Anniversary trip 2019 - Vancouver/Cruise/Hawaii/Aulani

[dgbg100106]

I want to keep all of my planning information in one place and hopefully, it will turn in a trip report at the end too.

We DH and Myself (Brandi) will be celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary by coming back to Hawaii and getting several items included. We will be flying to Vancouver and spending a couple of days there, boarding a cruise ship for 10 nights, touring around Hawaii, then spending 5 days at Aulani, before finally coming back home.

We have done some planning but I need to try and keep everything together in one place.

Our past trips to Disney include 73 Cont, 74 Poly, 91 Swan, 02 CBR, 05 BWV, 09 Jambo House AKL (F&WF), 10 Jambo House AKL (F&WF), 11 BWV, 11 BCV (F&WF), 2015 BCV (F&GF), and 2017 BCV (F&WF)

We traveled to Hawaii together in 2007 for our 1 year anniversary, but we had both been to Hawaii before and have seen most of the highlights so this trip should be a little more relaxed.

Here we are at the College World Series this year.




I have a few work trips planned prior to this one so I am not sure how fast I will be these updates but I will get this done! lol

 

[dgbg100106]

Day one - Arrive in Vancouver (arrive at 11:30 am)
Day two - Bike Ride in Stanley Park
Day three - FlyOver Canada
Day four - Cruise (Embarkation)
Day five - At Sea
Day six - At Sea
Day seven - At Sea
Day eight - At Sea
Day nine - At Sea
Day ten - Hilo, Hawaii
Day eleven - Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Day twelve - Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Day thirteen - Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Day fourteen - Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii (Disembarkation from Cruise) Check into Hotel (Disney Aulani)
Day fifteen - Honolulu Disney Aulani
Day sixteen - Honolulu Disney Aulani
Day seventeen - Honolulu Disney Aulani
Day eighteen - Honolulu Disney Aulani
Day nineteen - Fly home
Day twenty - Arrive home

 

[dgbg100106]

Saved for Links

Planning for Vancouver here

 

[alohamom]

ohhhhh sounds like an amazing trip!

 

[dgbg100106]

We have completed the following tasks but I am sure I am missing some items, please let me know if you think of something.

• Cruise booked and paid for
• Hotel in Vancouver booked
• Aulani booked (DVC points)
• Flights booked and paid for

Around the end of April 2018, we booked the cruise portion of this trip, we put down a deposit and then began the finger crossed wait for the 7th-month window to get Aulani.

In October 2018 we booked our pre-cruise hotel in Vancouver and was able to get the hotel we wanted in the downtown location.

The middle of February 2019 we were able to book Aulani with our DVC points at our 7-month window. This was a huge relief I was really worried about this part. BUT, it worked out for us.

This also allowed us to book our flights to Vancouver and back from Hawaii, now that was a very hard decision to make. It seemed like we were handing out some serious cash for this trip so far.

Now we need to make plans for things to do while we are in Vancouver and Hawaii. Let the planning begin.

 

[dgbg100106]

ohhhhh sounds like an amazing trip!

Thanks for coming along for the ride.
I am looking forward to it for sure.

 

[TagsMissy]

If you're staying in downtown there's plenty to do just walking around or the Hop On-Hop Off Tour bus

 

[minniebeth]

Vancouver is amazing! If you haven't already, check out the DCL cruise forum. A lot of people post about their Vancouver stays in their Alaskan cruise trip reports.
Our highlights of Vancouver were: Walking around/eating in the harbor area, Canada Place, Flyover Canada, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Stanley Park, Gastown, Granville Island, renting bikes.
Lots of nice restaurants in the area as well.
When we go back, we really want to do the Sea to Sky Gondola and check out Squamish and also take a trip to Victoria.

The rest of your trip looks amazing too! What an adventure!
Cant wait to see it all~
Happy planning!

 

[dgbg100106]

If you're staying in downtown there's plenty to do just walking around or the Hop On-Hop Off Tour bus

My DH was Army got out at the conclusion of the first gulf after 10 years in. I saw you too are a wife of a soldier.
We both still support the Army but as contractors.

I looked at the Hop-On Hop-Off bus it looks like a great way to get around. We are staying really close to BC Place (the stadium downtown).

 

[dgbg100106]

Vancouver is amazing! If you haven't already, check out the DCL cruise forum. A lot of people post about their Vancouver stays in their Alaskan cruise trip reports.
Our highlights of Vancouver were: Walking around/eating in the harbor area, Canada Place, Flyover Canada, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Stanley Park, Gastown, Granville Island, renting bikes.
Lots of nice restaurants in the area as well.
When we go back, we really want to do the Sea to Sky Gondola and check out Squamish and also take a trip to Victoria.

The rest of your trip looks amazing too! What an adventure!
Cant wait to see it all~
Happy planning!

What a great idea, I did not think to look at the boards there. I will make a point to do that this week.
Did the Flyover Canada remind you of Soarin? Based on the description I was thinking they were similar.

We will be back next May also for our Alaska Cruise, so I was looking at this planning for Vancouver to cover both so I know I don't have to see everything this time. Thank you for the great ideas.

 

[dgbg100106]

Some things I had written down on Vancouver for places to visit

1. Stanley Park
   1. lost lagoon - A quick detour underneath the overpass will bring you to Lost Lagoon, named after a poem by Pauline Johnson. The lagoon used to be connected to the ocean through a canal and completely empty during low tide; hence it’s name!
   2. Seawall - Vancouver has the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path. The 28 km Seaside Greenway is an uninterrupted pathway
   3. Totem Poles - The most visited tourist attraction in BC, the totem poles each have a unique history. Stanley Park has hosted totem poles from all over BC from as early as 1880. Many are replicas as the originals were moved to museums for preservation. A first nations woman whose mother was born in the park carved the most recent totem!
   4. Brockton Point Lighthouse - Established in 1888 on the south side of First Narrows, guided shipping traffic into Vancouver, but its light was hidden to outbound traffic by the lush, dense forest of Stanley Park.
   5. Girl in a Wetsuit – not to be confused with Copenhagen’s “The Little Mermaid”, Elek Imredy’s bronze sculpture, “Girl in a Wetsuit” was installed in 1972 and remains a landmark for passers-by on the water and on the seawall.
   6. Lumberman's Arch - In 1912, the BC Lumbermen and Shinglemen's Society honored the Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, with an arch to mark his visit to Vancouver.
   7. Japanese Canadian War Memorial -
   8. This memorial, located in Stanley Park, was dedicated on April 9, 1920, to honor the Japanese Canadians who fought in the First World War. A smaller plaque was attached later, honoring Japanese Canadians who died in the Second World War and the Korean War. James Anderson Benzie designed the Japanese Canadian War Memorial at Stanley Park in 1919.
   9. Lionsgate Bridge - The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938, officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet
   10. Prospect Point – Up the hill to the history-rich views and café that is Prospect Point. It used to be a signal station until the Lions Gate Bridge was installed. Now the viewing platforms are a great photo-op and a fantastic spot to take a break with some coffee.
   11. Hollow Tree – With dedicated volunteers, the hollow tree withstood the windstorms of 2006 to provide more tourist photos for years to come! The tree is massive and underwent a restoration to ensure its safety.
   12. Siwash Rock - also known by its Squamish name Skalsh is a famous rock outcropping in Stanley Park. A legend among the Indigenous Squamish people surrounds the rock. It is between 49 and 59 ft tall. It became known to mariners as Nine Pin Rock for its vague resemblance to a bowling pin.
   13. Third Beach - Located at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park, Third Beach is a naturally sandy beach surrounded by trees that shield dippers and tanners from urban noise. This is a great beach for quiet bathing, picnics, and watching sunsets.
2. English Bay
   1. English Bay Beach
   2. Inukshuk - by Alvin Kanak, was put up just prior to the 2010 Olympics. Inukshuks are a symbol from the north polar region of the world especially for the Inuit people in northern Canada. The First Nations people around Vancouver did not make Inukshuks. In the Inuit language, the name Inukshuk means "in the likeliness of a human". Every Inukshuk is unique in shape because they were made of whatever rocks were near that location. Inukshuks are used to mark a place for navigation or as an important location such as a burial ground or important location. The arms and feet, when pointed in a certain direction indicated the way to go for navigation.
   3. Joe Fortes Memorial Fountain - Located in Alexandra Park across Beach Avenue from English Bay is a fountain dedicated to one of Vancouver's Favourite people: Joe Fortes. Joe lived near this spot and was responsible for teaching thousands of Vancouverites to swim in English Bay!
   4. The Sundial is an often overlooked monument at English Bay. It is located right just off of English Bay Beach near the Cactus Club restaurant.
   5. A-maze-ing laughter – This art piece by Yue Minjun became a permanent fixture in Vancouver Public Art after inspiring endless gleeful interaction from the public.
   6. Engagement - Dennis Oppenheim is one of the most influential and respected artists of our era. His work spans nearly five decades of art movements and is represented throughout the world in major museums, public installations and in almost every book on contemporary art post-1960. He was the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2005-2007 Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale Lifetime Achievement Award. Engagement references traditional engagement rings in a Pop Art form where everyday domestic objects are taken out of their ordinary environment and re-conceptualized as monumental sculptures. Sitting on top of the 21 and 28-foot rings, where diamonds would be, are two illuminated and translucent houses of tempered glass and aluminum. As a commentary on the precarious balances in marriage, the meaning of Engagement is intentionally open-ended. It asks us to consider the romantic, traditional, economic and social aspects inherent in the institution. The initial installation in the 2005-2007 Vancouver Biennale coincided with same-sex marriage debates taking place in Canada.
3. Coal Harbour
   1. Jack Poole Plaza
      1. 2010 Olympic Flame
   2. Nike statue - was a gift to the City of Vancouver for being the host city of an Olympic Games. It wasn't installed for a few years after the Olympics because it took the City some time to determine where to place it. Not many people actually see the statue because it is in the middle of a street and doesn't get too many people walking by it. It is a beautiful statue and it is worth going out of your way to see it!
   3. Fellowship Bell - This bell and the attached plaques have been engraved to honor those many companies and individuals who over the years of 1891-1979 were to make up the fabric of Coal Harbour's long history. As well, it is to remind the future generations of the self-contained, industrial marine community that developed on these shores from Vancouver's beginning.
   4. The Drop – A work by Inges Idee, a group of four artists from Germany and Sweden. It is one of the tallest pieces of public art in Vancouver, a gesture to this city’s relationship with water – rain, ocean and otherwise.
   5. Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre - The Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre is a place where you can go to learn about the Port of Vancouver including its history. It has displays and has free admission.
   6. Aerodynamic Forms in Space - The Aerodynamic Forms in Space Artwork is a piece of art near the entrance to Stanley Park in Devonian Park.
   7. Digital Orca - Artist: Douglas Coupland, British Columbia. The digital orca artwork is a piece of art in the Jack Poole plaza of the Vancouver Trade and Convention center that looks like a breaching orca (killer) whale!
   8. Canada Place - 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 3T4
      1. Flyover Canada - Basically you are suspended on a chair lift assembly in front of a 5 story IMAX theatre screen which simulates you flying over the scenery projected onto the screen. https://www.flyovercanada.com/
4. Gastown
   1. Gastown Steam Clock - 305 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B9, Canada
   2. Vancouver Look Out - 555 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N6, Canada
   3. Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden
5. Granville Island -
   1. Go Fish - Fresh Seafood
   2. Artisan Sake Maker
   3. Granville Island Brewing
   4. Liberty Distillery
   5. The Milkman
   6. GI Gelato
   7. Oyama Sausage Co
   8. Benton Brothers
   9. Siegel's Bagels - Montreal style bagels
   10. Stuart's Bakery
   11. Terra Breads - Peach Tart
6. Vanier Park
   1. Views
   2. Planetarium
7. Kitsilano Beach

Different places to snack or drink

1. Earnest Ice Cream - Cardamon
2. Uno Gelato
3. Breweries - Yaletown, & Brassneck
4. Gourmet Doughnuts
5. Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
6. Japadog
7. Nanaimo Bar
8. Hoke Poke
9. Beta 5 Chocolates

 

[TagsMissy]

how long are you in town for that's a lot to do? btw beside Dr. Sun-Yat Sen garden is also a free city run garden you can walk through

Some things I had written down on Vancouver for places to visit

1. Stanley Park
   1. Totem Poles - The most visited tourist attraction in BC, the totem poles each have a unique history. Stanley Park has hosted totem poles from all over BC from as early as 1880. Many are replicas as the originals were moved to museums for preservation. A first nations woman whose mother was born in the park carved the most recent totem!
   2. Brockton Point Lighthouse - Established in 1888 on the south side of First Narrows, guided shipping traffic into Vancouver, but its light was hidden to outbound traffic by the lush, dense forest of Stanley Park.
   3. Prospect Point – Up the hill to the history-rich views and café that is Prospect Point. It used to be a signal station until the Lions Gate Bridge was installed. Now the viewing platforms are a great photo-op and a fantastic spot to take a break with some coffee.
   4. Hollow Tree – With dedicated volunteers, the hollow tree withstood the windstorms of 2006 to provide more tourist photos for years to come! The tree is massive and underwent a restoration to ensure its safety.
   5. Lionsgate Bridge - The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938, officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet
   6. Girl in a Wetsuit – not to be confused with Copenhagen’s “The Little Mermaid”, Elek Imredy’s bronze sculpture, “Girl in a Wetsuit” was installed in 1972 and remains a landmark for passers-by on the water and on the seawall.
   7. A-maze-ing laughter – This art piece by Yue Minjun became a permanent fixture in Vancouver Public Art after inspiring endless gleeful interaction from the public.
   8. lost lagoon - A quick detour underneath the overpass will bring you to Lost Lagoon, named after a poem by Pauline Johnson. The lagoon used to be connected to the ocean through a canal and completely empty during low tide; hence it’s name!
   9. The Drop – A work by Inges Idee, a group of four artists from Germany and Sweden. It is one of the tallest pieces of public art in Vancouver, a gesture to this city’s relationship with water – rain, ocean and otherwise.
   10. Seawall - Vancouver has the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path. The 28 km Seaside Greenway is an uninterrupted pathway
2. Inukshuk - by Alvin Kanak, installed at Vancouver's English Bay, in British Columbia
3. Coal Harbour - Jack Poole Plaza
4. Granville Island -
   1. Artisan Sake Maker
   2. Granville Island Brewing
   3. Liberty Distillery
   4. The Milkman
   5. GI Gelato
   6. Oyama Sausage Co
   7. Benton Brothers
   8. Siegel's Bagels - Montreal style bagels
   9. Stuart's Bakery
   10. Terra Breads - Peach Tart
5. Hop-On / Hop-Off bus
6. Gastown Steam Clock
7. Capilano Suspension Bridge
8. Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden
9. Vanier Park
   1. Views
   2. Planetarium
10. Kitsilano Beach
11. Flyover Canada
12. Canada Place

Different places to snack or drink

1. Earnest Ice Cream - Cardamon
2. Uno Gelato
3. Breweries - Yaletown, & Brassneck
4. Gourmet Doughnuts
5. Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
6. Japadog
7. Nanaimo Bar
8. Hoke Poke
9. Beta 5 Chocolates

 

[TagsMissy]

My DH was Army got out at the conclusion of the first gulf after 10 years in. I saw you too are a wife of a soldier.
We both still support the Army but as contractors.

I looked at the Hop-On Hop-Off bus it looks like a great way to get around. We are staying really close to BC Place (the stadium downtown).

If you're near BC place you can walk to yaletown, chinatown and gastown, from gastown you can walk to Canada Place where the flyover, etc is.

 

[mrsmacsparky]

Sounds like a fabulous trip. By the time you get to Aulani, you might just want to relax and be pampered. My friends who have gone to Aulani have enjoyed the hydro therapy garden. Check out those spa packages that feature the hydro therapy garden. Also, figure out what time sunset is and make reservations for 'Ama 'Ama to coincide with the sun going down. It is a good view.

 

[dgbg100106]

how long are you in town for that's a lot to do? btw beside Dr. Sun-Yat Sen garden is also a free city run garden you can walk through

We are there for 3 days in September and 3 days in May. This is a lot of research, but I have no decision on what to do yet.
I was hoping to bike thru Stanley park for about 1/2 a day to see most of what is there. Do you think 4 hours is enough?

 

[dgbg100106]

If you're near BC place you can walk to yaletown, chinatown and gastown, from gastown you can walk to Canada Place where the flyover, etc is.

The hotel we are at also has free bikes to use, so we were hoping to take advantage of that also.

 

[dgbg100106]

Sounds like a fabulous trip. By the time you get to Aulani, you might just want to relax and be pampered. My friends who have gone to Aulani have enjoyed the hydro therapy garden. Check out those spa packages that feature the hydro therapy garden. Also, figure out what time sunset is and make reservations for 'Ama 'Ama to coincide with the sun going down. It is a good view.

I am hoping that Aulani is going to be my down time also. I will look into the Spa Packages.

 

[TagsMissy]

We are there for 3 days in September and 3 days in May. This is a lot of research, but I have no decision on what to do yet.
I was hoping to bike thru Stanley park for about 1/2 a day to see most of what is there. Do you think 4 hours is enough?

It's 9-10km to cycle around the park. From BC place though you can hit the seawall just off pacific and cycle pretty much right to the park and around it. assuming you're not going to the aquarium and simply cycling through with a few photo ops 4 hours is probably good.

 

[dgbg100106]

It's 9-10km to cycle around the park. From BC place though you can hit the seawall just off pacific and cycle pretty much right to the park and around it. assuming you're not going to the aquarium and simply cycling through with a few photo ops 4 hours is probably good.

That is exactly what we would do, is just ride, take some photos, and ride along. DH is not one for being someplace for too long.

 

[dgbg100106]

I just learned that the FREE bike rental from the hotel is first come first serve, no reservations, and the time limit is three hours so I will have to rent some bikes for us.

I also saw that most places also rent out helmets, but I am wondering if I should bring my own helmet liner. I have one for my motorcycle helmet.