How to Plan Your Trip To Aulani Tips and Tricks

[Michelle smith]

Yes

Well then, I would start researching and price matching what would save you the most money. Look at all possibilities, Military discount, renting DVC, any promotions that Aulani may have. You are still pretty early but if you go the DVC route, I would be prepared to book this June with them. Have you thought about working with a travel agent? They are free and often give you a little extra bonus for booking with them but may be able to guide you better with the military discount options you are looking at. I ended up using a TA (I got $150 gift card bonus) and she has been awesome helping me get my questions answered that I was not able to find on my own.

Maybe someone else may have better answers for you on this site. Hope that helps a little and you get your answers. You will love it no matter what you do!

 

[hodad]

Wailua falls, (aren't these on Kauai? )

Whoops! I meant to write Manoa Falls. Paradise Cove luau should be fun!

 

[stampinmom]

I am a HUGE money saver and anytime I can get a deal I do. I mentioned in the first post to rent DVC points if possible or watch for room deals. I won't go into that as I was late in the game and the DIS board seems to have a lot on that topic. I will tell you about some huge money saving tips I did use. The first is car rental. I am a Costco member and I knew that I can book a car anytime through them without paying upfront. The good thing to this is, I can also change a reservation as many times as I want as often as I want. I also knew that renting from the airport would be cheaper then the resort. No matter how many times I looked at Alamo for the days we were at the resort, the rental for one day in a car was no less than $98 dollars a day. So although the overnight fee is $37 a night, my rental for one week from the airport is way cheaper in a SUV! I started in January and booked a one week rental. At first it was about $298. However I kept checking and rebooking and you know what..... that same SUV went as low as $155 ($22 a day for an SUV). So Even with the $37 fee a night, I have a rental that is cheaper then a daily one with Aulani. (on a side note, the resort is giving me $150 free so that will help pay for the parking anyways) And as an executive member at Costco, I am getting 2% back on that rental. Money saved! There are other rental deals out there if you are not a member at Costco but I didn't look into them as this was a great deal.

The next little gem of a deal I did was buy the Hawaii Entertainment book. I knew we wanted to take the kids to a luau and after comparing prices I found Paradise Cove the best for your buck. It just also happens to be in the entertainment book for $25 off every adult.... 2 adults that is $50 we are saving. I decided to sign up for their email list as I knew they send out promotions all the time. And after a few weeks, I received a $5 promotion for the book to be mailed plus, a free app. I bought that and immediately booked the luau. They just asked for me to bring the coupon from the book upon arrival. And I have already been using the app around town where I live. It has already paid for itself and then some. I highly recommend this gem of a deal. There are other great deals in there like excursions, food and shopping. Worth every penny. View attachment 315174


The last deal we did was the Go Oahu card. Now I have to say I was very very confused about this card when I first read about it. And after I use it, I will post a blog just on it because no one seems to have a clear posting on how to use this card. It was the nice lady at the Sea Life park who gave me the low down and I am so glad she did. This card is only worth the money if and only if you plan to explore the island. If you plan to stay at the resort or only venture out for a day or two, do not do this card! Since we have planned several days out, this is a big time money saver. Let me explain why. The card from the Go card site will have 1, 2, 3,5,7 day cards choose from. Any card with 3 or more days gets you a premium activity like dolphin encounter, luau, Sunset dinner sail etc... that excursion alone costs you the price of the card so anything you do above that is money saved. To make this deal even better, Costco sells a 4 day card for the price almost of a 3 day card. So naturally we bought the 4 day.... that is a free day in my eyes! Here is what we get, we bought the card for $199 an adult and $166 a child (prices went up this month ugggg) we already wanted to do the dolphin encounter as that is my daughters dream so right there that would have been $150 if we paid it at the park. Then we also knew we wanted to take the kids to the Polynesian Culture Center that's $60. Just those two things alone has already paid for the pass so the 2 visits to Kualoa Ranch, Dole plantation, surfboard rental, scuba rental, Pearl Harbor are now 100% FREE. See why I bough the card?

Now let me tell you some things I have learned about this card. You must make reservations with some of the places; you just can't show up and go there. Any place that requires this, will have a R next to it on the paperwork they send you when you order the card. I recommend you do this as soon as you know what you have planned and you have the card. Many of the places require you to provide them with your Go Oahu card number. Ask lots of questions if you don't know. Everyone was more than helpful when I booked them. I asked things like where do we go, do you need ID, etc.... I also down loaded the app on my phone along with printing the pass. It comes with a nice print out of everything you can see or do as well as basic instructions. I just used a highlighter to highlight the ones we are interested in and any important info. Again I plan on posting after the trip on how it went. Spread the love.

Next post coming soon.....

Thank you for the Entertainment Book tip! I just ordered one as we are going in November. They have a tax day special right now and the books are $10.40 each. It doesn't say when that deal expires but I am thinking on the 17th since that's tax day. If you go through Ebates, they are offering 17.5% Ebates back on this so saving another couple of dollars.

 

[tanya0369]

We also bought the 4 day go Oahu. Payed for itself after 2 days. Did the PCC, dole plantation, Pearl Harbor, 2 days at kuala ranch- movie sites tour & catamaran, byodo-in temple. So easy to use, scan card at entrance and your all good to go!

 

[Michelle smith]

Okay so this next tip is for those of you traveling with kiddos. Every time we go on any trip I put together a little bound notebook full of all sorts of fun activities. From dot to dot, hang man to word search and fun facts. Whatever the trip, I re theme the notebook to fit. The internet is your friend for this and so is pinterst. I just save everything to my desk top as a PDF and then print away when I am ready to make the book. Here is what Aulani' s will look like:



I happen to be lucky as my office has a machine that will bind them for you in a protective sheet and such however I also know Kinkos or Staples can do the same. I have even stapled and put them in a folder with pockets before. My kids are now 12 and 9 and still beg for these. Great for planes, cars or just waiting around. I think my daughter has saved each one. You can get as creative as you want with these. We were at Disneyworld last year and I had people asking me where I bought them. The kids would take them out at dinner, in lines and for autographs. I usually just pack the twist able crayons or color pencils for them to use. Way easier then a box of crayons in my opinion. I don't have a picture of their backpacks and what I put in it as we are still a little away from packing but will add to this post once we do. It basically will have a refillable water bottle, snacks, gum, phone chargers, extra batteries for phones, jacket, and other fun things to do. Since we will be traveling on a plane, a lot of my goodies will be packed but for those of you taking these tips for another vacation like a theme park or road trip here are my go to items I always pack in my backpack:

* bubbles ( great for long lines and pit stops)
* Glow in the dark stuff ( anything from the 99 cent store. Cheap and quick and no worries if you loose it)
* wet wipes
* gum
* sunblock stick
* chapstick
* Change purse
* a sharpie and a few pens
* Plastic grocery bags folded (great for wet clothes, puke, etc... )

One last little thing I do is have small wrapped gifts for each kid to open when traveling. I usually spread it out for 1 present every 1-2 hours depending on age. Each gift is something cheap and fun to play with or use. Like a sticker book, a craft to make, lego set, magnetic game, deck if cards etc.... I usually buy these in any dollar section at target, or 99 cent stores. Helps to keep them off electronics and busy while we travel. Sometimes we wrap a bigger item like a hat or sunglasses. I usually have a theme for each trip so the gifts vary. I once gave them disposable cameras as we did a long 3 day road trip and had them capture their favorite places. What kid does not like to open presents? (added picture for visual will replace later when done shopping and wrapped)



Hope you enjoyed these tips for kids. More posts to come as we draw closer to our trip.

 

[Michelle smith]

So we just returned from our trip and must say what a great bucket list item to check off. I hope everyone has an amazing time there as well. Here are a few tips I learned after my stay:

1) Ask them anything! they are so helpful and accommodating. We asked for 6 blankets and they sent them no questions asked. Daughter lost her plumeria clip, they replaced it. Super nice staff.
2) When they say weekends are crowded... they are. No joke and we were there on an off season. Lots of Locals are there and all I can say is be prepared and ready.
3) Ladies the lighting in the bathrooms and room are horrible for make up. I plan on bringing a lighted mirror next time. I had to buy a mirror and go out on patio to do my make up.
4) You must be prepared for the flight out at Honolulu airport. We arrived 2 hours before and let me say we got to our gate right before boarding. UGGG. If you need time to eat or get snacks, plan ahead people. The construction along with masses trying to leave the island was pretty crazy. Give yourself some time.
5) Pack a extra duffel bag in your suit case for souvenirs. So glad I did because we bought a lot more than we thought we would. hehehhe
6) Aulani is a lot smaller than I expected. You can easily get around and my 13 and 9 year old were just fine alone. We sent them down to pool and in resort with out us all the time.
7) The front desk is not when you first walk in. It is to the right and is somewhat hidden. We arrived late and did a check in on line which was great however next day we had an issue with our card and I realized.... where is the front desk.
8) There is no sign to let you know where to turn into when you get there. So look for the big tree with lanterns on it.. we may or may have not driven right by it once or twice. heheheheh

The best tip is that everyone will tell you their opinion and what they think but remember it is your vacation. It can get very confusing and overwhelming so if you want to do something, do it. The worst feeling is coming home and always wondering if you "should have" gone or tried something. "the biggest regrets you will have in life are not what YOU DID but what you DIDN'T DO"

ALOHA!!!!!!

 

[snoodledoo]

So we just returned from our trip and must say what a great bucket list item to check off. I hope everyone has an amazing time there as well. Here are a few tips I learned after my stay:

1) Ask them anything! they are so helpful and accommodating. We asked for 6 blankets and they sent them no questions asked. Daughter lost her plumeria clip, they replaced it. Super nice staff.
2) When they say weekends are crowded... they are. No joke and we were there on an off season. Lots of Locals are there and all I can say is be prepared and ready.
3) Ladies the lighting in the bathrooms and room are horrible for make up. I plan on bringing a lighted mirror next time. I had to buy a mirror and go out on patio to do my make up.
4) You must be prepared for the flight out at Honolulu airport. We arrived 2 hours before and let me say we got to our gate right before boarding. UGGG. If you need time to eat or get snacks, plan ahead people. The construction along with masses trying to leave the island was pretty crazy. Give yourself some time.
5) Pack a extra duffel bag in your suit case for souvenirs. So glad I did because we bought a lot more than we thought we would. hehehhe
6) Aulani is a lot smaller than I expected. You can easily get around and my 13 and 9 year old were just fine alone. We sent them down to pool and in resort with out us all the time.
7) The front desk is not when you first walk in. It is to the right and is somewhat hidden. We arrived late and did a check in on line which was great however next day we had an issue with our card and I realized.... where is the front desk.
8) There is no sign to let you know where to turn into when you get there. So look for the big tree with lanterns on it.. we may or may have not driven right by it once or twice. heheheheh

The best tip is that everyone will tell you their opinion and what they think but remember it is your vacation. It can get very confusing and overwhelming so if you want to do something, do it. The worst feeling is coming home and always wondering if you "should have" gone or tried something. "the biggest regrets you will have in life are not what YOU DID but what you DIDN'T DO"

ALOHA!!!!!!

Thanks for the tips! Re: #2, are you referring to the resort, or the entire island?

 

[Michelle smith]

Thanks for the tips! Re: #2, are you referring to the resort, or the entire island?

Hi! No sorry I was only referring to the resort itself.