Planning Help Needed

[darlaya]

My 21 year old son and I are planning a 4-5 night stay at Aulani before our 5 day backpacking trip to Yosemite. We would likely arrive at Aulani on Sunday, May 12th and depart on Friday, May 17th.

We most definitely want to visit Pearl Harbor and do some hiking in the area. Since we are heading to Yosemite afterwards, I don't want to overbook our time at Aulani and be exhausted before we even begin backpacking. I am trying also to keep in mind that my 21 year old may not be content sitting at the beach or pool for an entire day.

Having said that, we have never been to Hawaii and want to have some things planned to make our trip worthwhile. I am not sure if we should rent a car or plan to take tours offered through the resort. I have read these can be very expensive, but I also read that it costs $37/day as parking fees. If you have an AP, do you still pay for parking? I am also concerned about heavy traffic. I have read that traffic is terrible and I really don't want vacation time in Hawaii to be spent frustrated navigating traffic through the unfamiliar. Please share your experiences with this.

I have also read about the Go Oahu cards. If we went this route, I would buy a 3 day all inclusive. I appreciate any feedback on whether these are worth it. I also appreciate any recommendations on things you feel are must do's in the area or at the resort. If we went this route, would renting a car be essential?

Thank you so much for your guidance.

 

[gregf71]

Hi -

In my humble opinion, if you booked a stay at Aulani, then you must set aside time to soak in all that the resort offers. If you just used it as your place to stay while on the island, then you are missing out...even if that means simply relaxing in or by the pools or the beach/lagoon. Yes, the overnight parking fees are a tad high and I don't believe that having an AP gives you any discount whatsoever. DVC membership does I think. When we stayed this past August, we rented a car from the onsite vendor for one day to explore select locations on Oahu. We too heard about the "horrible" traffic on the island. I guess it really depends on what you are used to traffic-wise and fate. Being from Southern California, we found the traffic, both when we took our airport shuttles and when we had the rental car, to be nothing at all. Sure, there was traffic, but compared to what we are used to it was truly nothing at all.

When it comes down to it, what do you want from your Oahu visit? Lots of activities throughout the island, a restful resort stay, or a balance of both? If you want 3 days of activities around the island, then perhaps there is value in the Go Oahu card, otherwise you can easily put something together yourself. Regarding excursions via Aulani, make sure to read the details on those to confirm if transportation is included from and back to the resort. My recollection when I was reviewing them was that most of them did not include it.

I have a trip report posted in this section that you may find helpful.

Have a great time!!!

 

[darlaya]

Hi -

In my humble opinion, if you booked a stay at Aulani, then you must set aside time to soak in all that the resort offers. If you just used it as your place to stay while on the island, then you are missing out...even if that means simply relaxing in or by the pools or the beach/lagoon. Yes, the overnight parking fees are a tad high and I don't believe that having an AP gives you any discount whatsoever. DVC membership does I think. When we stayed this past August, we rented a car from the onsite vendor for one day to explore select locations on Oahu. We too heard about the "horrible" traffic on the island. I guess it really depends on what you are used to traffic-wise and fate. Being from Southern California, we found the traffic, both when we took our airport shuttles and when we had the rental car, to be nothing at all. Sure, there was traffic, but compared to what we are used to it was truly nothing at all.

When it comes down to it, what do you want from your Oahu visit? Lots of activities throughout the island, a restful resort stay, or a balance of both? If you want 3 days of activities around the island, then perhaps there is value in the Go Oahu card, otherwise you can easily put something together yourself. Regarding excursions via Aulani, make sure to read the details on those to confirm if transportation is included from and back to the resort. My recollection when I was reviewing them was that most of them did not include it.

I have a trip report posted in this section that you may find helpful.

Have a great time!!!

Thank you so much. I loved reading your trip report. It has given me a lot to think about.

 

[frank808]

My 21 year old son and I are planning a 4-5 night stay at Aulani before our 5 day backpacking trip to Yosemite. We would likely arrive at Aulani on Sunday, May 12th and depart on Friday, May 17th.

We most definitely want to visit Pearl Harbor and do some hiking in the area. Since we are heading to Yosemite afterwards, I don't want to overbook our time at Aulani and be exhausted before we even begin backpacking. I am trying also to keep in mind that my 21 year old may not be content sitting at the beach or pool for an entire day.

Having said that, we have never been to Hawaii and want to have some things planned to make our trip worthwhile. I am not sure if we should rent a car or plan to take tours offered through the resort. I have read these can be very expensive, but I also read that it costs $37/day as parking fees. If you have an AP, do you still pay for parking? I am also concerned about heavy traffic. I have read that traffic is terrible and I really don't want vacation time in Hawaii to be spent frustrated navigating traffic through the unfamiliar. Please share your experiences with this.

I have also read about the Go Oahu cards. If we went this route, I would buy a 3 day all inclusive. I appreciate any feedback on whether these are worth it. I also appreciate any recommendations on things you feel are must do's in the area or at the resort. If we went this route, would renting a car be essential?

Thank you so much for your guidance.

Parking is $37 a night per vehicle unless your stay is booked via DVC points or by RCI exchange. AP does not get you free parking.

 

[cgattis]

Yeah, the terrible traffic is only on certain roads at rush hour. And it’s not like it’s crazy—it just gets really slow because of the volume. The rest of the time and the rest of the island is just small-town kind of traffic—super easy. Definitely don’t let that deter you. I can’t tell you not to be deterred by $37 a day (heinous....) but I just paid it and forgot about it. Denial works!! LOL