WDW, DLC and Hawaii

[writersblock]

Trying to figure out the best variation of a trip. We definitely want Hawaii (either land or inter-island cruise) along with a couple of nights at Aulani. Not all travellers are coming from the same location (and I’m from the U.K.) so we are trying to figure out the ideal trip. Has anyone combined WDW (not DLC) with Hawaii? How do you find it?

At the moment we can either all fly into CA and do DLC then fly to Hawaii (and back at the end). But there’s also the potential to fly into Orlando first, do WDW for a week, then fly to CA and do DLC for three days then do Hawaii. Is it reasonable or would this be daft?

Also, which would be the best airport for DLC? Does it change things if I’m international from London?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jdb in AZ]

The John Wayne airport in Orange County (code name SNA) is closest to Disneyland, small and convenient, but most international flights to southern California use LAX.

The only cruise line that does inter-island Hawaii without beginning or ending on the mainland is NCL-Hawaii and they're more of a floating hotel with poor food and worse service than you'd find at a nice resort. We've cruised Hawaii with NCL-Hawaii, and from the mainland on a Disney Cruise, and there's no comparison. If you opt for a land trip, Kauai and Maui are my favorite islands, but you'd need to include Oahu if you want to visit Aulani.

Flying from WDW to Hawaii is 14-18 hours, depending on layovers. I would "have" to get off the plane in Los Angeles and visit Disneyland just to break up the boredom of the flights, especially when you've already flown all the way from London.

 

[Kerrijo]

We've done Hawaii (Maui, then Oahu/Aulani) followed by WDW and would definitely do that again. I could also see us starting with DCL, then HI and finishing WDW. Travel for us typically originates from midwest.

 

[MartyParty]

Trying to figure out the best variation of a trip. We definitely want Hawaii (either land or inter-island cruise) along with a couple of nights at Aulani. Not all travellers are coming from the same location (and I’m from the U.K.) so we are trying to figure out the ideal trip. Has anyone combined WDW (not DLC) with Hawaii? How do you find it?

At the moment we can either all fly into CA and do DLC then fly to Hawaii (and back at the end). But there’s also the potential to fly into Orlando first, do WDW for a week, then fly to CA and do DLC for three days then do Hawaii. Is it reasonable or would this be daft?

Also, which would be the best airport for DLC? Does it change things if I’m international from London?

Thanks in advance!

Wowzer. We've been to all three WDW, DL, and Aulani locations but not all in one trip.

Flights

• I did a quick look, and there are direct flights from London to Los Angeles.
• Also, direct flights from Honolulu to Orlando.
• Prices surpassingly reasonable (less than $1k). Might be because the flight times being longer

I'd have to think through adjusting to different time zones along the way, but if it were me, I think I might get to the middle and start at DL/DCA. Direct flight to LA, direct flight to Honolulu, and direct flight to Orlando. Try and limit airport layovers and connecting flights. Should be plenty of flight choices from Orlando back to the UK. Not sure where your other party is flying from, so that might not work for them.

This also breaks up the constant park to park monotony. Park DL/DCA - Nature Hawaii - Park WDW

Park Time vs HawaiianTime
7 WDW + 3 DL/DCA = 10 days park time
#? days Hawaii

If you've not been to Hawaii, you could easily spend many days there. We've stayed on land and not on a cruise. For us personally I think we'd enjoy being on land and experiencing the local culture, food, and ease of just relaxing.

We love the parks but if I had to skew between parks and time in Hawaii, I'd choose more time in Hawaii.

Good luck with this. Not sure I've shared any enlightenment but maybe it helps. Let us know what you decide. Curious to see how your big adventure comes together.

 

[jimmymc]

It's certainly possible to visit WDW and Hawaii on the same trip if you have the time. Coming from the UK, going to Florida first would help with the time change. Getting from one to the other will take up an entire day, and I don't think there are any direct flights.

 

[Psymonds]

It's certainly possible to visit WDW and Hawaii on the same trip if you have the time. Coming from the UK, going to Florida first would help with the time change. Getting from one to the other will take up an entire day, and I don't think there are any direct flights.

yeah, there are no direct Orlando to Hawaii flights. Just not the market for it. Such a flight would be 10-11 hours, similar to SF Oor LAX to LHR.

 

[writersblock]

We've done Hawaii (Maui, then Oahu/Aulani) followed by WDW and would definitely do that again. I could also see us starting with DCL, then HI and finishing WDW. Travel for us typically originates from midwest.

This is all really useful information, thank you!

 

[writersblock]

Wowzer. We've been to all three WDW, DL, and Aulani locations but not all in one trip.

Flights

• I did a quick look, and there are direct flights from London to Los Angeles.
• Also, direct flights from Honolulu to Orlando.
• Prices surpassingly reasonable (less than $1k). Might be because the flight times being longer

I'd have to think through adjusting to different time zones along the way, but if it were me, I think I might get to the middle and start at DL/DCA. Direct flight to LA, direct flight to Honolulu, and direct flight to Orlando. Try and limit airport layovers and connecting flights. Should be plenty of flight choices from Orlando back to the UK. Not sure where your other party is flying from, so that might not work for them.

This also breaks up the constant park to park monotony. Park DL/DCA - Nature Hawaii - Park WDW

Park Time vs HawaiianTime
7 WDW + 3 DL/DCA = 10 days park time
#? days Hawaii

If you've not been to Hawaii, you could easily spend many days there. We've stayed on land and not on a cruise. For us personally I think we'd enjoy being on land and experiencing the local culture, food, and ease of just relaxing.

We love the parks but if I had to skew between parks and time in Hawaii, I'd choose more time in Hawaii.

Good luck with this. Not sure I've shared any enlightenment but maybe it helps. Let us know what you decide. Curious to see how your big adventure comes together.

This has been really useful actually! Sometimes when I’m bogged down in the details of so many options it’s hard to step back and think ‘what do we really want underneath it all?’. I’m trying to listen to that part more and think it’s becoming clearer we are better off doing separate trips (e.g. Hawaii/DCL work together, but doing WDW/something else (possibly Alaska! Orlando to Vancouver is really reasonable flight-time wise!).

 

[kboo]

Flights

• I did a quick look, and there are direct flights from London to Los Angeles.
• Also, direct flights from Honolulu to Orlando.
• Prices surpassingly reasonable (less than $1k). Might be because the flight times being longer

I'd have to think through adjusting to different time zones along the way, but if it were me, I think I might get to the middle and start at DL/DCA. Direct flight to LA, direct flight to Honolulu, and direct flight to Orlando. Try and limit airport layovers and connecting flights. Should be plenty of flight choices from Orlando back to the UK. Not sure where your other party is flying from, so that might not work for them.

This also breaks up the constant park to park monotony. Park DL/DCA - Nature Hawaii - Park WDW

Park Time vs HawaiianTime
7 WDW + 3 DL/DCA = 10 days park time
#? days Hawaii

If you've not been to Hawaii, you could easily spend many days there. We've stayed on land and not on a cruise. For us personally I think we'd enjoy being on land and experiencing the local culture, food, and ease of just relaxing.

We love the parks but if I had to skew between parks and time in Hawaii, I'd choose more time in Hawaii.

What @MartyParty said, for sure. Depending on where your other travelers are coming from, it may be much more of a travel headache to coordinate.

We love Hawaii, and not just Aulani. Even Aulani/Honolulu/Oahu is a very different vibe from Maui, Kauai and the Big Island (Hawaii). If you are only visiting one place/island in Hawaii, I'd spend at least 5 days there. If 2 or more places, at least 7 days total in Hawaii. As others have said, it takes at least a day in real time to get there, and you may also lose 12-13 hours due to the time difference. Even when flying from the east coast US, we have done a quick overnight in a hotel at LAX to start adjusting. Last couple of times we've stopped at DL California for a few days "on the way".

For us, when we go to WDW we are "in the bubble," like we don't even go to Disney Springs! A little less so when we are at DL California, but that's because of the way the parks and restaurants and resorts are set up. In Hawaii, we venture out of the resort much more, and you'll want a mix of beach time and "regular" sightseeing and off-resort activities. I find I get on "island time" pretty easily and that is about the opposite of our rope-dropping WDW personality. (The problem, imo, from going direct from Honolulu to Orlando is that you want to go from the energy of WDW to the relaxation of Hawaii, not the other way around!)

If you only have 2ish weeks, and you have never been, I'd suggest, at a minimum, with Hawaii being at the end. Or, if the Orlando-HNL flight works with your schedule, leaving DL/DCA for another trip, and doing a quick cheap overnight at LAX* before heading home.

Park Time vs HawaiianTime
5 WDW + 3 DL/DCA = 8 days park time
5 days Hawaii
+ 1 day travel from UK to US
+1 day travel mainland US to Hawaii


*we fly from NYC, and typically going to Hawaii in 1-2 legs means taking an early AM flight westward and landing in the afternoon/evening in Hawaii, but feeling like it's time for bed. If we overnight at LAX, we can leave in the evening Eastern time, take an airport shuttle and sleep in a bed, have breakfast and take the first flight out to Hawaii in the AM, we arrive by lunchtime and way more refreshed than if we'd done the whole trip at once.

 

[MartyParty]

It's certainly possible to visit WDW and Hawaii on the same trip if you have the time. Coming from the UK, going to Florida first would help with the time change. Getting from one to the other will take up an entire day, and I don't think there are any direct flights.

Thanks for the correction. I did a recheck and you are correct. No direct flights from Honolulu to Orlando.

 

[MartyParty]

This has been really useful actually! Sometimes when I’m bogged down in the details of so many options it’s hard to step back and think ‘what do we really want underneath it all?’. I’m trying to listen to that part more and think it’s becoming clearer we are better off doing separate trips (e.g. Hawaii/DCL work together, but doing WDW/something else (possibly Alaska! Orlando to Vancouver is really reasonable flight-time wise!).

I think splitting into two different trips makes more sense.

 

[Psymonds]

Thanks for the correction. I did a recheck and you are correct. No direct flights from Honolulu to Orlando.

I believe there was once a flight, maybe 1-2 years of service 3 or 4 years ago, but not consistently

 

[MartyParty]

I believe there was once a flight, maybe 1-2 years of service 3 or 4 years ago, but not consistently

Yup, that's it.

 

[writersblock]

I think splitting into two different trips makes more sense.

Thanks! Definitely leaning towards this now. The temptation to maximise when I’m coming a long way is real, but ultimately it’s going to add a lot of pressure, stress, and money!