We are at Aulani!

[boiseflyfisher]

It rained on and off all day yesterday. There weren't a whole lot of things to do at the resort. I got up this morning and logged into the member website and discovered that some rooms had opened up. We called the airline and got a decent price to change our reservation, so we added two more days. We'll just call it a Valentine's Day present to justify two more days in paradise!

Today was a beautiful day. We spent most of it by the pool and attended the arts and craft activity. My daughter has really enjoyed the free arts and crafts offered every day, so if you have time, give them a try.

 

[kbeam]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

 

[boiseflyfisher]

There was a special party last night for a group from ESPN, so the Starlit Hui is tonight, Friday.

We moved over to the Ewa tower today. This is considered a standard room, but I think the view is much nicer. We face out towards the mountains and the golf course. Also, our balcony is one continuous large balcony rather than the two, triangular balconies. Because there are no angles that cut into the room, this room feels much larger.

Just some random, additional information:

We ordered the fish tacos, bacon cheeseburger and chicken dipper kids meal poolside today. We thought the food was good considering all of the bad reviews we have been reading. The fish was not fried, so we decided we could take a diet splurge. Also, they had no problem giving us fruit rather than chips or fries.

Yesterday we took off around 9am to hike Diamond Head. Bring water and wear tennis shoes. It took us about 30 minutes to hike up with a couple of stops to enjoy the view. It took us about 40 minutes to get there as we hit some traffic.

If you like to shop, there is an outlet mall about 15 minutes away from the resort. We also noticed a Leonard's Bakery food truck! We picked up a dozen fresh, hot malasadas. I'm not sure if it is always there, but it is the outlet mall exit, either exit 7 or 8.

We were talking to one of the poolside servers today and she said that they were going to be at full capacity again in another week. She wasn't sure why it was going to be so busy, but just wanted to give you a heads up if you are coming in another week.

We have tried the paddle board and the kayak. Both were fun and easy to use. The pools were much busier today. I think we are in for more tomorrow and Sunday, so we will get down there pretty early to get a good spot. We were able to get an umbrella today around 10am, so you don't have to be up at the crack of dawn.

Hopefully that information has helped someone. If there is anything else you want me to ask about, just post.

My kids have really enjoyed the free activities offered in the Pau Hana room every afternoon. Today's was an intro to ukelele class.

 

[wendyinoc]

Sounds like you are having a great time and won't have to move rooms! We will be staying in 2 bedroom and the goal is to eat out just a few times while there. I am curious about what dishes/meals people are cooking in their Aulani villas. Is there a stove top grill in the kitchen? Have you used the rice cooker? Any ideas would be appreciated!

I just got back yesterday and we cooked almost every meal in the villa. My MIL and FIL are very frugal and had a complete heart attack when they saw the food prices. My husband and I regret not sneaking out to AMA AMA . We did go to the Character Breakfast.
We made...
Teriyaki chicken and rice. I bought the rice at the ABC Store and it was really good. If you don't know how to use a rice cooker. I learned from the chef who wrote Sushi for Dummies book. You wash the rice in the cooker a few times. Then you put your index finger and stand it on top of the rice. Fill water to your first index on your finger. Perfect every time!
Steak and Potatoes- We fried them in the pan
Lasagna and Garlic Bread
Hot Dogs and Chips
We ate out two nights and two nights we just raided the fridge.
Our grocery bill for 8 nights which included breakfast was $290.