Is 7 nights at Aulani too many ?

[vpusey]

Also , we are on the east coast , has any going to Aulani added Disneyland before or after Hawaii, or is that to much to do , any thoughts?

 

[abdgeek]

What you ask is a loaded question and really depends on what your goal is of staying at Aulani. The short answer is no, but I own at Aulani and spend a week there every couple of years before I island hop. I use Aulani as a home base and take time to enjoy the amenities, as well as sightsee.

I live on the east coast and prefer to fly through Atlanta because they have a nonstop flight to HNL. If you prefer to fly through LAX, spending a couple of days at DL either coming or going is a great idea. I normally do that when I fly internationally if there is a nonstop flight from LAX to wherever I’m going. If you’ve never been to DL, it isn’t the same as WDW. You can easily do both parks (Magic Kingdom & DCA) in two days— one day for each park.

 

[starry_solo]

Nope...

 

[vpusey]

What you ask is a loaded question and really depends on what your goal is of staying at Aulani. The short answer is no, but I own at Aulani and spend a week there every couple of years before I island hop. I use Aulani as a home base and take time to enjoy the amenities, as well as sightsee.

I live on the east coast and prefer to fly through Atlanta because they have a nonstop flight to HNL. If you prefer to fly through LAX, spending a couple of days at DL either coming or going is a great idea. I normally do that when I fly internationally if there is a nonstop flight from LAX to wherever I’m going. If you’ve never been to DL, it isn’t the same as WDW. You can easily do both parks (Magic Kingdom & DCA) in two days— one day for each park.

Nope...

Thanks , that was helpful

 

[vpusey]

Thanks , that was helpful about flying through ATL

 

[Kmk2]

It’s not too long in Hawaii! Depending on your objectives it may be too long at Aulani.

Person coming from NY here - on one direction we try to stop (we have done Arizona, LA, SF and Las Vegas) to make the trip worth it and do the other direction direct.

 

[OKW Lover]

No, 7 nights isn't too much. In fact, I'd rate it as a minimum when traveling from the east coast.

 

[vpusey]

No, 7 nights isn't too much. In fact, I'd rate it as a minimum when traveling from the east coast.

 

[vpusey]

Thanks everyone, what about renting a car in Hawaii, is it necessary, airport transfer etc !

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks everyone, what about renting a car in Hawaii, is it necessary, airport transfer etc !

Yes, at least for several of the days. Its less about airport transfer, although that's significant, and more about the ability to explore the island.

 

[monsterkitty]

Thanks everyone, what about renting a car in Hawaii, is it necessary, airport transfer etc !

I feel it's absolutely necessary to rent a car in Hawaii. While you may want to spend time at the resort, you really need to see the island!

 

[abdgeek]

Thanks everyone, what about renting a car in Hawaii, is it necessary, airport transfer etc !

Aulani is in Ko Olina, which is about 45 minutes from Waikiki. The size of your travel party and whether you plan to book excursions where transportation is included or drive yourself will determine whether you need to rent a car. Parking in Hawaii is expensive and there is a nightly parking fee at Aulani for most guests. There is an Alamo Car Rental at Aulani, but it’s best to reserve ahead of time. You will also need to decide if you will be ok eating at the restaurants in the Ko Olina marina area(Marriott, Four Seasons, ABC store, Monkey Pod, Roy’s, etc) or if you want to go further out. When I visit, I normally only rent a car for the number of days I plan to sightsee outside of Aulani or am taking a tour that doesn’t include transportation. On the days I rent a car, I eat off property. Otherwise, I eat at the area restaurants within walking distance.

 

[vegs1]

We did four nights at Aulani and three at Waikiki Beach. Wish we would have stayed longer....as in five nights at Aulani, two in Waikiki and then maybe three or four on the north shore. The flight is long enough that you should go and make it worthwhile.

We rented a car for the duration of our stay but only because we got an amazing price through Costco at that time.

If you have a chance for a stopover, go to Disneyland. Breaks up the flight and you can see another park. Much smaller than WDW as others have said so you don’t need as many days to do it. Although, perhaps crowds are bad now due to pent up demand???? Something to think about. You’ll have a blast no matter what you do.

 

[newdeal]

I have been twice, 7 nights is WAY too much at Aulani but the bare minimum in Oahu. By that I mean if you plan to stay at the resort you will be bored silly. If you plan to explore the island you will be busy and it will be barely enough time. The problem is also one of the extreme jet lag from the east coast, we try to book 8 nights because one is kinda a write off because of the jet lag. 10 would be better. If you plan to stay at Aulani and not leave 3 or 4 is more than enough

 

[Jaykw]

If you are doing parks alongside beach resort, I would suggest going to the parks first. We just did spring break in the Caribbean and ended with 3 days at WDW and wished we had done it in the opposite order. Having time to relax after 3 full days of parks would have been better than ending with parks and long travel - and then heading back to work/school the next day.

 

[jkips]

Our baseline trip to Aulani is for a week at a time now. We’ll spend a few days of that week driving to different destinations around the island and a few days lounging around the resort.

 

[lizard1]

I agree with the others. I would have been bored out of my mind sitting at Aulani for 7 days. Now, we spent 10 days on Oahu, staying at Aulani, and that definitely wasn't enough to do everything we wanted (and it was our second time there). I would skip the parks and opt for more time in HI, if that is an option.

 

[Iceman93]

Our trips to Hawaii typically include 10 or 11 nights at Aulani and then another week or so on another island. We have never, NEVER been bored at Aulani (of course this is all pre-COVID) and typically feel that we could have stayed several more days without running out of new things to do. Every third day or so we do head elsewhere on the island (Kualoa Ranch, Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor, etc.) to mix things up, and maybe that helps with not getting bored?

 

[Great Mr. Lincoln]

How could 7 nights in paradise be too much?

 

[nkereina]

7 nights is not too long for Hawaii, but it would be my max for Aulani. If the entirety of your trip is 7 nights, then I think just staying at Aulani and not attempting a split stay is best from a time perspective. But do keep in mind that Ko Olina, where Aulani is located, is in an isolated area of Oahu. With traffic, it can make for long-ish commutes to many of the "tourist" things. We spent a total of 9 nights on Oahu, with 3 nights in Waikiki and 6 nights at Aulani. We did Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head while staying in Waikiki, and we did the North Shore, Kualoa Ranch, and Kailua while staying at Aulani, which gave us 3 days to relax and enjoy the amenities of Aulani. Worked out well for us, without us getting too bored.

A rental car is a must, IMO, so you can get outside of Ko Olina and see the sights on your own time. Gives so much more flexibility, and will likely be comparable in price by the time you pay for airport transfers and organized tours.

We flew from the east coast and because of the time change, as well as the distance/cost of travel, we wanted to maximize our vacation time in Hawaii. So, we opted not to combine it with Disneyland. We did Disneyland on its own a couple years later, and are glad we did it that way. But, if that's not in the cards for you, I would suggest doing Disneyland on the way back. Coming home to the east coast, you will lose 5-6 hours (depending on daylight savings), so it helps ease you back into the time change if you stop in Disneyland. It also helps lessen the blow of leaving paradise by having Disneyland to look forward to. Also, leaving Hawaii for the east coast, most of the later flights are red eyes which can be brutal. You can fly to CA and then fly home from DL on flights at "normal" times which makes the travel a little easier to manage. IMO, on the way to Hawaii, we were so excited and anxious to get there that we tolerated the travel better. We would not have wanted a stop before because we just wanted to get there.