Hawaii/Aulani/Disneyland Trip Report

[dachsie]

@Nalshersmom When you did the Mountain Thunder coffee tour, did they have samples of the coffee to try? This was the original farm I wanted to tour, but we thought we would do it in the afternoon which was not recommended. Now we will do a morning tour so its possible again. The other farm we were looking at was Greenwell Farms

 

[Nalshersmom]

@Nalshersmom When you did the Mountain Thunder coffee tour, did they have samples of the coffee to try? This was the original farm I wanted to tour, but we thought we would do it in the afternoon which was not recommended. Now we will do a morning tour so its possible again. The other farm we were looking at was Greenwell Farms

We went about 2 hours before they closed, and they were still replacing all of their samples of everything. I witnessed them replacing one of the coffees that was getting low. I am not sure how long they had been made, but they were really good to me. The original reason we came here was because it was a short drive from our hotel. Their free tour was very impressive. I also felt no pressure to buy anything. They were super knowledgeable and very relaxed. The free tours were on the hour, and they walked us through the entire process.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Friday, June 14- Kualoa Ranch Tour

We set our alarms to wake up early for our premiere movie tour at the Kualoa Ranch. I had checked with my Maps app, and it always said it was 40 minutes to one hour away, so our goal was to leave over an hour early to get there at the recommended one hour before our tour. With one bathroom, that requires a lot of coordination. We helped my 13 year old put in her contacts, and I completely lost my mascara and looked for it everywhere, so we were left with a short amount of time to eat breakfast. As soon as we started eating breakfast, my 13 year old said her contacts were hurting, so I took her back up the elevators to take them out and to do a final quick search for my mascara. It was still hiding. That is the trouble when you are living out of suitcases. We then had to grab some to go cups for breakfast. I was thankful I had already made a coffee. I grabbed my cup of eggs, ham, and potatoes, and we quickly walked a block over to where we had used a nearby parking deck. It was half the price of the Hyatt Place's valet, and we did not have to wait for someone to bring us our car. There always seemed to be a line of people waiting for their cars at the Hyatt. Traffic had already crept up, but we still had time.
The views were gorgeous driving there, and we even drove through a mountain.



We found the parking lot with almost 30 minutes to spare before our tour group was to meet. Then we had to wait in a long line for 20 minutes. I guess that is why they recommend checking in an hour early. We still had time to go to the bathroom and then wait for our group to meet up. We all received giant matching lanyards. I think there were ten on our tour van (with air conditioning). We had the only kids. I think they said the minimum age is 7. Our guide was Troy. He was very knowledgeable and acted as the photographer for everyone also. He showed clips of movies in the van and would tell us about areas as we drove through and about the history of the ranch. We also got to make many stop to get out and explore. We were torn about which movie tour to take before, but now I can say I would 100% recommend this tour for any movie buffs. The other tours I think only get out at the log.



So many movies have been filmed there! It was also just amazingly gorgeous! Behind us are the 2 koi ponds which have been transformed in many movies just like Jurassic World for the gator looking dinosaur.

Our 2nd stop was one of the best. It was Jurassic World. I felt like we were in the movie.



We were able to explore the ground level and go into the observation deck.







My husband and son then went back down, while I filmed them walking into the enclosure, seeing something, and running our. We make yearly family videos of our adventures throughout the year, and this will definitely make it into that.








We also saw a plant that retracts its leaves when you touch it. The only other time I have seen this plant was on our Beyond the Seeds tour of Lving with the Land at Epcot.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Friday continued...

We also saw many cool things that we did not stop at. I have seen reviews online that critique the cleanness of the windows, and I would have to agree. I think that was my only negative thing about this trip.



The also gave us bottled water and snacks, which made my kids super happy!





We only opened one to share, so we should have brought a bag to tote around our goodies in the van

There was also one bathroom stop. This was also a backdrop of many movies and a place to try fresh macadamia nuts. I don't think I have had fresh ones before. They were super creamy!









We then went to the famous log scene from Jurassic Park. We brushed up on our Jurassic movies before we left.


Our guide was again awesome!



This was the only stop we encountered another tour group and atv riders. There was really no line, though.

Of course, my husband wanted a hiding picture



We also got to stop off at the scene where they enter the gyrospheres. It was gorgeous!! Our guide said that it rented out for $2,000 an hour for weddings. We also heard from "someone" here that Disney offered 3 billion dollars to buy the ranch but were turned down.

to be continued again...

 

[Nalshersmom]

Friday continued again...





The boneyard was also awesome!










We also got to explore the bunkers.





We are also fans of the tv show Lost, which also had some parts filmed here.





to be continued yet again because there were so many picture taking opportunities...

 

[Nalshersmom]

Friday continued yet again...



We took so many pictures! Our 2.5 hour tour flew by. We then checked out some horses and the gift shop.



We have travel backpacks which we put patches of our favorite places we travel, and I think everyone got a patch from here. We also got a shirt and some apple bananas for the road.




We then headed to the Dole Plantation with a stop for lunch at Maui Mikes.





Lunch was good, but my son lost his menehune figure from his necklace here. We also walked across the street for more sunblock and mascara.

Our next stop was the Dole Plantation because we love Dole Whips.





We ended up deciding not to visit their attractions and save our money for something cooler. We also watched the "chocolate demonstration" that happens on the hour. It was super lame and not even worth the 5 minutes.

We also went by the Ala Moana Center which was a waste of our time because we are not super shoppers, and it was just like our local malls. It did have a Disney store but no real themed Hawaiian merchandise.







I wanted to check out the Manoa Falls, but my kids were done with waterfalls for the time being.

We then stopped by Leonard's to pick up our forgotten malasadas and picked up dinner again at the Rainbow Drive-In.

to be continued for the last time...

 

[Nalshersmom]

Friday continued for the last time...





We ate them fresh but all agreed that the ones from the bakery in Hilo were better.

We all went for another swim on the beach. I had also gotten online while driving to the ranch to get the reserved tickets to Pearl Harbor the next day for $1 apiece. We got the 1:00 tickets.



We brought out the gopro. The water was very comfortable and the waves were fun. I felt comfortable knowing we could all touch the ground for longer than we could really see.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Saturday, June 15- Diamond Head/Pearl Harbor

We woke up in attempts to make it to the nearby Diamond Head parking lot by 6. We took our time and ended up at Diamond Head trying to park at 6:40. There were no parking spots left, so we ended up hovering for a parking spot right outside the walk/drive through mountain area. At a few minutes after 7am we had a parking spot. I had listened to an Hawaiian podcast that stated a grandma wearing high heels could hike this. After climbing, I do not agree. Good shoes are a must! There is a small fee to get in.


There was also a missing bird that we never encountered. We joked he was from the Dominican Republic. We had been following their horrible vacation stories.



The ground started out even and then got really uneven. I am clumsy, so I spent a lot of time making sure not to trip. It was hot and crowded. I read that we were breaking temperatures from the 1980's and 1990's every day. This past November we went to the Macy's Day parade and broke their record for coldest parade in history. That was much worse. We are used to Alabama heat, but I sure did get incredibly sweaty. I wore makeup since we were going to Pearl Harbor later, but I should have planned to take showers after Diamond Head. Then came the stairs. There were a lot of them. It was also really crowded. Our family is usually very active. I run a slow 5k everyday before work, and my kids are active in their sports: volleyball, cheer, and lacrosse, but we had not been active in almost 3 weeks. It was a real workout for us, and I was dripping with sweat and breathing hard.

The views were beautiful.








We went through two bottles of water and wished we had brought more. The walk down was much better! It was still crowded, and it felt like cattle being prodded along. I was trying not to trip while an older gentleman behind me had a slow trip but was okay. He said it was just time for him to rest.



There was a pineapple stand at the bottom which was very much appreciated.




We then went back to our hotel for breakfast and to make our way to Pearl Harbor. We made it just in time for our 1pm reservation.
My dad was a history buff when he was alive. My parent's wedding anniversary is Pearl Harbor Day, and I made a project of the memorial when I was in elementary school, so we had to see it. The short movie was captivating and impactful. We then went on a somber boat tour close to the memorial which is closed until they fix the structural damage. It was very touching. We also enjoyed visiting the museum and gift shop.







to be continued...

 

[ErinF]

You have such a cute family!! Love reading about all your adventures on Oahu, we need to go back there and really explore the island. I specifically need to see Pearl Harbor and visit Kualoa Ranch.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Saturday cont...

You have such a cute family!! Love reading about all your adventures on Oahu, we need to go back there and really explore the island. I specifically need to see Pearl Harbor and visit Kualoa Ranch.

Thank you It is so far away, that we tried to fit in as much as we could while we were there. Those places are two I highly recommend.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Saturday cont...

I am glad that we were able to visit Pearl Harbor!






We then went back to our hotel. My 13 year old had been begging all week for some $8 gummies from an ABC store. I had kept telling her to wait until the Dole Plantation. They were $10 there for the exact same ones. We then got them at the ABC store. She loved them!



I wanted to check out a sunset movie at the beach that Southwest was putting on right by our hotel. The even started at 4:30 with concerts and a giveaway. My oldest was the only one who would go with me. They were giving away water bottles, which we have used a lot since then. There was also a place to fill them with cold fresh tasting water. They also had photo ops.



We also stopped by a close by Honolulu Cookie Company for some delicious cookies to bring home.

I then went back to the hotel to take my two youngest back for one last swim on the beachat Waikiki. They also wanted to stop by for a photo op. They were already out of the water bottles but still playing music on the stage. They were also handing out wooden pieces to put into one of 6 charity containers who they would donate money.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Sunday, June 16- North Shore/Turtle Bay

We woke up and got packed up before having breakfast at our hotel. This day we tried the breakfast on the 3rd floor instead of the 1st. It was by the pool, outside, and had a larger selection. It also had lots of birds by the tables, so we could not leave out food on the table without at least two guards. My kids loved this.





My son was still hanging onto two of his Aulani wristbands, and my youngest, just one.

We went on one last walk to say goodbye to Waikiki beach.




It was super bright.



I forgot that the day before we had also shopped at the Swap Meet at the stadium. It was $1 per adult to get in. We all got dresses for $9-$15 apiece and a few souvenirs. It was only like a mile from Pearl Harbor.

These towers looked strange, so I took a picture.



Our 1st stop on the way was Giovanni's shrimp truck in Haleiwa.



It was hard to get a park, and it took a long time. It was hot outside, and not seats were available, so we ended up eating it in the car. We all really enjoyed their shrimp scampi, and my husband said his hot dog which had been soaked in the scampi sauce was probably his favorite hot dog ever. It was greasy, and I would not recommend eating it in a car. While we waited for our number to be called, we checked out the jungle fowl behind the truck.



We had plans to eat at Matsumoto's, but the line looked horrendous. We had previously had some good shave ice, and we were tired of waiting in lines, so we drove on past. This drive took us by the coast and by many famous beaches. The waves did not look too giant. We have heard they get ginormous in the winter. Since it was a Sunday, everything was especially busy. We just drove by the Bonzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach. We were excited to check into Turtle Bay. Our check in took about 10 minutes. Our cottage was 102, just one cottage away from the pool area, which was perfect for us. These are the cottages from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I am a giant Kristen Bell fan, and my favorite tv show is still Veronica Mars starring her. I know I have posted this in a previous trip report, but i was able to meet her on a trip we won several years ago, and I was super excited.




This is one of the main reasons I chose the cottages. We chose right!

They were so nice!!






to be continued...

 

[Nalshersmom]

Sunday cont...



Our lanai



The bathroom had a giant show and a super deep soaking tub.










Soon our amazing cottage host brought us leis/necklaces, giant glass water bottles, fresh POG juice, and chocolate covered macadamia nuts.



Greg was super helpful. He also told us about a nearby beach area that was super private and gave us boogie boards.



It was the best beach yet!







When we got back, Greg assisted us with dinner at the local Lei Leis and drove us there on a golf cart. He spoke to the manager who let us get it to go and gave us cookies. He also stopped by and got us some fresh pog juice for the kids. He was awesome!


to be continued...

 

[AussieDisneyfans]

Wow, those cottages look amazing and that lanai - I would be out there all the time!

 

[Nalshersmom]

Sunday continued...


We had also stopped by a local grocery store for some Pop Tarts, Spam, and pie pieces for dessert from Ted's, a local bakery. We only get Pop Tarts, drink soda, and get lots of desserts on vacations.






The food from Lei Lei's was really good. Our pie pieces were also delicious!

Our kids loved hotel robes.





It was a great end to a great day (and Father's Day.)

 

[Nalshersmom]

Monday, June 17- Bed Bug Scare and North Shore adventures

We got up and had a frantic first 30 minutes. My husband woke up to something crawling on his arm. He killed it and looked at it. He then woke me up by saying he might have found a bed bug. We then called the front desk, googled bed bugs, and looked at all of the sides of the mattress. We had stopped looking for signs of bed bugs and have no experience with them. My cousin had just got into Oahu and was planning on visiting that day texted me about meeting, and I was sending her pictures. She did the college program at WDW at the Contemporary and graduated with a degree in hotel management. She did not think it was a bed bug, and it if it was we would have bite marks. We searched everyone, and there were no bite marks. Our bug slightly resembled an adult bed bug. Soon some hotel staff showed up and told us it was a baby roach. She then showed us on the mattress in the creases where signs of bed bugs would be. It was gross, but I was thankful that we did not have to deal with bed bugs!


We then could eat breakfast and check out the pools. My oldest was complaining about her contacts the day before, and now her eye was red, so we had to contact our optometrist friend who suggested eye drops and hot compresses. I then went to the hotel store for eye drops. She then rested her eyes in the most beautiful setting.



We checked out the pools and water slide. The pool went to 11 feet, which was super fun.










I jumped into the 11 feet, went down the water slide, and swam under the water fall before checking on my oldest and getting ready for horseback riding.
Shortly after I came back to the room, a host came by and brought us warm, freshly baked macaroons and more glass water bottles.




My cousin who lives very close to us happened to visit her friend in Hawaii, and she and her friend came to visit us. My husband got us lunch from a local place called Seven Brothers which was described to us as being like 5 Guys. It was good. Soon my cousin was there, and we were able to visit until it was time for our horse ride at the stables on site. She stayed in our room and checked out the pool while we were gone (we gave her our room key.) My kids have always wanted to go on a horse ride, and I thought this would be an amazing ride. I am a social worker/ counselor at a school, and my kids go to equine therapy a few times a year, but I still know very little about horse riding. We were driven to the stables on a golf cart. They had water to drink while we waited. They also gave us all helmets. They then gave us all short instructions of keeping our horses in a close line and not allowing them to eat the grass which is very delicious to them. They also said that we could keep one hand on the horse, and take pictures with our other.



We started out pretty good. On our tour we saw a turtle and movie locations from Pirates of the Caribbean, Soul Surfer, the Hunger Games, and Lost.
My son's horse liked to take long pauses, so the guide had him start tapping his horse with a rope.





My horse loved the forbidden food, and I had to put my phone up for most of the ride. I could see him eyeing the tasty stuff and then getting snacks before racing to catch up. I accidentally took this picture.




The guide just kept telling me to keep him under control, and I was really trying.



Our trail ride was gorgeous!

To be continued...

 

[dachsie]

Wow - sounds like they really pampered you at Turtle Bay. Love that cottage!

 

[ErinF]

Your cottage and the view from your lanai were gorgeous!!! I love riding horses so your horseback ride looks amazing! And yes, it can be hard to keep some horses focused when they just want to eat the grass.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Monday continued...


a couple more pics from the trail ride





When we were done with our ride, they offered hand wipes, water, and gave us a ride back to our room.

We then went back to our room, and my cousin's friend suggested Waimea Falls which we would be able to swim in. The ride there was an issue. We put the address in our Maps app instead of following them. My Maps app rarely fails me, but this was one of those times. We ended up taking a left at the grocery store we had visited the previous day and driving up a hill with many turns in what appeared to be a residential area. We then started seeing signs that said no falls and no waimea falls. It was soon very clear when "we arrived at our destination" it was wrong. We then had no signal and had to drive down the hill so my cousin could send me the pin of the real address she was currently at. We then made it there We paid per person. It could have been like $12 for kids, and $18 for adults, but I am not sure. There was then a nice walk through some beautiful botanical gardens to the waterfall. We did see some large golf carts with signs saying they would transport for $10 a person each way. The walk was really not bad even though we were watching the time in order to make all of our plans happen. The falls were much smaller than my cousin's friend had ever seen them, but they were good for us.


We soon got the required life jackets and started down a short rocky path to the waterfall.





We had also just re watched the first season of Lost, and my husband recognized it as a waterfall that Kate and Sawyer jumped in. I googled it, and he was correct. It was our first waterfall to swim in and pretty warm. Last year we went to Sliding Rock in North Carolina. It was miserably cold. This was much better.

We then followed them to a beachy area that looked more like a lake for paddle boarding/ kayaking. My husband rented a kayak for our 2 youngest, I rented a paddle board, and my oldest wanted to kayak with her new Hawaiian friend (my cousin's friend's daughter.) My cousin and her friend also rented paddle boards.



My cousin's friend had some beautiful pictures of their past experiences here with clear water and lots of turtles. The water was now pretty murky, and we only saw a couple of turtle heads. It was my mission not to fall into the water.

Soon it became evident that 3 people in a kayak was too much, so my 11 year old joined me on my paddle board.



There were a couple of bridges, and we passed through some back yards with docks, but it was a nice ride.



After returning our equipment, we headed to Waimea Bay because my husband really wanted to jump off a cliff. It ended up being sunset, and we were able to find a park. He was able to climb up and jump off once before it was too dark. There were many people jumping off, and we watched several before he climbed up.


He is about to hit the water in this picture.

to be continued...

 

[Nalshersmom]

Monday's final continuation

My kids also enjoyed playing at this beach for a short time before darkness.



The undertow was pretty strong, so we just stayed a short time in the shallowest waters.



We were then faced with the issue of most area restaurants/food trucks being closed. We ended up getting gas and getting junk food for dessert from the gas station and ordering pizza to be delivered to our room. Our resort also gave us a rental card at check in. There were 2 Redbox like machines which we could rent from. We ended up getting the newest Lego movie to watch while we ate, but we were all asleep by the end.