Booking paid activities/excursions at Aulani

[cruisehopeful]

We're looking at visiting Aulani (DVC rooms) and I noticed there are a lot of activities available. Since we've been to the island several times, letting someone else drive and arrange everything sounds very nice. Do you book everything before your stay and how far in advance? Do they have a concierge desk where we can book stuff after we arrive? We're probably going to do the Spa, the Luau and a couple day trips that visit the other side of the island. We might possibly rent a car for a day to be able to take our time on the North Shore, but other than that, being in a tour group sounds appealing.

 

[abdgeek]

We're looking at visiting Aulani (DVC rooms) and I noticed there are a lot of activities available. Since we've been to the island several times, letting someone else drive and arrange everything sounds very nice. Do you book everything before your stay and how far in advance? Do they have a concierge desk where we can book stuff after we arrive? We're probably going to do the Spa, the Luau and a couple day trips that visit the other side of the island. We might possibly rent a car for a day to be able to take our time on the North Shore, but other than that, being in a tour group sounds appealing.

How far in advance you book excursions prior to your Aulani stay is up to you. However, be aware that things do sell out. You can call the Aulani Excursion desk and they will tell you how many people have already booked certain excursions. Some of them require a minimum of 10 people to run. I would definitely book the luau before you arrive as soon as availability opens up so that you don’t risk it selling out. Be aware that the excursions Aulani offers only run on certain days. If you’re ok with running the risk of things being sold out by the time you arrive, you can book on site. I’m a planner, so I always book all my excursions and activities before I leave home so that my itinerary is set.

 

[supercarrie]

I would definitely book the luau and the spa well in advance. These are quite popular and sell out. We were there last week and the luau was sold out for several weeks into mid-December, as an example. Cancellations happen but I wouldn't rely on these.

For excursions, I'd also book in advance, but there is a desk available for last minute reservations, as well as a car rental office.

For the North Shore, I recommend renting a car versus taking a guided tour just so you can be in control of your own schedule. The Shaka Guide is a GPS enabled tour guide app that has a North Shore loop (they have both a clockwise and counter clockwise version) which tells you where to stop, down to every single turn along the way.

What other excursions are you looking at doing?

 

[jimmymc]

Cabanas and some luau dates sell out well in advance, so you'll want to book those by calling before you go. For things like snorkeling or nature excursions, you can book those ahead of time or at the desk, usually with no issue. Some places like the Kualoa Ranch are able to book transportation online.

 

[HelloCindy]

As someone else said - book the luau and the spa well in advance. We are going to be there starting next week, and we booked a couple's massage, and then called back about 2 weeks ago to try to change the time, and they are booked up. I would also add, book any character breakfasts that you want as soon as the booking window opens, because those book up too. Dinner, however, is easer to book closer to the travel date - at least for us - traveling in early December.