3 islands, 2 weeks, 1 amazing honeymoon! COMPLETED 1/14!

[Mollydolly334]

Aloha everyone!



As you may have guessed, this is a HONEYMOON TRIP REPORT! I’m a frequent flier over on the WDW trip report boards, and this is my second thread on the Aulani boards! We took our first visit to Aulani (and first visit to Hawaii for me) back in August of 2022, and fell in LOVE! In more ways than one



We got engaged on August 24th, 2022 at the beautiful Aulani resort, and married on September 22nd, 2023 in our hometown of Milwaukee, WI.

]

If you’d like to read about our Aulani engagement and see some wedding pictures, you can peek at my last TR here

https://www.disboards.com/threads/engaged-at-aulani-a-mini-tr-updated-9-26-23.3895028/

My husband (eeeeek!) and I spent 14 glorious nights in Hawaii. Our trip was from September 30th- October 14th, 2023.

We spent 4 nights on Oahu (at Aulani of course),



4 nights on Kauai at 1Hotel Hanalei Bay,



and 6 nights on the Big Island at the Fairmont Orchid.



Spoiler alert- it was pretty darn perfect!!!

Here are some introductions:

Me! (Molly)



I work as a manager at an ABA center and supervise/create therapy targets for children on the Autism spectrum. The work is hard, but it is SO rewarding and I love working with children. It brings out the inner child in me! I am a huge sucker for nostalgia- which is a big reason why I love all things Disney! I’ve been to WDW almost 20 times, but I also love to travel all over the U.S. My hobbies also include walking/runnning, reading, baking, and scented candles/soaps (I spend wayyyyyy too much money at Bath and Body Works).

Hubby! (Jake)



(We also fell in love with ube-flavored soft serve this trip. We were addicted!)

Jake works on the opposite end of the age spectrum as an audiologist here in the Milwaukee area. Jake is super familiar with Hawaii; he lived there for a year back in 2019-2020 doing internships while working towards his doctorate. Jake lived in Honolulu for 4 months and in Kona for 8 months, so he was super excited to show me the Big Island and all of its activities! Jake is definitely a WDW fan; I’m slowly converting him, but nobody can be as big of a fan as I am, hehe! He also LOVED Disneyland on our first visit in April 2023. Jake and I are birds of a feather and both love to travel. His other hobbies include all Wisconsin sports (Bucks, Packers, Brewers, Badgers… he is a man obsessed), golf, and eating all of the treats I bake!

I’m so excited to share all the deets on our amazing honeymoon. We are VERY blessed to be able to travel for this long, stay at these wonderful resorts, and experience the beauty of Hawaii. Trust me- this didn’t go unnoticed! Often, throughout the trip, we looked at each other and just said, “We are the luckiest people in the world.” It was a magical start to married life, and I’m so honored to be able to call this amazing man my husband



OK, enough of the gushy stuff. Let’s get this show on the road!




​

 

[chunkymonkey]

First to post and am here for all of it!!!
you guys!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I’m here, I’m so excited to hear all about it! The pictures are lovely
I have only been in the Honolulu airport when I was coming back from Australia!
Someday I hope to enjoy Hawaii it looks beautiful!

 

[suse66]

Joining in and looking forward to hearing all about your amazing Hawaiian honeymoon!

 

[Counting Stars]

Following.... your honeymoon trip sounds truly magical, and Two weeks is wonderful! Looking forward to hearing all about it! Great pictures too!

 

[AnnaS]

Your honeymoon trip sounds amazing already. Congratulations to you both!!!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Hi, Molly!! So excited to hear all the fun details of your most amazing honeymoon!!!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I’m in, Molly! Looking forward to hearing about your time at Aulani and the rest of your honeymoon. How fantastic that you were able to stay so long and visit three islands!

 

[ambula603]

Can't wait to hear all about it! We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon 17 years ago!

 

[alohamom]

Following and cannot wait to read all about it!

 

[nascargirl]

Looking forward to following along. We were there May 2022 and celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary

 

[Mollydolly334]

First to post and am here for all of it!!!
you guys!!

HIIIIII LOVE YOU!! So glad you are reading, you convinced me to write this TR, haha

I’m here, I’m so excited to hear all about it! The pictures are lovely
I have only been in the Honolulu airport when I was coming back from Australia!
Someday I hope to enjoy Hawaii it looks beautiful!

Hi Caroline!! Thanks for following along! You would LOVE Aulani and Hawaii- it is the perfect combo of exciting and relaxing!

Joining in and looking forward to hearing all about your amazing Hawaiian honeymoon!

Hi Susan! So glad you're here to read along

Following.... your honeymoon trip sounds truly magical, and Two weeks is wonderful! Looking forward to hearing all about it! Great pictures too!

Thank you! It was unbelievably magical, and the 2 weeks absolutely CRAWLED BY which was amazing!! Thanks for following!

Your honeymoon trip sounds amazing already. Congratulations to you both!!!

Thank you so much!! It was the trip of a lifetime

Hi, Molly!! So excited to hear all the fun details of your most amazing honeymoon!!!

Hi Jackie!! Thanks for following along!! So glad to have you here

I’m in, Molly! Looking forward to hearing about your time at Aulani and the rest of your honeymoon. How fantastic that you were able to stay so long and visit three islands!

Hi Jenny!! Thanks so much for joining along It was an absolute dream vacation... we are so lucky we were able to swing this!!

Can't wait to hear all about it! We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon 17 years ago!

Thanks so much for reading along! What islands did you go to/which one was your favorite??

Following and cannot wait to read all about it!

Thank you so much for being here!

Looking forward to following along. We were there May 2022 and celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary

Awww, belated congrats on the big 3-0! Thanks for following!

 

[ambula603]

We only went to Maui on our honeymoon, which was probably a good thing because we wanted to go slow and just enjoy the week. But we plan to return for our daughter's senior trip in 2030 and see more islands so I am taking notes while reading your recap!

 

[Mollydolly334]

We only went to Maui on our honeymoon, which was probably a good thing because we wanted to go slow and just enjoy the week. But we plan to return for our daughter's senior trip in 2030 and see more islands so I am taking notes while reading your recap!

That will be amazing!! Hope this is helpful We were supposed to go to Maui this trip, but thought it would be best to refrain from visiting after the fires, so we switched Maui with Kauai!! Which, we ended up LOVING Kauai (spoiler alert- it was my favorite "leg" of the trip and I'm pretty sure it was Jake's too) so we were very happy with our decision.

 

[JBRB828]

Congrats on your marriage! May you have many years of happiness! It sounds like you had a excellent time and had excellent choices of your hotels.

My hubby and I are lovers of Hawaii also. Been to all the islands many times. (18) To me, the Caribbean is not the same as the beauty and the aloha of the Hawaiian islands.

 

[Mollydolly334]

Congrats on your marriage! May you have many years of happiness! It sounds like you had a excellent time and had excellent choices of your hotels.

My hubby and I are lovers of Hawaii also. Been to all the islands many times. (18) To me, the Caribbean is not the same as the beauty and the aloha of the Hawaiian islands.

Thank you so much!!! It was really the perfect trip!! I totally agree- we went to Mexico a lot growing up, and while it has a similar tropical environment, it has nowhere NEAR the ambience or spirit as Hawaii. Definitely that "aloha" factor Which island is your favorite?

 

[JBRB828]

Thank you so much!!! It was really the perfect trip!! I totally agree- we went to Mexico a lot growing up, and while it has a similar tropical environment, it has nowhere NEAR the ambience or spirit as Hawaii. Definitely that "aloha" factor Which island is your favorite?

My favorite island is Kaua’i. My husband’s is Oahu because of the fabulous beaches and scenery. We both are not fans of Waikiki, too crowded. Although, best restaurants are there so we do eat there.

 

[Mollydolly334]

Days 0 and 1


If you’ve read my past TRs, you know that I usually like to write about Day 0 (the day before vacation). I’ve said this before, but in some ways, Day 0 is just as fun as the actual vacation! You have all of this excitement and anticipation for the fun that awaits, and there’s just an extra bounce in your step!

For us, this day was Friday, September 29th. We wanted to give ourselves a buffer week after the wedding to settle up everything, but work this week was absolute TORTURE! Jake worked a full day at the office from 9-4, but I am able to flex my hours a bit more. I can work as much or as little on certain days as long as I complete 40 hours per week. So, all I had left to do on Friday was our 3-hour annual ZOOM training on stuff like HIPPA compliance, workplace safety, and bloodborne pathogens.

Fun stuff, right?

Once I got that done, I had some lunch, showered, and finished up packing. It was a crazy week the week before (getting married really takes up a lot of time!), so my version of “packing” was “tossing all of the clothes I’ve ever owned into two large suitcases and calling it a day.”

We’ll see how that plays out…

Jake got home at 4:30 PM, changed quickly, and we were on the road! We really try to fly out of Milwaukee when we can, but it was just too pricey this time. So, we were doing the drive to Chicago tonight to make our 6:00 AM flight out of O’hare. Luckily, my sister Haley and my brother-in-law Ryan (and my adorable niece and nephew) live in the Chicago ‘burbs, so we were going to spend the night at their house. Haley was also so kind as to let us park the car in their garage and drive us to/from the airport so we didn’t have to pay the ridiculous O’hare parking fees. Love you, Hales!



Bonus picture of my niece and nephew (2-year old twins named Evie and Ollie) because they are two of my most favorite people on Earth!!! They were the flower girl and ring bearer in our wedding and were absolutely perfect. Both Jake and I are obsessed with them (Evie LOOOVES Jake and always cries when he kisses me- it’s turned into a running joke!) We are taking them on their first WDW trip next year as a huge group and I am probably going to be a crying, emotional mess every single day!!

Jake and I always have a little tradition when we’re driving to our airport destination, whether it’s Milwaukee or Chicago! The first three songs to start the drive are always “Vacation” by The Go Go’s, “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham, and “Ready To Go” by Republica (any other fans of National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation??). These always get us in a great mood!


There was an amazing sunset on the drive over, and we knew that this was only the beginning of beautiful sunsets!



We got to Chicago by 6:15, and pretty much just chilled for the evening. We played with the kids and read Halloween books- they love everything “spooky!” We told Haley and Ryan that we would treat them for dinner to thank them for driving us/letting us park at their house. They told us to pick, so naturally, we chose Taco Bell Hey, I never promised a gourmet meal!

I fully realized that I was playing with fire by ingesting Taco Bell beef 8 hours before I was due to be on a plane for 10 hours, but the siren song of the Grilled Cheese Burrito was too much for me to handle.

Luckily, my stomach decided to play nice tonight (although I can’t say the same for the rest of the trip). We were in bed by 10:30 PM, but up at 3:15 AM to make the drive to the airport! It was a smooth drive over- Jake and I like to be early birds when it comes to flying, so we were at the airport by 4:15 AM for our 6:00 AM flight.

When weighing our bags, we weighed my small one first. 42 lbs… hmmm not too bad. The larger one was… dun dun dun… 57 lbs We did some switching around and it was all good- Jake only brought 2 CARRY ONS for the entire trip. MEN, HOW DO YOU SURVIVE???

Our first flight was a 3.5 hour flight from Chicago to Phoenix. We were ELATED when the pilots told us that the flight was less than ⅓ full, so we’d all get our own rows!! So, you best believe that we were sitting across the aisle from each other. Jake and I love each other, but not that much



Except that right after I sat down, a woman that I did not know asked to sit DIRECTLY NEXT TO ME.



I wish I was the type of person that can hide my facial expressions well, but I wear all of my emotions on my sleeve. The lady must have been horrified by my bewildered facial expression, because she immediately backtracked and said she’d sit somewhere else. I mean- really?????

Minor drama aside, we were on our way to Phoenix!!



It was a smooth flight; I slept and did some crossword puzzles. We had a two-hour layover in Phoenix, so we walked the airport for about an hour and just chilled before our next flight to Honolulu!!

My friend Caitiln had gotten me this adorable tee-shirt for my birthday, and I knew I just had to wear it for this day! It has Mickey heads and says “Living my Happily Ever After” I sent her the evidence on SnapChat!



This flight was our big one- 6.5 hours. This one felt loooong; this “leg” on our last Hawaii trip felt the longest too. I tried to sleep some more, but I ended up just snacking on some trail mix and donut holes (very healthy I know- wedding diet is OVER!), coloring in my adult coloring book, and watching Dance Moms. Luckily, we finally landed in Honolulu at 1:30 PM Hawaii time- 6:30 back home!!

As soon as Oahu came into view, my Spotify shuffled to “We Know the Way” from Moana! IT KNEW!!! We didn’t get a picture in time, but we ended up flying RIGHT OVER Aulani and got a perfect view!! It was an awesome way to be welcomed to Hawaii!



ALOHA!

We scooted off the plane, grabbed my bags, and headed straight to Alamo to pick up our rental car. On Oahu, we were only renting a car for one full day; we would use it the whole next day (Sunday), and then return it to the Alamo center at Aulani early Monday morning. We booked it kind of late in the game, so the only option we could choose was a truck, and Jake wasn’t too thrilled about this. However, upon arrival, the lady sighed and said, “Ugh, we're all out of trucks. Would it be too much trouble to take a Jeep?”

UM, HECK YEAH WE WOULD!! We were SOOO excited. We had a teal Jeep Wrangler for our last trip and loved driving around the island in it. We looked for the brightest color we could find and settled on a school-bus yellow!



The drive to Aulani was an easy 40 minutes, and we pulled into those lovely gates at 3:00 PM on the dot!!!



When we first started planning our honeymoon, we knew, without a doubt, that it had to incorporate Aulani in some way. It felt soooo good to be back. Immediately, memories of our engagement flooded in, and I was overcome with happy tears

When bell services took our luggage and valeted the car, they said that our room was ready. We opted to just use the desk to check-in, and the sweet lady at the desk said that we had gotten an UPGRADE!

I was under the impression that upgrades at Aulani were SUPER rare (since it’s mostly DVC units), so I was shocked! We had originally booked an island garden view hotel room, but we were upgraded to OCEAN VIEW to celebrate our honeymoon! We also got the king bed we requested! The CM could not have been nicer, and I really wish I got her name down, because she was fabulous. She gave us a plethora of celebration buttons and sent us on our way!

We received room #1538 (15th floor, Waianae Tower). We immediately GASPED upon entering the room!





What an incredible view!! This MORE than made up for our view of a brick wall and rooftop back in 2022













Overall, the room was spacious and we loved the brightly colored decor. Hawaii vibes all around! We had a handicap- accessible room with a roll-in shower, but this didn’t bother us in the slightest. This also meant that the bed was kind of low to the ground, but it made no difference- the bed was very comfortable!

After our bags were delivered to the room and we got settled in, we changed into Hawaii clothes and walked across to the Ko Olina city center to grab an early dinner- it was almost 9:30 PM back home and we were itching for our first taste of Hawaiian food!

We peeked in some of the shops and grabbed a couple things from Island Country ABC Market, eating at the tables outside the store. I got a cold brew (I needed some energy stat!), a Spam musubi, some Maui onion chips, and a grab-and-go Teriyaki pork rice bowl. I discovered my love for Spam musubi last year, and made a vow to have it as many times as possible over the next two weeks. Jake also got a Spam musubi and a Loco Moco from the inside deli for his main dish. He was excited to find a tallboy of Kona Longboard (his favorite beer), but was a little sad when he realized he couldn’t drink it while we ate outside. He saved it until we got back to Aulani and drank it there!



This hit the spot! Lots of rice, haha! We split the chips and I finished the Spam musubi, but only got about halfway through the Teriyaki pork bowl. Jake was very satisfied with his Loco Moco- this is his favorite Hawaiian dish.

I was definitely in the mood for something sweet, so we walked over to Black Sheep Cream Company for a little treat before heading back to Aulani. At home, I really prioritize eating healthy and exercising, but on vacation, I let my sweet tooth fly free! I enjoyed MANY desserts throughout the trip and don’t regret a thing

I got one scoop of cookie butter and one scoop of cookies and cream. It was delish!!



It felt so nice to hold hands and stroll the streets of Ko Olina! It was 5:15, and we were starting to get sleepy. But we had one more thing on the agenda- watch the sunset!!

After perusing the Aulani gift shops, we headed out to the lagoon and waded our feet and legs for a bit. It was amazing to feel the sand between our toes!





We also saw a little boy throw an epic tantrum; he had to be carried out of the beach area crying "BUT I DON'T WANNA GO HOME TOMORROW!" Both Jake and I were like "Ugh, that is going to be US in two weeks!"

Then, at 6:00, we headed to “our spot” to watch the sunset This was the spot that we got engaged- a little pathway on the ocean on the Four Seasons property!




This was how we ended our time at Aulani last year, so it only made sense that we started our honeymoon with this as well!



We sat on the rocks, reveled in the beauty, and just talked about everything. I will always remember this sweet moment. We were in disbelief that our vacation was just starting, and we still had 14 nights of this paradise left!

We watched for about 30 minutes, and as the sun dipped under the horizon, we thought it would be best to head back before it got dark. A lovely group of ladies offered to take our picture!



Jake and I slowly walked back to Aulani and decided to end the night with a frozen cocktail at Off the Hook!



The bartender was SO KIND, and we were really feeling the Disney magic tonight. We chatted all about our wedding and honeymoon plans with her. In 2022, the CMs here really didn’t give us a strong impression one way or another, but this trip, we saw a HUGE difference and it definitely felt like Disney quality.

She also offered to take our picture



“Now, look at each other lovingly!”



We both ordered the same thing- the Liliko’i-Lada! It was basically a pina colada with lilikoi (passion fruit) flavoring, and it hit the spot! I also chugged some water with a Liquid IV packet (I was super dehydrated after our flights last year and I was not letting that happen again). If we weren’t hitting a wall before, we DEFINITELY were now. As we were finishing up our drinks, our bartender brought out a surprise!



A passion fruit cake for each of us! We thanked her profusely- this was delicious and a perfect little treat.

After finishing our cakes, we knew that we were donezo and needed a good night’s sleep before our big excursion day tomorrow. So, we quickly showered and hit the hay, passing out at 8:45 PM. We were SO excited for our first full day!

​

 

[ambula603]

I, too, have heard the siren song of Taco Bell. Brave choice!

So neat that you got a fun Jeep and so much Pixie Dust on your first day! Magic, I swear.

Love that you started your trip with the proposal spot. May you have many years in the future doing the same thing!

 

[JBRB828]

i love reading this so far! Funny thing, my granddaughter is a Hailey and her dad is Ryan! BTW, I love teriyaki musubi. Excited to read more!