Not an Official Trip Report but let me share some tidbits from our Aulani Vacation

[aboveH20]

Each day there is a new Iwa which highlights the coming activities. I don’t think I’m letting a cat out of the bag when I say the lighting in the rooms tends to be a bit dark, so we nearly missed something my husband had been looking forward to, because he didn’t see it the first time. Read your Iwa on the balcony, outside, or with a magnifying glass!

Ahead of time my husband was looking forward to the ukulele lessons. Lessons are free and last an hour. Ukuleles are provided (and apparently sold at the famous Target story nearby). Sign up ahead of time.

We enjoyed the Mo’olelo Fire Pit Storytelling a couple times. It takes place around the fire pit (we’re still trying to figure out how Uncle turns it on and off) and it’s so relaxing to sit by the fire and listen to Uncle weave a tale. It happens a couple times a day -- check the Iwa.

Starlit Hui is the evening show with hula dancers, ukulele music (Heart & Soul are excellent) and characters. It was on Monday and Thursday evenings when we were there and we went to both. They have mats for families to sit on, and lots of activities for the kids, but they also have some chairs set up, when we immensely enjoyed!

There are quite a few exercise options -- fitness walk, beach body boot camp, yoga, canoe racing, etc. (Not to mention a fully outfitted exercise room.) We didn’t partake of any, but I did enjoy a morning walk to the marina. Aulani faces west, so sunsets are spectacular, but the marina is a good spot for a sunrise. I believe the ocean walk is about 1.5 miles total.

There are a number of cultural walks. Aulani means messenger, and Disney has done a good job of trying to share Hawaiian culture in many ways throughout the resort. We did The Nature and Wildlife of Aulani and The Art and Culture of Aulani. They both last about 45 minutes with stops around the resort to talk about some of the artifacts, vegetations, etc.

While I’m guessing it was designed for the young ‘uns, my husband and I did the Menehune Adventure Trail. You get an iPad-like handheld unit and are given directions to a number of locations where you “make things happen.” I think our curiosity was piqued because as we walked about the resort we would see kids at various rocks “making things happen“. It’s a must if you have kids, and fun if you don’t. You get to borrow the device for an hour at a time and there are four trails. We were a bit slow out of the gate, so we finished two trails in an hour.

There is an intra resort shuttle that travels among the Ko Olina resorts, and we hopped on just to see where it went. It’s free, it was something to do, and it gave us a mini look at the area. It stops at Roy’s and runs until 11PM if you have dinner there. It took about half an hour to do the whole loop and while I’m not saying to put it on your top ten list, if you’re curious, like we were, all aboard! Our driver was a native Hawaiian and it was interesting when she talked about Obama “coming home” to the island and where he liked to get shave ice and that she lives in the area where his grandmother lived.

We also strolled along the ocean front walkway next door to the Marriot and then kept going once the walkway ended. That’s where turtles are spotted and seals, too, I guess. We saw a turtle in the water. Heads up, it is illegal to touch turtles. They are endangered and even the oils from human hands can be detrimental.

I’ve heard people discuss how long to spend at Aulani. We were there eight nights, and we could have stayed more. On the other hand we agreed that if we had to leave after six nights (our original plan) that would have been okay. Less than four nights would just be a tease! There is a lot to do, and I haven't even mentioned the swimming, lazy river, hot "tubs," lagoon activities, or Rainbow Reef snorkeling.

We took our kids to Disney World for the first time when they were two and four and I think their favorite part may have been the pools and beach at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We remarked a couple of times that I think they would have preferred Aulani to Disney World -- no long lines, no long days, no long bus rides -- just swim, swim, swim.

Next up, what we did away from Aulani.

 

[aboveH20]

We ventured away from Aulani four times. We went to Pearl Harbor, Iloani Palace, Polynesian Cultural Center, and Dole Plantation and the North Shore.

As I was clearing out my mother’s house in the months prior to our trip to Hawaii I came across her brother’s Purple Heart, his uniforms, photos of him I’d never seen before, his pilot’s cap and goggles, and many letters written to him and by him. He was an ensign in the Navy during World War II and is on “eternal patrol” in the Pacific having gone down with his plane in October 1944. Pearl Harbor meant much more to me on this trip than it did when I visited 30+ years ago.

Thankfully, from reading these boards I knew to get tickets ahead of time. We had tickets for 9:45 which worked out well (I assume) to avoid the much talked about Honolulu rush hour. We got directions from the concierge before leaving, and still got lost. As I mentioned before, for a state where tourism is so big, you would think they’d be generous with their signs, but I found the opposite to be true. We did the audio tour first, then the film and boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial, then the Bowfin (sub), the USS Missouri, then the Pacific Aviation Museum. My husband saw a mongoose in the shuttle bus parking lot -- bonus!

Another day we went to Iolani Palace, the former residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani. I’ve mentioned that I read Michener’s Hawaii before out trip so was interested in the history of the islands. I’m not sure that kids would be interested in the palace, but we enjoyed it. They have docent lead tours or audio tours. We took the audio tour and enjoyed going at our own pace and how quiet the palace was without tour guides “yelling” their spiels. I was also hoping to go to the Bishop Museum (I don’t think my husband was) but we wanted to go to Nico’s for lunch and had to get back to Aulani for a DVC tour so put Bishop Museum on the list for next time.

We ventured out to the Polynesian Cultural Center one day. It doesn’t open until noon so you don’t have to get up early to get there. As much research as I did ahead of time, I still felt the admission choices were overwhelming. There are combinations of touring the “villages,” three dinner luaus, and the evening show. We ended up doing the ambassador tour with the Samoan luau and the evening show. Another time I would not do the ambassador led option so we could see what we wanted to see. As part of our tour we made fish out of reeds, and frankly I would have preferred to see more of the exhibits.

Ahead of time we had not planned to do any luaus, there don’t seem to be any that get consistently good reviews, but we ended up doing the Island Luau. We enjoyed the show, the food was fine. We also stayed for Ha, the evening show. It’s impressive, and since the Polynesian Cultural Center is open a relatively short amount of time, worth it to do the evening show. I was trying to double check on their website and can’t find it quickly, but I know we could return for free, but don’t remember if it was within a week or two or what. I would have liked to go back on our North Shore day to see a bit more but we went to the North Shore on Sunday and the Polynesian Cultural Center is closed then. Definitely check out their website ahead of time, because there is a lot to see in the short amount of time they’re open each day.

Our other adventure was to Dole Plantation and the North Shore. By the way, you drive by Dole Plantation on the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, so if you left Aulani earlier in the day you could certainly do both. It was raining the day we went to Dole so we didn’t stay too long. We did the train ride and saw the cutest little pineapples growing. We didn’t do the maze or any other outdoor strolling. We learned the correct way to cut a pineapple, and something I didn’t know before, they say the pineapple should be rinsed in water after cutting. Who knew?

Also as part of our North Shore drive we went to Waimea Falls, but due to the rain didn’t actually make the hike to the falls. Next time. We did see impressive waves breaking along the shore and pulled over at one point just to watch. We included Big Wave Shrimp and Matsumoto‘s shave ice in our adventure(see my previous post if you‘re interested in more). We would have done more if the sunshine weren’t liquid.

We were glad we rented a car. As non DVCers we paid $35/day to park, so parking cost more than the rental car, but it allowed us to do some trips we wouldn’t otherwise have done.

 

[poohj80]

Our other adventure was to Dole Plantation and the North Shore. By the way, you drive by Dole Plantation on the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, so if you left Aulani earlier in the day you could certainly do both. It was raining the day we went to Dole so we didn’t stay too long. We did the train ride and saw the cutest little pineapples growing. We didn’t do the maze or any other outdoor strolling. We learned the correct way to cut a pineapple, and something I didn’t know before, they say the pineapple should be rinsed in water after cutting. Who knew?

Also as part of our North Shore drive we went to Waimea Falls, but due to the rain didn’t actually make the hike to the falls. Next time. We did see impressive waves breaking along the shore and pulled over at one point just to watch. We included Big Wave Shrimp and Matsumoto‘s shave ice in our adventure(see my previous post if you‘re interested in more). We would have done more if the sunshine weren’t liquid.

We're planning to take a similar path tomorrow. So far the weather has been great!

 

[aboveH20]

We're planning to take a similar path tomorrow. So far the weather has been great!

I'm interested in what you did and where you ate. Do you have time for a brief update?

 

[poohj80]

I'm interested in what you did and where you ate. Do you have time for a brief update?

Had the character breakfast at Aulani first so didn't leave until 11ish. Stopped at the Dole Plantation first. DD really enjoyed the pineapple maze and Dole Whips. We did the train ride which we enjoyed but DD wasn't that impressed.

Headed north to North Shore. Drove into Waimea Park entrance but it closed in about an hour so didn't think it was worth the entrance fee for an hour. Came back along north shore and stopped to check out the turtles. Went back through the business route and stopped for shaved ice at Matsumoto's (YUMMY and cheap!). Giovanni's shrimp truck was closed but there were two other shrimp trucks parked in same lot so tried one. Sweet Chili shrimp was good but Shrimp tacos not so much.

Got back to Aulani around 7, just in time for the evening movie.

 

[aboveH20]

Mickey's trying to find his way back to Aulani. Hope it's not because we're not treating him right!

Thanks to Captain Oblivious we knew about the $100 gift card for attending a DVC intro. We went to Hawaii thinking it would be our last trip (my husband and I each went in our single days, moons ago) or we'd come home DVC owners.

In our room was the invite to the DVC tour so we signed up. While I realize DVC is right for many people, after years of considering it we finally decided it wasn't right for us. We absolutely expect we'll be returning to Aulani, but not as DVC owners.

Also as Mark (Captain Oblivious) said, $100 doesn't go very far in the Aulani gift shop, but I was able to rescue Mickey from a hoard of Mickey lookalikes, so happy ending.

Had the character breakfast at Aulani first so didn't leave until 11ish. Stopped at the Dole Plantation first. DD really enjoyed the pineapple maze and Dole Whips. We did the train ride which we enjoyed but DD wasn't that impressed.

Headed north to North Shore. Drove into Waimea Park entrance but it closed in about an hour so didn't think it was worth the entrance fee for an hour. Came back along north shore and stopped to check out the turtles. Went back through the business route and stopped for shaved ice at Matsumoto's (YUMMY and cheap!). Giovanni's shrimp truck was closed but there were two other shrimp trucks parked in same lot so tried one. Sweet Chili shrimp was good but Shrimp tacos not so much.

Got back to Aulani around 7, just in time for the evening movie.

Thanks for letting me relive the day through your report. They weren't collecting the entrance fee at Waimea Park the day we went. Maybe because it was raining and/or they were short staffed?? We didn't do the hike, but it's on the list for next time.

I'll assume you passed on the beans with your shave ice.

 

[poohj80]

I'll assume you passed on the beans with your shave ice.

I did but got the ice cream Glad we splurged the extra 30 cents for the plastic holders.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Just read through and it looks like you had an amazing trip! I'm glad so many things worked out well for you. Your view at Aulani is fantastic! And just reading about Monkeypod's pie again makes me want to go back...sigh.

One other thing:

I took very few photos, and probably should have taken another photo from the balcony of Diamond Head, which was way off in the distance. I got a great view of Diamond Head flying into Honolulu. Sit on the right side of the plane. My husband was on the left and missed it.

 

[aboveH20]

I did but got the ice cream Glad we splurged the extra 30 cents for the plastic holders.

You're right about the best 30¢ ever. I wonder how people display their kukui leis if they don't get the shave ice holder?

(The "zebra" lei is from the Polynesian Cultural Center.)

Just read through and it looks like you had an amazing trip! I'm glad so many things worked out well for you. Your view at Aulani is fantastic! And just reading about Monkeypod's pie again makes me want to go back...sigh.

We're so ready to go back. We still have snow in our yard, although temps have finally made it to the 50s.

In June we're headed to Delaware for a wedding. It occurred to us that we'll hit the first and fiftieth states in the same year. Probably not that impressive to you.

 

[poohj80]

You're right about the best 30¢ ever. I wonder how people display their kukui leis if they don't get the shave ice holder? :

We didn't even think of that. We tossed ours.

In June we're headed to Delaware for a wedding. It occurred to us that we'll hit the first and fiftieth states in the same year. Probably not that impressive to you.

Actually, our DD was asking us if we knew what the 1st state was since we were in the 50th...she knew and we didn't. Good school!

 

[wendypooh]

Thank You for your reports - we've been to Aulani once, it was a brief trip - we went for the birth of our grandaughter, (our son lives on Oahu) so Aulani was NOT a high priority at the time... lol --- but we plan to make up for that this time with 7 days at the resort. We are headed back in just over a month - we have the catamaran dolphin cruise booked through Aulan as well, so I enjoyed your experience on that. Our 14 year old son is VERY excited for this!!! -- Can you give anymore info on that if you have any - I know we will miss the whales, due to the time of year, hopefully we'll see some dolphins.

We also plan to try monkeypod this time - gotta see what the "pie" fuss is all about!! and we have Nico's planned also - saw it on DDD as well, our son and DIL recently went and they enjoyed it.

Thanks again, enjoyed reading your report!!

 

[poohj80]

We were a bit disappointed in the Aulani exclusive catamaran and snorkel excursion as we didn't see many fish, no dolphins or turtles. The crew was great and they did say we weren't visiting the prime spot since the waters were a bit churned up.

The lunch they serve is BBQ pulled pork with sides - a bit greedy especially for those who were feeling a bit seasick.

It was fun, but not sure it was worth the price.

 

[wendypooh]

We were a bit disappointed in the Aulani exclusive catamaran and snorkel excursion as we didn't see many fish, no dolphins or turtles. The crew was great and they did say we weren't visiting the prime spot since the waters were a bit churned up.

The lunch they serve is BBQ pulled pork with sides - a bit greedy especially for those who were feeling a bit seasick.

It was fun, but not sure it was worth the price.

Thanks, I hope we go to the "prime spot" - my son is really looking forward to this!!! Also, what did you mean by "greedy"?? or did you mean greasy?

 

[poohj80]

Thanks, I hope we go to the "prime spot" - my son is really looking forward to this!!! Also, what did you mean by "greedy"?? or did you mean greasy?

Sorry, yes greasy. That's what I get for trying to type on my phone when I'm tired.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

In June we're headed to Delaware for a wedding. It occurred to us that we'll hit the first and fiftieth states in the same year. Probably not that impressive to you.

Hey, lots of people don't even know where Delaware is! Or the most time they spend here is 10 minutes on I-95 between MD and PA. Where are you headed in Delaware?

 

[aboveH20]

If I HAD bought this suitcase then I'd have to be planning my next trip to get my money's worth. I wonder how many suitcases Disney sells (I've wondered the same thing at WDW resorts, cuz they ain't cheap!).

Thank You for your reports - we've been to Aulani once, it was a brief trip - we went for the birth of our grandaughter, (our son lives on Oahu) so Aulani was NOT a high priority at the time... lol --- but we plan to make up for that this time with 7 days at the resort. We are headed back in just over a month - we have the catamaran dolphin cruise booked through Aulan as well, so I enjoyed your experience on that. Our 14 year old son is VERY excited for this!!! -- Can you give anymore info on that if you have any - I know we will miss the whales, due to the time of year, hopefully we'll see some dolphins.

We also plan to try monkeypod this time - gotta see what the "pie" fuss is all about!! and we have Nico's planned also - saw it on DDD as well, our son and DIL recently went and they enjoyed it.

Thanks again, enjoyed reading your report!!

Congratulations on the birth of your granddaughter. Now there's a reason to visit Hawaii!

The catamaran snorkeling trip was highly recommended to us by a young couple we were talking with at Aulani. We went on the spur of the moment. I was happy I did it because I'd never been on a catamaran before, I'd never been snorkeling before, and in addition to the fish I got to see three turtles hanging out on the ocean floor. Not everyone saw turtles. (We also saw whales, but you already now you'll be past whale season.)

That being said, at $150 per person it's not cheap and I can't say that I enthusiastically recommend it. I'm glad I went, but I don't think I'd spend that much money again and I suspect the people who didn't see the turtles were less than impressed with the trip. I have read good things about Ko Olina Ocean Adventures, so continue to read about the various snorkeling options.

Glad you're going to Nico's. It's fun to try a Triple D place, but I always wonder how other nearby restaurants feel when their competitor is featured on the show.

We were a bit disappointed in the Aulani exclusive catamaran and snorkel excursion as we didn't see many fish, no dolphins or turtles. The crew was great and they did say we weren't visiting the prime spot since the waters were a bit churned up.

The lunch they serve is BBQ pulled pork with sides - a bit greedy especially for those who were feeling a bit seasick.

It was fun, but not sure it was worth the price.

I have to agree.

Hey, lots of people don't even know where Delaware is! Or the most time they spend here is 10 minutes on I-95 between MD and PA. Where are you headed in Delaware?

I live in New York, halfway between NYC and Montreal. I was telling a downstater (NYC and the boroughs) where I live and he said, "Oh, you mean southern Canada." So maybe people think Delaware is a county in New Jersey?

We're headed to an 8:30 AM wedding in Bethany Beach. I'm reading between the lines that the wedding is so early because they're not allowed on public beaches and they want to do it before the constable wakes up?? Just wondering. I don't go to too many early morning weddings.

 

[poohj80]

We packed a smaller rolling suitcase inside a bigger suitcase on our recent trip as we knew we'd be buying a LOT of souvenirs at Aulani and I knew the Aulani suitcase would be WAY too much.

 

[aboveH20]

The LPGA is currently at Ko Olina Golf Resort across from Aulani. How sad is it that I just spent 45 minutes watching it in hopes of getting a glimpse of the roof of Aulani.

We packed a smaller rolling suitcase inside a bigger suitcase on our recent trip as we knew we'd be buying a LOT of souvenirs at Aulani and I knew the Aulani suitcase would be WAY too much.

Good thinking. I remember one time when our sons were young that we ended up throwing stuff away at the end because we just couldn't fit everything in the suitcases. As I recall, it was primarily food but maybe an old pair of PJs, too.

 

[poohj80]

We found a DISer who was checking in right after we checked out and left a box of groceries for them with bell services.

 

[aboveH20]

Two months ago today we were wondering if we’d be able to fall asleep before our 5:40 AM flight. I won’t say it’s all a distant memory, but Hawaii seems like longer than two months ago. We’ve talked a lot about going back -- not sure when -- and things we’ll do again and do because we didn’t do the first time.

Here’s out Next Time List -- in no particular order

1. Hike Diamond Head. I’ve read so much about how strenuous it is, so before our next trip I’d like to be intentional about prepping (training sounds too serous) to do the hike.

2. Breakfast buffet at Makahiki. We got in on the promotion that included breakfast each morning at Ulu Café and it was fine, but eight breakfasts there didn’t provide a lot of variety. Each morning we awoke to the sounds from Makahiki so it’s on the list.

3. Speaking of Ulu Café, we had their malasadas for breakfast, and now we’re putting Leonard’s on the list for next time.

4. The Bishop Museum. We had semi planned to go there the day we went to Iolani Palace, but ran out of time. I’m interested in Hawaiian history and would like to see it.

5. A return trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It’s open a relatively short amount of time each day and we did the ambassador tour, so next time we’d like to go back and explore on our own. I suspect we’ll do a luau while we’re there. We did the Samoan buffet and will try a different one next time.

6. We didn’t make it to the Olelo Room until our last day when we went on the history and cultural tour. Gotta go back and have a Shirley Temple and some appetizers!

7. Check out Waikiki. We saw it from the air, now we’d like to see it from land. I don’t know if we’d stay there for a couple nights or just do a day trip. As part of that venture my husband would like to go to the Hawaii Army Museum. (He was an army captain in Viet Nam.)

8. Return to Waimea Falls and see the falls! It rained the day we went so we just made it as far as the visitor center and gift shop. Apparently it’s an easy walk, so it would be perfect for a sunny day.

9. I know my husband would love to be able to check out Schofield Barracks where he lived when his father was stationed in Hawaii, but I’m not thinking that’s going to happen.

10. Number ten is to buy another coffee mug. That was the one souvenir I wanted to buy so I could enjoy my morning coffee and relive the trip. I bought the mug (thanks DVC presentation) but at $15 I’m afraid to use it -- it sits above my computer where it see it all day. Next time I’ll have to buy a spare so I’ll have one if I break one.

We went in February for my birthday ending in zero. My husband has a birthday ending in zero in 2016, so hopefully he’ll want to go back for his birthday is we don’t make it there before then.

I know I'm not the only one Photobucket doesn't like, but honest to gosh I tried to make the photo smaller!!!