Aulani- questions

[mgroshans]

Looking into going to Aulani- planning stages. Which airport will you fly into? How far of a drive is it from the airport to the resort? Is a rental car necessary?
Thanks!

 

[Psychodisney]

You'll fly into Honolulu. Generally, a car is recommended. Alamo has a desk at Aulani. Not sure how long the drive from the airport is......I'll let you know in June.

 

[mouseaider]

We are deep into our planning and we will be there in 70 days.

We have decided to rent a car while there because we do not want to be "stranded" at Aulani and have to pay the high cost of food and excursions that Disney wants us to.

We plan to pick up some light groceries and eat breakfast and maybe a few lunches in our Studio.

We are doing all our own excursions and we love to discover hidden gems where ever we go.

Have fun planning and read everything you can and enjoy it. It's all part of this wonderful experience.

 

[kjd469]

Depending on what time of day you arrive, the traffic can vary. We arrived at 12:30 in the afternoon and were at Aulani in about 20 minutes. There was very little traffic at that time of day. I highly recommend getting a rental car - Oahu is very "driveable" and there are lots of things to see and do.

 

[mdsd8700]

We are going in June and are renting a car as well. Lots to do and see We are also planning all of our own outings. My kids aren't really too interested in the standard excursions.

I have read anytime between 20-35 minutes from the aiport to Aulani, just depending on the traffic.

It is lots of fun to plan and have been reading all Threads about Aulani. They have been incredibly helpful!!

Enjoy your trip.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Thumbs up on the rental car idea.

There is a Target and Costco less than ten minutes from Aulani by car if you are looking to pick up some groceries or other items.

 

[nuts]

Looking into going to Aulani- planning stages. Which airport will you fly into? How far of a drive is it from the airport to the resort? Is a rental car necessary?
Thanks!

Depending on traffic- 20 to 40 minutes. You absolutely want a car. Too much to see on Oahu. I rented from Avis with a GPS. GPS did not steer me wrong (no pun intended).

You'll find lots of reasonably priced restaurants within 10 minutes of the resort.

 

[mgroshans]

Thanks everyone! Is there a "bad" time to go to Hawaii? Is 5 nights/6 days a good length to stay? We are looking at mid November of this year. It will only be DH and myself.

 

[aymekae]

I have not been to Hawai'i before, but I am also going this November, so have done some research. It does have a higher chance of rainfall that month than most months, but what I've been told is that there really is no bad time to go, probably why it is such a desirable vacation destination! My hairstylist said that when he went in November, it did rain at night, so that everything was slightly damp in the mornings, nice and fresh and clean, and did not rain at all during the day.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[DVCismyhappyplace]

DH and I have made trips to Hawaii in September, October, November, December and March. November "can" be a little bit rainy but one of the great things about Hawaii is that if it's raining on one side of the island, drive to the other and you'll find the sun!

I know a lot of people will tell you that you don't need a rental car on Oahu since it's the only island with a reliable bus service. I don't agree. We've always rented a car. Oahu is a great island to explore. While we've never stayed at Aulani, it's a little bit out of the way and you'll want to have a car to get out and explore.

Quite frankly, Oahu is extremely doable on your own and paying for excursions is kind of a waste.

 

[travlrmel]

We were there right after Thanksgiving. The snorkeling trip we took said that it was their last snuba trip. They said that the winds and waves can be unpredictable later on. It was nice and sunny at Aulani, but when we went to the windward side of the island, it was rainy.

We did rent a car from Alamo at the airport, I'm glad we did. It was about a 40min drive from the rental office (offsite from the airport) to the resort. During the morning rush, we'd plan on at least an hour to get to Honolulu. I felt that rentals on Oahu were much cheaper than on the mainland, it cost ~$250 for an entire week.