Aulani help (we are back and need help with island hopping) page 5

[Sir William]

We left Aulani last night after staying for 12 days. The Four Seasons was fenced off, and we weren't aware of any construction until yesterday. Granted, we spent the last several days offsite from early morning until evening. Jackhammers were breaking up concrete from mid-morning on yesterday, and they had heavy equipment in moving around debris.

Nice to know. We arrive in less than two weeks and I hadn't really paid much attention to this issue, nor was particularly bothered by it. Since I can't sit at a pool or beach all day, every day, I have plans to be out and about about half the time, so if there is noise I can just leave for awhile.

 

[Amw1064]

We are here now. We arrived Wednesday afternoon. We have been out by the pools and the beach the last few days and you can not hear any construction while at the pool areas but you can if you are down on the beach. It is kind of more of a distant noise. I honestly didn't pay attention.

We did what everyone suggested and stayed up the first night til around 8pm which was 2:00am for us. We were all up at 5:30 the first morning but today my husband and daughter slept in until 7. The weather has been nice. Cooler than home, which makes the pools a little bit nippy for us if the clouds come rolling over. That would be my only complaint if I had to find one. The people here are so friendly. The resort is beautiful. It is everything I imagined it would be. The character interaction is awesome. We did the family hula lessons and Goofy joined.

We are hanging out at Aulani one more day before venturing out on Sunday. We will be ready to try something else, I hope. We have eaten shaved ice and Dole whips for snacks and we ate at Monkey Pod tonight for dinner. I really can't say enough about this place other than I am so glad we came.

 

[Amw1064]

Mommy2 Corrine, we are going to try to see the turtles today. We snuck under the barrier yesterday and headed along the rocks toward Paradise Cove. It was kind of slippery and scarey when the waves would splash up. We got to the first little cove and there was a guy snorkeling in there and said he had seen one turtle but that we needed to keep going and we got almost there and the waves were getting higher so we turned around. It was beautiful out there. Once we were almost back and trying to come up a guy from Four Seasons wouldn't let us back in. He said we weren't allowed and I told him people had been coming and going the last few days. He insisted we had to go back and I told him it was to dangerous and my daughter was scared and we were coming back in. I said we were staying at Aulani. I whispered to Abbey to just keep going and then I followed her and my husband joined. They ended up posting someone there all day. We will do the street route today!

 

[Amw1064]

We saw a turtle. The friendliest one ever. He kept swimming between our legs and coming up to my daughter. It was awesome! The road route was much easier haha.

 

[PlutoFan10]

If you have a car, another place to see turtles is Laniakea, near Haleiwa.

 

[Mommy2Corinne]

So glad to hear you are having an awesome time!!!

 

[rnorwo1]

I have been following this thread as I am planning a trip for 11 people for next May. I hope you do some version of a trip report! Have a great time!!

 

[Amw1064]

If you have a car, another place to see turtles is Laniakea, near Haleiwa.

We went here yesterday. Oh my goodness, at least 20 sea turtles. They were everywhere. In the water and on the beach. Sooooo cool. I was looking for sea glass and bent over and was face to face with the biggest one I have ever seen. It was so funny as it startled me and I tripped backing up at the edge. My daughter thought it was hilarious.

 

[Amw1064]

I spent months and months reading everything on disboards and every bit of information has been dead on accurate. I kind of feel like we have a personal guide with us. So a huge thank you to all. I will attempt to do a trip report when we get back. I have been doing a nightly collage of our day's activities and post on Facebook so all our friends can see it in the morning. They are loving seeing everything and want to know which tours we are on.

 

[heybets30]

Amw1064 - awesome updates! I feel totally in suspense ... did you find sea glass??? I live near Chicago, visit the Michigan shore every other year. friends who go every summer find beach glass along the MI shoreline and I'm always in awe that people can actually find it?!?!

 

[Amw1064]

Heybets, we did find quite a few pieces of sea glass. Lots of green but a pretty big piece of Aqua and then a blue. I have never found it at home on the gulfcoast of Florida.

We had another great find yesterday. We walked back to the Paradise cove lagoon and there was a Hawaiian monk seal sunning on the beach for a few hours. She finally got up and swam back out. So cool!

We have to leave Aulani tomorrow around 3 so at least we have most of the day before heading home. We were thinking of going to the Blowhole and Pali lookout today but not sure if we want to give up anymore Aulani time. Any thoughts?

 

[Amw1064]

Wahhhhh, in the plane waiting to leave. Aloha!

 

[Stinkerbell1973]

I have been watching this thread for a couple of months and am finding the information so helpful and is getting me sooooo excited. We arrive at Aulani on July 5. Our first time to Hawaii...3 days on the Big Island before 8 nights at Aulani.
Thanks to all for the awesome info!! Can't wait.

 

[Sir William]

I have been watching this thread for a couple of months and am finding the information so helpful and is getting me sooooo excited. We arrive at Aulani on July 5. Our first time to Hawaii...3 days on the Big Island before 8 nights at Aulani.
Thanks to all for the awesome info!! Can't wait.

See you there!

 

[Amw1064]

I just posted our trip report under the DVC trip reports. I posted pictures. I am hoping all can see. If not, somebody please let me know!

 

[Amw1064]

Been home not even a week and we are planning for next summer. Anyone thinking but to afraid to commit, do it! Aulani was/is the best of Disney on Hawaii. It was absolutely awesome. So my new question is, if we added another island to our trip, what do you suggest? We are doing 10 days at Aulani (we are DVC), so which island for possibly 2 nights/3 days and before or after Aulani?

 

[amym2]

My vote would be Kauai. We took our kids (9 and 11 at the time) there and loved it. Kauai is much less touristy than Oahu and gave us a great taste of how many Hawaiians live. We stayed in Kapaa in a rental house and it was nice, but if we were to do it again, we'd do Kauai first and then Aulani, because after being spoiled at Aulani it was tough to adjust to fending for ourselves! We did a kayak/hike/zipline adventure through Princeville Ranch on the north shore and it was amazing! We drove to Waimea Canyon and stopped at various waterfalls along the way. We did a sunset boat ride with Captain Andy's to the Napali coast that was fantastic. And we enjoyed the beaches (Hanalei, etc) and delicious restaurants Kauai has to offer. We haven't been to Maui, but we have friends who have been to both and said they prefer the laid back feel of Kauai (but we'd love to give Maui a try someday!).

We haven't taken the kids there (yet!) but DH and I loved the Big Island as well. Volcanoes National Park is worth a visit, and we enjoyed stargazing on Mauna Kea and Kona also. We stayed in an awesome bed and breakfast in Volcano.

 

[wanderlust7]

They are all great for different reasons.

Maui is the most touristy, but the flip side of that is it has the most restaurant choices. There's Haleakala (which is other worldly), Road to Hana, snorkeling at Molokini.

Big Island has Volcanoes National Park, night snorkeling (or scuba) with manta rays, snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument was great. It's different though, coming out of the airport you will only see barren lava fields. It's the one I keep wanting to go back to, I think because it's so big, I still haven't gotten to everything I want to after 2 trips (full week each).

Kauai is the least touristy, most lush, and smallest. You can see waterfalls just next to the road driving around. Waimea Canyon ("Grand Canyon of the Pacific") is beautiful.

Personally, with 2 weeks, I would do 1 week Aulani and 1 week another island. But if you're set on 3 nights only, then I would either do Kauai (smallest), or Volcanoes National Park (fly into Hilo and stay in Volcano Village).

 

[JonLouisB]

As many have already said, Kauai is beautifully green and lush, but it seems like the whole island shuts down at 8pm. Unless you stay in Poipu, where there's a little more "night life", be prepared to be in your hotel or house at night with not much to do. I've been to Kauai multiple times and it's a nice change of pace from Oahu. 3 days would work best here.

The big island is huge, 2.5 or 3 hr drive to get from Kona to Hilo or vice versa. It's unlike any of the other islands simply for its vastness and lava fields which will feel like you're on another planet. My wife did a week there for our honeymoon and never even got close to doing all there was to do. 3 days would leave you wishing you had more time there.

 

[Amw1064]

Thanks everyone. I have some thinking to do. Flights looked cheap enough. I will gather my info and then decide when it gets a bit closer. We have friends who may be joining us at Aulani so we will definitely do our 10 days there with them if they do come for sure. I would love to go back up to the north shore with them and get to the other side of Oahu as well. It is just so hard to leave Aulani once you get there.