# First Trip to Hawaii / Aulani - Our Trip Report



## JM735

*The Background….*

Welcome to my/our first trip report!  My partner, Brad, and I frequently get to Disney World, have gone on two Disney cruises together, been to Disneyland a few times and are DVC owners.  So, when we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii, of course Aulani was the obvious choice.  We asked his parents if they wanted to join us, and they agreed.  So, the planning began over a year ago for what we considered a once in lifetime/one and done trip.

We debated several different options for travel and lodging – a stop in California, island hopping, resort hopping, etc.  For flights we agreed while it may feel long, the direct flight from Chicago to Honolulu would be best.  For lodging, we ruled out island hoping pretty quickly and decided we’d all be happier not changing resorts on Oahu.  So, we went for bust and decided to get a two-bedroom, ocean-view room for our ten-night stay.  There was definitely some point banking, borrowing and one-time-use involved!

Based on work schedules and DVC point seasons, we decided on January.  And escaping January weather in the Midwest was fine for all of us!  It then became a waiting game for the seven-month window to open so we could make our resort reservation.  This gave us plenty of time to start researching what we wanted to do and when.  I fully admit this forum became my go-to for most planning; there is so much useful information available here.  So now I’m trying to pay things back (or forward) a little bit with this trip report.

About this time is when my planning spreadsheet was born.  I’m a planner.  And I love data.  It can be a bad combination for what many consider a vacation but it works for me. There were tabs for the schedule, menu planning for in-room meals, grocery lists, restaurants, confirmation numbers, budget, packing, etc.  Lots of information but it helped keep us organized.

We all agreed that we wanted to see Oahu, but we also wanted this to feel like a vacation and spend time relaxing and enjoying Aulani.  Experiencing local restaurants was important to us, so we planned to eat out a lot, with the exception of most breakfasts and a couple dinners, which we planned to have in the room.   Every time we’d watch another Dreams Unlimited video or see a different restaurant mentioned online it would be added to the list.  Then we started prioritizing and fitting them into a plan.  Our dining budget had several increases during the planning.

That’s probably enough background.  Up next… Travel to paradise.


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## limegreenpeanut

Can't wait to read this!  I also do an extensive excel spreadsheet when planning vacations - love it!  My Disney ones also include park hours, extra magic hours and estimated crowd levels!  You can never have enough data


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## jodybird511

Following!  We went for our supposed one-and-done trip in Dec 2016/Jan 2017, but guess what--we're headed back this May!  Oh, and the spreadsheet?  Yep, we're on the same page.   Hope you guys had a terrific time.


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## Luv2trav

Following. We go in July and can't wait to read your trip report.


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## nala1128

Following as well. We are going in July for the first time as well. Can't wait to follow your adventures!!!


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## erin1715

Also going in July and following!


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## dislainey

Also going in July to celebrate my birthday.  Look forward to reading your trip report and seeing which restaurants you visited.  Elaine


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## JM735

*Travel to Oahu!*
Tuesday, January 9, 2018

The day had arrived to start our vacation.  We had a car scheduled to pick us up at 6:30 a.m.  This method ended up being cheaper than parking at O’Hare and was more convenient.  Also, since we were being dropped off at the door we could skip taking winter coats.

Even though Brad’s parents don’t often travel by air, we encouraged them to get TSA pre-check to make the security screening a bit less stressful.  I’ve had it for a while and swear by it.  There is not always a shorter line in pre-check but the reduced hassle is a benefit.  On a trip to Disney World a couple years ago, I was on the plane at Midway before Brad was through the regular security line.  And he was in line before me since I checked our bags.  I think he started signing up for pre-check during that flight! 

Under the premise of it being a trip of a lifetime, a splurge was to upgrade us to First Class.  However, I opted to keep this a surprise.  Bag check was a breeze and the pre-check line was relatively short for a weekday morning flight.  We made it to the gate and waited for boarding.  There may have been a Starbucks run too…  Our nonstop United flight was on time to depart at 9:35 a.m. and we began boarding around 8:50 a.m.

Leaving dreary Chicago:

 

The flight was great; it was relatively smooth and we landed ahead of schedule.  The lie-flat seats were comfortable, the in-seat entertainment options were extensive, there was never a line for the bathroom and the food and beverage service was very good.  We had breakfast soon after takeoff, there was a snack cart available throughout the flight and we were served a cheeseburger shortly before landing.  It was more than enough food for all of us.

Breakfast and the view somewhere over the Pacific:

 

On our approach, we were able to spot Aulani:

 

Upon landing we took the shuttle bus to baggage claim and our bags arrived soon after.  We left Pam and Dave (Brad’s parents) with the luggage while we went to get the car.

We used Hertz points for our rental.  Unfortunately, a ten-day rental using reward points would have required us to book a two-week rental.  To maximize points, we made a weeklong reservation and then a separate three-day reservation.  So, we had to go back to the airport to end one reservation and start the other.  I was hoping we could just phone it in, but apparently that wasn’t an option for a reward reservation.  So, we just planned to be in Honolulu shopping on the day we had to make the stop at the airport.  We were given a Ford Expedition, which we figured would be more than enough space for four people and a lot of luggage.

Time permitting; the plan was to stop at Costco and the grocery before heading to Aulani.  The backup plan was to go the next day.  Since we landed early and made it out of the airport quickly and easily, we hit Costco.  However, soon after getting inside we realized Pam and Dave likely hit the wall of exhaustion.  In hindsight, Brad and I should have left them in the car while we zipped through Costco, but I think they had a fear of missing something.  Costco quickly became decision paralysis with aimless wandering. But we all survived.  Most things were priced around where I expected, with a few exceptions (like bottled water).

However, when Dave was still sitting in the backseat after the rest of us had gotten out, we learned that one of the car doors could not be opened from inside.  I figured it was just the child lock, but that wasn’t the case.  Also, once we were out of the car rental garage we noticed the vehicle wasn’t in the best condition.  It had a lot of wear and tear and was not fully cleaned.  I called Hertz while we were at Costco and asked if we could exchange the vehicle the next day.  They were very accommodating, so a stop at the airport was added to Wednesday’s schedule.

We decided the grocery store would wait until the next day and headed for Aulani!

Stay tuned for our Aulani arrival.


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## ebonyeyes

We are also going in July!  Our first trip as official DVC members!  Yippie can't wait...to read the rest of your TR...AND for our trip!!!


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## JM735

Sounds like July will have a lot of people from the boards visiting!



limegreenpeanut said:


> Can't wait to read this!  I also do an extensive excel spreadsheet when planning vacations - love it!  My Disney ones also include park hours, extra magic hours and estimated crowd levels!  You can never have enough data





jodybird511 said:


> Following!  We went for our supposed one-and-done trip in Dec 2016/Jan 2017, but guess what--we're headed back this May!  Oh, and the spreadsheet?  Yep, we're on the same page.   Hope you guys had a terrific time.



I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone in my detailed planning process!  And my spreadsheets started with WDW trips too.

We had an amazing trip.  And one and done may not be the case for us after all...


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## Tinkershell76

Can't wait to follow along! We will be there in April!


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## Bunless

Your trip report is reminding me of the time DH and I took both of our parents to Disneyland. 
Looking forward to more!


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## RebelHawk

We're looking at booking our first Hawaii/Aulani trip in the next year or so. Can't wait to see your first impressions for this trip.


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## scottmel

Perfect timing! Our first visit to Aluani and Hawaii is this July as well and I too have once in a lifetime mentality. I booked first class both ways with a stop in Disneyland on the way down. COULD NOT RESIST. I love that park....I am anxious to hear how you faired staying in Aulani for all 10 nights. I too am there 10 nights with a 5/5 split in Waikiki and Aulani. I could be persuaded...Cant wait to read more!


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## Toreby

Following along. Will be headed to Aulani at the end of June in a 2 BR o/v as well.


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## buckeev

Taggin' along......Thanks for sharing! 

Thinking of a Early December...or early January trip.


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## JM735

*Aulani Arrival*
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 (continued)

The next destination was Aulani.  All I can say is wow.  For me, it was everything I had hoped.  We pulled up and the valet attendant showed us where to leave the car while they started unloading everything and we got checked in.   We were all given leis and glasses of water.  Then we walked inside and started admiring the beauty of the lobby.  Disney’s attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. Of course we also started taking pictures.  Of everything.

Views from out front:


The lobby:




I had requested a high-floor room xx50 through DVC member services.  I also completed online check-in 10 days out.  We were assigned room 1450 and could not have picked a better room for what we wanted.  The view was amazing.  We were able to hear the music from The Olelo Room when we were on the balcony.   I probably underestimated the walk between the elevator and our room, but it wasn’t too bad.  I would absolutely make the same request if I did things over.

Views from the balcony:




Bell services arrived soon after we got to the room.  I was surprised they fit everything on one cart – they are good at space management! While Brad took pictures and videos of the room I went down and moved the car to the self-park garage.

The room:



We started some unpacking and just relaxed until we decided it was time for dinner.  The plan was to hit Monkeypod across the street.  Originally Brad was going to grab an OpenTable reservation, but when he checked they weren’t showing reservations available for another hour.  We called and they said they could seat us inside downstairs immediately.  We decided that was fine and headed over.  Since it had been a long day, we drove over rather than walking.

Dinner was very good.  I think if we didn’t have so many other places to eat we would have gone back to Monkeypod for another meal.  The convenience of being just across the street is a definite bonus.

Monkeypod dinner:


After dinner we went back to the room and I'm pretty sure everyone was asleep soon.

Next... Our first full day on Oahu.


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## erin1715

What a fantastic report so far!  I love the view you guys got!  I like that the Four Seasons is hidden by Aulani and you could still see the sunset it looks like.


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## scottmel

Monkeypod is my arrival meal day plan too.Looks good! Love your view. Looks like their promotional advertising! I am really interested in your opinion of how you felt staying in Aulani your entire trip vs splitting the stay in Waikikki a bit....


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## cgattis

Very nice photos.  I like all the collages, too.  I tell myself I'm just doing Maui and Kauai next trip, but when I look at Aulani pics........sigh. Look forward to reading more.


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## alohamom

Oh. my. goodness! You really did have a fantastic view.


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## rlk

What a great view.  I am looking forward to reading about your dining choices.


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## DisneyPrincess88

We are following along too! We are from Chicago as well but going to Aulani in June. We have been watching the DIS to hear about the dining too. Right now, I'm planning the outings off of Aulani - so looking forward to what you did! Thanks for the AWESOME post & pictures! Looks like a PERFECT vacation!


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## alldiz

Lovin your TR..... feeling guilty I somehow never wrote mine from last July. Won’t be anywhere as amazing as yours..... but never too late for Aulani musings
Ahem.... I also thought Aulani was one and done....No doubt whatsoever we will be back! In fact DH was asking all kinds of questions about points as we were floating in the lagoon. He never asks those questions.... finally I’m like what’s the interest all of a sudden. That boy was thinking add on at some point!
Kerri


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## haj697

Enjoying your report so far and looking forward to the rest of it.  We are heading to Aulani the middle of June.  I've been reading anything and everything I can to help with our planning.


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## bamagoofy

How did new daily security check work out for you? I have a trip starting next week so I am very curious. This will be my 5th time going, but I have heard horrific stories on the other boards. 

Your pictures are beautiful.


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## Cisco23

Hi!! We were in aulani in may of 16. It was amazing. Im right along with you on the planning. My wife is amazed at how much patience i have for it but cant be put on hold for more then a minute..lol. i love to hear other peoples experiences. It gives me ideas on plans for my next trip. They kids absolutely loved it even though it was not a theme park. So much for them to do also. Aulani is really the only reason id consider becoming a dvc member. Hope to read more of your report.


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## OKW Lover

I'm very much enjoying this trip report and looking forward to further updates.  Some questions for the OP if you don't mind:
How long was the flight from Chicago?  Do you have a picture of the lay-flat seats?  We often do the non-stop ATL>HNL flight and its about 10 hours.  Just wondering if Chicago is appreciably shorter.


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## trs518

OKW Lover said:


> I'm very much enjoying this trip report and looking forward to further updates.  Some questions for the OP if you don't mind:
> How long was the flight from Chicago?  Do you have a picture of the lay-flat seats?  We often do the non-stop ATL>HNL flight and its about 10 hours.  Just wondering if Chicago is appreciably shorter.



Minneapolis is Honolulu is 9 hours and change, so I would assume that Chicago is about the same.


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## JM735

Thanks to all of the followers!  It's fun to write the trip report and keeps the memories fresh.  I just wish I was still on the balcony at Aulani writing it!



scottmel said:


> I booked first class both ways with a stop in Disneyland on the way down. COULD NOT RESIST. I love that park....I am anxious to hear how you faired staying in Aulani for all 10 nights. I too am there 10 nights with a 5/5 split in Waikiki and Aulani. I could be persuaded...Cant wait to read more!





scottmel said:


> Monkeypod is my arrival meal day plan too.Looks good! Love your view. Looks like their promotional advertising! I am really interested in your opinion of how you felt staying in Aulani your entire trip vs splitting the stay in Waikikki a bit....



As much as I love Southwest, it has been a difficult adjustment back after the first-class Hawaii flights - it was easy to get spoiled.

I plan to share some final thoughts, but I'd say we were happy to be at Aulani the entire time.  However, I can see benefits to a split stay.



cgattis said:


> Very nice photos.  I like all the collages, too.



Brad gets credit for most all of the photos and creating the collages (with help from an app).  We were pleased with how well they turned out since they were all taken with an iPhone 8 Plus.



alldiz said:


> Ahem.... I also thought Aulani was one and done....No doubt whatsoever we will be back! In fact DH was asking all kinds of questions about points as we were floating in the lagoon. He never asks those questions.... finally I’m like what’s the interest all of a sudden. That boy was thinking add on at some point!
> Kerri



I'm learning one and done may be a dangerous mindset, or else a test of willpower, for Hawaii/Aulani.  Score on getting DH thinking about adding on points!



bamagoofy said:


> How did new daily security check work out for you? I have a trip starting next week so I am very curious. This will be my 5th time going, but I have heard horrific stories on the other boards.



It hasn't come up in my trip report yet, but we added housekeeping services for our stay (mostly trash and towel service), so we expected someone in our room daily.



OKW Lover said:


> Some questions for the OP if you don't mind:
> How long was the flight from Chicago?  Do you have a picture of the lay-flat seats?  We often do the non-stop ATL>HNL flight and its about 10 hours.  Just wondering if Chicago is appreciably shorter.



The flight from Chicago was scheduled at 9.5 hours.  However, when I was tracking it before our trip, it was almost always 30-60 minutes early and we were 50 minutes early.  The return flight is scheduled at eight hours, but was typically 20-40 minutes early and we landed 25 minutes early.

We were on a 777-200 Hawaii configuration (United uses a different layout for these routes).  The weird thing about this setup is that half of the first class seats are rear-facing.  Brad and I were in these seats on our flight to Hawaii and didn't notice much difference. However, those in an aisle seats may be staring at someone across the aisle.  Here are a couple pics that I found online (not ones we took) of the seats in the upright position:


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## OKW Lover

Thanks for the update!  Those are strange backwards seats but the certainly look comfortable.


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## tonimo

Love your report and pictures! Looking forward to more posts. We're going in June!


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## JM735

*Our First Full Day!*
Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Warning: this is a long post.  I probably should have made it two, but instead of doing that I give you this disclaimer!

I think we all woke up at some early hour, but most of us got back to sleep.  Everyone was up and going by 6:00 a.m.

For our first full day we had made a reservation at Makahiki for 7:30 a.m.  We figured the time change would be in our favor and we could make it to breakfast by then.

Makahiki was Pam and Dave’s first Disney character interaction.  After the photo op, Dave said, “That was fun!”  Dave can be sarcastic, but I think he actually meant it this time.  During breakfast, the photo pass cast member stopped by our table to show us the photos available for purchase.  There were some decent pics, but we decided the ones the cast member took using Brad’s phone were good and we didn’t need to purchase any.

I think starting with a buffet worked well for our first morning since we all seemed to be at different levels of hunger.  We had a table on the outside edge of the restaurant veranda.  Having breakfast outside in January while wearing shorts was ideal for all of us!  The food was very good.  Brad and I both felt it was comparable to the better Disney World buffets (i.e. Tusker House at AK).  They didn’t have malasadas on the buffet, but that just meant we had to experience Leonard’s for our first ones – definitely not a problem. Dave and Brad both loved Loco Moco (sorry, we didn't get a picture of that).

 

The next stop was Royal Hawaiian for shopping.  When we presented Pam and Dave the first draft of our schedule last summer there was the following exchange:

Pam: Bradley?
Brad: Yes, mom?
Pam: I don’t see time for shopping on here.
Brad: Ummmmm, John?

Dedicated shopping time was quickly added to the schedule.

The plan was for me to drop Brad, Pam and Dave off at the mall.  I would then go to the airport to exchange the car and then rejoin them at the mall.  Yes, it was a bit of backtracking but made the most sense since they, well at least Pam and Brad, were most interested in shopping.  We easily found the mall - Brad was responsible for navigating most of the trip and used the Waze app which worked well.

When we arrived, we didn’t see a good place to drop them off so we decided to just park in the garage while they got out of the car.  Remember, I said we had an Expedition?  Well that hit the maximum clearance bar at the garage entrance, which also caused flashing red lights on said bar...  But there was no good way to back out so we continued up, hoping for the best.  I think Brad closed his eyes because he was sure we would take out the overhead lights or scrape the concrete supports.  I stopped at the first exit option and had everyone jump out of the car so I could get out of the garage as quickly as possible.

Hertz called me while I was driving to the airport to discuss options and they suggested a GMC Yukon as those are some of the newer vehicles they had on hand.  What they either didn’t say or I didn’t hear, was that it was a Yukon XL.  That XL detail made it a decently long vehicle – at least longer than I drive daily.  It ended up being a great vehicle, but parking was an adventure the rest of the trip.  The actual exchange was quick and easy and I was soon heading back to the mall.  

Somewhere along the drive I realized I’d likely have the same height issue with this vehicle so I was hoping to find another parking option.  After passing the street where the garage entrance was, and seeing no other options, I decided to go around the block.  I soon realized that I was essentially on the ocean.  Needless to say, I wouldn’t be going around THAT direction!  I finally decided I’d risk the garage again and didn’t hit the clearance bar this time so all was fine.

We spent a few hours shopping, including all four of us getting Hawaiian shirts to wear to the luau.  Everyone enjoyed the mall and we would recommend it if anyone wants to do some shopping that isn’t just the main stores found at most major shopping areas.

 

One of the few stores Dave went in was Island Vintage Coffee.  He and Brad are the primary coffee drinkers and they got a few different ones to enjoy in the room and extras to take home.  In theory, it’s one of those associations that will hopefully bring back (positive) memories of the trip.  They also got some cookie/biscuit type things that everyone enjoyed.  We tried getting more but they did not have them at the location across from Aulani or the one in Haleiwa.  I’m not sure if it was something being discontinued or if the selection varies between stores.  

Once we finished shopping we headed to Kona Brewing Company for a late lunch.  This was an enjoyable meal.  For the most part it’s a brewpub similar to one you’d find in most cities on the mainland.  But it’s in Hawaii so there is a lot of open air and views of the Koko Marina.  Speaking of open air, this is a good time to mention that we saw birds.  Everywhere.  While not a big deal, Pam wasn’t always a fan of them joining us at nearly every meal.  And occasionally Brad had flashbacks of the time a bird picked up his hamburger patty while we were at Castaway Cay.  I think the bird underestimated the weight of the burger because it was soon dropped.  Unfortunately, on Brad’s hat.

Anyway, there were several good seafood options on the menu.  Pictured below are some of the things we had, including the Big Wave Shrimp Melt with Mac Salad, Naalehu nachos with Portuguese Sausage and a beer flight.


 

Brad wasn’t able to get the pub glass he originally wanted since “their shipment didn’t arrive.”  This became a common phrase we heard and we humorously wondered if it was one ship that got lost, a common occurrence on an island or just the easy explanation for things being out of stock!  So, he picked another glass that was unique and we got Dave the longboard-shaped bottle opener.

Pam, Brad and I had pedicures at 4:00 p.m. at Laniwai spa.  We were a few minutes late because we hit more Honolulu traffic than we expected.  We were watching the travel time and it literally jumped from 50 minutes to 75 minutes in under five minutes.  I called the spa along the way to give them a heads-up and they said it wouldn’t be a problem as long as we were there by 4:15 p.m.  It helped that these were technically salon appointments so we didn’t need to change clothes or even go to the locker rooms.  I think it also helped we were the last appointments of the day for two of the technicians.

The pedicures were a relaxing experience and a good introduction to the spa.  At $80 (plus tip and tax), it falls in the category of expensive compared to getting a pedicure at home, but in line with other resort spas.  I think we all thought it was time and money well spent. 

We had dinner reservations at Ama Ama for 5:30 p.m.  We were fortunate to be seated at a table on the edge of the restaurant facing the water – which provided a view that was beyond words (see photo in collage below).  We had breakfast, lunch and dinner at Ama Ama during the trip and we all agreed that dinner was our least favorite of the three meals.  I want to stress that it was by no means bad, but the price point is higher for dinner, and we felt it didn’t stand up as well against some of the other meals we enjoyed on the trip.  Service was strong at the beginning, but it slowed down towards the end (I think our server received one or two larger parties which I completely understand can upset flow).  All things considered, we didn’t regret having dinner at Ama Ama.  The meal was great and the view couldn’t be beat; it was an ideal end to our first full day on the island.  Dave said he should have taken the server's advice to have the catch of the day sautéed instead of grilled; I had it sautéed and thought it was excellent.

Pictured below (clockwise from top right): A sweet chocolate and coconut accompaniment that was presented with the check, crab cake appetizer, sautéed catch of the day, grilled salmon and the side dishes we selected (Herb-coconut Rice, Potato Trio - Yukon, Sweet and Okinawan Sweet - and Caramelized Brussels Sprouts)

 

After dinner, Brad and I decided to go to Safeway and get the items we were not able to get at Costco.  Since it was later, traffic was light and Brad decided he’d drive.  He soon realized some of the fun I’d already experienced with our XL vehicle, such as getting in and out of parking spaces and the vibrating seat that felt the need to ‘alert’ you to anything within what seemed to be a five-foot radius of the vehicle.  He was amused when I was cursing it in traffic earlier in the day.  After he experienced it, finding a way to make it cease became a priority!  The original plan was to divide driving 50/50 so we’d both be able to see things other than traffic.  I think in the end he drove 5-10 percent of the time.  Which was fine, but you can be sure I gave him grief about it!

Safeway was pretty empty when were there – I doubt we saw more than ten other customers.  This is however, where we saw more of the sticker shock.  I’m guessing it is because of resorts with kitchens in the area, but we were surprised how many of the smaller quantities were sold out of many items.  One of the most shocking costs was Velveeta – the small size was sold out so we got the traditional-size block.  It was $14.50!  If you had a Safeway card (which I now do) the price came down to $10.50, which was better but still more than I’d expected.  There were a few items that didn’t have much selection, such as raisin bread, but overall we found what we had on the list.

We finished the shopping and got back to the resort, unloaded the groceries and other packages from the day’s purchases and called it a day soon after.  Besides, we had another early morning ahead of us at Pearl Harbor!!


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## luvmychaos

Excited to be following along! I have mastered WDW planning, and all the glorious spreadsheets that go with it, but Aulani will be a new adventure to plan!


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## alohamom

JM735 said:


> The next stop was Royal Hawaiian for shopping. When we presented Pam and Dave the first draft of our schedule last summer there was the following exchange:
> 
> Pam: Bradley?
> Brad: Yes, mom?
> Pam: I don’t see time for shopping on here.
> Brad: Ummmmm, John?
> 
> Dedicated shopping time was quickly added to the schedule.



Oh I LOVE that you both jumped on that! Lucky mom to have you both respect the need to shop, I am going to have to figure out how to make my son understand the importance of this, LOL!




JM735 said:


> Safeway was pretty empty when were there – I doubt we saw more than ten other customers. This is however, where we saw more of the sticker shock. I’m guessing it is because of resorts with kitchens in the area, but we were surprised how many of the smaller quantities were sold out of many items. One of the most shocking costs was Velveeta – the small size was sold out so we got the traditional-size block. It was $14.50! If you had a Safeway card (which I now do) the price came down to $10.50, which was better but still more than I’d expected. There were a few items that didn’t have much selection, such as raisin bread, but overall we found what we had on the list.



We usually rent a condo on the Big Island when we go there and it has a full, gorgeous kitchen but the prices in the grocery stores make it challenging to make a meal that doesnt cost the same as eating out. Years ago I started bringing many shelf stable kitchen supplies like spices, foil, baggies, oatmeal etc in my luggage so that I wouldnt have to purchase them in Hawaii. Obviously you cant bring Velvetta but I hear you on the pricing. I find now that Target and WalMart are invading the islands, you can sometimes get "on sale" prices for things like bread that are similar to mainland pricing. 



JM735 said:


> The pedicures were a relaxing experience and a good introduction to the spa. At $80 (plus tip and tax), it falls in the category of expensive compared to getting a pedicure at home, but in line with other resort spas. I think we all thought it was time and money well spent.



Does this service allow you to use the spa areas like the pools etc?


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## Cisco23

We celebrated my wife's birthday with a full day spa treatment(couple's massage and hair) then diner at ama ama. It was great. Completely worth it.


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## JM735

alohamom said:


> Does this service allow you to use the spa areas like the pools etc?



Unfortunately, no.  They designate services as 'Salon' or 'Spa' and only 'Spa' services are eligible for the lounge areas and pools/hot tubs/saunas.


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## alohamom

JM735 said:


> Unfortunately, no.  They designate services as 'Salon' or 'Spa' and only 'Spa' services are eligible for the lounge areas and pools/hot tubs/saunas.



Kind of what I thought, thank you for answering!


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## JM735

*Pearl Harbor*
Thursday, January 11, 2018

Another long post...

One of the must-do’s for the trip was to visit Pearl Harbor.  I’d read online that earlier in the trip can be beneficial since your body likely has not fully adjusted to the time change and an early morning may be less ‘painful.’  We followed this recommendation and planned for Pearl Harbor to be our second full day.

We purchased the ‘Passport to Pearl Harbor,’ which included a scheduled time for the Arizona Memorial and access to the Missouri Battleship, Bowfin Submarine and Aviation Museum.  Our scheduled Arizona Memorial time was 11:00 a.m., which was the earliest time available for advance tickets at the sixty-day mark.  The week before our trip I was doing final checks on our plans I learned about an extended tour of the Missouri that sounded fascinating.  It is a 90-minute tour exploring some of the engine and artillery areas.  We decided to inquire about adding this on once we arrived.

Our goal was to leave Aulani by 6:30 a.m.  Brad and I went to the fitness center for a short run which was definitely not long enough for all that we were eating, but it’s vacation and calories don’t count, right?!  Regardless, while running I was watching the local news and saw that morning traffic was picking up, as expected, but it didn’t look too bad.  Everyone ate something for breakfast in the room and we were out the door by 6:45 a.m. 

Once we started driving, Waze offered an alternate route to avoid some freeway congestion and get us there 10 minutes earlier.  I really don’t know where we were, but it showed us a ‘different part’ of the island that you don’t notice from the freeway.  There were parked cars packing the driveways and streets and a few houses with bars on windows, but nothing that made us feel unsafe.  We seemed to be in a parade of others taking the same route – at one point Brad said ‘just follow the car in front of you, they seem to be taking the same route.’ Thanks, Navigator!  Along this detour may be where we first saw chickens roaming freely.  I take that back, we first saw a family of them in the Costco parking lot.  But we did see a lot of chickens wandering about when we took this detour, and randomly throughout the trip.

Once we got to Pearl Harbor I pulled into the first parking lot where we let Pam and Dave out while Brad and I found parking.  That lot was full, but the next one over had quite a few spaces, so we quickly parked and met Pam and Dave at the entrance.  Again following advice of others, we travelled lightly that day with only the basics that fit in our pockets and we didn’t leave anything in the car.  I left the car doors unlocked, which was a very strange feeling.  Apparently, in the past there have been patterns of break-ins there.  This may not still be an issue, as we did not have any problems and felt plenty safe.

There was a helpful security person who greeted us and asked if we had tickets already.  When I told her yes, for 11:00 a.m. she directed us to where to pick them up and suggested we ask about an earlier time since it was a light day.  I’m glad she suggested this since it made our plan for the day much easier. I went to the counter and picked up our Passport tickets and inquired about an earlier time for the Arizona and I was given tickets for 8:30 a.m.  Next, I picked up the audio devices for the narrated, self-guided part of the tour.  Lastly, I went to another desk to inquire about the extended Missouri tour.  The gentleman there initially discouraged me from doing this since he said it would take us 6-8 hours to do everything that was included with the Passport experience.  We’d already decided that we wouldn’t go to the Aviation museum and I believed we would enjoy the guided tour on the Missouri more than the self-guided one.  I told him I was sure it’s what we wanted to do and bought tickets (additional $25 per person) for Dave, Brad and me to join the 11:00 a.m. Heart of Missouri tour.

We all went to the restroom (for anyone not familiar, restrooms are not available for the 60-75 minute time during the film, tour and round-trip boat ride to the Arizona Memorial) and then waited with the others for our tour.  As so many people have said, the film is very well done and provides a good foundational knowledge of the events leading up to the attack.  The boat ride was quick and interesting to see the sites of an active base.  The Memorial is a very somber place to reflect on that tragic day in our nation’s history.

Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and Arizona Memorial:


Upon returning to the welcome center, we explored the museum and several of the outside exhibits.  We took the bus to Ford Island where the Missouri and Aviation Museum are located.   Once there, we boarded the ship, checked in for the tour and then explored until it was time to meet for the tour.  For anyone who may not want to climb the stairs to board the Missouri, a ramp entrance is available if you go to the right rather than the left when you get to the ship; we learned this after first going to the stairway entrance.

Battleship Missouri:


There is a disclaimer on the website about the Heart of Missouri tour being ‘physically strenuous’; which I’d say is an exaggeration.  However, the warnings about ‘steep, narrow stairs, two-foot high obstacles, tight doorways and low overheads’ were accurate.  These elements did not excite Pam so she chose to explore the upper decks of the Missouri on her own.

Pam assured us she’d entertain herself (and not fall overboard) while we were gone for the next hour and a half.  It was an awesome tour and we were very glad we did it. The things we got to see and learn, and the knowledge of the tour guide, were amazing.  There were only five of us plus the guide, so it was easy to converse with the guide.  I highly recommend this tour for anyone who enjoys seeing ‘under the hood.’

Heart of Missouri Tour:


Once we finished the tour we found Pam had already disembarked and was waiting in the shade.  She said she enjoyed wandering around and watched ceremonies taking place under a tent at the back of the ship.

Next, we took the bus back to the Arizona visitor’s center to see the Bowfin submarine.  We were offered a narrated tour option, but we passed on that and just walked through the submarine; which was exciting to see up close.

Bowfin Submarine:


After this we stopped at the gift shop and then we were on our way to lunch.

As I mentioned, we all considered Pearl Harbor a must-do.  There was a lot to see and absorb – it struck a balance of educational, emotional and entertaining.  In hindsight we might have been fine not getting the Passport, but it did simplify things by giving us full access and letting us do what we wanted once we were there.

Our lunch plan this day was Honolulu Beerworks.  It was an easy drive there; possibly a bit farther than we expected, but not bad.  Street parking was the only option, but I was able to just pull into a spot – trust me I was not going to actually parallel park that thing!  We then encountered a lapse in planning: change for parking meters.  I’ve become so accustomed to using cards for parking meters that I didn’t even think to have some change.  Luckily, they could change a couple bucks for me at the restaurant.

While still a brewery, this one was very different from Kona Brewing Company, where we ate the day before.  Honolulu Beerworks is more rustic, including picnic tables and beer casks for seating; it was neat to have something themed differently.  They also had board games for people to play – including Battleship! One thing that surprised us was that they didn’t have burgers or fries on the menu.  This was not an issue for us and in fact was nice to have fresh options.  It was a tasty meal and everyone enjoyed it.  There are only two sandwiches pictured since Brad and Dave got the same sandwich and I got the same as Pam...

Honolulu Beerworks (top to bottom): Candied Beer Nuts (yum!), Muffuletta (sandwich special that day) and Italian Hoagie.


After lunch we headed back to Aulani, and while there was some traffic it was not nearly as bad as the previous day.  We wandered through the shops before going to the room.  Typically, I’d drop the other three off at the main entrance then go park the car.  Probably half of the time I found at least one of the three in the gift shops.  Even though they were not large stores, it seemed we’d often find things we hadn’t seen before.  Walking by the shops and not being tempted to stop in every time you go to your room may be a reason to consider staying in the Waianae tower…

We needed a few items that we didn't get at Safeway the day before so Brad and I went to Target.  Unfortunately, we found they were also out of all fresh peppers, so we improvised with some canned semi-equivalent.  Side note: spices were much cheaper at Target than Safeway.  Target had a much smaller selection, but for the cayenne and nutmeg we forgot to bring from home, they were half the cost of Safeway.

We got back to the room and made dinner and then just relaxed until each of us finally called it a day.  Since we were not sure how much time we’d spend at Pearl Harbor, and consequently what time lunch would be, fixing dinner in the room worked well.  Many evenings were spent on the balcony enjoying the weather, view, Olelo Room music and simply being on vacation in Hawaii.  Having adult beverages in the room was both more convenient and economical for those evenings.

Next: Our first day spent solely at Aulani!


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## princessbride6205

We leave in less than 6 weeks! Absorbing everything as I've just started planning in depth. ILooking forward to the next update!


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## scrappydew

Enjoying your report!


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## scottmel

THanks for the Pearl Harbor REport. We are tackling this day while staying in Waikikki. I plan to reserve the free tickets ahead of time bC I think my only real interest is the Arizona Memorial. Is there more to do here than just this if I take the Misssouri and the Bowfish off the table? Sorry if I butchered those names...not sure if there were any other free exhibits to look at while you waited for your time slot etc. for the Arizona. I was BUDGETING 3 hours. Does this sound about right?


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## Karlan29

We leave for Aulani in 4 weeks! Absolutely loving your trip report. Thanks for sharing.


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## JM735

*A Cabana and a Luau*
Friday, January 12, 2018

Apparently being succinct will not be a theme for this trip report…  We will just accept that most posts will be longer than I originally planned!

This was our first resort-only day; no driving someplace or even walking across the street, just all Aulani, all day!

We had decided to get a cabana at the adult pool and I made the reservation approximately six months before our trip.  I knew from other discussions that these cabanas are pretty far removed, and some say unnecessary, but we decided to give it a try.  We were assigned Cabana 6, which is in the back corner of the adult pool and was the only cabana in this group of three occupied that day.  Throughout the day there were always chairs available around the adult pool, however we appreciated having a home base.

The cabana had a lockable drawer, fridge stocked with mini water bottles, television, Beats speaker, ceiling fan, sofa/chaise lounge, two lounge chairs and a couple tables.

Our home for the day (from top left): view from the cabana in the morning, adult pool from the end by the cabanas, view from the cabana in afternoon, view from the adult pool looking back towards the cabana area, our cabana for the day.
 

Pam had a manicure and Dave had a shave scheduled at 10:30 a.m. and Brad had a haircut at 11:30 a.m.  We realized the day before how close the spa is to the adult cabanas and we strongly encouraged Pam to abandon her idea of going back to the room after her manicure before coming to the cabana.  She actually took our advice!  Pam and Dave went to their appointments and Brad and I hit the lazy river.

After a few laps in the lazy river we decided to try the water slide that requires a tube, which was fun and longer than I expected.  After I went down I waited for Brad; I saw him at the very end of the slide but then all I saw was a raft floating.  He later said he knew it would not be a graceful ending based on how fast he was going.  Somehow his raft abandoned him once he exited the slide and gravity did its thing, dunking him.  I was far more amused than he was.

After that fun, we went back to the cabana.  Dave was back from his appointment and Pam returned shortly.  This is also when the server stopped by to introduce herself and said she’d be back with our fruit tray (included with the cabana) unless we wanted it later.  There may have been a round of drinks ordered but I don’t remember for sure.  Which may confirm there were drinks...

Brad went to his haircut and I went to try the other slide and I believe Pam and Dave stayed at the cabana.  Around 12:15 p.m. our server gave us a heads-up that the lunch rush was starting a bit earlier than normal and it would probably be closer to 45-minute wait for food.  I appreciated her letting us know and we ordered food and then hit the ocean.  We didn’t stay too long but everyone at least got his or her feet wet.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned water temps yet – nothing scientific since I didn’t have a thermometer, but these are my observations...  The lagoon/ocean was chilly when you first entered, but your body would adjust quickly.  Waikolohe Pool (family pool) was the warmest.  Waikolohe Stream (lazy river) was slightly cooler than the family pool - comfortable and refreshing.  Wailana Pool (adult pool) was almost perfect, somewhere between the lazy river and the family pool.  Ka Maka Grotto pool was very cool; we never stayed in it very long, and we didn’t get in the grotto hot tubs.  The dual-level hot tub (if it has an official name I have no idea what it is) was a good temp; sometimes hot tubs can be too hot, but this one wasn’t.  Brad and I spent more time in that hot tub than I expected.  Watching sunset from here was hard to be beat!

Random pics of some of the pools/water areas (from top left): dual-level hot tub, Minnie at a pool party, Mickey at a pool party, floating around the lazy river, more lazy river, the Grotto.
 

One thing that surprised us was how slippery parts of the pool decks and walkways were.  More than once I was sure I’d end up on my backside after getting out of the hot tub or pools.  Luckily, no mishaps for us, but I do recommend water shoes or flip-flops.  Brad claimed his feet were more slippery because they removed the traction from his feet during his pedicure!

Lunch arrived soon after we got back to the cabana.  It was similar to most Disney poolside / counter-service options.  The menu had some diversity, including things like tacos with fish, pork or shrimp.  In my experience, counter service food quality can be hit or miss but this meal was good.  The fries still warm and my only complaint was the quesadilla was very greasy.  Overall, it was convenient and I’m glad we didn’t waste time trying to go back to the room or pack food for lunch.  Our server was very friendly and attentive, checking on us throughout the day.

Lunch (from top left): kalua pork tacos, quesadilla, fruit tray, shrimp tacos, dessert tray.
 

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing: hot tubs and pools, napping in the cabana, lazy river laps, etc.  Oh, and we enjoyed the dessert tray that was also included with the cabana.  We left the cabana soon after 4:00 p.m. since we had a luau that night.

We all thought it was great having the cabana.  Yes, it was an added expense and the crowds weren’t so bad that chairs became a problem, but it was one of those things that made the day even more enjoyable.

For ease and convenience, we decided to go to the luau at Aulani.  After everyone rinsed the pool and sunscreen off, we put on our Hawaiian shirts and went downstairs.  The VIP entrance was right next to the elevators for our tower.  After they checked our tickets we were given wristbands and leis and then we got in line for pictures with two of the performers.

As they walked us to our seats, they showed us where the bar was and explained the activity stations.  Brad and I went to get a round of drinks for the four of us and then walked around looking at the activities.  I’d say 10 minutes after we were seated they started seating the non-VIP guests.  We did a few of the activities, but it was not our focus.  Instead we enjoyed having drinks and talking while listening to the live music.  There was a photopass photographer taking pictures with an Aulani frame for you to hold up, basically the same concept as what they often have in front of the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom.  Before dinner, Mickey, Minnie and Moana all made appearances on stage.

Around 6:00 p.m. they announced that the food was ready.  They released each table to avoid a mad rush and lines at the buffet.  We thought the food was very good (especially the pig skin – salty but amazing).  I think we each made two trips (maybe three for some of us).   There was a good balance of local foods and the staples you expect on a buffet.  During dinner they stopped by to show us the photos they took with the dancers before being seated.  There were some good ones (and who knows if we will ever again all be wearing Hawaiian shirts) so we decided to purchase the CD (I think it was $35).  They took a room key and came back with a receipt and told us where to pick up the CD after the show.  I forgot to use the DVC card for the discount, but we went to the gift shop after the show and they applied the discount.

The show started at 7:00 p.m. and was VERY entertaining.  Expectations were high since I feel this type of production is where Disney should excel, and they did not disappoint.  My best recollection (I failed at taking good notes during the trip so we are winging a lot of this from memory!) is that the show lasted around 40 minutes.  Pam’s comment after the show was ‘there were a lot of cute butts up there.’  I think her son nearly fell out of his chair laughing at this unexpected observation.

 

Most of the performers were available for photos after the show.  We were glad we went with the VIP experience, but I would not consider it a necessity to thoroughly enjoy the luau.  The VIP benefits included early check in, preferred seating, complimentary adult beverages and ‘enhanced’ leis.

Our resort day was relaxing, just as we wanted it to be.

Coming soon… the North Shore!


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## JM735

scottmel said:


> THanks for the Pearl Harbor REport. We are tackling this day while staying in Waikikki. I plan to reserve the free tickets ahead of time bC I think my only real interest is the Arizona Memorial. Is there more to do here than just this if I take the Misssouri and the Bowfish off the table? Sorry if I butchered those names...not sure if there were any other free exhibits to look at while you waited for your time slot etc. for the Arizona. I was BUDGETING 3 hours. Does this sound about right?



It seems the advance tickets (60 days out) are only available for tours at 11:00 a.m. or later.  I didn't think this was the case when I first started planning, but was the case the last few months.  I haven't looked lately to see if it is currently like that.  I imagine they are keeping the earlier tickets for day before or walk-up distribution.  But this is just my speculation...

I agree the Arizona is a must-do.  However, the Bowfin is in the same area as the Arizona and I believe is $15 for adult admission and $7 for children.  This may be an add-on to consider because it is fun to see up close.

Regarding time, yes, I'd say three hours is a good estimate for the Arizona tour and other free exhibits, which includes two museums and items of interest in the harbor area.


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## scottmel

So enjoying this trip. So far what you have done I have planned - first class airfare, VIP luau, Cabana rental. Check! I rented my cabana NOT a the adult pool simply b/c I read the views were better elsewhere HOWEVER the crowds were heavier at the non adult areas. Since we are there inJuly, and I predict, crowded, would you think the Cabana would be a must do? I reserved it with the hesitation of "maybe I will cancel" but I have all of ONE resort day planned and figured I would make I a comfortable one....And I saw your post on another thread with your tours with Oahu group...I booked those as well can't wait for more detail on that. Thanks again for the report and answering questions. Trying to determine if the resort was CROWDED when you were there or more off season...


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## alohamom

Thank you for posting the luau food pictures, I have not seen too many of these from Ka wa'a before.


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## DreamRunner1

alohamom said:


> Thank you for posting the luau food pictures, I have not seen too many of these from Ka wa'a before.



Brad here. A.k.a. the iPhone photographer for the trip. They aren’t the best but it was starting to get dark and buffets are never easy to photograph. Especially with a bunch of hungry ppl!  

The food was great; especially the roast pig. We even had poi but there’s no way to photograph a gray sauce-like food.  I really liked the salads, too, since they had more local items as toppings like taro bread croutons.


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## alohamom

DreamRunner1 said:


> Brad here. A.k.a. the iPhone photographer for the trip. They aren’t the best but it was starting to get dark and buffets are never easy to photograph. Especially with a bunch of hungry ppl!
> 
> The food was great; especially the roast pig. We even had poi but there’s no way to photograph a gray sauce-like food.  I really liked the salads, too, since they had more local items as toppings like taro bread croutons.



Honestly, it was so smart of you to photograph the food! I have seen a ton of the dancers but hardly any of the other aspects of the luau.  

I hear you about the poi. Not only does it look un appealing, it is just so paste-y and bland. Gotta try it at least once though!


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## Iamaplanner

JM735 said:


> *A Cabana and a Luau*
> 
> During dinner they stopped by to show us the photos they took with the dancers before being seated.  There were some good ones (and who knows if we will ever again all be wearing Hawaiian shirts) so we decided to purchase the CD (I think it was $35).  They took a room key and came back with a receipt and told us where to pick up the CD after the show.



Awesome trip review! So appreciate you taking the time to post this.  Quick question for you - if we decide to do the Photopass, would we get our pics from the luau as part of that?  Also, is the only option to get your pictures via CD??


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## JM735

Iamaplanner said:


> Awesome trip review! So appreciate you taking the time to post this.  Quick question for you - if we decide to do the Photopass, would we get our pics from the luau as part of that?  Also, is the only option to get your pictures via CD??



Thanks!  It's my first review, but I'm enjoying sharing it.

Regarding the photos, we didn't purchase the Photopass, so I cannot speak from personal experience, but my understanding is that the specialty photos (including Makahiki character meals and some from the luau) are not included with the Photopass purchase.  However, there was at least one Photopass photographer at the luau taking pictures that would be included; it just wasn't the photos with the dancers.

And yes, a CD is really the only option - which is crazy; I'd think flash drives would be easier for everyone.


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## tgropp

NEVER apologize for long reports/posts. Enjoying the trip report and will use your thoughts and experiences for our future Trip


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## alohamom

tgropp said:


> NEVER apologize for long reports/posts. Enjoying the trip report and will use your thoughts and experiences for our future Trip



+1 @tgropp I totally agree and it has been a while since we have had a full length in depth report with pics here!


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## scottmel

I am DEFINATELY doing a trip report for my July trip as this one is so helpful to me!


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## pharmama

Just another big THANK YOU for this detailed trip report!!!  I'm finding it so interesting & helpful!  Eagerly awaiting more posts


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## buffettgirl

"Aloha shirts"  you were wearing "Aloha shirts" just going off your picture....

  Hawaiian shirts are these     Don't insult yourself by confusing the two.


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## JM735

Thanks, everyone for your comments! I learned so much from other posts, I'm happy to share our experiences.  Plus, it's keeping me from getting too depressed that I'm not still there!


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## JM735

buffettgirl said:


> "Aloha shirts"  you were wearing "Aloha shirts" just going off your picture....
> 
> Hawaiian shirts are these     Don't insult yourself by confusing the two.



Really???  Clearly, I didn't know there was difference.  Based on your example, I'm glad we got Aloha shirts.  Thanks for the clarification!


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## JM735

*North Shore Tour… and a Ballistic Missile Alert*
Saturday, January 13, 2018

I ‘ve seen numerous mentions of how much busier Aulani can be on the weekends.  With this in mind, we decided to make plans that were not centered around the resort pool areas for Saturday and Sunday. 

Early in the planning, we stumbled across Oahu Private tours (no idea what thread I was reading but thanks to whomever I should be crediting!).  We decided we would spend two days with them – one day for the north shore and another on the south shore.  And we would only be doing the guided tour; none of us would be jumping, diving, snorkeling, or traversing the terrain.  Jason is the owner of the company and he was great to work with.  I had several questions throughout our planning and he was always very responsive and helpful.

Our pickup time was 8:00 a.m. and I received a text around 7:45 a.m. from our guide, Kenny, letting us know he would meet us at the main entrance.  We did introductions and then jumped in the van to start our day.  Little did we know there would also be an unplanned test of the emergency broadcast system in Hawaii.

 

As we were driving I saw the alert on my phone and sat there for a moment wondering, ‘what do I do with this information?’.  My instinct was that we’d get an all-clear message and we’d move on with our day.  When Brad, who was sitting in the front seat, looked back at me, in the back row, I knew he saw the alert also.  About that time my phone rang and it was Jason who asked me to pass the phone to Kenny.  After several yes’s and okay’s, Kenney passed the phone back to me.  Jason explained the alert and said Kenny would take us back to Aulani while everyone figured out what was going on.  So, we turned around and went back to Aulani.  When we pulled up there were probably 30-40 people standing on the sidewalk by the driveway entrance.

The valet said to leave the car there, gave us a ticket and kept the keys.  We went into the lobby, which was relatively crowded.  There was a lot of emotion there; the anxiety was palpable.  Kenny went to the restroom and when he returned he said that the information he was seeing via twitter from local news indicated it was a false alarm.  About this time Jason called again and said the same thing and gave Kenny the go-ahead to resume, or actually start, our tour.  Jason and Kenny handled a stressful and uncertain situation wonderfully.

I know there is at least one discussion thread about the false alarm, so I’ll try to keep this trip report on our experiences and refrain from entering into areas that could cause debate.  But I’ll share my opinion; there are opportunities for Aulani to improve planning and communication for different types of emergencies.  However, it is always easy to judge after-the-fact and my experience is that Disney often learns from situations and adapts their policies and procedures.

At any rate, we got back on our way exploring the North Shore of Oahu.  First stop: Leonard’s!  Okay, not the actual Leonard’s bakery storefront, but one of their food trucks that is in the Lowe’s parking lot not far from Aulani.  On some level, malasadas are just donuts; but the texture of the dough was lighter and there was a lot of filling inside, in our case custard.  They were so good.  Spoiler alert: we did not make it back to Leonard’s and this ranks as one of my regrets for the trip. 

Next, we went to Green World Coffee Farm, which is a local place that roasts their coffee on-site using beans from a variety of sources, including their farm as well as the other Hawaiian islands.  It was cool having options that were 100% grown and roasted on Oahu.  They have an espresso bar, store and several coffee samples available.  Brad and Dave bought numerous sample-sizes of ground coffee to make in the room and take home.  In hindsight, they wish they had purchased more. This is a good time to remind anyone who wants to make coffee in their room to take coffee filters.  Disney provides the pre-portioned packets in a filter.  If you have your own coffee, you will need filters, but if you forget them, they have some at the ABC store... 

 

Now it was time hit the beach!  This particular weekend was a surfing competition, which we didn’t see, but it did increase traffic in the area.  Also this weekend there were extremely large waves, which were amazing to see.  However, we learned it is nearly impossible to capture the beauty, scale and power of them with our cameras.  But it didn’t stop us from taking tons of pictures!  Coming from the Midwest it was a new experience to see dedicated surfing channels on TV and have wave predictions as part of the news/weather report.

We hit several beaches, including Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay and Laie Point.  The beaches were intermixed with other stops throughout the day.  I don't have much detail on the individual beaches, but all of the photos in this report are from our North Shore day.  Because the waves were so massive, some beaches were closed or had no surfing signs posted.  We saw a lot of people, both visitors and locals alike, staring in awe at the never-ending waves.  We enjoyed seeing the ocean from several different perspectives.

Oahu Private Tours suggested comfortable shoes since we would be doing some walking.  However, we wish we had also taken flip-flops for some of the beach walks.  On one of the beaches, Kenny offered to take pictures of us with the water behind us.  As things go, a wave much larger than any of the ones in the previous five minutes hit the shore, soaking us in the process. As the most vertically challenged of the group, Pam was drenched from her waist down.  I almost lost a shoe to the ocean and Pam almost pulled Brad down when she grabbed hold of his belt, hanging on for dear life.  It was quite comical and one of those things we will all remember from the trip.

We drove up to a hilltop temple called Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau. This is an amazing historical site that allows visitors to experience a bit of ancient Hawaiian culture.  The vibe and connection with this place is unexplainable.  It is truly a site to behold.

Center picture below is Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau.
 

Along the drive we stopped at a roadside fruit stand that had extremely fresh fruit.  There were three different vendors in a row and they each had some of the same things but each also had their own ‘signature’ items.  Dave had a coconut that he first drank the water from and then they opened it up and gave him the fruit from inside.  We also had banana lumpia, which Brad, Pam and Dave all enjoyed.  I’m pretty particular about bananas so I passed (don’t ask, it’s a texture thing!).

 

We had a late lunch at a group of food trucks in Haleiwa.  Funny story about lunch... Brad handed out the shrimp and Kalbi meals since they came from the same truck (Honos).  After finishing his meal, he commented that it wasn't as spicy as he expected, to which Pam said she could hardly eat hers because it was burning her mouth.  We then realized that the 'S' on top meant spicy, not shrimp!!

Lunch (from top left): Tuna Poke, Savory Crepe, Spicy Shrimp, Kalbi (Short Ribs), (non-spicy) Shrimp.
 

The last stop was McDonald’s so I could get an apple pie.  In Hawaii, McDonald's still has the traditional fried pies - not the baked ones that they have on the mainland.  I should have grabbed a few while I was there!  Finally, Kenney drove us back to Aulani.  It was a great day and there were several things that I know we would not have seen or experienced had we tried exploring on our own.

We had a few hours before our dinner reservation so everyone just relaxed.  I think Brad and I hit the pools and Pam and Dave stayed in the room.  Roy’s was the plan for dinner.  Initially, we planned to go the original location, but when I posted our tentative plan on the boards I received feedback that would be an unnecessary drive.  Thank you for that advice!   We drove to Roy’s, leaving around 7:00 p.m. for our 7:15 p.m. reservation.  Dave was pacing, sure we would be late.

Roy’s was another great meal.  This was a slightly later dinner, so we were not able to see much of the golf course view, but after all of the other sights we saw that day, it wasn’t an issue for us.  We were seated indoors, which was also fine.  Service was strong; the menu had many great options and the food tasted great.  

Dinner at Roy's Ko Olina (from top center): Cocktails and Edamame, Trio of Treasures (Swordfish, Scallop, Shrimp), Shrimp Special, Blackened Ahi, Kamikaze Roll (not on the menu but recommended by the server), Filet Mignon.
 

After dinner, Brad and I had drinks at the Olelo Room, and were again reminded we were truly in paradise.

 

Up Next: Sunday Brunch and the Spa


----------



## buffettgirl

I must have hundreds and hundred of wave photos after my 3 years here and I still keep trying.  The best I’ve come is when I get a surfer or a body boarder in the water   Otherwise that 30 foot wave just looks like any other wave.  I told my husband that from here on in I’m just going to try to remember them. I give up trying to take photos


----------



## scottmel

Thanks a few questions if you don't mind...First of all, poor Pam with the spice! Good to know!

1. I booked same as you did the two day but did the activity hybrid for some snorkeling, swim with turtles etc. Did you feel the sightseeing you did on this tour was enough to skip Diamond Head? Not sure if you did Diamond Head but I am having trouble working it into my schedule and didn't know if it was skippable or not!
2. Was the food included in the tour price or should I bring money for the vendors?
3. Tipping! What did you tip your guide? And did you tip at the end of each day or the end of the second day?
4.Thanks for pictures of roys! I will plan that as well. Did you find yourself too full for dinner after the lunch trucks and food stops or were you pretty hungry still? I only eat lunch, I don't eat dinners but my family does...but not sure if Roys is too much food on tour day>

THANKS!


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## jodybird511

I agree with you about Oleo being paradise.  Sitting out, listening to live music, enjoying a cocktail (or 2), is one of my favorite memories of Aulani, and I can't wait to do it again in a few months!


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## Luv2trav

I am loving your trip report. We are doing Oahu private tours. I have read very good things about them. We plan to do the 2 day hybrid. I hope the "active" isn't too challenging. LOL.

Do you think the VIP for Luau was worth the extra charge? I am sorry if you already answered this.


----------



## scottmel

Luv2trav said:


> I am loving your trip report. We are doing Oahu private tours. I have read very good things about them. We plan to do the 2 day hybrid. I hope the "active" isn't too challenging. LOL.
> 
> Do you think the VIP for Luau was worth the extra charge? I am sorry if you already answered this.



I was on the fence with this too. We don't drink at all and I still booked it. I hate waiting in line and it is worth it to be for a better seat and no line.


----------



## Luv2trav

scottmel said:


> I was on the fence with this too. We don't drink at all and I still booked it. I hate waiting in line and it is worth it to be for a better seat and no line.



My husband is very impatient with waiting and we both like a drink too. I think it's a no brainer for us.


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## kiford

Thank you for posting your trip report. We just returned from our first trip to Aulani (and Hawaii) in mid-November. I'm enjoying reliving our time there through your report as well as learned a few new things to do for our next trip (whenever that might be). Looking forward to reading the rest.



Luv2trav said:


> Do you think the VIP for Luau was worth the extra charge?



We did. We got in about 30 minutes before everyone else (we were pretty much the first people there) so got to try all of the activities without waiting. I loved the leis that we got - I took them home. We do drink so it was nice to be able to just get a drink without fumbling for my room key (even one of our friends who rarely drinks anything had a couple of mai tais and then a Blue Hawaii - I think she just liked the name. She even asked for a mai tai on the plane on the way home). We sat right at the front and were first in line for the buffet of which I partook far too much. It's not a huge venue so even if you don't do VIP you'll still have a good time and good views and no lack of food but I'd definitely do VIP again.


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## DisneyPrincess88

Wow!!  I love all your pictures and detailed stories you have posted! I have some great ideas for dining now, Ama Ama looks amazing. We just booked our reservation. Thank you for sharing!


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## Iamaplanner

JM735 said:


> Dinner at Roy's Ko Olina



Do you think we could walk here from Aulani?


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## DreamRunner1

Iamaplanner said:


> Do you think we could walk here from Aulani?



I definitely think it’s walkable. Maybe 5-10 minutes. We had a long day and it was just as easy to drive. Especially since parking is free. My father also thought we were running a little late and it was faster than walking.


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## OKW Lover

Iamaplanner said:


> Do you think we could walk here from Aulani?


Its very close.  Easily walkable. 
https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...9ef58561ef27c!8m2!3d21.3396875!4d-158.1195013


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## JM735

buffettgirl said:


> I must have hundreds and hundred of wave photos after my 3 years here and I still keep trying.  The best I’ve come is when I get a surfer or a body boarder in the water   Otherwise that 30 foot wave just looks like any other wave.  I told my husband that from here on in I’m just going to try to remember them. I give up trying to take photos



I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in that struggle! I agree something like a surfer helps show the scale.


----------



## JM735

scottmel said:


> 1. I booked same as you did the two day but did the activity hybrid for some snorkeling, swim with turtles etc. Did you feel the sightseeing you did on this tour was enough to skip Diamond Head? Not sure if you did Diamond Head but I am having trouble working it into my schedule and didn't know if it was skippable or not!
> 
> THANKS!



We actually did not go to Diamond Head, but we were able to appreciate it from a distance on some of our drives. It was a tentative on our plan, but in the end it didn't make the cut. I've heard it is impressive to experience, but I feel there are tons of amazing sights and experiences on Oahu and you have to prioritize what will fit during your trip.



scottmel said:


> 2. Was the food included in the tour price or should I bring money for the vendors?
> 3. Tipping! What did you tip your guide? And did you tip at the end of each day or the end of the second day?
> 
> THANKS!



Food was not included in the tour cost but the places we went were less than $15 per person. Make sure to take cash as some places do not accept plastic.

Tipping is always a challenge! I honestly did not know what was appropriate so we went with 20% of the tour cost. We tipped each day; I believe it's most likely to be the same guide, but in case it wasn't I'd want to be sure our guide received the tip directly from us.



scottmel said:


> Thanks a few questions if you don't mind...First of all, poor Pam with the spice! Good to know!
> 
> 4.Thanks for pictures of roys! I will plan that as well. Did you find yourself too full for dinner after the lunch trucks and food stops or were you pretty hungry still? I only eat lunch, I don't eat dinners but my family does...but not sure if Roys is too much food on tour day>
> 
> THANKS!



We were not too full from the tour lunch, but this dinner was a bit later than our other reservations, which may have helped.  If we aren't as hungry we will sometimes skip appetizers or salads.  Also, we don't mind leftovers!


----------



## JM735

Luv2trav said:


> I am loving your trip report. We are doing Oahu private tours. I have read very good things about them. We plan to do the 2 day hybrid. I hope the "active" isn't too challenging. LOL.
> 
> Do you think the VIP for Luau was worth the extra charge? I am sorry if you already answered this.



The tour guides seem great about tailoring the experience to what you want.  I look forward to hearing how it went!

Regarding the Luau, I think it was worth the upgrade for us. But I wouldn't consider mandatory to have a wonderful experience.  If anyone in your party doesn't like lines and still wants a great seat, go VIP!


----------



## JM735

*Sunday Brunch and the Spa*
Sunday, January 14, 2018

Another restaurants that we heard about early on was Hoku’s, which was one of the nicer/pricier places we were considering.  When looking at menus online we saw they offered a Sunday brunch that sounded amazing.  Since we were only going to be there one Sunday, if we wanted to experience this buffet, that was the day.  Luckily, it actually worked out well with our ‘avoid weekend pool craziness at Aulani’ plan.

Attire is something that I’ve failed to mention in previous posts.  Everything we read was that most places in Hawaii adopt a pretty flexible dress code.  It seems as long as you aren’t in swimwear they are pretty forgiving.  However, we sometimes enjoy a step up for nicer meals.  Don’t get any crazy ideas about white ties and tales, I just mean slacks and a button-down shirt.  Obviously, some restaurants require jackets (looking at you, Remy!), but I’m referring more to places that jeans and polos would be fine.  I’ve clearly taken the long way around getting to my point…  We wore slacks and button-down shirts to Hoku’s and Michel’s (coming in a future post).  I think we went with button-down shirts and khaki shorts to Roy’s.  For our dinners at Ama Ama and Makahika we opted for shorts and polos.  We witnessed a wide range of wardrobe selections and we never felt over dressed or under dressed.  In summary, most anything is okay, even at the nicer restaurants we enjoyed, as long as it’s not swimwear, torn, or a T-shirt.

Back to Hoku’s, we originally made a brunch reservation for 11:00 a.m.  However, the afternoon plan was Laniwai spa for Pam, Brad and myself.  We agreed that with massages (i.e. someone pushing your body into a table) scheduled, we’d be happier with a little more time between the buffet and the spa.  So, we moved to the 9:30 a.m. seating (Hoku’s had two morning seating times in OpenTable).  Since it was Sunday, traffic was light for our drive south to The Kahala Hotel & Resort, where Hoku’s is located.  After leaving the car with the valet we started the short walk to the restaurant.  We walked by the hotel lobby area, which is beautiful… But what hotel/resort isn’t beautiful in Hawaii?

We were seated immediately and greeted by our server.  While we did not get a table directly next to the windows, we were still able to look out at the ocean, something we never get at home.  The amount of natural light flooding into the restaurant was truly enjoyable.  As I said, it was one of the more expensive meals at $75 per person.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that this price did include a fresh juice blend (pineapple cucumber, ginger carrot melon or strawberry watermelon) and one glass of sparkling wine or mimosa per person.  Two pre-selected appetizers were also included.  We hit the food stations after we ordered our beverages and wow, it was a great spread!

It seemed there were always a lot of people at the food stations, so we did not get any pictures there.  Instead, here are some photos of our plates, and a sample menu:

 

 

 

While still eating what we got on our first trip the appetizer from the kitchen arrived.  The appetizers were Crispy Soft Shell Crab and Ahi Poke Musubi.  I believe this is also when Brad and Dave each ordered a Kahala Mary.  They both agreed this was the best Bloody Mary they ever had.

After we left we decided to wander around the hotel grounds and shoreline.  The Kahala has their own koi ponds, as well as a couple sea turtles and a stingray.  We walked towards the water (it felt good to walk a bit after eating) and took some pictures.  Before long we were heading back to Aulani. Side note: remember to have your parking validated before leaving the restaurant.

 

It was a great meal and we’re so glad we went.  While it was expensive, I’d say it was a very good value based on what they offer, however ‘worth it’ is very subjective and is different for everyone.  Regardless, Hoku’s is a higher-end restaurant that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a fabulous meal.  If, or maybe when, we make it back to Oahu, we will try dinner at Hoku’s.

Once we got back to the resort we had an hour or so before Pam’s spa appointments began.  Pam had a massage at 1:00 p.m., followed by a facial at 2:00 p.m.  Brad and I had massages at 2:00 p.m. followed by facials at 3:00 p.m.  Initially we had planned for everyone to start at the same time, but that wasn’t an option – either on account of treatment rooms or staffing, I don’t remember which.  But this actually worked out well because Pam was not interested in experiencing the outdoor hydrotherapy garden.  So, the three of us got to the spa around 12:30 p.m.  That would give Pam time before her treatments started and Brad and I could enjoy the showers, pools, etc.

 

The spa experience starts with everyone selecting a smooth stone that has a word etched in it.  The concept is for you to focus on this word during your time at the spa.  All three of us selected stones with the word ‘Balance’.  I asked if that basket had anything else!  The spa attendant seemed surprised, almost flustered, that we all got the same word.  Any way, we threw the stone in the water and then were shown the facilities.  Since Pam would be finished an hour before us, we asked if she was going to stay in the lounge area of the spa or go back to the room and she said she was fine getting back to the room on her own.

I believe Brad and I experienced everything in the Hydrotherapy Garden, which included six different showers, two soaking pools, a whirlpool and a cold-plunge.  The showers were fine but nothing I’d have to repeat.  The whirlpool was very nice, and almost a necessity for anyone who opted to try the cold plunge – at 45 degrees it was freaking cold!  We enjoyed the soaking tubs more than we expected.  My initial thought was, 'why do this here when I’ve got a bathtub at home or in my guest room?'.  However, the environment and temperatures created an amazing, relaxing experience.  I think the only things we did not try were the steam and dry saunas in the locker rooms; we are not heat people so there was no interest in experiencing these!

Finally, we grabbed lounge chairs outside and just relaxed.  It must have worked because I think we both fell asleep.  At some point the attendants came to tell us that we had five to ten minutes until our treatments and our technicians would meet us in the coed lounge inside.

In terms of our spa experience, Brad and I thoroughly enjoyed the Hydrotherapy garden.  I’m glad we experienced it before our spa treatments and for us, I’d say the 60-75 minutes we spent there was enough.  Could I have stayed there longer?  Probably, but we didn’t feel it was too short.  Regarding the treatments, Brad and I both agreed we enjoyed the facial the most.  I ranked the massage next and Brad ranked the pedicure next - even though it was technically a salon service, not a spa treatment.  His massage was not bad, but just not amazing.  We both prefer a stronger, deeper tissue massage, but we wanted to experience the traditional Lomilomi massage.  Pam enjoyed all of the services she had, but ranked the facial first.

While we were walking back to the room I told Brad that we were at the halfway point in our trip.  He told me I was being rude for pointing that out and I shouldn’t do that again!

When we got back to the room Pam was on her iPad and Dave was napping.  She said Dave had an enjoyable afternoon, possibly because he had some alone time!  Apparently, he found Off the Hook and had a few beers while talking to other guests and watched some football.  Then he read a book (and later admitted to falling asleep) on the terrace outside the lobby.

When we asked Pam if there were any issues getting back from the spa, she fessed up that she did take the elevators up to the fourteenth floor in the wrong tower.  She soon realized it didn’t look right and went back down to the lobby and made it over to our tower and got back to our room.  We may have given her a bit of flack for this.  She claimed it was our fault for always leading the way…

Our original plan was to go up north to Haleiwa Joe’s for drinks and then Beach House for dinner.  However, we decided that we had some leftovers (and tons of snacks) in the room and we would all be just as happy staying at Aulani.  Brad and I were a bit disappointed to deviate from our plan, especially since these two places were high on Brad’s list, but we agreed from the beginning that we would not let our initial schedule dictate our vacation once on the island.  In hindsight, we were all glad to stay ‘home’.  Other than our excursion to Hoku’s, it felt like another resort-only day.


----------



## oceanmarina

Wow, really enjoying your trip report. The pictures are amazing. Does Brad use Pic Collage app to make those fantastic collages?

Wow, flying first class to Hawaii - for a long flight i'm sure it was worthy every penny. I can't even imagine how expensive that is 

The food pictures at Ko Olina looked amazing - just wow!

It looks like you guys really saw so much of the island. I never rent a car on vacation as I hate getting lost when I drive - is it hard to find your way around there? I have heard that people are such courteous drives there and don't drive too fast - did you find that to be true?

Looking forward to reading more, Marina


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## alohamom

The Mimosas and juices look incredible.




JM735 said:


> We wore slacks and button-down shirts to Hoku’s and *Michel’s *(coming in a future post).



Ohhhhhh, cant wait to hear about this!!!

I have always wanted to go here but we have never made it. I think we always felt it looked like we would need to go on our own and not with the kids and have always chosen something else instead.


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## scottmel

oceanmarina said:


> Wow, flying first class to Hawaii - for a long flight i'm sure it was worthy every penny. I can't even imagine how expensive that is



I can't speak for how the guys (OP) handled it but I can share with you how we purchased first class for our up coming July trip. Delta runs a special where you get 60k in free miles for spending I think 3k in 60 days? I signed myself, DH and DD (19) up for the card with me as a referral and I earned an additional 20k miles for referring them. PLUS the first ticket you buy on delta within 90 days you receive a 50.00 credit. So long short the miles were actually dollars off the tickets. So between the 3 of us, simply for OPENING the card and charging a minimal amount, we earned 180k plus 20k referral plus 150.00 total in first ticket purchases. This equated to 2,150 in free airfare. It was enough for 2 of us to fly home from HI to east coast in first class for free. We then paid my daughter's ticket out of pocket. Not too shabby. This offer in my opinion is AMAZING from Delta especially when you get other family members traveling in on it! Melissa (sorry OP to hijack the thread!)


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## DreamRunner1

oceanmarina said:


> Wow, really enjoying your trip report. The pictures are amazing. Does Brad use Pic Collage app to make those fantastic collages?




Yes, it’s the Pic Collage app. It’s awesome. I’ve never used it till this. And thanks for the compliment!


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## olafLover

.


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## scottmel

Thanks for all the answers to my questions, I appreciate it!!!


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## luvmychaos

JM735 said:


> *A Cabana and a Luau*
> Friday, January 12, 2018
> 
> Apparently being succinct will not be a theme for this trip report…  We will just accept that most posts will be longer than I originally planned!
> 
> This was our first resort-only day; no driving someplace or even walking across the street, just all Aulani, all day!
> 
> We had decided to get a cabana at the adult pool and I made the reservation approximately six months before our trip.  I knew from other discussions that these cabanas are pretty far removed, and some say unnecessary, but we decided to give it a try.  We were assigned Cabana 6, which is in the back corner of the adult pool and was the only cabana in this group of three occupied that day.  Throughout the day there were always chairs available around the adult pool, however we appreciated having a home base.
> 
> The cabana had a lockable drawer, fridge stocked with mini water bottles, television, Beats speaker, ceiling fan, sofa/chaise lounge, two lounge chairs and a couple tables.
> 
> Our home for the day (from top left): view from the cabana in the morning, adult pool from the end by the cabanas, view from the cabana in afternoon, view from the adult pool looking back towards the cabana area, our cabana for the day.
> View attachment 299509
> 
> Pam had a manicure and Dave had a shave scheduled at 10:30 a.m. and Brad had a haircut at 11:30 a.m.  We realized the day before how close the spa is to the adult cabanas and we strongly encouraged Pam to abandon her idea of going back to the room after her manicure before coming to the cabana.  She actually took our advice!  Pam and Dave went to their appointments and Brad and I hit the lazy river.
> 
> After a few laps in the lazy river we decided to try the water slide that requires a tube, which was fun and longer than I expected.  After I went down I waited for Brad; I saw him at the very end of the slide but then all I saw was a raft floating.  He later said he knew it would not be a graceful ending based on how fast he was going.  Somehow his raft abandoned him once he exited the slide and gravity did its thing, dunking him.  I was far more amused than he was.
> 
> After that fun, we went back to the cabana.  Dave was back from his appointment and Pam returned shortly.  This is also when the server stopped by to introduce herself and said she’d be back with our fruit tray (included with the cabana) unless we wanted it later.  There may have been a round of drinks ordered but I don’t remember for sure.  Which may confirm there were drinks...
> 
> Brad went to his haircut and I went to try the other slide and I believe Pam and Dave stayed at the cabana.  Around 12:15 p.m. our server gave us a heads-up that the lunch rush was starting a bit earlier than normal and it would probably be closer to 45-minute wait for food.  I appreciated her letting us know and we ordered food and then hit the ocean.  We didn’t stay too long but everyone at least got his or her feet wet.
> 
> I don’t think I’ve mentioned water temps yet – nothing scientific since I didn’t have a thermometer, but these are my observations...  The lagoon/ocean was chilly when you first entered, but your body would adjust quickly.  Waikolohe Pool (family pool) was the warmest.  Waikolohe Stream (lazy river) was slightly cooler than the family pool - comfortable and refreshing.  Wailana Pool (adult pool) was almost perfect, somewhere between the lazy river and the family pool.  Ka Maka Grotto pool was very cool; we never stayed in it very long, and we didn’t get in the grotto hot tubs.  The dual-level hot tub (if it has an official name I have no idea what it is) was a good temp; sometimes hot tubs can be too hot, but this one wasn’t.  Brad and I spent more time in that hot tub than I expected.  Watching sunset from here was hard to be beat!
> 
> Random pics of some of the pools/water areas (from top left): dual-level hot tub, Minnie at a pool party, Mickey at a pool party, floating around the lazy river, more lazy river, the Grotto.
> View attachment 299510
> 
> One thing that surprised us was how slippery parts of the pool decks and walkways were.  More than once I was sure I’d end up on my backside after getting out of the hot tub or pools.  Luckily, no mishaps for us, but I do recommend water shoes or flip-flops.  Brad claimed his feet were more slippery because they removed the traction from his feet during his pedicure!
> 
> Lunch arrived soon after we got back to the cabana.  It was similar to most Disney poolside / counter-service options.  The menu had some diversity, including things like tacos with fish, pork or shrimp.  In my experience, counter service food quality can be hit or miss but this meal was good.  The fries still warm and my only complaint was the quesadilla was very greasy.  Overall, it was convenient and I’m glad we didn’t waste time trying to go back to the room or pack food for lunch.  Our server was very friendly and attentive, checking on us throughout the day.
> 
> Lunch (from top left): kalua pork tacos, quesadilla, fruit tray, shrimp tacos, dessert tray.
> View attachment 299511
> 
> The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing: hot tubs and pools, napping in the cabana, lazy river laps, etc.  Oh, and we enjoyed the dessert tray that was also included with the cabana.  We left the cabana soon after 4:00 p.m. since we had a luau that night.
> 
> We all thought it was great having the cabana.  Yes, it was an added expense and the crowds weren’t so bad that chairs became a problem, but it was one of those things that made the day even more enjoyable.
> 
> For ease and convenience, we decided to go to the luau at Aulani.
> 
> Coming soon… the North Shore!


In regards to the extras you booked for Aulani-cabana, luau,etc; did you book those with Aulani directly or MS? I frantically tried to re read replies to see if you answered this already, so I apologize if you have and I missed it!


----------



## JM735

oceanmarina said:


> Wow, flying first class to Hawaii - for a long flight i'm sure it was worthy every penny. I can't even imagine how expensive that is
> 
> It looks like you guys really saw so much of the island. I never rent a car on vacation as I hate getting lost when I drive - is it hard to find your way around there? I have heard that people are such courteous drives there and don't drive too fast - did you find that to be true?



We paid cash for the plane tickets, which was a splurge, but it definitely made for a comfortable trip! While it was obviously more expensive, when adding on other fees - like economy plus (which we considered almost necessary when two of the travelers are over 6'3"), baggage fees (two bags up to 70 lbs each are included for first class on United) - the gap narrowed a bit.

I'm in the camp of thinking a car is necessary for a trip to Aulani.  There was traffic at peak rush hour times, but I never considered driving stressful there.  I'd agree most drivers are courteous and in general drove more slowly than many other cities.  Fortunately, no speeding tickets for me!



olafLover said:


> If you say the sauna's are in the locker rooms, does that mean they aren't co-ed? We're having a massage on our honeymoon and we love sauna's, it'll be a dumper if we can't enjoy them together (the whole bathing suit kind of already is, we're used to co-ed, bathingsuitless sauna's and whirpools)



Yes, the dry and steam saunas are located in the men's and women's locker rooms.  I believe the couples massage includes a private shower, but I'm not sure what facilities exist in that suite.  We didn't choose the couples massage, so I cannot offer any specifics.



luvmychaos said:


> In regards to the extras you booked for Aulani-cabana, luau,etc; did you book those with Aulani directly or MS? I frantically tried to re read replies to see if you answered this already, so I apologize if you have and I missed it!



I reserved the luau online, but for the spa appointments and cabana I called Aulani directly.  They requested the resort confirmation number for some reservations, so you may want to have that available when calling.


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## carolinainmymind

Love your trip report.  We head out next week and your tips, especially for the North Shore, are fantastic.  Thank you!


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## JM735

*South Shore Tour and Dinner at Michel’s*
Monday, January 15, 2018

We looked forward to spending another day exploring the island with Kenny from Oahu Private Tours.  I believe if you are doing multiple tour days they try to keep you with the same guide.  I forgot to mention that after our tour on Saturday Jason called to check in and see how our first day went.  Besides ensuring satisfaction, I’m guessing this is an opportunity to confirm it was a good fit between the guide and the guests.  Which it definitely was for us!

Everyone had breakfast in the room.  I was running behind this morning so Pam and Dave headed down to the lobby a few minutes before 8:00 a.m.  Pam would frequently remind us that it takes her longer… to get ready, to get to where we were going, to shop, etc.  Yes, she was on island time! While Brad and I were in the elevator the cutest girl joined us a floor or two down and we had the following conversation: 

Her: “I’m in the wrong tower.”
Me: “That happens sometimes.  Do you know where you are going now?”
Her: “Yes, but I have to be somewhere at ten.”
Me: “You have a couple hours so you should be fine.”
Her: “Yeah, but it takes me a long time to get ready.”

This was about the time we got to the lobby level and parted ways.  Once we got in the car and joined Dave, Pam and Kenny, we had to tell Pam we saw her younger self since she was in the wrong tower the day before and claims it takes her a long time to get ready!

Anyway, Kenny gave us an overview for our South Island tour as we started driving.  Since it was Martin Luther King Day, Honolulu traffic was very light.  I wish I could claim it was be design but I honestly didn’t even realize that when creating the schedule.  Note for future trip planning: notate holidays.  

Our first stop was the King Kamehameha statue and Iolani Palace.  Kenney parked the van near the statue and gave us some history of these landmarks and the people behind them.  One of the things we liked about the tours was the informal conversation.  While visiting all of the sites we learned from a local, which we preferred over a scripted speech I’ve experienced before on guided group tours. I’d say we were at these two places 20 minutes or so.  We had considered a tour of the palace early on, but it didn’t make the cut for the final plan.  Stopping by and seeing it from outside was enough to satisfy us for this trip.

 

Next we went to Nu'uanu Pali lookout, which offered beautiful views of the eastern/windward side of the island.  At over 1,000 feet above the coastline, there is an amazing feeling of soaring above everything else.  This was yet another moment of feeling truly in another world.  There are several signs that explain each significant landmark in sight.  We also saw several hikers even farther above us on the mountains/cliffs that surround this area.  We were definitely not among them!  

 

This was one of the cooler mornings; especially up in this more shaded area.  I’d guess it was in the low- to mid-sixties.  We looked at Kenny, who was shivering in his tank top, and asked if he was cold, to which he replied he was freezing!  Since he had shared he might move to New York someday, we told him that if he would have a new context for the word freezing! Anyway, this was a great lookout and another example of someplace that I doubt we would have gone if exploring on our own.

We also visited the Byodo-in Temple, located in the Valley of the Temples,.  This is a smaller scale replica of an ancient temple in Japan.  Some might consider it a tourist spot, but we enjoyed it and would visit it again.  Admission was $5 per person, which was not included in the tour cost.  It is very tranquil and is easy to just spend time admiring the beauty of the structures and the surroundings.  There is also a massive bell that anyone may ring – which was cool!  This stop was one of Brad’s favorite spots on our trip. Feeding the koi was surprisingly fun – let’s just say that none of them are underfed!

 

Lunch today was at a restaurant that started out as a food truck but is now a freestanding restaurant.  Trust me, it’s nothing fancy inside but has very good food.  And there was a rush of locals after we got there, which I take as a good sign!  

 

Again today there were several beaches and shoreline vistas that we experienced.  On some level you may think, ‘eh, I’ve already seen the beaches, I’m good,’ but each one is unique and offer different things to appreciate.  I’d guess over the two days we visited to eight to ten different shoreline spots and don’t regret any of them.  That said, I’m not going to elaborate on them individually here.  But we will share pics!  Some of the places we went this day included: Lanikai beach, Makapu'u lookout and Halona blowhole.

For dessert we had requested shave ice since we hadn’t tried it yet.  I know Matsumoto’s is the big name, but we went to Waiola shave ice instead.  Holy yum!  It was so good.  Later in the trip we all had shave ice at Aulani and I’d say they were pretty comparable.  If I had to choose, I’d say Waiola was a little better.  It looked like the same ice-shaving machine, but I feel the preparer packed them slightly differently.  And the ones from Waiola were cheaper, as expected with the normal Pixie Dust surcharge for all things Disney!

 

Kenny dropped us off around 2:30 p.m. and it was another relaxing afternoon at Aulani until dinner.  Again, I cannot say enough good things about Kenny and Oahu Private Tours.  Even now, knowing all of the places we went, there is no way we could have had the same experience on our own.

Dinner was at Michel’s at the Colony Surf.  This was the last of our higher-end restaurants and is located in what I’m guessing is a condo building.  I believe the restaurant has had some interior updates since ownership changed over the last year.  It is a nice interior, but definitely on the ‘stuffier’ side.  I do not mean that in a negative way, but it’s a French restaurant and the décor supports that.  Of the restaurants we went to, this one offered seating that was closest to the water.  We were seated along the wall of ‘windows’ – really just massive openings.  The water was probably less than 20 feet from the side of the restaurant.

The food was amazing, and the service was great.  This restaurant has a number of tableside preparation options on the menu, which can be a fun experience – just be prepared for the heat of flambé!  This ended up being our most expensive meal, excluding the luau, since I consider that entertainment as much as a meal.  One of the reasons this exceeded my budget estimate was that several of the tableside presentation options had a minimum order of two.  Sure we could have skipped a few of those, but what fun is that?  They were actually pretty accommodating with letting us split some courses.  For example, we split a single order of the Lobster Bisque, which was enough for us each to sample it.  Since it was very rich, this tasting size was actually plenty for me – I couldn’t imagine eating an entire bowl and still having an entrée afterwards.  We also split two salads between the four of us.  I believe Brad’s was the only entrée that was finished tableside.  We split two desserts, but didn’t try the soufflé.

Dinner at Michels: Drinks and the view from our table
 

Dinner at Michels:Starters and Salad
 

Dinner at Michels:Entrées and Dessert
 

Overall, it was a great meal and I’m glad we saved it for the end because it set a high bar for quality, service and experience.  However, other than the very close waterfront, this restaurant seemed to be the least ‘Hawaii’ feeling.  If you are seeking a local experience, I wouldn’t put this at the top of the list.  We did not see any children at Michel’s and I don’t know if they even have a kid’s menu.  But if you are celebrating a special occasion, or just want an excellent meal, consider Michel’s.

After dinner we made it back to Aulani.  I believe this was a night that we stayed in the room or on our balcony rather than venturing down to The Olelo Room.

Next Up: More Aulani time and more shopping!


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## ebonyeyes

So enjoying your TR!!! Your attention to detail sharing is wonderful.  New ideas for our upcoming trip with each new entry!  Thank you!!!


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## olafLover

.


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## scottmel

Byodo-in Temple is on my visit list after the movie star vip ranch tour....this is happening the DAY BEFORE my tour with the group you just used. Did you spend enough time at the temple or would you have gone alone and learned as much etc? Trying to determine if I should NOT go solo and just wait for the tour or go both times? Thanks!


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## Dis_Yoda

Yay!  Someone else that went to Hoku!  That was our favorite meal of the trip!

We also really enjoyed the Heart of Missouri tour. 

I like your style of travel - it's very similar to my husband & I's.


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## Luv2trav

I am really enjoying your trip report. I am very excited to use Oahu Private tours for our trip. Thank you for all the details.


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## ms tom morrow

olafLover said:


> Oh I didn't know that! Hope somebody knows about that



Just chiming in to answer this one -- we have done several couples massages on several trips. The locker room, changing area, showers, vanity, and saunas are all single sex, so you will separate to use all of those. There is also a single sex lounge in the same area to relax in, or a coed lounge which is what we choose. 

The treatment rooms that we have always had have a connecting bathroom area which does include a shower, vanity area, and toilet. However, you literally only have access to that while in the treatment room - and therefore on the clock for your services! We don't waste time with any of that when we could be getting massaged! The one caveat for us is that the 'Ohi'a Lehua "Love Story" for Two couples massage includes exfoliation, so when that part of the treatment is done the therapists will direct you both to take a shower in the adjacent room to get the scrub off (this would certainly be awkward if you weren't a couple in the "romantic" sense!) Then you'll return to the tables for the rest of the massage. 

Our visits usually go something like: check in together, get your stone, etc, and separate into the locker areas to store our stuff and change if necessary. Then we meet outside in the co-ed hydrotherapy garden to relax for awhile before our treatment. After our treatment we go back to the hydrotherapy area to relax some more, then head back in to the separate shower areas to change and get ready for the rest of the day. 

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions!


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## olafLover

.


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## flinkerfrosch

Sorry if you’ve mentioned this, but I haven’t had a chance to read your entire trip report yet (but I will!)

How was the weather in Jan? We have a trip planned for Jan 2018. Was the ocean warm enough to swim in?

Also, did you have any issues using your points at the 7 month mark to get your room? We’re getting 2 studios- standard or pool view, and not sure whether we should book now or wait..?

Thanks so much!!!!


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## JM735

scottmel said:


> Byodo-in Temple is on my visit list after the movie star vip ranch tour....this is happening the DAY BEFORE my tour with the group you just used. Did you spend enough time at the temple or would you have gone alone and learned as much etc? Trying to determine if I should NOT go solo and just wait for the tour or go both times? Thanks!



I'd say we spent enough time there on the tour. While I'd definitely go again, my suggestion would be to not plan a solo trip. The tour guide will follow your lead on how long you want to stay, so it may be more dependent on your traveling companions sense of urgency to move on to something else!  But, if it is important to you, make sure you confirm in advance that it will be one of your tour stops since every tour is customized.



flinkerfrosch said:


> Sorry if you’ve mentioned this, but I haven’t had a chance to read your entire trip report yet (but I will!)
> 
> How was the weather in Jan? We have a trip planned for Jan 2018. Was the ocean warm enough to swim in?
> 
> Also, did you have any issues using your points at the 7 month mark to get your room? We’re getting 2 studios- standard or pool view, and not sure whether we should book now or wait..?
> 
> Thanks so much!!!!



The weather was absolutely ideal!  I'm not sure if this was a typical January or not, but it was beautiful, and not just comparing to Chicago weather!  We were prepared to have some rain, but I don't remember much; I know it didn't affect any of our plans.  Temps were in the upper 70s/lower 80s all day most every day.  The ocean was a bit chilly at first, but we quickly adapted and were comfortable.

Regarding our reservation, I had no issues with availability seven months out for our two-bedroom, ocean-view room.  I'm not sure if the studios and/or standard/pool views would be more challenging at seven months, but my instinct is that January is as close to the 'slow season' as Aulani experiences.


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## JM735

*More Shopping and Resort Time*
Tuesday, January 16, 2018

This was another hybrid day where we would venture out, but also spend time relaxing at Aulani.  Breakfast was at Ama Ama.  I originally made the reservation for 7:30 a.m., but that time was chosen when something else was tentatively planned for the morning (maybe Diamond Head?).  Anyway, we decided we didn’t need to be out the door that early so we moved the reservation back to 8:30 a.m.  The restaurant was pretty empty; I’d say less than a third full.  We were seated in the same room as our dinner the week before.  

The breakfast food was amazing.  Without a doubt I’d say breakfast was the best value at Ama Ama, even with the purchased breadbasket.  We went with the Hawaiian Basket and there may have been a few battles for who got what from it!

Ama Ama Breakfast (from top left): lobster breakfast sandwich, Hawaiian Flavors gift of bread, Seafood omelette, macadamia nut pancakes, eggs Benedict (off-menu item)
 

After breakfast we headed to the Ala Moana shopping center.  The plan was to hit the mall, then grab lunch on the way back to the airport for the rental car paperwork swap.  Another benefit to moving our breakfast reservation later was that it gave some of the morning rush hour traffic a chance to dissipate.  I don’t have any vivid memories, so it must have been an easy drive.  I dropped the other three off at the door and parked the car.  By far, this may be the most confusing mall I’ve been in.  It shouldn’t be difficult, but I frequently felt disoriented there.  One of the priorities for Pam was the Pandora store.  She had already purchased the Aulani-specific charm at the resort gift shop.  However, they had a lot of Hawaii-specific ones at the Pandora store at the mall.  I think she found four or five total so she made a Hawaii-trip bracelet.  Of course Brad had to offer his opinions. And, as usual, Dave found a bench outside somewhere.

I’d guess we were at the mall a couple hours before we decided we’d found all of the stores we wanted.  Except for Starbucks.  There was a kiosk store somewhere, but we decided to go to the actual storefront instead (no idea why, maybe merchandise selection?).  The full store at Ala Moana is way off on its own, in what felt like the back corner of the underground garage.  Once we got there we had several decisions to make...  Brad and I have a rapidly growing collection of the ‘You Are Here’ mugs and, of course, had to add Hawaii.  But they also had several other mugs to consider.  And Pam and Dave had to decide on mugs.  Then we had to figure out beverage orders.  And who was buying with which Starbucks card/app; Starbucks points matter!  Especially, since Pam has let points expire – which I consider a crime!

After we got all that sorted out and enjoyed our beverages, we were ready for the next stop.  We took the elevator back up to the main level, I grabbed the car, picked up the others and we were on our way.  Lunch today was Nico’s Pier 38.  Again, I have no idea where we first heard about Nico’s, but we later learned it had been on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Thanks to Waze, or I mean Brad’s navigating, we easily found Nico's.  It is essentially counter service with a pager.  You order your food and then find a table, once your pager goes off you get your food from the counter.  Easy enough.  I think this was a later lunch because it wasn’t horribly crowded.  Our issue here was Brad’s desire for everyone to always have something different in order to experience it all (aka, his ability to sample everyone else’s food)!  Even he agrees on some level it doesn’t matter, but there may have been an issue at a previous meal in the trip when he and his dad got the same thing.  And yet, it did happen here…  Oh well, clearly everyone survived.  It was definitely fresh seafood and the preparation was great, especially considering it was a counter-service approach.

Nico's Pier 38 (from middle left): Tuscan breaded ahi sandwich (with brown rice and mac salad), seared ahi tuna salad, Tuscan breaded ahi sandwich (with white rice and garden salad), blackened swordfish salad with Carolina sauce
 

After lunch, Pam, Dave and Brad hit the gift store while I got the car.  During lunch we found there was a Honolulu Cookie Company store on the way to the airport.  We knew they had a limited selection of cookies at the Aulani gift store, there was better variety of packaging and sizes at the actual store we visited when we were at Royal Hawaiian.  Since we still had several gifts to buy for friends and coworkers, we decided to stop at this store.  It was actually right across the street from the bakery where they make the cookies. Parking was limited, so we just kinda double-parked and left Dave in the car.  We stocked up on cookies (which I’m still enjoying almost every day) and then headed to the airport for some paperwork with Hertz.

When I’d exchanged cars the previous week they told me that since it was a reward reservation I needed to come in for them to end one reservation and start the next one.  But they said I didn’t need to take our stuff out of the car or even refuel, just go inside and give them the mileage.  Once the return agents showed me where to park I was in and out in less than 10 minutes.  A minor hassle, but worth it to save several hundred Hertz points.

We headed back to Aulani and since it was around 3:00 p.m., traffic was picking up a bit, but wasn’t horrible yet.  We decided we would go to the ABC store across from Aulani since Pam hadn’t been there yet.  Brad and Pam each had a basket full of purchases; Brad claims it was only full because of the 6-pack of chocolate covered-macadamia nuts… Brad and Dave decided they wanted to check out the Island Vintage Coffee store (on their quest to find the previously mentioned biscuits), but Pam was ready to go.  Must find a bathroom!  So I drove her back to Aulani with Brad and Dave saying they’d walk back after checking out the coffee shop.

When I got to the room, I realized I left my room key in the car.  I’m honestly surprised I didn’t do this more often since you need your key to access the garage.  When I got to the room the second time, Brad and Dave had returned.  However, there was a bit of commotion in the room.  Somewhere along the way today, Pam misplaced a credit card.  So, Brad and I went back to the car to see if it was there.  It wasn’t.  We decided to walk across to the ABC store and see if it was found there.  It wasn’t.  I called the Honolulu Cookie Company since that was the last place it was used and it wasn’t there.  Pam called the credit card company and they confirmed there were no additional charges and put it on hold in case we found it.  We never found it, so once we got back to Chicago, Pam had it cancelled.

Early in the trip, I think the first full day, we went to the front desk and had Pam and Dave’s room keys linked to their credit card.  So, of course, the card that was lost was the one Aulani had on file.  So Dave and I went to the front desk to switch to a different card.  Now that all of that was finished, Brad and I hit the pool, or Off the Hook and/or the beach.  Dave likely read while sitting on the balcony and Pam likely was doing some combination of relaxing on the balcony, iPad time and laundry.

Dinner was supposed to be grilled steaks.  The first iteration of the plan was to get steaks from Kualoa Ranch.  When we removed the ranch from the plan, steaks from Costco were the backup plan.  However, a few days before this day we realized we had enough leftovers and we would skip the steaks.  While it would have been fun to grill out, I did notice the grills to be busy several nights we walked by that area.

There was a mildly traumatic moment when the wine bottle Brad opened somehow slipped out of his hands and didn’t survive the landing on the kitchen floor.  So, we cleaned up the shattered glass and spilled wine.  Luckily, no permanent damage or stains.  Just a lost bottle of wine and one roll of paper towels down.

We had a relaxing evening in our room and prepared for our Zipline adventure the next morning!

Since this post was light in pictures, here are a few random shots of Aulani and the island:


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## luvmychaos

I’m just going to keep your TR bookmarked  The gorgeous views are making me so excited! And all the food reviews are giving me awesome ideas! Honolulu Cookie Company, here we come! Oh and thanks for tip about the cabana reservations I booked ours for our trip today!


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## buffettgirl

I have lived here almost 3 years.  Ala Moana is my go to mall, which is great because it has everything I could ever need and it doesn't take me long to get there.  But, I still don't think I've found every store in that mall and I always park in the same location so that I can find my car again later.  It IS a confusing mall. There are places that you can only access from the garage and then there are places that have both a garage entrance and a mall entrance, and there are "you can't get there from here" places where you feel like you've walked a mile just to get to the part of the mall behind where you just were.   Then there are places where the street runs through the mall, so you're walking along and "woah, car!"  And then there are half floors and half escalators.   There's is one part of the mall that I swear is like Hogwart's staircases.  

So rest assured, the mall is ridiculously confusing.  It's not just you.   (The starbucks small kiosk store is in macy's..sort of ..)


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## Captain Canada

JM735 said:


> *Sunday Brunch and the Spa*
> Sunday, January 14, 2018
> 
> Another restaurants that we heard about early on was Hoku’s, which was one of the nicer/pricier places we were considering.  When looking at menus online we saw they offered a Sunday brunch that sounded amazing.  Since we were only going to be there one Sunday, if we wanted to experience this buffet, that was the day.  Luckily, it actually worked out well with our ‘avoid weekend pool craziness at Aulani’ plan.
> 
> Back to Hoku’s, we originally made a brunch reservation for 11:00 a.m.  However, the afternoon plan was Laniwai spa for Pam, Brad and myself.  We agreed that with massages (i.e. someone pushing your body into a table) scheduled
> 
> While still eating what we got on our first trip the appetizer from the kitchen arrived.  The appetizers were Crispy Soft Shell Crab and Ahi Poke Musubi.  I believe this is also when Brad and Dave each ordered a Kahala Mary.  They both agreed this was the best Bloody Mary they ever had.
> 
> After we left we decided to wander around the hotel grounds and shoreline.  The Kahala has their own koi ponds, as well as a couple sea turtles and a stingray.  We walked towards the water (it felt good to walk a bit after eating) and took some pictures.  Before long we were heading back to Aulani. Side note: remember to have your parking validated before leaving the restaurant.
> 
> View attachment 300231
> 
> It was a great meal and we’re so glad we went.  While it was expensive, I’d say it was a very good value based on what they offer, however ‘worth it’ is very subjective and is different for everyone.  Regardless, Hoku’s is a higher-end restaurant that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a fabulous meal.  If, or maybe when, we make it back to Oahu, we will try dinner at Hoku’s.
> 
> Once we got back to the resort we had an hour or so before Pam’s spa appointments began.  Pam had a massage at 1:00 p.m., followed by a facial at 2:00 p.m.  Brad and I had massages at 2:00 p.m. followed by facials at 3:00 p.m.  Initially we had planned for everyone to start at the same time, but that wasn’t an option – either on account of treatment rooms or staffing, I don’t remember which.  But this actually worked out well because Pam was not interested in experiencing the outdoor hydrotherapy garden.  So, the three of us got to the spa around 12:30 p.m.  That would give Pam time before her treatments started and Brad and I could enjoy the showers, pools, etc.
> 
> View attachment 300234
> 
> The spa experience starts with everyone selecting a smooth stone that has a word etched in it.  The concept is for you to focus on this word during your time at the spa.  All three of us selected stones with the word ‘Balance’.  I asked if that basket had anything else!  The spa attendant seemed surprised, almost flustered, that we all got the same word.  Any way, we threw the stone in the water and then were shown the facilities.  Since Pam would be finished an hour before us, we asked if she was going to stay in the lounge area of the spa or go back to the room and she said she was fine getting back to the room on her own.
> 
> I believe Brad and I experienced everything in the Hydrotherapy Garden, which included six different showers, two soaking pools, a whirlpool and a cold-plunge.  The showers were fine but nothing I’d have to repeat.  The whirlpool was very nice, and almost a necessity for anyone who opted to try the cold plunge – at 45 degrees it was freaking cold!  We enjoyed the soaking tubs more than we expected.  My initial thought was, 'why do this here when I’ve got a bathtub at home or in my guest room?'.  However, the environment and temperatures created an amazing, relaxing experience.  I think the only things we did not try were the steam and dry saunas in the locker rooms; we are not heat people so there was no interest in experiencing these!
> 
> Finally, we grabbed lounge chairs outside and just relaxed.  It must have worked because I think we both fell asleep.  At some point the attendants came to tell us that we had five to ten minutes until our treatments and our technicians would meet us in the coed lounge inside.
> 
> In terms of our spa experience, Brad and I thoroughly enjoyed the Hydrotherapy garden.  I’m glad we experienced it before our spa treatments and for us, I’d say the 60-75 minutes we spent there was enough.  Could I have stayed there longer?  Probably, but we didn’t feel it was too short.  Regarding the treatments, Brad and I both agreed we enjoyed the facial the most.  I ranked the massage next and Brad ranked the pedicure next - even though it was technically a salon service, not a spa treatment.  His massage was not bad, but just not amazing.  We both prefer a stronger, deeper tissue massage, but we wanted to experience the traditional Lomilomi massage.  Pam enjoyed all of the services she had, but ranked the facial first.
> 
> I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had and enjoyed hot stone massages before but you’re tempting me with the facial. Any more details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks


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## Captain Canada

I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had stone massages before and enjoyed them but now you’ve got me thinking a facial is better. Any additional details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks!


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## scottmel

Captain Canada said:


> I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had stone massages before and enjoyed them but now you’ve got me thinking a facial is better. Any additional details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks!



I am wondering same thing too..I get massages very often and fear for the price at Aulani I will be disappointed. Facials I am open too as well as the mud wrap thing?


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## castle1

This is such a great trip report!  Thank you for all of the info and pictures!


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## Luv2trav

Can't wait to read about your ziplining adventure. We have this scheduled for our trip in July.


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## JM735

Sorry for the delay; a work trip and conference got in the way...  Climbworks experience will be posted tonight!


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## JM735

buffettgirl said:


> I have lived here almost 3 years.  Ala Moana is my go to mall, which is great because it has everything I could ever need and it doesn't take me long to get there.  But, I still don't think I've found every store in that mall and I always park in the same location so that I can find my car again later.  It IS a confusing mall. There are places that you can only access from the garage and then there are places that have both a garage entrance and a mall entrance, and there are "you can't get there from here" places where you feel like you've walked a mile just to get to the part of the mall behind where you just were.   Then there are places where the street runs through the mall, so you're walking along and "woah, car!"  And then there are half floors and half escalators.   There's is one part of the mall that I swear is like Hogwart's staircases.
> 
> So rest assured, the mall is ridiculously confusing.  It's not just you.   (The starbucks small kiosk store is in macy's..sort of ..)



Thank you for validating this!!  Your descriptions are very accurate and made me laugh remembering our adventure there.  I'm glad it wasn't just me wondering how I got so turned around. Especially at a mall.  But it does have most of the major stores and we are glad we went.  For anyone planning to go to Ala Moana, maybe plan on some extra some time to figure out how to get to the store(s) you are seeking.


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## JM735

Captain Canada said:


> I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had stone massages before and enjoyed them but now you’ve got me thinking a facial is better. Any additional details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks!





scottmel said:


> I am wondering same thing too..I get massages very often and fear for the price at Aulani I will be disappointed. Facials I am open too as well as the mud wrap thing?



The massage was relaxing.  The lomilomi is comparable to a heated stone massage; if you've had one of those I don't think this will feel significantly different. I don't remember if I mentioned this in the original post or not but Brad asked for a deeper massage and his technician said he hadn't selected a deep-tissue massage.  My technician was more willing to offer a stronger massage.  

If I had to choose one spa service it would be the facial.  When I'm looking for a pamper myself moment on a cruise or at a resort spa, I typically go with a facial. I think massages are easier to get at home at a more reasonable price. But for this trip we wanted a longer spa experience so we added the massage.


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## scottmel

JM735 said:


> The massage was relaxing.  The lomilomi is comparable to a heated stone massage; if you've had one of those I don't think this will feel significantly different. I don't remember if I mentioned this in the original post or not but Brad asked for a deeper massage and his technician said he hadn't selected a deep-tissue massage.  My technician was more willing to offer a stronger massage.
> 
> If I had to choose one spa service it would be the facial.  When I'm looking for a pamper myself moment on a cruise or at a resort spa, I typically go with a facial. I think massages are easier to get at home at a more reasonable price. But for this trip we wanted a longer spa experience so we added the massage.



THanks that was helpful!


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## JM735

*Zipline at Climbworks*
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Climbworks day!!  This activity won out over Kualoa Ranch when we decided to eliminate one of our activities.  Mostly because Brad and I decided this was a must-do for us.  Pam and Dave were along for the adventure and typically responded to any questions with “whatever you guys want to do.”  Possibly considerate, but still annoying when trying to plan for everyone…  Especially if you later find they had an opinion!

When making the zipline reservation, we all planned to participate.  However, Pam was the unknown.  We knew there was potential for a higher level of physical activity, and ultimately Pam decided to not join us, which did not surprise Brad or me.  We cancelled her reservation 48 hours ahead of time so she received a full refund.  And ultimately, this was the right decision.  But, as usual, I get ahead of myself.

Somewhere along the way, Pam decided she did not like the color nail polish she chose during her manicure the previous week.  She decided a polish change at the spa would be more enjoyable for her than ziplining and made an appointment a day or two before.

Dave, Brad and I were up and on the road a bit after 7:30 a.m. for our 9:40 a.m. scheduled time at Climbworks.  We had seen the entrance to Climbworks during our tour of the North Shore, so at a minimum we knew what the sign looked like!  The combination of not wanting to be late (potentially missing our time slot) and Dave’s fear of being late, we allowed plenty of time.  It was either early enough, far enough away from Honolulu or a combination of both, that traffic on H1 was pretty light for the short time we were on it.  The road up north looks like a major road on the maps, but it is only a two-lane road.  So you are dependent on the speed of those in front of you with limited passing opportunities.  It wasn’t an issue, but just another reminder to allow sufficient time.  They suggest getting there thirty minutes before your scheduled time and we got there before 9:00 a.m.  We hit the restroom (there aren’t restrooms on the course so make sure you go before starting your adventure) and then checked in.

They have tablets on the wall where each person completes the waivers.  I think there were 7 pages that each required acknowledgement that this is a physical activity with potential for death or dismemberment.  What better sign of a fun time ahead?!  It’s one of those things that you might reconsider doing if you actually read the fine print.  After we all signed our lives away, we were weighed to ensure we were under the 270 pound limit.  I’m not sure if it was to avoid embarrassment, but they weighed everyone regardless whether you appeared to be close to the limit or not.

After passing that test, we were told to wander around and our guides would find us shortly.  Soon enough we were fitted with harnesses and helmets.  I’d say we waited another 10 minutes until everyone in our group of 11 was equipped and ready to start our adventure.  After some introductions they led us to the first line, which is a relatively short run so everyone can become familiar with the zipline experience.  There is a circular staircase that you use to get to the first platform.

This was the first time Dave, Brad or I had done anything like this so the extent of our expectations was what we saw on the Climbworks videos online.  After the first time, we all really enjoyed it and knew it would be a fun adventure.  The group was then taken up to the actual start of the course in ATVs.  I think it was a ten-minute ride.

We had three guides, who were fantastic.  They were skilled and helped instill confidence for the guests.  All three were entertaining and clearly worked well as a team.  Two of them always went across the lines first, and would help ‘catch’ each of us when we zipped across.  The third guide was responsible for sending us on our way, which entailed connecting us to the line then disconnecting the safety tether immediately before sending us on our way.  

The next two and a half hours were spent on the course, which includes seven more zip lines, one of which is the longest in Oahu.  That one was over a half mile and took over a minute, which is long for time spent on the line.  Each of the lines was actually a pair of lines so two people would be going side by side.  The two guides who went first would radio back to the sender with any instructions to ensure we would get all the way across.  There were also hand signals they would occasionally use if someone needed to speed up or slow down.  

The mechanisms they use work very well.  At first I felt like I was coming in rather fast, but there are devices that grab your trolley and slow you down.  The trolley is what connects your harness to the wheels that actually glide along the line.  If someone didn’t make it all the way to the end of the line the guide would come out and pull you in. This happened a few times and isn’t a big deal.  The other thing that the guide was telling us happens is someone jumps off the platform after the trolley has been connected but before the safety tether is disconnected.  I kid you not, less than five minutes after hearing of this, guess what Dave did… He was glad he was last that time so the only person who witnessed it was the guide!

Between runs there were different ways to get to the next platform – bridges, short repel drops, staircases, etc.  The most physically challenging was one where you pull yourself up to a platform above you using a pulley system.  In theory, you are only pulling a quarter of your weight and if you need assistance the guides will help.  

Along the way they introduce different ways to travel the course.  For example, starting out by doing a trust-fall backwards, going down the whole line backwards or upside down.  These are all optional, but fun to do.  Since the course is above an active farm, there were food samples on some of the platforms.

Once finished with the course, you remove your gear and have the opportunity to purchase photos they took along the way or merchandise (t-shirts).  This was an amazing experience, the views were unbelievable and the ziplines were exhilarating.  As I mentioned, this was our first time on a zipline so we don’t have anything to compare to, but I cannot imagine anything going better.

 

 

We took a change of clothes and an extra supply of wet ones, but we ended up not needing either.  Perhaps if it was later/warmer/rainy/muddy but we didn’t get too dirty.  

After Climbworks we decided to go to Haleiwa Joe’s for lunch.  This was originally where we were going to have drinks Sunday night before we decided to stay at the resort.  It was essentially on the way back to Aulani and we had less than a five-minute wait to be seated at a table outside.  Yet again, we were treated to pristine views and fresh seafood.  This was a great lunch and we were glad we stopped here.

Lunch at Haleiwa Joe's (from top left): view from our table, cajun fish sandwich with wasabi mayo, entry sign, daily fish sandwich, Island ceviche, cocktails.
 

Next we went to the Island Vintage Coffee store just down the street – still searching for those damn cookies that apparently don’t exist anywhere other than the Royal Hawaiian store.  Along the way we found all sorts of small, neat shops.  We didn’t venture into them but enjoyed a bit of window-shopping as we walked by.  We did not mention these stores to Pam…  You are all sworn to secrecy on that!

We drove back to Aulani and found Pam on the balcony of our room.  She said she enjoyed her time and made it to the spa for her manicure and back to the room without getting lost.  She had lunch of some sort in the room.  Brad and I decided to hit the beach for a while and then revisited Off the Hook. Yes, again!  We think Pam and Dave napped.

 

Dinner was at Makahikki.  We’d already experienced breakfast at Makahiki but decided to give dinner a try also.  Dinner was different than breakfast.  Obviously, the food offerings would be different, but even the vibe was quieter.  We were seated inside this time and it was not a day or time that Uncle was doing his thing.  The food tasted good and I continue to be impressed with Aulani finding a solid balance between Eastern and Western cultures for the buffet.  Brad and I just discussed which we liked better and we are split.  If we forced ourselves to pick one, it would probably be solved with rock, paper, scissors.  You won’t go wrong with either meal, from our perspective.  Breakfast is a slightly better value though.

 

The only issue we had was when we paid.  Dave used his room key, but the server came back telling us there was an issue with the room charge and asked if we had an alternative payment method.  We used a credit card and then Pam, Dave and Brad went to the Olelo Room for another drink.  I went to the front desk to investigate the card issue.  I was told that they (Pam and Dave) had almost reached the $2,000 limit for room charges and dinner would have put it over.  My experience with Disney World is that when you hit, or approach, the limit, they charge the credit card on file so you may continue spending using your room key.  The Aulani cast member said they don’t automatically charge because people sometimes want to use a different form of payment.  This experience bothered me, partly because I feel they should have offered to charge to the credit card (resetting the room–limit) when we were down two days before to update the card on file (remember Pam lost her credit card) since they had to be close to the limit then.

I joined the others at the Olelo Room where we had drinks while listening to live music.  I think we went back up to our room when the performers took a break.  This was a great day and we were excited to be spending the next day (mostly) at Aulani.

Next… Executive Lanai


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## scottmel

Sounds like you guys had a great day! I love Pam...we would be fast friends!!!!! Do you recommend this place you just dined at for Lunch?


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## Captain Canada

Thank you for this detailed report, I’m glued to this thread!


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## luvmychaos

I’m so excited for the Executive Lanai review-that’s one I booked the most for our trip!


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## Luv2trav

When you mention you have to pull yourself up with a pulley. I don't have much upper arm strength will I be embarrassed? Lol


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## JM735

scottmel said:


> Sounds like you guys had a great day! I love Pam...we would be fast friends!!!!! Do you recommend this place you just dined at for Lunch?



Yes!  We really enjoyed Haleiwa Joe's. Sorry, if I wasn't clear on that - we definitely recommend it.



Captain Canada said:


> Thank you for this detailed report, I’m glued to this thread!



Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it!



luvmychaos said:


> I’m so excited for the Executive Lanai review-that’s one I booked the most for our trip!



Spoiler alert... we loved it!



Luv2trav said:


> When you mention you have to pull yourself up with a pulley. I don't have much upper arm strength will I be embarrassed? Lol



Not at all.  More than half of the people in our group had help - some towards the end, other's early on.  They tell you to say when you want help, but they also are watching and help when needed.


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## JM735

*Executive Lanai*
Thursday, January 18, 2018

We decided early on that we would stay at the resort our last full day.  Originally, I’d reserved the adult cabana again for this day, but when I saw reviews of the executive lanai I decided to reserve that instead.  My thought process was that it would be easier to change back to the cabana if we decided we preferred that.

For anyone not familiar with it, the executive lanai is a terrace overlooking the lagoon.  The area includes two casabellas, two lounge chairs, two chairs, two umbrellas, a side table, and a storage cabinet with a locking drawer.  Amenities included with the executive lanai are a fruit platter, towels and eight bottles of water.  Items included with the cabana, but not with the lanai, are the television, Beats speaker and dessert tray.

In terms of location, the executive lanai is in front of Ama Ama, however there are several rows of chairs between Ama Ama and the lanai.  In front of the lanai is the path along the beach.  The lanai is on a mid-level between the main Aulani pool deck and the beach area.  The people walking along the beach path are several steps below the terrace and the people in the lounge chairs are several steps above the terrace.  There is also foliage to help provide some separation.  We heard people on both levels, but it was not an issue for us.  The lanai is only accessible from one side (the right if looking at the lagoon).  This is also where there is a set of stairs for people going between the beach and the resort.  I read some comments about the surrounding foot traffic being annoying, but it didn’t bother us at all.  The gate closing was more noticeable than the people; it wasn’t slamming, but it is a heavy gate so the normal closing sound can be heard.

This was an extremely windy day.  When we were escorted to the lanai, the cast member said typically the wind settles down midday, but that wasn’t the case for us; it was windy all day.  In fact it got so bad that they had to close the Grotto area because so much debris was being blown out of the trees.  Since we are from the Midwest, and accustomed to an occasional tornado, I wondered if we should be looking for Toto!  The next morning they were working like crazy to clean everything out of the pools.

A few pics of the executive lanai and the view from it:
 

Due to the wind, they didn’t allow umbrellas to be opened.  Because of the layout and location of the lanai, we didn’t experience as much of the wind.  It was entertaining to watch people on the beach arrive, find chairs then decide to raise the umbrella.  Always, within minutes, a cast member would appear and close the umbrella, explaining why they couldn’t be used at that time. The lanai can get very warm in the direct sun and the umbrellas would have helped that, but clearly weather is outside the span of Disney’s control!

Earlier in the week when we showed Pam and Dave the executive lanai to reach a final consensus on whether we would keep that reservation, go back to the adult cabana or try one of the verandas, which are more affordable, have more natural shade and are a bit removed from some of the pedestrian traffic. However, we all agreed that the view from the lanai is how we wanted to spend our last day at Aulani; it is truly breathtaking to sit there and experience the beauty and serenity surrounding you.  And we weren't disappointed with our decision.

Since I was curious beforehand, I’ll share that tipping is not accepted for the cabana host/ess.  This is the cast member who initially escorts you to your reserved area, replenishes towels and addresses anything not related to food and beverage.  This was a change from cruises where I have tipped the cabana host/ess.  The server who handles food and beverages is tipped when you close out your tab for the day.

Ultimately, I’m glad we experienced both the adult cabana and the executive lanai.  They each offer specific benefits, but if I were to pick one, it would be the executive lanai.  However, if you are going at one of the busier times, I could easily change that opinion to have a home base near the pools that is yours for the day.  

So, what did we do all day?  A little bit of everything!  Brad and I took a few laps in the lazy river.  We noticed the wind at some of the more exposed areas of the lazy river.  We also went down the water slides; after Brad’s experience with the inner tube slide, he took a hiatus from the slides, but at my encouragement he agreed to try the other one.  He said the one without the inner tube was faster than he expected but he had fun.  One time was enough, though!

We again ordered lunch from the poolside menu.  Unfortunately, we don’t have any pictures of this meal; I think we had a few repeat items from our cabana day.  But! We all had shave ice for dessert.  Brad and I went to get them, and by the time we got back to the lanai, they had melted just enough to be less than photogenic.  Of course, they still tasted great!  Personally, I’ve decided you have to go all the way with the ice cream and the condensed milk.

Shave ice, random beverages and a fruit tray on the lanai:
 

Brad and I walked over to the lookout area that is at the left of the lagoon (when facing the water from Aulani); I believe there is an official name for this area, but I don’t know what it is...  This was a fun area to explore; it was peaceful and the wind was creating some decent waves.  I’d guess we spent at least 30 minutes over there.  The view of the lagoon, the ocean and Aulani is spectacular.

Views from the lookout:
 

We left the lanai around 4:30 p.m. and headed up to the room.  Even though this was supposed to be a stay at Aulani day, we decided to go to Beach House in Haleiwa for dinner.  This is where we planned to have dinner Sunday night and was high on Brad’s list of places he wanted to eat.  I think we left around 5:30 p.m. and traffic wasn’t bad at all.  Beach House doesn’t accept reservations, so we weren’t sure how long the wait would be.  I dropped the others off at the entrance and by the time I parked the car and got inside they had already been seated.  Since it was almost dark outside there wasn’t much of a view to experience, but they still had the doors and windows open so we enjoyed the fresh air.  This was yet another fantastic meal and we were pleased we made the effort to go there on our last night.  This restaurant wasn’t cheap, but also wasn’t what I considered one of our top-tier restaurants.  I’d say it’s comparable to a non-signature, table-service restaurant at Disney World.  For attire, we were in shorts and polos.  We highly recommend Beach House.

Beach House appetizers (top to bottom): kalua pork grilled cheese, first round of drinks, grilled sweet corn.
 

Beach House dinner (clockwise from top right): Paniolo rib eye with bone marrow butter, lobster and shrimp red Thai curry, catch of the day (no other details recalled - sorry!), Thai fried chicken.
 

After dinner, we went back to Aulani and, of course, we ventured through the gift shops.  I think this is when Brad and I did our major shopping trip.  We’d been considering several things, and purchased a few things along the way, but this time we actually grabbed a basket and started filling it up.   We eventually made it back to the room and started packing – which may be the most depressing part of a trip for me!

Initially, the plan was that Brad and I would do most of our packing that night, hence the shopping run, so we could spend some time the next morning at the pool/beach.  Pam and Dave did not plan to go down to the water with us so they were going to pack Friday morning.  After Dave said he was going to sleep, I saw Pam’s suitcase appear.  I asked Brad what was going on as I thought she was packing the next morning.  He went to check on her, and all I know is before long, she was mostly packed.  I’m pretty sure Brad just took over and it was likely a scavenger hunt for her to find where everything was when she got home!  But she was finished packing.

I forgot to mention that on our first morning Brad went in his parent’s room and asked ‘what the heck happened?’  That may not be a direct quote, but it’s the PG version...  He said Pam’s suitcase looked like a shoe explosion!  I think the rest of the trip she was nervous about getting everything repacked.

I have two strategies about packing for return trips home.  The first, to not expand my expandable suitcase for the outbound flight – save that extra space for the return.  The second thing is that I always have a duffle in the pocket of my suitcase.  When needed, this becomes a checked bag of clothes and/or shoes.  I don’t use the duffle for anything fragile or toiletries, but using it for clothes/shoes frees up a lot of space in my suitcase.  Because of this approach, I wasn’t stressed about packing all of our stuff – including Brad’s 6-pack of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, way more Honolulu Cookie Company cookies than two people should have and Aulani bath products (stay tuned for that)!

Eventually, Brad and I finished packing and called it a night for our last night at Aulani.  At least this for trip!

Next: Travel Home


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## JenJ154

following - my hubs and i are planning a 25th wedding anniversary trip some time in early 2019.  For us, too it'll be a once in a lifetime trip so I've been saving united airline miles and disney points on my two Chase cards,  and DVC points to allow us to have more $ to spend on the tours and meals and souvenirs and such.  I'm a spreadsheet junkie so I totally get that, too.   love all the great info you've shared and love the pics, too.  what a wonderful trip y'all had!


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## heaven2dc

What an amazing vacation!  Loved all of the pics - looks like you had the perfect room (view was awesome!).  I have a question - on your last full day, I noticed in one of the pics that there was a "boat" or whatever it's called.  I didn't think Aulani rented anything like that - just stand up paddle boards and snorkel gear.  Do you know anything about that?  Thanks!


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## luvmychaos

The Executive Lanai looks like heaven  Totally weird mom question: if we were say, enjoying our relaxing lanai and the kids were in the lagoon, how far of a run would you expect it to be? Say if a mom had to jump a hedge and sprint for a kid in the lagoon?(mine are all water safe but the relaxing never comes)


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## mm6mm6

I just cancelled our upcoming trip to Aulani.  After reading your TR and seeing all your photos, I feel I've now been there and so you've saved me a ton of money!  JK, we're planning our "one and done" trip for July 2019 and your TR has been very helpful.  Thanks and glad to see you all had such a wonderful time!


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## alltwelve

This is a wonderful trip report!  My partner and I are going on our first Aulani/Hawaii trip the first week of November and this is extremely thorough and helpful- thanks!!!


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## JM735

Between work and a quick trip to Orlando, I got behind schedule posting.  This may be one of the only places where a trip to Disney World is an acceptable reason for getting behind!!  I promise there is still more to come for this trip report...


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## JM735

Thanks to everyone for your compliments on our trip report!



JenJ154 said:


> following - my hubs and i are planning a 25th wedding anniversary trip some time in early 2019.  For us, too it'll be a once in a lifetime trip so I've been saving united airline miles and disney points on my two Chase cards,  and DVC points to allow us to have more $ to spend on the tours and meals and souvenirs and such.  I'm a spreadsheet junkie so I totally get that, too.   love all the great info you've shared and love the pics, too.  what a wonderful trip y'all had!



I’ve been accused of over-planning, or at least over-analyzing, with my spreadsheets, but I like having the knowledge.  Also for me, planning is half of the fun!  Enjoy your trip and congrats on your anniversary!



heaven2dc said:


> What an amazing vacation!  Loved all of the pics - looks like you had the perfect room (view was awesome!).  I have a question - on your last full day, I noticed in one of the pics that there was a "boat" or whatever it's called.  I didn't think Aulani rented anything like that - just stand up paddle boards and snorkel gear.  Do you know anything about that?  Thanks!



It was an amazing trip; I cannot repeat enough how much we all loved it.

I think that boat is almost considered an excursion.  Groups would go out together using motor power to get out of the lagoon, then they would sail around.  I do not know much about it, but I think it is listed as Sailing Canoe Experience under Activities/Beach Activities on the Aulani Website.


luvmychaos said:


> The Executive Lanai looks like heaven  Totally weird mom question: if we were say, enjoying our relaxing lanai and the kids were in the lagoon, how far of a run would you expect it to be? Say if a mom had to jump a hedge and sprint for a kid in the lagoon?(mine are all water safe but the relaxing never comes)



Ha!!  Great mom question.  My suggestion would be take the stairs rather than the flying leap over the hedge (the concrete landing could leave a mark).  With a quick sprint I’d say you can be from lounge chair on the lanai to the water in under 35 seconds.  Add some ‘momma instinct’ adrenaline and maybe less than 20 seconds.



mm6mm6 said:


> I just cancelled our upcoming trip to Aulani.  After reading your TR and seeing all your photos, I feel I've now been there and so you've saved me a ton of money!  JK, we're planning our "one and done" trip for July 2019 and your TR has been very helpful.  Thanks and glad to see you all had such a wonderful time!



Too funny!! I can honestly say, seeing photos is great, but they cannot convey the experience.  You’ll love it.



alltwelve said:


> This is a wonderful trip report!  My partner and I are going on our first Aulani/Hawaii trip the first week of November and this is extremely thorough and helpful- thanks!!!



We had a fantastic time and know you will too!


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## JM735

*Last Day in Paradise*
Friday, January 19, 2019

Obviously, the main thing today was our flight home, but that wasn’t until 4:30 p.m.  I won’t lie, this time went by more quickly than I hoped, but isn’t that always the case when a vacation is winding down?  

From the beginning, we decided lunch at Ama Ama would be a good way to end our time at Aulani.  I figured we would leave Aulani around 1:30 p.m., and checkout at Aulani is 11:00 a.m.  I had made a reservation for lunch at noon, which worked out well.  

Brad and I hit the pool and beach for several hours while Pam and Dave finished packing and enjoyed the balcony.  We repeatedly missed the lava shack, which is a small shop in the pool area.  It seemed it was closed, crowded or we were running late when we’d tried to visit previously.  But we were walking by when it opened on our last morning so we took a quick lap through.  Brad and I found leather Aulani key chains that can be personalized.  So, we ordered these and they said they would be ready in 30 minutes or so.

Yeah, Brad and I were those people who wore all of the pool bands while we were there...  Unfortunately, we missed a couple days early on, but here are the rest (plus some other pics from our last day):
 

We did a quick trip through the gift shop and then went to the elevators, but were greeted by a cast member who redirected us to the service elevator area.  Apparently, four of the six elevators for our tower were not working.  They were using the two working ones for everyone coming down from the guestroom floors and using the service elevators for everyone going up from the lobby level and first floor.  A security guard was staffing the elevator and told us that they believed it was a computer issue and the service company was on the way.  Fortunately, no one was stuck in the non-working elevators, they just were not responding.  It’s disappointing to have issues, but they can, and do, happen everywhere, and in my opinion, Disney handled this one well.  The cast members were pleasant and had a system in place.  Brad works in hotels, and I’ve been in hotel service elevators several times before, and we were both shocked at how clean and well maintained the service elevators and corridors were.  Truly, it looked like they had been installed the day before.

When we got back to the room, we started to explain to Pam what happened with the elevators, but she interjected saying they experienced the same thing.  We asked where they had gone since we thought they were staying in the room.  She reluctantly admitted she *needed* to take another pass through the gift shop.  And she was glad she did because someone showed her an Alex and Ani bracelet she had not previously seen.  And, of course she had to have that.  Clearly my advice for them to use our DVC discount on purchases wasn’t always heeded…  Once she saw our bag from the gift store she felt less guilty acknowledging her return trip!  Brad and I decided to get DVC Tervis cups we were previously undecided on purchasing.  I now know where Brad gets some of his shopping habits!

Now it was time for Brad and I to shower and pack.  Aulani has the Luana room that you may use on your checkout day (or on check-in day if your room isn’t ready), but we decided we were happier using our room even if it meant a little less time at the pools/beach.  Once everything was ready we called bell services to store our bags while we had lunch.  Since we were ready to go when the cast member arrived, and the elevators were still down, he had us ride down the service elevator with him.

We took a leisurely stroll through the lobby and sat out on the lobby terrace for a while until we decided to make our way to Ama Ama.  I detoured through the pool area to pick up the key chains that were being engraved and met up with the others in the Ama Ama lobby. We were seated immediately after I checked us in.  We were seated in a different room than we had been previously.  We were again in the row of tables closest to the water.  We enjoyed another amazing view and delicious meal.

Views from the restaurant:
 

Ama Ama lunch (clockwise from top right): roasted chicken salad sandwich combo with Ewa corn and potato chowder and side salad; steak and blue cheese ciabatta with chips; roasted chicken salad sandwich combo with Ewa corn and potato chowder and fries; warm Honokaa honey mochi cake with Azuki gelato; lobster roll on Portuguese sweet bread with fries.
 

After lunch we wandered back to the lobby.  I stopped at the desk to get final copies of our folios – I’m guessing I have a 80% success rate with getting them via email so I often grab a printed copy.  Also, I wanted to confirm they had the charges correctly applied since we had two credit cards on file; which they did.

I gave our claim tag to baggage services while I retrieved the car.  When I got to the valet area they were happy to see we had more than enough room for our luggage.  They said we’d be amazed how many times people have a ton of luggage and pull up a car that has no chance of fitting everything.

I’ll admit that there were several bittersweet moments in our last hours at Aulani. It was a wonderful home for the ten nights we were there, and I started to notice some of the things I'd miss.  For example, the last time we were in the lagoon, pools and hot tub, when we left our room with the awesome view and when pulling away from the lobby the last time.

We were soon pulling away from Aulani.  Traffic was light and we made it to the airport in good time.  I had a plan (pretend to be surprised!)…  I would drop the other three off, and the luggage, at the United check-in area and then I’d go get gas, return the car and meet up with them.

Making several trips to Orlando in the winter, Brad and I have gotten pretty good at changing from Florida weather (shorts and polos) to Chicago weather (jeans and long sleeve shirts/sweaters) attire in the men’s restroom at Orlando airport.  For whatever reason, this bothered Pam and she wanted us to change in the car.  Granted it was a somewhat spacious SUV, I still find it awkward to change in a car.  Nonetheless, trying to please his mom, Brad acquiesced.  So the new plan was to leave Pam and Dave with the luggage, and Brad and I would fill the car with gas, change clothes, return the car and then meet Pam and Dave.  When we arrived at the airport to unload, it was pretty empty.  I rented three of the luggage carts.  I cringe spending that much money on something we’d only be using a short time, but I’ve learned sometimes it’s best to just budget the money and move on; trying to manage that much luggage otherwise would have been a mess.

After the drop off was complete, Brad and I went to the gas station.  However, finding a place to park the car while changing clothes was a bit more challenging.  We eventually found a side street and got our clothes changed before heading to the car rental.  We agreed our original plan of using the airport restroom was better!  When we found Pam and Dave at the United check-in, Dave was pacing.  We didn’t know why, but Brad could easily tell something was up.  Something I didn’t learn in my research is that there is an additional screening step at the Honolulu airport.  Luggage that is being checked must be scanned before you go to your airline counter.  As I recall it is agricultural screening.  In the end it was a very quick, easy process.  However, Dave thought we were running late and he started taking the luggage over to be scanned while Brad and I were packing the clothes we changed out of. 

After this scanning was complete, we went to the airline counter and checked our bags.  Next was security screening, which again since we had TSA precheck was pretty quick and easy.  Pam did remove her Pandora bracelets this time since they set off the metal detector in Chicago.

We next started our walk to the gate.  When we arrived in Honolulu we took a bus to baggage claim; either there isn’t a bus to the gates, or we didn’t see it.  So it was a bit of a trek along the covered but open-air walkway.  Yes, Hawaii weather is beautiful; but I would have enjoyed this walk more if it was in an air-conditioned hallway! We made it to the gate, with a few stops for bathrooms and gift shops.

Once we got to the gate we found seats and waited for boarding to begin.  Probably five minutes before boarding was scheduled to begin we went to the designated area for our boarding group.

United has been known to change aircraft or have technical glitches with seat assignments.  On account of this, I frequently logged in to ensure our seat assignments were correct for both our outbound and return flights.  Three weeks or so before our trip I noticed that Brad didn’t have a seat assignment for our return flight, yet his previously selected seat was showing as unavailable.  I called United and was told that while Brad does have a confirmed first-class seat, his seat could not be confirmed at this time.  After some discussion, I was transferred to a supervisor and eventually Brad was moved back to his original seat.  

A few days later, when I checked again, Dave had been moved to a seat on the opposite side of the plane.  So the calls to United were repeated and I again was transferred to a supervisor who ultimately moved Dave back and added notes requesting our group not be moved.  However, the whole situation was giving me an odd vibe so I checked again that afternoon.  And Dave was again moved!  I called United and was transferred to a supervisor and then a higher-level supervisor.  My instinct was telling me that they were moving us for another passenger, but I couldn’t confirm this.  Ultimately, I was told that Dave’s original seat was removed from availability for operational purposes, which I did not believe at all but I was essentially out of options.  If it was going to happen, it was better on the return flight than the outbound flight.

On account of this, we discussed different seating options, and decided Dave would take his newly assigned seat, Pam would take my seat so she and Brad would be next to each other and I would take Pam’s seat next to our mystery traveler.  After they took care of the pre-board passengers they invited Global Services passengers, of which there was one.  I looked at Brad and said that gentleman would be my neighbor.  Sure enough, when we boarded, the Global Services passenger was next to me.

I’m well aware this is a first-world problem, and that we were all fortunate to take this trip, let alone be in first class, but this experience left me with a very poor view of United.  I understand airlines often make accommodations for their loyal customers.  However, I was the first person who reserved first-class seats on our flights and consciously selected seats based on our preferences.  I can understand United confirming a class of service for certain level passengers, but to accommodate specific seating preference by relocating other passengers seems excessive.  And, the way United handled this without ever contacting me directly, and outright lying saying it was an operational issue, are examples demonstrating United Airlines integrity and credibility, or lack thereof. 

Sorry for the rant, but it is something that clearly frustrated and disappointed me.  Maybe now that I’ve vented, I’ll be able to ‘Let it go’ (insert Idina Manzel singing here).

Views from our flight - complete with rainbows and Diamond Head:
 

It was an uneventful trip to Chicago.  The flight was smooth, the service was very attentive and the meals and drinks were good.  I think we all slept a bit, but also utilized the inflight entertainment to pass the time.  After landing at a nearly empty O’Hare we found restrooms, baggage claim and our car service.

Sadly, our trip was officially over.  Trust me, the Chicago weather was a rude reminder of this!

Okay… the day-by day report is over.  But there are still a few posts to come on things that didn’t fit under specific days and overall thoughts and experiences.


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## owensjro

Just wanted to note that we had the same problem with United changing our seats without telling us. We were travelling with a child and found they had moved one of us out of an aisle seat "for operational reasons". On the flight the seat ended up being empty. It made no sense and I never was able to get an explanation from them. I try to avoid United now when possible!


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## alohamom

JM735 said:


> I’ll admit that there were several bittersweet moments in our last hours at Aulani. It was a wonderful home for the ten nights we were there, and I started to notice some of the things I'd miss. For example, the last time we were in the lagoon, pools and hot tub, when we left our room with the awesome view and when pulling away from the lobby the last time.



I am not an overemotional person and rarely cry but when I am leaving Hawaii to come back to Toronto I always get tears in my eyes. I think this is part of why we just keep coming back...


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## cgattis

Delta did the same thing to us.  They tried to split us all over the plane, and we weren't going to give up our aisle seats or sitting with our kids.  Like you, I had been among the first 10 seats booked in that flight--at over $1000 each.  Being nice was getting me nowhere, so I ended up saying I'd basically be the next one posting on YouTube wile being dragged off the plane.  They finally got us an acceptable arrangement.  I just hate flying now--pay a premium and get treated like they're doing us a favor by taking our money.

Anyway, really enjoyed your writing style and the great pics.  Makes me miss it terribly, though!  Glad you had such an enjoyable trip


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## Luv2trav

I have loved your trip report. Are you a writer of some sort? I love your style of writing and the details. It has made me so excited for our trip in July.


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## buffettgirl

I won't fly united anymore for just that reason. I have NEVER had a situation where they didn't change a seat of someone in our group.   The last time, they went to a larger plane, with two center aisles and they took away my husband's aisle seat. It made no sense. He had an aisle seat. They added a whole new aisle, and yet they stuck him in a middle seat.


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## Michelle smith

Hi! just love this post okay....... tell me exactly where to get those cookies!


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## DVCRSheridan

JM735 said:


> *Aulani Arrival*
> Tuesday, January 9, 2018 (continued)
> 
> The next destination was Aulani.  All I can say is wow.  For me, it was everything I had hoped.  We pulled up and the valet attendant showed us where to leave the car while they started unloading everything and we got checked in.   We were all given leis and glasses of water.  Then we walked inside and started admiring the beauty of the lobby.  Disney’s attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. Of course we also started taking pictures.  Of everything.
> 
> Views from out front:
> View attachment 298399
> 
> The lobby:
> View attachment 298398
> 
> View attachment 298400
> 
> I had requested a high-floor room xx50 through DVC member services.  I also completed online check-in 10 days out.  We were assigned room 1450 and could not have picked a better room for what we wanted.  The view was amazing.  We were able to hear the music from The Olelo Room when we were on the balcony.   I probably underestimated the walk between the elevator and our room, but it wasn’t too bad.  I would absolutely make the same request if I did things over.
> 
> Views from the balcony:
> View attachment 298397
> 
> View attachment 298403
> 
> Bell services arrived soon after we got to the room.  I was surprised they fit everything on one cart – they are good at space management! While Brad took pictures and videos of the room I went down and moved the car to the self-park garage.
> 
> The room:
> View attachment 298405
> View attachment 298404
> 
> We started some unpacking and just relaxed until we decided it was time for dinner.  The plan was to hit Monkeypod across the street.  Originally Brad was going to grab an OpenTable reservation, but when he checked they weren’t showing reservations available for another hour.  We called and they said they could seat us inside downstairs immediately.  We decided that was fine and headed over.  Since it had been a long day, we drove over rather than walking.
> 
> Dinner was very good.  I think if we didn’t have so many other places to eat we would have gone back to Monkeypod for another meal.  The convenience of being just across the street is a definite bonus.
> 
> Monkeypod dinner:
> View attachment 298407
> 
> After dinner we went back to the room and I'm pretty sure everyone was asleep soon.
> 
> Next... Our first full day on Oahu.



WOW! Amazing views from your room! We've been 3 times and were on top floor, opposite tower each time. I think we'll be making this "highest floor xx50" room request next time though! Absolutely beautiful.


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## Almondmilktea

Thanks for the trip report!  LOVED IT.  I'm booked for my first Aulani visit in June 2018 and can't wait.  Will certainly be using your report for ideas.


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## scottmel

Just LOVED This report!!!! I am flying first class on Hawiian TO HNL but taking Delta first class HOME. Our trip is in July - when should I start checking to see if our seats were moved? I did not book the flights, DH did. So when we login we are shown we have a seat assigned to us, the ones we pick. Will it just show a DIFFERENT number if we are reassigned or simply no seat at all? I am, like you, a crazy overanalyzer and this would really throw me if it happened.......


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## OKW Lover

scottmel said:


> Our trip is in July - when should I start checking to see if our seats were moved? I did not book the flights, DH did. So when we login we are shown we have a seat assigned to us, the ones we pick. Will it just show a DIFFERENT number if we are reassigned or simply no seat at all? I am, like you, a crazy overanalyzer and this would really throw me if it happened.......


Its highly unlikely that your seats will change.  However, it *could* happen.  Rather than stress about it just check at most once a week.  If you see a different seat (or none at all) then you can decide if the new seats are to your liking.  If not (or no seat) just call Delta and they will fix it.


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## acndis

I loved your report!  Thanks so much for writing it.  (I even stole Brad's photo collage idea for my trip report.  My husband thanks you.  So much easier to post!).  I also LOVED all the Pam/Dave stuff.  We travel with my dad and the similarities kept me smiling the whole time.

I am definitely going to do Oahu Private Tours next trip.  For the North Shore, did you get any swimming time?  My son will demand that!  Thanks again.


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## 94bruin

Thank you for posting your trip report. I really enjoyed reading it. Your writing style really makes it enjoyable to read. It was like we were there right alongside of you, Brad, Pam & Dave!


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## kimberwee

alohamom said:


> I am not an overemotional person and rarely cry but when I am leaving Hawaii to come back to Toronto I always get tears in my eyes. I think this is part of why we just keep coming back...



Same...last time I left, the passenger next to me kept asking if I was ok...


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## stampinmom

Thank you for this trip report and the beautiful pictures, I loved it!  We just booked our first trip for this November and are so excited.  Your info really helped and I have a list of things I need to look into now.  Thanks!


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## JM735

owensjro said:


> Just wanted to note that we had the same problem with United changing our seats without telling us. We were travelling with a child and found they had moved one of us out of an aisle seat "for operational reasons". On the flight the seat ended up being empty. It made no sense and I never was able to get an explanation from them. I try to avoid United now when possible!





cgattis said:


> Delta did the same thing to us.  They tried to split us all over the plane, and we weren't going to give up our aisle seats or sitting with our kids.  Like you, I had been among the first 10 seats booked in that flight--at over $1000 each.  Being nice was getting me nowhere, so I ended up saying I'd basically be the next one posting on YouTube wile being dragged off the plane.  They finally got us an acceptable arrangement.  I just hate flying now--pay a premium and get treated like they're doing us a favor by taking our money.





buffettgirl said:


> I won't fly united anymore for just that reason. I have NEVER had a situation where they didn't change a seat of someone in our group.   The last time, they went to a larger plane, with two center aisles and they took away my husband's aisle seat. It made no sense. He had an aisle seat. They added a whole new aisle, and yet they stuck him in a middle seat.



On some level it helps to hear I’m not alone in frustrating airline encounters. But it’s disappointing to hear, see and experience how airlines treat passengers and is unfortunate that many airlines continue to get worse rather than improving their customer focus.  But we are stuck with them, and they know it...


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## JM735

alohamom said:


> I am not an overemotional person and rarely cry but when I am leaving Hawaii to come back to Toronto I always get tears in my eyes. I think this is part of why we just keep coming back...



I couldn't agree more!


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## JM735

cgattis said:


> Anyway, really enjoyed your writing style and the great pics.  Makes me miss it terribly, though!  Glad you had such an enjoyable trip



Thank you!  We've enjoyed sharing our experience and also miss it terribly. And it's been less than two months since we were there!


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## JM735

Luv2trav said:


> I have loved your trip report. Are you a writer of some sort? I love your style of writing and the details. It has made me so excited for our trip in July.


Thank you!  Nope, I am not a writer but tried to adopt the format and style of other trip reports that I have enjoyed reading. Have a great time in July and come back to share highlights of your trip with everyone!


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## JM735

Michelle smith said:


> Hi! just love this post okay....... tell me exactly where to get those cookies!


I'm glad you've enjoyed reading about our adventure! The Honolulu Cookie company has numerous store fronts around the island, but the cookies are available at many stores, including the Aulani gift shop.


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## JM735

DVCRSheridan said:


> WOW! Amazing views from your room! We've been 3 times and were on top floor, opposite tower each time. I think we'll be making this "highest floor xx50" room request next time though! Absolutely beautiful.



I definitely loved our view, not that I've seen too many bad ones at Aulani though!


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## JM735

Almondmilktea said:


> Thanks for the trip report!  LOVED IT.  I'm booked for my first Aulani visit in June 2018 and can't wait.  Will certainly be using your report for ideas.



Thanks for following. I'm sure you will love it when you visit.  As I've encouraged others, come back and share your experience - it helps people planning a trip (for some there is no such thing as too much information!) and for those of use without another trip planned we get to experience it again!


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## JM735

scottmel said:


> Just LOVED This report!!!! I am flying first class on Hawiian TO HNL but taking Delta first class HOME. Our trip is in July - when should I start checking to see if our seats were moved? I did not book the flights, DH did. So when we login we are shown we have a seat assigned to us, the ones we pick. Will it just show a DIFFERENT number if we are reassigned or simply no seat at all? I am, like you, a crazy overanalyzer and this would really throw me if it happened.......



Yes, if the airline changes your seat you will either see a different seat assignment or no seat assigned when you log in to their website.  As OKW Lover said, check periodically and don’t stress too much about it. 

My experience, and the responses above, demonstrate that changes can happen, and unfortunately most passengers don’t have much leverage with the airlines.  Hopefully you will have better luck than many of us and not have any issues!

Have an awesome trip!


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## JM735

acndis said:


> I loved your report!  Thanks so much for writing it.  (I even stole Brad's photo collage idea for my trip report.  My husband thanks you.  So much easier to post!).  I also LOVED all the Pam/Dave stuff.  We travel with my dad and the similarities kept me smiling the whole time.
> 
> I am definitely going to do Oahu Private Tours next trip.  For the North Shore, did you get any swimming time?  My son will demand that!  Thanks again.



Thanks! Yes, the collages seemed to work well for getting more than ten pics in a post.  I've been enjoying your trip report (especially jealous with your route getting to Aulani!). Unfortunately, I have some catching up to do on your last posts.

One of the stories that I think we forgot to share was after I came back to the room one evening and Pam was asleep in the living room chair.  Brad was in the bedroom doing something and I asked if we wore out his parents.  He was confused and I said his mom was sound asleep and he said, no she isn't I was talking to her literally a minute ago.  He didn't believe me until he went and checked for himself.

For Oahu Private Tours, they offer sightseeing, activity and hybrid tours.  I imagine the hybrid would be your best bet to incorporate a balance of sights and swimming.


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## JM735

94bruin said:


> Thank you for posting your trip report. I really enjoyed reading it. Your writing style really makes it enjoyable to read. It was like we were there right alongside of you, Brad, Pam & Dave!



Thank you so much!  I received so much great information from other's that I'm happy to share our trip.


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## JM735

stampinmom said:


> Thank you for this trip report and the beautiful pictures, I loved it!  We just booked our first trip for this November and are so excited.  Your info really helped and I have a list of things I need to look into now.  Thanks!


Congratulations on booking your trip!  You will have a great time, I'm sure.


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## JM735

*Menehune and Hidden Animals*

Brad and I enjoy finding hidden Mickey’s at the parks and on the cruise ships.  In fact, we have hidden Mickey books for Disney World and Disney Cruise Line and we check off the ones we’ve found, then document them in a photo album on Brad’s phone.  For us, Menehune are almost an extension of hidden Mickey’s.  For anyone not familiar with them, in Hawaiian mythology, Menehune are shy, mischievous people, hence why they are always hiding in strange places.  This is another example of how Disney incorporated local culture into Aulani. 

Once you start looking, the Menehune are everywhere and Brad enjoyed photographing the ones we saw.  Just don’t ask us to identify where we found some of them!

Here are a few that we found (including one still decorated for the holidays):

 

 

They have a tablet that can be checked out so you may follow the guided Menehune trail, which we ended up not doing.  This may be targeted for kids, but we saw some adults doing it without kids, and wish we had done it!

There are many hidden animals etched into the concrete throughout the pool area.  This is something that surprised me; apparently I missed the extent of this in my pre-trip research.  I’d describe it as comparable to the Animal Kingdom Tree of Life, just less concentrated.  Since there is a lot of concrete in the pool areas, the animals are a lot more spread out.  It was neat when lifeguards pointed out some of them along the lazy river.

Clockwise from top: whale (that occasionally shoots water), swordfish, surgeonfish (we think that's what it is... it looks like Dory), Maui's hook (not an animal but still fun), random fish, chameleon.  P.S. Brad was annoyed at the difficulty photographing some of these!


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## JM735

*Dining Summary*

In this section, I’ll offer some final thoughts on our dining experiences as well as some comparisons.  Some of this will be a repeat of what I’ve already shared, but this post offers an abbreviated version.  If you are jumping into this trip report here, more detail on the restaurants is provided in the previous posts, as well as pictures.  I’ve provided some cost ranges based on our experiences, which included tips.  To offer some context on these figures, typically we each had one to two adult beverages and we usually shared a couple appetizers or desserts. 

Our Hawaii trip was a wonderful culinary experience.  As Brad and I were working on this trip report we struggled with how often we used the words amazing, excellent, great, awesome, etc.  But we simply couldn’t find enough other words to accurately reflect our opinions.  I fully admit that it is easy to be in a different mindset while on vacation and potentially have rose-colored glasses.  However, so many of our Hawaii meals stood out even when comparing to comparable meals on other vacations.

The views and environment, as well as the more relaxed culture, are factors that contribute to the experience.  My best example of this is Ama Ama.  It is a solid restaurant but when evaluating food alone, we could name restaurants in Chicago that are just as good, if not better.  But when I factor in the view and location, it is no longer an even comparison.  Also, when we consider the knowledge and passion many of the employees offer, it sets Ama Ama further apart.

Let’s start with Aulani meals.  Since I just mentioned Ama Ama, I’ll start there.  We had three great meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) at Ama Ama.  If I were to rank them, breakfast was the best in terms of food and value.  Lunch was next, followed by dinner.  If budget allows, I would suggest everyone staying at Aulani try to eat at Ama Ama at least once.

For Makahiki we enjoyed both the breakfast and dinner buffets.  The food offerings were diverse and tasted very good.  You are obviously paying a Disney-premium, but we still felt it was worth what we paid. Brad and I agree breakfast was a slightly better value, but dinner had more diverse options.  We would happily eat there again for either meal.

We had two poolside lunches at Aulani - one from the adult cabana and the other from the executive lanai.  Both were very good, and obviously convenient.  These meals could be considered a splurge since they don’t represent the best monetary value, but for convenience and truly feeling like you are on vacation they were just what we wanted.

The luau was our other Aulani dining experience and it was wonderful.  Since it was the only luau we attended, I can’t offer a comparison to others, but I highly recommend it.  It has all the historical and cultural attributes with a touch of Disney influence.

Next I’ll offer thoughts on what I consider ‘counter service’ meals.  These all had walk-up service where you place your order at a counter and then seat yourself.  Each of these was around $15-20 per person.  The three places we went that fall in this category were the food trucks in Haleiwa, Ono Steak and Shrimp Shack and Nico’s Pier 38. It’s a bit difficult to compare these since they were very different.  Nico’s was my favorite, but it was also the largest and most ‘commercial’ of the three.  Ono’s was very good and we beat the rush so we didn’t have a problem finding a table and it was a short wait for our food, but it got busier while we were there.  We were happy to experience the food trucks in Haleiwa, but these would probably be the one I’d be least likely to visit again.  Parking was a bit of a hassle (luckily I wasn’t driving!) and it took the longest to get our food there.  However, there are food trucks all over the island and perhaps this was just our experience with this location, or a busier day.

We visited three restaurants for lunch that I consider casual dining.  Kona Brewing Company, Honolulu Beerworks and Haleiwa Joe’s are each places where you are seated and have a server, but are pretty laid back.  Each of these meals was approximately $30 per person.  I don’t think I can rank them easily – they were all so different but all were very enjoyable.  For these, I’d say location is the best deciding factor based on where you are on the island when venturing away from Aulani.

Monkeypod and Beach House were mid-level dinners.  These locations are also relatively laid back, but can be a longer meal experience.  I’d put these on par with table service restaurants at Disney World.  For these meals we spent $55-60 per person.  Both were great meals.  Beach house was probably my favorite of the two for food and setting.  Being located by a beach with the setting sun is hard to beat.  However, Monkeypod’s proximity to Aulani gives it an edge.  Again, I’d say if you are near Haleiwa, consider Beach House, but if you are not venturing too far from Aulani, go to Monkeypod.  Or try to visit both!

Lastly, are the splurge meals, which I’d consider most comparable to signature dining at Disney World.  We landed on Roy's at Ko’Olina, Hoku’s at the Kahala Resort and Michel’s at the Colony Surf for our ‘dress-up’ meals.  Most of these don’t have an strict dress code beyond the typical, no swimwear, tank tops, etc.  Each of these was between $80-120 per person.  I should mention that our Ama Ama dinner also came in around this price point (I underestimated that one a bit while budgeting), but I kept it in the Aulani group rather than here.  Hoku’s was a definite winner for brunch and Brad and I would like to try dinner there.  Michel’s was a great meal, but it was the most ‘traditional’ in terms of it feeling more like a French restaurant in both menu and décor, and felt the least Hawaiian, with the exception of it’s beach-side location.  Roy’s was a great meal and conveniently located near Aulani.  This group was also difficult for us to rank as we really enjoyed them all and they each offered something unique.  In the end, I’d say Hoku’s, followed by Roy’s and then Michel’s.  Brad considers Michel’s and Roy’s a tie behind Hoku’s.  But it really does depend on what you are seeking (i.e. a romantic dinner offering a rich, savory menu, a local menu that is well-executed, a memorable dining experience blending environment and menu offerings) and you likely won’t go wrong with any of them.  Throwing Ama Ama in this category, if we were only going to have one higher-end dinner, and didn’t want to venture too far from Aulani, I’d choose to walk to Roy’s.


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## cgattis

JM735 said:


> There are many hidden animals etched into the concrete throughout the pool area. This is something that surprised me; apparently I missed the extent of this in my pre-trip research


Somehow I missed it as well....??  But we SO enjoyed hunting for them.  There were a few (and a few menehune too) that I had to try to photograph multiple times (yeah YOU, little dude in the sailing canoe!), but another lap in the lazy river wasn't such a bad thing!  I missed that menehune hanging upside down from the Lava Shack!  Did you see the one in the lobby that follows you??  That was awesome...although it creeped my DD out LOL!  Sigh......I miss it so much!  Thanks for letting me relive it through your report!


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## JM735

cgattis said:


> Somehow I missed it as well....??  But we SO enjoyed hunting for them.  There were a few (and a few menehune too) that I had to try to photograph multiple times (yeah YOU, little dude in the sailing canoe!), but another lap in the lazy river wasn't such a bad thing!  I missed that menehune hanging upside down from the Lava Shack!  Did you see the one in the lobby that follows you??  That was awesome...although it creeped my DD out LOL!  Sigh......I miss it so much!  Thanks for letting me relive it through your report!



What?!!  There is a menehune that follows you in the lobby?  I definitely missed seeing that.  Where in the lobby is he hiding?


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## JM735

*Missed Dining Opportunities*

I know it's a bit odd to include places we _didn't go_ in a trip report, but I figured I would share anyway...

During our planning, we had a rather lengthy list of restaurants we considered.  We created our schedule by balancing our highest priorities with available meal slots.  We did restrict ourselves to three meals a day, not including snacks and beverages!!  There were several places that we kept on an optional list to incorporate, if time allowed.  Ultimately, most of these remained on the to-do list at the end of our trip.  Here are places we considered but did not end up experiencing this trip:

Matsumoto Shave Ice
Ulu Café at Aulani
Pizza Corner
Assaggio
KuruKuru
Plantation Tavern
Alan Wong’s Honolulu
Even though we didn’t try Matsumoto Shave Ice, we were very pleased with Waiola Shave Ice and what was available at Papalua (at Aulani).  Matsumoto’s was an easy one to take or leave since there were other options. 

It’s not listed above, but I’ll repeat that even though we visited Leonard’s Bakery food truck on our first tour day, I consider the fact we didn’t get back for a second visit a missed opportunity!  Leonard’s absolutely remains on the list for a future trip.

Brad and I stopped in Ulu Café and realized that it was comparable to most other Disney quick-service restaurants.  If you don’t have a car, or want something other than what the pool-side menu offers, this would work.  But in the end, we skipped Ulu this trip.

For Pizza Corner I’ve seen a mix of reviews.  We kept it on the list mostly in case we were too exhausted to last through a meal at Monkeypod on our arrival day.  Since we didn’t eat at Pizza Corner, I won’t offer an opinion, but I’ll say that it is not high on the list of places to try.

Assaggio, Kuru Kuru and Plantation Tavern are random restaurants recommendations we heard about at some point while planning.  We would probably consider each for a future trip.

Alan Wong’s Honolulu was one of the more expensive restaurants we considered.  The menu sounds amazing and I believe it is a meal that could become an experience.  It didn’t make the final plan this trip, but is a place we still want to try.


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## alohamom

and the one in the key hole of the little desk just behind the front desk! That one is so creative, makes me want to go back...


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## cgattis

alohamom said:


> and the one in the key hole of the little desk just behind the front desk! That one is so creative, makes me want to go back...


Ack, what??!?  That sounds adorable!  Makes me want to go back too, since I missed that one!


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## cgattis

JM735 said:


> What?!!  There is a menehune that follows you in the lobby?  I definitely missed seeing that.  Where in the lobby is he hiding?


Yes!  He's projected onto a case/stand in the corner of the room where the little kids TV area is.  We only saw him at night.  The effect reminded md of Haunted Mansion, which I guess is why it was freaky for my DD16 LOL.  I took a video but have no clue how to post.  You'll just have to go again!


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