We are going to Aulani July 9th through the 16th, it's myself, hubby, and two daughters 13 and 7. We really don't have anything planned. We usually have our vacations jam packed with activities (and usually come home with a feeling of needing a vacation after vacation) and are looking at this one as a "chill vacation." We are DVC, so it's not like we don't plan on going back again. So, the question is, are we going to get bored? We plan on going to the cove, snorkeling, spending A LOT of time at the pool and have a cabana one day, have a dinner reservation for the character one one night, and that's really about it, although after looking at the daily IWA's that are up, some of the activities sound fun and we'll probably check some of those out. We have been to Hawaii before, though stayed in Wailea on Maui, and did something almost every day, did a luau, and I know there is a lot to explore on Oahu. Just want to get others thoughts, or how others that have done the same thing felt. Thanks!
My wife and I have been 3 times. 1st for 21 nights (honeymoon), then 14 nights and then 16 nights. We've done a mix of exploring the island and just chilling at Aulani for long durations. We've found both to be enjoyable. I don't know that you guys will necessarily get bored just staying at Aulani, but You may miss out on some other pretty cool stuff around the island. It really all depends what you want though. You can still do things around the island and have it be chill. We really enjoyed just taking rides up to the North Shore and hiking up there at Waimea Falls. Or Pillboxes hike on the Windward side (although this may be tougher with a 7 year old. Depends on her). We loved finding spots along the North Shore to stop and snorkel like Sharks Cove (not as bad as it sounds! lol). Or even just heading up to the North Shore and then driving all the way around the island and taking in the sights. We made a conscious effort to avoid overly scheduled or planned things. Didn't wanna get too "touristy" with it. The 1 thing we did do that was like that was Pearl Harbor. I would recommend that even if you do decide to stay at Aulani for the duration, make time to at least go see Pearl Harbor.
Some tips if you do stay on Aulani property the whole time:
1) If you plan on snorkeling, stop at the target that's 5 minutes away and buy your own gear. It's well worth it. Much more comfortable and significantly clearer than the equipment available for rental at Aulani.
2) While at Target, buy any groceries you may want for the room there. There's an ABC Market across the street from Aulani in Ko Olina, but it is significantly more expensive than Target and that can definitely add up.
3) Breakfast at AMA AMA. I can't recommend this strongly enough! We ate here almost every morning lol the food is great and the views are unbeatable! Awesome way to start the day. Lunch and dinner at AMA AMA are also very good, but the breakfast is by far our favorite!
4) Dinner at MonkeyPod Kitchen across the street from Aulani. Great food, great drinks and live music. Request to sit outside if possible. Great views of the sunset in the distance at the right times also. Roy's Ko Olina is also a very nice restaurant (in Ko Olina Golf Club). We really enjoyed our meal here. MonkeyPod by far is our favorite though! AMA AMA for breakfast, lunch at the beach and MonkeyPod for dinner is our perfect day there!
5) The cabanas are awesome, but check out the Casabellas also! Right on the beach and a fraction of the price ($40/day). Comfort, convenience and some much needed shade whenever you want it! Granted you guys have 4 and we only had 2, but they also will pull up beach chairs to it as well for you, so you could definitely make it work! It's also great because it's yours for the day (8am-5pm) and you can come and go as you please without worrying about losing your chairs (the chair policy there allows them to move your stuff if you leave it unattended for an hour or more). Also, they usually continue food/drink service for the Casabellas even if they aren't doing it for the entire beach that day. A huge plus when you don't feel like moving out of that comfy lounger lol My wife and I enjoyed them so much that we ended up getting 1 nearly everyday we were there despite the cost. We found them to be well worth it!
6) There's not a whole lot to do at night, so try planning your days accordingly. Ex: beach/pool all day, watch the sunset and then do dinner after so it's a little bit later. Our 1st few nights we found ourselves getting bored very early bc we'd eat too early and then have nothing to do once the pools and what not were closed. This is where a later dinner and some of the live music comes in handy. Maybe some games to play in the room at night also. It's very much an early awake and early asleep style, but you get used to it.
7) Walk along the rocks (especially for sunsets) and explore the other lagoons. The rocks to the right (towards Paradise Cove) are especially fun. Some tide pools, sea turtles, fish etc... Simple, but enjoyable!
8) I wish you guys could make time for Laniwai Spa. It's amazing. The facilities are beautiful and incredibly relaxing even without the massage.
I'm trying to think of more stuff.... if you think of anymore specific questions please ask! In the meantime I'll try to keep thinking of anything else I can think of.
(They're at the hotel next door, so the same tour would certainly work)
