ammendment to "1 day tour"

[Karlan29]

NEWSFLASH! I googled earth Diamond Head..YOU PARK INSIDE THE CRATER??!! Sorry, but I was thinking you PARK outside the circle and climb up the side! I really don't know how to make the most of our 1 day with a rental anymore. All I know is we need to be at Pearl Harbor by 1pm cuz parking sucks and our tix are at 2pm. It seems like no matter what we do, time and traffic is going to be a HUGE issue!
What are your must- dos if you have 1 day..4 adults..8yr old and 5 yr old?
S.O.S.

 

[Avery&Todd]

YES!! you park INSIDE the crater...and it's a b*tch of a hike! I thought we might die going up the crater!! We compared our trip to Hawaii to Disney all over the place - and how this path or those set of stairs would NOT meet Disney standards because there wasn't a rail or the path wasn't clear or we LOVED the greenery and what a wonderful job the Disney designers did!

Hawaii was great - but we spent 11 days over 3 islands and it wasn't nearly enough time!

 

[Karlan29]

YES!! you park INSIDE the crater...and it's a b*tch of a hike! I thought we might die going up the crater!! We compared our trip to Hawaii to Disney all over the place - and how this path or those set of stairs would NOT meet Disney standards because there wasn't a rail or the path wasn't clear or we LOVED the greenery and what a wonderful job the Disney designers did!

Hawaii was great - but we spent 11 days over 3 islands and it wasn't nearly enough time!

We are only there for 7 days( 5 If you count arrival and departure day) . I thought that was enough but now I know I should've made it longer so we could see more. Didn't know how hard/long it was to tour the island. Only staying at Aulani. Only renting the van for 1 day so we can really enjoy the resort and relax. Trying to make the most out of 1 day touring but it sounds like you need 1 day for hiking, 1 day for North shore , 1 day for Pearl harbor..! Ugh!

 

[Avery&Todd]

We are only there for 7 days( 5 If you count arrival and departure day) . I thought that was enough but now I know I should've made it longer so we could see more. Didn't know how hard/long it was to tour the island. Only staying at Aulani. Only renting the van for 1 day so we can really enjoy the resort and relax. Trying to make the most out of 1 day touring but it sounds like you need 1 day for hiking, 1 day for North shore , 1 day for Pearl harbor..! Ugh!

YES!! We spent the most of a whole day at Diamond Head hiking and driving around that end of the island, we spent a day at Pearl Harbour (literally like 9 hrs there, it was exhausting) a day at Kualoa Ranch, we spent a day in Hilo at the Volcano National Park (which was an almost 12 hr day!!), we spent a day at every place it seemed!!

you know you can be as early as you want to Pearl Harbour since your tickets are for the USS Arizona at 2pm but you can get there earlier and see everything else beforehand! There are so many exhibits to go through and boats, and a submarine and I could go on and on and on....

We were there as soon as they opened and our tickets were at 12noon but b/c we go there early, they offered to move our tickets to 8:30am - which was great!! you never know - you could get some pixie dust in Hawaii too!

 

[Midoria]

NEWSFLASH! I googled earth Diamond Head..YOU PARK INSIDE THE CRATER??!! Sorry, but I was thinking you PARK outside the circle and climb up the side! I really don't know how to make the most of our 1 day with a rental anymore. All I know is we need to be at Pearl Harbor by 1pm cuz parking sucks and our tix are at 2pm. It seems like no matter what we do, time and traffic is going to be a HUGE issue!
What are your must- dos if you have 1 day..4 adults..8yr old and 5 yr old?
S.O.S.

I understand that you want to make the most of your day with a rental, but you have to be in Pearl Harbor smack in the middle of the day. It's probably best to just stay in the general area. My advice? Do Manoa in the earlier morning. Wear shoes you don't mind getting muddy and then switch them out when you're done. Lots of that hike takes place under foliage and not in the blazing hot sun like Diamond Head. Just check out the pictures.

Have an early lunch somewhere close by.

Next, head for the Bishop Museum and spend about 2 hours there. It's 20 minutes away from Manoa in the direction of Pearl Harbor. They opened Holo Moana, so you may be able to get your children interested in what real Polynesian voyaging is like. I plan to see it when I go back to Oahu next month. Plus they have a science center with a "lava show" and planetarium that has a show geared towards kids 8 and younger, so perfect for your family. The kids I mentored loved going there. Check the website: https://www.bishopmuseum.org/ It may be nice to spend a couple hours in the a/c before you go to Pearl Harbor.

Go to Pearl Harbor. It's less than 10 miles away, in the direction of Aulani, and it'll be in the middle of the day so traffic won't be that bad.

We compared our trip to Hawaii to Disney all over the place - and how this path or those set of stairs would NOT meet Disney standards because there wasn't a rail or the path wasn't clear or we LOVED the greenery and what a wonderful job the Disney designers did!

Comparing 2+ million-year-old island chain to a series of theme parks and resorts. Interesting to say the least. lol

 

[Karlan29]

YES!! We spent the most of a whole day at Diamond Head hiking and driving around that end of the island, we spent a day at Pearl Harbour (literally like 9 hrs there, it was exhausting) a day at Kualoa Ranch, we spent a day in Hilo at the Volcano National Park (which was an almost 12 hr day!!), we spent a day at every place it seemed!!

you know you can be as early as you want to Pearl Harbour since your tickets are for the USS Arizona at 2pm but you can get there earlier and see everything else beforehand! There are so many exhibits to go through and boats, and a submarine and I could go on and on and on....

We were there as soon as they opened and our tickets were at 12noon but b/c we go there early, they offered to move our tickets to 8:30am - which was great!! you never know - you could get some pixie dust in Hawaii too!

I am starting to think we will only have time for Pearl Harbor..which is both good and bad. Was hoping to do at least 2 activities in 1 day. This is hard.

 

[Avery&Todd]

Comparing 2+ million-year-old island chain to a series of theme parks and resorts. Interesting to say the least. lol

I meant no disrespect to Hawaii - we had a fabulous time, I've never been to such a beautiful place and I can't wait to go back again (and my father was actually born on Ford Island way back in the day on base so I like to joke that I'm Hawaiian too)! But as we were in the volcano park and walking down the side of the crater and the pathway was barely cut out of the undergrowth and there were tree roots sticking up and we were wacking into trees and it was as beautiful as nature can be I made a comment to my husband that we were not in Disney because the path would be paved and there would be a handrail kinda like a "we're not in Kansas anymore" joke....

 

[Karlan29]

I meant no disrespect to Hawaii - we had a fabulous time, I've never been to such a beautiful place and I can't wait to go back again (and my father was actually born on Ford Island way back in the day on base so I like to joke that I'm Hawaiian too)! But as we were in the volcano park and walking down the side of the crater and the pathway was barely cut out of the undergrowth and there were tree roots sticking up and we were wacking into trees and it was as beautiful as nature can be I made a comment to my husband that we were not in Disney because the path would be paved and there would be a handrail kinda like a "we're not in Kansas anymore" joke....

It really sounds like it may be too much for our group.

 

[cgattis]

It really sounds like it may be too much for our group.

Honestly there's no way I'd attempt it with a 5YO. (And yes, my mind was also blown when I realized we climbed up the inside of the crater and not the outside! LOL) The views are amazing but someone had posted on another thread a good lookout (Tantalus?) that could get you similar views without the hike.

WRT Pearl Harbor, you could definitely stay all day. But with an 8&5YO, that probably won't work either. Google the details of the different exhibits and narrow down what you really want to see. For example, I looked at the detailed list of what aircraft are in display, and there was really only one I'd never seen elsewhere, so we skipped it. You can see a few exhibits and ride out to the memorial in an hour or two, if that's what you really want.

Yes, you needed more time, but if you'd stayed a month, you'd still have needed longer! There is SO much to do just on Oahu. But you're spending a lot to be at Aulani, so make sure to enjoy that too. It's definitely our very favorite Disney resort--simply awesome.

 

[Karlan29]

Honestly there's no way I'd attempt it with a 5YO. (And yes, my mind was also blown when I realized we climbed up the inside of the crater and not the outside! LOL) The views are amazing but someone had posted on another thread a good lookout (Tantalus?) that could get you similar views without the hike.

WRT Pearl Harbor, you could definitely stay all day. But with an 8&5YO, that probably won't work either. Google the details of the different exhibits and narrow down what you really want to see. For example, I looked at the detailed list of what aircraft are in display, and there was really only one I'd never seen elsewhere, so we skipped it. You can see a few exhibits and ride out to the memorial in an hour or two, if that's what you really want.

Yes, you needed more time, but if you'd stayed a month, you'd still have needed longer! There is SO much to do just on Oahu. But you're spending a lot to be at Aulani, so make sure to enjoy that too. It's definitely our very favorite Disney resort--simply awesome.

Than you for the input. Looks like it's Pearl harbor for the day.

 

[Midoria]

I am starting to think we will only have time for Pearl Harbor..which is both good and bad. Was hoping to do at least 2 activities in 1 day. This is hard.

You can do a hike and Bishop as I outlined in a post above. Just a suggestion. Or even just go for Bishop. It's only 8 miles away from Pearl Harbor.

 

[Karlan29]

You can do a hike and Bishop as I outlined in a post above. Just a suggestion. Or even just go for Bishop. It's only 8 miles away from Pearl Harbor.

Keeping that in my notes..thanks

 

[Poipu04]

Also you can’t bring bags into Pearl Harbor. I was there two years ago. You can bring cellphone, wallet and camera without the case. I stuffed everything in my pockets. Also food options are limited. I think I had a hot dog. Your choice is a sandwich stand, hot dog stand or soup. It’s defintely worth it. The Missouri and Bowfin sub are also there. You can spend a full day.

 

[Poipu04]

Here is the website with the no bags policy https://pearlharboroahu.com/faqs-questions-pearl-harbor/

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[Poipu04]

We went to the Bishop Museum as an adults only couple. We really enjoyed it. You can take a docent led tour for more insight. It helped us understand and appreciate the real Hawaii, not the tourist Hawaii, and it's rich culture. I also recommend the Iolani Palace in Honolulu. It is the only royal palace in the U.S.

 

[nkereina]

Comparing 2+ million-year-old island chain to a series of theme parks and resorts. Interesting to say the least. lol

I think @Avery&Todd 's point was that if you're used to being a Disney vacationer, you need to understand how vastly a Hawaii vacation will differ. I'm sure Hawaii is seeing a lot of first-timers who are Disney fanatics since the addition of Aulani. I'm just picturing a lot of these people being used to WDW visits every year and then they come and do Diamond Head without much research and it's too strenuous. They're just very different vacations so it's a good point to make to help manage expectations.

 

[kiford]

Also you can’t bring bags into Pearl Harbor. I was there two years ago. You can bring cellphone, wallet and camera without the case. I stuffed everything in my pockets. Also food options are limited. I think I had a hot dog. Your choice is a sandwich stand, hot dog stand or soup. It’s defintely worth it. The Missouri and Bowfin sub are also there. You can spend a full day.

If you get the full passport and go over to the air museum, there is a quick service place there and the food was pretty good IMO. There's a bus that takes you over there. But you don't need tickets to go there and go to the restaurant. I was personally just glad of the time to sit both on the bus and at the restaurant.

We got to Pearl Harbor at 7:45, got tickets for the Arizona for 8 am and left as they were closing the gates behind us at 5 pm. We saw everything and I mean everything including the gift shop. We probably spent 90 minutes alone on the Missouri as we got on just as a tour guide was doing a tour (around the deck). Then we went into the Missouri and took our time. You can take as much or as little time as you want at Pearl Harbor - you can buy tickets for everything or for just a few things. I'm personally glad that we did everything but it is a very long day with a lot of walking. I was at least as whiny as an 8 year old by the end of it (moderated by feeding me in the middle of the day) so I'm not sure how young kids would hold up to a full 9 hour day. I do highly recommend the Missouri and Bowfin in addition to the Arizona. You could skip the air museum (although it was good) and the other museums or just walk through them reasonably quickly (we pretty much stopped at every exhibit) if you want to limit your time (and energy output).

 

[Karlan29]

If you get the full passport and go over to the air museum, there is a quick service place there and the food was pretty good IMO. There's a bus that takes you over there. But you don't need tickets to go there and go to the restaurant. I was personally just glad of the time to sit both on the bus and at the restaurant.

We got to Pearl Harbor at 7:45, got tickets for the Arizona for 8 am and left as they were closing the gates behind us at 5 pm. We saw everything and I mean everything including the gift shop. We probably spent 90 minutes alone on the Missouri as we got on just as a tour guide was doing a tour (around the deck). Then we went into the Missouri and took our time. You can take as much or as little time as you want at Pearl Harbor - you can buy tickets for everything or for just a few things. I'm personally glad that we did everything but it is a very long day with a lot of walking. I was at least as whiny as an 8 year old by the end of it (moderated by feeding me in the middle of the day) so I'm not sure how young kids would hold up to a full 9 hour day. I do highly recommend the Missouri and Bowfin in addition to the Arizona. You could skip the air museum (although it was good) and the other museums or just walk through them reasonably quickly (we pretty much stopped at every exhibit) if you want to limit your time (and energy output).

Oh boy, We will have to see how this day goes. We have 2pm tix, do you think if We get there asap in the morning we might get an earlier tour time? Or maybe they will let us on an earlier tour time?

 

[Midoria]

That looks like an interesting museum! Is it also fun for an adults only group?

Yes, it's great for all ages, but I wanted to focus on the children since they may get bored with certain activities.

I think @Avery&Todd 's point was that if you're used to being a Disney vacationer, you need to understand how vastly a Hawaii vacation will differ. I'm sure Hawaii is seeing a lot of first-timers who are Disney fanatics since the addition of Aulani. I'm just picturing a lot of these people being used to WDW visits every year and then they come and do Diamond Head without much research and it's too strenuous. They're just very different vacations so it's a good point to make to help manage expectations.

I think that depends on where else people travel when they vacation. Being a Disney vacationer doesn't mean that's the only place that you go. I know a woman who is a hardcore Disney person and goes to both parks in the USA at least once a year - usually more. But she has traveled extensively all over the USA and the world. She would compare Hawaii to other states and countries, not manmade parks.