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

[Dugette]

Great update! We passed all the people parking on the driveway at the botanical garden too and pulled up to the lot and found a spot!

Good work! It just seemed like it was late enough in the day that people who got there early had probably left and parking would be available nearby.

Beautiful pictures! I think it's so amazing because the scenery there is so completely different from anything close to home!

I know, I just love looking around pretty much anywhere on the island. So different and so beautiful. And so much variety too.

And I agree with skipping the swim in the waterfall. No one needs to mess with bacteria in the water!

Yeah, I looked it up earlier because I couldn't remember the details and it's a risk of leptospirosis, which can be deadly. Yikes!

Glad Izzy got a nap in and you had flexible plans!

Me too. That was a nice thing about the days that Dug was gone - our plans were pretty loose because we didn't want to do too much without him and it didn't leave us a lot on our plates. But it was nice and there was plenty to keep us occupied.

Not too bad! Especially for all the pretty stuff you saw.

Just me and her was a great deal. But it adds up quick when you have to pay for all of your family members. I was glad she was still free.

Very pretty - it looks so peaceful!

It really was. Just a quiet nature walk, really.

Love this! I always find waterfalls very pretty to look at.

Same here. One of my favorite memories was driving up through western Canada and stopping at a bunch of waterfalls along the road. Who knew Canada had so many waterfalls? Love seeing them all.

Oh! This waterfall has definitley been used in a few movies! I know for sure it was used in " Just Go With It" with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston (great movie by the way). It looks fun to swim in but if there is suppposedly bacteria within the water, I wouldn't be too excited going in there lol.

I think we saw that one (I have a terrible memory for movies, but I'm pretty sure we did). I'm sure it would be fun, but I wasn't taking any chances. On our return visit, though, Dug's family all went in and nobody got sick, so that's good. I think there is only a very low chance of problems, but not worth the risk to me.

Love all the movie posters! Nice touch.

Might as well promote all the Hawaiian movies. They sure do film a lot of stuff there.

Oh no- at the horseback riding session! That is too bad how freaked out she was over the whole thing, BUT they at least salvaged it by letting her walk around. Funny how the playground was the hit of the stop there lol!!

Glad they had the playground so that it didn't feel like a total waste. And I'm glad they spent the whole session working with us. Of course, these days, Izzy remembers this and tells me that she wants to ride a horse again and won't get scared and will stay on, etc. So, someday we'll give it another go.

The botanical gardens looked like an absolutely perfect stop!! Nice you were able to stroll with the stroller too. That bacteria sounds awful, good choice on avoiding that!

It was a really nice stop - much more beautiful than I expected. My goal had been for this to be a stroller nap for Izzy and a good place for me to get out and walk. Obviously, the nap didn't happen (at least not in the stroller), but it was a really lovely walk, so still glad we did it.

Looking forward to more! I've done the dole plantation - its been so long I don't remember all that we did on Oahu (I was like 10&12 when I went to Oahu after that we went straight to Maui) but I do remember going there!

Sounds like you're due for a return visit. Given your fondness for the Bonnet Creek waterpark and lazy river, I'm pretty sure you would enjoy Aulani. At any rate, we do get back to the Dole Plantation, but it takes a few attempts. Apparently, the scent of pineapple in the air makes a little someone VERY tired.

 

[Dugette]

Stitch’s Dance Party

We headed straight from the car to Manawa Island (in the pool area) to get in line for Mickey and Minnie :



They really were up there, but it took several minutes before Izzy could see them from the stroller:



One of the families ahead of us took pictures with everyone holding teddy bears. This was all I could get of that (I think Mickey liked the non-Duffy teddy bear - at least I don't think it was Duffy ):



Izzy had a great meet with them on her turn:



She insisted they sign her book for a third time, so I held it for them.

And a quick video from the meet:

(click to watch)

You can see Izzy reject Mickey, but he handles it with class.

We had a bit of time before Stitch was due out for his meet and Izzy said she needed a new diaper, so we ran up to the room to change her and drop off our stuff. It took awhile, as she was dawdling around with milk and snacks, etc. She wasn't particularly motivated to meet Stitch. We nearly didn’t get out of the room in time to get to the meet, but I’m so glad we managed to get down there. It was fantastic.

We ended up last in line, but that turned out to be a great thing. Gave her lots of opportunity to hug and play and dance with Stitch:







And some video:

(click to watch)

They were having a great time together. At one point, some other people came up to meet Stitch and the CM saw how sad Izzy was to part with him, so they just had Izzy step aside for a minute (we’d been there for a long time) and, when the other family was done, they sent her back in to keep partying it up with Stitch. You can see that sad face at the end of the this one:

(click to watch)

And I have one more dancing video, if you just can’t get enough. I mentioned that my phone was getting glitchy at Waimea Falls – well, that was starting to happen again. There is one part of this video where the picture just freezes, but you can still hear us chatting, if you want :

(click to watch/listen)

While they were dancing, I asked a CM (named Genesys) how to get Chip and Dale’s autographs, as they weren’t signing anything at the surf lesson. She said she would just take our book and make sure it got done, then leave it at the front desk for us to pick up. Very nice of her! I told her I’d bring it right down, as we’d left it in the room for this meet.

Izzy could not have been happier with this character meet and probably wanted to bring Stitch home with her. In fact, she actually got to walk out hand-in-hand with him:







And the video:

(click to watch)

Too cute! She was on cloud 9 after happily waving bye-bye to the now tuckered-out Stitch. Love those great meets!

Izzy was on elevator patrol again, as we headed up (loved pushing the buttons):



We got her autograph book and brought it down to Genesys, who happily took it away for Chip and Dale. We thanked her for her kindness and headed on our way into the pool area:



Our destination was the Dole Whip machine!

But, first, we had to stop and admire the fishies in Rainbow Reef:



Oh, and the people who were snorkeling:



I thought the ground was pretty outside of the snack shop:





There was a pop machine just outside, so I refilled my mug before we went in:



We made our way inside and were greeted by the sad news that the Dole Whip machine had been broken for 9 days and there was no ETA on the repair! Nooooooo!

The CM was really nice, though, and directed us to other ice cream options. I hadn’t had Dibs in years, so thought that might be fun (and easy to share with Izzy):



I think they were like $5. We brought them to the bench outside and sat down to snack. Izzy’s first Dibs:





She approved! As we were sitting there, I heard the familiar voice of my Photopass buddy, Bob, who was walking by. I got his attention and asked him if he might be able to take some candids of us. He agreed, which was so nice! (I was pretty much trying to get the most of Photopass as possible, as I knew we were getting the CD). Here are those shots:







He had us do some poses too:







That was a fun, spontaneous session. Not a normal Photopass location, but kind of unique. And it was nice to get shots of the two of us, as Dug was gone, so we were on selfie mode most of the week.

Up next: Back to the pool!

 

[Imagineer5]

Oh how adorable - love the great interaction with Stitch (and Minnie & mickey of course) but the one with stitch - does she have a stitch stuffed animal now? She needs one if not! So sweet.

I don't like how you can see the snorkelers from under the water LOL. I feel like my swimsuit would fall off and give everyone a show.

Nice to get a little photopass session! Were there any shares you could do there? What was the cost of the photopass there? I've gotten a little jaded after never spending more than 20 for mine at WDW lol.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Izzy had a great meet with them on her turn:

Aw her smile says it all! I think it's great how Mickey and Minnie meet together at Aulani, since at WDW that doesn't happen very often..

We ended up last in line, but that turned out to be a great thing. Gave her lots of opportunity to hug and play and dance with Stitch:

AW! Great how she found her love for Stitch! Did she like watching the movie after you got back home?

Our destination was the Dole Whip machine!

YUM!

We made our way inside and were greeted by the sad news that the Dole Whip machine had been broken for 9 days and there was no ETA on the repair! Nooooooo!

Aw too bad...to have a Dole Whip in actual Hawaii sounds like the dream.

These came out really nice! Very unique and fun shots!

 

[hokieinpa]

The meet with Stitch sounds like it was just perfect! Izzy looks like she had a blast dancing and hugging him. And that CM was really nice to get Chip and Dale to sign your book!

And boo for the broken Dole Whip machine! Dibs are good but not really the same thing. Fun pictures of you and Izzy!

 

[Dugette]

Oh how adorable - love the great interaction with Stitch (and Minnie & mickey of course) but the one with stitch - does she have a stitch stuffed animal now? She needs one if not! So sweet.

Whoa, how did we not realize that she DOESN'T have a Stitch plush?! She does have the little Hawaiian Stitch figurine from the set we bought there, but not the same. Considering she has a MOUNTAIN of plushes in her room, I'm surprised we are missing her dance buddy!

I don't like how you can see the snorkelers from under the water LOL. I feel like my swimsuit would fall off and give everyone a show.

I'm with you on that. I don't like the idea of people watching me through those windows. That and the fact that I've been told the water in there is cold is enough to keep me out.

Nice to get a little photopass session! Were there any shares you could do there? What was the cost of the photopass there? I've gotten a little jaded after never spending more than 20 for mine at WDW lol.

I didn't find any shares, but I'd guess there are - it would be easy to do with the "old" system they have - just cards you can combine. On our return trip, there were 19 of us total (a lot of DBIL's family, etc.) and we all combined onto one CD, so I know it can be done easily. I just had them all give me their cards before leaving and I turned them all in and got the CD. It's $99 for the CD of all photos (including GoPro ones they take in the pools and lagoon and also ones they take at activities, like Aunty's) and they also have a scavenger hunt where you get a free print based on how many Photopass locations you have pics from (easy). And there are stock photos on there. I cannot remember why, but I know there was some reason to get the CD there versus going home and adding borders, etc. Can't remember, though. Maybe just the free print, but I thought there was something else? So, yeah, more than your $20, but not over $100 at least. And I use discounted gift cards to pay, so that helps a bit too. Oh, also, on our recent trip, we did family sunset photos on the beach, which would be a lot more expensive with a private session, but we just got them as part of our regular Photopass/CD - but the PP people spent a lot of time with us, almost like a mini-session at WDW (but not quite that extensive).

Aw her smile says it all! I think it's great how Mickey and Minnie meet together at Aulani, since at WDW that doesn't happen very often..

Very true, it's nice to have them both there.

AW! Great how she found her love for Stitch! Did she like watching the movie after you got back home?

Good question. I know she has seen it, but I don't remember her having a huge reaction.

YUM!

Aw too bad...to have a Dole Whip in actual Hawaii sounds like the dream.

Don't worry....dreams come true (later in the trip).

These came out really nice! Very unique and fun shots!

Thanks. Nothing too special, but I knew Bob would make an effort.

The meet with Stitch sounds like it was just perfect! Izzy looks like she had a blast dancing and hugging him. And that CM was really nice to get Chip and Dale to sign your book!

It was a really exceptional meet. They let her have SO much time with him and I think Stitch was about ready to pass out by the end. And that CM was so nice to take the autograph book for us! She was great!

And boo for the broken Dole Whip machine! Dibs are good but not really the same thing. Fun pictures of you and Izzy!

Yes, not the same, but still enjoyable. I can't believe the machine had been down for so long and I hadn't even heard about it on the DIS!

 

[Dugette]

Fun in the Sun

After our ice cream treat and improptu Photopass session, Izzy took my hand and walked me over to Keiki Cove (the splash pad), informing me that she wanted to go in. Given that we were both fully dressed, we headed up to the room to change and get ready for some pool time.

After changing, we came right back down and stopped at the booth to get our towels and wristbands for the day. I have a note that says “Izzy repeating”, but it’s been so long I can’t remember this now –I’m guessing she was repeating everything I said in front of the towel people? At any rate, we headed for Keiki Cove and tossed our stuff on a chair. Then it was time for splash pad fun:









As you can see, Izzy had a blast in there. Except for a bit, when a little boy came in and basically tried to divert every sprayer she wanted. He basically kept stopping them on her and I finally shot his mom a look and she had him stop. I mean, the place was empty, he didn’t need to follow Izzy around and ruin her fun – plenty of other sprayers to mess with.

While she was playing, I got some pictures of the surroundings on this gorgeous day in paradise:







And then she had me sit down with her and play:









There are some special effects in the rocks along the side. Every so often (and also in relation to the Menehune Trail game), they would sparkle/light up:



Easier to see at night, but you get the idea. More fun times:







So, one of the many benefits of being two years old is that you can instantly make friends wherever you go. At one point, another mom and little girl joined us and the girls hit it off, in a non-verbal giggle-and-smile-and-splash sort of way. The other girl was turning two the next day, but was crawling around vs. walking and she was having the time of her life – SO happy and joyful when she got sprayed. I just thought it was adorable to watch her daughter and didn’t think anything of the crawling. But her mom randomly mentioned to me that her daughter had Cystic Fibrosis in her legs, which is why she was crawling and also why she was so fearless. I told her I had no idea – she just looked like a kid having a great time to me. It was fun to hang out with them for a bit.

Eventually, Izzy got tired of the splash pad and wanted to do the lazy river! Well, I couldn’t argue with that, so we went there next. Izzy did ask to get out a couple times, but we managed to get the whole way around and successfully avoid all of the water sprays/waterfalls that she didn’t like :





Looking up from our tube:





Next up, we headed for the zero entry pool to play with her floating Mickey and Minnie some more:



She enjoyed making them "swim" and we glided through to the other end of the pool, where the waterslide let out. Izzy loved watching the “mommies, daddies, and babies” fly out of the tube and splash into the pool. Some of the “daddies” in particular made some very big splashes, which was cracking Izzy up.

Eventually, I convinced her to head back to the zero entry end of the pool and try out her Puddle Jumper (lifevest):







She enjoyed it, but freaked out a bit when she somehow got her head wet/partially under, so she wanted to be held after that. Still fine, though.

You may remember the jealousy that her Mickey and Minnie toys had caused, as it seems all the kids want them. Well, we had another little 2.5 year old girl approach us and ask if she could play. She was very sweet and friendly, plus her parents were nearby and telling her that those were Izzy's toys. Well, Izzy decided she was willing to share Mickey (but NOT Minnie). Yay, progress! The little girl was thrilled. You can kind of see her with Mickey back there:



And Izzy had a firm grip on Minnie:



The girls played with the toys for a little while and it was a nice moment. As you can see, though, it was getting late in the day, so we finally decided to collect Mickey head up to the room a bit after 6pm.

Up next: Dinner and a show (Starlit Hui). And someone gets in trouble for rushing the stage.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Then it was time for splash pad fun:

Looks like a lot of fun! Perfect for a little kid!

Except for a bit, when a little boy came in and basically tried to divert every sprayer she wanted. He basically kept stopping them on her and I finally shot his mom a look and she had him stop. I mean, the place was empty, he didn’t need to follow Izzy around and ruin her fun – plenty of other sprayers to mess with.

Good for you..I would be annoyed in that type of situation as well.

Love this picture. Makes me want to book a trip to Aulani right now..

I just thought it was adorable to watch her daughter and didn’t think anything of the crawling. But her mom randomly mentioned to me that her daughter had Cystic Fibrosis in her legs, which is why she was crawling and also why she was so fearless. I told her I had no idea – she just looked like a kid having a great time to me. It was fun to hang out with them for a bit.

Aw that's a nice story. Glad Izzy and her friend had fun!

 

[Imagineer5]

What fun in the pool!! Glad izzy was having so much fun at the splash area (and the mom of the boy spoke up finally about him doing that) and sweet she made a new friend. Perfect you got to go around in the lazy river! Looks like a perfect afternoon to me!

 

[schmass]

I wish I was at that pool area right now! Looks sooo nice. The splash pad looks like so much fun for little ones. Too cute that Izzy made some new friends. And yay for progress on the sharing!

 

[cindianne320]

What a fun afternoon! It looked like a gorgeous time to be out in the pool! Can't wait to hear about dinner!

 

[Leshaface]

Here I am thinking it’s some sort of emergency, but no, it’s Dug’s family on a group message

Ugh I hate those group messages! I wish there was a way to opt out of those like you can on FB.

I also saw a message that Dug’s cousin and her husband of only 2 years were separating – that was a huge surprise

Aw man, that's too bad.

Oh, well. I’m glad that Cammie at least kept working with us for our whole time slot, despite Izzy being so uncooperative.

That's great that she was persistent on doing something to pass the time. Hopefully it wasn't too expensive, but this is Hawaii, so I imagine it was

And some really sad pictures to commemorate the occasion – even Nellie looks embarrassed (and check out that helmet!):

might as well get the most value we can out of Gunstock Ranch.

Exactly!

“I point this at Minnie!”:

She just loves Minnie, how sweet.

These trees are spectacular! The branches are so cool and creepy.

You can see that sad face at the end of the this one:

Oh my how sad!

That is so great that the meet ended up being a huge hit.

These are great pictures, especially since you're never in them Candid shots always turn out the best!

Well, Izzy decided she was willing to share Mickey (but NOT Minnie). Yay, progress!

Way to go Izzy! Yep, sharing is still tough for us right now, even with preschool/day care. He's just going to HATE sharing with a kid that lives with him soon

 

[alohamom]

Where did you get the Mickey and Minnie wobblies? You might have mentioned it in a previous post but I went back through quickly and cant seem to see it. Did you happen to get them at Aulani?

 

[hokieinpa]

It looks like Izzy had a blast at the splash pad! Were you using a waterproof camera for these pictures and the ones on the lazy river?

She did a great job staying in the tube for the whole spin around the lazy river. That's a long time for a 2 year old to sit still!

Where did you get that Mickey and Minnie floaty toy set? Jake would LOVE that at the pool this summer.

 

[Dugette]

Looks like a lot of fun! Perfect for a little kid!

It really was!

Good for you..I would be annoyed in that type of situation as well.

I just don't understand how she just let that happen without saying a word until I gave her that glare.

Love this picture. Makes me want to book a trip to Aulani right now..

Pretty much anything you take a picture of there is gorgeous and will make you want to go back!

Aw that's a nice story. Glad Izzy and her friend had fun!

Thanks!

What fun in the pool!! Glad izzy was having so much fun at the splash area (and the mom of the boy spoke up finally about him doing that) and sweet she made a new friend. Perfect you got to go around in the lazy river! Looks like a perfect afternoon to me!

It was a great afternoon! I was glad she let me go around the lazy river, as that was high on my list of things to do (though, spoiler alert for the return trip, but it's an entirely different - and more relaxing - experience without a kid riding with you).

I wish I was at that pool area right now! Looks sooo nice. The splash pad looks like so much fun for little ones. Too cute that Izzy made some new friends. And yay for progress on the sharing!

It was so nice - they have an amazing pool area for sure.

What a fun afternoon! It looked like a gorgeous time to be out in the pool! Can't wait to hear about dinner!

It was great! Dinner itself is boring (in the room), but then we go to show, which gets somewhat interesting.

Ugh I hate those group messages! I wish there was a way to opt out of those like you can on FB.

You can opt out? I guess I get few enough that I haven't looked into it. But, yeah, when you're 4 hours ahead of family, they are extra annoying to get in the morning.

Aw man, that's too bad.

Yeah, quite the surprise to us. I guess they just had different goals in life and amicably split. It's been a while now and his cousin seems quite happy, so I guess it's okay. But, man, I went to that wedding outdoors in 90+ degree sunshine when I was 9 months pregnant with Izzy.

That's great that she was persistent on doing something to pass the time. Hopefully it wasn't too expensive, but this is Hawaii, so I imagine it was

Can't remember prices anymore, but certainly not the cheapest thing we did.

Exactly!

She just loves Minnie, how sweet.

She is Minnie's biggest fan.

These trees are spectacular! The branches are so cool and creepy.

I know, aren't they awesome?

Guess she was sick of pictures.

Oh my how sad!

That is so great that the meet ended up being a huge hit.

I was surprised at how well that meet went. Stitch was fantastic to do all that dancing with her.

These are great pictures, especially since you're never in them Candid shots always turn out the best!

Glad I snagged Bob when he was walking by. They're not the prettiest pictures, but nice to have some candids of us after our failed Dole Whip run.

Way to go Izzy! Yep, sharing is still tough for us right now, even with preschool/day care. He's just going to HATE sharing with a kid that lives with him soon

Yeah, that's going to be a big adjustment for Calvin! Sharing is hit or miss here. Izzy has strong ideas of what is and is not acceptable.

Where did you get the Mickey and Minnie wobblies? You might have mentioned it in a previous post but I went back through quickly and cant seem to see it. Did you happen to get them at Aulani?

I actually got them on clearance at Target shortly before our trip. So, yeah, it was rough when other parents at Aulani wondered where they could buy them there. They are made by Swim Ways and I think you can still find them on Amazon.

It looks like Izzy had a blast at the splash pad! Were you using a waterproof camera for these pictures and the ones on the lazy river?

Yes, we had borrowed my dad's waterproof camera and it was great to have. And, since I liked it so much, he actually got me one for Christmas this past year so that I had my own for our return trip!

She did a great job staying in the tube for the whole spin around the lazy river. That's a long time for a 2 year old to sit still!

It is - and this is a pretty long lazy river!

Where did you get that Mickey and Minnie floaty toy set? Jake would LOVE that at the pool this summer.

See answer above - Swim Ways brand and there are a bunch of Disney ones. We picked them up super cheap on clearance at Target back before this trip (2014).

 

[Dugette]

Dinner and a Show

We prepared to leave the pool area. It had gotten chilly without the sun, but Izzy refused to wear her cover up, so she was shivering her way back to the room. As we left, we saw the last two guests getting out of the lazy river and the CMs getting it shut down (6pm closing time during our stay). Those lifeguards are really on top of knowing where the last guests are (radio-ing locations to each other) and shutting things down the second they vacate.

Up in the room, we got changed and Izzy watched some Frozen on the iPad while I made our dinner. Nothing fancy, but did the trick – tuna melts with yogurt and a banana:





After finishing our in-room dinner, we headed down to the Halawai Lawn to see the Starlit Hui. This was the only night we were able to see it during our stay, so we had to go without Dug. For the show, you sit on mats on the ground, so the CMs were handing out/helping place the mats as guests arrived. We were given a spot right next to the path that the performers used to/from the stage. Quite a ways back, but okay. Our mat (from the path):



View up towards the somewhat distant stage:



I noticed that a hula dancer was posing for Photopass pictures nearby, so we got in on that:









Clearly, Izzy was more interested in other things than looking at the camera. The dancer was very nice, though.

We returned to our mat and waited for the show to start. Napping?



Starting soon:



Selfie with a food pouch, it appears:



(And I am really feeling how LONG this TR has taken me to write – all the pics of her with a pouch or a paci – hasn’t used either in ages! )

So, Izzy was kind of a silly goofball during the show. It wasn’t holding her attention very well (it was hard for her to see much detail, plus her attention span was not impressive), but she enjoyed the music and fun environment. So, she was dancing around, laying down, hanging off my back, playing with some flowers they gave us, etc. It distracted me from the show quite a bit, but she was mostly being pretty cute:



Hey, she’s looking at “Uncle”:



It almost looks like she’s breakdancing here :



The show (I couldn't get very good pictures from that distance with my phone in the dark):



There was a lot of dancing and singing and luau-like entertainment going on:



These flying birds were pretty awesome to watch:





Oooh, I caught a moment of her watching:



She was mostly being pretty silly, though. I was actually worried, with all her dancing around, that she was going to fall and hit the pavement next to us. Luckily she didn’t, but she did fall and hit my knee, causing her lip to bleed a bit.

One thing I really liked about our spot was that we’d have a great view of the characters coming up the aisle at the end of the show. Izzy loved that part:











And, with that, the Starlit Hui came to an end. Bye, Uncle :



However, you can see a lot of people were sticking around and heading up to the stage. That’s because the characters were having a dance party up there :



Naturally, I brought Izzy up for a better look:





So, you can kind of see in that picture that there are a bunch of kids dancing in the front. This was intended to be a dance party for the kids. However, the adults had firmly barricaded that area by the time we got up there. We had no luck trying to get through until I followed the lead of another mom who sent her kid between peoples’ legs to join the dancing kids. I told Izzy to follow him, but then decided to duck down and sneak through behind her, as I didn’t want to get separated (I’d just stay ducked down, so they could see their kids). Made it to the kid area:



She joined in the dancing briefly. But, do you see who she sees on the stage?



She starts moving up through the dancing kids:



And that’s where my pictures end, as Izzy suddenly made a break for it and tried to get up on stage to hug Minnie. Some CMs near the stage jumped into action faster than I could and stopped her just before she actually made it up there. Yes, my two-year-old had to be restrained for rushing a stage. I had to take her away at that point, as she was completely devastated and in tears at being stopped from being with her precious Minnie. I was fighting my way through the crowd to get out when the characters made their exit backstage. That just made Izzy’s crying worse and she was now screaming and inconsolable at having missed her chance to dance with Minnie. I finally made it out of the crowd and tried to calm her down as we walked to the elevator:



She was doing much better after pushing elevator buttons, using the key card to open the room door, and helping me to get “Elsa’s ice” from the ice machine down the hall. Back in the room, she watched some more Frozen on the iPad while I talked to Dug on the phone. He was coming back the next day, yay!

After that, I realized I had forgotten all about picking up her autograph book from the front desk, so we headed down to get it. We also didn’t have any Kleenex left in our room (the box had been nearly empty), so I’d ask for those too. Sure enough, they had the book waiting for us and Chip and Dale had signed it :



We strolled out to the back deck for a few minutes and Izzy enjoyed paging through her autograph book. I also picked up a Daily Iwa to check the activities for the next day:



When we returned to our room, a box of Kleenex was waiting on the counter. They are fast!

Izzy’s bad mood returned when I wanted to change her into jammies (with hula dancers on them!) and put her to bed. She screamed throughout that process, but fell asleep very quickly. She was overtired for sure – it was around 10pm by then.

I headed to bed around midnight. Plans for the next day were to attend the toddler-friendly open house at Aunty’s Beach House in the morning, make another attempt at Dole Whips at the Dole Plantation, then drive across the island for a hike I wanted to do (stroller friendly), before picking up Dug from the airport. Do things go wrong? Oh, of course. But we still have a great day.

Up next: Open House at Aunty’s, complete with special guest. And airlines never get behind schedule, right?

 

[Leshaface]

Great photo despite Izzy looking elsewhere!

(And I am really feeling how LONG this TR has taken me to write – all the pics of her with a pouch or a paci – hasn’t used either in ages! )

I kind of miss the pouch days! And every once in a while when it's hard to put him to sleep, his paci days. Not going to lie, those pacis made everything so much easier.

(it was hard for her to see much detail

So was the show very crowded that's why you were that far back? Also, is this show only for Aulani guests or can guests of other hotels come over and watch?

And that’s where my pictures end, as Izzy suddenly made a break for it and tried to get up on stage to hug Minnie. Some CMs near the stage jumped into action faster than I could and stopped her just before she actually made it up there. Yes, my two-year-old had to be restrained for rushing a stage.

Oh my gosh! I'm sure you were mortified! But i'm sure the CM's have seen this more than once. Kids (Well at least most kids!) get super excited when they see characters and try to rush at them.

Do things go wrong? Oh, of course.

It wouldn't be a true trip without some issues right?!

 

[Imagineer5]

Oh that show looks like so much fun, it also looks packed! How often do they do the shows at Aulani? What fun to include the characters in it though. Poor Izzy wanting to do a dance party! They could have totally brought the characters down to dance with the kids like they do at dance parties at the MK? Maybe not if it was so packed though.

Looking forward to hearing about the next day!

 

[alohamom]

Thanks for the reply about the Swimways Mickey and Minnie. Great shots of the characters coming in for the Starlit Hui, feels very Disney!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Cute picture! Reminds of of the Hula dancers from Lilo and Stitch!

One thing I really liked about our spot was that we’d have a great view of the characters coming up the aisle at the end of the show. Izzy loved that part:

How great! Sounds/looks like such a fun show!

However, you can see a lot of people were sticking around and heading up to the stage. That’s because the characters were having a dance party up there

ALso sounds like fun, sorry Izzy got so upset, but overall sounded like such a great night!