Feedback on our dining plans

[Steelers0854]

DW and I will be going to Aulani for our first time in February. It will be DW’s first time in Hawaii ever. We will be staying 7 nights and want to prioritize dining at Aulani, with some other options sprinkled in. Was hoping you could give us your thoughts on our plans and maybe some suggestions about what you would change or pointing out anything we missed. We will have a car for the entirety of our stay. Is there anything at the Four Seasons or the nearby area worth checking out? Thanks so much!

Im not counting the day we arrive as we will likely play everything by ear and see how we are feeling etc.

Day 1
B: Makahiki
L: Going to Northshore, will eat around there
D: Monkey Pod

Day 2:
B: ABC Store
L:Off the hook
D: Aulani Luau

Day 3:
B:
L: Ulu Cafe
D: AMA Ama

Day 4:
B: Hiking diamond head, just going to do protein bars etc
L: Koko Head
D: Olelo Room

Day 5:
B: Off the hook
L: Duke’s Waikiki (Pearl Harbor today)
D: Roy’s Ko’olina

Day 6:
B:
L: Dole Plantation today, lunch at Seven Brothers
D: Makahiki

 

[mort1331]

Looks good,,,for your 2 days without breakfest,,,we enjoyed across the street,,,eggs and things I think it was called. Next to ABC. Daughter loved the crab benny.
We loved 7 brothers,,,but its a lot of food,,,we had 3 burgers for 4 people and it was too much for us.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

looks good we also loved eggs and things too

 

[AstroBlasters]

DW and I will be going to Aulani for our first time in February. It will be DW’s first time in Hawaii ever. We will be staying 7 nights and want to prioritize dining at Aulani, with some other options sprinkled in. Was hoping you could give us your thoughts on our plans and maybe some suggestions about what you would change or pointing out anything we missed. We will have a car for the entirety of our stay. Is there anything at the Four Seasons or the nearby area worth checking out? Thanks so much!

Im not counting the day we arrive as we will likely play everything by ear and see how we are feeling etc.

Day 1
B: Makahiki
L: Going to Northshore, will eat around there
D: Monkey Pod

Day 2:
B: ABC Store
L:Off the hook
D: Aulani Luau

Day 3:
B:
L: Ulu Cafe
D: AMA Ama

Day 4:
B: Hiking diamond head, just going to do protein bars etc
L: Koko Head
D: Olelo Room

Day 5:
B: Off the hook
L: Duke’s Waikiki (Pearl Harbor today)
D: Roy’s Ko’olina

Day 6:
B:
L: Dole Plantation today, lunch at Seven Brothers
D: Makahiki

Good list. Only thoughts:

1) Grab some Malasadas at 7 am from the Olelo room at least one morning.

2) We had lunch in The Royal Hawaiian at the Mai Tai Bar on our most recent Waikiki day instead of Duke’s. Duke’s gets so crowded that it can really be hit or miss.

3) Getting a Makahiki breakfast reservation seems impossible. Don’t sweat it if you don’t get it. There is simply an insane amount of demand.

4) We always enjoy going to Longhi’s for brunch at the Marriott on Sundays.

5) I wouldn’t count out Ulu for a dinner. The kahlua pork meal with Mac salad and rice as sides had VERY generous portion sizes.

6) I’m guessing you are going to be flying home from your trip and saying that you wish you would have planned more resort only days.

Want a fancier dinner? Mina’s at the Four Seasons has fantastic food. I’d pick it over Roy’s and Monkeypod.

They also have an Italian restaurant at the 4 seasons that is pretty darn good.

 

[PoppyJ]

We loved the La Hiki brunch.

4) We always enjoy going to Longhi’s for brunch at the Marriott on Sundays.

Is there a different/special menu on Sundays?

 

[WinterSolider]

I have many thoughts...

Day 1 doesn't really work because Makahiki is a long, slow, multi-course meal even at breakfast which means you're going to start your day late, then have a long drive to the North shore, then be pressed for time again trying to get back to Ko Olina in time for dinner. This is also the day when you're going to be the most jet-lagged meaning you're probably going to wake up at like 4am itching to start your adventures. I would take advantage of the jet lag early in your trip to "rope drop" Diamond Head or Pearl Harbor and save Makahiki breakfast for later in the trip.

Day 2 I would move the luau to later in the trip for the same reason as moving Makahiki to later in the trip. Jet lag early in the week means you're going to be waking up super early and ready for bed super early, so you want your main evening activity to be later in the trip when you're more adjusted.

Day 3 and Day 4 are fine.

Day 5 is going to leave you super pressed for time at Pearl Harbor. We easily filled 7am to 5pm, plus an hour of traffic each way, and still didn't get to do and see everything. If you're just going to pop in and see the Arizona Memorial, you obviously don't need more than a couple of hours, but we like the Passport to Pearl Harbor that includes the battleship, submarine, and aviation museum. Traffic in that area is awful so it's not super convenient to just pop over to Duke's for lunch. We like Restaurant 604 which is right next door and walkable.

Day 6 the Dole Plantation is on the way to the North Shore so those should really be combined to make your driving routes more efficient.

Overall: This is a ton of resort time. I think it's a mistake to fly all the way to Hawaii and not explore more of the island. I would add another hike besides Diamond Head, aka the biggest tourist trap hike to ever trap a tourist. I would also add a cultural activity, like the Polynesian Cultural Center if you have kids with you or the Bishop Museum for something more authentic; or an "adventure" activity like a boat tour or ATVs at Kualoa Ranch.

Huge omission: The signature dish of Hawaii is the "plate lunch" which consists of some combination of protein, rice, mac salad, and/or lomi salmon. Our favorite is Yummy Huli Huli Chicken but it's on the windward side of the island (Kualoa Ranch, Polynesian Cultural Center, Byodo-In Temple) which your plan doesn't include. You're also missing out on the gorgeous drive on Interstate H-3 through the Ko'olau Mountains.

 

[WinterSolider]

Getting a Makahiki breakfast reservation seems impossible. Don’t sweat it if you don’t get it. There is simply an insane amount of demand.

I have always failed online, and always been successful on the phone.

There's definitely an "insane amount of demand" part of it, but I also think the website is bugged.

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

I have many thoughts...

Day 1 doesn't really work because Makahiki is a long, slow, multi-course meal even at breakfast which means you're going to start your day late, then have a long drive to the North shore, then be pressed for time again trying to get back to Ko Olina in time for dinner. This is also the day when you're going to be the most jet-lagged meaning you're probably going to wake up at like 4am itching to start your adventures. I would take advantage of the jet lag early in your trip to "rope drop" Diamond Head or Pearl Harbor and save Makahiki breakfast for later in the trip.

Day 2 I would move the luau to later in the trip for the same reason as moving Makahiki to later in the trip. Jet lag early in the week means you're going to be waking up super early and ready for bed super early, so you want your main evening activity to be later in the trip when you're more adjusted.

Day 3 and Day 4 are fine.

Day 5 is going to leave you super pressed for time at Pearl Harbor. We easily filled 7am to 5pm, plus an hour of traffic each way, and still didn't get to do and see everything. If you're just going to pop in and see the Arizona Memorial, you obviously don't need more than a couple of hours, but we like the Passport to Pearl Harbor that includes the battleship, submarine, and aviation museum. Traffic in that area is awful so it's not super convenient to just pop over to Duke's for lunch. We like Restaurant 604 which is right next door and walkable.

Day 6 the Dole Plantation is on the way to the North Shore so those should really be combined to make your driving routes more efficient.

Overall: This is a ton of resort time. I think it's a mistake to fly all the way to Hawaii and not explore more of the island. I would add another hike besides Diamond Head, aka the biggest tourist trap hike to ever trap a tourist. I would also add a cultural activity, like the Polynesian Cultural Center if you have kids with you or the Bishop Museum for something more authentic; or an "adventure" activity like a boat tour or ATVs at Kualoa Ranch.

Huge omission: The signature dish of Hawaii is the "plate lunch" which consists of some combination of protein, rice, mac salad, and/or lomi salmon. Our favorite is Yummy Huli Huli Chicken but it's on the windward side of the island (Kualoa Ranch, Polynesian Cultural Center, Byodo-In Temple) which your plan doesn't include. You're also missing out on the gorgeous drive on Interstate H-3 through the Ko'olau Mountains.

I agree to move Makahiki and Luau to later in the trip, combine Dole with North Shore Day, and your Pearl Harbor Day is too tight.

 

[Steelers0854]

Good list. Only thoughts:

1) Grab some Malasadas at 7 am from the Olelo room at least one morning.

2) We had lunch in The Royal Hawaiian at the Mai Tai Bar on our most recent Waikiki day instead of Duke’s. Duke’s gets so crowded that it can really be hit or miss.

3) Getting a Makahiki breakfast reservation seems impossible. Don’t sweat it if you don’t get it. There is simply an insane amount of demand.

4) We always enjoy going to Longhi’s for brunch at the Marriott on Sundays.

5) I wouldn’t count out Ulu for a dinner. The kahlua pork meal with Mac salad and rice as sides had VERY generous portion sizes.

6) I’m guessing you are going to be flying home from your trip and saying that you wish you would have planned more resort only days.

Want a fancier dinner? Mina’s at the Four Seasons has fantastic food. I’d pick it over Roy’s and Monkeypod.

They also have an Italian restaurant at the 4 seasons that is pretty darn good.

I have many thoughts...

Day 1 doesn't really work because Makahiki is a long, slow, multi-course meal even at breakfast which means you're going to start your day late, then have a long drive to the North shore, then be pressed for time again trying to get back to Ko Olina in time for dinner. This is also the day when you're going to be the most jet-lagged meaning you're probably going to wake up at like 4am itching to start your adventures. I would take advantage of the jet lag early in your trip to "rope drop" Diamond Head or Pearl Harbor and save Makahiki breakfast for later in the trip.

Day 2 I would move the luau to later in the trip for the same reason as moving Makahiki to later in the trip. Jet lag early in the week means you're going to be waking up super early and ready for bed super early, so you want your main evening activity to be later in the trip when you're more adjusted.

Day 3 and Day 4 are fine.

Day 5 is going to leave you super pressed for time at Pearl Harbor. We easily filled 7am to 5pm, plus an hour of traffic each way, and still didn't get to do and see everything. If you're just going to pop in and see the Arizona Memorial, you obviously don't need more than a couple of hours, but we like the Passport to Pearl Harbor that includes the battleship, submarine, and aviation museum. Traffic in that area is awful so it's not super convenient to just pop over to Duke's for lunch. We like Restaurant 604 which is right next door and walkable.

Day 6 the Dole Plantation is on the way to the North Shore so those should really be combined to make your driving routes more efficient.

Overall: This is a ton of resort time. I think it's a mistake to fly all the way to Hawaii and not explore more of the island. I would add another hike besides Diamond Head, aka the biggest tourist trap hike to ever trap a tourist. I would also add a cultural activity, like the Polynesian Cultural Center if you have kids with you or the Bishop Museum for something more authentic; or an "adventure" activity like a boat tour or ATVs at Kualoa Ranch.

Huge omission: The signature dish of Hawaii is the "plate lunch" which consists of some combination of protein, rice, mac salad, and/or lomi salmon. Our favorite is Yummy Huli Huli Chicken but it's on the windward side of the island (Kualoa Ranch, Polynesian Cultural Center, Byodo-In Temple) which your plan doesn't include. You're also missing out on the gorgeous drive on Interstate H-3 through the Ko'olau Mountains.

View attachment 976862

Amazing, thank you both so much! We adjusted our plans around and shifted some days to account for the jet lag and these are fabulous suggestions, I really appreciate both of you!

I also found it funny how 1 of you said it was too little resort time and 1 said it was too much! Seems to me we have a good balance and also a lot of options so we can always change our plans while we are there depending on how we are feeling. That H-3 drive looks incredible!

 

[AstroBlasters]

Amazing, thank you both so much! We adjusted our plans around and shifted some days to account for the jet lag and these are fabulous suggestions, I really appreciate both of you!

I also found it funny how 1 of you said it was too little resort time and 1 said it was too much! Seems to me we have a good balance and also a lot of options so we can always change our plans while we are there depending on how we are feeling. That H-3 drive looks incredible!

We are at Aulani now. My aunt is a “busy bee” who wanted to schedule a ton of outings on this trip and we had to reel her in a bit because my wife is the polar opposite.

I asked my Aunt today what she would do differently and she said had she known about the concept of “booking a veranda” she would have planned less offsite activities.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

weve done both, busy with drives and activities and stay at aulani the whole time

we prefer staying at aulani/ko olina area the whole time

 

[AstroBlasters]

weve done both, busy with drives and activities and stay at aulani the whole time

we prefer staying at aulani/ko olina area the whole time

I think it depends on what you are looking for in a Hawaiian vacation and if you plan on going back again.

We own at Aulani, so one to two new things a trip is good enough for us.

 

[WinterSolider]

I also found it funny how 1 of you said it was too little resort time and 1 said it was too much!

The obvious answer is that you need to extend your trip and add two more nights.

 

[WinterSolider]

weve done both, busy with drives and activities and stay at aulani the whole time

we prefer staying at aulani/ko olina area the whole time

I think one of the main differences is that your flight is half the length and half the cost as mine.

Getting to Aulani for me is a two hour drive to a parking garage in Framingham followed by a 45 minute shuttle in Boston traffic followed by two rooms at the Hilton Logan Airport followed by an 8am flight that last 11 hours, and then doing it all in reverse to get home.

Coming from the East Coast, there's a lot more pressure for a Hawaii trip to be worth the hassle. I absolutely love relaxation-heavy trips but we can get those in Florida or on cruises much easier than what it takes to get to Hawaii. When we go to Hawaii, we want to load up on Hawaii-specific things that we can ONLY do there. We can do pool and beach any place.

 

[Steelers0854]

I asked my Aunt today what she would do differently and she said had she known about the concept of “booking a veranda” she would have planned less offsite activities.

What do you mean? Like an ocean view balcony or one of the casabella/cabanas by the pool?

The obvious answer is that you need to extend your trip and add two more nights.

Haha, yea well, i mean 2 weeks would be ideal, but it’s not feasible. We are leaving Aulani and going to the Big Island for 3 days before heading home, so atleast this gives us a reason to come back!

 

[WinterSolider]

Haha, yea well, i mean 2 weeks would be ideal, but it’s not feasible. We are leaving Aulani and going to the Big Island for 3 days before heading home, so atleast this gives us a reason to come back!

Oh man good thing you didn't come to us for Big Island suggestions because my first one would have been "you need to go for at least 8 nights."

 

[VGCgroupie]

Amazing, thank you both so much! We adjusted our plans around and shifted some days to account for the jet lag and these are fabulous suggestions, I really appreciate both of you!

I also found it funny how 1 of you said it was too little resort time and 1 said it was too much! Seems to me we have a good balance and also a lot of options so we can always change our plans while we are there depending on how we are feeling. That H-3 drive looks incredible!

I am in the camp of staying at the resort especially when considering Waikiki and other touristy stuff like Dole plantation. Touristy things that are good is Pearl Harbor (personally I only needed to go once) Kualoa, North Shore and Diamond Head if you hike.

 

[pjacobi]

Before hiking Diamond Head, be sure to have a proper breakfast and carry water and snacks. Your body needs fuel for this strenuous activity. Climb early to avoid the heat.

Far too many people hiking Diamand Head require medical attention due to dehydration and low blood sugar. The only way to provide medical attention on Diamond Head is via helicopter airlift. Please take climbing Diamond Head very seriously at the risk a huge medical bill!


-Paul

 

[Steelers0854]

Oh man good thing you didn't come to us for Big Island suggestions because my first one would have been "you need to go for at least 8 nights."

Definitely. I used to go often growing up, so this trip is a nostalgia fix, next time we will likely plan a more balanced stay.