants are all in the $30-$50 range. Also, the atmosphere, decor and trade breezes coming through on the upper level carry that Disney Aulani experience past the gates. There is live music every day starting at happy hour and through the evening. Plus, you can hear it throughout the entire restaurant (even in the ladies room.....). Tip: Pretend you're Gilligan and try their coconut cream pie.
Aulani Far:
If you want to venture out of the resort, think about cutting Oahu in half. Sites on the west side and even center of the island are best to see if you are staying at Aulani. For example, driving to the North Shore (Haliwea) was an easy and pleasant drive. We had breakfast at a charming restaurant called Cafe Haleiwa (shabby and chic all at the same time), stopped at two beaches, drove through town, hiked Waimea Falls, lunch at Kono's back in Haleiwa, shopped and had Matsumoto's shaved ice all in one day! Hint: Go all the way and get the vanilla ice cream and the condensed milk at Matsumoto's. You only live once!
However, my BIGGEST take away is to stay a few nights in the Waikiki/Honolulu area if you want to go to Pearl Harbor, Kailua, Kualoa Ranch, Hanauma Bay for snorkeling, Diamond Head, etc. Those are all on the right half of the island and take quite a bit of time to explore. By staying in the Honolulu area you are: 1) paying less for a room 2) possibly avoiding traffic 3) Close to a lot of great places to eat in the Honolulu area 4) Arriving at those destinations earlier which is KEY to your experience and 5) exhausting yourself so you can then just relax at Aulani once you get there. Tip: Bring hand wipes to wipe off all the sugar off your hands after you have eaten the warm, gooey malasadas at Leonard's.
Overall, Aulani Near and Far can't be beat. Simply put, I just love it here.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have Mahalo!
Along with me for the adventure are my husband, 12 year old son and 14 year old daughter. My son has type 1 diabetes and I am happy to share some insight into managing his blood sugar levels while here for my T1D friends.
As titled, Aulani Near and Far will give my impressions of what I enjoyed near Aulani and what I would recommend for those venturing out.
Near Aulani:
In Kapolei, we enjoyed the grocery store Foodland. We bought a lot of fresh fruit and some tasty beef marinated in teriyaki. This was great for an impromptu and easy dinner in our villa. We also shopped at Safeway which I don't think was MUCH less expensive, yet Foodland offered a more enjoyable shopping experience. Foodland is also famous for their Poke, which was recommended to us by a friend who grew up on Oahu. Sadly we did not try it.
As a Target fan, I find myself wanting to tour every Target in every city that I visit. The Kapolei Target was awesome!
Next to Foodland is a Vietnamese and Boba restaurant called Tasty Shack. The food was delicious, fresh, and the employees were very welcoming. I had lemongrass chicken with rice and salad and my husband and daughter loved the Bahn Mi. The Pho broth was also tasty and we LOVED the smoothies and boba tea. I can say that it is a respite from the chicken tenders and hot dogs at the resort, and it is actually affordable.
I highly recommend the restaurant Monkeypod which is across the street from Aulani. The shopping center features several other restaurants (which we didn't try) and an ABC store for sundry items and snacks. Tip: The yummy Maui chips are half the price at the ABC store compared to the Aulani store.
We tried Monkeypod on two different occasions. The first was for their happy hour from 3:00-5:30. We are from California and at the start of our trip, 3:00 felt like 6:00 which is close to our dinner time. This is a great thing to do when you first get here, are tired, hungry and don't want to venture too far. The appetizers and wood fired pizzas are half off, and their cocktails are discounted as well (it was a bit too complicated for me to remember). Psssst.....try their Maui Mule
Our server was WONDERFUL and she gave us a brief history of the restaurant and its quest to serve farm to fork style food, with everything made in-house. The pizzas were quite good, with the exception of the soggy margherita, but the truffle fries and chicken wings were delicious. The second time we tried Monkeypod it was for my birthday, towards the end of the trip and later in the evening. I had the fish special which was fantastic and my husband loved his New York strip. The kids were also happy with their meals. This is what is great about Monkeypod: it's not cheap but you can find reasonably priced meals(burgers and pizza) along with some outstanding dishes at a higher price point. Whereas entrees at other restaurants are all in the $30-$50 range. Also, the atmosphere, decor and trade breezes coming through on the upper level carry that Disney Aulani experience past the gates. There is live music every day starting at happy hour and through the evening. Plus, you can hear it throughout the entire restaurant (even in the ladies room.....). Tip: Pretend you're Gilligan and try their coconut cream pie.
Aulani Far:
If you want to venture out of the resort, think about cutting Oahu in half. Sites on the west side and even center of the island are best to see if you are staying at Aulani. For example, driving to the North Shore (Haliwea) was an easy and pleasant drive. We had breakfast at a charming restaurant called Cafe Haleiwa (shabby and chic all at the same time), stopped at two beaches, drove through town, hiked Waimea Falls, lunch at Kono's back in Haleiwa, shopped and had Matsumoto's shaved ice all in one day! Hint: Go all the way and get the vanilla ice cream and the condensed milk at Matsumoto's. You only live once!
However, my BIGGEST take away is to stay a few nights in the Waikiki/Honolulu area if you want to go to Pearl Harbor, Kailua, Kualoa Ranch, Hanauma Bay for snorkeling, Diamond Head, etc. Those are all on the right half of the island and take quite a bit of time to explore. By staying in the Honolulu area you are: 1) paying less for a room 2) possibly avoiding traffic 3) Close to a lot of great places to eat in the Honolulu area 4) Arriving at those destinations earlier which is KEY to your experience and 5) exhausting yourself so you can then just relax at Aulani once you get there. Tip: Bring hand wipes to wipe off all the sugar off your hands after you have eaten the warm, gooey malasadas at Leonard's.
Overall, Aulani Near and Far can't be beat. Simply put, I just love it here.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have
Mahalo!
Last edited:
Best tip ever! 
