Aulani help

[Marriedbythemouse]

Okay I need some help. We live in Florida and are planning a trip to Aulani in a couple years. So I have plenty of time to figure this out. We are traveling with our best friends who live in Toronto so they would rather travel in the winter time. It doesn't really matter for us.
So two couples and I want a two bedroom so we will have ample room.
When is a good time to be in Hawaii? Not super crowded and not super hot is what we are looking for.
Is the ocean view room worth it? I see Island and pool view too for a lot less points. I don't mind spending more points if the view is just to die for, shouldn't miss, you came all the way to Hawaii for this, if you know what I mean??
I have read that a car rental is worth it. Do you agree a car is a must?
We are also thinking of a few days at Disneyland while we have to travel through Cali. So would you do DL before Aulani? Or after?
Thanks for all the help!!!!
Deb

 

[DenLo]

Okay I need some help. We live in Florida and are planning a trip to Aulani in a couple years. So I have plenty of time to figure this out. We are traveling with our best friends who live in Toronto so they would rather travel in the winter time. It doesn't really matter for us.
So two couples and I want a two bedroom so we will have ample room.
When is a good time to be in Hawaii? Not super crowded and not super hot is what we are looking for.
Early February is a great time to be in Hawaii and the point cost is lower.
Is the ocean view room worth it? I see Island and pool view too for a lot less points. I don't mind spending more points if the view is just to die for, shouldn't miss, you came all the way to Hawaii for this, if you know what I mean??
It depends on what you call a view to die for. You might check out the Aulani Villas and View thread and check out the view photos people have been submitting. There is map information for the resort and room locations.
I have read that a car rental is worth it. Do you agree a car is a must?
It is easier to pick up groceries or liquor/wines with a car. Plus it gives you more options for dining out and sightseeing around Oahu. Although for our next trip we are spending more time at the resort and less sightseeing around the island, but then it is our fourth trip to Aulani.
We are also thinking of a few days at Disneyland while we have to travel through Cali. So would you do DL before Aulani? Or after?
Disneyland could really wear you out before you come home, or with such a long flight to the east coast it could be a blessing. I think I would go to DL first and then go to Aulani to relax. But then we only have an 8 flight from Honolulu to Houston.
Thanks for all the help!!!!
Deb

Do check the thread I mentioned above. https://www.disboards.com/threads/a...ated-06-14-2017.2907389/page-86#post-57744146 And let us know if you have more questions.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Avg Temps in Hawaii don't vary much so it can just depend on hitting a cold front or a bit of a hot spell. Rains may be what you want to consider more. Early Dec is a slower time but may not be far enough in to the winter. Most times in Jan and Feb are going to be decent crowd wise.

And yes, a car is a must.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have been in February and in September and found both enjoyable! Our first OV 2 bedroom was fantastic, our second was not as good. However, I would not travel that far and not get an ocean view. We have RCCL's Vancouver to Honolulu September 2018 cruise booked, and at 7 months I'll be trying for another ocean view at Aulani.

Both times we have rented a van, and it was used by all of us for various trips, sightseeing, shopping or eating.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

A car.is a msut if you want to see any of the island.

 

[keaster]

We've been twice in mid-March. We found the weather to be perfect and the crowds not too bad. We did island view first time and had a view of the lawn where the luau is. The last trip we did pool view and found that to be lovely as well!

I also agree a car is a must, we took the opportunity to leave the resort a few times to explore

 

[DVCRSheridan]

Just to touch on a couple of your specific questions... 1) Ocean view is 100% worth it in our opinion. My wife and I went 3 years in a row and had an Ocean view studio each time. Well worth it! We will always try for an Ocean view whenever we go. Request highest floor available for a better view. 2) Rental car is a MUST. Just be sure to rent from the airport, not Aulani. We made that mistake our 1st trip and paid double what we did from the airport our next 2 trips.

We love talking about Aulani and Oahu so if you have any other questions at all, please let me know and we'd love to help!

 

[amym2]

We've been in Oct and June (just got back) and Oct was definitely less crowded, although we did just fine this trip. As others said, weather is pretty much the same year-round. If you want to see whales, go in winter.

Yes, get a car! Doesn't cost much more than transportation from the airport anyway.

We've done both Island/garden view and ocean view and loved both. I'd tend to save the points, but I could only get OV at 7mos out. There are plenty of places to see the ocean around the resort!

I'd do DL then relax at Aulani.

 

[DenLo]

Aulani in October during the Hawaiian school fall break is extremely crowded. In fact a number of western states schools have fall breaks so we met families from Oregon to Arizona at Aulani during that week. October 9 - 13, 2017 is the fall break for next school year in Hawaii. The weekends are extremely crowded and the week days are still crowded enough that it was hard to find lounge chairs after 9:00 AM. I guess because it is a 3 day weekend makes it even more attractive for families, less days off of work.

 

[Amw1064]

We live in Florida as well and the flight is long. We have done Aulani 3 years in a row. All in early June. I recommend Delta from here. We did the Tampa to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Honolulu the past 2 years and it was way better than the more even split trip. You are on the bigger plane with more amenities and snacks/drinks all the time, lunch and light "dinner". We always rent a car and if you do it far enough you can get one for 10 days for easily under $300. We just paid $275 this past trip. I am not one to go out on the balcony much. We have had island garden views but this past time somehow we got one of the ocean view rooms with the cheaper points. Even so, out of 10 days I went out there twice and both times were to take a picture. I would rather be out there! We were going to do Disneyland on the way home but ended up going to Maui for 3 days after.

 

[DVCRSheridan]

We live in Florida as well and the flight is long. We have done Aulani 3 years in a row. All in early June. I recommend Delta from here. We did the Tampa to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Honolulu the past 2 years and it was way better than the more even split trip. You are on the bigger plane with more amenities and snacks/drinks all the time, lunch and light "dinner". We always rent a car and if you do it far enough you can get one for 10 days for easily under $300. We just paid $275 this past trip. I am not one to go out on the balcony much. We have had island garden views but this past time somehow we got one of the ocean view rooms with the cheaper points. Even so, out of 10 days I went out there twice and both times were to take a picture. I would rather be out there! We were going to do Disneyland on the way home but ended up going to Maui for 3 days after.

A friend of ours did the Delta Atlanta to Hawaii flight and didn't mind it. My wife and I have done the Hawaiian Airlines flight straight from NYC to Honolulu each time we've gone. It's definitely long, but also kinda nice to just settle in and be done with it. Plus they really do a great job of making you feel like you're in Hawaii and on vacation from the moment you step on that plane!

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have been to aulani every year for five years. Always in May. A great time to go. Low crowds, great weather, it rains a bit almost every day but that's just Hawaii. We come from Chicago and always do a nonstop coming and going, if we were going to stop in Disneyland we would do it on the way home.

We always get an ocean view, ewe building, 9th floor or above, in the 50 series because that is the section with the biggest lanais and you are right over the outdoor bar with music every evening do you can sit outside, have wine and enjoy the music. Also the view across the water park and out to the beach is great. The only bad thing is it is full sun in the early evening so it can be a little hot. Also I believe the two bedroom in that section is the last room on the floor, something like 954, 1054, etc. with that room location, you actually get two ocean views. One across the pools into the ocean and then looking the other way, across the rolling hills to the ocean. We have had that room before. It's great.

We always get a car just because we like the flexibility. However because we have been to Oahu a lot, we never leave during the week except to go to the grocery store or maybe out to eat in the nearby town
Kapolie.
If you are a DVc member using points, self park is free. Otherwise it's 35 a day, if we had to pay there is no way we would get a car.

There are lots of restaurants across the street from aulani. Pizza, Mexican, sushi and the Monkeypod which has happy hour and live music every night,

The four seasons is next door. If you play tennis, you can rent a court over there, which we did almost every day last time we were there. There are also several restaurants and from 3 to 5 the fish house has happy hour with half priced drinks and half priced bar food. Quite good. You can sit outside and the view is spectacular.

For two couples I would recommend the two bedroom. We bring our adult disabled daughter and her friend every time. A one bedroom has a pull out couch and one bathroom. Although the bathroom does have a separate door from the living area, there is still a lot more privacy with the two bedroom. Also I suggest you do not get the two bedroom lock off, which has two bedrooms and a locked door inbetween, because the standard two bedroom has a half bath off the kitchen. It's nice to have an extra toilet sometimes! The two bedroom lock off does not have the extra half Beth in the living area. Also the two bedroom lock off has two different lanais while the regular two bedroom has a very large lanai across both bedrooms. During may, the one bedroom usually goes for 50 points a night while the two bedroom is 70 a night,

All one and two bedrooms have a large kitchen area and washer and dryer. Also there are tvS in both bedrooms and in the living room.

Wifi has always worked well for us in the room although some people complain. It is a little spotty at the pool or beach.

If you like fitness classes, they offer several classes in the morning. The beach body workout on the beach is a great workout, and they also offer a paddle board yoga class. The fitness center itself has a lot of equipment.

As you can tell, we love it at aulani. We are already planning our trip for next year. Our grand daughter graduates from college in mid may so we are just waiting to confirm her commencement date so we can make reservations, also the nice thing about April or may is that we have always been able to make reservations seven months out so we can combine our aulani and non aulani pounds to have enough for the 10'days we go. Once you hit the summer or any of the school holiday periods, you must make reservations 11 months out.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

[amym2]

Sorry, quote didn't work- in reference to DenLo's fall break comment above:

Our fall break is the two weeks after that, so while it was crowded on the weekend, it was much less crowded during the week after. Of course that was also before the last section of Aulani opened, so that probably helped!