Gidget Goes Hawaiian- Kauai & Aulani 8/2012 TR- 5/24 COMPLETE!!

[JKSWonder]

Welcome Back Ellen!

 

[dizneeat]

Ellen, are you back already?
Wow, that time went by fast. Hope you had an awesome trip - and .....

Welcome home!

 

[englishrose47]

Welcome home Ellen !!!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

The Aulani trip was so wonderful! It was pretty cool to see the seal, it was totally relaxed.

The food on the buffet looked so tasty! I would pay $40 for that meal!

I hope you post a link for your trip with Tim so I won't miss it.

 

[cal2net]

LOVED your trip report. We are headed there in July and can't wait! I have to ask, what kind of camera are you using? Your photos are incredible. That buffet looks delicious. Even though it seems pricey, daughter alone could do some damage with crab legs, she can't get enough of them when we go out for seafood.

 

[kkmcan]

WOW! Great trip report. I just spent the entire afternoon (almost 4 hours) reading thru this 49 pages of your trip. I feel like I read a really good novel. Thanks for such a wonderful account of your Hawaii trip. We hope to go next year for a few days at Aulani and a few days in the in-laws timeshare.

 

[podsnel]

Hi everyone- sorry I have not replied or put up my last post here- super busy since returning from WDW & the Dream with Tim- but I promise to come back and finish this one up! In the meantime, if you would like to join me on my shiny new TR about my Spring break adventures with Tim, here is a link!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=48140007#post48140007

And kkmcan- I use a Canon Rebel xsi - it's a DSLR. Wish I had a tsi, tho- other pics are with a Canon Powershot D10 which is waterproof.

 

[Jennifer48]

DH & I are heading to Aulani in September and I just read your TR from start to finish. What an amazingly awesome time you all had! Thank you so much for sharing, its given me some great tips & advice!

 

[papamouse1]

We are headed to Aulani on Monday!! This TR was definitely beneficial in planning some of the details for us... thank you so much for an amazing TR!

 

[podsnel]

DH & I are heading to Aulani in September and I just read your TR from start to finish. What an amazingly awesome time you all had! Thank you so much for sharing, its given me some great tips & advice!

ALOHA!! It is impossible, I think, to have anything but an amazing time in Hawaii. I am so glad I could help, and I truly hope you have a WONDERFUL trip!

We are headed to Aulani on Monday!! This TR was definitely beneficial in planning some of the details for us... thank you so much for an amazing TR!

ALOHA to you, too! You are very welcome- and I am very envious of your trip on Monday!! Say hi to eandesmom, she will still be there then, I think. AND Alohalani- just because she's got the BEST name EVER and she really lives up to it!

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Ellen !!!

 

[podsnel]

Hi Ellen !!!

Mornin', Rosie! LOL-

 

[podsnel]

In the car, and pulling away from Aulani, I had plenty of tears. I also had



in my lap, Google Maps directions on my iphone, and a GPS Navigator on Pods' iphone.

I was NOT taking any chances.

Aloha Aulani-



And Ko Olina-



Aloha Honolulu and Diamond Head in the distance-



Aloha Honolulu traffic at 4pm-



I think I will even miss you. And then Hawaii said,

Aloha to us-





Thanks so much for joining me on the most amazing family vacation we have ever had- hope I can write another Hawaiian TR again someday soon!

XO,
Ellen

 

[jedijill]

Aww, so sad its over. We should plan a Dis Mom's trip to Hawaii.

Jill in CO

 

[MEK]

OMG - a rainbow to say goodbye!

And I thought I-95 traffic was bad. Yikes!

What a wonderful trip you had.

Cynthia (eandesmom) is there right now and has already texted me a picture of her totally relaxed state. So Not Fair!

 

[rentayenta]

Aww, so sad its over. We should plan a Dis Mom's trip to Hawaii.

Jill in CO

I'll be making every attempt to crash that party.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Aww, so sad its over. We should plan a Dis Mom's trip to Hawaii.

Jill in CO

A DISmoms trip with about 40 or so DISmoms.

 

[mefordis]

Thank you so much for this trip report. Question: did you take any pictures of the flight back in first class? Was the first class section worth it? Whenever I look for award tickets in first class on United my searches always come up empty! Any advice?

Thank you again for an awesome trip report!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

You can sign me up for a DIS Moms Hawaii trip! Absolutely loved following along on this adventure. I am dreaming about a trip to Hawaii and have filed away all of your tips for future use! Especially the surf school... that sounds SO cool!!!

The rainbow is a perfect farewell!!

Off to read about your latest adventure.

 

[podsnel]

Thank you so much for this trip report. Question: did you take any pictures of the flight back in first class? Was the first class section worth it? Whenever I look for award tickets in first class on United my searches always come up empty! Any advice?

Thank you again for an awesome trip report!

OMG!!! You totally reminded me about the flight home! So I am not complete until I do this last post- THEN I am done!

We DID fly home first class, on United. We were not able to get a direct flight with our miles, so we would be flying overnight to O'Hare and then have a brief layover before flying the short flight to NJ- the second leg would be in coach.

To answer your question, mefordis, NO it was NOT worth it- but that was because we were on a crappy old United plane. The whole point of flying 1st class home from Hawaii is to be able to sleep in those nice, big, reclining with a FREAKING FOOT REST seats.

HOWEVER....since we were on an old crappy United plane that had not yet been updated, we enjoyed NONE OF THOSE PERKS. Most notably, the foot rest, which when you are short, like me, is KEY to the whole thing- without a footrest, my feet just dangled off the too- big seat (The seat being all puffed up made it impossible to touch the floor) so my feet and lower legs were THROBBING for the last 4 hours or so of the flight. I was NOT happy. Neither were my kids- who got on the plane and IMMEDIATELY noticed- we had no individual tvs, either. On the plus side, being in first class, we had blankets (although I bring my own) but they made an announcement as soon as we were boarded that there were not enough blankets for even half the plane, so they would keep the cabin warmer as a solution.

I freakin HATE United. They have TOTALLY ruined my flying time AND everyone else's.

So, mefordis, my advice to you would be do your research- if you are on an updated plane, then by all means, GO FOR IT! If you have our experience, I would stick with coach and just upgrade to the premium seats. And bring your own blankee from Travelsmith! http://www.travelsmith.com/coolmax-...-_-Google-_-keyword=travel+blanket&redirect=y

Anyway, also included in First Class were all beverages AND dinner. So we had-



As we waved goodbye to-



Timmy and Tyler were in the row behind us, and they had some airline guy put up a curtain to his two seats for the flight (I guess to sleep).





For dinner, there was-



Gnocchi for me, maybe some chicken too?-



And I think crepes with spinach and chicken for Pods? Not sure now-







What I DO remember, was that for dessert, we all got ice cream sundaes- THAT was the best part of the whole thing!





I think everyone else slept except for me- I tried and tried but just could not because my feet were dangling. When we got on the plane in Chicago- back in coach- I think I was sleeping before we even took off. Go figure! But my feet could hit the ground in coach, so I could recline and be pain-free- kind of key to some sleep, for me.

And THAT, my friends, is REALLY THE END!