Transportation Questions

Firepath

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
We are DVC members, first visit to Hawaii this upcoming October. We are flying in around noon, spending one (yes, only one) night at Aulani, then a 7 night (non-Disney) cruise. So we (just 2 adults) will need to get from the airport to Aulani, then to the port for our cruise that leaves next day at 7pm. If we rent a car from the airport, I believe we would have to return it there as well, then still have to get to the port. I don't know where everything is located. We'd like to visit Pearl Harbor and do the Aulani Luau, which is the night we arrive. We will have 1/2 day Friday and most of the day Saturday. Can Pearl Harbor and the Luau both be done on one day? If so, we'd probably just hang out at the resort until time for our cruise. Or we could just do Luau Friday, then do Pearl Harbor on Saturday, if we can figure a way to get around. What do you suggest for transportation and activities for this very short time?
 
I know people have talked about car services - Charley's and Hele Hele. You probably should do the Luau Friday and PH on Sat. Aulani has an excursion you could check in to. If you did rent a car, you could uber from airport to ship port and have more flexibility
 
I believe we would have to return it there as well
At most car rental companies you can return a rental car to a different location. Sometimes there is a fee. If you picked it up at the airport, there are likely car rental locations near the cruise terminal that you could return it to. I can't speak to Hawaii but I know for cruise ports I've been to on the east coast, these car rental offices sometimes have a shuttle to take you to the cruise terminal if its not walkable. Hopefully someone can advise what car rental locations are near the cruise terminal, but that's what I'd be looking for.

Can Pearl Harbor and the Luau both be done on one day?
Since you are landing around 12pm, I don't think there would be enough time to do Pearl Harbor and the luau in one day. If you tried this, you would have to log onto the Pearl Harbor web site exactly 60 days in advance and attempt to obtain a tour time for somewhere around 2-3pm. This would allow time for you to pick up luggage and the rental car, commute to Pearl Harbor, and find parking which can be a challenge arriving later in the day from what I understand. I think Pearl Harbor closes around 5pm as well, so it doesn't leave you much time for exploring the free portions of the site. You'd then have to commute to Aulani during rush hour traffic (if a weekday), which would be at least a 30-40+ minute drive.

Or we could just do Luau Friday, then do Pearl Harbor on Saturday
This would make more sense time-wise. If you don't have a tour time pre-booked, you should arrive to Pearl Harbor early to wait in the standby line for a morning tour time. If you arrive late, you could end up with an afternoon tour time which probably wouldn't work.

Do you have any time on Oahu at the end of your cruise? I'm not sure whether your cruise line offers departure day excursions, but perhaps they have a Pearl Harbor one. In my own experience, organized tours will secure tour tickets for you in advance.
 
Ditto what @nkereina said. You’re not going to have any time at all to enjoy Aulani if you do PH first. NCL offers a post-cruise PH tour, so they’d keep your luggage safe on the bus and then drop you at the airport. Not sure what time your flight has to be to make that work.

Enterprise has the closest car location to the port. It’s an easy walk or they’ll drop you off. Their phone agents were kind of ill-informed (like couldn’t tell me where that location was WRT the port) but the agents in the offices themselves were fantastic.

Assuming it’s NCL you’re doing, several of us have done it and can answer lots of logistical questions.
 


IIRC, Pearl Harbor isn't too far from the airport. We got there about 7:45 am. We left Aulani about 6:15 am with the intent of arriving about 7-ish but that's rush hour so it took way longer to get there. We still managed to get tickets for the Arizona for 8 pm and then spent the rest of the day touring everything else. We were basically pushed out the door at 5 pm. We saw more or less everything and were totally exhausted.

You might look into heading to Pearl Harbor in reasonably early morning on Saturday, spend a few hours there and then return the car to the airport if you can find a shuttle or service that goes from the airport to the port. I'm sure they exist as I expect a lot of people just arrive the day of the cruise and need transportation. That way you'd be able to make the Luau, see a good bit of Pearl Harbor and then wouldn't have to pay a one-way fee to drop off the car.
 
Pearl Harbor and the luau can't both be done on your arrival day.

Enterprise is the only rental agency that has locations at the airport and near the pier, but the location near the pier closes at noon on Saturdays so that's not going to work for you.

I would head out early from Aulani Saturday morning, visit Pearl Harbor, drop off the car at the airport, take the car rental shuttle bus up to the departures area and take an uber or lyft to the pier. I think the rideshare pickup area is near lobby 5? It's a short drive down Nimitz highway and should cost you no more than $20-$30.
 
Ditto what @nkereina said. You’re not going to have any time at all to enjoy Aulani if you do PH first. NCL offers a post-cruise PH tour, so they’d keep your luggage safe on the bus and then drop you at the airport. Not sure what time your flight has to be to make that work.

Enterprise has the closest car location to the port. It’s an easy walk or they’ll drop you off. Their phone agents were kind of ill-informed (like couldn’t tell me where that location was WRT the port) but the agents in the offices themselves were fantastic.

Assuming it’s NCL you’re doing, several of us have done it and can answer lots of logistical questions.
So we decided to skip the rental. I booked Roberts shuttle from the airport to Aulani. We are walking to Paradise Cove Luau Friday night, will spend most of the day Saturday at Aulani, maybe Uber or Taxi to the port, then do the PH tour thru NCL on the way back since we have a late flight.Thanks for the info!
 
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Be aware of the time getting to the pier. You have to be onboard before the mandatory safety drill which is about 4:00.
 
So we decided to ship the rental. I booked Roberts shuttle from the airport to Aulani. We are walking to Paradise Cove Luau Friday night, will spend most of the day Saturday at Aulani, maybe Uber or Taxi to the port, then do the PH tour thru NCL on the way back since we have a late flight.Thanks for the info!
Super! You’re going to have an amazing trip!!
 

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