Aulani - here now - post your questions

[Disney Dreams]

... Does anyone know the current price of snorkeling at Rainbow Reef? Has the price increased back to where it started or is it still discounted?

$15 for one day, $20 for the entire length of your stay. You check out the mask and snorkel each time you use it and return it when you exit the reef. If you snorkel several times a a day, they will re-issue it to you over and over throughout the day. Same with length of stay pass.

- Dreams

 

[suyama]

Regarding the snorkeling at the reef, can you bring your own or is renting required?

 

[kkmcan]

$15 for one day, $20 for the entire length of your stay. You check out the mask and snorkel each time you use it and return it when you exit the reef. If you snorkel several times a a day, they will re-issue it to you over and over throughout the day. Same with length of stay pass.

- Dreams

I thought I read that you could use these in the lagoon to snorkel as well. Do you happen to know if this is true?

Thanks!

 

[Cinderpamela]

I thought I read that you could use these in the lagoon to snorkel as well. Do you happen to know if this is true?

Thanks!

The equipment for Rainbow Reef is included in the Rainbow Reef Pass cost and is only used at Rainbow Reef, they require that you hand it back to them when finished. There is another equipment booth down on the beach, that is where you get equipment to use in the lagoon.

 

[aboveH20]

<----- me waving hello
<----- me raising my hand with a question

What are people wearing to Ama Ama. I don't mean dress code per se, because it's not that I'm asking about wearing cut off jeans and a Bud T-shirt, just wondering is it white slacks and a "Hawaiian" shirt, skirt and blouse? and what about the guys -- middle age guys?

Thanks.

<----- Goodbye

 

[mom2aidanNpiper]

<----- me waving hello <----- me raising my hand with a question What are people wearing to Ama Ama. I don't mean dress code per se, because it's not that I'm asking about wearing cut off jeans and a Bud T-shirt, just wondering is it white slacks and a "Hawaiian" shirt, skirt and blouse? and what about the guys -- middle age guys? Thanks. <----- Goodbye

Are you going for lunch or dinner?

For dinner I mostly saw women in casual resort wear (sundresses, nice shorts and tops) and men in shorts and polos or button down short sleeve shorts. Not a ton of slacks or anything more formal then a sundress on women.

Lunch was even more casual- lots of sundress over swimsuits, flip flops, etc.

We've been to dinner once, breakfast once and lunch twice over 2 dif trips.

 

[amym2]

<----- me waving hello
<----- me raising my hand with a question

What are people wearing to Ama Ama. I don't mean dress code per se, because it's not that I'm asking about wearing cut off jeans and a Bud T-shirt, just wondering is it white slacks and a "Hawaiian" shirt, skirt and blouse? and what about the guys -- middle age guys?

Thanks.

<----- Goodbye

When we ate at Ama Ama for lunch in October, I wore white capris and a flowery shirt, DH and FIL wore nicer shorts and Hawaiian shirts, and DS12 wore khaki shorts and a polo shirt. It was all I could do to get DD10 to change out of her swimsuit, so she wore shorts and a t-shirt. I would think that would be nice enough for dinner also. You'll rarely see people wearing pants in Hawaii.

 

[aboveH20]

Are you going for lunch or dinner?

For dinner I mostly saw women in casual resort wear (sundresses, nice shorts and tops) and men in shorts and polos or button down short sleeve shorts. Not a ton of slacks or anything more formal then a sundress on women.

Lunch was even more casual- lots of sundress over swimsuits, flip flops, etc.

We've been to dinner once, breakfast once and lunch twice over 2 dif trips.

When we ate at Ama Ama for lunch in October, I wore white capris and a flowery shirt, DH and FIL wore nicer shorts and Hawaiian shirts, and DS12 wore khaki shorts and a polo shirt. It was all I could do to get DD10 to change out of her swimsuit, so she wore shorts and a t-shirt. I would think that would be nice enough for dinner also. You'll rarely see people wearing pants in Hawaii.

Thank you both for replying. The temperature in New York is currently in the 20s and the forecast is for single digits the next couple days so it's hard to think about shorts and sun dresses, which is exactly why I asked. I'm glad to know (before I start packing) that pants aren't worn much.

We're having dinner at Ama Ama for one of the "round" birthdays people with white hair have . Naturally, I want to dress appropriately, but like I said, it's so hard to pack tropical when it's below freezing outside.

PS I've never worn capris. They're just not my thing, so I guess I have to break down and get a pair or go the sundress route.

 

[kkmcan]

Good info on the attire for Ama Ama as Dh and I have a dinner reservation there. I made it for 6:30 (mid March) and I'm thinking its too late and we'll miss the sunset. I might try and change it to 6:00. What do you guys think?

 

[mom2aidanNpiper]

Good info on the attire for Ama Ama as Dh and I have a dinner reservation there. I made it for 6:30 (mid March) and I'm thinking its too late and we'll miss the sunset. I might try and change it to 6:00. What do you guys think?

You can look up sunset times online I would check for the day of your reservation and then adjust if need be.

 

[gonzalj1]

Good info on the attire for Ama Ama as Dh and I have a dinner reservation there. I made it for 6:30 (mid March) and I'm thinking its too late and we'll miss the sunset. I might try and change it to 6:00. What do you guys think?

According to timeanddate.com sunset in March ranges from 6:36PM on the 1st to 6:46PM on the 31st. I woudl recommend a 6PM seating to give you time to get settled at your table to watch the sunset. Enjoy. It is beautiful. We did it this past August.

Here's the link - http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=103&month=3&year=2014&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1

 

[gsarmedic]

Lots of information all greatly appreciated.

Just a follow-up from August 18th, Gumbypee requested scans of the daily iwa's and gonzalj1 replied:

I wont be able to scan until I get home.

I was just wondering if you still have the iwa's or if you did end up scanning them and just not posting them to this forum.

Also, I had posted a bunch of questions in a new thread, and I don't want to jump your thread here, but with your permission I would like to post a link to my thread, or I can just post my questions in here. My questions have to do with Honolulu airport and arriving at Aulani.

I won't post questions or link until I hear back with your permission/decline out of respect for your thread.

 

[gonzalj1]

Lots of information all greatly appreciated. Just a follow-up from August 18th, Gumbypee requested scans of the daily iwa's and gonzalj1 replied: I was just wondering if you still have the iwa's or if you did end up scanning them and just not posting them to this forum. Also, I had posted a bunch of questions in a new thread, and I don't want to jump your thread here, but with your permission I would like to post a link to my thread, or I can just post my questions in here. My questions have to do with Honolulu airport and arriving at Aulani. I won't post questions or link until I hear back with your permission/decline out of respect for your thread.

Link away!

Guess I lost track of the scanning. I'll see if still have them.

 

[gsarmedic]

Posting my questions here from my original thread in hopes of getting more replies.

I was wondering what kinds of experiences family travelers (other's experiences are welcome as well) have had with Honolulu Airport and how long it is taking from arrival to the airport via airplane, to departing and getting to Aulani via rental car. We're going for a vows renewal/wedding with our kids, and so I am splurging on First Class on Delta from Orlando via Atlanta. Anyone by chance taken this flight before? (First Class or not)

The expected arrival time is 2:35pm Local, any traffic issues that anyone has experienced?

How long does it take to get the bags? (Hoping that first class will mean bags will be available quickest, but I would still like to get an idea of everyone's observations and any issues with the airport and any delays with bags)

I've read in other posts about online car rental check-in's, anyone have any issues with car rental companies at this airport? I know they are "off site" and we have to take a shuttle to the lot, unlike the one's here in Orlando. Right now I am thinking about online rental and using the kiosk instead of the normal rental desk and line. Some agencies are advertising just walking into the lot and picking the vehicle in rental class, anyone do that before?

My intention, thanks to other posts here, is to do the online check in with Aulani for a 2 bedroom Villa. My understanding is that we can just pull up to Valet and we get handed our room keys. Can anyone confirm and opine?

We are hoping to get from the airport to Aulani in time for the "Aloha, Welcome to Aulani" tour, which I have as starting around 4:00pm, is it worth the hassel of the potential rush?

 

[gsarmedic]

How lucky for you that you get to fly all that way in the comfort of first class! I'm more than slightly jealous

I'm normally a pretty positive person, but I have to tell you, I HATE HNL airport! All I can say is bring your patience with you. Regarding your bags, first class bags come out with the coach bags, so you won't save any time there. The good news is that our baggage delivery has generally been pretty fast. On a sort of related note regarding bags, when you return, really considering hiring a SkyCap to check you in. We fly Alaska, and when we depart the line to check your bags in is HUGE!!! Grab a SkyCap, give him a tip, and he gets you to the front of the line. The TSA line is a whole other time sucking issue.

On our last trip we rented from Hertz. The shuttles for all of the car companies seem to come pretty regularly (maybe ever 10 minutes). Once we got to Hertz though we waited OVER 2 hours for our car! We were in the company of about 70 other people who were waiting for cars too. The other companies seemed less crowded, so this time we're going with Thrifty. Before I reserved with them I researched all of the rental companies at HNL, and they all had comments about long waits, mixed in with a few folks who were lucky and didn't have to wait much at all.

Traffic in Honolulu is notoriously BAD!!! Are you arriving on a weekday or weekend? We arrived on a Sunday at 3:00 pm this last trip, and it took us about 35'ish minutes to make it out of Honolulu. The traffic reminded me of my Seattle commute during rush hour. From when our plane landed to when we made it to Aulani, it was just over 3 hours. Needless to say, the 4pm property tour probably isn't going to happen for you.

If you do the online check in you can in fact get your key when you arrive. You'll pull up, drop your bags with the bell-hops, go to the online check in "desk" that is right there, and you're good to go. If you don't valet your car you will still have to go park and walk to your room. Even as long as that process took, it was still about 20 minutes after we arrived in the room before our bags made it. The staff is great and they hustle....it just takes time. I would suggest if you plan on running right down to the pool (and we do!), have your suites in your carry-on you have with you when you go to the room. That way you can just change and go. Oh, be sure to leave someone behind in the room to meet the bell hop

We leave in 10 days for our next stay (just did my online check-in this morning!) My DH and I have already discussed that we need to go in with the expectation that we are going to be waiting (not so much fun in the heat and humidity) for our car and will be stuck in traffic. It is what it is, and there is no point stressing over those things you can't control. We've already decided we're going to swing by Costco and Target before we get to the property to just get it out of the way. We should still be there to catch the sunset, hopefully. On the bright side, the pools are open until 10, so no matter what the kids will have plenty to swim and play in the water.

Congratulations to you on the renewal of your vows! Best wishes to you and your family!

Julie

Been to Aulani twice and never had an issue/problem with airport or rental car....thankfully. The airport is not your average airport like one would see in NYC or SFO. We flew United both times. It took probably at least 20 to 30 minutes to get our bags. We rent from Avis, using the frequent user card so we bypass the counter. Maybe it would be a good idea to sign up for the member cards to some car rental agencies? Traffic is bad...rush hour that is. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Aulani from HNL without any traffic. It sounds like you're landing at a pretty good time so hopefully you can get out without any major delays/trouble. What took the longest was getting our bags when we checked into the hotel. Well, the first time we went, not the second. Learned our lesson. During our first trip it took over an hour to get our bags, probably close to an hour and a half. Don't know why, really wasn't given a reason. Finally my husband went down and got them himself. That's why we just took our own bags the second time. Another thing I was upset about with second trip was the room we got. Booked a non-obstructed ocean view. Got to room and it was a view of the parking lot. When I said something when I got into the room, some one who works there had said to me this really isn't considered a non-obstructed ocean view room. But that's what we paid for. After a couple of hours and many calls, we moved. Still not like the room we had during our first stay but better than a parking lot.

We've been to HNL many times and never experienced any issues worst than Orlando airport. For us our bags have come out quickly. Normally, what we do to beat the rush to the rental car agency is have one member the driver go ahead and get the car while the other adult retrieves the bags. Then, I wait out front with the bags until the rental car comes. There is no point trying to get on the shuttle with all your bags in hand. Many people don't even rent a car in Oahu because if you are staying in the Waikiki area you don't need one. So, normally you don't see long waits at the rental car agencies. Good luck and you'll love it.

-

 

[gsarmedic]

Thanks for the replies so far. Any viewers please check both threads for the answers you are looking for.

(I do have a few "special circumstances", like traveling with hyper 4 year old and 12 pieces of luggage, but I am hoping that some of the answers will help others with their trip planning.)

How lucky for you that you get to fly all that way in the comfort of first class! I'm more than slightly jealous - Soccerluvinmama

Don't be too jealous, even with my whole bankroll of delta skymiles it's still going to cost me several thousand dollars, but for our first time to Hawaii, our vow renewal, and our sanity of flying 13 hours with DS 13, and DD 4, with the benefit of the fully reclining seat/bed, hopefully I can get them to nap for most of the flight. Sometimes mental soundness is worth a bit of financial stress.

Grab a SkyCap, give him a tip, and he gets you to the front of the line. The TSA line is a whole other time sucking issue.

Skycaps and TSA:
Though I totally agree with you in any other time I've flown, my understanding is that with the Delta first class, they have a special priority line and security line (I guess it's called TSA pre-check). [Alaska Airlines is also a participant so next time you fly with them check out if you can go through the "express lane".] Either way, supposedly the priority check in should be near instantaneous here in Orlando, even with the 12 bags we are lugging along with us. Though as I am writing this I am considering getting one just to help with all of these bags so I don't hurt myself.

Arrival day is a Tuesday at 2:35pm HST. Hoping that we can avoid rush hour and major passenger influx from multiple arrivals.

What took the longest was getting our bags when we checked into the hotel. Well, the first time we went, not the second. Learned our lesson. During our first trip it took over an hour to get our bags, probably close to an hour and a half. Don't know why, really wasn't given a reason. Finally my husband went down and got them himself. That's why we just took our own bags the second time. - SandyinMonterey

Probably going to get my own luggage cart at the hotel and take the bags up myself. The plan once we arrive is to potentially take the "Aloha, Welcome to Aulani Tour" (still waiting to get feedback on whether it is worth taking) and then dinner buffet and DW gets a massage while I take the kids to Walmart and Target for supplies.

Normally, what we do to beat the rush to the rental car agency is have one member the driver go ahead and get the car while the other adult retrieves the bags. - OurDogCisco

Might be difficult to do this with DD being a little hyper active and us having 12 bags including mine and DS's SCUBA gear bags. Don't want my wife to be burdened at all on this trip. I'm just wondering if there is a Delta baggage claim "Skycap"? Someone that can help her with all of our bags if I do go and retrieve the rental vehicle.

 

[deedisneydream97]

GSARMEDIC: To get an idea of what rush hour traffic is like in Honolulu, check out their traffic cam link:

http://www1.honolulu.gov/cameras/traffic.htm

If you are landing at 2:30 on a weekday, by the time you land, get over to baggage pick-up area, etc. it will be close to 3:30. Add in the time to get your rental car....well, you will be right in the middle of prime time rush hour. With the amount of luggage and stuff you have, you may be better off getting a taxi service. Disney now has a contract with a taxi service (speedie? skippy? something like that) and it is $16 per person, each way. Or maybe $18 (was just chatting with some people poolside about it last week).

How long are you staying? If you are staying more than a week, perhaps you could take the taxi by yourself the next morning (after rush hour) to the airport and then get on a shuttle to the rental place and bring it back to the resort.

Are you a DVC member? Free parking....otherwise I think it is now $35/day at the resort.

 

[Cinderpamela]

Lots of information all greatly appreciated.

Just a follow-up from August 18th, Gumbypee requested scans of the daily iwa's and gonzalj1 replied:


I was just wondering if you still have the iwa's or if you did end up scanning them and just not posting them to this forum.

Also, I had posted a bunch of questions in a new thread, and I don't want to jump your thread here, but with your permission I would like to post a link to my thread, or I can just post my questions in here. My questions have to do with Honolulu airport and arriving at Aulani.

I won't post questions or link until I hear back with your permission/decline out of respect for your thread.

There is an existing thread with Daily Ewa's posted from mom2aidanNpiper's trip last April.

Here is the link:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3103331

 

[DVCTigger]

I know this may sound like a strange question, but I'm going to ask anyway. Can anyone tell me what the lounge chairs are like at Aulani? Are they padded like the ones at the Grand Californian? Or just mesh like at Kidani? Or somewhere in the middle like the adult pool loungers on DCL? Hoping for some sort of padding! TIA

 

[deedisneydream97]

I think they were some kind of mesh with slight padding. Not uncomfortable...but I would spead towels over them anyway because they would be wet from cleaning. the ones on the beach are mesh. Unless you want to rent the wooden ones with a canopy.

Best part about the pool areas: The corner quieter pool is now for 18 years old and above, as is the beautiful infinity two level hot tub by the entrace to the beach. And the disney pool people were being extremely strict and on top of things when they saw the rules being broken.....so kudos to them.

A huge drawback, though, is how slippery the pool decks are. I saw three people take bad spills....and they were not running or fooling around. They need to try and take care of that with a different sufacing.

But a wonderful, wonderful, super resort, clean, beautiful, kitchen was wonderful, beds comfy. Only drawback in the rooms were the "slatted"doors....I do not want slatted doors in my bathroom!!!!!