Help with dates - Sept/Oct 2022

[Version 6]

Hi Everyone

We are a family of 4, and will be in Oahu from 29 September 2022, leaving on 8 October 2022.

We are considering a split stay, with 6 nights in Waikiki and 3 nights at Aulani.

At this stage, we aren't sure whether the Aulani leg should be at the start of the trip, or at the end.

Our options for Aulani are 29 September - 2 October, or 5 October to 8 October.

Our main priority when choosing dates is crowds. We'd like as small crowds as possible, but I understand that the Hawaii school fall break falls during that time.

Would love to get some thoughts from the experienced campaigners here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Noah_t]

If at all possible ALWAYS move up in accomodations. To be fair I haven't stayed in Waikiki but I'm going to be presumptuous and suggest doing Aulani at the end of your stay.

 

[Version 6]

We've done both Aulani and Waikiki before. Priority is more about avoiding higher crowds if possible.

 

[DisneyDad0315]

I have stayed at Aulani many times and my family also does the spilt stay with half our time at Waikiki. We pretty much do that every year and we love it. If I wanted to try and avoid crowds, I would make Aulani the second half of the trip. If the Hawaiian locals are on school break, Aulani will probably be packed that weekend. I've booked rooms for my family in Hawaii during the weekend of those school breaks. We set up our trip so our Aulani stay is primarily during the weekdays and not weekend. Best of luck to you.

 

[Version 6]

I have stayed at Aulani many times and my family also does the spilt stay with half our time at Waikiki. We pretty much do that every year and we love it. If I wanted to try and avoid crowds, I would make Aulani the second half of the trip. If the Hawaiian locals are on school break, Aulani will probably be packed that weekend. I've booked rooms for my family in Hawaii during the weekend of those school breaks. We set up our trip so our Aulani stay is primarily during the weekdays and not weekend. Best of luck to you.

Thanks for that...

If we do Aulani first, we will get arrival day and the next day where the kids aren't on school break.

If we wait until the end, we avoid a weekend, but the whole week is school break time.

Does that change your advice at all?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Are you set on 6/3?

 

[Version 6]

Are you set on 6/3?

Not necessarily. I prefer to stay longer in Waikiki than Aulani, but am certainly open to ideas. What did you have in mind?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not necessarily. I prefer to stay longer in Waikiki than Aulani, but am certainly open to ideas. What did you have in mind?

0/9

 

[Version 6]

0/9

As much as we like Aulani, it's just not a convenient base for Oahu, and I don't think it's the kind of place we could spend 9 nights.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

As much as we like Aulani, it's just not a convenient base for Oahu, and I don't think it's the kind of place we could spend 9 nights.

Fair enough, my position is more anti-Waikiki than pro-Aulani. Not sure how much you do in the city itself, but if I were doing an Oahu split stay I'd do Aulani and Turtle Bay.

 

[Version 6]

Totally get that. We just like the restaurants in Waikiki so that's what keeps us going back.

 

[corgi_monster]

We stayed at Aulani during fall break 2021 and the resort was significantly more crowded at the start of fall break. Monday was Discoverer’s Day for some (but not most) locals so that may have skewed the crowds. By Wednesday, the resort was relatively quiet. Plan Aulani for the end of your stay if you’re looking to avoid crowds.

 

[Version 6]

We stayed at Aulani during fall break 2021 and the resort was significantly more crowded at the start of fall break. Monday was Discoverer’s Day for some (but not most) locals so that may have skewed the crowds. By Wednesday, the resort was relatively quiet. Plan Aulani for the end of your stay if you’re looking to avoid crowds.

Thanks for you feedback.

If we do Aulani at the start of the trip, we will have our arrival day (Thursday), and the next day (Friday) which do not fall in the fall break. Only the Saturday and our departure day (Sunday) will be fall break.

Whereas if we do it at the end of the trip, all days will be fall break.

Does this change your advice at all?

 

[corgi_monster]

Thanks for you feedback.

If we do Aulani at the start of the trip, we will have our arrival day (Thursday), and the next day (Friday) which do not fall in the fall break. Only the Saturday and our departure day (Sunday) will be fall break.

Whereas if we do it at the end of the trip, all days will be fall break.

Does this change your advice at all?

I would still wait for the second half. We checked in on Friday right after school, and there were a lot of other locals waiting to check in as well. That afternoon was so busy we left the resort to go tidepooling at Secret Beach.

I do think that fall break 2022 Aulani staycations will be less popular with the locals, though. Discoverer’s Day falls later in the month and more local families are finally starting to travel again.

 

[Version 6]

I would still wait for the second half. We checked in on Friday right after school, and there were a lot of other locals waiting to check in as well. That afternoon was so busy we left the resort to go tidepooling at Secret Beach.

I do think that fall break 2022 Aulani staycations will be less popular with the locals, though. Discoverer’s Day falls later in the month and more local families are finally starting to travel again.

Thanks for that. At what point in the week did it start to quieten down?

 

[corgi_monster]

Thanks for that. At what point in the week did it start to quieten down?

It started to die down on Monday night and it was peaceful on Tuesday. My husband went down at 7:45am to reserve chairs by the Menehune playground on the weekend. On weekdays, we could find empty chairs in the same area at 9:30.

I've lived on Oahu my entire life and think I'm pretty adept at distinguishing locals from tourists. It was definitely locals clogging up the resort during the weekend.

 

[Version 6]

It started to die down on Monday night and it was peaceful on Tuesday. My husband went down at 7:45am to reserve chairs by the Menehune playground on the weekend. On weekdays, we could find empty chairs in the same area at 9:30.

I've lived on Oahu my entire life and think I'm pretty adept at distinguishing locals from tourists. It was definitely locals clogging up the resort during the weekend.

Thanks so much. Would you mind if I message you privately to pick your brain on a few things?

 

[corgi_monster]

Thanks so much. Would you mind if I message you privately to pick your brain on a few things?

No problem at all

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd do Waikiki first. Get over jet lag and do some of your traveling around the island. Then go to Aulani and relax.