2024 August - 8 night Aulani Trip Report
Aug 27, 2024 13:02:21 GMT -5
jedimom3, zulaya, and 3 more like this
Post by neednewpark on Aug 27, 2024 13:02:21 GMT -5
Up front notes:
-We were not familiar with Hawaii and Aulani. Did lots of YouTubing. I hope this report helps other first timers get their stay filled with some great experiences.
-Security. We were told by many that there is a lot thefts especially in cars. We seen none of this and we were all over the island. But we would never recommend keeping your guard down or leaving things out in sight for the taking. I was happy to see no issues here.
-Studio Ocean view. Outstanding
-Dad(me) and Mom (in our 40s) + 2 teenage daughters. First time visit.
-Flights Direct Flight from JFK going. HNL to LAX for a DLand stay on way home. Hawaiian airlines were great. I brought my own food. Glad I did. You can survive on the plane food but I chose to live.
-Brought our own Snorkel gear and water bags with us.
-We got a member gift from the DVC team. Magnet, hats, mesh bag, coupons. But the guide there gave us great island info tailored for us. Helped us build out and or confirm our itinerary.
-Aulani popcorn bucket is best deal. Free refills all stay.
-The refill mugs we did them. I feel those machines are not calibrated well for soda. (Low carbonation) But we liked the lemonade and water. 1 location in the lava rock was down all stay. Yes, people were filling any cup they had. No chip to enforce proper use.
-We used bottled water and Gatorade when we leave the resort for the day. Our studio room fridge was able to freeze water bottles for our backpack. Our WDW standard day setup.
-Chairs- This is a joke. I have seen chairs not get used all day. Just a towel tossed on it. There are ways to solve this but I feel Disney rather no confrontation. I can solve this but no one will listen. It is a shame these 8AM people spoil it for so many. I even heard a family at dinner decide who was going down tomorrow to get the chairs for the day. I used the cubbies a lot as it is all I needed.
-Cost: Be prepared to spend a lot on things. 90% is imported. I was prepared but after a 8 night stay it shows.
We used Priority Pass Lounges at JFK and HNL for our Flights. Helps get you hydrated and rested.
-We swam every day at Aulani. Pools were outstanding. Slide gets crowded cause they are that good. Why parents let kids under 12 ish in hot tubs I do not get. They are not bathtubs. Just my opinion. I could not regroup with my girls after a long day in one without cannon balls.
-Luau, we skipped it. My girls would not enjoy the food that in my opinion is 1/2 the reason to go. Getting a kids plate is no good alternative. I have done a proper Luau once where they burried the pig in the AM and we watch them dig oit out and watched a master carver prepare it for dinner. ( I was much younger with my parents). But this is the Luao I wouold want my kids to do. That was an experience.
Day 1
-Landed about 3pm
-Got rental car. It was a hybrid (happy accident) wrangler. I only reserved a wrangler. Aulani offers free ev charging. Tho the wrangler only gets 25 ish miles on EV I would rethink to try to get a full EV if staying at Aulani. Gas is about $4.50 on the island. I charged it every day. That was 200+ miles driven for free.
-Drove to Aulani. Traffic was high. Seems between 2-6pm is the high times on the H1.
-Room was ready. Moved bags to room.
-Went to target and Walmart for groceries.
Day2
-Woke up early and went to Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona. We had already reserved the boat reservation. It was a great experience to visit it. Spoke to a veteran on the memorial that explained more than you can read. Some:
1- the ship still leaks oil.
2- some surviving soldiers had their remains placed back on the Arizona
3- There are other sunk ships that also should be as recognized. Some were risen. Some remain as well.
-Then went to Waikiki beach. Parking is expensive in the area. (Found a 2$ per :30 garage with a $20 max day.) It had great clear water. Beach was a bit crowded for my taste. But it was better than any NY beach. I felt safe but still would not leave my belongings unattended.
-Ate at beach bar called Dukes. It was very good. I hear their dinner reservations are hard to get. And I can see why. Right on the beach.
-Then went to diamond head. We had reservations. The walk is a good :30 - :60 depending on ability. Some on paths and some steps. The 360 deg views are outstanding. Especially of Hon. Bring water. Pillboxes you can go in as well. We did Arizona first cause after this walk we would be exhausted. But it was the hot time of the day.
-Swam at Aulani. About this. The beach is nice clean and safe. But snorkeling is a big miss. They prevent any larger fish from entering the lagoon for good reasons. So you get what you get. No reefs = no fish. Go elsewhere to snorkel. We did not do the rainbow reef. Yea it is nice but we opted to travel to get real reef experiences. Just a personal choice.
Day 3
-Went kayaking at Kailua beach. Used Kailua Beach adventures. Easy access to the Kayak site. They provide a dolly (that you roll) for your kayak and any accessories are available to rent. We had all our own accessories.
-We went to flat island. It was nice and easy. Small block of sand to access it and mostly a rock surface. Other larger popular island was closed due to seals breeding.
-Went snorkeling at the Kailua beach. This was very nice. Not crowded. Some reefs but they get a lot of people so lots of damage. Saw turtles and many reef fish.
Day 4
-Drive to north shore Haleiwa. Ate at Teddys burger place. Walked the town and browsed some shops. There are many food trucks in the area. Most are shrimp trucks if you like that, this is the place.
-Stopped at dole plantation for a dole whip with fresh pineapple. Best Pineapple I ever had. There is a bunch to do here but we chose to carry on.
Day 5
-Went to a reservation beach at Hanauma bay. Getting a ressie was a bit trying. But we got it. By far my favorite beach. Huge live reefs. Great large fish and turtles. Best snorkeling we did on the island. Be a strong swimmer to venture out to the far reefs but that is where the action is.
-Stopped at Kona brewery on way home.
-Got Malasadas from Leonards truck. These were a hit. I got more later in our stay on at another truck near Aulani.
Day 6
-Went to Kualoa ranch. Did a jungle tour on an open-air Jeep. Very informative. Fun ride up the mountain. So nice views. Saw some movie sets. We opted out of the ATV tour because I wanted my girls to drive but were too young. It is not fun being a passenger.
-Drove up the east coast to Waimea beach. Girls jumped off rock cliff (25 ft). We could not get a spot in the small beach lot. We parked across the street in the Waimea falls lot for 20$. 10 min walk to beach. Beach was clean and safe. Again, I did not leave my belongings unattended.
Day 7
-Went to Waikiki
-Went parasailing. Our first time and was a highlight. Did 2 at a time at 1000Ft. Was a blast. Pics are amazing.
-Snorkeling at Waikiki
Day 8
-Went to Paradise cove. Quick walk from Aulani. Went snorkeling with 3 sea turtles.
-Flew out at 8pm to LAX for a 5 night stay at DL Hotel
-Used shower at Aulani Luna Lounge. This was brilliant. No ressie needed. Just asked front desk for access. Nice clean shower area to get ready to leave. Plenty of towels and Lockers.
-Used lounge at HNL for priority pass. Had a small included meal to get us thru the flight.
-We were not familiar with Hawaii and Aulani. Did lots of YouTubing. I hope this report helps other first timers get their stay filled with some great experiences.
-Security. We were told by many that there is a lot thefts especially in cars. We seen none of this and we were all over the island. But we would never recommend keeping your guard down or leaving things out in sight for the taking. I was happy to see no issues here.
-Studio Ocean view. Outstanding
-Dad(me) and Mom (in our 40s) + 2 teenage daughters. First time visit.
-Flights Direct Flight from JFK going. HNL to LAX for a DLand stay on way home. Hawaiian airlines were great. I brought my own food. Glad I did. You can survive on the plane food but I chose to live.
-Brought our own Snorkel gear and water bags with us.
-We got a member gift from the DVC team. Magnet, hats, mesh bag, coupons. But the guide there gave us great island info tailored for us. Helped us build out and or confirm our itinerary.
-Aulani popcorn bucket is best deal. Free refills all stay.
-The refill mugs we did them. I feel those machines are not calibrated well for soda. (Low carbonation) But we liked the lemonade and water. 1 location in the lava rock was down all stay. Yes, people were filling any cup they had. No chip to enforce proper use.
-We used bottled water and Gatorade when we leave the resort for the day. Our studio room fridge was able to freeze water bottles for our backpack. Our WDW standard day setup.
-Chairs- This is a joke. I have seen chairs not get used all day. Just a towel tossed on it. There are ways to solve this but I feel Disney rather no confrontation. I can solve this but no one will listen. It is a shame these 8AM people spoil it for so many. I even heard a family at dinner decide who was going down tomorrow to get the chairs for the day. I used the cubbies a lot as it is all I needed.
-Cost: Be prepared to spend a lot on things. 90% is imported. I was prepared but after a 8 night stay it shows.
We used Priority Pass Lounges at JFK and HNL for our Flights. Helps get you hydrated and rested.
-We swam every day at Aulani. Pools were outstanding. Slide gets crowded cause they are that good. Why parents let kids under 12 ish in hot tubs I do not get. They are not bathtubs. Just my opinion. I could not regroup with my girls after a long day in one without cannon balls.
-Luau, we skipped it. My girls would not enjoy the food that in my opinion is 1/2 the reason to go. Getting a kids plate is no good alternative. I have done a proper Luau once where they burried the pig in the AM and we watch them dig oit out and watched a master carver prepare it for dinner. ( I was much younger with my parents). But this is the Luao I wouold want my kids to do. That was an experience.
Day 1
-Landed about 3pm
-Got rental car. It was a hybrid (happy accident) wrangler. I only reserved a wrangler. Aulani offers free ev charging. Tho the wrangler only gets 25 ish miles on EV I would rethink to try to get a full EV if staying at Aulani. Gas is about $4.50 on the island. I charged it every day. That was 200+ miles driven for free.
-Drove to Aulani. Traffic was high. Seems between 2-6pm is the high times on the H1.
-Room was ready. Moved bags to room.
-Went to target and Walmart for groceries.
Day2
-Woke up early and went to Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona. We had already reserved the boat reservation. It was a great experience to visit it. Spoke to a veteran on the memorial that explained more than you can read. Some:
1- the ship still leaks oil.
2- some surviving soldiers had their remains placed back on the Arizona
3- There are other sunk ships that also should be as recognized. Some were risen. Some remain as well.
-Then went to Waikiki beach. Parking is expensive in the area. (Found a 2$ per :30 garage with a $20 max day.) It had great clear water. Beach was a bit crowded for my taste. But it was better than any NY beach. I felt safe but still would not leave my belongings unattended.
-Ate at beach bar called Dukes. It was very good. I hear their dinner reservations are hard to get. And I can see why. Right on the beach.
-Then went to diamond head. We had reservations. The walk is a good :30 - :60 depending on ability. Some on paths and some steps. The 360 deg views are outstanding. Especially of Hon. Bring water. Pillboxes you can go in as well. We did Arizona first cause after this walk we would be exhausted. But it was the hot time of the day.
-Swam at Aulani. About this. The beach is nice clean and safe. But snorkeling is a big miss. They prevent any larger fish from entering the lagoon for good reasons. So you get what you get. No reefs = no fish. Go elsewhere to snorkel. We did not do the rainbow reef. Yea it is nice but we opted to travel to get real reef experiences. Just a personal choice.
Day 3
-Went kayaking at Kailua beach. Used Kailua Beach adventures. Easy access to the Kayak site. They provide a dolly (that you roll) for your kayak and any accessories are available to rent. We had all our own accessories.
-We went to flat island. It was nice and easy. Small block of sand to access it and mostly a rock surface. Other larger popular island was closed due to seals breeding.
-Went snorkeling at the Kailua beach. This was very nice. Not crowded. Some reefs but they get a lot of people so lots of damage. Saw turtles and many reef fish.
Day 4
-Drive to north shore Haleiwa. Ate at Teddys burger place. Walked the town and browsed some shops. There are many food trucks in the area. Most are shrimp trucks if you like that, this is the place.
-Stopped at dole plantation for a dole whip with fresh pineapple. Best Pineapple I ever had. There is a bunch to do here but we chose to carry on.
Day 5
-Went to a reservation beach at Hanauma bay. Getting a ressie was a bit trying. But we got it. By far my favorite beach. Huge live reefs. Great large fish and turtles. Best snorkeling we did on the island. Be a strong swimmer to venture out to the far reefs but that is where the action is.
-Stopped at Kona brewery on way home.
-Got Malasadas from Leonards truck. These were a hit. I got more later in our stay on at another truck near Aulani.
Day 6
-Went to Kualoa ranch. Did a jungle tour on an open-air Jeep. Very informative. Fun ride up the mountain. So nice views. Saw some movie sets. We opted out of the ATV tour because I wanted my girls to drive but were too young. It is not fun being a passenger.
-Drove up the east coast to Waimea beach. Girls jumped off rock cliff (25 ft). We could not get a spot in the small beach lot. We parked across the street in the Waimea falls lot for 20$. 10 min walk to beach. Beach was clean and safe. Again, I did not leave my belongings unattended.
Day 7
-Went to Waikiki
-Went parasailing. Our first time and was a highlight. Did 2 at a time at 1000Ft. Was a blast. Pics are amazing.
-Snorkeling at Waikiki
Day 8
-Went to Paradise cove. Quick walk from Aulani. Went snorkeling with 3 sea turtles.
-Flew out at 8pm to LAX for a 5 night stay at DL Hotel
-Used shower at Aulani Luna Lounge. This was brilliant. No ressie needed. Just asked front desk for access. Nice clean shower area to get ready to leave. Plenty of towels and Lockers.
-Used lounge at HNL for priority pass. Had a small included meal to get us thru the flight.
