Leit's Aulani Trip Report

Ellen, do not miss the spa! My SIL and I spent 6 hours there, with only 80 minutes of it being massage time. It was heavenly and sooo relaxing. You can order food in and everything, too! We were staying in Waikiki for a conference she was attending, but we went a day early just so we could go over and spend the day at Aulani.

Lucky you!! And not to worry- I plan on making sure I don't miss the spa. :cloud9: How wonderful you were able to go over for the day and enjoy. :goodvibes Thanks for the encouragement!

I'm glad it's helpful!!! I would have spent more time in the spa if I'd brought my book or my own iPod, but I got a little restless. DH stayed there longer - it was really so nice! The luau was lots of fun, I think it's definitely an experience families would enjoy! As far as talk about cultures, I think the luau focused more about the history and importance of activities, recreation, and dance to the Hawaiian culture. I think Aulani's Starlight Hui was more general about Hawaiian and Polynesian culture (how their people respect for the earth and nature). The best culture and history lesson we got was from our bus driver, Shannon O'Brien, on our Kualoa Ranch Excursion! Anyone that gets him as a driver is lucky!

It's cool to have you read my TR 'cause I was paying close attention to your April SSR TR in preparation for our May SSR trip!!! :goodvibes

That's funny that you read mine- you have COMPLETELY paid me back and then some! :rotfl: You seem to have picked the things I am interested in doing with my family- the North Shore, the luau, the Surf School, the ranch- did you go out on a canoe or paddleboard? Anyway, I am very impressed you both were able to get up when you surfed, I hope we are as fortunate (although I am not sure if we are all doing this or just the boys are). I did read that they are the best surf school, and it sounds like you agree.:goodvibes Awesome day, thanks for sharing AGAIN.:thumbsup2
 
Great trip report! :cool1: I am anxiously reading as I try to convince DH to go in March! We went to the Big Island last Thanksgiving and it was so relaxing! Looks like my family would love most of the activities you chose!

Did you find it was a lot of driving? I ask because I had thought to split our days between Waikki (sp )and Aulani! I prefer to stay in one place and just commute, if not too terrible. Hey I drive in LA no problem!! We would really like to Diamond Head, North Shore and maybe Pearl Harbor as well as shopping, snorkeling and swimming! We are picky eaters, isn't there a strip mall close by?

I love being able to go to Target where ever we go and get snacks and things! Funny thing in Kona we ate at (gasp) Taco Bell and Subway too! We aren't very adventurous food wise, though we did go to an authentic luau at the yacht club with all the ( weird to us and yucky!) authentic foods!

Can't wait for the rest of your TR! :cheer2:
 
Thank you for all of your info. We aren't going until August 2012 but I still can't wait. DH wants to to a couples massage and you gave me a lot of info for him. And the pictures are wonderful. We reserved an Ocean View but we were told that the Pool view is just as good. Looking at your pictures, I am not sure I want to gamble. I LOVE waking up and sitting out on the balcony when we are on vacation. It seems to be the only time in my life that I voluntarily get up at dawn. :cloud9:
Keep the info coming!
Sue:hippie:
 
Thanks for posting this trip report ... have been trying to make up our minds as to what to do while there (we're all about the resort and Mickey), and this is helping a lot, especially the dining reviews!
The part about the wrist-bands cracks me up since as a teen we used to sneak into the extravagant resort pools, which is why its so strictly enforced now for resort guests only ... to keep the locals out!
Glad you had a great trip, and you were very fortunate to have seen both turtles and a monk seal! We see turtles once a month or so (usually hit the beach once a week), and I think I've only seen a monk seal once in the last 5 years or so. ::yes::
 


Great trip report so far! Wondering if you booked your surf experience in advance or did you wait til you got there?
 
I am loving your TR so far!! We live here and have been lucky enough to stay at Aulani a few times now. It's gorgeous. I just love reading what visitors have to say about our gorgeous island home!!

Romy's is not my fav shrimp truck. I like Big Wave (they offer peeled shrimp) or Giovanni's better (no heads but you need to peel.)


Hawaiian Monk Seals are very rare to see, lucky you saw one!! Seeing a sea turtle is considered good luck here too. And Laniakea Beach is a great place.

One hint--walk the paved pathway along the beaches to the right, past the Marriot, keep going on a dirt path to another private cove. You may find sea turtles there too. That's state property (all beaches belong to the people/state of HI.)

Don't forget to get shave ice. I like Aoki's in Hale'iwa. The reason traffic was backed up in Hale'iwa was because surf was up. Always backs up traffic. Imagine in winter, when swells are 30' and bigger!!! Major traffic LOL!
 
I've read about half of this, I've got to run but I'll be back! GREAT details!

On Sunday I had a trip to Aulani booked for about 2 hours! :laughing:

We'll have to wait until 2013, like I had planned, but I love all the details. I'm definitely getting the ocean view room! :thumbsup2
 


I am really enjoying your TR, it is fantastic! We hope to go to Aulani in a couple years and I just love seeing the pictures and reading about what you did each day-Thank you!:thumbsup2
 
That's funny that you read mine- you have COMPLETELY paid me back and then some! :rotfl: You seem to have picked the things I am interested in doing with my family- the North Shore, the luau, the Surf School, the ranch- did you go out on a canoe or paddleboard? Anyway, I am very impressed you both were able to get up when you surfed, I hope we are as fortunate (although I am not sure if we are all doing this or just the boys are). I did read that they are the best surf school, and it sounds like you agree.:goodvibes Awesome day, thanks for sharing AGAIN.:thumbsup2

We didn't go out on canoe or paddleboard, but there were opportunities to (the Paradise Cove Luau offered kayaking and so did Kualoa Ranch's secret beach). The guys at surf school were so enthusiastic in cheering for you to get up on the board, and they were ready to get you back for another try if you didn't do it right away - they really work to get everyone surfing! I hope you have lots of fun when you go - and I can't wait to read your Aulani TR!

Great trip report! :cool1: I am anxiously reading as I try to convince DH to go in March! We went to the Big Island last Thanksgiving and it was so relaxing! Looks like my family would love most of the activities you chose!

Did you find it was a lot of driving? I ask because I had thought to split our days between Waikki (sp )and Aulani! I prefer to stay in one place and just commute, if not too terrible. Hey I drive in LA no problem!! We would really like to Diamond Head, North Shore and maybe Pearl Harbor as well as shopping, snorkeling and swimming! We are picky eaters, isn't there a strip mall close by?

I love being able to go to Target where ever we go and get snacks and things! Funny thing in Kona we ate at (gasp) Taco Bell and Subway too! We aren't very adventurous food wise, though we did go to an authentic luau at the yacht club with all the ( weird to us and yucky!) authentic foods!

Can't wait for the rest of your TR! :cheer2:

I hope you are able to convince your DH! I didn't mind the driving, although you did have to trek a bit to get anywhere. Wakiki area traffic was thicker, but further out it wasn't bad (but the speed limit was around 35 so that was a little annoying). By the end we were glad our last 2 days were Adventures by Disney so they could do the driving! There is a strip mall "across the street" (it's across and down a little) and they do have eating options, but we didn't eat there (one day we almost got sandwiches and salads from the ABC store in the strip mall - they looked really good but then we decided on something else). Kapolei is a little town very close to Aulani (about a 5 minute drive) and it had lots of places to eat (Outback, Chili's, Panda Express, McDonalds, etc), but even so we went for convenience and ate at Aulani mostly (either the restaurants, private dining, or our groceries). I'm glad I'm not alone in being a non-adventurous eater, I was a little nervous to admit that I didn't love all the island food!

Thank you for all of your info. We aren't going until August 2012 but I still can't wait. DH wants to to a couples massage and you gave me a lot of info for him. And the pictures are wonderful. We reserved an Ocean View but we were told that the Pool view is just as good. Looking at your pictures, I am not sure I want to gamble. I LOVE waking up and sitting out on the balcony when we are on vacation. It seems to be the only time in my life that I voluntarily get up at dawn. :cloud9:
Keep the info coming!
Sue:hippie:

The couples massage was so great, they really spoiled us! I've found myself home thinking that I could really go for another massage haha!

Ours was an ocean view, so maybe a Pool view would just be a lower level that just might not get the ocean view? No matter what it will be awesome to sit out there and listen to the sounds and watch the resort light up!

Thanks for posting this trip report ... have been trying to make up our minds as to what to do while there (we're all about the resort and Mickey), and this is helping a lot, especially the dining reviews!
The part about the wrist-bands cracks me up since as a teen we used to sneak into the extravagant resort pools, which is why its so strictly enforced now for resort guests only ... to keep the locals out!
Glad you had a great trip, and you were very fortunate to have seen both turtles and a monk seal! We see turtles once a month or so (usually hit the beach once a week), and I think I've only seen a monk seal once in the last 5 years or so. ::yes::

I'm glad you are enjoying it! I wish my dining report would have been better - each year we try to be good dining reporters but we always dig in so fast and then forget what we ate later! We didn't really run into a lot of reinforcement with the pool wrist-bands, probably because it was so quiet when we were there. I'm so jealous that you get to be in such a beautiful place... I don't understand why everyone doesn't immigrate there after visiting once lol!

Great trip report so far! Wondering if you booked your surf experience in advance or did you wait til you got there?

We did book both of our excursions over the phone a month or so before we got there. I've read in other threads that some excursions have been canceled for not getting filled up so it seems like it's no problem to wait until you get there to book. I think the greatest advantage to booking there is that you get to get more information about the excursions (the people on the phone didn't have any information, but that might just be because it's so new).

I am loving your TR so far!! We live here and have been lucky enough to stay at Aulani a few times now. It's gorgeous. I just love reading what visitors have to say about our gorgeous island home!!

Romy's is not my fav shrimp truck. I like Big Wave (they offer peeled shrimp) or Giovanni's better (no heads but you need to peel.)


Hawaiian Monk Seals are very rare to see, lucky you saw one!! Seeing a sea turtle is considered good luck here too. And Laniakea Beach is a great place.

One hint--walk the paved pathway along the beaches to the right, past the Marriot, keep going on a dirt path to another private cove. You may find sea turtles there too. That's state property (all beaches belong to the people/state of HI.)

Don't forget to get shave ice. I like Aoki's in Hale'iwa. The reason traffic was backed up in Hale'iwa was because surf was up. Always backs up traffic. Imagine in winter, when swells are 30' and bigger!!! Major traffic LOL!

Thanks for all the hints - I wish I could pin it up somewhere for everyone to see! If we are lucky enough to go again we'll try one of those shrimp trucks. DH definitely did enjoy the shrimp, but if he didn't have to work so hard he'd love them even more lol. If I would have known about the private cove we would have walked there every day in hopes of seeing turtles again! They (and the monk seal) are the most beautiful animals ever!

Honestly, the people and the beauty of the island made it a spectacular vacation. DH is military so I think I've asked him a million times since we landed in Honolulu if he's sure he can't get posted to Oahu (he's sure... although I'm thinking about asking his boss just to be really really sure). It's like being in another world! Thank you for continuing that feeling by sharing more tips here... is that what they call the Aloha spirit? :goodvibes

I've read about half of this, I've got to run but I'll be back! GREAT details!

On Sunday I had a trip to Aulani booked for about 2 hours! :laughing:

We'll have to wait until 2013, like I had planned, but I love all the details. I'm definitely getting the ocean view room! :thumbsup2

So glad you are enjoying it! I saw there was a sale on plane tickets to Honolulu this weekend and DH said "book them!" Too bad we have weddings and graduations booking up our vacation next year :rotfl:

I am really enjoying your TR, it is fantastic! We hope to go to Aulani in a couple years and I just love seeing the pictures and reading about what you did each day-Thank you!

Thank you! I hope you get to go!
 
Since this is our last day of adventures Ill make this a 2-parter and post double the pics. Winding down the trip report is almost as sad as winding down the trip was!

We had quite some time today to hang out at the resort before having to meet up with our Adventures by Disney group. We had breakfast on the balcony again and just took the time to relax!


Resort lighting up


Our View


Mickey and Minnie as seen from our balcony (and zoomed in on)

At 10:45 we headed down to the lobby to meet our group for the excursion. We found out we would be swimming so we headed back up to grab our swim suits and reading materials (we didn't realize the excursion included beach time for swimming or bumming). While loading the bus each of us got a towel, granola bar or trail mix bag, and bottle of water. There were around 13 people on the bus (not including driver or ABD guide, Eki - our guide from the day before, yay!). Once we headed out we were almost instantly caught in traffic. They let us know the traffic was not expected, but both Shannon (our driver) and Eki kept us entertained for the whole 90+mins (when it should have been 45) we were on the bus. We all introduced ourselves (almost all of the couples on the bus were celebrating an anniversary, and there was one newlywed couple), Eki taught us a song, and Shannon told stories non-stop (explaining the history of the area, and the history of the Hawaiian people). I thought I would need my book to read, but there wasn't a dull moment!

Train Tracks at the entrance of Ko Olina​


The view on the trip to Kualoa Ranch

Once we got to Kualoa Ranch we were taken directly to the boat that would take us to the "secret beach" across a 500 year old fish lake.




We made a pit stop at the only restrooms available: four outhouses perched on a pier! Then we walked down the path to the beach (there were changing rooms available to put on swimsuits). The staff from Kualoa Ranch had the food already ready for us (probably since we were so late in getting there) - rice, teriyake chicken and beef, corn on the cob, salad, and pineapple. DH LOVED it and said it was the best food of the trip. There was lots of other things to do on the beach after eating - swimming, taking pictures, relaxing in the hammock, playing beach volleyball, using snorkel gear, or sitting on one of the available mats or at one of the picnic tables to read (DH took a hammock, I sat at a picnic table and read). There was another group at the beach at the same time, but altogether it was pretty quiet.














After awhile it was time for our catamaran ride - the boat was bigger than I expected (and staffed by a cute little long-haired dachshund-looking dog named Chibi!), but I thought it was lots of fun (especially hitting the waves and getting bumped around, but some others didn't like that so much) and the pictures once we were out there were pretty awesome.














Then we rode to another area which they called "turtle sanctuary" and we kind of saw one turtle off in the distance (which made DH and I really glad that we had already went to turtle beach to see turtles up close) and then we went back to the beach.


Turtle sanctuary (and a turtle in there somewhere)


Exiting the catamaran


The Captain and Chibi

We had a little more time to play on the beach before it was time to take the first boat back over the fish pond, where we boarded our bus and got taken to the Ranch area.

Next - Day 6, Part 2: Kualoa Ranch Horseback Riding and Aulani's Starlight Hui
 
Oh Leit... how you taunt and tease us -- making us wait!

I found a private (kayak and snorkel) excursion to Kualoa Ranch that we are exploring through Bike Hawaii for our trip in December. http://www.bikehawaii.com/kayak_adventures.html

We will need to drive and meet at Kualoa Ranch by 10 AM. It is good to know that we should allow up to 2 hours for the drive!

My son is too young for the Disney Kualoa Ranch excursion (age 7).

I really appreciate the time and energy that you put into this trip report. It is so helpful -- Thank you!
 
OMG! I am so glad to have found this trip report. We are from Winnipeg too, planning a trip for end of Feb for 2 weeks to celebrate my 40th b-day and DH's retirement from the military. We are taking our 2 young children with us and would love to correspond with you to get more details. I am also a serious planner and need to know what I'm getting into before I get there. Looking forward to more posts with details.
 
Oh Leit... how you taunt and tease us -- making us wait!

I found a private (kayak and snorkel) excursion to Kualoa Ranch that we are exploring through Bike Hawaii for our trip in December. http://www.bikehawaii.com/kayak_adventures.html

We will need to drive and meet at Kualoa Ranch by 10 AM. It is good to know that we should allow up to 2 hours for the drive!

My son is too young for the Disney Kualoa Ranch excursion (age 7).

I really appreciate the time and energy that you put into this trip report. It is so helpful -- Thank you!

I'm just trying to draw it out! I don't want to admit it's over yet! lol

The kayaking looks fun! We saw some people on jet skis while we were on our catamaran - they looked like they were having tons of fun too! Kualoa was really peaceful and beautiful and we had so much time to sit back and enjoy there.

I'm so glad you are enjoying the TR!

Just found this - subbing ...

Welcome!

OMG! I am so glad to have found this trip report. We are from Winnipeg too, planning a trip for end of Feb for 2 weeks to celebrate my 40th b-day and DH's retirement from the military. We are taking our 2 young children with us and would love to correspond with you to get more details. I am also a serious planner and need to know what I'm getting into before I get there. Looking forward to more posts with details.

My hubby is Military too! We'd love to help you in your planning - you can PM me and I'll give you my e-mail (or maybe we can figure out if our DHs know each other)
 
We left off in the last entry of this TR with some frolicking at the Secret Beach and a Catamaran trip. We took our bus on a short jaunt over to the Kualoa Ranch Horse Facility, where we all used the better facilities (better than the pier outhouses), and then we had to then sign more wavers, get safety instructions, and get called up to hop on our horses!

The horseback riding was a 2-hour trip (which I did not realize when we signed up). After the first hour it did start to get a bit uncomfortable, but the view was pretty amazing and it was one of those once in a lifetime things. As someone who grew up on a horse ranch (although in my adult years I barely ride anymore) I had never had the opportunity to enjoy so much natural beauty on horseback before. The horses were all very well trained and traveled, and our guides were very nice and good at giving information on the Island, Kualoa Ranch, and the movies that were filmed in the area. We got to see the backdrops for movies such as George of the Jungle, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates, as well as the TV show Lost! It was pretty cool (and once we were home we re-watched some of those movies to see the backdrops we recognized)! If anyone is nervous about riding I'll mention that DH has only been on a horse once, and for barely 5 minutes and he was completely comfortable for the entire trip. I found some of the rocky and dirt paths a little unnerving when the horses had to go down or up steep slopes, and I was also a bit unsure when the ATVs were passing us, but the horses didn't even blink at any of that (unlike some of the horses I grew up training and riding lol).




Our horseback tour took the orange path




Our horses, saddled up and ready to go


Horses that had already been on a 2-hour tour for the day. We were told that they get horses from Calgary that are at least 10-year-old geldings who have plenty of trail experience. They were all very good riding horses!


Ocean View on the ride


Our guide pointing things out for us






Heading towards the "Jurrasic Park" log - "The most famous dead tree on Oahu" where a bus tour group was out taking pictures (the horse tour did not stop to allow people to hop down and take photos).






Rainbow!


WWII bunker, also used in the Pearl Harbor movie


Ocean view on the way back to the ranch.

We got a bit of time to shop in the gift shop, but the food service was closed so we were hungry on the ride home (good thing for that granola bar we got when we first got on the bus)! Luckily our great driver Shannon kept us so entertained we forgot about how hungry we were. Someone requested info about Pearl Harbor / WWII and he happily obliged.

Shannon and Eki got us back to the resort in time for the Starlight Hui. This was probably my Disney Highlight of the vacation. As I briefly glossed over before, Aulani is wonderful, and it does have some Disney Magic (in how well done the resort is, in the great cast members, in the cute menehune hidden all over, etc) but does take some getting used to if you expected Disney compared to one of their cruises (for example). Some days I found myself wanting to catch that feeling you get when you step onto the monorail in Disney World, lol! Im not saying I would actually change anything about Aulani - but I guess somewhere in me the word "Disney" has a strong association with very certain "Disney" things (like the monorail) and I just had to get used to this new experience! Anyway, my point of stating all that here (instead of in my conclusion) is that the Starlight Hui was so beautiful and well-done that it gave me that Disney fill (and I mean that even before Mickey made his appearance). It was breathtakingly beautiful, every second of it. I love shows at Disney World such as Festival of the Lion King shows that are wonderfully choreographed with great music and storytelling, and thats exactly what the Starlight Hui is.


Starlight Hui stage and seating area (get there early to get a mat to sit on)


She sang so beautifully! The bands music played around the resort, so I had the songs stuck in my head for days after I got home. I wished that I found a CD to buy of their music!

Starlight Hui pics (I cant remember exactly what was happening in each picture)








After the beautiful singing and dancing (and some crazy ukulele playing) they bring out the Disney Friends to finish off the night with a dance party and some photo ops!


The gang arrived for the dance party!


Me, Stitch, and DH


Dale, DH, me, and my man Chip


Paparazzi picture of Mickey

The Starlight Hui is definitely a must-do Disney! In the future I would have made time to catch it both nights it played the week we were there!

Up Next: Check-out day!
 
While you were at the ranch did you see the ATV tour I think it takes the same route as the horses,or did you see anything about the tour.Its supposed to take in the movie sets,we're from Ontario heading to Aulani in January?Another quick question what nights is starlite held
 
As someone in a single digit countdown, I have looked forward to your posts and all the wonderful pixs & check in every morning :surfweb:.... thank you :flower3:

Curious about how often the Starlight Hui is offered and can you describe the weather, how's the humidity??... Have you felt the need for a light jacket in the mornings and/or evenings? :laundy:
 
While you were at the ranch did you see the ATV tour I think it takes the same route as the horses,or did you see anything about the tour.Its supposed to take in the movie sets,we're from Ontario heading to Aulani in January?Another quick question what nights is starlite held

The we were passed by ATVs 3 times while out on the horses. I don't know if we were passed by the same group, but certainly they travel faster and probably got to see more in their 2 hour tour than we did (plus they probably got to stop to take photos). There is also a 1 hour ATV tour. They have some info about it at their website: http://www.kualoa.com/

Congrats on your January trip!!!

When we were there the Starlight Hui was Tuesday and Thursday, at 7pm. I'm not sure if that's permanent or if it will always switch around days.

As someone in a single digit countdown, I have looked forward to your posts and all the wonderful pixs & check in every morning :surfweb:.... thank you :flower3:

Curious about how often the Starlight Hui is offered and can you describe the weather, how's the humidity??... Have you felt the need for a light jacket in the mornings and/or evenings? :laundy:

So awesome that you will be there soon - I wish it were me lol!! I'm so glad you enjoyed my TR!

While we were there the Starlight Hui was only offered twice a week (Tues/Thurs @ 7pm). I don't know if they will start offering it more or if they will change they day or time or anything - ask as soon as you get there (when we were getting our room keys they told us right away what days it would be during our stay).

The humidity differs around the island, but at Aulani it seemed pretty low. The only time I wanted a light jacket was at the Paradise Cove Luau. I got a little chilly while sitting there and watching the show, but then on the walk home I was just fine. Have fun!!!
 
Can't thank you enough for taking the time to write this report! This has been one of the most enjoyable, interesting and informational reports of any report for any disney trip. My family and I leave next week and are really looking forward to it. We have two little one DD6 and DS4, so will be a very special trip. Thanks again and happy holidays!
 
Definitely bring a light jacket for nights, and even a pair of pants (for me, yoga pants or something comfortable) to sit and watch the Starlight Hui. The breezes off the ocean can be chilly!
 

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