gatechfan99
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 29, 2013
We are leaving today and I thought I’d share my thoughts and experiences for those with a trip soon. In general, it was outstanding.
We had been here once before in May 2019. We have 3 kids, ages 14, 11, and 8.
Travel day: took a direct flight from Atlanta on Delta. The Safe Travels website goes away soon, but until it does, get the wristband at your departing airport. If you have that, there’s no screening at all at HNL, just sent through a different line without slowing down. 10 hour flight can start to feel a little long but I was impressed with the food Delta had and their seat back entertainment has so many options to keep you entertained. We rented a car from Alamo and had it set up to go straight to car. All told, we were probably on the road 30 minutes after exiting the plane.
Check-in: probably the worst part of whole trip. We had done Online Checkin but you still have to go to the desk. We got there at a crowded time as well. Long and slow moving line with all the vaccine card checking.
Room: we are DVC and got an ocean view 1 Bedroom. Plenty of room for all of us and on a long trip, the kitchen and washer/dryer make a big difference. Our balcony had a perfect view of the sunset on the ocean.
Crowds: definitely seemed worse on the weekend. Mon-Thurs light crowds at pool. You can get a chair somewhere at any time. If you want a specific view or shade, may want to get down by 8 which isn’t hard when coming from East Coast. We rented a cabana one day which was outstanding.
Food: everything is open except AMA AMA and room service. If you want the view of sunset from AMA AMA, they are using the outdoor tables at Off the Hook so just show up there to eat around 6 and it should work out nicely. We had Makahiki for breakfast and dinner. Both were good but we probably preferred breakfast a little more. Ulu Cafe is convenient for all meals. Monkeypod across street is a good option but crowded. We made a reservation on Open Table a couple of weeks earlier and were seated immediately.
For other food, we hit highlights on island of Leonard’s, Ted’s on the North Shore, and Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. If you have a chance to get there, all highly recommended.
Spa: another nice treat for my wife and me. Get there an hour early to enjoy the outdoor gardens and whirlpools.
Excursions: we drove ourself around to all. Did Pearl Harbor and Arizona Memorial. We did it at 8:00 which is good to get moving on you day, but beware traffic getting there. Also went to Dole Plantation which everyone enjoyed (I thought of it as a fancier version of Living with the Land which I also like). We did the ATV Raptor tour at Kualoa. So fun but also so dirty. Plan getting back to your shower before doing anything else. Also the view on highway H-3 through the island is worth it by itself.
Also recommend Chief’s Luau at Wet n Wild. So entertaining and as many have said, Chief really sets this luau apart from other options.
Masks: I’ll be honest, coming from Alabama, we have barely worn masks for months so it was a little adjustment but it certainly doesn’t take away from the experience. You’re outside so much they don’t matter very often. It’s really just reminding yourself when leaving to grab it if you want to run in the restaurant or shop. You do have to keep it on during massage which is a little different but not a deal breaker.
In summary, for us, it’s hard to picture a better vacation. The differences between now and 3 years ago are fairly minimal. We‘re already looking at calendars for when we can come back! If you have any specific questions, I’m happy to try to answer.
We had been here once before in May 2019. We have 3 kids, ages 14, 11, and 8.
Travel day: took a direct flight from Atlanta on Delta. The Safe Travels website goes away soon, but until it does, get the wristband at your departing airport. If you have that, there’s no screening at all at HNL, just sent through a different line without slowing down. 10 hour flight can start to feel a little long but I was impressed with the food Delta had and their seat back entertainment has so many options to keep you entertained. We rented a car from Alamo and had it set up to go straight to car. All told, we were probably on the road 30 minutes after exiting the plane.
Check-in: probably the worst part of whole trip. We had done Online Checkin but you still have to go to the desk. We got there at a crowded time as well. Long and slow moving line with all the vaccine card checking.
Room: we are DVC and got an ocean view 1 Bedroom. Plenty of room for all of us and on a long trip, the kitchen and washer/dryer make a big difference. Our balcony had a perfect view of the sunset on the ocean.
Crowds: definitely seemed worse on the weekend. Mon-Thurs light crowds at pool. You can get a chair somewhere at any time. If you want a specific view or shade, may want to get down by 8 which isn’t hard when coming from East Coast. We rented a cabana one day which was outstanding.
Food: everything is open except AMA AMA and room service. If you want the view of sunset from AMA AMA, they are using the outdoor tables at Off the Hook so just show up there to eat around 6 and it should work out nicely. We had Makahiki for breakfast and dinner. Both were good but we probably preferred breakfast a little more. Ulu Cafe is convenient for all meals. Monkeypod across street is a good option but crowded. We made a reservation on Open Table a couple of weeks earlier and were seated immediately.
For other food, we hit highlights on island of Leonard’s, Ted’s on the North Shore, and Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. If you have a chance to get there, all highly recommended.
Spa: another nice treat for my wife and me. Get there an hour early to enjoy the outdoor gardens and whirlpools.
Excursions: we drove ourself around to all. Did Pearl Harbor and Arizona Memorial. We did it at 8:00 which is good to get moving on you day, but beware traffic getting there. Also went to Dole Plantation which everyone enjoyed (I thought of it as a fancier version of Living with the Land which I also like). We did the ATV Raptor tour at Kualoa. So fun but also so dirty. Plan getting back to your shower before doing anything else. Also the view on highway H-3 through the island is worth it by itself.
Also recommend Chief’s Luau at Wet n Wild. So entertaining and as many have said, Chief really sets this luau apart from other options.
Masks: I’ll be honest, coming from Alabama, we have barely worn masks for months so it was a little adjustment but it certainly doesn’t take away from the experience. You’re outside so much they don’t matter very often. It’s really just reminding yourself when leaving to grab it if you want to run in the restaurant or shop. You do have to keep it on during massage which is a little different but not a deal breaker.
In summary, for us, it’s hard to picture a better vacation. The differences between now and 3 years ago are fairly minimal. We‘re already looking at calendars for when we can come back! If you have any specific questions, I’m happy to try to answer.
Last edited:
