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Experience the Aloha! June 2021 Oahu/Aulani TR *COMPLETE* 3/7 Final Aulani Day!
- Thread starter khertz
- Start date
missangelalexis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2012
Sounds like a fun time at the Dole Plantation! DD is so cute taking her own pictures! And I love that DS wanted to do on location videos for his youtube channel!
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
Nice that you had your own counter Kristi
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Welcome along!
She has a blast with that camera, filming herself and taking a million photos! lol She doesn't like to carry it for too long though, so I think this was the only day we even ended up taking it anywhere.
A lot of people on Facebook groups say the Dole Plantation is a waste of time, but we really enjoyed an easy morning there when we didn't have anything else planned. Yes, it was busy, but we like checking everything out, especially the pineapples of course!
He had a lot of fun finding different locations to film openings. So many fun & beautiful places to do it!!
Nice that you had your own counter Kristi
We read so many horror stories from people who got all the way to Hawaii only to find out the car rental they had made in advance was cancelled because of the car shortage. DH was really hoping our last name would give us a little clout so they would make SURE they had a car available for us! 
I have no idea if it actually helped or not, but we were so relieved to have a car!!!
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
I'm here and can't wait to follow along. Hawaii is one of my top destinations once we move back to the states, so I'll be taking notes!
Ugh, aren't those pre-flight Covid tests so stressful!!! I couldn't sleep the night before we had to take ours, because I was so worried one of us would pop positive. I didn't even pack until I got those results back. (Fortunately for us, though, we were able to take antigen tests.)
Those pink pineapples were pretty cool, I don't blame your DD for taking a bunch of photos of them. And whew, glad you managed to find a much shorter line for the dole whips. But you couldn't go to the Dole plantation without getting some pineapple! How close to the MK treat did they taste like?
Ugh, aren't those pre-flight Covid tests so stressful!!! I couldn't sleep the night before we had to take ours, because I was so worried one of us would pop positive. I didn't even pack until I got those results back. (Fortunately for us, though, we were able to take antigen tests.)
Those pink pineapples were pretty cool, I don't blame your DD for taking a bunch of photos of them. And whew, glad you managed to find a much shorter line for the dole whips. But you couldn't go to the Dole plantation without getting some pineapple! How close to the MK treat did they taste like?
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
The struggle is REAL!
Yay, welcome!!
YES YES YES! I couldn't get really too excited about the trip until I got those negative results. I was a bundle of nerves. We actually went several weeks early and got tested so that if we needed time to file for a medical exemption, we could! We definitely didn't get into full packing mode until we got our negative results.
I showed her pictures we took of the pink pineapples from when DH and I visited in 2009, and it was ALL she talked about leading up to the trip. She would tell anyone who would listen, "We are going to Hawaii for 2 weeks and we're going to see pink pineapples!" lol The ones at the plantation were the pineapple/vanilla swirl so they tasted JUST like the MK ones! When we got ones later on that were plain pineapple, they were a little more icy and like sherbet instead of soft serve ice cream. The ones at MK might be like that too, but I almost exclusively get the swirl there so I don't really remember what their plain pineapple tastes like. We definitely couldn't leave there without getting one!!
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Day 2 Continued: Tuesday June 1st
After a fun morning at Dole, we drove back to Wyndham and had some lunch in the room before changing into our bathing suits and putting on sunscreen.
TIP: You need reef safe sunscreen to go in the ocean while visiting Hawaii! I did a lot of research on that, and there are some sunscreens that claim to be “reef friendly” but they still have a lot of harmful chemicals in them. The best and safest option is to get a mineral sunscreen, and the main ingredients should only be zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Many people (myself included) think that whatever you buy on the island is reef safe, but that is not necessarily true because only 2 chemicals have been banned in Hawaii but there are several others that are still considered harmful. Many mineral sunscreens are super expensive for a very small amount, but we got the Target brand called Up & Up and got a decent amount for only $7 and it only had safe ingredients!
The location that DH and DS needed to meet up with their Surf Instructors from ‘Ohana Surf Project was about a mile away from our resort, so we decided just to walk. On the way, we saw the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku statue, so that was kind of cool.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
There was also a pretty waterfall, and also another statue of a surfer. That’s when we knew we were getting close!
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We spotted the small yellow bus we had been instructed to look for and got DH and DS checked in for their surf lesson at 2:45. I asked about being able to watch them, but the instructor said they would probably be too far out for us to be able to see anything. So I took DD a little further down the beach until I found a spot that wasn’t too crowded. I realized we had forgotten her Puddle Jumper, so she couldn’t go too far out into the water, but it was a spot where the waves were a bit gentler (as I would realize later in the week when we were somewhere else and the waves were rough!) so she was able to go in far enough to have fun. And she was enjoying playing with her sand toys and writing her name in the sand.
P6010014 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
P6010020 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
P6010023 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
P6010025 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Meanwhile, DH and DS were having a great time doing their surf lesson! This was the activity they both rated as their favorite of the whole trip, and it was all DS had been asking to do while planning, so I’m really glad we decided to add it. In addition to the 2 hour lesson, we paid a little extra for the photo package, so the instructors took photos and videos that they sent to us later. Because DS is under 12, we had to book the family lesson for them, but there are other options for teens and adults.
G0017132 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0027137 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0027145 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0037155 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0097213 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0137276 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0217357 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
TIP: Make sure to sunscreen the backs of your legs if you’re doing a surf lesson! DH did not, and the backs of his legs were burned after this!
DH said that this was well worth the money. The instructors took the time to learn everyone’s names, and to give lots of personalized encouragement (like saying, “Great job with that _____, DS” and not just “good job, buddy”). He went at DS’s pace and let him kind of do whatever he wanted during the lesson. He was not as good at getting himself up to standing on the board, but he liked laying down and letting the wave take him along, so he did that over and over. DH mentioned that there were some safety videos to watch on the bus prior to starting the surf time, and that they had some tubs available to put any belongings you didn’t want to take in the water with you. They also provide rash guard shirts and swim shoes if needed, though DH and DS wore their own. DH mentioned too that if you have a child that is too small to surf on their own, they also offer tandem lessons where the instructor is actually on the board also and he said those kids looked like they were having a blast!
When I knew their lesson would be coming to an end, DD and I packed up and headed over to the school bus since DH didn’t have his phone and wouldn’t know where DD and I were hanging out. It was close to 5 by the time they finished up, so we were ready to head back to the resort and start working on dinner and settling down for the night.
DH had his GoPro, and took a pic of this really interesting looking tree on the way back. I know, a tree...not that exciting. But it was cool.
GOPR0020 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Once back in the room, we cooked fajitas for dinner, and relaxed before getting to bed pretty early. The time change was really kicking our butts, and we’d had a busy day so needless to say, we were down for the night pretty early!
After a fun morning at Dole, we drove back to Wyndham and had some lunch in the room before changing into our bathing suits and putting on sunscreen.
TIP: You need reef safe sunscreen to go in the ocean while visiting Hawaii! I did a lot of research on that, and there are some sunscreens that claim to be “reef friendly” but they still have a lot of harmful chemicals in them. The best and safest option is to get a mineral sunscreen, and the main ingredients should only be zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Many people (myself included) think that whatever you buy on the island is reef safe, but that is not necessarily true because only 2 chemicals have been banned in Hawaii but there are several others that are still considered harmful. Many mineral sunscreens are super expensive for a very small amount, but we got the Target brand called Up & Up and got a decent amount for only $7 and it only had safe ingredients!
The location that DH and DS needed to meet up with their Surf Instructors from ‘Ohana Surf Project was about a mile away from our resort, so we decided just to walk. On the way, we saw the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku statue, so that was kind of cool.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
There was also a pretty waterfall, and also another statue of a surfer. That’s when we knew we were getting close!
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We spotted the small yellow bus we had been instructed to look for and got DH and DS checked in for their surf lesson at 2:45. I asked about being able to watch them, but the instructor said they would probably be too far out for us to be able to see anything. So I took DD a little further down the beach until I found a spot that wasn’t too crowded. I realized we had forgotten her Puddle Jumper, so she couldn’t go too far out into the water, but it was a spot where the waves were a bit gentler (as I would realize later in the week when we were somewhere else and the waves were rough!) so she was able to go in far enough to have fun. And she was enjoying playing with her sand toys and writing her name in the sand.
P6010014 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
P6010020 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
P6010023 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
P6010025 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Meanwhile, DH and DS were having a great time doing their surf lesson! This was the activity they both rated as their favorite of the whole trip, and it was all DS had been asking to do while planning, so I’m really glad we decided to add it. In addition to the 2 hour lesson, we paid a little extra for the photo package, so the instructors took photos and videos that they sent to us later. Because DS is under 12, we had to book the family lesson for them, but there are other options for teens and adults.
G0017132 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0027137 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0027145 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0037155 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0097213 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0137276 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
G0217357 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
TIP: Make sure to sunscreen the backs of your legs if you’re doing a surf lesson! DH did not, and the backs of his legs were burned after this!
DH said that this was well worth the money. The instructors took the time to learn everyone’s names, and to give lots of personalized encouragement (like saying, “Great job with that _____, DS” and not just “good job, buddy”). He went at DS’s pace and let him kind of do whatever he wanted during the lesson. He was not as good at getting himself up to standing on the board, but he liked laying down and letting the wave take him along, so he did that over and over. DH mentioned that there were some safety videos to watch on the bus prior to starting the surf time, and that they had some tubs available to put any belongings you didn’t want to take in the water with you. They also provide rash guard shirts and swim shoes if needed, though DH and DS wore their own. DH mentioned too that if you have a child that is too small to surf on their own, they also offer tandem lessons where the instructor is actually on the board also and he said those kids looked like they were having a blast!
When I knew their lesson would be coming to an end, DD and I packed up and headed over to the school bus since DH didn’t have his phone and wouldn’t know where DD and I were hanging out. It was close to 5 by the time they finished up, so we were ready to head back to the resort and start working on dinner and settling down for the night.
DH had his GoPro, and took a pic of this really interesting looking tree on the way back. I know, a tree...not that exciting. But it was cool.
GOPR0020 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Once back in the room, we cooked fajitas for dinner, and relaxed before getting to bed pretty early. The time change was really kicking our butts, and we’d had a busy day so needless to say, we were down for the night pretty early!
cgattis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
For those following along, I’d you look closely, to the left of this banyan tree is a little circular raised area right there between the beach and sidewalk. This is where they do the free hula shows a couple of nights a week (check for the post-covid schedule—hope it’s Bach). Low-key and free, but high quality performance. Highly recommend if you’re in Waikiki.
who did you use for the surf lesson what company? Thanks!
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Great info, thanks for sharing!! Both that it's a banyan tree, and also about the hula shows!
'Ohana Surf Project
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Day 3: Wednesday June 2nd
On our second morning in Hawaii, we were up early yet again unsurprisingly. There was one breakfast we were really eager to try, and we’d heard the line could get a little long so this seemed like the perfect morning to do it. DH went over to line up at Leonard’s Bakery for some malasadas! They are Portuguese donuts of a sort, big balls of fried dough covered in sugar or cinnamon sugar, and you could get also get them filled.
IMG_3502 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3504 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3500 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3501 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3506 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
DH decided to get a half dozen sugar and a half dozen cinnamon sugar, and one filled with chocolate. All of them were incredibly delicious, but my favorite hands down was the cinnamon sugar ones! They were soo good, I just wanted to keep eating them but had to stop myself so I wouldn't make myself sick. I’m pretty sure DH shared my sentiments. Hands down, this place is a must do.
TIP: Go early! Leonard’s is very popular for good reason, and it can be very busy early in the morning. And if you are not near the bakery itself, they also have several food trucks (they call them Malasadamobile!) parked around the island.
After breakfast, we got dressed and into the car around 8 to drive over to Pearl Harbor for the morning. We had tickets for the boat out to the USS Arizona scheduled for 9:45 and wanted to be sure we had plenty of time so we got over there early.
TIP: Check the bag restrictions before going! Anything bigger than a wristlet was not allowed, except for clear bags (like ones you can bring to an NFL game). If you don’t want to leave your too-large bag in your car, they do have a place to store them but it costs money.
We arrived around 8:45, so that gave us plenty of time to walk around the grounds outside, and to check out the museum before it was time to board the water shuttle over to the memorial.
IMG_1000 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Then DS asked for a photo on his own.
IMG_1002 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
So I’m sure you can guess what happened next…
IMG_1003 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
After entering, we decided first to walk around the outside sites before visiting the museum. DS thought the huge anchor was pretty cool.
IMG_1005 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1008 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1009 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
After walking around outside, we went inside the museum to look around. They have some pretty interesting stuff in there.
IMG_1010 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Part of a torpedo
IMG_1011 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A nurses uniform
IMG_1014 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A pharmacist armband, miniature bible, and ring fragment
IMG_1015 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A clock stopped at the time of the attack
This model of the USS Arizona with the memorial on top was really great to be able to show the kids and explain what we were going to be seeing, since I think it was hard for them to imagine from us trying to describe it to them.
IMG_1018 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A few minutes before our ticket departure time, we went to check in. Normally there is a short movie of the attack they show before you go get on the boat, but due to Covid they are not showing it in the theater. I think they have it showing on a loop at the front entrance where you’re outside in the open air instead of sitting together in a theater where you can’t all distance.
The Navy is nothing if not prompt, so right at 9:45 am our boat to the memorial was taking off.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1022 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1024 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
DS had his camera, and he thought the memorial was so interesting, he was taking a ton of photos.
IMG_1029 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1031 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1036 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1038 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1046 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We had about 10 minutes out on the memorial before we took the boat back. There was a second small museum showcasing the effects of the Pearl Harbor attack and WWII on Hawaii, so we looked through there after returning. I spotted some of my favorites, Scarlett O'Hara & Rhett Butler.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1049 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We stopped in the gift shop before heading out. DS found a couple of things he wanted, including a Pearl Harbor hat and a USS Arizona pencil sharpener.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Once we felt we had spent enough time there, we decided to go over to Aloha Stadium to check out the swap meet that happens there on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We had packed sandwiches and snacks for a quick lunch, so we had that in the car once we got to the stadium.
It’s a giant flea market in the parking lot of the stadium, and it was something DH and I had done when we visited in 2009. Sometimes you can find some good stuff, but a lot of the booths have the same mass produced items like shoes, Hawaiian print shirts and dresses, jewelry, t-shirts, etc. for very cheap. Last time we had gotten a bunch of t-shirts there, but this time we didn’t really see any that we wanted. And it was SO SO HOT, and once you went in one of those tents there was just no air flow. It was so uncomfortable, the kids were begging to leave. DS did end up finding a carved surfboard that he wanted and was only $8 so we got that, but didn’t have much success finding anything else we wanted.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
At that point, we realized we all needed a break. We had spent most of the morning in the sun, and we were hot and tired. So we went back to Wyndham and spent some time relaxing in the a/c. No one napped, but it was nice just to get out of the heat and rest for a bit before doing anything else for the day.
On our second morning in Hawaii, we were up early yet again unsurprisingly. There was one breakfast we were really eager to try, and we’d heard the line could get a little long so this seemed like the perfect morning to do it. DH went over to line up at Leonard’s Bakery for some malasadas! They are Portuguese donuts of a sort, big balls of fried dough covered in sugar or cinnamon sugar, and you could get also get them filled.
IMG_3502 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3504 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3500 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3501 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_3506 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
DH decided to get a half dozen sugar and a half dozen cinnamon sugar, and one filled with chocolate. All of them were incredibly delicious, but my favorite hands down was the cinnamon sugar ones! They were soo good, I just wanted to keep eating them but had to stop myself so I wouldn't make myself sick. I’m pretty sure DH shared my sentiments. Hands down, this place is a must do.
TIP: Go early! Leonard’s is very popular for good reason, and it can be very busy early in the morning. And if you are not near the bakery itself, they also have several food trucks (they call them Malasadamobile!) parked around the island.
After breakfast, we got dressed and into the car around 8 to drive over to Pearl Harbor for the morning. We had tickets for the boat out to the USS Arizona scheduled for 9:45 and wanted to be sure we had plenty of time so we got over there early.
TIP: Check the bag restrictions before going! Anything bigger than a wristlet was not allowed, except for clear bags (like ones you can bring to an NFL game). If you don’t want to leave your too-large bag in your car, they do have a place to store them but it costs money.
We arrived around 8:45, so that gave us plenty of time to walk around the grounds outside, and to check out the museum before it was time to board the water shuttle over to the memorial.
IMG_1000 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Then DS asked for a photo on his own.
IMG_1002 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
So I’m sure you can guess what happened next…
IMG_1003 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
After entering, we decided first to walk around the outside sites before visiting the museum. DS thought the huge anchor was pretty cool.
IMG_1005 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1008 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1009 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
After walking around outside, we went inside the museum to look around. They have some pretty interesting stuff in there.
IMG_1010 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Part of a torpedo
IMG_1011 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A nurses uniform
IMG_1014 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A pharmacist armband, miniature bible, and ring fragment
IMG_1015 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A clock stopped at the time of the attack
This model of the USS Arizona with the memorial on top was really great to be able to show the kids and explain what we were going to be seeing, since I think it was hard for them to imagine from us trying to describe it to them.
IMG_1018 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
A few minutes before our ticket departure time, we went to check in. Normally there is a short movie of the attack they show before you go get on the boat, but due to Covid they are not showing it in the theater. I think they have it showing on a loop at the front entrance where you’re outside in the open air instead of sitting together in a theater where you can’t all distance.
The Navy is nothing if not prompt, so right at 9:45 am our boat to the memorial was taking off.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1022 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1024 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
DS had his camera, and he thought the memorial was so interesting, he was taking a ton of photos.
IMG_1029 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1031 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1036 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1038 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1046 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We had about 10 minutes out on the memorial before we took the boat back. There was a second small museum showcasing the effects of the Pearl Harbor attack and WWII on Hawaii, so we looked through there after returning. I spotted some of my favorites, Scarlett O'Hara & Rhett Butler.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1049 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We stopped in the gift shop before heading out. DS found a couple of things he wanted, including a Pearl Harbor hat and a USS Arizona pencil sharpener.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Once we felt we had spent enough time there, we decided to go over to Aloha Stadium to check out the swap meet that happens there on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We had packed sandwiches and snacks for a quick lunch, so we had that in the car once we got to the stadium.
It’s a giant flea market in the parking lot of the stadium, and it was something DH and I had done when we visited in 2009. Sometimes you can find some good stuff, but a lot of the booths have the same mass produced items like shoes, Hawaiian print shirts and dresses, jewelry, t-shirts, etc. for very cheap. Last time we had gotten a bunch of t-shirts there, but this time we didn’t really see any that we wanted. And it was SO SO HOT, and once you went in one of those tents there was just no air flow. It was so uncomfortable, the kids were begging to leave. DS did end up finding a carved surfboard that he wanted and was only $8 so we got that, but didn’t have much success finding anything else we wanted.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
At that point, we realized we all needed a break. We had spent most of the morning in the sun, and we were hot and tired. So we went back to Wyndham and spent some time relaxing in the a/c. No one napped, but it was nice just to get out of the heat and rest for a bit before doing anything else for the day.
rentayenta
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
Loving your report! We will be at Aulani in late November.
monsterkitty
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2005
TIP: Do not leave anything in your car anywhere! While at Pearl Harbor, if you can't take it in with you pay for the bag check. Paying for the bag check costs a lot less than having to replace everything that will be stolen if you leave it in the car.
We saw broken car windows and the remnants of broken car windows at every hiking spot and tourist attraction we stopped at in March. Leave nothing, even in the trunk!
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Thanks so much! Hopefully something I post can be helpful for your trip. Is it your first visit to Aulani?
Good point!
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Day 3 Continue: Wednesday June 2nd
After our much needed break and rest back at the resort, we decided we were up for one more thing before calling it a day. A hike seemed to fit the bill, and one of the hikes we had really wanted to do was the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail. I thought this one would be easily doable for all of us since it is paved the whole way up. We didn’t really have this in our itinerary anywhere going into the trip, just knew it was something we’d like to do when we had time. So we thought that after a rest, this would be a good activity for the afternoon.
The drive over to the trail was along the ocean, and there were a couple of scenic lookouts, so we stopped for a little photo shoot in front of some of the bluest of blue water I have ever seen! I remember stumbling upon this lookout on our 2009 trip, and it was just how I remembered it.
IMG_1051 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1053 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1056 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1057 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1065 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1074 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1077 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1078 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We enlisted DS to take our photo.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
There was another lookout for the Halona Blowhole, but we decided to catch that one on the way back and continue on to the base of the trail. Without knowing how DD would do and knowing it was paved, we decided to bring the umbrella stroller on this hike. DS volunteered to push first.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1087 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1092 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1094 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
This trail was not very difficult but it was pretty steep. They had some spots to stop and look at the views along the way up, so we did that to take the little break it offered and to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and the nice breeze from the ocean.
IMG_1096 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1104 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1109 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Finally, we could see the lighthouse!
IMG_1116 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
And then, we made it to the top! The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking! Well worth the sometimes tough route to the top!!!
IMG_1122 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1123 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1125 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1132 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Then, it was time to head down. There was a little trail up one of the side of the mountains we had seen on the way up, and DH was really curious about what was up there, so he decided to go up but I thought he was nuts, so he took my picture waiting down at the bottom.
IMG_1134 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
But, he did get a pretty awesome view.
IMG_1149 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Once we got back on the road, we stopped at the Halona Blowhole lookout. It’s very small, but cool to see. The huge waves breaking against the rocks is really pretty too.
IMG_1164 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1167 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1172 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1174 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1179 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We got back to the resort for the night, and we were all wiped out after such a busy day. DH and I didn’t feel like cooking, so we got Papa John’s delivered for dinner. When DH went out to meet the delivery driver, he got this nighttime shot of Waikiki.
IMG_3525 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
After our much needed break and rest back at the resort, we decided we were up for one more thing before calling it a day. A hike seemed to fit the bill, and one of the hikes we had really wanted to do was the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail. I thought this one would be easily doable for all of us since it is paved the whole way up. We didn’t really have this in our itinerary anywhere going into the trip, just knew it was something we’d like to do when we had time. So we thought that after a rest, this would be a good activity for the afternoon.
The drive over to the trail was along the ocean, and there were a couple of scenic lookouts, so we stopped for a little photo shoot in front of some of the bluest of blue water I have ever seen! I remember stumbling upon this lookout on our 2009 trip, and it was just how I remembered it.
IMG_1051 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1053 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1056 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1057 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1065 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1074 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1077 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1078 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We enlisted DS to take our photo.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
There was another lookout for the Halona Blowhole, but we decided to catch that one on the way back and continue on to the base of the trail. Without knowing how DD would do and knowing it was paved, we decided to bring the umbrella stroller on this hike. DS volunteered to push first.
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1087 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1092 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1094 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
This trail was not very difficult but it was pretty steep. They had some spots to stop and look at the views along the way up, so we did that to take the little break it offered and to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and the nice breeze from the ocean.
IMG_1096 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1104 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1109 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Finally, we could see the lighthouse!
IMG_1116 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
And then, we made it to the top! The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking! Well worth the sometimes tough route to the top!!!
IMG_1122 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1123 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1125 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1132 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Then, it was time to head down. There was a little trail up one of the side of the mountains we had seen on the way up, and DH was really curious about what was up there, so he decided to go up but I thought he was nuts, so he took my picture waiting down at the bottom.
IMG_1134 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
But, he did get a pretty awesome view.
IMG_1149 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Once we got back on the road, we stopped at the Halona Blowhole lookout. It’s very small, but cool to see. The huge waves breaking against the rocks is really pretty too.
IMG_1164 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1167 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Untitled by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1172 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1174 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
IMG_1179 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
We got back to the resort for the night, and we were all wiped out after such a busy day. DH and I didn’t feel like cooking, so we got Papa John’s delivered for dinner. When DH went out to meet the delivery driver, he got this nighttime shot of Waikiki.
IMG_3525 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Mathmagicland
Disneyland - the original since 1955
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2014
Hi - I’m following along for a trip to Aulani later this year, and appreciate your report! Quick question here - approx how long did it take you to get to the top? Trying to plan where it might fit in for us. Thanks!
khertz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
Thanks so much for following!!
I looked back at the time stamps on my photos and it looks like it took us about 40 minutes to get to the top. And that was moving at a kids pace so it could definitely be done quicker with a group of adults.
The blue water was unreal!
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