Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
It was the perfect location for us. I was so thankful that it was as described on VRBO.
Hawaii/Aulani/Disneyland Trip Report
- Thread starter Nalshersmom
- Start date
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Lol! It was seafood chowder. I must have had the gumbo from Blue Bayou on my mindEnjoying your report. But I have to ask - that bowl of soup you posted - was that what they called gumbo???? Louisiana native here and that is definitely not gumbo.lol. But it does look like a tasty bisque.
What did you not care for about the Donkey Balls? That is on my list to do. I will be going to the big island and Aulani in Jan. Looking forward to the rest of your Big Island tour
I just prefer other chocolates. Initially, it reminded me of Palmer chocolate which I only remember seeing at Easter.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Saturday, June 9-Kona
We decided to stay on the Kona side of the island today so that we could see the parade for King Kamehameha. The parade was scheduled to end at our hotel, so we walked until we found a curb seat in the shade (which soon disappeared). The parade had lots of people on horses representing the islands and a few floats.
There were also a few ladies pushing Target carts.
After the parade we visited a local craft/flea market booth area down the road that seemed to be there daily. We purchased a few things here including wind chimes. We also ate lunch at Subway.
I am the only coffee drinker in my family and really wanted to visit a coffee farm, so we chose the nearby Mountain Thunder coffee farm. It was only around 20 minutes away. We drove up the mountain where the weather was very rainy. It was odd going from super hot and sunny weather by the ocean to the mountain which was raining off and on. Thunder Mountain offered a free tour on the hour and an experience that was over $100 per person , so we went with the free tour. We got there early, so we went on their short nature trail that was $10 per group. It was really short but had a lava tube and plants including coffee trees to look at.
There was also a store with coffee and other product samples.
The coffee tour was also very informative as they took us through the entire process. Even my kids learned a lot and stayed interested. Our guide was also very knowledgeable. The coffee is really good, and I bought a big bag for me and a smaller bag for my mother-in-law. There is also a $5 discount if you sign up for their newsletter. I will be sad when my coffee is gone. I would recommend this place for coffee drinkers. It was the best coffee I had on my entire trip and maybe ever.
Then we returned to the hotel so the kids could swim. There was a man made lagoon and a pool. We checked out the lagoon first. We brought our snorkel gear, but there were only a few fish.
The pool was clear water, but it looked strange with a black floor and walls. It did not make me want to swim in it, but my kids loved it like they do all pools.
The was a shallow pool on top of the regular pool and no hot tub. There were pool towels in the gift shop using a room key.
I then picked up dinner at a local burger joint that we had seen earlier in the day promising Yelp's 8th best burger in the United States.
I really enjoyed it, and it was my favorite burger of the trip.
We took a late night walk around our hotel which did have a few cool areas and gorgeous views of the ocean and its crashing waves.
We were also right down the street from the first church there. I was initially hoping to attend the next day, but we wanted to get an early start the next day to Volcanoes National Park.
We decided to stay on the Kona side of the island today so that we could see the parade for King Kamehameha. The parade was scheduled to end at our hotel, so we walked until we found a curb seat in the shade (which soon disappeared). The parade had lots of people on horses representing the islands and a few floats.
There were also a few ladies pushing Target carts.
After the parade we visited a local craft/flea market booth area down the road that seemed to be there daily. We purchased a few things here including wind chimes. We also ate lunch at Subway.
I am the only coffee drinker in my family and really wanted to visit a coffee farm, so we chose the nearby Mountain Thunder coffee farm. It was only around 20 minutes away. We drove up the mountain where the weather was very rainy. It was odd going from super hot and sunny weather by the ocean to the mountain which was raining off and on. Thunder Mountain offered a free tour on the hour and an experience that was over $100 per person , so we went with the free tour. We got there early, so we went on their short nature trail that was $10 per group. It was really short but had a lava tube and plants including coffee trees to look at.
There was also a store with coffee and other product samples.
The coffee tour was also very informative as they took us through the entire process. Even my kids learned a lot and stayed interested. Our guide was also very knowledgeable. The coffee is really good, and I bought a big bag for me and a smaller bag for my mother-in-law. There is also a $5 discount if you sign up for their newsletter. I will be sad when my coffee is gone. I would recommend this place for coffee drinkers. It was the best coffee I had on my entire trip and maybe ever.
Then we returned to the hotel so the kids could swim. There was a man made lagoon and a pool. We checked out the lagoon first. We brought our snorkel gear, but there were only a few fish.
The pool was clear water, but it looked strange with a black floor and walls. It did not make me want to swim in it, but my kids loved it like they do all pools.
The was a shallow pool on top of the regular pool and no hot tub. There were pool towels in the gift shop using a room key.
I then picked up dinner at a local burger joint that we had seen earlier in the day promising Yelp's 8th best burger in the United States.
I really enjoyed it, and it was my favorite burger of the trip.
We took a late night walk around our hotel which did have a few cool areas and gorgeous views of the ocean and its crashing waves.
We were also right down the street from the first church there. I was initially hoping to attend the next day, but we wanted to get an early start the next day to Volcanoes National Park.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Sunday, June 9- Hilo
We left for Volcanoes National Park with a planned stop at the Punalu'lu Bake Shop which is the southernmost bakery in the United States. Before this trip, I thought Key West in Florida was the lowest point. They have incredibly delicious malasadas. My oldest daughter is not a fan of doughnuts and refused to try one, so she got a loaf of bread which was also delicious. Our burgers from the night before were on buns made at this bakery. It also smelled delicious here.
My favorite was the chocolate cream filled.
We then drove to the visitor center at Volcanoes National Park. While we were checking it out, a park ranger announced she was headed to the steam vents for a talk, so we also headed that way. It was less than a mile down the road. She updated everyone on how much the park has changed in the last year and her experiences with the lava flow and earthquakes. Currently there is no lava flow and several areas are still closed down. The steam vents were very hot, and the entire area around them was very interesting to look around at.
We then headed back to the visitor center and to Rainbow Falls. On the way we grabbed some fast food at Jack in the Box and also stopped by Big Island Candies for sampling and got some mochi brownies for later. The people were very friendly there.
It was pretty but reminded us of a local falls by our house. I have read that the rainbows mostly happen in the morning, but we did not see any. The real treasure was the banyon trees behind it.
Can you find my youngest in the picture below?
I had wanted to stop by Two Ladies Kitchen, but it was closed on Sundays
We then returned to our hotel in Kona, swam, and got dinner at Humpy's next door to go. We got ribs which were not traditional, fish tacos, and chicken fingers. They were all good.
We only stayed a short time on the Big Island in case of any volcanic activity. I am glad we went, but my husband thinks we could have skipped it. It was interesting how there was so much black lava rock in some areas and how it was rain forests in others. We tried to go to sleep over the loud bar music next door in order to wake up and fly to Oahu and Aulani.
We left for Volcanoes National Park with a planned stop at the Punalu'lu Bake Shop which is the southernmost bakery in the United States. Before this trip, I thought Key West in Florida was the lowest point. They have incredibly delicious malasadas. My oldest daughter is not a fan of doughnuts and refused to try one, so she got a loaf of bread which was also delicious. Our burgers from the night before were on buns made at this bakery. It also smelled delicious here.
My favorite was the chocolate cream filled.
We then drove to the visitor center at Volcanoes National Park. While we were checking it out, a park ranger announced she was headed to the steam vents for a talk, so we also headed that way. It was less than a mile down the road. She updated everyone on how much the park has changed in the last year and her experiences with the lava flow and earthquakes. Currently there is no lava flow and several areas are still closed down. The steam vents were very hot, and the entire area around them was very interesting to look around at.
We then headed back to the visitor center and to Rainbow Falls. On the way we grabbed some fast food at Jack in the Box and also stopped by Big Island Candies for sampling and got some mochi brownies for later. The people were very friendly there.
It was pretty but reminded us of a local falls by our house. I have read that the rainbows mostly happen in the morning, but we did not see any. The real treasure was the banyon trees behind it.
Can you find my youngest in the picture below?
I had wanted to stop by Two Ladies Kitchen, but it was closed on Sundays
We then returned to our hotel in Kona, swam, and got dinner at Humpy's next door to go. We got ribs which were not traditional, fish tacos, and chicken fingers. They were all good.
We only stayed a short time on the Big Island in case of any volcanic activity. I am glad we went, but my husband thinks we could have skipped it. It was interesting how there was so much black lava rock in some areas and how it was rain forests in others. We tried to go to sleep over the loud bar music next door in order to wake up and fly to Oahu and Aulani.
Almondmilktea
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2017
Enjoying the report! I've lived in San Francisco all my life and never knew about the Disney Museum 
Also remember sliding down cement slides on cardboard as a kid, great memories...
Regarding the weather, many visitors come to California in the summer expecting nice weather, but SF (especially the touristy spots like Fisherman's Wharf and Golden Gate Bridge) is cold, windy, and overcast. Anytime I see people walking around the city wearing a "I ❤ SF" hoodie, it tells me they've been San Francisco'ed. Guess it keeps the vendors in business
Looking forward to the rest of your report!
Also remember sliding down cement slides on cardboard as a kid, great memories...Regarding the weather, many visitors come to California in the summer expecting nice weather, but SF (especially the touristy spots like Fisherman's Wharf and Golden Gate Bridge) is cold, windy, and overcast. Anytime I see people walking around the city wearing a "I ❤ SF" hoodie, it tells me they've been San Francisco'ed. Guess it keeps the vendors in business
Looking forward to the rest of your report!
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Monday, June 10- Fly to Oahu
We went through the Costco gas station and headed to Budget before they opened at 5:30. When we dropped off our car, we had to go in and check it out. This time they did not require getting a number. We got back on the tram and headed to the airport. This was the most unique airport I have ever been in. It was mostly open air with portable stair cases to get off and on the planes. It would have been bad if raining.
We had a slightly different juice on the way to Oahu.
When we arrived in Oahu, we again had to take a tram to the rental car company. We had again rented through Costco, and this time it was back to Alamo. The line was pretty short, and we were soon off with our rental. We went straight to the Target shopping center closest to Aulani and decided to get breakfast at Denny's. It was good and seemed like a bargain.
At Target we prepped for our days at Aulani since we were going to have a kitchen. We got breakfast stuff, sandwich stuff, hot dogs, and items for baked spaghetti since we had been wanting some. We also ended up buying a reusable bag since all my bags were packed up. We spotted Aulani when pulling into the area, and I was super excited. It was around 10:30, and our room was not ready. I had pre-checked in, but it was still hectic when pulling in. They were going to hold our luggage but initially said they did not have a fridge to store our cold stuff in. I should have checked into this more before. They then said they could store my cold bag in a fridge. This was the only picture I had time to get when getting our lei/ necklaces.
They then gave us resort information and a key to the lounge area where we could shower/change. They key stated it would only work once. After finding the lounge, we all changed since I had packed a backpack I kept our with our swimsuits and sunscreen. They also had lockers that worked well to store our clothes, shoes, purse so we could swim. I kept my phone and room key out so that I could see when our room was ready and charge to the room. The lockers stated they would only work for a short time, but a worker said they would work for the day. They ended up working the entire time we needed them.
We quickly changed, sunscreened up, and were off to explore the resort. The next step was getting our wristbands. We then got to check out all of the pools, beach, slides, and lazy river.
My 2 youngest checked out the kid area which they enjoyed for a short time.
At lunch time I got a California poke bowl at the Ulu Cafe, and everyone else got chicken fingers from Mama's Snack Shop. I was not too impressed with either, but the bowl had lots of shrimp.
We also got some refillable mugs which were exactly the same type as Disney World. The only refill stations I found were at the Ulu Cafe which had 3 Coke freestyle machines along with coffee areas and the Coke freestyle machine at the Lava Shack which never had any ice throughout our stay.
At 3:30, we finally got the text our one bedroom was ready. When I checked in online on my phone, I was unable to get the room request box to work, but we had rented points for a island view. Our room ended up being in the Ewa tower on the 5th floor facing the lawn where they do the luaus. We could also see the street from our room. It was not the best view, but it could have been much worse.
We went through the Costco gas station and headed to Budget before they opened at 5:30. When we dropped off our car, we had to go in and check it out. This time they did not require getting a number. We got back on the tram and headed to the airport. This was the most unique airport I have ever been in. It was mostly open air with portable stair cases to get off and on the planes. It would have been bad if raining.
We had a slightly different juice on the way to Oahu.
When we arrived in Oahu, we again had to take a tram to the rental car company. We had again rented through Costco, and this time it was back to Alamo. The line was pretty short, and we were soon off with our rental. We went straight to the Target shopping center closest to Aulani and decided to get breakfast at Denny's. It was good and seemed like a bargain.
At Target we prepped for our days at Aulani since we were going to have a kitchen. We got breakfast stuff, sandwich stuff, hot dogs, and items for baked spaghetti since we had been wanting some. We also ended up buying a reusable bag since all my bags were packed up. We spotted Aulani when pulling into the area, and I was super excited. It was around 10:30, and our room was not ready. I had pre-checked in, but it was still hectic when pulling in. They were going to hold our luggage but initially said they did not have a fridge to store our cold stuff in. I should have checked into this more before. They then said they could store my cold bag in a fridge. This was the only picture I had time to get when getting our lei/ necklaces.
They then gave us resort information and a key to the lounge area where we could shower/change. They key stated it would only work once. After finding the lounge, we all changed since I had packed a backpack I kept our with our swimsuits and sunscreen. They also had lockers that worked well to store our clothes, shoes, purse so we could swim. I kept my phone and room key out so that I could see when our room was ready and charge to the room. The lockers stated they would only work for a short time, but a worker said they would work for the day. They ended up working the entire time we needed them.
We quickly changed, sunscreened up, and were off to explore the resort. The next step was getting our wristbands. We then got to check out all of the pools, beach, slides, and lazy river.
My 2 youngest checked out the kid area which they enjoyed for a short time.
At lunch time I got a California poke bowl at the Ulu Cafe, and everyone else got chicken fingers from Mama's Snack Shop. I was not too impressed with either, but the bowl had lots of shrimp.
We also got some refillable mugs which were exactly the same type as Disney World. The only refill stations I found were at the Ulu Cafe which had 3 Coke freestyle machines along with coffee areas and the Coke freestyle machine at the Lava Shack which never had any ice throughout our stay.
At 3:30, we finally got the text our one bedroom was ready. When I checked in online on my phone, I was unable to get the room request box to work, but we had rented points for a island view. Our room ended up being in the Ewa tower on the 5th floor facing the lawn where they do the luaus. We could also see the street from our room. It was not the best view, but it could have been much worse.
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Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Monday, June 10 cont..
Our room
My kids loved this bathtub!
We headed back out to try the Menehune hunt. While there we rented the Tower of Terror movie and Star Wars- The Force Awakens to re watch in preparation of Galaxy's Edge. Our Menehune hunt did not work, but we witnessed others getting theirs to work. We returned the tablet in time to see Uncle tell stories at the Mo'olelo fire pit. The lady giving out the tablets said that they only work about 50% of the time. We all really enjoyed the story telling and ended up going back every night we were there.
We then went back to our room for hot dogs and to watch the Tower of Terror. My kids had never seen it and enjoyed it. Outside our room, they were finishing up a movie on the lawn. Our view was unable to see the screen. I also went down to to the lobby to get the next day's Daily Iwa. They were offering 'ukulele lessons, but no one in my family was interested, so I did not have to get up early to sign up.
Our room
My kids loved this bathtub!
We headed back out to try the Menehune hunt. While there we rented the Tower of Terror movie and Star Wars- The Force Awakens to re watch in preparation of Galaxy's Edge. Our Menehune hunt did not work, but we witnessed others getting theirs to work. We returned the tablet in time to see Uncle tell stories at the Mo'olelo fire pit. The lady giving out the tablets said that they only work about 50% of the time. We all really enjoyed the story telling and ended up going back every night we were there.
We then went back to our room for hot dogs and to watch the Tower of Terror. My kids had never seen it and enjoyed it. Outside our room, they were finishing up a movie on the lawn. Our view was unable to see the screen. I also went down to to the lobby to get the next day's Daily Iwa. They were offering 'ukulele lessons, but no one in my family was interested, so I did not have to get up early to sign up.
Attachments
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
The slides were the one thing my husband wanted to do on our last trip but missed out on. They were fun and unique. Last summer we went to Boston unprepared for the coolness, so that is why my kids all have Boston sweatshirtsEnjoying the report! I've lived in San Francisco all my life and never knew about the Disney Museum
Regarding the weather, many visitors come to California in the summer expecting nice weather, but SF (especially the touristy spots like Fisherman's Wharf and Golden Gate Bridge) is cold, windy, and overcast. Anytime I see people walking around the city wearing a "I ❤ SF" hoodie, it tells me they've been San Francisco'ed. Guess it keeps the vendors in business
Looking forward to the rest of your report!
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Tuesday, June 11- Aulani
We ate breakfast in the room and prepared to experience Rainbow Reef. We just got the one day pass. The water was cool but similar to most pools, and we got used to it quickly. We saw our 1st Photopass photographer here. We saw zero the day before.
We also swam in all of the pools. The kids all looked at the adult infinity pool longingly. The slides were also fun but seemed to take too long in line. I hope they are adding more slides in their remodel.
We later went back to our room for sandwiches and more sunscreen. We then headed back to Rainbow Reef so my husband and I could take turns taking pictures from the observation area.
The fish were super duper friendly which kind of made me nervous since they were touching us. It was super cool, and I am glad I did it, but I was done after 2 visits.
We then all picked out treats. We all really enjoyed them. My oldest picked out a boring Nestle drumstick which was just okay.
We then got ready in our room. The kids were super excited to use the tub and robes. My 9 and 11 year old got ready 1st so that they could check out Aunty's. My 9 year old enjoyed it more than my 11 year old. I had pre registered them but still had to show id, buy the band, and take pictures of us all. I ended up making a generic pass code to pick up my kids, but we overheard a parent with a password pookie and all regretted we were not more creative with our password.
We headed down to the beach for a few pictures. Thank goodness there were Photopass people who kindly took our pictures with our phones and their cameras.
to be cont...
We ate breakfast in the room and prepared to experience Rainbow Reef. We just got the one day pass. The water was cool but similar to most pools, and we got used to it quickly. We saw our 1st Photopass photographer here. We saw zero the day before.
We also swam in all of the pools. The kids all looked at the adult infinity pool longingly. The slides were also fun but seemed to take too long in line. I hope they are adding more slides in their remodel.
We later went back to our room for sandwiches and more sunscreen. We then headed back to Rainbow Reef so my husband and I could take turns taking pictures from the observation area.
The fish were super duper friendly which kind of made me nervous since they were touching us. It was super cool, and I am glad I did it, but I was done after 2 visits.
We then all picked out treats. We all really enjoyed them. My oldest picked out a boring Nestle drumstick which was just okay.
We then got ready in our room. The kids were super excited to use the tub and robes. My 9 and 11 year old got ready 1st so that they could check out Aunty's. My 9 year old enjoyed it more than my 11 year old. I had pre registered them but still had to show id, buy the band, and take pictures of us all. I ended up making a generic pass code to pick up my kids, but we overheard a parent with a password pookie and all regretted we were not more creative with our password.
We headed down to the beach for a few pictures. Thank goodness there were Photopass people who kindly took our pictures with our phones and their cameras.
to be cont...
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Tuesday, June 11 cont...
After pictures, it was time for story time with Uncle, and my 11 year old opted to attend the preteen time.
We really enjoyed Uncle. My preteen said that their games and crafts were okay, but she must have had fun because she wanted to go back the next night for preteen time. We then ate a late night spaghetti bake in our room. It was really nice to have a comfort food in our super comfy room.
After pictures, it was time for story time with Uncle, and my 11 year old opted to attend the preteen time.
We really enjoyed Uncle. My preteen said that their games and crafts were okay, but she must have had fun because she wanted to go back the next night for preteen time. We then ate a late night spaghetti bake in our room. It was really nice to have a comfort food in our super comfy room.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 12- Aulani
I used our in room coffee maker before breakfast at Ama Ama
Our reservation was for 9:30. It was one of the best views ever for breakfast! My oldest and I ordered the pancakes which were amazing. My youngest ordered the Mickey waffles and enjoyed them My husband ordered the gift of bread which was good, and my 11 year old only wanted hashrowns with cheese.
On the way back to the room we stopped to meet Stitch.
This was the only character interaction we sought out. My youngest is the only one who wanted to meet characters at all.
We then got ready to go to the beach and ride a paddle board. It was $45 an hour, so we shared one for one hour. It was fun, but we were pretty much done after one hour.
I used our in room coffee maker before breakfast at Ama Ama
Our reservation was for 9:30. It was one of the best views ever for breakfast! My oldest and I ordered the pancakes which were amazing. My youngest ordered the Mickey waffles and enjoyed them My husband ordered the gift of bread which was good, and my 11 year old only wanted hashrowns with cheese.
On the way back to the room we stopped to meet Stitch.
This was the only character interaction we sought out. My youngest is the only one who wanted to meet characters at all.
We then got ready to go to the beach and ride a paddle board. It was $45 an hour, so we shared one for one hour. It was fun, but we were pretty much done after one hour.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Continued...
We had delicious coconut shrimp from Mama's Snack Shop and cheeseburgers that were okay from the pool bar for lunch.
We also got some treats.
My youngest requested to go back to Aunty's. We ventured across the street to visit the ABC store and grab a pizza.
The menu from the pizza place.
It was pretty good but pricey for pizza.
We picked up my youngest, ate, and then dropped off my 11 year old for preteen time while we went to wait on Uncle at the same time as the previous 2 nights.
The time came and went. We were with a small crowd. The times online were wrong, and we should have checked the actual Daily Iwa. We were sad to miss Uncle, but we waited around for my preteen to finish. She had a better time this time. We checked the schedule for the next day and were excited to see there was a family Animation Academy, so I set my alarm to wake up and sign up.
We had delicious coconut shrimp from Mama's Snack Shop and cheeseburgers that were okay from the pool bar for lunch.
We also got some treats.
My youngest requested to go back to Aunty's. We ventured across the street to visit the ABC store and grab a pizza.
The menu from the pizza place.
It was pretty good but pricey for pizza.
We picked up my youngest, ate, and then dropped off my 11 year old for preteen time while we went to wait on Uncle at the same time as the previous 2 nights.
The time came and went. We were with a small crowd. The times online were wrong, and we should have checked the actual Daily Iwa. We were sad to miss Uncle, but we waited around for my preteen to finish. She had a better time this time. We checked the schedule for the next day and were excited to see there was a family Animation Academy, so I set my alarm to wake up and sign up.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Thursday, June 13- moving to Waikiki
I woke up early to sign up for the family animation class when it opened. I also got some coffee and did a last load of laundry. I really liked the washer and dryer in our room. It was super convenient, and I tried to make sure everything we had was washed before we left. I had intentions of not doing laundry again. We tried to pack as light as possible since Hawaiian Airlines charges for checked bags. We did get a discount for being members of their club, but still added up to $90 a suitcase including the island hops. Our Delta flight from LAX allowed us all to check a bag for free using my membership which helped on our last leg of the trip.
I also saw a mongoose while waiting. We saw several on our trip and at Aulani. Our tour guide on a later tour told us someone had brought them into Hawaii to control the rat population but that they never cross paths due to rats only coming out at night, and mongooses only coming out during the day. He also said that mongooses were responsible for destroying native birds with no previous predators that built their nests on the ground.
We grabbed a couple of things from the Ulu Cafe for breakfast. The malasadas they had there were not too tasty looking, so I grabbed a couple of donuts.
Both donuts were underwhelming.
My 2 youngest asked to go back to Aunty's one last time. This was probably because they did not want to pack and load the car, but we let them anyway.
We also decided to look at the bays next door. We walked to the side that was not the 4 Seasons, and it looked very similar. We also walked to the 4 Seasons. We did look out of place with all of our bands screaming Aulani, and we did get stopped. We let them know we were just seeking the "secret beach", and they let us walk through. The "secret beach" was behind a tiny gate and did not look too cool, so we returned to Aulani. We have heard there are sometimes turtles but usually only in the morning.
We then loaded up our car and went back to try the indoor Menehune Adventure Trail. This time our tablet worked, and it was pretty fun.
Soon it was time for our animation class, so we picked up the youngest from Aunty's . This day was super hero day. The day before was science day, and my son enjoyed the experiments.
The animation class was full with many people on the waiting list waiting in the back for someone not to show up. The first thing we did was to try to draw Stitch.
Next, they handed out animations to paint.
It was not really an animation class, but it was a fun way to end our stay at Aulani.
We then headed to out next location, Waikiki. Our hotel was the Hyatt House a couple of blocks from the beach which was chosen because we could use our free Hyatt nights there. There is also a Hyatt Regency on the beach, but it is a class above free nights. On the way there we stopped at the Rainbow Drive In for lunch. We got cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and a mahi sandwich. They were all enjoyed except the hot dogs. My husband also liked their apple pie which reminded him of old school Mcdonald's pies when they could fry them.
We also stopped by the famed Leonard's for treats and malasadas. We got several items to try, paid, and left. When we arrived at our hotel, we noticed we were missing the malasadas. We called, and we were supposed to wait for them. They wrote down our information and told us we could come by later. The other bakery items including mochi and brownies were pretty good. Our new hotel did not give us a good impression. At check in I noticed lots of young people hanging out and long elevator lines. The lady at the desk said it was Grad Week! We had to wait a long time for an elevator which was crammed with teenage boys, one of which had a completely nude woman tattooed on his arm. Our stay ended up getting better aside from loud teens every once in a while.
Our room was at least facing the ocean.
Soon it was time to check out the famed Waikiki Beach. It turned out to be really fun playing in the waves, and it beat our old record for how far we could walk out and still touch. Diamond Head also looked beautiful in the background.
to be continued...
I woke up early to sign up for the family animation class when it opened. I also got some coffee and did a last load of laundry. I really liked the washer and dryer in our room. It was super convenient, and I tried to make sure everything we had was washed before we left. I had intentions of not doing laundry again. We tried to pack as light as possible since Hawaiian Airlines charges for checked bags. We did get a discount for being members of their club, but still added up to $90 a suitcase including the island hops. Our Delta flight from LAX allowed us all to check a bag for free using my membership which helped on our last leg of the trip.
I also saw a mongoose while waiting. We saw several on our trip and at Aulani. Our tour guide on a later tour told us someone had brought them into Hawaii to control the rat population but that they never cross paths due to rats only coming out at night, and mongooses only coming out during the day. He also said that mongooses were responsible for destroying native birds with no previous predators that built their nests on the ground.
We grabbed a couple of things from the Ulu Cafe for breakfast. The malasadas they had there were not too tasty looking, so I grabbed a couple of donuts.
Both donuts were underwhelming.
My 2 youngest asked to go back to Aunty's one last time. This was probably because they did not want to pack and load the car, but we let them anyway.
We also decided to look at the bays next door. We walked to the side that was not the 4 Seasons, and it looked very similar. We also walked to the 4 Seasons. We did look out of place with all of our bands screaming Aulani, and we did get stopped. We let them know we were just seeking the "secret beach", and they let us walk through. The "secret beach" was behind a tiny gate and did not look too cool, so we returned to Aulani. We have heard there are sometimes turtles but usually only in the morning.
We then loaded up our car and went back to try the indoor Menehune Adventure Trail. This time our tablet worked, and it was pretty fun.
Soon it was time for our animation class, so we picked up the youngest from Aunty's . This day was super hero day. The day before was science day, and my son enjoyed the experiments.
The animation class was full with many people on the waiting list waiting in the back for someone not to show up. The first thing we did was to try to draw Stitch.
Next, they handed out animations to paint.
It was not really an animation class, but it was a fun way to end our stay at Aulani.
We then headed to out next location, Waikiki. Our hotel was the Hyatt House a couple of blocks from the beach which was chosen because we could use our free Hyatt nights there. There is also a Hyatt Regency on the beach, but it is a class above free nights. On the way there we stopped at the Rainbow Drive In for lunch. We got cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and a mahi sandwich. They were all enjoyed except the hot dogs. My husband also liked their apple pie which reminded him of old school Mcdonald's pies when they could fry them.
We also stopped by the famed Leonard's for treats and malasadas. We got several items to try, paid, and left. When we arrived at our hotel, we noticed we were missing the malasadas. We called, and we were supposed to wait for them. They wrote down our information and told us we could come by later. The other bakery items including mochi and brownies were pretty good. Our new hotel did not give us a good impression. At check in I noticed lots of young people hanging out and long elevator lines. The lady at the desk said it was Grad Week! We had to wait a long time for an elevator which was crammed with teenage boys, one of which had a completely nude woman tattooed on his arm. Our stay ended up getting better aside from loud teens every once in a while.
Our room was at least facing the ocean.
Soon it was time to check out the famed Waikiki Beach. It turned out to be really fun playing in the waves, and it beat our old record for how far we could walk out and still touch. Diamond Head also looked beautiful in the background.
to be continued...
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Thursday continued...
It was also much busier than our previous beaches. There were also several homeless people camped out around the area, and we saw police arresting people at least a couple of times. There were also about 10 ABC stores on the strip
We came in when it got dark. My husband swore he had seen a Papa John's on the strip, so we ordered it from one .7 miles away. He walked to pick it up, and he ended up walking all the way past the Rainbow Drive In.
Our room was really adequate with 2 queen beds and a pull out sofa bed. It was clean and had free breakfast, but it paled in comparison to our other hotels.
It was also much busier than our previous beaches. There were also several homeless people camped out around the area, and we saw police arresting people at least a couple of times. There were also about 10 ABC stores on the strip
We came in when it got dark. My husband swore he had seen a Papa John's on the strip, so we ordered it from one .7 miles away. He walked to pick it up, and he ended up walking all the way past the Rainbow Drive In.
Our room was really adequate with 2 queen beds and a pull out sofa bed. It was clean and had free breakfast, but it paled in comparison to our other hotels.
AussieDisneyfans
Aussie Disney Fans
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2017
Glad that your family had a great stay at Aulani. You have all done so much in such a short time. Looking forward to reading about your adventures in Waikiki.
Amw1064
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Love reading your report. We checked into Aulani the day you left but we were in Waikiki both days you were there. We did the trip opposite of you. 3 days at Disneyland and then 11 days at Aulani. Can't wait to hear what you thought of Turtle Bay Resort. Was thinking of splitting up our stay next time (notice, I say next time) Also what did you think of Galaxy's Edge?
dachsie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2014
@Nalshersmom you can get the Mountain Thunder coffee on Amazon. I got some recently and it was really good.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
Turtle Bay was super nice, and I am super glad we stayed there
Galaxy's Edge was pretty good, but I think I would appreciate it more if I was into Star Wars.
Nalshersmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
That is really good to know
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