Stopping at Target en route from airport - Safe?

[B'rer Karen]

We want to make a stop at Target to pick up a few things for the room. It seems to make the most sense to just stop on our drive to Aulani from the airport. In researching for this trip, I've seen many warnings about not leaving valuables in your car, even the trunk, due to a high number of vehicle break ins. These warnings seem to be referring more to places like Pearl Harbor and in Waikiki, more touristy areas, but it is making me think twice about leaving our luggage in the rental car while in Target. Is it generally safer to leave items in the vehicle at Target, or would you not chance it?

 

[alohamom]

We have done this at different places in Kapolei (where Target is) including stopping to eat before we get to Aulani and the Safeway plaza and at Target.

We usually put everything into the trunk and lock the car so that it is not in plain sight and we keep any valuables like our wallets, passports, etc on us.

I must admit, I am a little nervous about doing this but I have also never had a break in. Target and the Safeway plaza in Kapolei are very public spaces with lots of people coming and going.

I would never leave it in a Jeep or an SUV where the luggage is visable

 

[B'rer Karen]

We have done this at different places in Kapolei (where Target is) including stopping to eat before we get to Aulani and the Safeway plaza and at Target.

We usually put everything into the trunk and lock the car so that it is not in plain sight and we keep any valuables like our wallets, passports, etc on us.

I must admit, I am a little nervous about doing this but I have also never had a break in. Target and the Safeway plaza in Kapolei are very public spaces with lots of people coming and going.

I would never leave it in a Jeep or an SUV where the luggage is visable

Thank you. We are renting a Jeep so that is my concern. I think either we'll wait until after we arrive to shop, or one of us will stay in the vehicle while one shops.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Thank you. We are renting a Jeep so that is my concern. I think either we'll wait until after we arrive to shop, or one of us will stay in the vehicle while one shops.

If you have a soft-top Jeep thats the best idea in even the safest neighborhoods.

 

[nkereina]

We had a convertible Camaro so we were forced to put one of our suitcases in the backseat due to the small trunk space. We stopped at Kua Aina Burgers and then Target (same plaza) and fortunately were ok. The top was up, of course. Its better to be safe than sorry, but from everything I have read, theft is most rampant at Pearl Harbor and public beaches where there is little to no security or monitoring.

 

[Pooh2]

After reading reports of trunk break-ins, I just ran in to Target with a list of things to get us started and my husband waited in the car.
Target was pretty close to Aulani and we ran out a couple of times to restock on sunblock and drinks and snacks.

 

[B'rer Karen]

After reading reports of trunk break-ins, I just ran in to Target with a list of things to get us started and my husband waited in the car.
Target was pretty close to Aulani and we ran out a couple of times to restock on sunblock and drinks and snacks.

That is exactly what I am thinking I will do.

 

[alohamom]

I would for sure have someone stay with the jeep or go back out. It really isnt that far, like maybe 10 minutes total from the Aulani parking to Target if there is no traffic

 

[mfleeting]

We put everything in the trunk and had no issues at all

 

[Glent59]

Our last trip to Aulani was a soft top jeep, we went to Aulani first, unloaded the vehicle and left the non shoppers to explore... we went to safeway, shopped there, and had no issues. This time were going to venture a tad further to walmart, and do some shopping there. ( again, after dropping the non shoppers off ), i dont expect in a high traffic area that there will be much trouble. much of the challenges come as you park to explore some of the less dense areas ( beaches up the left coast etc..)

 

[Sepo]

I’ll mix it up with a story. Wife was coming out of the Kapolei Target with her cart and a woman purposefully bumped into her cart forcing it toward the wall, feigning clumsiness, as her seemingly unrelated accomplice from the side and behind made a move for my wife’s purse. We’re from the city - no dice. They scattered quickly.

Having said that, its an overall safe place and Hawaii’s crime is petty like that. Just stay smart.

 

[heaven2dc]

I agree with everyone else and that is to put luggage/backpacks in trunk and take valuables with you. On another note - remember not to buy perishables if you are arriving before check in time as they do not have a place to store them for you. Check in time is not guaranteed to be until after 3 or 4 pm depending on your room type. Enjoy your stay and have fun!

 

[cedricandsophie]

We always stop at Safeway on way to aulani. And always have A minivan with luggage piled in back. Never had a problem. As a matte4 of fact it never occurred to me to worry about it.

 

[ErinF]

On another note - remember not to buy perishables if you are arriving before check in time as they do not have a place to store them for you.

Interesting! I was assuming Aulani was like other Disney hotels, in that the bellhops had a big fridge where they could store/hold cold items. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[B'rer Karen]

Thanks for all the feedback. We just returned from a wonderful trip. So worth the travel exhaustion! By the time we landed, got luggage, took the shuttle to the rental car counter, and got the rental car, it was 4 pm HST (so 10 pm EST, and we had been up since 4:45 am), and we hit that major Honolulu traffic so we decided to just go straight to Aulani and hit Target at opening the next day. But having said that, now that I'm familiar with the area, I think it would have been fine to leave the luggage in the trunk had we stopped on the way in (We ended up with a 4 door hard-top jeep and the luggage all fit in the trunk).

 

[wilbret]

Second the post above me. I think it makes the most sense to go to hotel first, and get in the room, THEN go to store.
That being said, I didn't "feel" like there was any issue at that Target. Just exercise common sense and keep stuff out of site.

Don't forget to bring your own bags, or else you'll be buying yours. Target didn't have 15 cent bags like most stores, at least when we went, you'll be buying $4 souvenir bags.

 

[elderfam]

There is a very nice Target 2 miles from Aulani...it the last exit before the resort exit. I made a target run yesterday....super easy!

 

[B'rer Karen]

Second the post above me. I think it makes the most sense to go to hotel first, and get in the room, THEN go to store.
That being said, I didn't "feel" like there was any issue at that Target. Just exercise common sense and keep stuff out of site.

Don't forget to bring your own bags, or else you'll be buying yours. Target didn't have 15 cent bags like most stores, at least when we went, you'll be buying $4 souvenir bags.

Yes! I wish I had known that about bags in general in Hawaii. I had not uncovered that tidbit in my planning. We were able to get cheap reusable bags at Target ($1-2).

 

[makthompson]

We want to make a stop at Target to pick up a few things for the room. It seems to make the most sense to just stop on our drive to Aulani from the airport. In researching for this trip, I've seen many warnings about not leaving valuables in your car, even the trunk, due to a high number of vehicle break ins. These warnings seem to be referring more to places like Pearl Harbor and in Waikiki, more touristy areas, but it is making me think twice about leaving our luggage in the rental car while in Target. Is it generally safer to leave items in the vehicle at Target, or would you not chance it?

We checked into Aulani and then went shopping. Like it was said previously, just leave things out of sight. If there is a trunk, I would do it, if I didn't want to leave the resort after we arrived. Thieves are everywhere, just use your best judgement, just like you would at home.