Aulani Planning Tools/Tips Needed. Thanks!

[Disney Dreams]

Hi All!


Thanks to fellow DISers I have great checklists and planning tools for trips to WDW and any DCL cruise we take. I am planning our first trip to Aulani and feeling like I don't have all the pieces.

We have our DVC ressie (and a wait list for one night - hope hope hope). We have our air travel all planned (thank you, miles!!!) and got a decent (we think) rental car reserved.

But I feel totally lost for planning our days. We want to do all the WWII stuff, visit the palace, see the turtles, see gorgeous scenery, and experience Hawaii from the locals view. And experience Aulani.

However, I feel like I don't know how/what I should be planning or reserving.

Can anyone offer any tips or tools to assist? I have searched DIS, but Aulani gets buried amongst everything else and I really haven't found any planning tools similar to those for WDW or cruising.

I am feeling as if tere are things I should be planning, but don't know what they are.

Thank you!

- Dreams (and DH)

P.S. it's just the two of us, celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary.

 

[JOANNEL]

I have done a lot of reading of trip reports, trip advisor and cruise critic!! We are going in two weeks so I will let you know when we return!!

 

[gumbypee]

I haven't been yet but I can try to help

Get your Pearl Harbor tickets online ( $1.50 processing fee each otherwise free). There is a package to see USs Arizona and USs Missouri ( which does cost money but doesn't usually run out of tix). Get your tickets now. They sell out. Google Pearl Harbor tickets bc I can't think of website right now. You must be there one hour early or they WILL release your tickets. Parking there is supposedly a nightmare so allow time for that. This can be a several hour-1/2 day trip depending on all you want to see.

Edit: http://www.recreation.gov/tourSearchResult.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369

There are dailies (iwa) with activities every day at aulani. Try a search and you can find some but they do change. There are activities for kids and for everyone ( I know it is your anniversary so congrats)

You will want to see starlight hui which is a disneyfied type luau but I do not believe there is food. It changes nights depending on certain things right now it is Monday and Thursdays but when I talked to a cm she said it might be on Fridays in October-MAYBE.

You will want to have an expensive dinner at AMA AMA at sunset-romantic make reservation now

Character breakfast should be fun ( expensive as well though) and I'm a single adult and gosh darnit I plan on going!!! Reservation now

There are pools and water slide and lazy river

There is a kinda for kids I think hunt for menehune ( but I plan on doing it)

Storytelling at night I believe

I apologize I go in beginning of October so this is all info I have gleaned and not experienced first hand

You should do a luau but there is great variation on what us good or not

Swap meet at aloha stadium on Saturdays for good souvenirs

North shore is good for surfing or to watch and I THINK see turtles

Haunama bay is good for snorkeling, there is snorkeling at aulani but man made

Beach is open to public but not aulani pools

Dole factory if you like pineapple I think is on way to north shore

Monkey pod is a restaurant across from aulani that gets great reviews and good happy hour special-google to check it out

Can't think what else you posted

Please someone else correct any mistakes Iay have made

Have awesome time- I cannot edit to go!!!

 

[gumbypee]

Oh and a hike at diamond head if you feel like some exercise

 

[Disney Dreams]

Thanks for the above replies.

As someone who has also yet to go, I have acquired a very similar list as above through reading and research.

I guess I am looking for tips and tools from those who have been and are "in the know" with things they wish someone told them before they planned their first trip.

Or if there was something you did at Aulani or in Oahu that you would never miss doing.

Anything two adults should know for a first visit to Aulani/Oahu.

Again, plane, DVC, rental car are all booked. It just feels like we're aren't "ready." Any "must do" tours or excursions? Who to avoid/use? Amazing restaurants?

Thanks,
Dreams

 

[JeanfromBNA]

I know how you feel! Had to use the Google-fu to find out about Oahu, and found this great website from the Hawaiian Tourism authority. Lots of detailed information and links: http://www.gohawaii.com/oahu/about

See you at the beach!

 

[asunutgirl]

We just got back from Aulani.

If you go to the North Shore, there is great snorkeling at Shark's Cove. (No sharks there - the cove is shaped like a shark's tail.) But you can't do that if the waves are big. Depends on the time of year you are going. Waves start getting big in late Sept.

Snorkel in Rainbow Reef is way easier and much less hassle than Hanauma Bay. The bay is beautiful but it has turned into a huge tourist trap and is kind of a pain. We did the week pass to the reef.

If you want to see turtles and the north shore weather isn't good - try to book a snorkel excursion to Turtle Canyon off Waikiki. We dove there last week and it was full of turtles.

Make reservations at Monkeypod and ask to sit outside. No A/C inside and it is stuffy in there. If you go to Waikiki, eat at Dukes. We went for lunch and had a great view of the ocean.

Listen to the music in the elevator. It is in Hawaiian but if you listen carefully, you might hear some familiar songs...

Buy Macadamia Nuts at Target. Cheapest price we found.

You can spend a whole day at Pearl Harbor if you do the whole thing. We did just the Arizona Memorial as we had the kids with us and I wasn't sure how much they could handle. They enjoyed it more than I expected. Make reservations now and don't go on Friday afternoon if you can avoid it. The traffic back to the resort was brutal.

We did the Paradise Cove Luau and it was great. Pretty good food as Luau's go and the show was good. Easy walk to and from Aulani. There is no food at the Starlit Hui - show only.

Enjoy yourself and relax! The resort is beautiful!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Been to Aulani twice, last time February 2013. Beautiful resort. I'll do my best to tell you what I have "learned." We didn't care all that much for the food @ Aulani. It's very expensive too. Many people leave the premises, especially at dinner, to eat. Across the street is just ok. We went to the Mexican place, can't remember the name. They just opened and had no chips. There is a Roy's Restaurant down the road (to the right and across street) of Aulani. It's popular but also a chain. Many people (especially those who have kitchens in their rooms) goes down the highway 2 minutes and shop at Target, Safeway and Costco for food. Seen big hauls from Costco trips. There are also fast food restaurants in that same area. I would keep in mind about the traffic, especially since you have a rental car. We also had a rental car. Honolulu traffic is horrible. Going into Honolulu from resort takes a long time in rush hour. Keep that in mind when budgeting time and scheduled excursions. Especially Pearl Harbor. Get there early, and I mean early, before the tour buses arrive and parking fills up quickly. North Shore is also a nice day trip, not only for the Dole Plantation but for the famous shaved ice place....Makosuto (something lilke that). Lines are very long. We also did a stop at Leonards Bakery. Very popular and very crowded. Parking is tough too but worth the trip. We liked it so much we went twice. My husband is big on finding where the locals go and where the locals eat so he uses those apps from the food shows like divers, drive ins and dives. Found a great hot dog place, I think the name was Hanks or Hautes, sorry. Believe or not they are famous and known for their homemade vanilla crème bruelle (sorry again, spelling). Soooo good and worth it just for that. If you are planning on eating at Aulani, especially the character buffet, make a reservation as soon as your window comes up. Seriously. Chances of getting a ressie when there is not good. For that place or AMA AMA. Be prepared for sticker shock at AMA AMA. Gorgeous views though. Oh, the pools. Believe it or not, people get up early to get their spot by the pool. You have to get a wrist band and towel, I think it opens @ 8. There is usually a line before that. People get their spot, go have breakfast or workout and then go to pool. Buy the refillable mug at the gift shop. It pays for itself. Have a wonderful trip.