Just the 19 of Us – Oahu North Shore & Aulani – Jan. 2016 ~ Updated 6/4: Complete & DL TR Link!

[cindianne320]

What great updates! Sad that your trip is coming to an end! (But excited to hear about your other travels!)

 

[Dugette]

What great updates! Sad that your trip is coming to an end! (But excited to hear about your other travels!)

Thanks! It is hard to wrap this up, not knowing when we'll get back to Hawaii. But, I am SUPER antsy/excited to get to writing about our Disneyland trip, so I'm using all the time I have to scoot this thing along to the finish line.

 

[Dugette]

Duffy Day!

This appears to be a parting shot from the balcony of our room:



After we finished showering and packing away the swim gear, we had Bell Services come up to store our things for a bit. This ended up taking until a little after our Noon check-out extension, but didn’t cause any problems. We remembered learning on our previous stay that the housekeeping staff enjoys the leftover food/drinks that guests don’t finish/open, so we confirmed that was still the case with the Bell Services person and he said they would love it. So, leave your stuff in the fridge instead of the trash at Aulani, I guess!

After we got that squared away, Izzy and I headed down to the Halawai Lawn to meet Duffy while Dug went out to finish the Menehune Trail game. We were a bit early, so the lawn was empty and we weren’t sure where Duffy would do the meet:



So, we hung around the area near the building and waited to spot him:



Bear sighting!!!

He walked right past us:



We followed him over to the meeting spot and had to trail his fangirls that had chased after him :



They were positively giddy about meeting and hugging their favorite bear :



Duffy really does have a devoted fan base, even if they've taken him out of the US theme parks.

Then it was our turn. Izzy had brought her Minnie out so that Duffy could be reunited with his creator (as the backstory is that Minnie made Duffy for Mickey to take with on his travels):





Izzy really wanted to make sure Duffy saw Minnie:



Then they snuggled:



And a high five for good measure:





They had me jump in too:



And the video:

After the meet, Izzy and I had some errands to run. First up was returning her special Aulani/Aunty’s Magic Band:



I think it’s like on the Disney Cruise ships where you can keep it, but they charge your account about $15 or so. We have no need for even MORE Magic Bands in this household (even if there is a cute Stitch on it). When we turned it into Aunty’s, all the CMs were like, “Goodbye, Izzy!!” So sweet, they really get to know the kids.

Next, we headed back to the Photopass desk, as we had to add our photos from this day and actually purchase our CD (ended up being two CDs, since we had a group of 15 taking all the PP pics they saw ). Tia, who had taken our sunset photos the night before, was actually working the desk there again. She said it would be like 15 minutes while they got the CDs ready, so I headed over to the Concierge in the meantime.

I don’t know what’s going on here, but cute:



Checking for goodies?

Anyway, then we sat down here to review our account one more time before check-out:



I was confused because we didn’t have any taxes added to our account. Last stay, it was just as I’d expected from the info online – we’d had a small Transient Accommodations Tax added to our account each night. This time, nothing. And they assured me nothing else was coming. It was very strange. I wanted to make sure we paid and not the DVC member we rented from, but they said that wasn’t going to happen - nothing would be charged to her either. So, I don’t know why no tax, but we never did get charged anything. And they gave Izzy some stickers:





While Izzy and I were having all this fun (and stopping back to pick up our finished CDs), Dug was completing the other adventures on the Menehune Trail. He got some special effect videos (if you don’t want spoilers of the special effects in the game, feel free to skip):

(click to watch)

(click to watch)

And some photos from his explorations:



















Aw, looks like Izzy was hugging Aulani goodbye :



Dug was sad too:



Up next: We leave!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I just have to say the whole trip just looks amazing! One day we will get there.

And then he spotted us from afar :

Love the stalker like photo!

Very Cute!

I also found a nice chair to sit and relax in for a bit (though that is hard for me, as I am inclined to go DO things….but I made “lounging” an activity in my rotation).

In addition to drawing, they painted a cell, which is pretty neat:

Amazing! My DH and oldest DD would Love this!!!

Izzy finally fell asleep close to midnight

Man, your daughter is touch. My DD's barely can make it to midnight on new years eve!

 

[soniam]

I didn't realize how much there was to do at Aulani. Makes me excited to go next summer. Sadly, DS will be too old to enjoy Aunty's. It looks really cool. Looks like a wonderful extended family trip.

 

[Dugette]

I just have to say the whole trip just looks amazing! One day we will get there.

Hawaii is truly amazing and we all are wishing we had plans to go back soon. Hope you make it there too!

Love the stalker like photo!

Ha, sure surprised me to see that one on there.

Very Cute!

Thanks!

Amazing! My DH and oldest DD would Love this!!!

Dug loved it too. Fun, if you are artistically inclined.

Man, your daughter is touch. My DD's barely can make it to midnight on new years eve!

Yeah, too much so. It's nearing 9pm and she is currently upstairs throwing a giant fit because Dug is trying to get her to bed (and she wants to stay up).

I didn't realize how much there was to do at Aulani. Makes me excited to go next summer. Sadly, DS will be too old to enjoy Aunty's. It looks really cool. Looks like a wonderful extended family trip.

There is a ton to do! They have the little daily newsletters (similar to a Disney cruise), so you can see what activities are going on each day. I can't remember exactly how old your DS is, but they do take kids up to 12 at Aunty's, I believe - I just don't know exactly what kind of activities they offer for them, though. Hope you have a great time next summer!

 

[soniam]

There is a ton to do! They have the little daily newsletters (similar to a Disney cruise), so you can see what activities are going on each day. I can't remember exactly how old your DS is, but they do take kids up to 12 at Aunty's, I believe - I just don't know exactly what kind of activities they offer for them, though. Hope you have a great time next summer!

He will be 12 when we go. So, even if they do allow him, I don't know if he would like it or not. We would give a go though.

 

[Dugette]

He will be 12 when we go. So, even if they do allow him, I don't know if he would like it or not. We would give a go though.

Yeah, I didn't look into the older kid activities, since she was so young. I'd stop by during an open house and ask what they have for the older kids and see if he has any interest. My guess is, if he were to go there, it would be for short stretches, but probably not keep him occupied for a long time.

 

[Dugette]

Up All Night

We wrapped up what we had to do at Aulani so we could head out to catch our flight back to Minnesota in January. I stopped back at the Photopass desk to pick up our CDs. Then Dug ran to the restroom. While he was there, a DVC guy was in the lobby and tried to pitch me on DVC. He was pushier than most and we were scrambling to leave, so I really didn’t appreciate it. I told him it wasn’t for us, but he kept trying. (I mean, really, we’ve stayed at Aulani twice now for under $200/night on average…it’s hard to talk me into spending tens of thousands on it, given that. )

Izzy and I ditched the DVC guy and went to retrieve the minivan. I had momentary amnesia and forgot which level of the parking ramp I’d left it on last, but managed to figure it out after wandering around one floor and coming up empty-handed. Pulled it around to get Dug and all our bags that bell services had retrieved, then took off.

We had looked up directions to the Costco nearest the airport to stop for topping off the gas in the rental:



Izzy had fallen asleep on the drive, so Dug stayed in the car with her while I went inside to get a little something we couldn’t leave Hawaii without:



Priorities. I don’t know how we crammed that big thing into our bags, but we did. Then we divvied it up with Dug’s parents and Kay and Jay when we got home. Yum!

We also decided to grab a quick lunch here, since it was cheap and easy:



Dug asked for the Brisket sandwich and I got the Hot Dog Meal – only $1.50 and included a 20 oz. drink – sweet! I skipped getting Izzy anything, since she was asleep and we had plenty of snacks packed for the flight. But, of course, I had trouble carrying all of the food back to the car and the hot dog landed on the pavement, ketchup side down. I very briefly considered picking it up, scraping the ketchup off, and trying to salvage it. Then I remembered it was only $1.50 and included a drink. Even cheap little me could justify that splurge. So, I had to wait in line again (fairly quick, at least) and got another and gave Dug that drink – perfect! Then we ate in the car while we were waiting in the short line at the gas pumps. Back to driving:



(That picture may have been before Costco, I don't know.) Arrived at the airport uneventfully. Actually, we arrived at Alamo, as we’d decided to stay together for the rental drop-off and shuttle ride over:



Don’t worry, Minnie was riding along too :



Looks like we were able to use Skycap to check in:



Much more pleasant here than in the cold MN winter!

So, for some reason, only Dug got selected for TSA pre-check (this was before we got Global Entry). Izzy and I would have to go through the regular (fairly long) security line. So, I did the only reasonable thing and made Dug schlep all the kid-accessories through with him, so that I would have less to juggle. However, shortly before I saw him nearing the front of his short pre-check line, I realized we’d forgotten to dump Izzy’s milk out of her thermoses. And, since she was with me, that might look suspicious. I started texting and calling him, but he was already there and they sent someone to come get me and Izzy so they could deal with us all together. Turns out that a kid can go through with a parent, even if the kid and the other parent don’t have a pre-check designation, so we could have sent her with him. Everything worked out fine, though, and they let us through without issue. It was just a bit awkward being walked up there and all.

I love the outdoor walkways to your terminal here:





We stopped at a restroom and traded off going in/watching our stuff.

Our chariot awaits:



We got Boarding Group 4, so had to wait until 3 was done before boarding (no early entry for us car seat users ). The flight attendant did help carry the car seat down the aisle, though, which was nice. I was happy to see we had individual screens for this long flight:



Seated and ready:





Soon enough, we were on our way:



As per usual, the people in front of us all reclined their seats into us :



Yes, Dug’s tray being down made for a unpleasantly tight space for him. The person in front of Izzy was actually kind enough to look back and ask before reclining, though, which was a first (and I said okay, since they were actually being thoughtful).

Looks like we ordered some snack boxes to share:





Izzy and Minnie watched some Toy Story:





She also played some games on the old iPad:



Then she watched some Up:



I think she changed her mind partway into that and went back to Toy Story. I also tried to settle her in to sleep with her blankie, but she got upset and started crying and saying she just wanted to get home and see Kitty, not nap. Thankfully, a lollipop got the crying to stop. After that, she wanted to sit in my lap and do a Jake & the Neverland Pirates puzzle I'd brought (dark photo, sorry):



Of course, at the end of that, the seatbelt sign came back on, so I made her get back in her own seat and she was all upset again. Luckily, I had a little Star Wars color/sticker book that calmed her down. (Whew, just reading this is exhausting me – it’s SO MUCH EASIER to travel with her now at 4.5 – she just uses the iPad, watches movies, eats snacks, and I don’t have to have 70 different toys anymore, haha). Then my notes say that Dug took her for a restroom break and we were about 4.5 hours into the flight, 9:34pm Hawaii time, and had another 2:44 left (changing planes in Chicago – we picked this flight because it gave us the longest stretch to sleep – wasn’t working out so well ).

After that, Izzy still refused to sleep (and got all loud and upset if we tried), so we played some games on the airplane screen, some iPad games, and she spent some time on my lap while the seatbelt sign was off.

Eventually, she expressed interest in "going to bed on the airplane". So, we read some stories, tucked her into the car seat, and then she tried to sleep, but was quickly a mess of, “It’s hard to sleep on the airplane!!!” Eventually, she ended up back watching Toy Story again, all the way to the finish this time.

Still awake, so we checked our progress:



How I wish the plane could have just veered north a bit and dropped us off at MSP. But at least we were under an hour from Chicago. This overnight flight sure would have been more pleasant if any of us got some sleep.

The saving grace for the last 40 minutes was when I discovered two episodes of “Minnie” (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) available on the screen:



And we finally touched down at our layover spot:





I let her watch Minnie until the screens shut off and we disembarked.

I think we might have actually arrived earlier than planned, as we found ourselves with over 2 hours to kill until our next boarding time. Ugh. We basically hung out here:



Had some breakfast in what felt like the middle of the night (and without any significant sleep) and of course Izzy fell asleep in the stroller:



In case you’re wondering about her attire, it’s cold on the walkway to exit the plane in Chicago in January in the middle of the night.

I think I mostly tried to chair-nap while we were here and I had the chance, since Izzy was passed out. It wasn’t a very comfortable or effective way to get a night’s sleep, but better than nothing. Eventually, it was time to board our very short flight home (like 90 minutes). If I remember right (since my notes stop here), we had to take Izzy out of the stroller in preparation to board, so she was NOT happy about being roused out of her sound sleep. I’m pretty sure I was in line holding and shushing a disoriented and crying Izzy and repeating things like, “I know, you were sound asleep and you can go right back to sleep when we get on the plane” over and over so the concerned-looking passengers in line with us wouldn’t worry so much about a crying kid ruining their flight. I could see those looks on their faces. And, thank goodness, I was right:





Whew! I think we actually did all get to nap on that short flight. But, of course, even on a 1.5 hour flight, you have to recline into the kid’s feet (and, as you saw above, she had barely any room to begin with - though I do think her car seat was a bit wider than normal because I believe I put it in recline vs. straight up, since I wanted her to sleep) :



Thankfully, it didn’t rouse her :



We made it home around 9am Central, as planned. This was the temperature update :



Thankfully, by the time we got a ride back to my car it only showed -3 degrees!

We drove home and this one slept all the way:



I think I had in mind that I might be able to do some work from home that day, since we got home early morning, but I can’t recall if I did. I’m guessing not, as I was pretty sleep deprived and had put in a request for the whole day off, just in case. I think Izzy greeted Kitty, as she'd been waiting for, then napped a lot of the day. So, a lackluster finale, but we did have a wonderful trip and can’t wait to go back someday! We love Oahu and Aulani, but also really hope to explore the other Hawaiian islands someday as well. It’s not WDW, but it’s a pretty magical place!

Hope you’ve enjoyed following along. I’ve enjoyed reliving it. And, next, I plan to relive our amazing Feb. 2016 trip to Disneyland (just the month after this Hawaii trip, so definitely made coming home a bit easier, knowing that was around the corner). I will pop back in here with a link when I get that report started. Until then, aloha!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Great trip report! Man it must be super hard to go from that wonderful weather in Hawaii to that! Yikes!

Looking forward to reading about Disneyland!

 

[cindianne320]

Just seeing that temp makes me COLD, and I live here!

Sorry the long flight didn't go as planned, but glad you were able to get some rest on the shorter flight. I can't wait until my youngest is able to entertain himself better on flights. I'm hoping 3.5 is easier than 2 was!

 

[Dugette]

Great trip report! Man it must be super hard to go from that wonderful weather in Hawaii to that! Yikes!

Looking forward to reading about Disneyland!

It really is an adjustment, but definitely worth doing! Minnesotans all love those warm-weather escapes come January-February. Disneyland just got started - I'll post a link next! Thanks for following along!

Just seeing that temp makes me COLD, and I live here!

Sorry the long flight didn't go as planned, but glad you were able to get some rest on the shorter flight. I can't wait until my youngest is able to entertain himself better on flights. I'm hoping 3.5 is easier than 2 was!

Haha, I know! It was like 87 here today, such a big difference! It was a rough flight home for sure. Interestingly, the flight to Disneyland, which was only the next month, was significantly better. It can change quick and I hope it does for you too. Thanks for always following along!

 

[Dugette]

I did it! Finally started my February 2016 Disneyland TR!

Please come join me over on the Disneyland TR board:

"I Think I Might Be a Disneyland Person!" - Feb. 2016

Thanks for following and hope to see you there!

 

[schmass]

What a great trip! That long flight home is so rough, though. I'm glad that Izzy finally did manage to get some sleep!

 

[Dugette]

What a great trip! That long flight home is so rough, though. I'm glad that Izzy finally did manage to get some sleep!

Thanks! Yeah, it was a rough journey back, but worth it to have gone on that wonderful trip!

 

[foxyroxy40]

I just finished reading your trip report what a wonderful time you had I really enjoy reading about your trip's Izzy is such a lil dolly can't wait read about your other trips

 

[deerh]

Great trip report! So glad you had a great time with your family!
Amazing detail on everything you did!! I am so impressed!!!!

Aulani is amazing, as we went in May of 2015!! Reading your report, we are ready to go back! We also went to Waimea Falls and
enjoyed it! We also went to Pearl Harbor as well!

Our "kids" were 22 and 25, so our plans were different than yours.

DeerH

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I was finally able to finish this TR! It had been so long since I had last read it but I loved the ending.Those sunset pictures from your last day were just fantastic!