PARADISE LOST AND FOUND – Our family’s first trip to Aulani & Hawaii - updated 9/2/16

[disneypoor]

Totally love your son's picture from the tea room!!! Gotta hang on to that one!

Susan

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Thanks Karin! I am an ex-Disney store cast member so some of the park travel was almost a requirement for work haha. When you live as far from many countries as we do, you just kind of have to live with the crazy flights. I live for the planning! We are headed to NYC in December for a wedding, but I am so focused on the Hawaii trip that I keep forgetting to organise basic things for this other trip

Yay for the required travel!


Have fun in New York! I have never been there, but am scheming to get to Niagara Falls maybe next year. I too am planning for a couple trips, one not happening until about a year from now, so I know what you mean. Crazy overplanners! There should be a support group. Hey maybe the DIS is it.... However, that would imply we want a cure.

That's great to know! I was just reading on trip advisor that there have been crazy lines, but I suppose the summer holidays would be really busy times for everyone. Did your kids spend much time there? Is there much to do outside of the kids club?

My oldest son (age 12) did not do anything at Auntie's, as he had no interest. As for activities, twins did Stitch's Space Goo, & Benji did Eruption Disruption & Uncle's Canoe Races alone. They also spent a couple hours just playing there and liked it. There is TONS to do outside of Auntie's. I think I will scan the Daily Iwa's we received each day, so you can see what was available. It varies from week to week, but some activities are very regular, from what I understand. There were a variety of activities for the whole family, like crafts and storytelling. And you can rent kayaks and paddle boards for the ocean and snorkel in Rainbow Reef... So much to do! Will share about that more soon when we get to Aulani...

So good to hear you liked it! I've been a bit worried - my DH and I went to Hawaii for our first wedding anniversary and loved it so so much that we raved about it when we got home. I want to choose somewhere everyone will love. My DS is SUCH a noisy sleeper that I don't think any of us could sleep if we only have the one room together. It seems like great value. Did you kids go to the kids club and did you hire a car?

We did rent a car. Invaluable in my opinion, but I know there is a concern from some people from Australia about driving on the other side of the road. Provided you are comfortable with that, I would consider a car a must, at least for part of the time. One negative with the Hilton HV was the cost of parking and also a resort fee. We did like it, but it was not close to Aulani in terms of overall theming and customer service. At Aulani you are greeted warmly with smiles and alohas, right from the start. We did still really like HHV; it was just different (not Disney). Our kids did not do the kids club there, so I do not really know anything about that.

Thanks for the advice about David's rentals. I'm looking it up right now, seems like a good idea and such good value!

Thanks again Karin - happy trip-reliving!

You're welcome. It is fun to hear about your plans! Loved the free parking with David's as well. Nice perk. Oh, in case it matters to you, please know with the vacation rental you would not get daily housekeeping. Unless you chose to pay for it separately.

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

I'm suffering from "missing Aulani a lot syndrome" after reading your posts. Thanks for this. Time to plan our 2nd trip.

You're welcome! Yes, you must plan another trip now - it is the only cure.

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

We just booked our Aulani stay through David's rentals. Was easy, very straight-forward to do. We have our official documents now from Aulani and everything is exactly as we expected. Really a great savings over booking directly with Disney if you aren't a DVC member!

Congratulations!! I loved getting the pretty Aulani welcome packet in the mail. And yes, it is a great deal compared the regular price. It still was a bit of a splurge for us, but SO very worth it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

If you recall my prior post about the tea I subjected the boys to, here is a photo my son Sam took that I think captures their angle on the outing nicely.

That says it all!

On Friday morning we had an early reservation for breakfast at Duke's Canoe Club in Waikiki. My brother-in-law, who is in the Air Force, had been stationed on Oahu a couple years before & highly recommended the place. We were happy to get a seat right next to the railing with a great view of the beach.

Wow! Great spot!

Unfortunately, I had not slept well the night before (woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep) and made the mistake of drinking only decaf coffee and POG juice at breakfast, so.... guess who made made her man proud by struggling to stay awake during the other speakers' presentations?

Jet lag is a legitimate excuse.

The convention center was used as the airport in countless scenes in LOST. In case there any LOST geeks out there, here’s another with more background.

I do recognize it! That was the Sydney airport, for sure!

Here’s our view from one of the lanais:

You guys hit the jackpot with these views.

I like this picture a lot!

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

LOVE the picture from the tea! It is perfect! A little culture never killed anyone

Thanks for the support! They did live through it and didn't break anything, so that's a bit of a success story.

I love Sam's take on the tea!
Great update.

Thanks! Going to the tea was worth it for the memories.

Totally love your son's picture from the tea room!!! Gotta hang on to that one!
Susan

I love that picture, too. He is a funny kid. He carried the LEGOs everywhere and liked to photograph them "on vacation."

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Wow! Great spot!

Thanks! It was just exactly what I thought of Hawaii being like when planning the trip.

Jet lag is a legitimate excuse.

Yeah, I have many excuses, but still felt bad. I had hoped perhaps it was not obvious, but Jeff immediately teased me about it when I saw him afterward.

I do recognize it! That was the Sydney airport, for sure!

Thanks. Glad you could tell! By the way, the waterfall picture from my photo tour was another place they filmed LOST. We saw it yesterday on the season 1 finale. They were all over the island, so I guess it should not shock me, but it is fun to notice those things.

I like this picture a lot!

Thank you! I loved those trees. Amazing. I like how tall they look compared to the tiny people around them.

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

After we finished at the pool, we returned to the room and the boys got cleaned up and changed. The hotel has fireworks every Friday night, so that was our plan for the evening. We made a couple of trips to ABC stores for snacks beforehand - potato chips, several bags of gummy bears, one banana, bottles of POG juice (made of passionfruit, orange, & guava juices blended together), & water. Aren't we healthy? We passed an ice cream shop which would have provided some welcome balance nutritionally, and the boys wanted to stop, but we did not have enough time, so we assured them we would be back after the fireworks.

We walked over to the lagoon, which was an excellent spot for the fireworks. Not crowded, abundant seating on the grass, and a perfect view. (Please excuse my grainy low-light images.)



I did not remember my tripod, so the pictures did not turn out well, but here are a couple:





The show was short, but sweet. It felt kind of quiet without an epic soundtrack, like at Disney (the only place we ever see fireworks, because Disney World has ruined us for other ones). Still, it was an exciting and fitting end to our stay in Waikiki.

We stopped by the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor (another LOST location), which was near the hotel. You cannot see the boats in the background, because I needed to use a flash, but it was a nice place to see briefly.



With the fireworks out the of way, we decided to go get dinner. On the way to dinner, I am ashamed to report that we passed the ice cream shop without getting any ice cream. The problem was the lines. They were ridiculously & prohibitively long. I felt terrible, but we failed the kids on this one. We were really needing to get dinner, so we figured pizza would cheer them up.

My mom was just back from her photography tour, so was able to meet us for dinner. There happily was no wait for a table at Round Table Pizza, which, as a troubled Kevin pointed out, has no round tables, just squares and rectangles. Our waiter appreciated our pointing this fact out to him and assured us that he has heard it a lot. Someone should put at least one round table in there. Really.



Next up: Hanauma Bay, Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, and the spectacular Aulani

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

I love your photos! We are going to Waikiki/Aulani next March for the first time!

Question about the fireworks: I saw them on a YouTube video and they sounded freakishly loud (maybe because of all the tall buildings around and the echoing)...were they that loud from the lagoon? I'm hoping my kids aren't freaked out by the noise!

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

I love your photos! We are going to Waikiki/Aulani next March for the first time!

Question about the fireworks: I saw them on a YouTube video and they sounded freakishly loud (maybe because of all the tall buildings around and the echoing)...were they that loud from the lagoon? I'm hoping my kids aren't freaked out by the noise!

Thanks! And congratulations on your upcoming trip!:

I do not think the fireworks at the Hilton are unusually loud, so I think your kids should be okay. Do they usually handle fireworks well? You could always bring earplugs in case. We did that when our boys were little at Disney World, because they hated loud noises. It helped.

Have a great time planning!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We made a couple of trips to ABC stores for snacks beforehand - potato chips, several bags of gummy bears, one banana, bottles of POG juice (made of passionfruit, orange, & guava juices blended together), & water.

Breakfast of champions! I do miss the POG juice out there.

We walked over to the lagoon, which was an excellent spot for the fireworks. Not crowded, abundant seating on the grass, and a perfect view. (Please excuse my grainy low-light images.)

That looks like a lot of fun!

There happily was no wait for a table at Round Table Pizza, which, as a troubled Kevin pointed out, has no round tables, just squares and rectangles. Our waiter appreciated our pointing this fact out to him and assured us that he has heard it a lot. Someone should put at least one round table in there. Really.

That does seem like a major fail.

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

That looks like a lot of fun!

It was a perfect way to spend our last night. And can't beat the convenience! Just a short walk.

That does seem like a major fail.

Yeah, Disney would never pull that kind of thing on their guests!

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

I was prepared for some jet lag on our trip, but initially felt that it wasn’t much of a problem for us (early in the trip, the twins would wake up a couple hours early, but went right back to sleep when we asked them to). Friday it began being a problem, with me waking up by 3am, unable to get back to sleep. My more normal waking time on the first night was apparently due to sheer exhaustion from our marathon travel day. Anyway, I struggled again on Saturday morning, so rather than wasting the time tossing and turning, I gave up and went out to sit on the lanai. It really was beautiful sitting there enjoying the perfect weather and looking out at a charcoal black panorama of Waikiki all speckled with tiny points of light like a Christmas tree. I am not really a fan of big cities normally, but it was a perfect way to spend my last morning in Waikiki. Even at 4:30. I took some photos as the sun came up, then got the family up and ready. We were headed to Hanauma Bay for our first time snorkeling! It’s important to get there early, to get a parking space before the lot fills up.





We saw the required educational video and then got outfitted with our snorkel gear. We went out in twos, Jeff or I with one of the boys while the other three played on the beach. That system worked well, allowing some relaxation time and keeping everyone happy. It took a couple minutes to get used to breathing the right way (through the mouth, not the nose, and not too quickly) but then it was easy to do. Of the boys, Sam liked snorkeling the best. Kevin enjoyed it after he got used to it. Benji gave it a try, because we encouraged (read: nagged) him, but preferred playing on the beach. We were all impressed with the variety and quantity of colorful fish. Sam excitedly reported that he swam over a moray eel. (I was swimming with him, but was not excited to hear the news and am glad I was looking in the other direction. I am pretty sure I would rather see a shark than an eel. No thanks. )



















We ended our happy visit at Hanauma Bay with some tasty ice cream treats. (In case you are wondering, it was made clear to us that this did not make up for the failure to get ice cream the night before.) We originally planned to go on an outrigger canoe ride after the snorkeling, but sadly concluded that we did not have time for it. Hanauma Bay took longer than expected, as did most things on the trip, compared to my optimistic plans that did not consider variables like road construction, weather, shave ice attacks, and the simple fact that a group of five or six move slowly (shocking!). Anyway, time was tight on Saturday and we had a choice: Aloha Stadium Swap Meet or the outrigger canoe ride. My dear mother, who is sweet and accommodating and really did not ask for much at all during the trip, really wanted to go to the Swap Meet, so we picked that one. I consoled myself and the boys with the promise that we could go on our last day in Waikiki, after our Pearl Harbor Tour. (I apparently failed to learn the lesson when we failed on the ice cream on Friday, because I continued to throw around promises like cheap cologne.)

So, back at the hotel, we showered, finished packing, and hopped into the minivan to race to Aloha Stadium. Unfortunately, we arrived about 45 minutes before the Swap Meet was scheduled to end, so we zipped around looking for the items on our list: aloha shirts for the boys and Jeff, kukui nut leis, and a few other things. Sadly, the sellers were already packing up when we arrived (this is a huge pet peeve of mine in life; packing up before the end of a sale is very sinister and must be universally condemned as evil), so I would strongly recommend planning to arrive earlier in the day than us.

Once our shopping was completed, we were all smiles and glee as we got back on the road. Next stop: Aulani in Ko Olina. Yippeeeeee!

…But first, a quick stop for malasadas at Leonard’s, a red and white striped truck off of the freeway on the way.



I had heard so much about these malasadas (thank you, Captain_Oblivious again, and also my DVC-owning friend Angie!) and could not wait. We did have Agnes’s malasadas in Kailua, as I mentioned, but we found Leonard’s to be the best. The ones we had at Agnes’s were good, but doughier. We chose a variety of regular and filled malasadas. Personally, I think the unfilled are tastiest, but you can’t go wrong with any of them, really. Yum!





We were thrilled to come to the end of our drive and see this:



We were greeted by cast members with warm “alohas” wave2 and refreshing, ice cold, fruity water (a welcome treat on a hot day). My mom and I were presented with beautiful flower leis flower3:, made of alternating orchid and tuberose), Jeff received a kukui nut lei, and the boys were given Menehune necklaces. It was a perfect Hawaiian welcome, and set the tone for what would be an amazing stay.

We stopped for a couple of photos. First, Jeff & me with the boys:



Next, with mom:



We were given key cards for our rooms. We were in room 1555, an Island Gardens View room in the Ewa Tower. As I mentioned earlier, we rented DVC points for our stay. I did not take many pictures of the view, because honestly it was not interesting. It felt more like a Standard View, but we knew we would not be in the room much so didn’t bother inquiring about it. We were thrilled to be at the resort and all was well.

Next: Room photos, rodents, and dinner

 

[disneypoor]

Rodents??? You definitely have me on the hook now. We requested a high floor in the long wing of the Ewa tower. We also have island view and are staying in a 2 bedroom. I'm praying for pixie dust and that we will have a small glimpse of the ocean, but I will be happy regardless as long as we are in Hawaii.

Susan

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Rodents??? You definitely have me on the hook now. We requested a high floor in the long wing of the Ewa tower. We also have island view and are staying in a 2 bedroom. I'm praying for pixie dust and that we will have a small glimpse of the ocean, but I will be happy regardless as long as we are in Hawaii.

Susan

Oh, no, Susan! Not rodents like that. Rodents like this:



I could not let you worry for a second, if you were at all concerned. Just happy things in Hawaii. You will have an amazing time! We also requested a high floor and loved our location in Ewa tower. Easy distance to everything. Easy walk to the lobby & shops. Character greetings were often close by, as well as the community room (always close by; it never moved). Re: our view, no glimpse of the ocean, but didn't expect it. We were on the 15th floor, but the roof of some large structure interrupted our view looking down, making it less than ideal. Still pretty apart from that.

 

[disneypoor]

Oh thank goodness! I can handle those kind of rodents. Haha! Were you in a two bedroom also?

Susan

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Oh thank goodness! I can handle those kind of rodents. Haha! Were you in a two bedroom also?

Susan

We were actually in a studio. My mother had a room right next to us, and the boys took turns staying with her, one at a time. They loved it, because they adore their grandma. We saved a lot of money doing it this way, and since (as I mentioned before) we knew we would not be in the room much, it worked well.

The thing is, offtopic we took the big step of finishing our basement last year, which put a big dent in our savings account. That, combined with our plan to do a trip to Disney World later this year, meant we tried to save money where we could, while being sure to invest in the things that mattered most.

The one-bedrooms look fantastic, so if we go again with the boys when they are older we would go with a one-bedroom. Expensive, but soooo worth it. In my opinion.

Excited for you getting a 2 bedroom! It will be beautiful. You must be leaving soon, aren't you? I hope you come back and report about how it all went for you. I would love to hear.

 

[disneypoor]

We were actually in a studio. My mother had a room right next to us, and the boys took turns staying with her, one at a time. They loved it, because they adore their grandma. We saved a lot of money doing it this way, and since (as I mentioned before) we knew we would not be in the room much, it worked well. The thing is, offtopic we took the big step of finishing our basement last year, which put a big dent in our savings account. That, combined with our plan to do a trip to Disney World later this year, meant we tried to save money where we could, while being sure to invest in the things that mattered most. The one-bedrooms look fantastic, so if we go again with the boys when they are older we would go with a one-bedroom. Expensive, but soooo worth it. In my opinion. Excited for you getting a 2 bedroom! It will be beautiful. You must be leaving soon, aren't you? I hope you come back and report about how it all went for you. I would love to hear.

We had a one bedroom booked initially but then switched to a two bedroom. I'm excited to see the rooms. I will let you know how our trip goes. We leave a week from this Saturday.

Susan

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

All caught up! Hooray for Aulani! I really liked your sunrise pictures as well.

 

[DisneyAngel05]

Hello!

I'm still reading I have the slowest internet connection in the entire world so I had to wait for that to get fixed (again).

Loving EVERYTHING. I love the looks on your boys' faces at the snorkelling - what a great morning that looked like! But I think my favourite is little lego man not coping too well at the high tea. I think it's great for boys to get some culture! hehehe I think they don't know what they're missing out on! I would love to take my Mum there.

Looking forward to the Aulani section very much, but I have to ask - what is the little donut thing you bought from the red-and-white striped truck? I have never seen it before.

We have finally booked our flights and the Hilton for next year! Wahoo. I have requested a 2 bedroom at Aulani for 5 nights (to share with my parents, it was so much more affordable for us that way). I just got an email saying to go on the wait list, and I remember you saying you did that and got what you wanted - how long did you wait before you got confirmation?
I wonder if I am wishfully thinking with this and will not get it?

Anyways, just saying how much I am enjoying reading along! Can't wait for the next installment.