Feb 2022 trip reflections

[Inga]

Hi All

As I sit jet lag recovering here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, some reflections on our 2 week Oahu trip Feb 4-20 2022. Some thoughts.

We spent 1 week Waikiki, 1 week Aulani. There were lots of reasons for this itinerary (needed to use-or-lose DVC points, Covid uncertainty, vaccination rates in the state, etc) as we would not usually hang out so long on one island, or spend so much time in large cities on Hawaiian vacations. We also did not consider this a ‘trip of a lifetime’ (this is our 5th visit to Hawaii) which I think plays into a lot of people’s itineraries. We needed a trip to a warm location in Feb where we could spend our DVC points, and we weren’t interested in Florida or California this trip.

So, if you look at our trip wants and requirements, this trip fit the bill. Would I do this itinerary again? No (it is our nature to rarely duplicate itineraries, with the exclusion of repeated trips to WDW of course), additional reasons for this are partially listed below….

What I would not repeat:
- 1 week in Waikiki - too long, too crazy there. There are great places to eat and hang out in Waikiki, but frankly it’s not what we want for a Hawaiian vacation. Lazy beaches and chill vibe is what we are looking for. Waikiki is not that (with the exception of the Barefoot cafe and perhaps the Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian)
- 1 week at Aulani - until Aulani gets some of its perks back (leis, adult pool or an adult-only area, dining options, access to a day lounge, for e.g.), it isn’t our scene. We were forever squeezed between large, rambunctious families and, I get, its Disney, but we need to have a space for people like us, DINKs, too. Families rule the roost at Aulani. The American Idol taping just added to the frenetic pace, and really you have no control of it so your relaxing vacation can be affected by something like that. It’s not like we were notified in time to change our vacation to being around the event, so we were a bit at Disney’s whim on that. There are a lot of Covid excuses at Aulani (’we were going to roll out the Disney bands program but paused because of Covid’) that didn’t seem legit. But I digress….
- Just visiting Oahu - we have been to the Big Island and Maui on past trips, they are a different vibe and island hopping is a lot of fun

From this trip, what I would repeat, if back at Aulani/Waikiki (spectacular stuff-only listed):
-If we stayed at Aulani again, the spa. It was a delightful change of pace from the rest of the resort. It was expensive ($700 CDN for 2 of us) so it’s an investment. And they made an exception for us to use the outdoor facilities after our treatment. Usually we would just use the lounge for our late departure, but with that being unavailable due to Covid, we spent our last day at the spa.
- Mana sunset cruise from the Ko Olina marina. Awesome. 3 couples (we think it’s adult only for sunset). It was awesome
- Mai Tai’s at the Royal Hawaiian, if we return to Waikiki
- Happy hour at Mina’s Fish House right on the edge of their deck area.
- Visiting/staying on windward side of the island

What surprised us:
- how much money we spent on food. It is even more expensive than we remembered from 4 years ago. The happy hour bill for Mina’s Fish house was almost $200 Canadian, for the two of us. 3 dishes from the happy hour menu (poke, squid, fish and chips) and 4 drinks total, all at happy hour prices.
- how busy it was everywhere- turns out people are travelling despite the pandemic. In our province, travel is still a bit taboo. It feels like the rest of the world has gone on to living with Covid, and we’re still a bit paralyzed with fear about it all. There is probably a happy medium there
- that we didn’t get Covid from our trip (so far). We were convinced it would happen and had plan b in place if we had to isolate in Hawaii.

I’m sure more thoughts will pop this week as jet lag subsides. We crossed 6 time zones yesterday so it‘ll be a bit funky for the next week I’m sure…

Inga

 

[Bahamontes]

Great review, with tons of insight.

On your next return to HI, would you pass on Aulani?

 

[Lilsia]

I would hate to be there during American Idol filming. I think that they are wrong to not let people know at least 11 months out, since that is when DVC can start booking.

 

[Lew]

Thank you, Inga, for all your insightful and very well-written posts. I find them very helpful as we look forward to four weeks at Aulani after we fly over from Maui in two days.

We cancelled 30 days of cruising in the Caribbean about a week before embarkation in favor or five weeks in Maui combined with our already planned time at Aulani. We were very fortunate to be able to book at Aston At The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach and have enjoyed our stay here very much. We're already discussing a return.

We're retired and usually stay Old Key West after cruising each year. We try to not let the shenanigans of kids and their families affect our good time. Some times are more difficult than others, but we try to manage. We'll be using Aulani as a base as we did last time and do day trips as we did in 2019.

I agree there is no excuse for Disney not having everything at Aulani up and running by now. The lounge singers at ‘Olelo will be especially disappointing as we so enjoyed listening to the music as it wafted up to our villa on the fourteenth floor.

Warm regards to you and your DH...

 

[mort1331]

Inga as always,,thank you. But after seeing your converted prices for food for just the 2 of you,,,put me into worried mode for 4 of us and 2 being teenagers.....NO soup for you....lol

 

[Lilsia]

Inga as always,,thank you. But after seeing your converted prices for food for just the 2 of you,,,put me into worried mode for 4 of us and 2 being teenagers.....NO soup for you....lol

Prices on food is high, especially at the resort. The Island Country Market across the street is reasonable and there are a ton of restaurants in Kapolei that can fill your kids up cheaper. Even if you don't have a car, you can get food delivery.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hi All

As I sit jet lag recovering here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, some reflections on our 2 week Oahu trip Feb 4-20 2022. Some thoughts.

We spent 1 week Waikiki, 1 week Aulani. There were lots of reasons for this itinerary (needed to use-or-lose DVC points, Covid uncertainty, vaccination rates in the state, etc) as we would not usually hang out so long on one island, or spend so much time in large cities on Hawaiian vacations. We also did not consider this a ‘trip of a lifetime’ (this is our 5th visit to Hawaii) which I think plays into a lot of people’s itineraries. We needed a trip to a warm location in Feb where we could spend our DVC points, and we weren’t interested in Florida or California this trip.

So, if you look at our trip wants and requirements, this trip fit the bill. Would I do this itinerary again? No (it is our nature to rarely duplicate itineraries, with the exclusion of repeated trips to WDW of course), additional reasons for this are partially listed below….

What I would not repeat:
- 1 week in Waikiki - too long, too crazy there. There are great places to eat and hang out in Waikiki, but frankly it’s not what we want for a Hawaiian vacation. Lazy beaches and chill vibe is what we are looking for. Waikiki is not that (with the exception of the Barefoot cafe and perhaps the Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian)
- 1 week at Aulani - until Aulani gets some of its perks back (leis, adult pool or an adult-only area, dining options, access to a day lounge, for e.g.), it isn’t our scene. We were forever squeezed between large, rambunctious families and, I get, its Disney, but we need to have a space for people like us, DINKs, too. Families rule the roost at Aulani. The American Idol taping just added to the frenetic pace, and really you have no control of it so your relaxing vacation can be affected by something like that. It’s not like we were notified in time to change our vacation to being around the event, so we were a bit at Disney’s whim on that. There are a lot of Covid excuses at Aulani (’we were going to roll out the Disney bands program but paused because of Covid’) that didn’t seem legit. But I digress….
- Just visiting Oahu - we have been to the Big Island and Maui on past trips, they are a different vibe and island hopping is a lot of fun

From this trip, what I would repeat, if back at Aulani/Waikiki (spectacular stuff-only listed):
-If we stayed at Aulani again, the spa. It was a delightful change of pace from the rest of the resort. It was expensive ($700 CDN for 2 of us) so it’s an investment. And they made an exception for us to use the outdoor facilities after our treatment. Usually we would just use the lounge for our late departure, but with that being unavailable due to Covid, we spent our last day at the spa.
- Mana sunset cruise from the Ko Olina marina. Awesome. 3 couples (we think it’s adult only for sunset). It was awesome
- Mai Tai’s at the Royal Hawaiian, if we return to Waikiki
- Happy hour at Mina’s Fish House right on the edge of their deck area.
- Visiting/staying on windward side of the island

What surprised us:
- how much money we spent on food. It is even more expensive than we remembered from 4 years ago. The happy hour bill for Mina’s Fish house was almost $200 Canadian, for the two of us. 3 dishes from the happy hour menu (poke, squid, fish and chips) and 4 drinks total, all at happy hour prices.
- how busy it was everywhere- turns out people are travelling despite the pandemic. In our province, travel is still a bit taboo. It feels like the rest of the world has gone on to living with Covid, and we’re still a bit paralyzed with fear about it all. There is probably a happy medium there
- that we didn’t get Covid from our trip (so far). We were convinced it would happen and had plan b in place if we had to isolate in Hawaii.

I’m sure more thoughts will pop this week as jet lag subsides. We crossed 6 time zones yesterday so it‘ll be a bit funky for the next week I’m sure…

Inga

Aw you didn't like Idol? We're not Idol fans at all but we thought it was awesome to see a major production like that going on.

Regarding prices... I thought it was WILDLY inconsistent, particularly at Ulu Cafe. $15 for a breakfast flatbread or acai bowl that easily feeds two isn't bad at all. $15 for a croissant breakfast sandwich that leaves even a single person still hungry is insane.

 

[Inga]

Great review, with tons of insight.

On your next return to HI, would you pass on Aulani?

Yes I think so

 

[Inga]

Aw you didn't like Idol? We're not Idol fans at all but we thought it was awesome to see a major production like that going on.

Regarding prices... I thought it was WILDLY inconsistent, particularly at Ulu Cafe. $15 for a breakfast flatbread or acai bowl that easily feeds two isn't bad at all. $15 for a croissant breakfast sandwich that leaves even a single person still hungry is insane.

Ya didn’t like Idol - it’s just not why I go on a Hawaiian vacation. I know folks loved it and that’s great, but for us we were looking for peace not frenzy. I agree the prices were all over the place. I remember drinks at the Mai Tai bar in Waikiki being about 2/3rds the price last time we were there. It wasn’t just Disney, it’s Hawaii. Saying that, we bought a burger and fries to share from the poolside bar and I think it was over $35 CDN! Every time we ate out it seemed to be $150 for the 2 of us. The Canadian dollar is only worth 70 cents US, so it’s particularly hard for Canadians.

 

[Inga]

Inga as always,,thank you. But after seeing your converted prices for food for just the 2 of you,,,put me into worried mode for 4 of us and 2 being teenagers.....NO soup for you....lol

If I was a family of 4, a trip to Costco anywhere in Hawaii is a must I think (and I love Costco shopping in different places as it always has a regional flare. Once I saw surfboards being sold in the Maui Costco, so cool). When we rent a condo with kitchen, a Costco run always proceeds it, but with the bar fridge in Waikiki and only a microwave/toaster/fridge Aulani (although I made EXCELLENT breakfast sandwiches in these kitchens) our ability to make dinners in our room was limited. We did buy ABC store food for our first night in Aulani to watch the luau from our deck!

 

[Inga]

Forgot, best meal we had was The Original Pancake House in Honolulu, on our way back driving from the Aloha market. Loved the Aloha market too!

 

[bcwife76]

This is why we always get a 1 bedroom when we stay at Aulani. Yes we enjoy eating out but the majority of our meals can be made in our kitchen. We live in Vancouver, we know expensive. But Hawaii tends to be on another level

 

[Lilsia]

This is why we always get a 1 bedroom when we stay at Aulani. Yes we enjoy eating out but the majority of our meals can be made in our kitchen. We live in Vancouver, we know expensive. But Hawaii tends to be on another level

This is a great tip for a family that does not fit in a studio and needs the bigger room anyway. Or someone who has a ton of DVC points. But I don't recommend upgrading to a 1bdrm if someone was planning on staying in a studio. The price difference between a studio and a 1bdrm is at least $500/night on average. Most families of 4 will not eat an extra $500/day in food.

 

[Inga]

A 1 bedroom is out of our DVC points range, unfortunately!

 

[mort1331]

We have the 1bdrm,,,have enough points for the 10 days,,,plus a build up from last 2 years. We know those breakfest sandwiches and the girls make them now at home b4 school. Plus youngest loves oatmeal. We will have most breakfest in room,,,lunch at food trucks,,dinners will be a mix. Ya the grills are open.

 

[bcwife76]

This is a great tip for a family that does not fit in a studio and needs the bigger room anyway. Or someone who has a ton of DVC points. But I don't recommend upgrading to a 1bdrm if someone was planning on staying in a studio. The price difference between a studio and a 1bdrm is at least $500/night on average. Most families of 4 will not eat an extra $500/day in food.

Oh for sure. Depending on how you are paying, cash stay, DVC points etc then no it's not worth it to upgrade if it's going to cost that much extra a night. We are DVC owners and Aulani is our home resort so it's the one place where we always make sure to get a 1 bedroom so that we can cook as well. Although I have to admit I'm spoiled by the space and eventhough we don't really need more than a studio at WDW I usually try to get a 1 bedroom if points allow

 

[Inga]

We only have 90 points/year so to maximize our stays, studio it is!

 

[MouseOfCards]

We have a split stay coming up - will be doing island hopping as well. We love Aulani, but would have skipped it totally for this coming trip (will be our 5th time to Aulani), except we have expiring points as well. Thank you for sharing about your trip, OP.

 

[MouseOfCards]

Wow, flights and car rentals are so expensive now!

 

[FinnFogg]

Oh for sure. Depending on how you are paying, cash stay, DVC points etc then no it's not worth it to upgrade if it's going to cost that much extra a night. We are DVC owners and Aulani is our home resort so it's the one place where we always make sure to get a 1 bedroom so that we can cook as well. Although I have to admit I'm spoiled by the space and eventhough we don't really need more than a studio at WDW I usually try to get a 1 bedroom if points allow

We have always had to go the 1 bedroom route as we are a family of 5. However, for our upcoming trip I finally had to concede and book a two bedroom. Not because anyone was complains about the sofa bed or general lack of space, but because of the bathroom situation!! 5 people with 1 bathroom for 10 days simply isn’t do-able for us any more with three ‘big’ kids. It seemed like someone was constantly yelling at someone else to get out of the bathroom the last time we were there. . Now laying out the points for a two bedroom….THAT was painful. I feels like I need to find some friends or relatives to bring with us just so that I feel better about it. Especially now that we have three bathrooms!