2023 Dream Aulani Trip

[BeeBopp717]

November 2023 will be our 15th Anniversary. Hoping to espcape to Aulani, just the 2 of us.
This board has been amazing to lurk on for tips / pics; I greatly appreciate that.
Some questions:
1- Is November (early, prior to Turkey Day) a good time to go? (crowds & weather wise)
2- Car rental is a necessity, correct? Best to rent before the trip, from the Airport? How far is the drive to the resort?
3- Definitely plan excursions to see the island, right? The hotel only has “so much,” to do - Any MUST do’s for the 2 of us?
4- Where can I find THE BEST poke’ near Aulani- food is life
Thank you!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

1. Yes.

2. Yes. Yes. 20 minutes.

3. See the island, but I wouldn't mess with booking "excursions." Those are just overpaying for things you can book/do yourself anyways. Do a mix of things that are nature-y, culture-y, and vacation-y. Our favorites, which include many of the big ones you'll find in travel books:

• Bishop Museum
• Polynesian Cultural Center
• Dole Plantation (super kitsch/cheesy, but a fun pit stop for an hour)
• Waimea Valley
• Ka'ena Point
• Diamond Head
• Leonard's Bakery
• Pearl Harbor/USS Missouri/Aviation Museum/Submarine Museum
• Shirokiya Japan Village Walk
• Kualoa Ranch
• Byodo-In Temple

4. Can't help on that one.

I see that you're from New Jersey. If you're into airline miles, I recommend that you and your husband/wife each get the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard. The signup bonus should pay for your flights 100% round trip from JFK or BOS.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Oh and on the Hawaiian Airlines A330 plane, pay for the Extra Comfort upgrade and get row 11. It's a tiny little mini-cabin in between first class and the rest of the plane. Very spacious and private without needing to pay for first class.

 

[BeeBopp717]

Oh and on the Hawaiian Airlines A330 plane, pay for the Extra Comfort upgrade and get row 11. It's a tiny little mini-cabin in between first class and the rest of the plane. Very spacious and private without needing to pay for first class.

View attachment 572968

THANK YOU, Cap’n. That input is fantastic.
I dunno flight details, but I am a TERRIBLE flier (coming from Phila) so that will be an expense worth splurging on for us. Well- me. My husband always tells me that I am the reason they make sedatives

 

[CaptainAmerica]

THANK YOU, Cap’n. That input is fantastic.
I dunno flight details, but I am a TERRIBLE flier (coming from Phila) so that will be an expense worth splurging on for us. Well- me. My husband always tells me that I am the reason they make sedatives

That direct flight from from the East Coast is a haul but it's worth flying direct IMO. If you were flying with kids, I'd say do a direct flight to HNL and then spend a night in California on the way home, but with two adults I think it's definitely worth flying direct both ways.

 

[Kmk2]

Oh and on the Hawaiian Airlines A330 plane, pay for the Extra Comfort upgrade and get row 11. It's a tiny little mini-cabin in between first class and the rest of the plane. Very spacious and private without needing to pay for first class.

View attachment 572968

This is a great tip!!

 

[Kmk2]

I don’t know how much time you spend on YouTube but Mark Weins had great Hawaii content - for your Poke needs

 

[CateinPhoenix]

Fellow November wedding anniversary here! Just wanted to pop in to say.....We love Hawaii in November! Water is still pleasant, low crowds (pre-Thanksgiving), great weather!

 

[jimmymc]

November 2023 will be our 15th Anniversary. Hoping to espcape to Aulani, just the 2 of us.
This board has been amazing to lurk on for tips / pics; I greatly appreciate that.
Some questions:
1- Is November (early, prior to Turkey Day) a good time to go? (crowds & weather wise)
2- Car rental is a necessity, correct? Best to rent before the trip, from the Airport? How far is the drive to the resort?
3- Definitely plan excursions to see the island, right? The hotel only has “so much,” to do - Any MUST do’s for the 2 of us?
4- Where can I find THE BEST poke’ near Aulani- food is life
Thank you!

1. November is a great time weather-wise and crowd-wise if you avoid the holiday weekends. The only cavait is that November to March is rough surf season. Aulani will be fine because of the protected lagoon, but if you go to the north shore then waves will be huge, and some snorkel and swim spots will be too dangerous to go in.

2. At least for a day or two, if you don't get one the whole trip. The only public transit is busses. The drive from the airport is 30 to 45 minutes with traffic. If the parking fee or the car cost seems high, you can rent a car for one day at Aulani and see the big sites, but I recommend the whole trip.

3. Yes, you need to see the island. Must do's for me are Pearl Harbor and the museums/ships you can tour, watching surfers at Pipeline, Makapu'u Point, Diamondhead, Haleiwa and the north shore, Hanauma Bay, and a few hikes around the island. There are pillbox hikes on the north shore and southeast side of the island, and Koko Head crater is unique if you're in good shape.

4. I can't speak for poke, but if you want to try cheap local food at Aulani, try Loco Moco BBQ. It's two exits down. There is also a Leonard's location near the H1/H2 split between Honolulu and Aulani. When you're on the North Shore, I highly recommend The Sunrise Shack for smoothie bowls and iced coffee. Giovanni's shrimp truck is the famous one, but right next door there was a place that served tacos and loco moco, and it was also amazing. Kono's BBQ has several locations and it good.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Giovanni's shrimp truck is the famous one, but right next door there was a place that served tacos and loco moco, and it was also amazing.

There's a really good smoothie place in there too.

 

[jimmymc]

There's a really good smoothie place in there too.

That whole stretch of road is great. I also had fresh coconut fish down the street from that little park.

 

[Mamasarges]

Probably the best poke is at the grocery store Foodland. Lots of locals get it from there. It is like 1 exit from Aulani in Kapolei. That being said, it is also good in the resort at Ulu Cafe and the Olelo Room.

 

[jimmymc]

Probably the best poke is at the grocery store Foodland. Lots of locals get it from there. It is like 1 exit from Aulani in Kapolei. That being said, it is also good in the resort at Ulu Cafe and the Olelo Room.

Almost forgot Foodland! Their whole hot and cold food bar is great.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

That whole stretch of road is great. I also had fresh coconut fish down the street from that little park.

The only problem is it can get bad with flies.

 

[BeeBopp717]

Follow up: Do I attempt to rent someone’s DVC points for Aulani? Or since it’s our first trip & were clueless, go through Disney itself...
My folks are original DVC members at OKW but they’re saving points for a 2 week, villa getaway for their anniversary. (I’m bitter; who are they to actually make ME pay for a vacation?! Lol)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Follow up: Do I attempt to rent someone’s DVC points for Aulani? Or since it’s our first trip & were clueless, go through Disney itself...
My folks are original DVC members at OKW but they’re saving points for a 2 week, villa getaway for their anniversary. (I’m bitter; who are they to actually make ME pay for a vacation?! Lol)

Do you know what kind of view you'd be looking to book? Aulani is shaped like a V, with the pools and the lagoon on the inside of the V.

These are GENERALLY true, but there are exceptions.

Standard View will be on the outside of the V, on a lower floor.

Island Garden View will be on the outside of the V, usually a higher floor. Typically $40ish more than Standard View during your season.

Poolside Garden View will be on the inside of the V on a lower floor. Standard View plus $80.

Ocean View will be inside the V on a higher floor. Standard View plus $185.

 

[BeeBopp717]

Do you know what kind of view you'd be looking to book? Aulani is shaped like a V, with the pools and the lagoon on the inside of the V.

These are GENERALLY true, but there are exceptions.

Standard View will be on the outside of the V, on a lower floor.

Island Garden View will be on the outside of the V, usually a higher floor. Typically $40ish more than Standard View during your season.

Poolside Garden View will be on the inside of the V on a lower floor. Standard View plus $80.

Ocean View will be inside the V on a higher floor. Standard View plus $185.

Have not gotten that far; wow you’re knowledgeable. Thank you! I’m okay with an island garden view; don’t need to see the ocean as I get V V V motion sick & that can do me in.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Have not gotten that far; wow you’re knowledgeable. Thank you! I’m okay with an island garden view; don’t need to see the ocean as I get V V V motion sick & that can do me in.

For DVC reservations, Ocean View tend to be readily available at 7 months. Standard View can be very difficult to get. Island Garden and Poolside Garden tend to be in between.

Personally, I wouldn't rent points for Aulani unless it was a close friend or family member and I had direct control over the reservation. It's a big trip to plan, logistically, so I value flexibility. For example, you could end up with a particular travel date where flights are outrageously expensive but if you moved your trip by a day or two, you save a ton of money. If you're locked into a rented points reservation, you don't have that flexibility.

 

[BeeBopp717]

Ah

For DVC reservations, Ocean View tend to be readily available at 7 months. Standard View can be very difficult to get. Island Garden and Poolside Garden tend to be in between.

Personally, I wouldn't rent points for Aulani unless it was a close friend or family member and I had direct control over the reservation. It's a big trip to plan, logistically, so I value flexibility. For example, you could end up with a particular travel date where flights are outrageously expensive but if you moved your trip by a day or two, you save a ton of money. If you're locked into a rented points reservation, you don't have that flexibility.

Ah- I didn’t even factor the airfare cost into the rented points / set reservation. Honestly, this is eye opening. Thank you, Cap. I’m sure closer-to, I’ll be more prepared, but with even more questions; for November 2023, when do I start booking / reserving- a year out?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Ah

Ah- I didn’t even factor the airfare cost into the rented points / set reservation. Honestly, this is eye opening. Thank you, Cap. I’m sure closer-to, I’ll be more prepared, but with even more questions; for November 2023, when do I start booking / reserving- a year out?

I really like that Row 11 on the Hawaiian Airlines flight, so I'd book the flight as soon as it's open for reservations. I think it's something like 330 days. I'd book the room itself around the same time, knowing that cancellation is very flexible.