First timers, bunch of questions

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Lots of good advice so far. Here’s my $0.02…

Waikiki can be fun - if you’re okay with visiting a real city, and not an idealized version of the islands. Tons of great places to eat and shop, Great people watching, and often (not so much in May) great events - movies on the beach, festivals, etc. personally I would skip the zoo - I grew up there and have fond memories, but it’s not been invested in, and is not a world class zoo. Habitat revisions have not been well thought out, and often animals aren’t really visible.

Matsumoto’s is a bit hit or miss for shave ice. Usually pretty good, but too often not great. Lots of other great places to go - if you’re on the Waikiki side of the island, Wailoa Shave Ice or Uncle Clay’s are both consistently awesome.

Malasadas from Leonard’s truck are pretty good, but they still are the best at the original location. 4 out of the last 6 times we did the food truck the malasadas were denser and overcooked - just enough to make them ordinary (still yummy). The original location on Kapahulu is consistently amazing. The wait - even with a long line - is really never that bad - 5-10 min tops. I’ve probably eaten 1000 Malasadas in my lifetime, so I can say this with some authority!

Aulani has a separate check in for DVC - it’s on the far end of the check in counter (when you enter the lobby from the main entrance). It’s usually open, but not always.

If you want to pay for any of your stay using gift cards, you need to apply them to your bill the day before checkout - otherwise your bill gets automatically settled early in the morning on your checkout day, to the credit card you provided at check-in.

I strongly recommend:

• Hike to a waterfall (many available - Manoa, Waimea Falls, etc)
• Do the “hike” to the Makapu’u lighthouse - it’s a paved path and an easy walk, but drop dead gorgeous views, and you may see some whales (May is a little late, but still possible)
• If you’re a foodie, some of the regional cuisine restaurants are truly amazing. Don’t miss out.
• Broke Da Mouth Grindz is close to Aulani, and the food is really good. Just a little local place, but well worth the visit.
• Jeeps are great. Don’t leave anything inside… ever. $600 is reasonable. The lowest I could find (for 2nd week in May) was $503 with Budget. Most of the rental companies have them, and they have lots. During off peak season they often run specials on them, but you won’t find them for much lower than $500.
• If you’re going to hike Diamond head, try to do it on a Saturday- afterwards you can go across the street to the Diamond Head Farmers Market - besides fresh fruit and produce, many good food trucks, and stalls with local snacks. (Technically, the KCC (Kapiolani Community College) Farmers Market)
• The Ala Moana Shopping Center is a fun way to spend a few hours. Many local shops, high end shopping, a good food court, kids stores and activities, and a few good restaurants. It’s still a mall, so depends on your family’s interests.

 

[jimmymc]

One more random tidbit of advice. If you're driving a convertible or jeep with the top off, know that the center of the island often has rain when everywhere else is dry. So if you're driving the H2 from Aulani up to the North Shore, you might get rained on even if the start and end of your trip are sunny.

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

Yep, had to call - it was this way pre-pandemic too. I called at 8 AM PT 90 days out from our check-in day and had no issue getting a cabana for 6 days after check-in.

Did you want 6 days after or was that the earliest you got?
We arrive Saturday afternoon so my goal is to book one for that Sunday so we can enjoy it all day

Lots of good advice so far. Here’s my $0.02…

Waikiki can be fun - if you’re okay with visiting a real city, and not an idealized version of the islands. Tons of great places to eat and shop, Great people watching, and often (not so much in May) great events - movies on the beach, festivals, etc. personally I would skip the zoo - I grew up there and have fond memories, but it’s not been invested in, and is not a world class zoo. Habitat revisions have not been well thought out, and often animals aren’t really visible.

Matsumoto’s is a bit hit or miss for shave ice. Usually pretty good, but too often not great. Lots of other great places to go - if you’re on the Waikiki side of the island, Wailoa Shave Ice or Uncle Clay’s are both consistently awesome.

Malasadas from Leonard’s truck are pretty good, but they still are the best at the original location. 4 out of the last 6 times we did the food truck the malasadas were denser and overcooked - just enough to make them ordinary (still yummy). The original location on Kapahulu is consistently amazing. The wait - even with a long line - is really never that bad - 5-10 min tops. I’ve probably eaten 1000 Malasadas in my lifetime, so I can say this with some authority!

Aulani has a separate check in for DVC - it’s on the far end of the check in counter (when you enter the lobby from the main entrance). It’s usually open, but not always.

If you want to pay for any of your stay using gift cards, you need to apply them to your bill the day before checkout - otherwise your bill gets automatically settled early in the morning on your checkout day, to the credit card you provided at check-in.

I strongly recommend:

• Hike to a waterfall (many available - Manoa, Waimea Falls, etc)
• Do the “hike” to the Makapu’u lighthouse - it’s a paved path and an easy walk, but drop dead gorgeous views, and you may see some whales (May is a little late, but still possible)
• If you’re a foodie, some of the regional cuisine restaurants are truly amazing. Don’t miss out.
• Broke Da Mouth Grindz is close to Aulani, and the food is really good. Just a little local place, but well worth the visit.
• Jeeps are great. Don’t leave anything inside… ever. $600 is reasonable. The lowest I could find (for 2nd week in May) was $503 with Budget. Most of the rental companies have them, and they have lots. During off peak season they often run specials on them, but you won’t find them for much lower than $500.
• If you’re going to hike Diamond head, try to do it on a Saturday- afterwards you can go across the street to the Diamond Head Farmers Market - besides fresh fruit and produce, many good food trucks, and stalls with local snacks. (Technically, the KCC (Kapiolani Community College) Farmers Market)
• The Ala Moana Shopping Center is a fun way to spend a few hours. Many local shops, high end shopping, a good food court, kids stores and activities, and a few good restaurants. It’s still a mall, so depends on your family’s interests.

Definitely we gotta go to Waikiki just to experience it

I’m a huge “like a dragon” fan and they go to Matsumoto’s so I gotta get a pic there hahah

Thanks I am saving those restaurant suggestions

Good jeep price at budget but it looks like only 4 door. Hoping for a 2 door just to make it smaller and easier to park. Alamo is 590 after tax and fees it seems

Thanks for all the other tips. Quick question: should I bring plenty of cash or are most places card friendly?

One more random tidbit of advice. If you're driving a convertible or jeep with the top off, know that the center of the island often has rain when everywhere else is dry. So if you're driving the H2 from Aulani up to the North Shore, you might get rained on even if the start and end of your trip are sunny.

Hot tip thanks! Gotta practice the top before we head out far haha

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Many of the shops and restaurants went contactless during the pandemic, so most everything is either cash or credit. You’ll probably find more places which are card only than places which are cash only these days.

 

[VandVsmama]

go to Kaimana shave ice. They have reduced hours that they're open (only in afternoons), but there's a lovely spot by a river/body of water just out the side door of the place where you can eat your shave ice in the shade of massive trees. Best shave ice we've had ever.

https://www.kaimanashaveice.com/

Oh and go watch some of Sean Kaleponi's food review videos on Youtube for some recommendations of good local places to eat.

 

[Magnum44]

Did you want 6 days after or was that the earliest you got?
We arrive Saturday afternoon so my goal is to book one for that Sunday so we can enjoy it all day

We wanted that specific day - we have a red-eye home that evening and it gives us a place to hang out after check out and enjoy the last few hours of vacation!

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

Anyone know if I book the ATV tour at Kualoa Ranch, do they charge me now when I book it or when I arrive?

 

[Tigger's ally]

Anyone know if I book the ATV tour at Kualoa Ranch, do they charge me now when I book it or when I arrive?

I paid mine the day I made the reservations. Don't think there was an option.

 

[VandVsmama]

Anyone know if I book the ATV tour at Kualoa Ranch, do they charge me now when I book it or when I arrive?

You get charged when you book it.

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

Does the ABC store across the street have those Japanese strawberry and cream sandwiches or is that only 7/11?

 

[DoughR]

Does the ABC store across the street have those Japanese strawberry and cream sandwiches or is that only 7/11?

I just checked around 6:30 pm here and did not see it. Btw I feel like I’ve seen your user name elsewhere on the internet before

 

[TheHulamuffins]

I think you will have a wonderful time! If your family members are swimmers, there are excellent snorkeling trips, of various lengths. One of my favorites is the Turtle Canyons Snorkeling Excursion in Waikiki. A few great things about this: Many, many turtles! More than I have seen on any of the other snorkeling trips we have taken in Hawaii. You can see the Hilton Hawaiian Village from the boat. This is a trip of shorter duration than other snorkeling trips, so that might be an advantage.

We went on multiple snorkeling trips that left from a harbor within walking distance of Aulani. All were great! The people running the trips were very helpful and informative. Most will provide you with a video of your trip, including underwater photos of all of the participants. On one of our trips, I believe the passengers ranged in age from about 5 to 70+.

We tried to reserve a whale-watching trip, but the trips are subject to cancellation if the waters are rough. This seems to happen more in the afternoons than in the mornings. Ours was cancelled.

The hiking trip to Waimea valley is lovely! The flowers are beautiful, and there is a waterfall with a pool at the end of the hike. Often you can swim there, though not always.

If we go to Aulani again (we've been there twice so far), I would probably go on Aulani's North Shore experience, rather than driving myself. There is no concern about parking which can be a bit scarce, and (for me) it allows for better time to look around Hale'iwa.

My daughter and I enjoyed the Menehune hunt at Aulani, even though she was an adult already. The special effects are fun. The lazy river is great, and I can recommend all of the pools, as well as the lagoon. We never had any difficult getting lounges at the lagoon, and I can't remember any real problems getting lounges near the pools. That might depend on the time of year when you go, though.

I believe that a sailing canoe leaves from the lagoon at Aulani. That is an excellent and very relaxing experience.

My daughter and I went to the spa, Laniwai, at Aulani. I cannot recommend that highly enough! In my opinion, even more lovely than the spa treatment itself was the Kula Wai garden with the 6 special types of outdoor showers, as well as small pools.

I would highly recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center. You probably have to drive there from Aulani. There are enough activities to make it very worthwhile for a full day. Seven different Polynesian cultures are represented, each with an associated activity, many of them very good for children. I have very fond recollections of the ukulele lesson that my daughter and I took together. There is a staged canoe parade on the river in the afternoon, representing all of the Polynesian cultures, and you can also ride in a long canoe without having to paddle it yourself. I would recommend the Ali'i Luau as better than the other Luau that is offered. The evening performance, Ha: Breath of Life, takes place in an auditorium that is part open-air, part covered. It is truly spectacular, and well worth staying for. There is also a film in a theater with minor special effects. The Polynesian Cultural Center is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, but they are very low key about it--if I had not read about that, I might not have known.

We have not been to Kualoa Ranch, but I have heard great things about the trip and seen great pictures, from friends who went on one of the trips there. It's especially good if you are familiar with the films or TV shows from the site.

I enjoyed the stop at the Dole Plantation. There are elements of a tourist-trap to be sure, but it is a very nice one. I have always enjoyed the Pick a Pearl experience at Epcot, and the Dole Plantation offers that as well. I know that is not for everyone, but at the Dole Plantation, I wound up with a black pearl, which is otherwise relatively rare. The Dole whip is excellent! Also, the train ride is interesting and the gardens are very pretty.

In terms of dining, I really like the Makahiki buffet, both for breakfast and for dinner (different days). The setting at 'Ama'Ama is beautiful, and the fish is excellent. It seems to me that 'Ama'Ama is better for a romantic duo than for a mother-daughter trip, though. We went over to the Four Seasons for a few restaurant meals, and also to Roy's Ko'olina. Both were great. You could walk, but there is also a shuttle that will take you to either restaurant and back to Aulani. Monkey Pod seemed okay to me, but not very special. There is a coffee shop near Monkey Pod that I recommend very highly. It is especially good after Aulani stops serving espresso-based drinks.

Shave ice is a standard recommendation, and you would probably want to try multiple flavors at different times.

One recommendation I have not seen here: You can buy a whole coconut at the Ulu Cafe, that is prepared so that you can insert a straw and drink the coconut water. I haven't experienced that elsewhere.

All of the comments I have seen on the Pearl Harbor tour praise it very highly. I have to say that this is one tour that is not for me. My father was a B-17 pilot and later a POW of the Germans in WW II. That makes Pearl Harbor too emotional for me. Just reading the comments here brought tears to my eyes.

 

[Skywalker3]

Your activities and dining will be coming up soon, let us know how that went please and if you got all you wanted

I’ve heard going to Costco is a great plan if you want to get some snacks or small meals for the room too

Hi, hope the trip planning is coming along.
We just got back Sunday morning, plane landed a little after 6AM CST ( I think we left Honolulu about 1:45ish....LONG day/night)
Pearl Harbor was a must-do. we did book our Arizona tickets, and no weather issues that day. They were for noon, and I wish we'd bought them for much earlier in the day, OR done the museums, film , etc. before. We didn't do the Missouri, but it looked interesting. Parking was a bit hectic. We had to kinda stalk and wait for someone to leave, but probably due to time of day we went.
Diamondhead Hike-fabulous, my favorite outdoor activity. We pre-booked , for 10AM, got there about 9:40ish, and parked in the lot, no issues. MIL completely sat this out. DH and kids left me way behind, but I took my time, stopped a LOT to rest, drink water, let people pass me, and finally made it all the way to the top!!! was very proud, and it was a beautiful sight to see up there.
We all really enjoyed driving up the coast after Diamondhead. We'd intended on going to Makupu-u Lighthouse, but MIL couldn't do that distance, so just stopped at assorted scenic lookouts on the way, ALL so wonderful.

Waimea Falls was beautiful, but we'd underestimated the distance, and it was too much for MIL. There is a golf cart shuttle thing that takes you to/from the falls, she should've taken that, and did on the way back. But they were beautiful. DD swam in them, DS didn't want to. It was cold! There is a small area to change, we saw a lot of folks in bathing suits.
Took a little too much time there, we did eat there too, had good enough food. Started to drive up to NOrth Shore, but wasn't really into looking for parking/stopping on sides of highways, etc, so missed that. did do the Dole Plantation gift shop on way back, mostly just for dole whip.

Kualoa Ranch-the half day thing was booked up, so we opted to do the Jungle Expedition tour in the AM, and the Ocean Voyage in the afternoon. LOVED the jungle expedition. We had a great guide, Laka, really funny, informative, and entertaining. I had no idea there'd be a short, but steep hike with this. Once again, I just let people pass me by, and I was the last one to the top. I still got some great pictures, and great view. but wow, it was a total thrill ride, bumping along, taking sharp curves on the mountain road, more rollercoaster. Had to hold on for sure. But super fun, could tell MIL was not having all that much fun by her face.....but kids did. We then ate in their little quick service place, and the line was SOOOO slow, but we all liked the food a lot, and very reasonable at that. Love their katsu offerings there, and at Waimea.
Ocean Voyage was good enough, Kids enjoyed it. Rest of us thought it was fine, fun to be out on the water, we rarely get to go boating, so that was fun. But would've been better earlier in the day.
Thursday was supposed to be a day to go to places we'd missed, but we decided we'd had enough hustle/bustle of getting out, and it became a resort day.
Was hard to find beach chairs around 11, had to ask , and just finally grab some. Pool chairs were worse. DD had gone out earlier to the pool and got a good one to tan on. when DS and I were looking around 1, didn't see any obvious ones. Also, there were no rafts for the water slide, and the wait was long, so DS bailed on that. Pretty crowded that day.
Hope you have an awesome trip!! I sure wish ours had been longer.

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

We wanted that specific day - we have a red-eye home that evening and it gives us a place to hang out after check out and enjoy the last few hours of vacation!

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

what is better a cabana or paying the room to stay for the red eye

 

[jimmymac613]

what is better a cabana or paying the room to stay for the red eye

A cabana will cost you $650 which I'm sure is cheaper than another night but, I don't know your dates, and it may be too late to get one.

 

[WillGan]

 

[pixiedust2u]

what is better a cabana or paying the room to stay for the red eye

Don’t forget you also get lounge access at the airport! So I’d vote Cabana, then use lounge at airport.

 

[gsdweller]

what is better a cabana or paying the room to stay for the red eye

Having done it multiple different ways, paying for the room is by far the most comfortable way to go. Makes the entire trip a million times more relaxing.