Hawaii and Disney team up to form a formidable cash extraction machine. :-( There are a few ways to save some money but be prepared for sticker shock.
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Get yourself a Disney refillable mug for each traveler. The cost is about $19 but you can make the investment worthwhile with a couple days worth of use.
Bring your own snorkelling gear. You can buy good quality equipment on Amazon for less than a day's rental. There is a great snorkelling spot just up the coast past the next hotel (Marriott's Ihilani). Several sea turtles hang out there and there are several different kinds of fish.
Shark's Cove on the North Shore has great snorkelling. Although you can snorkel in the man made lagoons at the hotel there are very few fish to see.
Traffic on the major highways near Honolulu back up during rush hour - avoid if you can. Lost two hours yesterday wasted in horrible traffic and there are no alternate routes - I tried them all.
Check out the lobby of the Ihilani hotel next door as they have several fish ponds that have many stingrays, hammerhead sharks and other fish.
The DVC member lounge for late check out/early arrival is great! Although you can leave your bags with the concierge the free lockers can hold a full size carry on bag.
The Hawaiian Grille across the street has decent take out. There is also an ice cream shop and an ABC store which are good options to the resort prices.
Buy food and prepare it in the room - standard suggestion. If you rent a car then hit the nearby Target which has a full grocery section. Target is about 3 miles away.
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