Aulani newbie questions

[AussieAngel]

Hi!

Sorry if this has been asked 62 million times before… How long do you think is ideal to stay at Aulani?

We’re a family of 4 from Australia. Our boys will be 10 and 8, and we’re planning to spend a week at Waikiki first for lots of sight-seeing and exploring - so Aulani will mostly be relaxing and enjoying the resort.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions of a great apartment / villa / condo in Waikiki Beach, quite central?

Thank youuuu!

 

[tankin]

I think the answer is as individual as any group .... It depends on what you're looking to do, what your likes / dislikes are etc.

I'm not a fan of Waikiki... Way too much like Miami or any other big US city but other people love it. Individual tastes drive the answer of how long is the ideal stay in Waikiki (for me that's measured in hours not days or weeks).

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

I think the answer is as individual as any group .... It depends on what you're looking to do, what your likes / dislikes are etc.

I'm not a fan of Waikiki... Way too much like Miami or any other big US city but other people love it. Individual tastes drive the answer of how long is the ideal stay in Waikiki (for me that's measured in hours not days or weeks).

I agree. I am not a fan of Waikiki for the same reasons. Since I live near a major US city, when I vacation, I want to avoid major cities because they offer no escapism. A couple of hours in Waikiki on a week-long trip to Oahu is plenty for me.

My ideal length of stay at Aulani is the entire length of my Oahu trip with no split stays. I have a rental car on Oahu trips, so I have no problem staying the entire week at Aulani and driving to all the Oahu points of interest.

 

[TikiThunderPirates]

If the goal is to save money by staying elsewhere on Oahu during the sightseeing portion of the trip (not a bad plan), and splurge on Aulani just for the Aulani experience, then I think 3 nights allows for a good introduction. With 3 nights you can check in on your first day at 9:00am, store your luggage and enjoy the pools, gym, spa, etc until your room is ready. You just have to be willing to drag around at least a day bag with a change of clothes etc. In those 3 nights you won't be able to do it all, but you can get a good taste of the pools, beach, spa, activities, characters etc. In my opinion to get a more full experience schedule 5 nights. This will allow you time to see the Luau if you desire, time to do some of the activities offered (free and charged), and gives enough time not to always feel rushed to get to the next thing. If you are not pool and beach people, stick to the 3 nights and you can get a good feel for the place.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We stay 10 nights every time we go, this year beng the 8th time. But we have seen Oahu and the other islands. We never go anywhere else. We love it obviously. It never gets old. Laying by the pool, reading,lazy river and slides, my daughter chasing down characters etc.

 

[Unclelude]

Our first trip was a year ago. 10 days split 2/8.

City vibe was ok for 2 nights, hit diamond head and toured the city, hit some restaurants and also did pearl harbor (same day as DH in afternoon)...

For us way more relaxed at AUL... We still toured a bunch out of Aulani...

Our kids are older, we left them behind in school... when we go back again without kids, it will be all Aulani... If we bring them, maybe do a couple nights again in Waikiki so they can see it...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I hate Waikiki and I also hate split stays, so the ideal for me would be 9 nights at Aulani.

 

[OKW Lover]

I hate Waikiki and I also hate split stays, so the ideal for me would be 9 nights at Aulani.

We are pretty much of the same opinion. Although I wouldn't say I hate Waikiki, it's certainly not the focus of our visits.

Depending on reservations and flights we might actually fly to Oahu a day or two before our Aulani reservation and stay at a Waikiki hotel for those days. Or we might not.

 

[Paul Stupin]

We always go for two weeks. For us, Waikiki is fun to walk around and explore, have lunch, maybe go to the zoo. Also, a 20-30 minute walk up Ala Moana Blvd. will take you to the Ala Moana mall and then Kaka’ako, a newly developing area with lots of nice condos, restaurants and shops. It’s also got a great farmers market on Saturdays.

That said, we still like hanging out at Aulani best, for days on end!

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I’ll weigh in on the ‘pro-Waikiki’ side.

There are tons of things to do on the south-eastern side of the island. You’re much closer when staying in Waikiki, and when you’re out and about all day, saving $300/night is a great bonus.

Spend a day exploring Ala Moana, Kaka’ako, and Chinatown. Spend another day hiking Diamond Head, Koko Head, or snorkeling Haunauma Bay. Spend plenty of those days eating like a local. A couple of days on the beach, another day exploring Pearl Harbor, the Bishop Museum, or Kualoa Ranch, and that’s easily 5-6 days. Then spending time just chilling at Aulani, with maybe a couple of day trips to the North Shore.

Haven’t had to look into rentals, so can’t be of much help there. There are a lot of condos down in Waikiki available for rent, especially off Kuhio Ave, a couple of blocks from the beach. We’ve looked at VRBO units in the Waikiki Banyan condo, but always worked out stays with family instead.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Spend a day exploring Ala Moana

Have you been post-COVID? We loved Shirokiya Japan Village Walk but it got nuked by the pandemic and I was under the impression that the rest of the place was the same chain stores you can get in Any Mall, USA.

 

[corgi_monster]

The Gold Coast/Kaimana Beach area is worth checking out. You can walk to Waikiki, but you're far enough away from the hustle and bustle to relax. You can also take smaller roads through residential roads to/from the freeway and avoid Waikiki traffic.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Have you been post-COVID? We loved Shirokiya Japan Village Walk but it got nuked by the pandemic and I was under the impression that the rest of the place was the same chain stores you can get in Any Mall, USA.

Sadly, a lot of stuff has closed, but there are still interesting shops and restaurants. Shirokiya was arguably better back in the day (prior to Village Walk), but we do miss the Village Walk iteration.

The shops are primarily chain stores, but even those some local flavor. And there are definitely local stores to pay a visit to.

We were there in June and August, and my daughter had lots of fun… but I was missing the Disney Store.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We go 10 days every year. We have been all over the island. We never leave aulani.

 

[Flossbolna]

As an international visitor I do like exploring a US mall. Whether it’s in Florida or Hawaii or anywhere in between. I also like Waikiki for that reason: it’s a US city. Different from cities in Europe.

OP, I think 3-5 nights for a fun resort stay at Aulani is plenty. I would not do less than three nights. If your family enjoys all the different water activities and exploring the resort, I would want two full days. I think it’s just a much more relaxing day, if you wake up in the same hotel room that you go to sleep in at the end of the day.

 

[Splishsplash]

Hi!

Sorry if this has been asked 62 million times before… How long do you think is ideal to stay at Aulani?

We’re a family of 4 from Australia. Our boys will be 10 and 8, and we’re planning to spend a week at Waikiki first for lots of sight-seeing and exploring - so Aulani will mostly be relaxing and enjoying the resort.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions of a great apartment / villa / condo in Waikiki Beach, quite central?

Thank you

 

[Splishsplash]

Hi!

Sorry if this has been asked 62 million times before… How long do you think is ideal to stay at Aulani?

We’re a family of 4 from Australia. Our boys will be 10 and 8, and we’re planning to spend a week at Waikiki first for lots of sight-seeing and exploring - so Aulani will mostly be relaxing and enjoying the resort.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions of a great apartment / villa / condo in Waikiki Beach, quite central?

Thank youuuu!

Waikiki is the heart of a very busy city with really bad traffic almost all the time. I would only spend two nights there. Stay anywhere else if you want to explore the island. Aulani is a place you will enjoy every day and one week is a good amount of time. I have stayed for two weeks and loved that too.