Oahu/Maui trip report (multi generation trip)

aero99

DVC Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2001
Had a fabulous trip to Hawaii. We visited Maui for 5 nights, Waikiki for 2 nights then Aulani for 6 nights. Each stay will be a different posts in case you want to skip ahead. We were a group of 6: 2 grandparents, 2 parents and a 4 and 8 year old.

Maui: Rented through VRBO a 1 bedroom w/den condo at Honua Kai. (it was called Konea 240 I believe). Fit 6 great, had a small ocean view, but mainly island.
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Only issue was sharing 1 bathroom. However very affordable and excellent facility. LOVED having Duke's right there and they came around the pools to get your daytime order too! Did Halekala Sunrise on our own (make sure you make reservations on recreation.gov site). It was wonderful experience but it can be even colder then you think! We had coats, hats and gloves, but it was basically sleeting so you pants and hats were just absorbing cold water. Luckily the clouds rolled out for a short bit and we got a wonderful view.

Had a great breakfast at Kula Lodge on the way down. We also used the Gypsy Tour Maui App the entire time we were on Maui. Great guide and only $10 on the itunes store.

Next day we had one of the best experiences of our trip: private snorkel lessons from the Maui Ocean project http://www.theoceanproject.net/The_Ocean_Project/Ocean_Project.html (please note this is another group with a similar name that run a boat- this is not on a boat). This a fabulous group that picks out the best beach based on the conditions and your comfort level. We snorkeled at baby beach and for my kids it was the best. I can not say enough good things about this group. Even my mom (who has hesitate about snorkeling) list this as one of the best activities of the trip.

My parents went that night to Old Lahaina Luau and really enjoyed it. I made sure to reserve them tables and chairs (versus sitting on a mat). We went to Duke's and definitely enjoyed out dinner and the view.

The next day we drove 1/2 of the road to Hana. For those who get car sick, make sure you pack you medicine of choice. We used MotionEaze (recommended by an excursion we booked). That really did help a lot. We packed a picnic lunch but also stopped at Auntys Sandy for banana bread (oh so yummy). Saw some beautiful sites but we all had enough by the time we reached the 1/2 way mark. WORD OF CAUTION: if you decide to stop and swim in any of the areas on the road, investigate before you jump! We saw a man being evacuated out after jumping 15 feet into a SHALLOW, rocky area.

That night, was date night and my husband and I went to Mama's Fish house. Very nice but VERY expensive. Honestly, I think AmaAma at Aulani's was better and definitely cheaper.

The next day we finished our tour of the island (mainly the upper west side) and ended with a late lunch in Lahaina. Highly recommend Koa's Seaside Grill but skip the fish tacos (only thing on that we didn't think was excellent).
 
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Waikiki Report:
We stayed at the New Laylow Resort that is just off the main strip of Waikiki. I should mention that the last time my husband and I went to Waikiki it was the least enjoyable part of the trip. We don't enjoy all the people, traffic, noise, etc. So the Laylow was perfect for us. It was just a quick walk down a road lined with small shops to the main strip (and Dukes/Hula Grill) but far enough that we didn't feel in the middle of the madness.
Its a neat set-up, you go up those escalators to get into the hotel. BTW, if you miss the turn to the parking the first time, you are not alone! I also should mention that this hotel actually offers rooms with 2 king beds in them! I was having a hard time find 2 queens and was thrilled when I found this hotel.
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That evening we did a private sunset cruise via Tradewind Charters. I found them on trip advisor and definitely enjoyed our cruise. Captain James was excellent and the views spectacular. They served some tapas for dinner so everyone but the kids were happy. We got the kids some food prior so they were ok thankfully.

Our sailboat for the evening:
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The next day we did the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorials at Pearl Harbor. Interesting experience to go from where the war ended to where it began. We had 2pm tickets for the USS Arizona (which I got at exactly 2 months out but the webpage had an issue so I couldn't get morning). We were the last ship of the day to get to onto the memorial. Due to the wind, the rest were just driving by.


On the USS Missouri, we had a wonderful tour guide (included in the admission price) who served on the ship. He made the tour truly coming to life with his extra knowledge.

That evening we ate at the Hula Grill (sister restaurant to Duke's). Great dinner and beautiful view of Waikiki.
 
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Aulani Report:

Did online check-in and we arrived around 2pm to the resort. Our room was not ready but check in was much faster then then the long line at the desk. We ate lunch at Ulu and by the time we finished the room was ready. We were in room 1480 with a fantastic view.
Dis - 1 (10).jpg Bell service was very quick to bring our bags up. We then went to Costco and Target to stock our room. Again, we had bell services help with bringing the groceries up.

The next day we had rented a cabana. What a wonderful experience. Loved having a cool home base to come back to. The food service was great and we really enjoyed all the treats we got through out the day. We spent most of the day doing the slides, lazy river and spending time in the pool. My kids did Stitch's Space Goo and really enjoyed that. We adults enjoyed the ability to go check out the adult only pools while they were gone.

The next day we had a private tour of the island through Oahu Private Tours. Great experience. The guide definitely worked with us to determine what we were interested in and we had a great time. He was wonderful with the kids and even went through a McDonald's drive thru so the kids could have happy meals. That night we all went to the Luau at Aulani. It was a good show with good food but VERY expensive for 6 people (we did VIP). We had table A and got in early which was good because the kids were able to do the activities easily before everyone else was let in. I think even though this was enjoyable it is a 1 and done type activity for us.

The next day was spent enjoying the resort. We started with the character breakfast which we think may be better then most of them at Disney world. We then headed next door to try to see turtles. We did not but the kids had a great time playing at that beach. We then returned to our resort and the kids played in the beach there. Finally we all got dressed and the kids went to Aunty's for Surf's up with Chip & Dale while the adults went to AmaAma for dinner. AmaAma was fabulous with great views and good food. Definitely a must do.

Next up was the dole plantation. We enjoyed the train ride and all had dole whips afterwards. We then headed to the Polynesian Cultural Center which was the only let down of the trip. After everything we've done it just seemed to cheesy to us. We did not stay for a meal or one of the late night shows.

Our final full day was another cabana day. We tried Rainbow reef which my husband and I loved and the kids thought was way too cold. We had wet suits while snorkeling in Maui and I guess they make a bit of a difference to the kids. The rest of the time was spent shared between the lazy river, the slides and the pools. We ended the night by having the photopass photographers take family pictures at sunset which came out great!
 
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@aero99 Thanks so much for the info on the Laylow - it looks like a great fit for my family, especially the two king beds
 
Thanks for sharing your trip report!

We are going to Aulani in January and hope to do many of the things you mentioned. I’m always glad to hear good things about Oahu Private tours since we will probably spend two days with them.

We are also planning to do the Luau at Aulani. For the VIP tickets, what time did you arrive? I know that you can get in first with VIP tickets and don’t need to worry about lining up early to get preferred seating, but I'm curious when others arrive. Also, is there a separate line for VIP entrance?
 
We got there about 10 minutes prior to opening (4:50 for us since it started at 5). This was plenty early. We were one of the first 5 families to be seated and maybe had to wait for 1 person in front of us at each of the activities for the kids. There is a separate entrance for VIP. The VIP entrance is right near the elevators in the Ewa tower. Fyi: I had printed out the receipt which made it much faster to check in.
 


Thanks for sharing! We're planning a similar trip next August. Our girls will e 11 and 8 and my parents will be with us as well. How was traveling between Maui and Oahu? Our original plan was to do about 5 nights in Maui and then 5 nights at Aulani. Not sure if it's worth the cost of the flights, and the time spent packing/traveling? We'll also be stopping for 3 nights in Disneyland on the way there. (Coming from NJ) I'm starting to think we should just do a split stay between Aulani and Waikiki?
 

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