planning our first trip Dec 2017

[hopey360]

Hi everyone! I'm so glad I found this board. The information has been super helpful. Last week I booked our family's trip to Aulani for the week after Christmas. Thanks to tips here I feel like I have good expectations but I still have some questions.

We are a family of four: Myself and DH in our late 40s, teen SS who will be a senior in high school, and DS who will be five years old at the time of our trip. We are not DVS members or Disney fanatics, but I am a fan of the quality "Disney experience" as experienced at the parks. This will be our first Disney resort trip anywhere, and our first trip to Hawaii.

Here's what I have so far, thanks to tips from you folks:

• Booked a 1 bed villa, island garden view. Planning to request room XX83, XX77 or XX71 on a higher floor.
• Will book a car from Alamo so we get free parking at the resort.
• Will stop for groceries at Costco/Target/Safeway on the way to the resort.
• Will splurge for a cabana for at least one day (probably the day after we arrive).
• Will pre-register my son for Auntie's Beach House at 90 days out.
• Will take advantage of the Photo Pass program for great photos of the whole family, especially at sunset.
• Probably will not pay for a Character Breakfast because there are plenty of other character activities available. Unless they say Stitch will be there. I love Stitch and so does my son.

Now for my questions:

• When is the right time to reserve a cabana? Can I do it now? Do I wait until 90 days out?
• When and how do I make the room request? Are they generally honored for non-DVS folks? Do I just call and ask for the request to be added to my reservation?
• Is the on-site luau worth it, or should we try one of the others on the island? If so, which one?
• Are the lines for towels, etc. really as awful as some of the reviews I've read elsewhere? What do you think they will be like during the time immediately after Christmas?
• What about Auntie's Beach house? I read some online stories about having to get up at 7:30am to get in line for a spot, but then other people tell me they never had to wait. What's the deal with that?
• How are the teen activities? Our teen is more of a "nerd" (his term!), not athletic and not the beach-sitting type. He is quite social though, loves board games and sometimes enjoys crafts.
• How are the in-room TV movie offerings? I haven't seen that discussed anywhere. I would think Disney would provide their movies for free, but maybe I'm expecting too much? We could bring one less screen if I know there are plenty of free movies for my son to watch.

I'm sure I will have more questions, and I'm open to suggestions for things I haven't thought of yet. Thanks so much! We are excited about the trip!

P.S. I'd add an avatar, but the system won't let me...

 

[CaliAdventurer]

My 2 cents worth:
Cabanas can be reserved the moment you have a reservation number. If you are going the week between Xmas and NYE, it's the busiest of the year and the DVC rooms are gone in January (many reservations already booked) The cabanas may be limited there are only a handful so call today.

The lines for towels are longest the moment that they open. Now they have made one of the stations for DVC members only and that may have evened it out. I couldn't tell because I didn't go to the other one which is by the play bridge area in the center. It's not hot that week and waiting in line is no big deal for 10 mins. Either line up early or late to avoid the worst.

I make my room requests when I am there at the counter and have never been disappointed but we have always had Oceanview. Since the resort will be sold out, I'd call now and add it to your reservation but know that it is no guarantee- like at all. The front desk has always been very helpful in that regard. They even printed out a photo of the view for me to see if it was ok on our first trip. Just be very very kind and ask what room they would take if they were you.

I haven't seen the luau- it was canceled for rain on our Dec trip but we will def try again this Dec. That's the one I would go to.

Since the resort will be full, expect the line to aunties to be INSANE and 7:30 won't cut it by a long shot. The line will wrap around the building and down the way by then.

Our au pair did some of the fitness activities when we were there last Spring and loved it. Sunrise boot camp and SUP yoga I believe. She did not go to the teen party.

I don't remember anything special about the TV. Its like at the parks. A few resort and DVC channels and then the usuals. They do a movie in the lawn many nights of the week however.

I would definitely do the character breakfast. I love it and its a good value. Its expensive, yes, but its filled with fresh fruits and everything else and we eat our weight in fruits & pog every morning we go. If you want to skip the photo with Mickey you may ask to do so. But the breakfast is a highlight and if you change your mid when you're there, you will definitely NOT get a reservation. The buffet for dinner is whatever and we don't really care about it. AmaAma is ok for dinner but know that the sunset reservations will be coveted. Ama Ama for breakfast is where it's at! We do it nearly every day. The view, the food- perfection.

Make sure you do the campfire stories once with you 5 yo and sign up for the boat races- such a great family craft event, its free and its first come. The paid crafts aren't cheap but we had a great time doing some textile coloring with plants found on the grounds in the hawaiian way as well as a tote bag that we painted and kept. (each participant) so there is value.

Just keep in mind, that you will be there on the most crowded week and set your expectations accordingly. Also, dont expect it to be hot. When we went this past year, we ended up at target buying long sleeves and pants. It did come and go but we were not prepared.

ENJOY!

 

[CaliAdventurer]

And just to add about the room request since you are very specific and there are only a few options, the uptick starts dramatically around the 23rd. If you arriving before that you will have a better chance. If you are arriving later, each day I would think more rooms will be taken up until new year.

 

[Fokus17]

Do you get free parking if you book with Alamo? I thought it was only for DVC members?

 

[happymommy]

Did you book on a cash reservation or are you renting from a DVC owner? If you are on cash, you pay for parking.

Whale watching - of course no guarantee you'll see them, but we used to from base (used to live on the Marine Base Kaneohe Bay) and once did a cute whale watching boat trip from near Waikiki when my son was a year old. That's something the whole family may enjoy (it's hard when you have a 5 year old and a high school senior).

I've only done the Paradise Cove luau. It is long, and runs late, so not sure if the 5 year old will be up for it. May be fun for the 18 year old, though, with lots of activities right when they open before the actual show. I honestly was falling asleep towards then end! Both times.

We never even turn on the tv in Hawaii.

I have read that if your room isn't ready when you arrive, they will no longer hold your groceries in cold storage at Aulani. Something to consider, depending on what time you land.

 

[Lain]

Hi everyone! I'm so glad I found this board. The information has been super helpful. Last week I booked our family's trip to Aulani for the week after Christmas. Thanks to tips here I feel like I have good expectations but I still have some questions.

My family visited Aulani during Christmas week last year, and will again this year, so I'll try to share some of our experiences.

Here's what I have so far, thanks to tips from you folks:

• Probably will not pay for a Character Breakfast because there are plenty of other character activities available. Unless they say Stitch will be there. I love Stitch and so does my son.

The character breakfast at Makahiki features a line to meet and take pictures with Mickey, and Minnie and Pluto visit the tables in the restaurant.

However, on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., you can catch "Makahiki Mischief" during the dinner buffet, which does feature Stitch (and his hijinks), along with Goofy and Uncle, and Donald at the door greeting guests. The price of the dinner during this show is about $2 more per person than usual, but you get the extra experience.

The breakfast and dinner shows are very similar in that the characters gather all the kids, engage them in activities, and lead them in a procession around the restaurant, which was really fun for our DD3. The characters also go around to each table to take pictures and were pretty accommodating with their time.

More about Menehune Mischief from Aulani's website:

Join Aulani's beloved "Uncle" and some favorite Disney Characters on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for a musical song and story revue.

Our fresh, locally sourced buffet is loaded with delicious favorites the whole family will love. And everyone will want to join in the fun as Uncle and Disney pals celebrate the Menehune—magical little people of Hawaiian legend. Be part of the magic as these delightful tales are brought to life through enchanting music, sing-alongs and interactive adventures.

The Menehune Mischief dinner and show last from 5:15 PM to 6:00 PM, with seating starting at 4:30 PM and photo opportunities beginning at 4:45 PM.

The regular Makahiki buffet dinner is available in this location beginning at 6:30 PM, 7 nights a week.

Please note: this dining event will not be offered on New Year's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If you just want pictures with the characters, including Stitch, they all do meet and greets near the koi pond and around Waikohole Valley during the day. You can find out when and where by calling the Character Line from your room's phone for a recorded message with the schedule.

Now for my questions:

• Is the on-site luau worth it, or should we try one of the others on the island? If so, which one?
• Are the lines for towels, etc. really as awful as some of the reviews I've read elsewhere? What do you think they will be like during the time immediately after Christmas?
• What about Auntie's Beach house? I read some online stories about having to get up at 7:30am to get in line for a spot, but then other people tell me they never had to wait. What's the deal with that?
• How are the teen activities? Our teen is more of a "nerd" (his term!), not athletic and not the beach-sitting type. He is quite social though, loves board games and sometimes enjoys crafts.
• How are the in-room TV movie offerings? I haven't seen that discussed anywhere. I would think Disney would provide their movies for free, but maybe I'm expecting too much? We could bring one less screen if I know there are plenty of free movies for my son to watch

We didn't catch Aulani's luau while we were there, but a popular alternative is the luau at Paradise Cove, which is less than a 10 minute walk up the street from Aulani.

I'd agree that the towel lines are worst when the pools open. I'm an early riser, but the rest of my family is not; and when we all got around to getting our wristbands and towels an hour or later after opening, we usually didn't have to wait any more than 5 minutes in line.

As you already planned to do, preregister your DS for Aunty's Beach House 90 days before your arrival. You can pick up to 3 free activities during your stay and get those locked in. If you want to sign up for more or didn't get the activities or dates/times you wanted, you'll have to sign up in person at Aunty's Beach House each morning. They open about 1/3 of an activity's capacity to preregistration, and hold back about 2/3 for walk ups. You can check each day's schedule of activities in the Daily 'Iwa (the resort newsletter), which is available online or every night after 10 p.m. for the next day. Aunty's Beach House opens a 8 a.m., but the CMs set up a table for sign ups around 7:40-7:45 a.m. You'll want to get in line before 7 a.m., because as another poster mentioned by 7:30 a.m., the line wrapped around the building. I got in line a little after 6:30 a.m. on a few mornings, and there were already about a half dozen people ahead of me. I did get every activity I wanted to sign up for my DD.

You can sign up for the older kids and family activities at the Pau Hana Room, and I'd suggest you do this after signing up for Aunty's Beach House. Sign ups for the day's activities also start at 8 a.m., but the line here is not anywhere as long as at Aunty's and there seemed to be plenty of room (as well as openings for drop ins just before the activities start). I usually got in line here after signing up at Aunty's and was still one of the first dozen or so people to sign up each time. As a family, we did the animation academy where we drew Mickey Mouse and painted a "cel;" canoe racing, where we built and colored a wooden model canoe with Uncle, met Moana, and took our canoes out to the lagoon to race; and toddler beach time, where we dug for buried "treasure" and made sand castles. There's also Aloha fun with Disney friends, which had kids doing fun things on surfboard yoga mats with CMs and Chip and Dale. I'm not sure how many of these activities would appeal to a high schooler, but you can read the activity descriptions on the Daily 'Iwa and ask the CMs for advice.

To your last two points, the Pau Hana Room has a great selection of board games and DVDs/Blu-rays. I'd see families in the Pau Hana Room in the afternoons and evenings playing board games together, which seemed really nice. The in-room tv channels aren't great. There's a DVC channel and a few local and network channels. The Pau Hana Room's video collection has almost all the Disney and Pixar animated films, some family live action movies, and a lot of tv series (including old school stuff like from Disney afternoons!). You can check out two titles at a time for free by showing your room card, and two more when you return the discs.

Good luck with your plans and trip!

 

[hopey360]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Cabanas can be reserved the moment you have a reservation number.

I called as soon as I saw your note, but of course they are gone already. I may try to call occasionally between now and then, to see if I get lucky with a cancellation.

Did you book on a cash reservation or are you renting from a DVC owner? If you are on cash, you pay for parking.

Cash reservation. Reading between the lines on some other posts, I had gotten the idea that as long as you rented from Alamo, parking would be free, since the in-house rental counter is also Alamo. If we have to pay, so be it -- we want the flexibility of being able to go to the Dole plantation etc.

However, on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., you can catch "Makahiki Mischief" during the dinner buffet, which does feature Stitch (and his hijinks), along with Goofy and Uncle, and Donald at the door greeting guests

This! Exactly what I'm looking for, thank you! We'll totally do this instead of breakfast.

when we all got around to getting our wristbands and towels an hour or later after opening, we usually didn't have to wait any more than 5 minutes in line.

Excellent. We are not early risers either, and coming from Seattle our body clocks won't be quite so far off as for people coming from the other side of the country.

As you already planned to do, preregister your DS for Aunty's Beach House 90 days before your arrival. You can pick up to 3 free activities during your stay and get those locked in.

Thank you for this. I hadn't really understood how it worked. So just to confirm I understand correctly: when I preregister at 90 days, I can sign up DS for 3 specific activities/times. If I want to do more than those three, then I need to go stand in line on that day. Correct?

The Pau Hana Room's video collection has almost all the Disney and Pixar animated films, some family live action movies, and a lot of tv series (including old school stuff like from Disney afternoons!).

Great to know! It would be fun to watch some of the old school stuff.

We may stick with the Aulani luau simply because I expect they would be more flexible if my 5 yr old decides he wants to take off for a bit and then come back to the show.

Thanks again for all the input! We are all really looking forward to the trip. More comments are welcome if anyone else wants to chime in.

 

[Lain]

Thanks for all the feedback!
Thank you for this. I hadn't really understood how it worked. So just to confirm I understand correctly: when I preregister at 90 days, I can sign up DS for 3 specific activities/times. If I want to do more than those three, then I need to go stand in line on that day. Correct?

That's the way it was explained to me by a CM. We submitted a form for our DD3 and there were fields for 3 choices of free activities, but we were too late and there wasn't any room left in the activities during preregistration. If we had done this earlier, we would've gotten a reply back with the activities, dates and times we were signed up for. I recall reading on these boards that some guests only got 2 activities assigned, and that may depend on the length of your stay.

(ETA: The signup form only gives you a line for the name of the activity you want. Activities are scattered throughout the week. Different days will have different lineups of activities. Again, check the Daily 'Iwa. If your pick is available, Aunty's will randomly place you in one of the activities happening during your stay. I don't believe you have much control over date and time when signing up during preregistration.)

Desperate to get my kiddo into some activities, I talked to a CM and he explained that they open about 1/3 of an activity to preregistration, and keep about 2/3 space in most activities for walkup -- which is why you'll see so many parents lining up in front of Aunty's every morning. There's no limit to how many activities you can sign your kiddo up for in person.

There are two other "premium" activities that cost money and require reservations ahead of time, and once those fill up the only way you'll get your kiddo in is by checking for cancelations.

 

[hilarys]

"We may stick with the Aulani luau simply because I expect they would be more flexible if my 5 yr old decides he wants to take off for a bit and then come back to the show."

We were there last week and did the Aulani Luau. We go to Hawaii every 2 to 3 years and I generally don't like luaus so I was hesitant when my husband booked this one and he booked VIP on top of it. To top it off he booked it for our arrival day which stressed me out regarding potential travel delays.

My whole family loved it including my parents who are very anti-luau The food was good for a large group dining experience, the pre-show crafts were fun, and the show was Disney storytelling and entertainment at its best. I also liked it because it wasn't too big. It was a great way to start off our trip.

I can also confirm that Stitch was not at the breakfast buffet - he was out an about for meet and greets quite a bit.

I am the one who posted about groceries no longer being held in cold storage so unless you plan to pull into the resort at 4 pm or later, I would not get perishables on your way.

They have several fun teen activities a day. Some of them take place on the beach but are things your SS may like - sandcastle building, storytelling with crafts, obstacle course. I also saw a photo scavenger hunt one evening and one night the teens took over Aunty's for after hours fun. We forced my son to go to one of the activities and he liked it, but he was happy spending the rest of his time in the lazy river and eating shave ice.

 

[erikawolf2004]

"We may stick with the Aulani luau simply because I expect they would be more flexible if my 5 yr old decides he wants to take off for a bit and then come back to the show."

We were there last week and did the Aulani Luau. We go to Hawaii every 2 to 3 years and I generally don't like luaus so I was hesitant when my husband booked this one and he booked VIP on top of it. To top it off he booked it for our arrival day which stressed me out regarding potential travel delays.

My whole family loved it including my parents who are very anti-luau The food was good for a large group dining experience, the pre-show crafts were fun, and the show was Disney storytelling and entertainment at its best. I also liked it because it wasn't too big. It was a great way to start off our trip.

I can also confirm that Stitch was not at the breakfast buffet - he was out an about for meet and greets quite a bit.

I am the one who posted about groceries no longer being held in cold storage so unless you plan to pull into the resort at 4 pm or later, I would not get perishables on your way.

They have several fun teen activities a day. Some of them take place on the beach but are things your SS may like - sandcastle building, storytelling with crafts, obstacle course. I also saw a photo scavenger hunt one evening and one night the teens took over Aunty's for after hours fun. We forced my son to go to one of the activities and he liked it, but he was happy spending the rest of his time in the lazy river and eating shave ice.

Do you remember the fee for the teen activities if there was one?

 

[hilarys]

Do you remember the fee for the teen activities if there was one?

I don't think there was one for the one that he did - a beach activity. The Aulani website has copies of the Daily Iwa and you can check there.