Happy in Hawaii –- Aulani & Oahu with a Toddler ~ Updated 7/20: Final Update and link to new TR!

Not a bad view for a traffic jam:thumbsup2

That's too bad you weren't able to eat as much, because it looks so good! I can't believe your stomach had been bothering you for that long. :sad2:

Aw, glad Izzy was able to play around for a bit.

You're really good at finding deals! Too bad getting the refund was such a hassle though.
 
Man!! Stomach troubles are the worst! :( even more so when you're on a long awaited trip! So sorry you were dealing with that. :(
 
Aww sorry your stomach was still acting up! That lunch place looks like DH's heaven...I'll refrain from my comments on it. :sick: :lmao: (though Aria would probably enjoy the pulled pork as well).
Haha, yeah, not your kinda place, but it was good! I was so bummed that the stomach problems lasted so long. Not great to get sick right before a trip. :sad2:

How can someone just pull up and fall asleep for a few minutes?? Too funny, IDK how Dug does it! Though I am NOT a napper. Can't wait to see about the Polynesian Village. What a fun filled day you had!
I can do it if I'm tired. We all love our sleep around here. :goodvibes

this TR is just filled with so many little tips for people going to Hawaii - even little things like that Uncle Bobo's has more parking around back I am sure is helpful
I'm trying to share what I can, as there are really not a ton of Aulani TRs, but Aulani is so new to so many and the tips sure help. I know that I got a lot out of the TRs I read before our trip. :thumbsup2

The BBQ looks pretty darn good - such a bummer though that your stomach was still acting up and you couldn't enjoy much of it.
It was really good. Just wish my stomach could have handled it better. :sad2:

Glad things worked out with the tickets to the cultural center in the end - it does look quite nice there ... though not sure I get the Power Ranger out front :confused3
It was really nice there. Very pretty and lots to see.

The coastline makes all the stress disappear.:thumbsup2
For sure. Wish I could drive there everyday.

Man, that food looks really good. I wish we could have stopped there. I guess we'll have to go back!
You better get to planning that trip! :goodvibes Drew needs to explore Hawaii, after all. :rotfl:

Sorry your stomach ills prevented you from enjoying it more. I'm starting to see why a 2nd visit was in order.
Yeah, towards the end of the trip, I need to eat and remember missing out on this place. ::yes::

That's a relief. One of the rules of life: it was like that when I got here!:rotfl2:
Thank goodness! I also had noticed some scratches on the bumper right behind the trunk - I'm hoping we didn't do that unloading our bags (and I don't THINK we did), but I'm glad they didn't notice that one either. Whew.

I'm finally caught up!

Hey, glad you made it here! :goodvibes

Glad to hear how good Izzy was on the plane!

Yes, I'm glad she did so well. Thank goodness for Disney movies! :thumbsup2

Doesn't sound like the movie tour at Kualoa Ranch was that entertaining. What do you think? We thoroughly enjoyed the horseback tour. We'd do it again in a heartbeat!

It was a good tour and we enjoyed it. I think that the ATV and horseback tours are probably better, but this was the only one we could do with Izzy. We had a good time, though! :thumbsup2

I'm sorry that you are still having stomach issues. Uncle Bobo's has such great BBQ!
Yeah, they make some good food there. I wish my stomach had recovered before the trip and not lasted through half the trip.

Not a bad view for a traffic jam:thumbsup2
I'd take that any day! :thumbsup2

That's too bad you weren't able to eat as much, because it looks so good! I can't believe your stomach had been bothering you for that long. :sad2:
I know, it really held on for a long time. I kept thinking I was better, as I'd feel okay most of the time, but then it would rear it's ugly head and I'd be miserable again. :sick:

Aw, glad Izzy was able to play around for a bit.
She loved that little playground. I hadn't really wanted to waste time in Hawaii on something we could do at home, but it was worth a few minutes - she really loved it. :love:

You're really good at finding deals! Too bad getting the refund was such a hassle though.
Thanks to the DIS for helping me find that deal. It was worthwhile for the refund, but made me a bit nervous and uncomfortable for a bit there. But it worked!

Man!! Stomach troubles are the worst! :( even more so when you're on a long awaited trip! So sorry you were dealing with that. :(
Yeah, I know you understand. :sad2: Unfortunately, it kept coming back for the next few days.
 
I had to skip over the details of the BBQ (major food aversions still going on over here!), but I'll come back and read about it when I'm feeling normal again. I'm sure DH would be very interested in that place.

It's great how a simple little playground can make kids so happy! Free and easy to find!

I'm sorry you were still having stomach issues - that is no fun.

The Polynesian Cultural Center looks so pretty - I can't wait to read more about it.
 


Sounds like a fun lunch time...except for your tummy troubles. :( Being sick is never fun and it's especially bad when you're on vacation!

Lunch looked super yummy!! And it's cute that Izzy had such fun watching the cars come and go!

I love finding little spots for the kids to play! I do think it's funny that you're in Hawaii on a once in a lifetime vacation and Izzy was just enjoying climbing and sliding at a plain old playground!! :rotfl:

Nice job "repairing" your rental car - I'm all for just pushing it back in and pretending it never happened! :lmao:

The cultural center looks beautiful! And more animals for Izzy to see! Can't wait to read more!
 
Loving this TR! What was the weather like when you went? Was it warm enough to swim in the ocean? My husband and I are planning a trip to Oahu and we'd like to beat the summer crowds. :goodvibes

Izzy is adorable, by the way!

Lissette
 
Will do other responses later, but had some pictures handy to answer this now:

What was the weather like when you went? Was it warm enough to swim in the ocean?

Yes, here was the forecast from a few days into our trip:





We only swam in the ocean on the last day, but it was great!
 


I am enjoying your trip report. Love the deal you got on your plane tickets. I am traveling to Aulani in April with a 8, 4 and 2 year old. I can't wait to hear more about what you did the two year old. I don't think my two year old would sit still on a bus for any length of time. She has no sits.
I am looking forward to your review of the cultral center. I have been debating on going there. I am not sure if the kids will enjoy it. They get bored in museums. We are going to the north shore for the day. The ds(8) and dh will go swimming with sharks there.
 
The views from your morning tour were spectacular - it makes me want to go and watch Jurassic Park! :lmao: I'm impressed that Izzy was so good and didn't attempt to climb through those open-air windows!

I LOVE this! Good job, Phil!
Duganddino.jpg


Your lunch looks AMAZING - I LOVE barbeque! :woohoo: It's too bad you didn't feel well enough to really enjoy it, but I'm glad you were able to get into the bathroom!

I, too, am impressed at Dug and Izzy's ability to drop into sleep. I wish I had that skill!

You are the rockstar of finding good deals. :cool1::worship:
 
Will do other responses later, but had some pictures handy to answer this now:



Yes, here was the forecast from a few days into our trip:





We only swam in the ocean on the last day, but it was great!

Awesome, thank you! Can't wait to read the rest! :beach:
 
All caught up on Aulani...but I work the weekend so I'll get behind again. Love the bus tour photos. Izzie is growing up too quickly. Need to run over and save my spot on the new Pretrippie.
Lee
 
Hi, all. Quick off-topic update. I heard a couple weeks ago that the DIS was migrating to a new system, but I just noticed this morning that it is scheduled for THIS WEEKEND. Sunday 2/1 the DIS will be down most of the day. I just wanted to pass along what I have read (on the tech support thread) that I thought was relevant to Trip Reports, as many of you have your own that you may be concerned about.

First and foremost, they should come through just fine. I asked and was told not to worry. However, I've poured my heart and soul (and a lot of time) into creating my TRs, so I'm not taking any chances. I found that (from my mac) I can save each page to PDF. I went through and did that, as I'd been wanting to anyway, just as a backup. For me, it shows the entire page, comments and smilies and all, just as it appears on my screen. Just a tip in case anyone is as paranoid as me on this. :goodvibes

Other things of note:

*Smilies are not going to show up right away. They have to manually add them in after the migration and it could take up to a week. But they will re-appear.

*Signatures should be maintained.

*Custom avatars will be maintained, but generic ones from the "pick an avatar" will need to be re-selected on the new site (same address as usual).

*All links should transfer over in tact.

*Subscriptions should be maintained.

*For the most part, formatting should be maintained, I believe. A person who maintains extensive resort board info posts was told that their unviewed links (within their posts) showed up as a different color in the test version, but otherwise looked good. I didn't see an answer as to whether the 25 image max per post will be maintained.

*My understanding is that the boards will be similar to the ones on WDW Magic's site - I did look over there and saw they had TRs (who knew? :confused3 :rotfl:) and they looked good.

*Some things that MIGHT be possible are "liking" a post :thumbsup2 and pasting in pictures from your computer vs. using a link from photobucket or the like.

*Dug is a web designer and is always singing the praises of "responsive design". This is something that will come with the update. It means that page content will format itself appropriately for the device that you are using to view it. Meaning, there will be no app, as you can just pull up the DIS in your phone/iPad's browser and it will be mobile-friendly. This should be a good thing.

*Overall, it sounds like all the changes are for the better. But, being a person with a lot of content at stake, I wanted to make sure I was covered and thought I should share for any of you that hadn't seen the info yet.

Have a great weekend, everyone! (I probably won't post an update until the migration is complete).
 
I had to skip over the details of the BBQ (major food aversions still going on over here!), but I'll come back and read about it when I'm feeling normal again. I'm sure DH would be very interested in that place.
Haha, yeah, gotta avoid those food aversions. ::yes:: But, yeah, if your DH enjoys BBQ, I'm sure it would be a hit. :thumbsup2

It's great how a simple little playground can make kids so happy! Free and easy to find!
Yes, she really loved it. I was going to try to skip it, but she spotted it and I couldn't say no. It was worth a few minutes, though.

I'm sorry you were still having stomach issues - that is no fun.
It was such a bummer to not fully be able to enjoy the food, especially since I had done a fair amount of food-planning for the trip. :sad1:

The Polynesian Cultural Center looks so pretty - I can't wait to read more about it.
It was really pretty and interesting. Kind-of like the World Showcase of Oahu. :rotfl:

Sounds like a fun lunch time...except for your tummy troubles. :( Being sick is never fun and it's especially bad when you're on vacation!
Yeah, I wish I hadn't gotten sick right before the trip (and had it hang on so long). :sad2: Made the good food finds a bit less fun.

Lunch looked super yummy!! And it's cute that Izzy had such fun watching the cars come and go!
It was so cute to see her waving to the cars. :wave2: :wave:

I love finding little spots for the kids to play! I do think it's funny that you're in Hawaii on a once in a lifetime vacation and Izzy was just enjoying climbing and sliding at a plain old playground!! :rotfl:
I'm kind-of excited that our next WDW trip catches the end of Flower & Garden because they will have little playgrounds set up around World Showcase, if they do like past years - Izzy would love that! :thumbsup2 I did find it quite ironic that we were in paradise and Izzy just wanted to go down a slide. But, it did have ocean in the background, so there's that...:rotfl:

Nice job "repairing" your rental car - I'm all for just pushing it back in and pretending it never happened! :lmao:
It was kind-of horrifying to first find it and not realize what it was. Luckily, once I figured out it could be tucked in, we only had to do that a few times throughout the trip and it stayed for quite awhile that way. Whew! I was definitely worried about being charged, though, even though I was fairly certain we didn't cause it.

The cultural center looks beautiful! And more animals for Izzy to see! Can't wait to read more!
Yes, I've got a lot more coming on the PCC. It was a really beautiful place with lots to see and experience.

Loving this TR! What was the weather like when you went? Was it warm enough to swim in the ocean? My husband and I are planning a trip to Oahu and we'd like to beat the summer crowds. :goodvibes

Izzy is adorable, by the way!

Lissette
:welcome: Glad to have you join in! Ahhh, I'd love to go back! And I think we had pretty great weather! :sunny: It was very pleasant all day, pretty much every day.

I am enjoying your trip report. Love the deal you got on your plane tickets. I am traveling to Aulani in April with a 8, 4 and 2 year old. I can't wait to hear more about what you did the two year old. I don't think my two year old would sit still on a bus for any length of time. She has no sits.
:welcome: I know, that airfare deal was crazy! :faint: It's really the only reason we took this trip - can't pass that up! We did a lot with our daughter - both around the island and at the resort. In general, she really enjoyed most everything. Walking on the beach, seeing new places/scenic views, and tons at the resort (characters, pools, splash pad, shows, elevators :rotfl2:, etc.)

I am looking forward to your review of the cultral center. I have been debating on going there. I am not sure if the kids will enjoy it. They get bored in museums. We are going to the north shore for the day. The ds(8) and dh will go swimming with sharks there.
Oh, wow, swimming with sharks! :scared1: I hope they have a good time. Izzy gets bored in museums too, so we purposely didn't schedule a ton of time at the PCC. It's one of those places that a lot of people spend a full day and stay for the evening show (which is supposed to be great), but we opted just to spend our afternoon there and head out before the show. And that's the main reason we wanted to make sure to get the BOGO admission (and Izzy was free) - we weren't getting a full day out of it, after all.

The views from your morning tour were spectacular - it makes me want to go and watch Jurassic Park! :lmao: I'm impressed that Izzy was so good and didn't attempt to climb through those open-air windows!
She did really good! I was a bit nervous right at first, but she didn't show any interest in climbing, so we were good. She was happy to sit and watch for quite awhile. :thumbsup2

I LOVE this! Good job, Phil!
Duganddino.jpg
So awesome! I love it too!

Your lunch looks AMAZING - I LOVE barbeque! :woohoo: It's too bad you didn't feel well enough to really enjoy it, but I'm glad you were able to get into the bathroom!
I was so worried that I would get up to the PCC entrance and they wouldn't let me in for the restroom without a ticket in hand. Thankfully, it wasn't an issue. I probably looked sick. :sick: :rotfl:

I, too, am impressed at Dug and Izzy's ability to drop into sleep. I wish I had that skill!
The funny thing is that I am probably the most "skilled" sleeper in our family. Just not that day. I commute on an express bus every day and I often sleep the whole time, but never EVER miss my stop. I also slept between contractions when I was in labor with Izzy. :rotfl2: I like sleep. ::yes::

You are the rockstar of finding good deals. :cool1::worship:
Ha, couldn't do it without the DIS! :disrocks:

All caught up on Aulani...but I work the weekend so I'll get behind again. Love the bus tour photos. Izzie is growing up too quickly. Need to run over and save my spot on the new Pretrippie.
Lee
Eh, you may not get too behind. It's year-end at my work now, which means I've been super busy. I will probably get to work until late at night tomorrow before it starts getting back to normal. So, probably no updates for a couple days, at least.

Yes, Izzy is growing up crazy fast. People always say they do, but it's sure true! :sad1:
 
I've been off the Dis recently and totally missed the update until the other day. However, I'm so happy to hear we can save pages as PDF I never thought to do that!! I know how to do it by going to "print" and then "save as PDF" is that how you did it or is there another way? I'm going to go save my ATL trip report and I'm going to want to save caden's first trip as well once I start that.
 
I've been off the Dis recently and totally missed the update until the other day. However, I'm so happy to hear we can save pages as PDF I never thought to do that!! I know how to do it by going to "print" and then "save as PDF" is that how you did it or is there another way? I'm going to go save my ATL trip report and I'm going to want to save caden's first trip as well once I start that.
Yes, I have a mac at home and that's what I did. I just tried here on the PC at work and it looks like gibberish when I print to PDF, though, so be sure to check and make sure things look okay, just in case.
 
Yeah, mine's a mac and I save as PDF all the time...just never thought to do that with the Dis!! I just saved a post and it worked great! Yay!!
 
Yeah, mine's a mac and I save as PDF all the time...just never thought to do that with the Dis!! I just saved a post and it worked great! Yay!!
Glad it worked. I had started saving a few pages like that way back when, but the migration really gave me the incentive to get them all done and archived, as I didn't want to chance losing any of that work. I want to have these TRs forever and, as much as I like the DIS, I can't totally trust them not to lose or destroy them. So, at least I have a back-up that's readable and captures everything except movement (dancing smilies and videos). Not bad.
 
Wandering Around the Poly(nesian Cultural Center)

We had decided that we were going to walk around and see the different “villages” that were set up throughout the grounds. They displayed what the homes and lives on each of the islands were like. A few examples of what we saw:













As I expected, it felt a lot like the World Showcase of Oahu/Polynesia. :thumbsup2 We were able to walk through the homes/buildings and everything was very well maintained. It was also really empty, as all of the employees were directing guests toward the river to see the “parade”. And pretty much everyone was lining up for it. We actually planned to skip it and just see whatever we saw while we walked around. Izzy was in a mood where, if we stopped the stroller, she launched into, “I want GO! I want GO!” :rotfl2:Not particularly patient. So, I wanted to keep her rolling.

One note on the employees here: they were a lot like Disney CMs: very friendly and positive, but perhaps even MORE willing and eager to help out guests than Disney CMs. They are all college students, by the way.

We came across a place with free samples and had to partake in the Tahitian Coconut Bread:



Yum! In case you are inclined to make it someday:



This looks a lot like the map of WDW Polynesian, right? ::yes:: :



So, despite not planning to stop and watch the parade, Dug decided he wanted to sit down and, therefore, might as well watch it. So, we stopped. And, after getting the “I want GO!”s out of her system, Izzy was fairly tolerant of the lack of movement.

As we waited for it to start, we saw this rather gross-looking duck:



It was also a VERY aggressive duck that wanted peoples’ food, no matter how close it had to get. :eek: I found it fascinating to watch, as we were far enough back from the crowd that it didn’t bother us (it was hanging out near the fish food dispenser). I did see a dad letting his toddler boy approach it, which scared me, since I had seen it act rather aggressively already (hissing, etc.) Luckily, he was fine and they moved on. Whew. (General parenting thought - maybe don't let your toddler aggressively chase wild animals?! :confused3)

The parade consisted of a boat for each island that had dancing and chanting and music and costumes. It was really enjoyable and lively. Izzy seemed to like it too, despite our distant view from joining last-minute:



Family parade selfie:



More parade floats (quite literally - floating!):







Like I said, it was very lively and some of the islands would kind-of do chant-offs with each other. At one point, someone did fall off a boat (and was fine), but I couldn’t tell if that was an intended part of the show or not. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens often, as they are really moving around on those little boats. :dancer:

We were glad we stopped to see it. We moved on at 2:56pm. Pretty scenery:



Izzy found a giant leaf that made her very happy:



This will not be the only time on this trip that she finds and enjoys a giant leaf. :rotfl:

Up next: More exploration. And a Mommy meltdown?! :eek: Kind-of.
 
Uh oh! Mommy meltdown! :(
Lol Caden had a "GOOO!!!" stage too. We may have taught it to him :-/ (rookie parent mistake! Lol)
 

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