First Trip to Hawaii / Aulani - Our Trip Report

Can't wait to read about your ziplining adventure. We have this scheduled for our trip in July.
 
Sorry for the delay; a work trip and conference got in the way... Climbworks experience will be posted tonight!
 
I have lived here almost 3 years. Ala Moana is my go to mall, which is great because it has everything I could ever need and it doesn't take me long to get there. But, I still don't think I've found every store in that mall and I always park in the same location so that I can find my car again later. It IS a confusing mall. There are places that you can only access from the garage and then there are places that have both a garage entrance and a mall entrance, and there are "you can't get there from here" places where you feel like you've walked a mile just to get to the part of the mall behind where you just were. Then there are places where the street runs through the mall, so you're walking along and "woah, car!" And then there are half floors and half escalators. There's is one part of the mall that I swear is like Hogwart's staircases.

So rest assured, the mall is ridiculously confusing. It's not just you. (The starbucks small kiosk store is in macy's..sort of ..)

Thank you for validating this!! Your descriptions are very accurate and made me laugh remembering our adventure there. I'm glad it wasn't just me wondering how I got so turned around. Especially at a mall. But it does have most of the major stores and we are glad we went. For anyone planning to go to Ala Moana, maybe plan on some extra some time to figure out how to get to the store(s) you are seeking.
 
I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had stone massages before and enjoyed them but now you’ve got me thinking a facial is better. Any additional details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks!

I am wondering same thing too..I get massages very often and fear for the price at Aulani I will be disappointed. Facials I am open too as well as the mud wrap thing?

The massage was relaxing. The lomilomi is comparable to a heated stone massage; if you've had one of those I don't think this will feel significantly different. I don't remember if I mentioned this in the original post or not but Brad asked for a deeper massage and his technician said he hadn't selected a deep-tissue massage. My technician was more willing to offer a stronger massage.

If I had to choose one spa service it would be the facial. When I'm looking for a pamper myself moment on a cruise or at a resort spa, I typically go with a facial. I think massages are easier to get at home at a more reasonable price. But for this trip we wanted a longer spa experience so we added the massage.
 


The massage was relaxing. The lomilomi is comparable to a heated stone massage; if you've had one of those I don't think this will feel significantly different. I don't remember if I mentioned this in the original post or not but Brad asked for a deeper massage and his technician said he hadn't selected a deep-tissue massage. My technician was more willing to offer a stronger massage.

If I had to choose one spa service it would be the facial. When I'm looking for a pamper myself moment on a cruise or at a resort spa, I typically go with a facial. I think massages are easier to get at home at a more reasonable price. But for this trip we wanted a longer spa experience so we added the massage.

THanks that was helpful! :)
 
Zipline at Climbworks
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Climbworks day!! This activity won out over Kualoa Ranch when we decided to eliminate one of our activities. Mostly because Brad and I decided this was a must-do for us. Pam and Dave were along for the adventure and typically responded to any questions with “whatever you guys want to do.” Possibly considerate, but still annoying when trying to plan for everyone… Especially if you later find they had an opinion!

When making the zipline reservation, we all planned to participate. However, Pam was the unknown. We knew there was potential for a higher level of physical activity, and ultimately Pam decided to not join us, which did not surprise Brad or me. We cancelled her reservation 48 hours ahead of time so she received a full refund. And ultimately, this was the right decision. But, as usual, I get ahead of myself.

Somewhere along the way, Pam decided she did not like the color nail polish she chose during her manicure the previous week. She decided a polish change at the spa would be more enjoyable for her than ziplining and made an appointment a day or two before.

Dave, Brad and I were up and on the road a bit after 7:30 a.m. for our 9:40 a.m. scheduled time at Climbworks. We had seen the entrance to Climbworks during our tour of the North Shore, so at a minimum we knew what the sign looked like! The combination of not wanting to be late (potentially missing our time slot) and Dave’s fear of being late, we allowed plenty of time. It was either early enough, far enough away from Honolulu or a combination of both, that traffic on H1 was pretty light for the short time we were on it. The road up north looks like a major road on the maps, but it is only a two-lane road. So you are dependent on the speed of those in front of you with limited passing opportunities. It wasn’t an issue, but just another reminder to allow sufficient time. They suggest getting there thirty minutes before your scheduled time and we got there before 9:00 a.m. We hit the restroom (there aren’t restrooms on the course so make sure you go before starting your adventure) and then checked in.

They have tablets on the wall where each person completes the waivers. I think there were 7 pages that each required acknowledgement that this is a physical activity with potential for death or dismemberment. What better sign of a fun time ahead?! It’s one of those things that you might reconsider doing if you actually read the fine print. After we all signed our lives away, we were weighed to ensure we were under the 270 pound limit. I’m not sure if it was to avoid embarrassment, but they weighed everyone regardless whether you appeared to be close to the limit or not.

After passing that test, we were told to wander around and our guides would find us shortly. Soon enough we were fitted with harnesses and helmets. I’d say we waited another 10 minutes until everyone in our group of 11 was equipped and ready to start our adventure. After some introductions they led us to the first line, which is a relatively short run so everyone can become familiar with the zipline experience. There is a circular staircase that you use to get to the first platform.

This was the first time Dave, Brad or I had done anything like this so the extent of our expectations was what we saw on the Climbworks videos online. After the first time, we all really enjoyed it and knew it would be a fun adventure. The group was then taken up to the actual start of the course in ATVs. I think it was a ten-minute ride.

We had three guides, who were fantastic. They were skilled and helped instill confidence for the guests. All three were entertaining and clearly worked well as a team. Two of them always went across the lines first, and would help ‘catch’ each of us when we zipped across. The third guide was responsible for sending us on our way, which entailed connecting us to the line then disconnecting the safety tether immediately before sending us on our way.

The next two and a half hours were spent on the course, which includes seven more zip lines, one of which is the longest in Oahu. That one was over a half mile and took over a minute, which is long for time spent on the line. Each of the lines was actually a pair of lines so two people would be going side by side. The two guides who went first would radio back to the sender with any instructions to ensure we would get all the way across. There were also hand signals they would occasionally use if someone needed to speed up or slow down.

The mechanisms they use work very well. At first I felt like I was coming in rather fast, but there are devices that grab your trolley and slow you down. The trolley is what connects your harness to the wheels that actually glide along the line. If someone didn’t make it all the way to the end of the line the guide would come out and pull you in. This happened a few times and isn’t a big deal. The other thing that the guide was telling us happens is someone jumps off the platform after the trolley has been connected but before the safety tether is disconnected. I kid you not, less than five minutes after hearing of this, guess what Dave did… He was glad he was last that time so the only person who witnessed it was the guide!

Between runs there were different ways to get to the next platform – bridges, short repel drops, staircases, etc. The most physically challenging was one where you pull yourself up to a platform above you using a pulley system. In theory, you are only pulling a quarter of your weight and if you need assistance the guides will help.

Along the way they introduce different ways to travel the course. For example, starting out by doing a trust-fall backwards, going down the whole line backwards or upside down. These are all optional, but fun to do. Since the course is above an active farm, there were food samples on some of the platforms.

Once finished with the course, you remove your gear and have the opportunity to purchase photos they took along the way or merchandise (t-shirts). This was an amazing experience, the views were unbelievable and the ziplines were exhilarating. As I mentioned, this was our first time on a zipline so we don’t have anything to compare to, but I cannot imagine anything going better.

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We took a change of clothes and an extra supply of wet ones, but we ended up not needing either. Perhaps if it was later/warmer/rainy/muddy but we didn’t get too dirty.

After Climbworks we decided to go to Haleiwa Joe’s for lunch. This was originally where we were going to have drinks Sunday night before we decided to stay at the resort. It was essentially on the way back to Aulani and we had less than a five-minute wait to be seated at a table outside. Yet again, we were treated to pristine views and fresh seafood. This was a great lunch and we were glad we stopped here.

Lunch at Haleiwa Joe's (from top left): view from our table, cajun fish sandwich with wasabi mayo, entry sign, daily fish sandwich, Island ceviche, cocktails.
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Next we went to the Island Vintage Coffee store just down the street – still searching for those damn cookies that apparently don’t exist anywhere other than the Royal Hawaiian store. Along the way we found all sorts of small, neat shops. We didn’t venture into them but enjoyed a bit of window-shopping as we walked by. We did not mention these stores to Pam… You are all sworn to secrecy on that!

We drove back to Aulani and found Pam on the balcony of our room. She said she enjoyed her time and made it to the spa for her manicure and back to the room without getting lost. She had lunch of some sort in the room. Brad and I decided to hit the beach for a while and then revisited Off the Hook. Yes, again! We think Pam and Dave napped.

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Dinner was at Makahikki. We’d already experienced breakfast at Makahiki but decided to give dinner a try also. Dinner was different than breakfast. Obviously, the food offerings would be different, but even the vibe was quieter. We were seated inside this time and it was not a day or time that Uncle was doing his thing. The food tasted good and I continue to be impressed with Aulani finding a solid balance between Eastern and Western cultures for the buffet. Brad and I just discussed which we liked better and we are split. If we forced ourselves to pick one, it would probably be solved with rock, paper, scissors. You won’t go wrong with either meal, from our perspective. Breakfast is a slightly better value though.

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The only issue we had was when we paid. Dave used his room key, but the server came back telling us there was an issue with the room charge and asked if we had an alternative payment method. We used a credit card and then Pam, Dave and Brad went to the Olelo Room for another drink. I went to the front desk to investigate the card issue. I was told that they (Pam and Dave) had almost reached the $2,000 limit for room charges and dinner would have put it over. My experience with Disney World is that when you hit, or approach, the limit, they charge the credit card on file so you may continue spending using your room key. The Aulani cast member said they don’t automatically charge because people sometimes want to use a different form of payment. This experience bothered me, partly because I feel they should have offered to charge to the credit card (resetting the room–limit) when we were down two days before to update the card on file (remember Pam lost her credit card) since they had to be close to the limit then.

I joined the others at the Olelo Room where we had drinks while listening to live music. I think we went back up to our room when the performers took a break. This was a great day and we were excited to be spending the next day (mostly) at Aulani.

Next… Executive Lanai
 
Sounds like you guys had a great day! I love Pam...we would be fast friends!!!!! Do you recommend this place you just dined at for Lunch?
 


When you mention you have to pull yourself up with a pulley. I don't have much upper arm strength will I be embarrassed? Lol
 
Sounds like you guys had a great day! I love Pam...we would be fast friends!!!!! Do you recommend this place you just dined at for Lunch?

Yes! We really enjoyed Haleiwa Joe's. Sorry, if I wasn't clear on that - we definitely recommend it.

Thank you for this detailed report, I’m glued to this thread!

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

I’m so excited for the Executive Lanai review-that’s one I booked the most for our trip!

Spoiler alert... we loved it!

When you mention you have to pull yourself up with a pulley. I don't have much upper arm strength will I be embarrassed? Lol

Not at all. More than half of the people in our group had help - some towards the end, other's early on. They tell you to say when you want help, but they also are watching and help when needed.
 
Executive Lanai
Thursday, January 18, 2018

We decided early on that we would stay at the resort our last full day. Originally, I’d reserved the adult cabana again for this day, but when I saw reviews of the executive lanai I decided to reserve that instead. My thought process was that it would be easier to change back to the cabana if we decided we preferred that.

For anyone not familiar with it, the executive lanai is a terrace overlooking the lagoon. The area includes two casabellas, two lounge chairs, two chairs, two umbrellas, a side table, and a storage cabinet with a locking drawer. Amenities included with the executive lanai are a fruit platter, towels and eight bottles of water. Items included with the cabana, but not with the lanai, are the television, Beats speaker and dessert tray.

In terms of location, the executive lanai is in front of Ama Ama, however there are several rows of chairs between Ama Ama and the lanai. In front of the lanai is the path along the beach. The lanai is on a mid-level between the main Aulani pool deck and the beach area. The people walking along the beach path are several steps below the terrace and the people in the lounge chairs are several steps above the terrace. There is also foliage to help provide some separation. We heard people on both levels, but it was not an issue for us. The lanai is only accessible from one side (the right if looking at the lagoon). This is also where there is a set of stairs for people going between the beach and the resort. I read some comments about the surrounding foot traffic being annoying, but it didn’t bother us at all. The gate closing was more noticeable than the people; it wasn’t slamming, but it is a heavy gate so the normal closing sound can be heard.

This was an extremely windy day. When we were escorted to the lanai, the cast member said typically the wind settles down midday, but that wasn’t the case for us; it was windy all day. In fact it got so bad that they had to close the Grotto area because so much debris was being blown out of the trees. Since we are from the Midwest, and accustomed to an occasional tornado, I wondered if we should be looking for Toto! The next morning they were working like crazy to clean everything out of the pools.

A few pics of the executive lanai and the view from it:
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Due to the wind, they didn’t allow umbrellas to be opened. Because of the layout and location of the lanai, we didn’t experience as much of the wind. It was entertaining to watch people on the beach arrive, find chairs then decide to raise the umbrella. Always, within minutes, a cast member would appear and close the umbrella, explaining why they couldn’t be used at that time. The lanai can get very warm in the direct sun and the umbrellas would have helped that, but clearly weather is outside the span of Disney’s control!

Earlier in the week when we showed Pam and Dave the executive lanai to reach a final consensus on whether we would keep that reservation, go back to the adult cabana or try one of the verandas, which are more affordable, have more natural shade and are a bit removed from some of the pedestrian traffic. However, we all agreed that the view from the lanai is how we wanted to spend our last day at Aulani; it is truly breathtaking to sit there and experience the beauty and serenity surrounding you. And we weren't disappointed with our decision.

Since I was curious beforehand, I’ll share that tipping is not accepted for the cabana host/ess. This is the cast member who initially escorts you to your reserved area, replenishes towels and addresses anything not related to food and beverage. This was a change from cruises where I have tipped the cabana host/ess. The server who handles food and beverages is tipped when you close out your tab for the day.

Ultimately, I’m glad we experienced both the adult cabana and the executive lanai. They each offer specific benefits, but if I were to pick one, it would be the executive lanai. However, if you are going at one of the busier times, I could easily change that opinion to have a home base near the pools that is yours for the day.

So, what did we do all day? A little bit of everything! Brad and I took a few laps in the lazy river. We noticed the wind at some of the more exposed areas of the lazy river. We also went down the water slides; after Brad’s experience with the inner tube slide, he took a hiatus from the slides, but at my encouragement he agreed to try the other one. He said the one without the inner tube was faster than he expected but he had fun. One time was enough, though!

We again ordered lunch from the poolside menu. Unfortunately, we don’t have any pictures of this meal; I think we had a few repeat items from our cabana day. But! We all had shave ice for dessert. Brad and I went to get them, and by the time we got back to the lanai, they had melted just enough to be less than photogenic. Of course, they still tasted great! Personally, I’ve decided you have to go all the way with the ice cream and the condensed milk.

Shave ice, random beverages and a fruit tray on the lanai:
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Brad and I walked over to the lookout area that is at the left of the lagoon (when facing the water from Aulani); I believe there is an official name for this area, but I don’t know what it is... This was a fun area to explore; it was peaceful and the wind was creating some decent waves. I’d guess we spent at least 30 minutes over there. The view of the lagoon, the ocean and Aulani is spectacular.

Views from the lookout:
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We left the lanai around 4:30 p.m. and headed up to the room. Even though this was supposed to be a stay at Aulani day, we decided to go to Beach House in Haleiwa for dinner. This is where we planned to have dinner Sunday night and was high on Brad’s list of places he wanted to eat. I think we left around 5:30 p.m. and traffic wasn’t bad at all. Beach House doesn’t accept reservations, so we weren’t sure how long the wait would be. I dropped the others off at the entrance and by the time I parked the car and got inside they had already been seated. Since it was almost dark outside there wasn’t much of a view to experience, but they still had the doors and windows open so we enjoyed the fresh air. This was yet another fantastic meal and we were pleased we made the effort to go there on our last night. This restaurant wasn’t cheap, but also wasn’t what I considered one of our top-tier restaurants. I’d say it’s comparable to a non-signature, table-service restaurant at Disney World. For attire, we were in shorts and polos. We highly recommend Beach House.

Beach House appetizers (top to bottom): kalua pork grilled cheese, first round of drinks, grilled sweet corn.
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Beach House dinner (clockwise from top right): Paniolo rib eye with bone marrow butter, lobster and shrimp red Thai curry, catch of the day (no other details recalled - sorry!), Thai fried chicken.
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After dinner, we went back to Aulani and, of course, we ventured through the gift shops. I think this is when Brad and I did our major shopping trip. We’d been considering several things, and purchased a few things along the way, but this time we actually grabbed a basket and started filling it up. We eventually made it back to the room and started packing – which may be the most depressing part of a trip for me!

Initially, the plan was that Brad and I would do most of our packing that night, hence the shopping run, so we could spend some time the next morning at the pool/beach. Pam and Dave did not plan to go down to the water with us so they were going to pack Friday morning. After Dave said he was going to sleep, I saw Pam’s suitcase appear. I asked Brad what was going on as I thought she was packing the next morning. He went to check on her, and all I know is before long, she was mostly packed. I’m pretty sure Brad just took over and it was likely a scavenger hunt for her to find where everything was when she got home! But she was finished packing.

I forgot to mention that on our first morning Brad went in his parent’s room and asked ‘what the heck happened?’ That may not be a direct quote, but it’s the PG version... He said Pam’s suitcase looked like a shoe explosion! I think the rest of the trip she was nervous about getting everything repacked.

I have two strategies about packing for return trips home. The first, to not expand my expandable suitcase for the outbound flight – save that extra space for the return. The second thing is that I always have a duffle in the pocket of my suitcase. When needed, this becomes a checked bag of clothes and/or shoes. I don’t use the duffle for anything fragile or toiletries, but using it for clothes/shoes frees up a lot of space in my suitcase. Because of this approach, I wasn’t stressed about packing all of our stuff – including Brad’s 6-pack of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, way more Honolulu Cookie Company cookies than two people should have and Aulani bath products (stay tuned for that)!

Eventually, Brad and I finished packing and called it a night for our last night at Aulani. At least this for trip!

Next: Travel Home
 
following - my hubs and i are planning a 25th wedding anniversary trip some time in early 2019. For us, too it'll be a once in a lifetime trip so I've been saving united airline miles and disney points on my two Chase cards, and DVC points to allow us to have more $ to spend on the tours and meals and souvenirs and such. I'm a spreadsheet junkie so I totally get that, too. :) love all the great info you've shared and love the pics, too. what a wonderful trip y'all had!
 
What an amazing vacation! Loved all of the pics - looks like you had the perfect room (view was awesome!). I have a question - on your last full day, I noticed in one of the pics that there was a "boat" or whatever it's called. I didn't think Aulani rented anything like that - just stand up paddle boards and snorkel gear. Do you know anything about that? Thanks!
 
The Executive Lanai looks like heaven :love: Totally weird mom question: if we were say, enjoying our relaxing lanai and the kids were in the lagoon, how far of a run would you expect it to be? Say if a mom had to jump a hedge and sprint for a kid in the lagoon?(mine are all water safe but the relaxing never comes) :rotfl:
 
I just cancelled our upcoming trip to Aulani. After reading your TR and seeing all your photos, I feel I've now been there and so you've saved me a ton of money! JK, we're planning our "one and done" trip for July 2019 and your TR has been very helpful. Thanks and glad to see you all had such a wonderful time!
 
This is a wonderful trip report! My partner and I are going on our first Aulani/Hawaii trip the first week of November and this is extremely thorough and helpful- thanks!!!
 
Between work and a quick trip to Orlando, I got behind schedule posting. This may be one of the only places where a trip to Disney World is an acceptable reason for getting behind!! I promise there is still more to come for this trip report...
 
Thanks to everyone for your compliments on our trip report!

following - my hubs and i are planning a 25th wedding anniversary trip some time in early 2019. For us, too it'll be a once in a lifetime trip so I've been saving united airline miles and disney points on my two Chase cards, and DVC points to allow us to have more $ to spend on the tours and meals and souvenirs and such. I'm a spreadsheet junkie so I totally get that, too. :) love all the great info you've shared and love the pics, too. what a wonderful trip y'all had!

I’ve been accused of over-planning, or at least over-analyzing, with my spreadsheets, but I like having the knowledge. Also for me, planning is half of the fun! Enjoy your trip and congrats on your anniversary!

What an amazing vacation! Loved all of the pics - looks like you had the perfect room (view was awesome!). I have a question - on your last full day, I noticed in one of the pics that there was a "boat" or whatever it's called. I didn't think Aulani rented anything like that - just stand up paddle boards and snorkel gear. Do you know anything about that? Thanks!

It was an amazing trip; I cannot repeat enough how much we all loved it.

I think that boat is almost considered an excursion. Groups would go out together using motor power to get out of the lagoon, then they would sail around. I do not know much about it, but I think it is listed as Sailing Canoe Experience under Activities/Beach Activities on the Aulani Website.
The Executive Lanai looks like heaven :love: Totally weird mom question: if we were say, enjoying our relaxing lanai and the kids were in the lagoon, how far of a run would you expect it to be? Say if a mom had to jump a hedge and sprint for a kid in the lagoon?(mine are all water safe but the relaxing never comes) :rotfl:

Ha!! Great mom question. My suggestion would be take the stairs rather than the flying leap over the hedge (the concrete landing could leave a mark). With a quick sprint I’d say you can be from lounge chair on the lanai to the water in under 35 seconds. Add some ‘momma instinct’ adrenaline and maybe less than 20 seconds.

I just cancelled our upcoming trip to Aulani. After reading your TR and seeing all your photos, I feel I've now been there and so you've saved me a ton of money! JK, we're planning our "one and done" trip for July 2019 and your TR has been very helpful. Thanks and glad to see you all had such a wonderful time!

Too funny!! I can honestly say, seeing photos is great, but they cannot convey the experience. You’ll love it.

This is a wonderful trip report! My partner and I are going on our first Aulani/Hawaii trip the first week of November and this is extremely thorough and helpful- thanks!!!

We had a fantastic time and know you will too!
 
Last Day in Paradise
Friday, January 19, 2019

Obviously, the main thing today was our flight home, but that wasn’t until 4:30 p.m. I won’t lie, this time went by more quickly than I hoped, but isn’t that always the case when a vacation is winding down?

From the beginning, we decided lunch at Ama Ama would be a good way to end our time at Aulani. I figured we would leave Aulani around 1:30 p.m., and checkout at Aulani is 11:00 a.m. I had made a reservation for lunch at noon, which worked out well.

Brad and I hit the pool and beach for several hours while Pam and Dave finished packing and enjoyed the balcony. We repeatedly missed the lava shack, which is a small shop in the pool area. It seemed it was closed, crowded or we were running late when we’d tried to visit previously. But we were walking by when it opened on our last morning so we took a quick lap through. Brad and I found leather Aulani key chains that can be personalized. So, we ordered these and they said they would be ready in 30 minutes or so.

Yeah, Brad and I were those people who wore all of the pool bands while we were there... Unfortunately, we missed a couple days early on, but here are the rest (plus some other pics from our last day):
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We did a quick trip through the gift shop and then went to the elevators, but were greeted by a cast member who redirected us to the service elevator area. Apparently, four of the six elevators for our tower were not working. They were using the two working ones for everyone coming down from the guestroom floors and using the service elevators for everyone going up from the lobby level and first floor. A security guard was staffing the elevator and told us that they believed it was a computer issue and the service company was on the way. Fortunately, no one was stuck in the non-working elevators, they just were not responding. It’s disappointing to have issues, but they can, and do, happen everywhere, and in my opinion, Disney handled this one well. The cast members were pleasant and had a system in place. Brad works in hotels, and I’ve been in hotel service elevators several times before, and we were both shocked at how clean and well maintained the service elevators and corridors were. Truly, it looked like they had been installed the day before.

When we got back to the room, we started to explain to Pam what happened with the elevators, but she interjected saying they experienced the same thing. We asked where they had gone since we thought they were staying in the room. She reluctantly admitted she *needed* to take another pass through the gift shop. And she was glad she did because someone showed her an Alex and Ani bracelet she had not previously seen. And, of course she had to have that. Clearly my advice for them to use our DVC discount on purchases wasn’t always heeded… Once she saw our bag from the gift store she felt less guilty acknowledging her return trip! Brad and I decided to get DVC Tervis cups we were previously undecided on purchasing. I now know where Brad gets some of his shopping habits!

Now it was time for Brad and I to shower and pack. Aulani has the Luana room that you may use on your checkout day (or on check-in day if your room isn’t ready), but we decided we were happier using our room even if it meant a little less time at the pools/beach. Once everything was ready we called bell services to store our bags while we had lunch. Since we were ready to go when the cast member arrived, and the elevators were still down, he had us ride down the service elevator with him.

We took a leisurely stroll through the lobby and sat out on the lobby terrace for a while until we decided to make our way to Ama Ama. I detoured through the pool area to pick up the key chains that were being engraved and met up with the others in the Ama Ama lobby. We were seated immediately after I checked us in. We were seated in a different room than we had been previously. We were again in the row of tables closest to the water. We enjoyed another amazing view and delicious meal.

Views from the restaurant:
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Ama Ama lunch (clockwise from top right): roasted chicken salad sandwich combo with Ewa corn and potato chowder and side salad; steak and blue cheese ciabatta with chips; roasted chicken salad sandwich combo with Ewa corn and potato chowder and fries; warm Honokaa honey mochi cake with Azuki gelato; lobster roll on Portuguese sweet bread with fries.
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After lunch we wandered back to the lobby. I stopped at the desk to get final copies of our folios – I’m guessing I have a 80% success rate with getting them via email so I often grab a printed copy. Also, I wanted to confirm they had the charges correctly applied since we had two credit cards on file; which they did.

I gave our claim tag to baggage services while I retrieved the car. When I got to the valet area they were happy to see we had more than enough room for our luggage. They said we’d be amazed how many times people have a ton of luggage and pull up a car that has no chance of fitting everything.

I’ll admit that there were several bittersweet moments in our last hours at Aulani. It was a wonderful home for the ten nights we were there, and I started to notice some of the things I'd miss. For example, the last time we were in the lagoon, pools and hot tub, when we left our room with the awesome view and when pulling away from the lobby the last time.

We were soon pulling away from Aulani. Traffic was light and we made it to the airport in good time. I had a plan (pretend to be surprised!)… I would drop the other three off, and the luggage, at the United check-in area and then I’d go get gas, return the car and meet up with them.

Making several trips to Orlando in the winter, Brad and I have gotten pretty good at changing from Florida weather (shorts and polos) to Chicago weather (jeans and long sleeve shirts/sweaters) attire in the men’s restroom at Orlando airport. For whatever reason, this bothered Pam and she wanted us to change in the car. Granted it was a somewhat spacious SUV, I still find it awkward to change in a car. Nonetheless, trying to please his mom, Brad acquiesced. So the new plan was to leave Pam and Dave with the luggage, and Brad and I would fill the car with gas, change clothes, return the car and then meet Pam and Dave. When we arrived at the airport to unload, it was pretty empty. I rented three of the luggage carts. I cringe spending that much money on something we’d only be using a short time, but I’ve learned sometimes it’s best to just budget the money and move on; trying to manage that much luggage otherwise would have been a mess.

After the drop off was complete, Brad and I went to the gas station. However, finding a place to park the car while changing clothes was a bit more challenging. We eventually found a side street and got our clothes changed before heading to the car rental. We agreed our original plan of using the airport restroom was better! When we found Pam and Dave at the United check-in, Dave was pacing. We didn’t know why, but Brad could easily tell something was up. Something I didn’t learn in my research is that there is an additional screening step at the Honolulu airport. Luggage that is being checked must be scanned before you go to your airline counter. As I recall it is agricultural screening. In the end it was a very quick, easy process. However, Dave thought we were running late and he started taking the luggage over to be scanned while Brad and I were packing the clothes we changed out of.

After this scanning was complete, we went to the airline counter and checked our bags. Next was security screening, which again since we had TSA precheck was pretty quick and easy. Pam did remove her Pandora bracelets this time since they set off the metal detector in Chicago.

We next started our walk to the gate. When we arrived in Honolulu we took a bus to baggage claim; either there isn’t a bus to the gates, or we didn’t see it. So it was a bit of a trek along the covered but open-air walkway. Yes, Hawaii weather is beautiful; but I would have enjoyed this walk more if it was in an air-conditioned hallway! We made it to the gate, with a few stops for bathrooms and gift shops.

Once we got to the gate we found seats and waited for boarding to begin. Probably five minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin we went to the designated area for our boarding group.

United has been known to change aircraft or have technical glitches with seat assignments. On account of this, I frequently logged in to ensure our seat assignments were correct for both our outbound and return flights. Three weeks or so before our trip I noticed that Brad didn’t have a seat assignment for our return flight, yet his previously selected seat was showing as unavailable. I called United and was told that while Brad does have a confirmed first-class seat, his seat could not be confirmed at this time. After some discussion, I was transferred to a supervisor and eventually Brad was moved back to his original seat.

A few days later, when I checked again, Dave had been moved to a seat on the opposite side of the plane. So the calls to United were repeated and I again was transferred to a supervisor who ultimately moved Dave back and added notes requesting our group not be moved. However, the whole situation was giving me an odd vibe so I checked again that afternoon. And Dave was again moved! I called United and was transferred to a supervisor and then a higher-level supervisor. My instinct was telling me that they were moving us for another passenger, but I couldn’t confirm this. Ultimately, I was told that Dave’s original seat was removed from availability for operational purposes, which I did not believe at all but I was essentially out of options. If it was going to happen, it was better on the return flight than the outbound flight.

On account of this, we discussed different seating options, and decided Dave would take his newly assigned seat, Pam would take my seat so she and Brad would be next to each other and I would take Pam’s seat next to our mystery traveler. After they took care of the pre-board passengers they invited Global Services passengers, of which there was one. I looked at Brad and said that gentleman would be my neighbor. Sure enough, when we boarded, the Global Services passenger was next to me.

I’m well aware this is a first-world problem, and that we were all fortunate to take this trip, let alone be in first class, but this experience left me with a very poor view of United. I understand airlines often make accommodations for their loyal customers. However, I was the first person who reserved first-class seats on our flights and consciously selected seats based on our preferences. I can understand United confirming a class of service for certain level passengers, but to accommodate specific seating preference by relocating other passengers seems excessive. And, the way United handled this without ever contacting me directly, and outright lying saying it was an operational issue, are examples demonstrating United Airlines integrity and credibility, or lack thereof.

Sorry for the rant, but it is something that clearly frustrated and disappointed me. Maybe now that I’ve vented, I’ll be able to ‘Let it go’ (insert Idina Manzel singing here).

Views from our flight - complete with rainbows and Diamond Head:
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It was an uneventful trip to Chicago. The flight was smooth, the service was very attentive and the meals and drinks were good. I think we all slept a bit, but also utilized the inflight entertainment to pass the time. After landing at a nearly empty O’Hare we found restrooms, baggage claim and our car service.

Sadly, our trip was officially over. Trust me, the Chicago weather was a rude reminder of this!

Okay… the day-by day report is over. But there are still a few posts to come on things that didn’t fit under specific days and overall thoughts and experiences.
 

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