I hear you! Our first visit was our honeymoon and I think there was smoke coming out of my credit card by the time we left! lol! I was willfully ignorant about how much we were spending because it was such as special trip. But on "normal" vacations, I try to keep a loose budget for my own savings throughout the year so I don't have to worry about it when we go.Awesome. I always enjoy hearing how others are saving money and spending less. When we went to Aulani the first time were were definitely of the mentality of, "Its vacation. we aren't going to worry about the cost of things" and we sure lived it up. But then we wanted to go back five months later and the only way we could justify the cost if is we spent wayyyyy less. That $25 pizza really helped! And monkey pod.
So you didn't enjoy Waimea Valley/the waterfall? I was thinking of doing that but I don't know if it would be worth it or not.I agree with PP that you will most definitely want to rent a car. You did say you're DVC and I assume you're staying on points, so parking will be free. Renting a car gives you the flexibility to get to and from the airport, make grocery stops, visit wherever you want, and easily be able to go off site for meals.
We did our grocery shopping at Target in Kapolei, which is the next stop on the highway, and found prices to be mostly comparable to the ones back home in NY. With a family of 5, you may do better at Costco if you're members, which is also in Kapolei. There's several chain restaurants and reasonably priced restaurants in Kapolei that have prices more in line with what you may be accustomed to back home. Keep in mind that Ko Olina, where Aulani is located, is a planned gated tourist community. Everything at Aulani and surrounding resorts, as well as the few restaurants and shops in walking distance of the resort, will have tourist pricing which is as high as you'd expect.
There's a lot you can enjoy on Oahu with little to no cost. Aside from what PP mentioned, the Haleiwa area is beautiful and fun to stroll and stop at the different beaches along the way. Laniakea Beach is a fun stop to see turtles. We also loved strolling along and hanging out in Waikiki - fun atmosphere and beach. I would avoid doing Waimea Valley which has a hefty price tag of $16 per person, which we didn't find worth it. We also loved the Kailua area and the beaches there were the best we visited. I'd also suggest Kualoa Ranch and I believe they have tour packages which offer savings as well. If you're interested in a luau, the Paradise Cove luau is walking distance from Aulani and I believe is cheaper than the one at Aulani.
We didn't use it, but there's also a Go Oahu pass/card that includes multiple attractions, depending on what you're interested in. Aulani offers some excursions, but with a car, you can likely book it yourself at a cheaper price point.
So you didn't enjoy Waimea Valley/the waterfall? I was thinking of doing that but I don't know if it would be worth it or not.
It’s not something we would do again. It’s no doubt beautiful, but it’s a $16 admission per person. It’s an easy walk on a paved pathway (not a hike), and if you’re not interested in swimming, there’s not much else to do there other than admire the foliage. If you are interested in swimming, the falls are at the end of the path. The water is murky brown, cold, and very deep. They provide life jackets you’re required to wear and they have makeshift changing rooms available, no lockers though. I’ve also read the waters have high levels of bacteria. The falls are pretty but nothing that blew my mind. I would rather go to the beach personally. We did not swim and spent maybe an hour roaming around and were ready to leave.So you didn't enjoy Waimea Valley/the waterfall? I was thinking of doing that but I don't know if it would be worth it or not.
It’s not something we would do again. It’s no doubt beautiful, but it’s a $16 admission per person. It’s an easy walk on a paved pathway (not a hike), and if you’re not interested in swimming, there’s not much else to do there other than admire the foliage. If you are interested in swimming, the falls are at the end of the path. The water is murky brown, cold, and very deep. They provide life jackets you’re required to wear and they have makeshift changing rooms available, no lockers though. I’ve also read the waters have high levels of bacteria. The falls are pretty but nothing that blew my mind. I would rather go to the beach personally. We did not swim and spent maybe an hour roaming around and were ready to leave.