Aulani as day guest and Iolani Palace Questions

[mousefan73]

HI! It looks like our Wonder DCL Cruise might actually be happening and now I need to plan in details. I have two questions: day guest at Aulani and Iolani Palace

Aulani:
We have one port stop in HNL first and my plan was for my mom and I to rent a car and stop at Aulani. We are not staying there as overnight guests but want to check the place out, spend tons of money in the gift shop and check the lagoon out. Can anyone confirm:
- Parking is easy as day guest and free if you spent I believe 50 dollars there.
- lagoon is public, we want to take pictures and f I happen to have a suit on, I can jump in and test the waters right?
- Is getting from the resort to lagoon easy as non-guest ( do we need pool access to walk through?)
- As a day guest just checking the place out, shopping, taking pictures at the lagoon. how much time? 1 or 2 hours? We do not plan eat..
-may main goal is to buy an Aulani pin lol.
- What over oahu day trip area would do do from Aulani out? looking at the map, I wanted to do Waimean Valley, but they happen to be closed this day is it a long drive over to the east coast Kahaluu area? PCC is not far, but we are iffy about that?? ( yes or no on that?)


Iolani Palace
my mom really wants to do this, but sees its only doable via tours. She is 71, slow but can walk. She doesnt like group tours as she feels pressure to keep up and can take a break. does anyone know what these tours are like? how long, is it long standing and listening or can you move a bit. She has issues just standing.. Also are there BENCHES in or outside for her to sit for a second.

Thanks!

 

[tankin]

Haven't been since COVID hit (traveled in Dec 2019) so I maybe dated but ....
All beaches in HI are public including the lagoons. They can't stop you from walking on the sand etc.
Personally, I'd probably be done at Aulani in less than an hour if it was just to hit the gift shop and see the lagoon.

As far as what to do the rest of the day ... when are you off the ship and when do you have to be back? N. Shore is a lot of drive time after Aulani if you have limited time ashore. I'd vote PH and Waikiki (and I'm not a Waikiki fan) just due to proximity to Aulani and the port.

 

[dina444444]

HI! It looks like our Wonder DCL Cruise might actually be happening and now I need to plan in details. I have two questions: day guest at Aulani and Iolani Palace

Aulani:
We have one port stop in HNL first and my plan was for my mom and I to rent a car and stop at Aulani. We are not staying there as overnight guests but want to check the place out, spend tons of money in the gift shop and check the lagoon out. Can anyone confirm:
- Parking is easy as day guest and free if you spent I believe 50 dollars there.
- lagoon is public, we want to take pictures and f I happen to have a suit on, I can jump in and test the waters right?
- Is getting from the resort to lagoon easy as non-guest ( do we need pool access to walk through?)
- As a day guest just checking the place out, shopping, taking pictures at the lagoon. how much time? 1 or 2 hours? We do not plan eat..
-may main goal is to buy an Aulani pin lol.
- What over oahu day trip area would do do from Aulani out? looking at the map, I wanted to do Waimean Valley, but they happen to be closed this day is it a long drive over to the east coast Kahaluu area? PCC is not far, but we are iffy about that?? ( yes or no on that?)


Iolani Palace
my mom really wants to do this, but sees its only doable via tours. She is 71, slow but can walk. She doesnt like group tours as she feels pressure to keep up and can take a break. does anyone know what these tours are like? how long, is it long standing and listening or can you move a bit. She has issues just standing.. Also are there BENCHES in or outside for her to sit for a second.

Thanks!

We just did Iolani palace on our Aulani trip. There are some benches to sit. I recommend doing the self guided audio tour. You start as a group but move from room to room on your own. When we went the group was small there were maybe 15 people total in our tour slot.

 

[mousefan73]

We just did Iolani palace on our Aulani trip. There are some benches to sit. I recommend doing the self guided audio tour. You start as a group but move from room to room on your own. When we went the group was small there were maybe 15 people total in our tour slot.

Oh thank you!!!’n this really helps. And is doable.