testingthewaters
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2007
- Messages
- 13
Thought I'd share our itinerary and approximate expenses since there's a lot of interest surrounding Aulani. Our group consisted of: 4 grandparents, 4 adults in mid-30's, 5 children ages 5 to 12. We only had enough points for 5 nights at Aulani and knew that it wouldn't be enough so we booked 4 nights at an Airbnb rental for the first part of our stay and moved to Aulani halfway through. At least two guests at Aulani expressed frustration/sadness over having to leave the resort to sightsee, so we were happy we got it out of the way before checking in to the resort.
Thursday, July 2: Arrived in Oahu around midday on Hawaiian Airlines which is, like, the only airline to fly into Hawaii. A meal and complimentary glass of wine is included and it really gets your vacation started 30k feet in the air. Rented one car and one minivan from Alamo using Costco's travel website. Total cost for two vehicles for entire stay was approximately $850. We spent MAYBE $100 on gas during our entire stay. Alamo appears to be the most popular car rental company at HNL - they have huge buses shuttling passengers from the airport to their lot and it's a little chaotic but their prices are the best. Checked in to Airbnb rental in Ewa Beach and went shopping at Costco in Kapolei. We made two Costco runs during our entire stay to buy meal ingredients, ready-to-heat dinners, alcohol, etc. and spent about $700 (for 13 people). We had plenty of food leftover that we had to pass along. With some time to kill in the evening, we rushed out to the nearest beach and accidentally came across one with a friendly homeless population. Oops.
Friday, July 3: Left Ewa Beach around 9 a.m. expecting to hit traffic into Honolulu but the highway was wide open. Visited Ala Moana Mall to kill time and then headed to our timed audio tour at Iolani Palace. We had packed a picnic of sandwiches and juice and ate it in the barracks courtyard before joining our tour. After our tour, we headed to Waikiki and parked at an underground lot just next to the First Hawaiian Bank for about $8. We walked the "strip" and enjoyed the beach before heading back to Ewa Beach, stopping at Helena's for takeout dinner on the way.
Saturday, July 4: We left Ewa Beach just before 9 a.m. and arrived at Dole Plantation just before their opening time at 9:30 a.m. We rode the train and enjoyed some Dole Whips before heading to the North Shore. We stopped at Giovanni's for shrimp and then continued on to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Traffic was bad between the two points (probably because it was a holiday) and it took about an hour to get to PCC. PCC was fairly quiet and we bounced around from island to island before settling in for the luau and then evening show. Our group agreed that those two elements alone were worth the price of admission and that the island exhibits were pretty much fluff. PCC tickets had been purchased weeks ahead and with a negotiated 15% discount.
Sunday, July 5: Left Ewa Beach at around 8 a.m. and headed towards Diamondhead. Traffic was light but by the time we got to Diamondhead around 9 a.m., the parking lot was full and had a "wait line." It moved quickly - we waited no more than 10 minutes to be directed to our parking spots. The hike took about 1 hour round trip and, with the exception of one grandparent with medical issues who didn't attempt the hike, everyone was fairly easily able to reach the summit. There was no pedestrian traffic on the trail at this time. It was warm by then but we made sure to wear hats and had everyone carry their own water bottle. We made our way to Nico's at Pier 38 for lunch. Food was good and parking was ample. After, we headed to Pearl Harbor with plenty of time to spare before our 2 p.m. timed entry.
Monday, July 6: Checked out of our Airbnb rental and headed to Aulani at around 11 a.m. Our rooms (Dedicated 2 bd and hotel room - all on points) were not ready but we were prepared with bathing suits, left bags at the bell desk, and headed to the pools. We never had an issue finding at least one lounge chair to hold our belongings while we swam. In our opinion, the lounge chair situation wasn't too bad and it was sometimes easier to find loungers on the beach than the pools. I can see how some people can become frustrated with not finding lounge chairs in their area of choice, or not enough lounge chairs for everyone in their party. We just chose to not let it make or break or vacation. Meh.
Tuesday, July 7: We swam and lounged all day.
Wednesday, July 8: Headed out to the Aloha Swap Meet around 8 a.m. and loaded up on gifts and souvenirs. Returned to the hotel at around noon. And then...we swam all day.
Thursday, July 9: Guess what? We swam all day. We had dinner at Monkeypod and some of us headed out to Waikiki for drinks and Murakame Udon (long line!).
Friday, July 10: Finished up our shopping at the gift shop. A note of caution: you WILL lose your mind with all the Aulani merchandise. If you see something you like, buy it, as they are constantly selling out of stuff. Similarly, they bring in new merchandise throughout the day, every day, so check back often. Also, the resort robes are divine and available at the gift shop for $120. Worth. Every. Penny.
Saturday, July 11: Said goodbye and headed home. We stopped at Costco to refill the gas tanks and pick up a case of macadamia nut chocolates (6 boxes for $19!). Also available at Costco, 100% Kona coffee for $19 a lb.
All in all, a great vacation. Our kids didn't know or care for Auntie's Beach House so the reported wait lines and madness over registration were not an issue. We briefly sat for the Starlit Hui but, having sat through a luau at PCC, the kids didn't really care much for it either. Besides, it was rained out halfway through. The beach is a joy and very nice for little ones and those of us with a slight fear of the ocean. We also booked a private photography session with a Disney Photo Pass photographer which was pricey but worth it. We were very happy with the results. Say hello to the folks working the DVC Sales Center counter. They have Aulani buttons for the kiddos and, if you're lucky, an Aulani print for your wall. We did purchase the resort mugs. The kids enjoyed having their fill of soft drinks (they were on vacation!) and we enjoyed them to enjoy the adult beverages we prepared in our room (Costco has a great pre-mixed margarita for $10 a bottle!). Hint: you don't need a Costco membership to purchase alcohol.
Hope you enjoy your Aulani vacation as much as we did!
Thursday, July 2: Arrived in Oahu around midday on Hawaiian Airlines which is, like, the only airline to fly into Hawaii. A meal and complimentary glass of wine is included and it really gets your vacation started 30k feet in the air. Rented one car and one minivan from Alamo using Costco's travel website. Total cost for two vehicles for entire stay was approximately $850. We spent MAYBE $100 on gas during our entire stay. Alamo appears to be the most popular car rental company at HNL - they have huge buses shuttling passengers from the airport to their lot and it's a little chaotic but their prices are the best. Checked in to Airbnb rental in Ewa Beach and went shopping at Costco in Kapolei. We made two Costco runs during our entire stay to buy meal ingredients, ready-to-heat dinners, alcohol, etc. and spent about $700 (for 13 people). We had plenty of food leftover that we had to pass along. With some time to kill in the evening, we rushed out to the nearest beach and accidentally came across one with a friendly homeless population. Oops.
Friday, July 3: Left Ewa Beach around 9 a.m. expecting to hit traffic into Honolulu but the highway was wide open. Visited Ala Moana Mall to kill time and then headed to our timed audio tour at Iolani Palace. We had packed a picnic of sandwiches and juice and ate it in the barracks courtyard before joining our tour. After our tour, we headed to Waikiki and parked at an underground lot just next to the First Hawaiian Bank for about $8. We walked the "strip" and enjoyed the beach before heading back to Ewa Beach, stopping at Helena's for takeout dinner on the way.
Saturday, July 4: We left Ewa Beach just before 9 a.m. and arrived at Dole Plantation just before their opening time at 9:30 a.m. We rode the train and enjoyed some Dole Whips before heading to the North Shore. We stopped at Giovanni's for shrimp and then continued on to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Traffic was bad between the two points (probably because it was a holiday) and it took about an hour to get to PCC. PCC was fairly quiet and we bounced around from island to island before settling in for the luau and then evening show. Our group agreed that those two elements alone were worth the price of admission and that the island exhibits were pretty much fluff. PCC tickets had been purchased weeks ahead and with a negotiated 15% discount.
Sunday, July 5: Left Ewa Beach at around 8 a.m. and headed towards Diamondhead. Traffic was light but by the time we got to Diamondhead around 9 a.m., the parking lot was full and had a "wait line." It moved quickly - we waited no more than 10 minutes to be directed to our parking spots. The hike took about 1 hour round trip and, with the exception of one grandparent with medical issues who didn't attempt the hike, everyone was fairly easily able to reach the summit. There was no pedestrian traffic on the trail at this time. It was warm by then but we made sure to wear hats and had everyone carry their own water bottle. We made our way to Nico's at Pier 38 for lunch. Food was good and parking was ample. After, we headed to Pearl Harbor with plenty of time to spare before our 2 p.m. timed entry.
Monday, July 6: Checked out of our Airbnb rental and headed to Aulani at around 11 a.m. Our rooms (Dedicated 2 bd and hotel room - all on points) were not ready but we were prepared with bathing suits, left bags at the bell desk, and headed to the pools. We never had an issue finding at least one lounge chair to hold our belongings while we swam. In our opinion, the lounge chair situation wasn't too bad and it was sometimes easier to find loungers on the beach than the pools. I can see how some people can become frustrated with not finding lounge chairs in their area of choice, or not enough lounge chairs for everyone in their party. We just chose to not let it make or break or vacation. Meh.
Tuesday, July 7: We swam and lounged all day.
Wednesday, July 8: Headed out to the Aloha Swap Meet around 8 a.m. and loaded up on gifts and souvenirs. Returned to the hotel at around noon. And then...we swam all day.
Thursday, July 9: Guess what? We swam all day. We had dinner at Monkeypod and some of us headed out to Waikiki for drinks and Murakame Udon (long line!).
Friday, July 10: Finished up our shopping at the gift shop. A note of caution: you WILL lose your mind with all the Aulani merchandise. If you see something you like, buy it, as they are constantly selling out of stuff. Similarly, they bring in new merchandise throughout the day, every day, so check back often. Also, the resort robes are divine and available at the gift shop for $120. Worth. Every. Penny.
Saturday, July 11: Said goodbye and headed home. We stopped at Costco to refill the gas tanks and pick up a case of macadamia nut chocolates (6 boxes for $19!). Also available at Costco, 100% Kona coffee for $19 a lb.
All in all, a great vacation. Our kids didn't know or care for Auntie's Beach House so the reported wait lines and madness over registration were not an issue. We briefly sat for the Starlit Hui but, having sat through a luau at PCC, the kids didn't really care much for it either. Besides, it was rained out halfway through. The beach is a joy and very nice for little ones and those of us with a slight fear of the ocean. We also booked a private photography session with a Disney Photo Pass photographer which was pricey but worth it. We were very happy with the results. Say hello to the folks working the DVC Sales Center counter. They have Aulani buttons for the kiddos and, if you're lucky, an Aulani print for your wall. We did purchase the resort mugs. The kids enjoyed having their fill of soft drinks (they were on vacation!) and we enjoyed them to enjoy the adult beverages we prepared in our room (Costco has a great pre-mixed margarita for $10 a bottle!). Hint: you don't need a Costco membership to purchase alcohol.
Hope you enjoy your Aulani vacation as much as we did!
