Tell my parents about a Trip to Aulini for their Anniversary!

[Babbletrish]

Tonight Mom told me that she and dad are thinking of booking a trip to Aulani in April to celebrate their anniversary. Aww, how romantic!

They have trusted me to gather information about the resort for them. I already know about the thread about the best/least-best rooms to book, but is there a big FAQ list like I've seen for other DVC resorts?

Glancing at mom's notes, she wants to fly from Boston to LA, stay in So-Cal probably overnight, then fly to Hawaii for probably five days, then back to Cali overnight and finally back home. Personally, I think this is pretty genius; they'd be getting over most of their jet lag in California so then they'll be plenty rested for Hawaii. Has anyone done this before? How well did it work out in practice?

What are the best/most unique things to see in Hawaii? If it were me, I'd want to do a nature hike and see some of Hawaii's endangered endemic species, see the volcanoes, go to Pearl Harbor and pay my respects, see a luau, see some beach culture, visit Kauai and see if we can find where they filmed "Lost" and "Jurassic Park", and -of course- spend some quality time at the pool with a tropical drink. Would it be a safer bet to book such excursions through Disney or something else?

The basic and most general question is, what are some fun romantic things mom and dad should do during this trip?

 

[abdgeek]

Check out the Aulani website for their excursion lists and specifics. Your parents can do some of what you say on their own by renting a car and GPS at Aulani. Based on everything you've said, 5 days may not be enough. I spent 8 nights at Aulani and it wasn't enough. My first 4 days were spent seeing Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head( hiking to the top), seeing several museums and going to the Polynesian Cultural Center(PCC). PCC was the only one I did through Aulani. Most of the Aulani excursions require you to get to Waikiki( about 30-45minutes away) to pick up the tours.

You will also need to book round trip transportation from the airport to Aulani for your parents. The resort recommends Cloud Nine Limo and they charge about $119 each way.

 

[Babbletrish]

Now that you've mentioned that, I would guess they'd rent a car upon arrival in the airport, since dad likes having that kind of freedom on vacation.

Addendum: Seriously, though, does Aulani have it's own general FAQ/information thread? Those are one of my favorite, most useful features here at DIS since the ones I read for Wilderness Lodge and BLT were so helpful. I'd be genuinely surprised if there isn't one for Aulani but I've been searching and nothing has turned up.