How much do you have to plan?

[justme0729]

Do you find that you have to plan where you are eating each day, what sight seeing you want to do etc. or do you just have a list of things you want to do and decide each day which one you are going to do? I'm wondering if I need to make an itinerary like I do for WDW or if we just need a general idea of things we want to go see. We're thinking things like Diamond Head, Kualoa Ranch, Lanikai/ Kailua Beach, Waimea Bay and Falls, Manoa Falls, maybe the Aulani catamaran, and random restaurants around the island.

I made a reservation for Ama Ama for dinner, the character dinner, and the spa.

 

[nkereina]

I'm a planner by nature, so I found it easier to make an itinerary - both to ensure we had reservations where/when needed, and to make sure we fit everything in that we wanted to do. I also would recommend an itinerary so you can make sure the things you are doing are in the same vicinity and you aren't criss-crossing the island. You also have to plan around traffic.

Diamond Head is best recommended early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowds. If it were me, I'd do it on a weekend. You'd hit traffic driving there in the morning on a weekday, and its best to spend the weekend days away from Aulani doing excursions because Aulani tends to be busier on the weekends with locals. Also keep in mind you'll likely be sweaty and in workout clothes (we were!) afterwards, so we didn't want to do much until we showered. I'd say you could check out Waikiki perhaps, but I wouldn't want to do anything that required nicer clothes or photo ops, for example.

Kualoa Ranch has tour schedules, and some are only offered once a day at certain times. And some tours are limited capacity. It can be a good 60-90 minute drive over there, depending on traffic, so this is one I would pre-book and have a day you want to dedicate to the windward side of the island. Kailua and Lanikai Beach aren't too far from here. We spent the morning at Kualoa Ranch and the afternoon at Kailua Beach.

Waimea Falls is in the North Shore, which would be a good day to check out Haleiwa and the Dole Plantation, if that's of interest.

As for dining at Aulani, it is recommended you have a reservation for Makahiki and Ama Ama. The character meals at Makahiki are popular, and we weren't able to move our dinner reservation because of that. We did breakfast and dinner at Makahiki and breakfast at Ama Ama and enjoyed them all. I don't think any of these meals are akin to CRT at WDW in terms of how difficult they are to book, but they can fill up especially depending on the time of year you'll be there.

Only other thing I would pre-book is a spa appointment, if that's of interest.

 

[spacecanada]

We booked things that had specific times, like surfing lessons (via Surf HNL), Aulani restaurant reservations, and a tour at Kualoa Ranch, because those can all book up before you arrive. Besides that, we just went with the flow and did things on days we felt like doing them -- or skipping them and chilling on the beach for the day. With some strategies, like arriving before opening times everywhere, we were able to do everything we wanted without making any additional reservations.

We were able to get 'AMA'AMA reservations the same day whilst at the resort, but that's not guaranteed, and you may not get an optimal time (i.e. sunset).

I hear Pearl Harbor might need advance tickets if you plan to see that. And I echo the spa reservations, if you want them during a busy time.

 

[nkereina]

I hear Pearl Harbor might need advance tickets if you plan to see that.

When the Arizona Memorial is operating as normal, you can obtain tickets online at exactly 60 days out I think. Its my understanding there is a limited amount and they go fast. The alternative is to arrive at Pearl Harbor early and line up at the standby entrance for a tour time. But if you're in the back of the line, your tour might not be til the afternoon and then you're stuck figuring out something to do in the meantime. We booked an organized tour from our hotel in Waikiki that facilitated the tickets for us so we didn't have to worry about it. I don't know whether Aulani offers anything similar.

 

[spacecanada]

Aulani has organised tours to Pearl Harbor as well, though you'd have to call in to see if they are available on the dates of your trip.

https://www.disneyaulani.com/activities/excursions/