I'm assuming a car rental is a must?

[CherylCT]

Anyone ever go without? With the price of rentals these days, it might be a deal breaker for us.

 

[Van@Disney]

We just reserved at the aulani alamo. $150 for one day. If we werenot there for so long we would have skipped it give. the cost.

 

[Lilsia]

If you want to do anything off of the resort(which you really do), then yes, you need a car. Aulani is not close to anything, and most of the activities that people do are spread out throughout the Island. It is NOT Disney World. I think many people book Aulani and think it is like WDW. Nothing is like WDW, anywhere. A good alternative, depending on what you want to do, is to book a private tour guide to take you to places. We always looked at our trips as a trip to Hawaii, with Aulani being the hotel where we stay.

 

[Iceman93]

I wouldn't say a rental car is an absolute must, but not having one potentially limits your freedom and flexibility significantly. Without a rental car you still need to arrange transport to and from Aulani (Uber, limo, etc.). In the pre-COVID days, Aulani offered a wide range of excursions that left from the resort and included transportation, so if that's still an option it's not like you'd be limited to the Ko Olina area for your entire stay. But you'd have to add up the cost of those other activities and compare it to the cost of having a rental car to see which makes sense for you...

 

[monsterkitty]

I can't imagine staying in the Ko Olina resort area without a car. Waikiki, yes. Ko Olina, no.

 

[LovesTimone]

It's been a long time since I have been to Hawaii, and I have never been to Aulani... maybe next year for our 20th anniversary, with the family...

You will need a car to get around. I agree with monsterkitty, Waikiki you can walk around... Everything is spread out, so driving to the different spots you will need to get a car, and I get that rental cars are really pricey, right now even more so.

I would price out Aulani private excursions with transportation, or other off site companies for excursions with transportation, Uber/Lift, Taxi, and rental car and see where you come out at...

Maybe you can just do like 2 or 3 days instead of a whole week... this takes more planning, yet worth it if you are saving a some cash...

Another thought... The company that DH works for offers employee perks/benefits, and one of them is car rental, and we have saved a ton of money using this discount.

Also check your CC, we have gotten a few really great deals with them... also if you have CC points you can apply them to this, which might help out somewhat...

 

[newdeal]

I have been with twice and once without. The time without we were in Waikiki. Both times with we were at Aulani. The trips to Aulani were way better, partially because Waikiki sucks and Ko Olina is awesome, and partially because with a car we could do all of the other things on the island rather than being trapped in Waikiki. Being trapped in Ko Olina would be even worse as it is much smaller.

 

[CherylCT]

Thank you for all the replies! Hoping rates go down.

 

[Lilsia]

I just wanted to add also that we just got back from a 3 week trip. Things now are different then before. Ride share is not readily available to places further out, like Aulani or North Shore, and if you can get one, they are extremely expensive. I follow discussion forums on Hawaii and there are many horror stories of people getting stuck somewhere on the Island and not being able to get a ride share back to their hotel. You can not think of Hawaii like it is comparable to other places, it is not. I would do your research on all things Oahu.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

We did a split stay on between Waikiki/Aulani and gave up the rental car for the Aulani portion (3 nights). It was not an issue for that trip.

Longer than 3 nights at Aulani or an exclusively Aulani trip? We would have wanted a car I think. There just isn't that much to do in Ko Olina.

 

[PattiPB]

We left Aulani almost every day last week for one thing or another. Never even considered not having a vehicle.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I can't imagine staying in the Ko Olina resort area without a car. Waikiki, yes. Ko Olina, no.

I can't fathom what you'd do for a week in Waikiki without a car. Do you never leave Waikiki? Or do you cram yourself into shuttles to get anywhere?

 

[longboard55]

We just did 5 days with no car, but we are regulars and did not want to do any tours. We used Hawaii23, Waikiki to Aulani was $78, Aulani to airport was $58. We never get cars in waikiki.

We talked to people doing the circle island tours and they enjoyed them so there are alternates, It is not just the car, also parking. For a first time trip you would need a car to see the island

 

[monsterkitty]

I can't fathom what you'd do for a week in Waikiki without a car. Do you never leave Waikiki? Or do you cram yourself into shuttles to get anywhere?

Actually, I can't see staying anywhere for a week without a car unless it has amazing public transportation!

 

[Fall1]

I have been with twice and once without. The time without we were in Waikiki. Both times with we were at Aulani. The trips to Aulani were way better, partially because Waikiki sucks and Ko Olina is awesome, and partially because with a car we could do all of the other things on the island rather than being trapped in Waikiki. Being trapped in Ko Olina would be even worse as it is much smaller.

Did you have trouble taking Uber, etc around Waikiki? We were going to rely on it while at Waikiki for a week, then to Aulani to stay put for 2 nights and not leave til we head back to HNL. I wonder if that won't work. Thanks.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Yes. You need a car. Like other posters have said, Aulani is not close to anything. There is much to see on the island. Pearl Harbor, North Shore (surfing, food trucks and sea turtles), Pineapple Plantation, Matsumoto Shave Ice, Leonard's Bakery for their famous malasadas, Rainbow Drive In (featured on diners, drive-ins and dives, Waikiki Beach. Diamond Head.

 

[jimmymc]

You don't need it, but it is highly recommended.

If you don't want one, you will have to arrange a shuttle or taxi from the airport to Aulani. Once you're there, you can walk to the restaurants across the street, or take a quick Uber one or two exits down to all the stores and other restaurants in the area.

 

[Lilsia]

Did you have trouble taking Uber, etc around Waikiki? We were going to rely on it while at Waikiki for a week, then to Aulani to stay put for 2 nights and not leave til we head back to HNL. I wonder if that won't work. Thanks.

Everything in the actual Waikiki area is walkable. Now if you wanted to go out and explore further, depending on how far away, you might have issues with ride share. If you are planning on going to the North Shore, for example, you will want your own car because ride share will be unreliable and very expensive. People have posted being stranded because they could not get a ride share later in the day to get back to their hotel. Unless you are happy with just staying within walking distance of your hotel, you need a car.

 

[newdeal]

Did you have trouble taking Uber, etc around Waikiki? We were going to rely on it while at Waikiki for a week, then to Aulani to stay put for 2 nights and not leave til we head back to HNL. I wonder if that won't work. Thanks.

We stayed in Waikiki before Uber existed

 

[nkereina]

If you want to do anything off of the resort(which you really do), then yes, you need a car. Aulani is not close to anything, and most of the activities that people do are spread out throughout the Island. It is NOT Disney World. I think many people book Aulani and think it is like WDW. Nothing is like WDW, anywhere. A good alternative, depending on what you want to do, is to book a private tour guide to take you to places. We always looked at our trips as a trip to Hawaii, with Aulani being the hotel where we stay.

This.

The closest activity/attraction (at least among the most popular ones) is a solid 20-25 minute drive from Aulani. Ko Olina only has one way in and one way out via the highway, and its a planned tourist community. You'd have no idea whether you're at a resort in San Diego, Mexico or Hawaii until you leave the gates of Ko Olina.

If you're staying on DVC points, you have free parking. IMO, by the time you hire tour guides or take Ubers everywhere, the difference in price for a car rental in the current environment is likely negligible or at least worth the price of the convenience and flexibility.

We did go without a car in Waikiki. As mentioned, its walkable and we also used the trolley system. But my focus during that portion of our stay was Waikiki. Since our Aulani stay was longer, we wanted a mix of resort time and exploring other parts of the island, so the rental car was a must for us. It also allowed us to stop for groceries at a grocery store with normal prices and not the inflated prices at the Island Market in Ko Olina, and it gave us the flexibility to eat meals both in our room and wherever we were while exploring, so there were lots of choices. If the rental car is busting your budget, consider the savings on food end to help offset the difference.