no,,different strokes,,different folks,,,my wife loved them,,,I was ok good,,but would not go out of my way for them...
Now maids cottage buttertarts,,,,or Lisa's peanut butter pie in windsor,NS ,,,now I am driving for those.
A Canadian on Oahu - trip report Feb 4-20 2022!
- Thread starter Inga
- Start date
Now maids cottage buttertarts,,,,or Lisa's peanut butter pie in windsor,NS ,,,now I am driving for those.
mimijudy1975
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2018
I saw your amazing post for the first time this morning . Even though it’s been many years since I was there with my two daughters , I loved hearing about the sites you were seeing . I look forward to reading your posts . Glad your trip from Canda to Hawaii went so smoothly. You had your things well planned in advanced which eliminates a lot of stress .
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Part 5 - Waikiki Wednesday
Hi all
This was an adventuresome day so I think more deets is required…
We got up and out the door to pick up our car rental at 8:00am as we had the 2 hour ATV ride at Kualoa Ranch booked for 11:00 and they indicated you needed to be there 45 minutes early (more on that later).
We did a stop for ‘breakfast’ at Leonard’s - to get malasada fuel before our trip. Parking is tight in there and first thing in the morning is BUSY so be warned. You go into the shop and pick and pay for what you want, then you wait outside at the order window for your number to be called. Pink boxes everywhere. We ordered a 1/2 dozen - 2 originals, 1 chocolate, 1 coconut, 1 guava, 1 macadamia. We ended up getting 8 in our box (not sure it was because of my aloha/Mahalo comments, my tip, or a fluke!). They were warm and crispy and bigger than I thought (I was thinking they were more mini). Eating them in the rental car was messy but we did it anyway as there is nowhere to sit outside. My preference of the filled ones was the guava and the macadamia. Chocolate one was like pudding filling - not opposed to chocolate pudding, just need a more intensely chocolate flavouring in a treat like this.
All sugared up, we then headed up to the ranch via the east side of the island - Kalaniana Highway up through Sandy beach. It takes longer but we had a bit of time and wanted to see this side of the island. It was an absolutely stunning ride - gorgeous..highly recommend. Just needed to get through the burbs first and then you are driving coastline. The east, or windward side, is becoming one of our favourite areas on the island.
We stopped at a few lookouts and finished up the malasadas…not sure we needed 8 between the 2 of us…boof!
Arrived at the Ranch at 10, went to register for our 2 hour ATV ride at 11. Note, we decided to line up early as that put us in the first car after the Guide who drives the pace ATV - less dust kick up. Glad we did. We got much less dirty than everyone else. They offer you glasses for your eyes - take ‘em. My DH had his sporty Oakleys and I had my ray bans, and the eye shields you get from them are better at keeping out the dust, although they don’t look like much. They also give you a mandatory helmet - like a bike helmet really. We wore our disposable face masks too. Unless you want to breathe in a lot of dust, something over your face and mouth is the way to go. Go figure those miserable face masks are good for something other than a pandemic!
We both signed up to be drivers but I knew DH wanted to be behind the wheel and so he drove the entire time. We had multiple stops and there were stories about the land and some video tricks. I don’t want to spoil it for you all by getting into too much detail, all I can say we thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend.
At the end they have a wash up basin and you’ll need it. We had a complete change of clothes in the car (true confessions - we actually changed in the car) as our clothes were disgusting and will have to wait for the load of wash when we arrive at Aulani. We wouldn’t have been able to go out to lunch in those clothes! Be warned!
it was after 1:00 and the malasadas had worn off so we began searching for lunch. Ended up going to a place on the windward side just across from Kailua Beach Park, Buzz’s Steakhouse. We had googled it before and was on one of the Youtuber videos…note - for a steakhouse, not a lot of steak is on the menu. We really liked it there, even has beach views (from across the street). Music was starting around 3pm. Nice post beach hangout for sure. We even started googling beach houses in the area for future trips. I had a great salad with chicken, pecans and fruit galore. Was great.
After lunch, thought a ’little ice cream’ might be nice (this was a ‘bad‘ food day) and the best reviewed in the area was Double Three - ice cream in bubble waffle cones. I had this before at home so wasn’t new to me. All I wanted was a little cup of icecream and ended up with this elaborate thing. I got the Mac nut ice cream special flavour of the day - yum chunks of Mac nut in it. It was all very good but all too much!
Heading home at 3:30ish was another matter. Lots of construction and traffic, so it took us awhile. We ended up returning the car after 4pm which means we had to drop it off at the Royal Hawaiian centre and leave it outside with a key drop off.
Since we were already there….Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian perhaps? Ok yes, so we went back for their delicious $20 Mai tais. Watched the rows of surfers out there, a shark sighting, and the sun set. We were in shorts and tees, and we still got the same excellent service- ie no snobbery here. Really an excellent place to hang out.
Stopped in to Dukes to see if I could get a set of clear tiki mugs that I saw when we were there. It was busy madness, just nuts! Probably around 7:30 at this point. I had to run up to Hulu Grill to purchase them.
Walk home to our hotel - busy streets, lots of people out, buskers everywhere!
Back in to watch Olympic men’s curling and see Gushue win over Norway! Hurrah!
Hi all
This was an adventuresome day so I think more deets is required…
We got up and out the door to pick up our car rental at 8:00am as we had the 2 hour ATV ride at Kualoa Ranch booked for 11:00 and they indicated you needed to be there 45 minutes early (more on that later).
We did a stop for ‘breakfast’ at Leonard’s - to get malasada fuel before our trip. Parking is tight in there and first thing in the morning is BUSY so be warned. You go into the shop and pick and pay for what you want, then you wait outside at the order window for your number to be called. Pink boxes everywhere. We ordered a 1/2 dozen - 2 originals, 1 chocolate, 1 coconut, 1 guava, 1 macadamia. We ended up getting 8 in our box (not sure it was because of my aloha/Mahalo comments, my tip, or a fluke!). They were warm and crispy and bigger than I thought (I was thinking they were more mini). Eating them in the rental car was messy but we did it anyway as there is nowhere to sit outside. My preference of the filled ones was the guava and the macadamia. Chocolate one was like pudding filling - not opposed to chocolate pudding, just need a more intensely chocolate flavouring in a treat like this.
All sugared up, we then headed up to the ranch via the east side of the island - Kalaniana Highway up through Sandy beach. It takes longer but we had a bit of time and wanted to see this side of the island. It was an absolutely stunning ride - gorgeous..highly recommend. Just needed to get through the burbs first and then you are driving coastline. The east, or windward side, is becoming one of our favourite areas on the island.
We stopped at a few lookouts and finished up the malasadas…not sure we needed 8 between the 2 of us…boof!
Arrived at the Ranch at 10, went to register for our 2 hour ATV ride at 11. Note, we decided to line up early as that put us in the first car after the Guide who drives the pace ATV - less dust kick up. Glad we did. We got much less dirty than everyone else. They offer you glasses for your eyes - take ‘em. My DH had his sporty Oakleys and I had my ray bans, and the eye shields you get from them are better at keeping out the dust, although they don’t look like much. They also give you a mandatory helmet - like a bike helmet really. We wore our disposable face masks too. Unless you want to breathe in a lot of dust, something over your face and mouth is the way to go. Go figure those miserable face masks are good for something other than a pandemic!
We both signed up to be drivers but I knew DH wanted to be behind the wheel and so he drove the entire time. We had multiple stops and there were stories about the land and some video tricks. I don’t want to spoil it for you all by getting into too much detail, all I can say we thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend.
At the end they have a wash up basin and you’ll need it. We had a complete change of clothes in the car (true confessions - we actually changed in the car) as our clothes were disgusting and will have to wait for the load of wash when we arrive at Aulani. We wouldn’t have been able to go out to lunch in those clothes! Be warned!
it was after 1:00 and the malasadas had worn off so we began searching for lunch. Ended up going to a place on the windward side just across from Kailua Beach Park, Buzz’s Steakhouse. We had googled it before and was on one of the Youtuber videos…note - for a steakhouse, not a lot of steak is on the menu. We really liked it there, even has beach views (from across the street). Music was starting around 3pm. Nice post beach hangout for sure. We even started googling beach houses in the area for future trips. I had a great salad with chicken, pecans and fruit galore. Was great.
After lunch, thought a ’little ice cream’ might be nice (this was a ‘bad‘ food day) and the best reviewed in the area was Double Three - ice cream in bubble waffle cones. I had this before at home so wasn’t new to me. All I wanted was a little cup of icecream and ended up with this elaborate thing. I got the Mac nut ice cream special flavour of the day - yum chunks of Mac nut in it. It was all very good but all too much!
Heading home at 3:30ish was another matter. Lots of construction and traffic, so it took us awhile. We ended up returning the car after 4pm which means we had to drop it off at the Royal Hawaiian centre and leave it outside with a key drop off.
Since we were already there….Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian perhaps? Ok yes, so we went back for their delicious $20 Mai tais. Watched the rows of surfers out there, a shark sighting, and the sun set. We were in shorts and tees, and we still got the same excellent service- ie no snobbery here. Really an excellent place to hang out.
Stopped in to Dukes to see if I could get a set of clear tiki mugs that I saw when we were there. It was busy madness, just nuts! Probably around 7:30 at this point. I had to run up to Hulu Grill to purchase them.
Walk home to our hotel - busy streets, lots of people out, buskers everywhere!
Back in to watch Olympic men’s curling and see Gushue win over Norway! Hurrah!
Last edited:
dreamit
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2014
I, too, love that side of the island. One of my favorite parts of our trip were the times spent driving it and stopping as we pleased, whether for food, points of interest, etc. On our upcoming trip, I am planning to make it over there at least three times, coming in and ending at various locations, with different objectives each time.
Do they have changing areas at Kualoa? That‘s good to know about arriving early.
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Not that we saw. Just the washroom area….
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Part 5 - Waikiki Thursday
after a busy Wednesday, Thursday started of a bit more low key (note: started off)…
- We went for breakfast at Barefoot Beach Cafe but it was closed due to mechanical issues…so where to go close by for breakfast? We felt we might be disappointed in the Deck’s $20 bacon and eggs, so we did what I swore we wouldn’t do - went to Denny’s. Last time I was at Dennys it was in one of the New England states probably over 25 years ago and I got sick on the side of the road so I always said, never again. Never again came on Thursday. And I have to say, it was pretty good and reasonably priced. Great smoothies.
- Ocean frolicking
- Went to Appetito Craft Pizza and Wine bar for happy hour. We really liked this place. Checked all the boxes - food, service, atmosphere. Happy hour drinks included $9 cocktails and $30 bottles of wine, and select appetizers discounted $4 (all US prices). Was great!
-Since we were out and about post happy hour, we were determined to find a fun new spot. We are always seeking out Tiki bars when we can (love Trader Sam’s at the Poly) and we fell upon Cuckoo Coconuts. What a bizarre little place. It’s like an eclectic tiki bar (is there any other kind?) in the middle of a parking lot. We LOVED it here, so much that we stayed for two sets by the band. Played music that was seriously vintage but know all the words so great to sing along. Drinks here were excellent too, but after our happy hour at the wine bar earlier, it was getting to be a bit much. Great time had by all!!
Unrelated observation: there doesn’t seem to be any recycling going on in Hawaii. Every garbage can is just a general collection of real trash, bottles, cans, compostables. Back home we have a huge recycling program that separates out plastic, metal, paper, and compost. It is a pain in the butt but we have had this program for 25+ years, so we are used to how it works. I would have thought this would have been even more important for a state like Hawaii. Curious…
after a busy Wednesday, Thursday started of a bit more low key (note: started off)…
- We went for breakfast at Barefoot Beach Cafe but it was closed due to mechanical issues…so where to go close by for breakfast? We felt we might be disappointed in the Deck’s $20 bacon and eggs, so we did what I swore we wouldn’t do - went to Denny’s. Last time I was at Dennys it was in one of the New England states probably over 25 years ago and I got sick on the side of the road so I always said, never again. Never again came on Thursday. And I have to say, it was pretty good and reasonably priced. Great smoothies.
- Ocean frolicking
- Went to Appetito Craft Pizza and Wine bar for happy hour. We really liked this place. Checked all the boxes - food, service, atmosphere. Happy hour drinks included $9 cocktails and $30 bottles of wine, and select appetizers discounted $4 (all US prices). Was great!
-Since we were out and about post happy hour, we were determined to find a fun new spot. We are always seeking out Tiki bars when we can (love Trader Sam’s at the Poly) and we fell upon Cuckoo Coconuts. What a bizarre little place. It’s like an eclectic tiki bar (is there any other kind?) in the middle of a parking lot. We LOVED it here, so much that we stayed for two sets by the band. Played music that was seriously vintage but know all the words so great to sing along. Drinks here were excellent too, but after our happy hour at the wine bar earlier, it was getting to be a bit much. Great time had by all!!
Unrelated observation: there doesn’t seem to be any recycling going on in Hawaii. Every garbage can is just a general collection of real trash, bottles, cans, compostables. Back home we have a huge recycling program that separates out plastic, metal, paper, and compost. It is a pain in the butt but we have had this program for 25+ years, so we are used to how it works. I would have thought this would have been even more important for a state like Hawaii. Curious…
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Part 6- Waikiki Friday and Saturday Aulani arrival
Friday, our last day at Waikiki- was late starting and very low key.
Skipped breakfast, lunch at Marukame Udon. Mmmm noodles. Opened at 11:00, there was a long line when we arrived right at 11:00am. Moved fast. It was all good, including the tempura. We come here every trip.
Happy hour at Tommy Bahamas. Really good, good food and prices. Atmosphere is very urban. I had a really good non alcoholic drink called Blue my Mind and it tasted like peach skin - hard to explain, but very good. We then ventured to what I would call a dive tiki bar - Arnold’s. Cheap (but very good) drinks and interesting clientele. Not really my scene but it was interesting!
On Saturday morning we had the same limo company pick us up at 11:00am (in another stretch limo (yikes) but on time and efficient, worked out great. We arrived at Aulani and got registered...was told magic bands would not work (bummer) so kinda abandoned that plan. Got our laundry tokens from the front desk and to the laundry we went. We brought our own laundry soap. I think the wash went for 30 minutes and the dryer 45 minutes. Within that time we got an email (even though we gave a cell number) that our room was ready...and thought we would get a text - heads up, check all of your communication tools when waiting for your room to be ready, or you might miss the notification.
Went up to our room and we so thrilled that our room requests were all granted - above the 9th floor, rooms between 77-79. Gorgeous view, did not think they could be this good for an island garden view!
Great view for the luau tonight too!
Went down to the general store in Aulani - very limited selection of groceries, and the wine selection was really poor. We headed over to the ABC across the street and got luau watching provisions. We realized that the limited items at the Aulani general store (milk, eggs, etc) were cheaper than the ABC store (and closer to our room) so we held off buying those items from ABC. Coming back in, I got my traditional Disney trip ‘egg McMuffin provisions’ (English muffin, sliced cheese, ham, egg, butter - magic with microwave and toaster) at the Aulani general store. $27 US for 3+ breakfasts for 2 is a steal at Aulani! If you are DVC and are looking for your 10% discount here, remember to have uploaded your DVC card within the phone you are using. I had to show that plus an ID, FYI.
Setting up for luau, can’t wait (hopefully Canada vs USA curling match will be over before the luau starts
)
Friday, our last day at Waikiki- was late starting and very low key.
Skipped breakfast, lunch at Marukame Udon. Mmmm noodles. Opened at 11:00, there was a long line when we arrived right at 11:00am. Moved fast. It was all good, including the tempura. We come here every trip.
Happy hour at Tommy Bahamas. Really good, good food and prices. Atmosphere is very urban. I had a really good non alcoholic drink called Blue my Mind and it tasted like peach skin - hard to explain, but very good. We then ventured to what I would call a dive tiki bar - Arnold’s. Cheap (but very good) drinks and interesting clientele. Not really my scene but it was interesting!
On Saturday morning we had the same limo company pick us up at 11:00am (in another stretch limo (yikes) but on time and efficient, worked out great. We arrived at Aulani and got registered...was told magic bands would not work (bummer) so kinda abandoned that plan. Got our laundry tokens from the front desk and to the laundry we went. We brought our own laundry soap. I think the wash went for 30 minutes and the dryer 45 minutes. Within that time we got an email (even though we gave a cell number) that our room was ready...and thought we would get a text - heads up, check all of your communication tools when waiting for your room to be ready, or you might miss the notification.
Went up to our room and we so thrilled that our room requests were all granted - above the 9th floor, rooms between 77-79. Gorgeous view, did not think they could be this good for an island garden view!
Great view for the luau tonight too!
Went down to the general store in Aulani - very limited selection of groceries, and the wine selection was really poor. We headed over to the ABC across the street and got luau watching provisions. We realized that the limited items at the Aulani general store (milk, eggs, etc) were cheaper than the ABC store (and closer to our room) so we held off buying those items from ABC. Coming back in, I got my traditional Disney trip ‘egg McMuffin provisions’ (English muffin, sliced cheese, ham, egg, butter - magic with microwave and toaster) at the Aulani general store. $27 US for 3+ breakfasts for 2 is a steal at Aulani! If you are DVC and are looking for your 10% discount here, remember to have uploaded your DVC card within the phone you are using. I had to show that plus an ID, FYI.
Setting up for luau, can’t wait (hopefully Canada vs USA curling match will be over before the luau starts
)
Last edited:
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
PS. As a Canadian, when we checked in to Aulani this morning, the cast member asked us for our boarding passes, as we were Canadian and arriving directly from Canada (and therefore did not a safe travels account to show our vaccinations). These old boarding passes were packed deeply into our bags but we had our itinerary docs also saved through google drive so quickly was able to pull it up on our phone for their review of our travel itinerary and confirmation that we flew directly from Canada. So heads up, if you are a Canadian travelling directly from Canada to Hawaii (ie not through the US) you will need this documentation at the Aulani check in desk. We then got our black wristbands to prove we had all our documentation for vaccinations in order...
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Part 7 day 1 and 2 at Aulani
I’ll finish up day one (Saturday) and Sunday with bullet points:
-Luau - we were able to see the luau on Saturday night from our deck. It reminded us of having box seats at an event, we bought our own food from ABC and for the most part we got the just of what was going on. I’m not convinced, based on what we saw, that we would have wanted to pay the $$ to see the luau on the ground…
- Next morning i sent DH off for a latte while I made breakfast and watched Moana on my ipad/Disney + (we have yet to be successful in pairing our iPads and the tv in our room despite DH being a tech guy). Took DH 45 minutes to get 1 latte, I guess they system was down and they were doing ordering/payment manually, plus most folks were ordering 6 at a time. Yikes. We may need a new plan! My breakfast sandwiches are, not to be too boastful, so good…I have mastered their creation using just a toaster and a microwave!
- did the lazy river, pool lounging, etc. We seemed like the only people being lazy in the lazy river, kids swimming up and down, kids wrestling and jumping off the walls on the side of the river. Well it’s the weekend, maybe it will settle down during the week? We were able to get 2 poolside loungers with the help of a cast member (don’t hesitate to ask, she was so helpful). The itty bitty adult section (hot tub area) was packed full of adults. Seems folks are using the loungers in that area all day long as a refuge from the kiddos. Bring back the adult pool!
-crowds - I think they are manageable, lots of seating area at the beach as well. The American Idol contestants were doing photo shoots on the water. I have been told the crowds feel low because the film crew are all staying at Aulani and are working all day. Well see when they leave this week.
-American Idol taping - they were doing some sound checks last night as we were watching the sunset. Have seen a number of drones and lots of setups for filming. The luau area has been transformed into another stage…the roadies were a bit loud earlier in the evening in that area, but it calmed down. They have removed some deck chairs in front of Ama Ama for filming so we are looking forward to their return as it is a favourite area of ours. A young couple we were talking to was asked to be paddle boarding behind the main set when the contestants are up. The AI situation is an interesting spectacle, I guess, if you need one at Aulani? I could do without it, personally….
They had some of the property backlit with green and you might be able to see the Idol letters outlined in this photo.
-Roy’s - we went to Roy’s for Aloha Hour on Sunday afternoon. We go to Roy’s every time we come to Aulani. I like to sit out on the deck on the 18th hole and watch the golfers come in. The Aloha menu has changed - not as impressive as it once was. After a root through the Aloha menu, DH ordered a main plate and was expecting a sushi plate. What we got was - frankly- not edible. We offered to pay for it, so we did just that. We really shouldn’t offered to pay for it, but the server should have really taken it off of the bill. Ah the games we play! Anyhow, atmosphere and overall service was pretty good, prices reasonable, good drinks - but we probably won’t be back. Can anyone name this bird that came to visit us?
-sunset - AWESOME!!
I’ll finish up day one (Saturday) and Sunday with bullet points:
-Luau - we were able to see the luau on Saturday night from our deck. It reminded us of having box seats at an event, we bought our own food from ABC and for the most part we got the just of what was going on. I’m not convinced, based on what we saw, that we would have wanted to pay the $$ to see the luau on the ground…
- Next morning i sent DH off for a latte while I made breakfast and watched Moana on my ipad/Disney + (we have yet to be successful in pairing our iPads and the tv in our room despite DH being a tech guy). Took DH 45 minutes to get 1 latte, I guess they system was down and they were doing ordering/payment manually, plus most folks were ordering 6 at a time. Yikes. We may need a new plan! My breakfast sandwiches are, not to be too boastful, so good…I have mastered their creation using just a toaster and a microwave!
- did the lazy river, pool lounging, etc. We seemed like the only people being lazy in the lazy river, kids swimming up and down, kids wrestling and jumping off the walls on the side of the river. Well it’s the weekend, maybe it will settle down during the week? We were able to get 2 poolside loungers with the help of a cast member (don’t hesitate to ask, she was so helpful). The itty bitty adult section (hot tub area) was packed full of adults. Seems folks are using the loungers in that area all day long as a refuge from the kiddos. Bring back the adult pool!
-crowds - I think they are manageable, lots of seating area at the beach as well. The American Idol contestants were doing photo shoots on the water. I have been told the crowds feel low because the film crew are all staying at Aulani and are working all day. Well see when they leave this week.
-American Idol taping - they were doing some sound checks last night as we were watching the sunset. Have seen a number of drones and lots of setups for filming. The luau area has been transformed into another stage…the roadies were a bit loud earlier in the evening in that area, but it calmed down. They have removed some deck chairs in front of Ama Ama for filming so we are looking forward to their return as it is a favourite area of ours. A young couple we were talking to was asked to be paddle boarding behind the main set when the contestants are up. The AI situation is an interesting spectacle, I guess, if you need one at Aulani? I could do without it, personally….
They had some of the property backlit with green and you might be able to see the Idol letters outlined in this photo.
-Roy’s - we went to Roy’s for Aloha Hour on Sunday afternoon. We go to Roy’s every time we come to Aulani. I like to sit out on the deck on the 18th hole and watch the golfers come in. The Aloha menu has changed - not as impressive as it once was. After a root through the Aloha menu, DH ordered a main plate and was expecting a sushi plate. What we got was - frankly- not edible. We offered to pay for it, so we did just that. We really shouldn’t offered to pay for it, but the server should have really taken it off of the bill. Ah the games we play! Anyhow, atmosphere and overall service was pretty good, prices reasonable, good drinks - but we probably won’t be back. Can anyone name this bird that came to visit us?
-sunset - AWESOME!!
Last edited:
Lew
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
Looks like a Red-Crested Cardinal.
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Quick note about the DVC member event this morning 8-9 and what was included:
-Moana magnet on entrance
-show with lots of characters (game show-like format)
-nut necklace on exit
It was entertaining….I love watching Chip ‘n Dale create havoc. Not a must-do or anything. DH brought his own coffee so that helped his temperment.
Earlier in our stay we had visited the DVC unit and as DVC members we got 2 lanyards and an Aulani print.
No food or drink provided, fyi. They loaned us a pool towel to sit on
-Moana magnet on entrance
-show with lots of characters (game show-like format)
-nut necklace on exit
It was entertaining….I love watching Chip ‘n Dale create havoc. Not a must-do or anything. DH brought his own coffee so that helped his temperment.
Earlier in our stay we had visited the DVC unit and as DVC members we got 2 lanyards and an Aulani print.
No food or drink provided, fyi. They loaned us a pool towel to sit on
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
Part 8 Monday at Aulani
Well it’s pouring cats and dogs out there so I thought I would post our Monday Aulani day, in bullet form:
Well it’s pouring cats and dogs out there so I thought I would post our Monday Aulani day, in bullet form:
- Bought floaties from the ABC store and had them inflated for a few dollars there. Note the selection of floaties was better in Waikiki ABC stores. We will have floaties to give away to someone who wants them, at the end of this trip (Saturday)
- We floated for awhile on the lagoon, it was nice out there. The American Idol set was doing their sound checks. I’ll be happy to see all that hullabaloo leave. My ideal Aulani experience doesn’t jive with the Hollywood scene
- Headed to our cruise at the marina (23 min walk). As we walked through the lagoons and resorts away from Aulani, it was noticeable how peaceful it all was vs our lagoon
- We did Mana Cruises, attracted to it because only 6 passengers on the boat + 2 crew. It was a sunset sail 4-6. We absolutely loved it, it is a must do if you can manage the price tag ($600 CDN for the 2 of us). Saw whales too. Crew were awesome and drinks were flowing.
- Came back to a very frenetic Aulani after the cruise as the show was in recording. Big crowds. Nuts.
Attachments
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
PPS - interestingly, today the manager of housekeeping dropped by our room to see how things were going and gave us an Aulani exclusive pin - maybe this is in response to some member complaints about housekeeping frequency? We have been very pleased and have no concerns about the housekeeping piece, but thought you might be interested to see the pin!
Last edited:
alohamom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2003
It really is worth walking around and seeing all the options in the area.
I find that "secret" beach feels like it is worlds away from Aulani, yet it is only just a quick walk around the Four Season and through the parking lot.
Don't get me wrong, I really LOVE Aulani (mostly for the lazy river) but it is nice to have other options
Inga
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1999
yes we will be finding the secret beach for sure!
Lew
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
We would be more than happy to take you up on your kind offer if still available; however, we don't arrive until Wednesday, February 23rd. If they're not spoken for, perhaps you could check them at luggage storage with my name.
We'll be sure to pay your kindness forward when we leave on March 23rd. Thank you so much for your offer.
If necessary, you can email me at this temporary address: floaties@xp3.me
Share this page
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
