ray3127
Life goal = Quarterly vacation
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2018
We are getting a feel for if a trip to Aulani is right for us, and how such a trip might look. Been perusing this Aulani board and picking up some good information, but I feel it's time to post with specifics.
DW & I went to Hawaii on our honeymoon in 2011. Details w/highlights:
2 nights on Oahu, Outrigger Reef on the Beach
- Pearl Harbor w/Honolulu City Tour through Discover Hawaii Tours
- Waikiki Beach on our own
7 Nights on Maui, Hyatt Regency Ka'anapali
- Parasailing
- Old Lahaina Luau
- Sunset Sail w/Trilogy
- Hike Maui (East Maui Waterfall hike)
- Haleakala during the day (not sunrise)
- Had our own car; explored a little (Wailea one day, Lahaina, etc.)
So we are looking at going summer 2021 with our kids. DS would be 7.5, DD would be 3.5. We enjoy visiting California in the summer, as we love Disneyland and have some family spread across Southern California. We also own DVC, with a small-ish contract at VGC and a couple larger ones at BLT/BCV.
Flying from Omaha, the general plan would be:
- Fly to Southern California to visit some family for 2 nights.
- Fly LAX/SAN to HNL, stay at Aulani for 7/8 nights. (probably Hawaiian Airlines)
- Fly HNL to LAX/LGB, stay at Grand Californian for 4/5 nights. (probably Hawaiian Airlines)
- Fly SNA to OMA, home.
The thought behind breaking up the flights is because:
- It's a 12-hour trip from first take-off from OMA-HNL, with a very early morning to boot. I don't really want to do that with my kids (or on my own, for that matter).
- The only option to get all the way home from HNL-OMA is with a redeye. I did that in 2011, and I am never, ever doing it again. Ever.
That puts Disneyland on the back end of Hawaii. I'm very firmly in the "WDW BEFORE a cruise" camp, but given the redeye situation, I'm not considering doing Hawaii last. I also think that having something fun/familiar to look forward to after Hawaii is a nice way to soften the blow of leaving Hawaii. Disneyland is quite relaxing for us, so I'm not worried about it.
Our main objective would be to relax and enjoy the resort (and spa), though an excursion or two off-site would be nice.
Here are my questions:
- Considering our kids' ages, will we have enough to do? i.e., is it worth the trouble/expense of going all the way to Hawaii? We've heard incredible things about Aulani, and we want to experience it for ourselves. We don't believe in "waiting until the kids are old enough" with everything. Otherwise we wouldn't travel for 10 years. No thanks. But I want to make sure that it is a family-friendly trip that suits our needs. We definitely want to enjoy the resort the majority of the time, but are there other off-site activities suitable for a family with a 7.5 and 3.5-year old?
- What kind of excursions are there to do that are suitable for families with kids our ages'? I've seen some on the Aulani website--is it like DCL cruises, where Disney offers some options at a premium price, but you're better off booking yourself?
- Are we okay without a car? Staying on DVC points, parking would be free... but I hate having a rental car on vacation. I imagine the answer to this depends on the answers to my first two questions a little.
- Does this flight idea make sense? We are considering the 2x4x2 configuration Hawaiian Airlines flights to/from the mainland. To save some money, we figured we would be okay in a full row of 4 in the 'Main Cabin'. If it was just DW & I, we would do the 'Extra Comfort'. But our kids wouldn't need the extra space, it would be a waste of money for them. So DW & I would have some 'extra' space, plus each have aisle seats.
- Are Hawaiian Airlines prices fairly consistent? It looks to me like pricing stays pretty consistent most days, with some hikes on some weekends. Should I expect the same for June?
- DVC availability in mid-June? We would be staying on points, and would prefer the higher-category view rooms. I'm fine splurging for the Oceanview or Poolside. Probably a 1-bedroom, though we may consider a Studio if it was available. Any concern about booking this category at 7 months for the second week of June?
Any other thoughts from you seasoned veterans that I should consider as I'm starting to piece this long-range plan together?
DW & I went to Hawaii on our honeymoon in 2011. Details w/highlights:
2 nights on Oahu, Outrigger Reef on the Beach
- Pearl Harbor w/Honolulu City Tour through Discover Hawaii Tours
- Waikiki Beach on our own
7 Nights on Maui, Hyatt Regency Ka'anapali
- Parasailing
- Old Lahaina Luau
- Sunset Sail w/Trilogy
- Hike Maui (East Maui Waterfall hike)
- Haleakala during the day (not sunrise)
- Had our own car; explored a little (Wailea one day, Lahaina, etc.)
So we are looking at going summer 2021 with our kids. DS would be 7.5, DD would be 3.5. We enjoy visiting California in the summer, as we love Disneyland and have some family spread across Southern California. We also own DVC, with a small-ish contract at VGC and a couple larger ones at BLT/BCV.
Flying from Omaha, the general plan would be:
- Fly to Southern California to visit some family for 2 nights.
- Fly LAX/SAN to HNL, stay at Aulani for 7/8 nights. (probably Hawaiian Airlines)
- Fly HNL to LAX/LGB, stay at Grand Californian for 4/5 nights. (probably Hawaiian Airlines)
- Fly SNA to OMA, home.
The thought behind breaking up the flights is because:
- It's a 12-hour trip from first take-off from OMA-HNL, with a very early morning to boot. I don't really want to do that with my kids (or on my own, for that matter).
- The only option to get all the way home from HNL-OMA is with a redeye. I did that in 2011, and I am never, ever doing it again. Ever.
That puts Disneyland on the back end of Hawaii. I'm very firmly in the "WDW BEFORE a cruise" camp, but given the redeye situation, I'm not considering doing Hawaii last. I also think that having something fun/familiar to look forward to after Hawaii is a nice way to soften the blow of leaving Hawaii. Disneyland is quite relaxing for us, so I'm not worried about it.
Our main objective would be to relax and enjoy the resort (and spa), though an excursion or two off-site would be nice.
Here are my questions:
- Considering our kids' ages, will we have enough to do? i.e., is it worth the trouble/expense of going all the way to Hawaii? We've heard incredible things about Aulani, and we want to experience it for ourselves. We don't believe in "waiting until the kids are old enough" with everything. Otherwise we wouldn't travel for 10 years. No thanks. But I want to make sure that it is a family-friendly trip that suits our needs. We definitely want to enjoy the resort the majority of the time, but are there other off-site activities suitable for a family with a 7.5 and 3.5-year old?
- What kind of excursions are there to do that are suitable for families with kids our ages'? I've seen some on the Aulani website--is it like DCL cruises, where Disney offers some options at a premium price, but you're better off booking yourself?
- Are we okay without a car? Staying on DVC points, parking would be free... but I hate having a rental car on vacation. I imagine the answer to this depends on the answers to my first two questions a little.
- Does this flight idea make sense? We are considering the 2x4x2 configuration Hawaiian Airlines flights to/from the mainland. To save some money, we figured we would be okay in a full row of 4 in the 'Main Cabin'. If it was just DW & I, we would do the 'Extra Comfort'. But our kids wouldn't need the extra space, it would be a waste of money for them. So DW & I would have some 'extra' space, plus each have aisle seats.
- Are Hawaiian Airlines prices fairly consistent? It looks to me like pricing stays pretty consistent most days, with some hikes on some weekends. Should I expect the same for June?
- DVC availability in mid-June? We would be staying on points, and would prefer the higher-category view rooms. I'm fine splurging for the Oceanview or Poolside. Probably a 1-bedroom, though we may consider a Studio if it was available. Any concern about booking this category at 7 months for the second week of June?
Any other thoughts from you seasoned veterans that I should consider as I'm starting to piece this long-range plan together?
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