Happy in Hawaii –- Aulani & Oahu with a Toddler ~ Updated 7/20: Final Update and link to new TR!

[Dugette]

Beach Time

We really didn’t have a ton of time left this afternoon, but we felt obligated to get down to the beach for at least a little bit. Not only because we still hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean on this trip (!!!), but we also had a free casabella awaiting us. We checked in at the little surf shop place down there and they told us where to find our casabella:







Yeah, that was nearly the extent of our usage. Wish we’d had more time, but we really didn’t do much more than try it out briefly before heading across the sand to the water:

















Proof that we were indeed in the ocean:





Once again, there was GoPro Photopass in the water:





We had a nice time, though brief, then headed back to the pool area to check the last few items off our lists.

Dug took Izzy over the zero-entry pool area to play while I went down the tube slide (the one where you ride a tube down that empties into the lazy river). As I was sitting on the top, about to go, they had to delay the ride because of a report of a lost bracelet down below. They conducted a search for it before letting me go down. It was maybe a 5-minute wait. Not sure if they found it or not. I was just glad I was sitting in a tube in a bit of water vs. just standing there in the hot sun waiting. I enjoyed the slide, but had to get out before going around the whole lazy river (darn limited time! )

My next stop was a few more minutes in that lovely hot tub at the Infinity Pool. So nice.

After I’d had my fill, I went to retrieve Izzy and bring her up to the room while Dug had a bit of solo hot tub time too.

Once up at the room, I got both Izzy and myself cleaned up and ready for dinner, then scrambled to get all of our luggage ready to be picked up. Dug returned and got cleaned up during this time as well. We called Ama Ama and were able to push back our dinnertime slightly to 5:15pm. We still ended up arriving there around 10 minutes late, as we had to pack up all the swim stuff and wait for Bell Services to come and take our luggage. Interesting note on that: we had a lot of leftover food and drinks, including a lot of that Kahlua. We asked the Bell Services guy if he wanted anything and he said to leave it all there for the housekeepers – they really enjoy the extra food/drink. So, we did. Hope they had a good time with all that Kahlua and Fresca!

Up next: A lovely sunset dinner.

 

[schmass]

I'm sorry your breakfast was so disappointing, but glad that Izzy got that special meet with Minnie and Mickey in the afternoon! Your pool and beach time looks great! So sad that your trip is coming to an end...

 

[Dugette]

I'm sorry your breakfast was so disappointing, but glad that Izzy got that special meet with Minnie and Mickey in the afternoon! Your pool and beach time looks great! So sad that your trip is coming to an end...

Yeah, missing Minnie at breakfast was quite the unexpected disappointment, but so glad they tried to make up for it with the meet. It was so nice to get the pool and beach time, but we just wished there had been more (for Dug especially). Thank goodness we got to go back...so, no worries about this trip coming to an end, as I have a whole return visit to jump right into!

 

[Dugette]

Our Last Hawaiian Sunset

We arrived at Ama Ama, Aulani’s nice sit-down restaurant, slightly late for our reservation, but still in plenty of time to catch the sunset. It was actually still very bright and sunny out. We waited a few minutes to be seated. Lobby pictures:









We were led to our table:



Definitely an acceptable view (as most tables there are, I think).

This was also an acceptable view:



Yep, that brief wait in the lobby was too much for her and she passed out, sleeping right through our entire dinner. Too perfect! If she had been old enough for the kids’ club, she would have been there so that we could have a nice adults-only relaxing dinner…but we were getting that anyway!

We just drank in the view for a while:





And then we also drank in whatever these things are :







I’ve got to admit that I have no idea anymore, but I think we enjoyed them.

Clearly, I need to start taking pictures of our menus. Luckily, I found a copy of the dinner menu online, so I can tell you what our food most likely is. Dug had this appetizer:



I believe this would be the Macaroni Au Gratin – Keahole Lobster, Maitake Mushroom, Fontina-Parmesan Cheese, Herb-Garlic Crust

And mine was this:



I know that it was the Roasted Kamuela Tomato Soup – with a mini Truffled Brie Cheese and Portuguese Sweet Bread “Sandwich”

They also brought out some bread:



Everything was delicious!

And the view was still amazing:



We chose to share an entrée, as we often do. We got this:



I believe it was called the Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chop – Herb-Coconut Rice, Heirloom Tomato Salad, Jicama, Heart of Palm, Baby Thai Basil, Malaysian Peanut Sauce

Here’s what a half portion looked like:



Seems like a full meal to me! We both enjoyed this quite a bit.

And Izzy enjoyed her nap:



Though the service was nice enough, our waiter seemed very non-personable and scripted. Felt a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn’t a huge deal. Other things of note were that the next table was full of Minnesotans who had just arrived in Hawaii that day – lucky people! And another table nearby had a guy who was from Los Angeles, but staying an entire month at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore to film a television show. Pretty cool to overhear that – what a cool job he had! (and we'll stay near that resort on the January 2016 return trip)

So, back when we were cleaning up from pool time, we’d received a notice from Delta that our flight that night was delayed until even later that night. That prompted us to want to check what our options were for possibly extending our trip a day or two. It’s something we had talked about because of Dug missing so much of the trip, but we were so locked into our airfare because of the price glitch that we couldn’t make any changes without paying an astronomical amount. But when they delay your flight/change your times by enough, you gain some flexibility. So, around 7pm, while still lingering at Ama Ama, Dug gave Delta a call:



While I apparently took pictures of the ceiling :



And our sleeping kid and more:







Dug was told that they could put us on the next evening’s flights, but no seats were together, so we’d have to ask people to move. I didn’t think that would go so well in First Class with that very limited pool of seats. Not a great option. But we decided to do all our research anyway, since we really didn’t want to leave paradise if we could have an extra day to enjoy it. So, we headed out of Ama Ama and over to the lobby/concierge. I don’t know when this picture was taken, but I’ll just throw it in here:



That may have been when we went to check out the Luana Lounge (for changing from pool time on check-out day), since we had keys for it. We didn't end up needing to use it, as we had our room late enough, but wanted to take a look at the facilities. We got in there and found it was empty and being cleaned, though. Apparently they close up right when the pools do, it seems. So, we headed back out quickly. We had other issues to attend to.

It was too late at night for us to contact our DVC person we’d rented points from (with the time difference, I think it was past midnight her time). I sent her an email anyway, but we didn’t expect a response anytime soon (she responded in the morning that she would have rented us more points, though). Instead, we checked with the concierge to see what kind of rate we could get on an extra night, due to our flight delay/change. They said we could get the 25% off rate for locals (kama’aina rate), but that was still much more than we’d been paying for our room – plus, we’d have to extend our car rental and pay the $35 daily parking fee. Things were adding up quick. We did consider it, though, as adding an extra day would still be cheaper than taking an entire other trip back (um, which we ended up doing a mere 14 months later! ) In the end, we decided to stick with our delayed flight and depart that night, as planned. Dug spent most of the rest of our Aulani time on the phone with Delta. Because our first flight was delayed, I believe they changed our connecting flight, which also changed our seating. It moved us from Row 2 to Row 1, which meant no under seat storage or video monitor in front of us. I think he was working on correcting that, but didn't have any luck. All this excitement was really not the best of circumstances to leave Aulani under, but we did just that. Obligatory end-of-vacation sad face:



We left roughly around when we had planned, about 8:50pm or so. I went to get the car:



Pulled it around front and we loaded it up and drove off. Farewell, paradise!

Up next: Surely you want to stick around for a chapter on overnight air travel with a toddler, right?

 

[cindianne320]

Oh no! I was worried when Izzy slept thru dinner (though how nice was that?!) on how she would do on the long flight... Sorry that you didn't get your bonus night/day, but glad you had your do-over the next year!

 

[Imagineer5]

Super cute meet up before breakfast!

Our waitress wasn’t very on the ball this meal. She didn’t bring Dug’s coffee cup, but brought two juices instead (he didn’t order one), brought some ketchup we didn’t ask for, then disappeared for a very long time :

That would be really annoying!

So, needless to say, we were rather annoyed. And we had a rather sad and upset 2 year old.

What a breakfast! I'm so glad you said something though and had a great meet up later...

So, we ended up being the last people to meet M&M at this time. However, that doesn’t mean there was nobody in line behind us. In fact, there were a lot of people in line behind us that had been waiting nearly as long as we had. And they all just got sent away, after having waited that whole time.

That would be really annoying to stand for so long only to get turned away. it gave you guys some nice time with them though!

Cute family pic!

There was also a Photopass photographer in the water who got some shots of us (to get these added, you need to go to the Photopass desk later and tell them where and approximately when you had photos taken):

I love that they have photopass in the water there, they need magic bands to scan though!

So, yeah, you can see how well that went. I personally find it somewhat hilarious looking back now, though.

Hahahaha yeah she doesn't look very happy. It has to be hard for a 2 year old to comprehend though (or any kid really)

We really didn’t have a ton of time left this afternoon, but we felt obligated to get down to the beach for at least a little bit. Not only because we still hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean on this trip (!!!), but we also had a free casabella awaiting us. We checked in at the little surf shop place down there and they told us where to find our casabella:

LOL that is pretty funny! We'd be at the beach swimming for probably a part of each day! That casabella is cool. How much is it usually to rent?

Dug took Izzy over the zero-entry pool area to play while I went down the tube slide (the one where you ride a tube down that empties into the lazy river)

I don't think I knew there was a tube slide too! How was the body slide on your back?

We asked the Bell Services guy if he wanted anything and he said to leave it all there for the housekeepers – they really enjoy the extra food/drink. So, we did. Hope they had a good time with all that Kahlua and Fresca!

That's interesting, I'm surprised he would say that.

Yep, that brief wait in the lobby was too much for her and she passed out, sleeping right through our entire dinner. Too perfect! If she had been old enough for the kids’ club, she would have been there so that we could have a nice adults-only relaxing dinner…but we were getting that anyway!

That is so perfect!!

I believe this would be the Macaroni Au Gratin – Keahole Lobster, Maitake Mushroom, Fontina-Parmesan Cheese, Herb-Garlic Crust

I know that it was the Roasted Kamuela Tomato Soup – with a mini Truffled Brie Cheese and Portuguese Sweet Bread “Sandwich”

\

All your food looks amazing!

So, back when we were cleaning up from pool time, we’d received a notice from Delta that our flight that night was delayed until even later that night. That prompted us to want to check what our options were for possibly extending our trip a day or two. It’s something we had talked about because of Dug missing so much of the trip, but we were so locked into our airfare because of the price glitch that we couldn’t make any changes without paying an astronomical amount. But when they delay your flight/change your times by enough, you gain some flexibility. So, around 7pm, while still lingering at Ama Ama, Dug gave Delta a call:

What a stressful evening! Sorry that that happened, interested to hear how the flying was with Izzy! lol

 

[Leshaface]

Not only because we still hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean on this trip

So so bad!

Yeah, that was nearly the extent of our usage

I was really contemplating renting out a cabana on this trip, but wasn't sure how much use we'd really get out of it. Still really thinking about it though...what do you think? I think it's around $400 right?

Proof that we were indeed in the ocean:

How warm was the water compared to the pools?

Dug took Izzy over the zero-entry pool area to play while I went down the tube slide (the one where you ride a tube down that empties into the lazy river

I have sooo many questions sorry!

Does this go so fast that it flips you out? Calvin would NOT appreciate this.

We asked the Bell Services guy if he wanted anything and he said to leave it all there for the housekeepers – they really enjoy the extra food/drink. So

Good to know that they don't just dump it out. I was thinking about putting up a thread for all our leftover stuff for any DIS'ers that were coming in, but this may be easier.

This was also an acceptable view:

Absolutely!

And then we also drank in whatever these things are :

Doesn't matter at this point what they're called, as long as there is alcohol in them!

Gorgeous!

I sent her an email anyway, but we didn’t expect a response anytime soon (she responded in the morning that she would have rented us more points, though)

Aw POOP!

They said we could get the 25% off rate for locals (kama’aina rate), but that was still much more than we’d been paying for our room – plus, we’d have to extend our car rental and pay the $35 daily parking fee. Things were adding up quick.

In the end, we decided to stick with our delayed flight and depart that night, as planned.

That sucks but at least you banked that extra money for your next trip.

Up next: Surely you want to stick around for a chapter on overnight air travel with a toddler, right?

 

[Dugette]

Oh no! I was worried when Izzy slept thru dinner (though how nice was that?!) on how she would do on the long flight... Sorry that you didn't get your bonus night/day, but glad you had your do-over the next year!

I was just so happy she slept through dinner that I didn't even think about the flights. But I knew she was pretty tired by the end of the trip, so I was hoping for the best. And I'm SO glad we got to go back so soon!

Super cute meet up before breakfast!

Thanks, this Mickey meet was much more fun than the previous one at our first breakfast there.

That would be really annoying!

It was - maybe she was all thrown off by Minnie being gone.

What a breakfast! I'm so glad you said something though and had a great meet up later...

Breakfast really felt like a colossal waste of money, especially since we'd already eaten there once. Glad they arranged the second meet, though.

That would be really annoying to stand for so long only to get turned away. it gave you guys some nice time with them though!

I was just so surprised they left all those people there with their false hopes until the very end.

Cute family pic!

Thanks!

I love that they have photopass in the water there, they need magic bands to scan though!

Totally agree - if there is ANY Disney property where Magic Bands would be helpful, it's Aulani. I mean, you're in and out of the water and there are roaming Photopass people and you wouldn't have to carry around your room key and Photopass card. And they give you a bracelet each day before allowing you to use the pool area - it would be so much better if they just enabled your Magic Band in some way that showed you were a valid guest.

Hahahaha yeah she doesn't look very happy. It has to be hard for a 2 year old to comprehend though (or any kid really)

I know she was so confused - I mean, we're always telling her to go hug Minnie and suddenly she's getting into trouble for it. Poor kid.

LOL that is pretty funny! We'd be at the beach swimming for probably a part of each day! That casabella is cool. How much is it usually to rent?

With such limited time to enjoy the water (especially with Dug there), we were really just trying to cram in a bit of time at each place, both pools and the beach. Since Izzy wasn't very comfortable with the water when she and I were solo, I stayed out of the ocean and stuck more with the splash pad and such. I just checked and the casabellas rent for $75/day.

I don't think I knew there was a tube slide too! How was the body slide on your back?

I love the tube slide - Izzy and I went down that together a ton of times on the return trip! The body slide was fine for me - I basically just went down in a reclined sit, as I didn't want to totally lay down. It worked. Dug doesn't remember it causing any back issues either.

That's interesting, I'm surprised he would say that.

Me too!

That is so perfect!!

Couldn't have been better.

All your food looks amazing!

It was a pretty tasty meal!

What a stressful evening! Sorry that that happened, interested to hear how the flying was with Izzy! lol

Yeah, not the most relaxing end to the trip. And, of course, followed by flying with a toddler overnight.

So so bad!

I know.

I was really contemplating renting out a cabana on this trip, but wasn't sure how much use we'd really get out of it. Still really thinking about it though...what do you think? I think it's around $400 right?

So, we did a cabana rental on our return trip last January and LOVED that day! I know that we did get a lower price because we reserved in advance before a price increase, so I think it was under $400, but probably over that now. It's a lot of money, but we justified it as a Christmas gift to each other, Dug's parents, and Dug's sister/brother-in-law. It was perfect and we all loved having it. We'd go off and use the pools/lagoon and then come back and hang out throughout the day. It was really nice to have that comfortable home base to hang out together. We were in Cabana 5, which was our first choice. #3-5 are near the infinity pool. #3 is near the wall, #4 is in the middle, then was ours:



The view from there:



There are also some cabanas right by the Menehune Bridge (kids play area), so that could be nice if you expect to spend a lot of time there. But noisier.

One other option is the Executive Lanai. It's a bit cheaper and looked really nice when I walked past:

How warm was the water compared to the pools?

I think the lagoon felt slightly cooler at first, but comfortable when you got used to it.

I have sooo many questions sorry!

Does this go so fast that it flips you out? Calvin would NOT appreciate this.

No worries - ask away! You shouldn't have any problems with this slide. A person in a single tube that's off balance when it hits maybe could flip, but probably unlikely. Izzy and I went down in the double tubes, though, and I can't imagine having an issue:



They had me basically use my legs as a seat for her and she was very secure. She LOVED this slide and we went down SO MANY times on our return trip.

Good to know that they don't just dump it out. I was thinking about putting up a thread for all our leftover stuff for any DIS'ers that were coming in, but this may be easier.

I actually did that (put up a thread), but didn't get any takers.

Absolutely!

Gotta love a toddler sleeping through fancy sunset dinner.

Doesn't matter at this point what they're called, as long as there is alcohol in them!

There was!

Gorgeous!

I loved walking around there at night...so peaceful and pretty!

Aw POOP!

Stupid time difference!

That sucks but at least you banked that extra money for your next trip.

Yep, worked out great in that way.

 

[Dugette]

The Long Flight Home (in 1st Class)

We had an uneventful drive across the island toward the airport. We decided to all go to Enterprise to return the rental car, then take the shuttle over to the airport together. It was a bit tricky to find Enterprise, but we did. They were great with everything. The fact that we weren’t really quite 100% full of fuel wasn’t an issue. Neither was that little bumper rubber thing that was coming off (if you remember that far back in the trip anymore). They also helped us with our insane amount of luggage, got us luggage carts, and we ended up having a private shuttle to the airport, complete with more luggage assistance. No complaints!

Our crazy amount of luggage (note that one luggage cart is behind the other):



This is what happens when you have an essentially unlimited luggage allowance and are taking a 10-day trip with a 2-year-old.

We lucked out upon arrival at the airport and immediately found a skycap to help us check 6 of our bags. That lightened the load considerably.

Time to head in at 9:49pm:





You can see in that picture how we hook up the carseat on the back of the stroller for airport walking (and we apparently threw the cooler on top of it).

Security was pretty quick and painless and we were through at 10:04pm. Went to find our gate and sat down to wait:



Two of the gate attendants immediately came over to make sure our stroller got a gate check tag. Then we just sat around for a while, waiting to board. I think we were all pretty wiped out by that time of night, but Izzy was hanging in there pretty well with us.

The gate attendants had told us that the boarding order would be car seats (young kids, etc.), then First Class, then general. But, instead, there was no call for the car seat bunch, just a random call for First Class (which we also were). We scurried to get our stuff together and board.

Our plane was a 767 this time instead of a 757 like on the way out. This meant the seating configuration was different. Instead of 2 and 2, this was a 2 and 2 and 2 configuration. Meaning, we no longer had a window. Dug sat in the aisle next to the guy with a window. Izzy and I sat in the middle two seats:



As you can see, I got Izzy started with her milk (we adore those straw thermoses! ) I love this next picture because the guy in the background looks so skeptical about a 2-year-old being in First Class with him :



Or maybe he was just annoyed at me taking selfies :



We did have the small individual TV screens again on this flight, but they didn’t have the great Disney movie on demand options. No Frozen, or Little Mermaid, or Toy Story 3. I set Izzy up with Frozen on the iPad instead:



I think we left pretty close to our scheduled 11:15pm departure time.

My notes say I had a sandwich while she watched Frozen. That must have been the meal service option for First Class – I think it was more of a late-night snack menu vs. a dinner. This flight had the same First Class touches we’d enjoyed on the way out (free candy bars, hot wash cloths, etc.), but it was much more limited, as we were flying overnight.

Again, it was very late at night and we were hoping we’d all get a decent stretch of sleep. They turned down the lights and tried to make the cabin conducive to some rest. I was a bit worried about Izzy, but I knew she was tired and good at sleeping in her car seat. And, sure enough, she did eventually fall asleep. As did I (and probably Dug, I don’t really know).

Izzy was solidly sleeping through the night at that point, so I was hoping a night in the air would be the same. However, unfortunately, about 45 minutes into her sleep, Izzy woke up crying and scared. Understandable, waking up somewhere unfamiliar and all. The only way I could find to calm her quickly was to take her out of her car seat and hold her. She soon fell back asleep once she was comfortably snuggled up with me. Hope I didn’t bother that skeptical guy too much. It felt like an eternity that she was crying, but it was probably under a minute. However, in the middle of the night in First Class, that feels like a LONG time. She did wake up crying one other time later in the flight, just before the pilot came on to announce our impending landing in Los Angeles. The flight attendant came over and offered her a banana to calm her down, but Izzy was half-asleep and not interested. Since they turned up the lights and such shortly after that incident, it wasn't too bad. Reasonably successful flight, all things considered.

Soon, we were off the plane and making our way through the back hallways and strange elevators of LAX. I don’t remember why it was so strange – if a flight attendant told us to go that way or if there was construction? Beats me, but we eventually made our way to the connecting flight’s gate. We had time to use the restroom, get Izzy’s diaper changed, then take our spots in Row 1. This was a 2x2 configuration on each side of the aisle. Dug sat in the aisle on one side and Izzy and I sat on the other side with her by the window. Being in Row 1, we had to store all of our carry-on items up above us during take-off and landing. We also did not have any personal monitors in front of us to use. So, once again, I set Izzy up with the iPad:



We did get our little waters again:



You can see the lack of monitors there, but don’t worry, there was this one :



Izzy was happy to watch endless Frozen:



(Side note, I told her about @TheMaxRebo ’s recent trip to Disneyland Hong Kong and she said we should go there. I told her it was a very long flight and she said, “Oh, that’s okay. I’ll just watch Frozen on my iPad on the plane.” Kid loves Frozen on repeat. )

I think this was probably the view of the CA coastline during take-off:



Flying out over the ocean and turning around.

Izzy enjoying the sounds of Frozen on her headphones:



Breakfast was served on this flight. I asked the flight attendant to bring a tray for Izzy first, since there just wasn’t a place to put a second tray (couldn’t use the in-arm tray over her carseat, as it wouldn't fold out with the seat in the way):





After Izzy had eaten what she wanted from hers, the flight attendant brought out my meal:



I think it was decent for airline food.

After dining, I tried to sleep a bit, but kept waking up either to check on Izzy or afraid that the iPad was going to fall on the floor. About an hour before the end of the flight, she drifted off:



I snuck the iPad away from her without disturbing her slumber.

As we were getting close to descent/landing time, the pilot came on the speakers and said that they were “getting a weird indication from our flaps and going to run through our checklist.” This was announced in a very calm and semi-routine way and nobody seemed concerned. And I wasn’t either. Until I looked up here:



I took this picture later, so you could see my view. Because of where I was seated, I was the only one on the plane who could see the flight attendants while they were in their jumpseats. Well, guess what they were doing at this time? Reviewing the checklist….the “Evacuation Preparation Checklist”, that is.

So, I was pretty jittery during this time. I typed a note about what was happening in the “notes” app on my phone and passed it to Dug. We sat tight for a while, trying not to panic, since our flight was smooth and problem-free. Finally, the flight attendants got a call on their phone, responded, “That’s great!”, and then the pilot came on and announced that we’d be landing as planned. Whew, SOOOOO relieved. I don’t enjoy flying as it is, so this incident sure didn’t help. Thankfully, Izzy slept though the whole thing, so that was nice.

After landing, we got a compliment from fellow passenger about what a good traveler Izzy was. Also, another nice passenger helped Dug to carry our stroller and little cooler up the ramp on our way out. Once in the airport, we got all of our stuff together to be lugged through the airport (attached the carseat to the stroller, etc.) After that, we stopped into a restroom and changed Izzy and got our jackets on (November in Minnesota ):



By the time we made it to the luggage carousel only our stuff was left. We grabbed all of our bags and a porter helped us bring all the stuff over to my step-mom’s waiting car (she has a Subaru Outback and it managed to fit us and ALL of our bags ).

It was very, very cold out, so I installed Izzy’s carseat as quickly as I could and got her inside. We were on our way home at 2:24pm. Izzy immediately removed her socks and put her shoes back on, just as she had in Hawaii :









She was in a pretty good mood after a long night of air travel!

Once we got home, we greeted Kitty and then gathered up all of Izzy’s naptime things (sound machine, blankets, pillow, etc.) Dug read her some books, then put her down for “nap”, which ended up being “bed”, since she just kept on sleeping, adjusting back to Central time.

My step-mom brought Bailey back around 5pm, while we were all napping. So nice of my dad and step-mom to dog-sit for us!!

I ended up sleeping until about 7:30pm. We had some dinner then (my notes say frozen burritos) and watched Parenthood (I miss that show!) I finished up making my notes for this trip (and so glad I did, as they are what’s getting me through writing this 20 months later!) After that, I unpacked just the things I would need soon, then headed to bed because I had a normal day of work the next day.

THE END

But, don’t be too sad this TR is over….I just started our second Hawaii TR for our January 2016 return trip! You can find it here:

Just the 19 of Us – Oahu North Shore & Aulani – Jan. 2016

Thanks for following along and I hope to see you over at the next one!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I have fallen woefully behind

Bummer about the breakfast and Minnie - that seems a bit unacceptable for her to not be at the meal named for her. That would be like not getting to meet Cinderella at CRT or something. Glad to see the CM tried to make it right - nothing is ever going to be perfect 100% of the time so glad to see they did what they could

Sorry this also resulted is making the rest of you day a bit cramped and then dealing with the flight change and time exploring staying another night, etc - at least you had the nice sunset dinner "date night"

Glad the flight was pretty good all things considered - and I am sure it helped when you eventually found out you were going back!

Thanks for the trip report - heading to the new one now

 

[alohamom]

Thanks so much for all the details, lovely photos and for sharing Izzy with all of us, she is a Dis celebrity!

 

[cindianne320]

Glad the flight went well! It sounds like you were all able to get a little rest, and just relax- unheard of with a 2 year old! Can't wait to start reading your next adventure!

 

[schmass]

Your dinner looked so nice, and lucky you that Izzy slept through it! That must have been so disappointing to get your hopes up that you might stay an extra night, only to have to go home then after all. At least you go to return soon! I am looking forward to reading all about that adventure as well!

 

[Imagineer5]

We did have the small individual TV screens again on this flight, but they didn’t have the great Disney movie on demand options. No Frozen, or Little Mermaid, or Toy Story 3. I set Izzy up with Frozen on the iPad instead:

This flight and seats don't seem as first class, but hopefully you did have more leg room than regular class.

Izzy was solidly sleeping through the night at that point, so I was hoping a night in the air would be the same. However, unfortunately, about 45 minutes into her sleep, Izzy woke up crying and scared.

Aw poor Izzy! Glad she fell back asleep in your arms.

(Side note, I told her about @TheMaxRebo ’s recent trip to Disneyland Hong Kong and she said we should go there. I told her it was a very long flight and she said, “Oh, that’s okay. I’ll just watch Frozen on my iPad on the plane.” Kid loves Frozen on repeat. )

lol!

That looks delicious hahah

As we were getting close to descent/landing time, the pilot came on the speakers and said that they were “getting a weird indication from our flaps and going to run through our checklist.” This was announced in a very calm and semi-routine way and nobody seemed concerned. And I wasn’t either. Until I looked up here:

EEEK yeah I'd be freaked out.

So, I was pretty jittery during this time. I typed a note about what was happening in the “notes” app on my phone and passed it to Dug. We sat tight for a while, trying not to panic, since our flight was smooth and problem-free. Finally, the flight attendants got a call on their phone, responded, “That’s great!”, and then the pilot came on and announced that we’d be landing as planned. Whew, SOOOOO relieved. I don’t enjoy flying as it is, so this incident sure didn’t help. Thankfully, Izzy slept though the whole thing, so that was nice.

So glad it turned out okay, how scary. I wonder what was going on!

I ended up sleeping until about 7:30pm. We had some dinner then (my notes say frozen burritos) and watched Parenthood (I miss that show!) I finished up making my notes for this trip (and so glad I did, as they are what’s getting me through writing this 20 months later!) After that, I unpacked just the things I would need soon, then headed to bed because I had a normal day of work the next day.

Did Izzy sleep all through the night? That's a lot of sleep!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well, it looks like it was a really nice, enjoyable last day at Aulani up until the drama with the airline. They seem to be working harder to make life miserable for the rest of us!

I'm glad you all landed safely!

 

[jwwi]

Great end to the trip report, so nice of Izzy to sleep thru the sunset dinner. Bummer about the delay in your flight, long trip home to cold Midwest! You are so lucky to have your return trip so close to the first HI trip

 

[Leshaface]

Thanks for answering all my questions up above! I'm really still debating about it. Our schedule is really all over the place with excursions and then Cal's schedule at Aunty's are pretty much in the middle of the day when we would have been at the beach/pool It's probably too late to book one now anyway.

2"]

Haha I forgot how many bags you brought! I'm going to do my best to do only 2 checked bags for the four of us

Our plane was a 767 this time instead of a 757 like on the way out. This meant the seating configuration was different. Instead of 2 and 2, this was a 2 and 2 and 2 configuration. Meaning, we no longer had a window. Dug sat in the aisle next to the guy with a window. Izzy and I sat in the middle two seats:

Have never been on one of those planes before and I actually thought that's what we were on, but nope 3 and 3 for us.

because the guy in the background looks so skeptical about a 2-year-old being in First Class with him :

He's just jealous that he couldn't go first class as a toddler

However, unfortunately, about 45 minutes into her sleep, Izzy woke up crying and scared.

This is what I have always been concerned with with red-eyes. Even with this trip to Hawaii, it would have made more sense (spend that last day still in vacation mode like you guys did) to take a red-eye out, but was worried he wouldn't do so well. I'm sure Q would have been fine though!

So, once again, I set Izzy up with the iPad:

How big is your iPad? 16gb? How many movies/shows does it hold? We have the 16gb but it seems like it is only able to hold 2 movies and 6-7 episodes of shows. And that's after erasing all the music, photos and pretty much all apps!

That would be super uncomfortable to watch!

“Oh, that’s okay. I’ll just watch Frozen on my iPad on the plane.”

Never a good sign when the FA's are strapped in

So, I was pretty jittery during this time. I typed a note about what was happening in the “notes” app on my phone and passed it to Dug. We sat tight for a while, trying not to panic, since our flight was smooth and problem-free. Finally, the flight attendants got a call on their phone, responded, “That’s great!”, and then the pilot came on and announced that we’d be landing as planned. Whew, SOOOOO relieved. I don’t enjoy flying as it is, so this incident sure didn’t help. Thankfully, Izzy slept though the whole thing, so that was nice.

Ugh, thank goodness! My mom would have been praying the whole time!

Such a cute face!


Such a fun and tip-filled report! Thanks so much for that! And super, super excited to read about your next Hawaiian adventure!

 

[Dugette]

I have fallen woefully behind

Haha, and here I am finally doing the responses that I am way behind on! I kinda finished this TR and quickly ran away.

Bummer about the breakfast and Minnie - that seems a bit unacceptable for her to not be at the meal named for her. That would be like not getting to meet Cinderella at CRT or something. Glad to see the CM tried to make it right - nothing is ever going to be perfect 100% of the time so glad to see they did what they could

It was so unexpected - never occurred to me that one of the few main characters just wouldn't be there (and they wouldn't think to mention it at check in or anything). The CM was great, though.

Sorry this also resulted is making the rest of you day a bit cramped and then dealing with the flight change and time exploring staying another night, etc - at least you had the nice sunset dinner "date night"

That sunset dinner date was the best. Yeah, the rest of the day was a bit crazy.

Glad the flight was pretty good all things considered - and I am sure it helped when you eventually found out you were going back!

Thanks for the trip report - heading to the new one now

Thanks for being here and hope you enjoy the tales from the return visit! (once I get to writing more, that is!)

Thanks so much for all the details, lovely photos and for sharing Izzy with all of us, she is a Dis celebrity!

I have to admit, I read this comment a while back and I've been randomly thinking about Izzy being a DIS-celebrity. I think she'd approve of that - she is such a little performer and loves to be the center of attention. She's like the total opposite of me.

Thanks for reading along!

Glad the flight went well! It sounds like you were all able to get a little rest, and just relax- unheard of with a 2 year old! Can't wait to start reading your next adventure!

I was able to at least get some rest, but you probably know that feeling of always being on alert with a young kid with you. It wasn't too bad, though.

Thanks for reading and see on the next one!

Your dinner looked so nice, and lucky you that Izzy slept through it!

It was great on both counts!

That must have been so disappointing to get your hopes up that you might stay an extra night, only to have to go home then after all. At least you go to return soon! I am looking forward to reading all about that adventure as well!

It really was disappointing - we were getting our hopes up and dreaming about some extra time, but just not meant to be (at least for another 14 months ) Thanks for reading along!

This flight and seats don't seem as first class, but hopefully you did have more leg room than regular class.

I agree, the trip home did not seem as First Class. In fact, we were talking after and decided that if someone is paying more than the $2 we did to upgrade to First Class, they should check into the type of airliner they will be on and what First Class is like for that. It seems like there are vast differences. On top of that, overnight was different because they want to let people sleep, so you don't get as much service/attention. Just a bigger chair to sleep in, really. Now, those cool planes I've seen pics of with lay-flat seats and such are vastly different, but this wasn't like that at all.

Aw poor Izzy! Glad she fell back asleep in your arms.

I was glad she did too. I made sure to comfort her by saying things like, "Oh, I know you're scared because this isn't your bed...that scares everyone when they wake up somewhere different. We're still on the airplane and you can go back to sleep all night long, just like you always do..." for the benefit of anyone she woke up...

lol!

Kid sure loves her Frozen.

That looks delicious hahah

Mmmm, airplane food!

EEEK yeah I'd be freaked out.

I really was. There was something particularly unnerving about being the only one on the flight who knew what those flight attendants were reading!

So glad it turned out okay, how scary. I wonder what was going on!

I'm so glad too. I don't know details, but I guess the weird indication from the flap was properly handled by the pilot/co-pilot and the light went off?

Ooooh, thanks to google, I found this, which seems to fit the situation well:

For landing, full or close to full flaps is typically used (typically between 30° and 40°). This reduces the landing roll and reduces wear on the wheelbrakes. Generally no-flap landings are only used in emergencies, such as when the pilots are worried the flaps would deploy asymmetrically.

So glad we didn't need to do an emergency landing like that!

Did Izzy sleep all through the night? That's a lot of sleep!

I think she did! I believe it put her back into our timezone pretty well, though. I mean, a 4 hour difference and a broken night of airline sleep requires at least a few extra hours of shut-eye upon return, right?

Thanks for reading along and see you on the next one!

Well, it looks like it was a really nice, enjoyable last day at Aulani up until the drama with the airline. They seem to be working harder to make life miserable for the rest of us!

Exactly! So many ups and downs in that last few hours! But the rest of the day was very enjoyable!

I'm glad you all landed safely!

Me too! It was probably my scariest moment on a plane (even more than flying though a thunderstorm or various sudden movements or rough landings (clearly, I don't love flying!) Something about knowing the flight attendants are preparing to evacuate for real is nerve-wracking!

Thanks for reading along and thanks for writing your Hawaii report that gave me so many great ideas!

Great end to the trip report, so nice of Izzy to sleep thru the sunset dinner. Bummer about the delay in your flight, long trip home to cold Midwest! You are so lucky to have your return trip so close to the first HI trip

It was quite the special treat that she slept right through our nice dinner! Never fun to go home, but we were very lucky to return so quickly! Two unanticipated trips to Hawaii in 14 months (for bargain prices) is pretty amazing! Thanks for reading along!

Thanks for answering all my questions up above! I'm really still debating about it. Our schedule is really all over the place with excursions and then Cal's schedule at Aunty's are pretty much in the middle of the day when we would have been at the beach/pool It's probably too late to book one now anyway.

No problem, feel free to shoot any other questions my way. So excited for your family to go to Aulani! Also, if you change your mind last minute on getting a cabana, my memory is that they rent out any cabanas that are still no-shows at 10am (I think? maybe check that) You go to the CMs at the desk by Rainbow Reef and ask. We actually changed our cabana day of by doing that. We had 3, but liked 5 better and they didn't show!

Haha I forgot how many bags you brought! I'm going to do my best to do only 2 checked bags for the four of us

Yeah, it was crazy because we had the insane First Class luggage allowance - I think it was like 3 checked bags free for each of us? (we didn't use all of it - haha, 9 bags! ) Our return trip we did with MUCH less luggage, as we flew United and didn't have any free bag perks with them. I think we actually only checked one bag and brought the rest in rolling carry-ons. It helps when you can do laundry mid-trip too (we did at the condo, but Aulani has a laundry room too).

Have never been on one of those planes before and I actually thought that's what we were on, but nope 3 and 3 for us.

I prefer the 3 and 3, I think. I didn't like the lack of window.

He's just jealous that he couldn't go first class as a toddler

Totally!

This is what I have always been concerned with with red-eyes. Even with this trip to Hawaii, it would have made more sense (spend that last day still in vacation mode like you guys did) to take a red-eye out, but was worried he wouldn't do so well. I'm sure Q would have been fine though!

I was a bit hesitant, but most of our options were red-eyes. And I prefer airplane rides with a sleeping kid vs. an awake kid, so nighttime seemed like better odds at that and I went for it.

How big is your iPad? 16gb? How many movies/shows does it hold? We have the 16gb but it seems like it is only able to hold 2 movies and 6-7 episodes of shows. And that's after erasing all the music, photos and pretty much all apps!

I think I ended up answering this in another post, but I think ours might be 16gb too? It literally just has Frozen on it - I'd like more movies or shows, but it can't handle it. Thankfully, she seems rather happy with her Frozen-machine.

That would be super uncomfortable to watch!

Yeah, I never even tried.

Never a good sign when the FA's are strapped in

Not at all. But reviewing their evacuation procedures just put it over the top!

Ugh, thank goodness! My mom would have been praying the whole time!

I don't know that you'd ever get her to fly again! They did a great job at not panicking anyone with the announcement, though. If I wasn't sitting where I was to see what I did, I don't know that I would have thought it was a serious issue.

Such a cute face!

Aw, thanks!

Such a fun and tip-filled report! Thanks so much for that! And super, super excited to read about your next Hawaiian adventure!

Thanks so much for reading along and I cannot wait to read YOUR report (once you go, of course)!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hi Dugette, just finished up your TR. I am glad the flight ended up going well, even though it was very delayed! I loved reading about the trip and am going to head over to your other TR!