What you wished you knew when you went to Aulani

[lifesgr8]

I am planning our January 2015 trip to Aulani. I'm in the process of reading from the search engine but also wanted to post...

What would you have liked to know about Aulani before you went? Any must sees/dos?

I do want to see Pearl Harbor. Kids want to surf. Would you book the excursions I've read on here about or just go find things?

We have only 7 days. 7 of us (including 5 kids ages 19-7)

Any tips about Oahu. Any input is appreciated & thank you!!!

 

[nkereina]

We've not been yet, but I've been planning our honeymoon to Hawaii for next year which will include a week at Aulani.

The biggest tip I've seen from my research is to rent a car. Aulani is pretty secluded and if you intend do things like Pearl Harbor, you'll almost NEED a car. I've yet to find any tours to Pearl Harbor from Aulani that include transportation. You'll also be able to check out Waikiki while in this area where all the tourist stuff is like shops, restaurants, etc. I wrote down Duke's as a restaurant to visit in this area, but obviously haven't tried it yet!

In addition, you'll probably want to visit the North Shore and possibly the Dole Plantation which is near the North Shore. This area is in a different direction than Waikiki/Pearl Harbor I believe, which is another reason to have a car.

 

[tim781996]

Yup, definitely rent a car if you'll be there that long. The resort is nice, but there's only so much to do there. I think seven days is plenty of time to explore that one island.

We stayed for four nights and didn't leave the resort area, and we didn't need a car. We rented cars when we headed over to Maui & the big island. So, I can't tell you anything about Oahu, other than the fact that the Aulani resort area is nice.

We walked over to the Marriott for the Fia Fia fire show and Luau. That was well worth it, but I'm reading now that they may not be doing it anymore... or they may have chosen another act. Regardless, go to a luau... lots of fun. Also, you might be able to get free tickets if you have a couple of hours to waste looking at Marriott property.

We wasted a couple of hours with the DVC folks, so my wife wasn't about to do it again with Marriott. We received $100 gift cards for the DVC tour, which paid for dinner at 'Ama‘ama. And the DVC tour wasn't a complete waste: we got to see the beautiful DVC 12-person suite on the 10th floor, looking out toward the ocean. But we didn't buy in (the numbers don't work for me... separate subject).

Also, didn't realize it until after we got home, but you can hear whale sounds underwater in the Ka Maka grotto pool. Now I have to go back and listen.

I heard Aulani is getting Dole whip. We tried some from the ABC store across the street and it wasn't nearly as good as what you get from Disney. The ABC store is a good place to stock up on food and other random needs if you don't want to pay Disney prices. There are some other places to get food around there as well: an ice cream place, a Mexican restaurant, a pizza shop, and a couple of other restaurants.

There is a great coffee shop across the street as well. This comes in handy if you have a caffeine addiction and you're looking for a decent iced coffee.

The breakfast offerings at Ulu Cafe get old halfway through the first meal. It's your typical, quick-service, Disney offering. The menu is the same every day... might be a good time to explore with your rental car, or eat in your room. Ulu café's lunch/dinner offerings did change from day to day though. Still not high quality, but better than McDonalds. Make sure you have a few shave ices and breakfast at Makahiki at least once. We didn't get a chance to try them for dinner, but the character breakfast was fun.

Walk the shoreline to the north of the resort, around the bend and watch the sunset. It's a little more secluded, and you'll probably walk past a bunch of couples having wedding/engagement photos taken.

Have fun!

 

[tinklvsu]

I have not stayed at Aulani, but I have traveled to Hawaii at stayed at the Outrigger on Waikiki beach. My trip was cut 4 days short, due to a ruptured eardrum (from plane ride)....so I didn't get to do several things I wished I would have!

What I did experience:
Ohau is beautiful. The water, clearest I've ever seen! Sea turtles swam right below us, whales swimming freely in front of us. Amazing. We did have a rental car, nearly impossible to not! From the previous poster Aulani is a bit out of the way. We did do Pearl Harbor, and loved it. You just have too! For us, it was a full day experience. We saw the pineapple fields, we went to some waterfalls and got to hike to see them. Saw lots of vegetation and wild life along the way. Once there, we got to see cliff divers perform. I also attended the Sea Life park that is there, I believe it is the same one that the movie "50 First Dates" was shot at. I enjoyed this, saw and played with Dauphins, many other types of marine life. Had a great show. Also visited North Shore. It was nice also.

Things I missed out on that I wish I had got to do:
*Luau (BUMMER, RIGHT!?)
*Climb Diamond Head crater
*Helicopter Tour

Have a wonderful trip!!!!

 

[M2inOR]

You will love the area surrounding the Aulani.

We rented a condo next door, and took the time to visit each of the nearby properties - Aulani, JW Marriott, Marriott, and the various lagoons. If you want to relax and do nothing for a few days, the Aulani and the surrounding areas are sufficient for swimming, lounging around, and/or walking.

Yes, rent a car, if you want to explore. Easiest way to get around. We visited Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, and Waikiki. My last time in Waikiki was 30 years ago, and we were shocked with all the development and shopping malls. We won't need to go back there again! Our kids hiked into and up the hills to the east of Waikiki.

Make reservations to see the Bishop Museum.

Visit the Shrimp trucks on the North Shore, and add your name to the one that seems to have thousands of names already adorning it.

For happy hour drinks and treats, check out Roy's in the Golf Course across the street from the Aulani.

There is also a market across the street with an ABC store, and a few restaurants.

As for the Aulani itself, we explored - it is a typical Disney property. Well appointed; lots of activities for kids; several restaurants and bars, inside and out. All with Disney prices.

We did not find anything interesting enough for us to restrict ourselves to the Aulani.

 

[Susan2771]

We were there last year. Definitely yes to the car rental if you want to explore the island. What I wish I would have done was to bring snacks with us for the kids. Food was so expensive. Snacks would have been helpful. Our kids loved Aunties Beach house so gosh darn much it kind of put a downer on the trip for myself and my hubby because we wanted to tour more of the island but the girls didn't want to leave the kids club. It is a fantastic facility though. Be sure to get there at 7:30 A.M. with the crowd of parents to sign your kids up for the special programs of the day. They loved Stitches space goo.

We loved visiting Turtle Beach on the North Shore. Was not prepared for the huge line of traffic though once you pass the North Shore to make your way over to Turtle Beach though. We had to park on the side of the road and then walk. Not to be missed though. There were hundreds of turtles on the beach and right in the surf. We also really loved visit Kualoa Ranch. The scenery on the drive was just stunning. Best though to book the excursions online before going. When we arrived a lot of the various tours were already fully booked for the day so that was a bit disappointing. They do have a variety of tours to enjoy.

Your family will have an incredible time. Our girls still talk about Aulani on a weekly basis and it's been almost a year now since our stay.

 

[MissReeRee]

I am planning our January 2015 trip to Aulani. I'm in the process of reading from the search engine but also wanted to post...

What would you have liked to know about Aulani before you went? Any must sees/dos?

I do want to see Pearl Harbor. Kids want to surf. Would you book the excursions I've read on here about or just go find things?

We have only 7 days. 7 of us (including 5 kids ages 19-7)

Any tips about Oahu. Any input is appreciated & thank you!!!

Copying and pasting from another thread I posted in... Whenever we travel I always like to book/do my own stuff. I hate being stuck in a group or on a bus.

For being an island there is SO much to do and see! Living here my bucket list keeps getting longer instead of shorter!

Kaena Point is a great easy walking hike (hot though) and you can almost guarantee to see Monk Seals.
If you are going in winter try to do a whale watching tour most leave from the west side of the island
BRAND NEW zip line on the North Shore http://www.climbworks.com/keana_farms
Kahuku Farm Tours http://kahukufarms.com/ (great cafe!)
Arizona Memorial (you can just show up later in the day and get in the stand by line, no tickets needed, I have done this every time)
Punchbowl Memorial
Makapu'u Lighthouse Hike (fairly steep but uphill and even stroller friendly, beautiful views can even see whales in winter)
Hanauma Bay, don't even need to snorkel, just stop and take some beautiful photos from the top.
Halona Blowhole
Lanikai Beach (the stereotypical what you think of Hawaii Beach, Beautiful)
Kualoa Ranch (horse back riding, ATV's, movie tours)
Mac Nut Farm (great samples, amazing tour)
North Shore: Stand up paddleboard down the river (lots of turtles there), hit a shrimp truck (I prefer Macky's over Giovanni's) shave ice (it doesn't HAVE to be Matsumotos) Turtle Beach (Laniakea) is crazy right now, they blocked off all parking and it's a huge headache.
Waimea Falls are another easy paved walk/hike through a beautiful garden and you can swim in a waterfall at the end (lifejackets provided, conditions permitting) They also have a great farmers market on Thursday afternoons. North shore waves are BIG in winter. Most beaches will NOT be swimmable. Highly recommend Ted's Bakery, great food and pie (Chocolate Mac Haupia is my fav) great to go and eat at the beach watching the big surf.
Dole Plantation is a quick stop, don't need to do the train, maze or anything. Check out the beautiful rainbow bark trees in the parking lot. Feed some koi, take pictures of all the cute pineapple growing, stick your head through a pineapple cutout and grab yourself a Dole Whip. Done.
There is a great little coffee stop just south of Dole, Green World Coffee Farm, stop in.
In Wahaiwa town there is a yummy chicken place, Maui Mike's.
If you can buy souvenirs from the Aloha Stadium Swap meet. Most of the stuff isn't made here so why pay WAY more for it. Great place to get beautiful sarongs, muumuus and Aloha Wear for those Luaus! Exceptions! If you want a REAL Hawaiian Quilt it is going to cost a LOT (knock offs made overseas will be dirt cheap) there are also some local woodworkers there that are handmaking tikis, really cool.

Bishop Museum (right near the airport if you need to kill time before catching a flight) a ton of cultural exhibits for adults and a great science building for kids.
Iolani Palace the only palace in America. Downtown Honolulu, parking can be a pain, must wear shoe covers, not super little kid friendly.
Queen Emma's Summer Palace, off the Pali Highway.
Honolulu Museum of Art, love this museum! Amazing food at the cafe inside.
Shangri La, Doris Duke's home turned into a museum. Amazing Islamic art and architecture. VERY limited tours so book in advance. Not kid friendly.
Hawaii Plantation Village, haven't done this yet...
Kaneohe Bay Sandbar, we have rented our own boat and done this but I have seen tour boats.
Best snorkel spots: Three Tables and Shark's Cove at North Shore. Tide pools at shark's cove as well for kiddos. Hanauama Bay is good but gets crowded. Electric Beach on the west side close to Aulani. You can sometimes see dolphins swimming here in the morning. DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR OR ON YOUR TOWEL UNATTENDED. Petty theft is out of control here.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[Girimama33]

There is a really good thread on the DVC Resorts side that has a ton of info...
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3180904
I also recommend getting some groceries...especially if you have a kitchen. There are not a lot of dining options in the evening, unless you want to spend a lot of money. Here is another great thread about places to eat around Aulani and Oahu: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2858912

Have a great time! You will not be disappointed.