One must-bring item for Aulani?

[wdwnut76]

We're going to Aulani - and Hawaii - for the very first time this September.

Could you Aulani veterans give me some advice? Is there one item you are very glad you packed...or wish you HAD packed?

Thanks!

 

[nzdisneymom]

We're going to Aulani - and Hawaii - for the very first time this September. Could you Aulani veterans give me some advice? Is there one item you are very glad you packed...or wish you HAD packed? Thanks!

We are here now and I forgot to bring a small bag to keep our room keys and such in for going to the beach or pool. You need your room key to get your wristband and of course to get back into your room later.

 

[MissLiz]

We took our own Tervis cups and a water bottle for the pool area. We didn't get refillable mugs, so we used our own cups to bring drinks down and to fill with the water that they have around the pool area. They do provide little plastic cups for the water, but they are pretty little.

I don't think there was anything that I wish we had, though. We had a bag that can be locked and chained to a chair or umbrella so that we could leave our stuff while we swam together as a family. We also took a small soft-sided cooler to take cold drinks to the pool with us. It was small enough to be folded and packed in our suitcase.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

We took our own Tervis cups and a water bottle for the pool area. We didn't get refillable mugs, so we used our own cups to bring drinks down and to fill with the water that they have around the pool area. They do provide little plastic cups for the water, but they are pretty little.

I don't think there was anything that I wish we had, though. We had a bag that can be locked and chained to a chair or umbrella so that we could leave our stuff while we swam together as a family. We also took a small soft-sided cooler to take cold drinks to the pool with us. It was small enough to be folded and packed in our suitcase.

Like a tiny safe no one could open without a code for the beach/pool??

Thank you

 

[Anal Annie]

We took our own Tervis cups and a water bottle for the pool area. We didn't get refillable mugs, so we used our own cups to bring drinks down and to fill with the water that they have around the pool area. They do provide little plastic cups for the water, but they are pretty little.

I don't think there was anything that I wish we had, though. We had a bag that can be locked and chained to a chair or umbrella so that we could leave our stuff while we swam together as a family. We also took a small soft-sided cooler to take cold drinks to the pool with us. It was small enough to be folded and packed in our suitcase.

Like a tiny safe no one could open without a code for the beach/pool??

Thank you

Like a PacSafe bag??

http://www.pacsafe.com/camera-laptop.html

I was thinking about getting a long cable lock to just use to lock a bag to the chair and another lock to lock the bag shut. That would be cheaper than any of their bags…

http://www.pacsafe.com/wrapsafe-adjustable-cable-lock-3.html or maybe just this one: http://www.pacsafe.com/retractasafe-250-retractable-cable-lock-3.html

We were also going to bring a small softsided cooler. I have a couple in our Owners Locker but have another one somewhere around here that I bring on other vacations where we don't have our OL.

To add to the list - I also bring a wide variety of diff. sizes of ziplock bags - sometimes they come in really handy. I use sandwich or quart size ones to put together a makeshift first aid kit with neosporin, band-aids, a pkg. of tissues and a small bottle of OTC meds etc. I always bring something like that on our excursions. I plop all the sunscreens into a big gallon one and throw that in our day bag. Makes it easy to grab when someone says "where's the sunscreen". I can just pull that out & toss it to them. I have also used the gallon size ones to put ice in. Those little soft sided coolers can get really wet and leak after you've been out all day. This helps cut down a little bit on some of the sloshy mess if you put the ice in one of those first. And of course we inevitably have something leak in one of our quart-size ones that we use to carry-on at the airport so I need a couple spares to have around as replacements.

 

[MissLiz]

We use a KYSS bag, but it's the same idea, I think. We ordered it online a couple years ago and love it. It holds a lot, looks nice, and is pretty secure.

www.kyssbags.com

 

[DenLo]

Anything of value is left in the room except for our keycard and nanos. These all fit into a larger waterproof and airtight case like this:

http://www.amazon.com/WATERPROOF-CO...r=8-6&keywords=waterproof+id+and+money+holder

They have them at WDW and on cruise ships.

The Pac Safe bag would work for a tablet and you wouldn't have to worry about the MP3 or nanos either.

 

[Anal Annie]

Anything of value is left in the room except for our keycard and nanos. These all fit into a larger waterproof and airtight case like this:

http://www.amazon.com/WATERPROOF-CO...r=8-6&keywords=waterproof+id+and+money+holder

They have them at WDW and on cruise ships.

The Pac Safe bag would work for a tablet and you wouldn't have to worry about the MP3 or nanos either.

iPads, Kindles, cell phones and my DSLR were what I have in mind to lock up. I have a pocket-size point & shoot and a cell phone that I can use for pics however any pics that I take that are going to be "good" will be taken with my DSLR. My particular DSLR and walk-around lens is a more professional FX format and is worth several K. I won't want to lug it around EVERYWHERE but I also won't want to NOT use it either. I won't want to schlep back & forth from the beach / pool to the room 50x a day with it. I would feel better hopping in the pool and leaving it locked to my chair while I am gone.

 

[Mrmouse4me]

Bring some clothes pins... they keep chip bags closed and they help keep light from sneaking in during those early hours. It would also be handy to bring an insulated large Tervis Tumbler. The refillable mugs hold very little liquid!

 

[jdubs808]

Don't forget your flip-flops or reef slippers. Between 11 am and 2 pm the concrete gets very hot and is hard to walk on in bare feet.

 

[Girimama33]

We use a KYSS bag, but it's the same idea, I think. We ordered it online a couple years ago and love it. It holds a lot, looks nice, and is pretty secure.

www.kyssbags.com

Thank you for this tip. I ordered a bag, and it just arrived. Looks a lot more secure than I envisioned...Can't wait to use it!

 

[MissLiz]

Thank you for this tip. I ordered a bag, and it just arrived. Looks a lot more secure than I envisioned...Can't wait to use it!

I'm glad you like it! I can pack mine pretty full and I feel very comfortable with it hooked up and locked. Have fun!

 

[kruegeme]

Depending on what kind of room you have and I know this sounds crazy but pack at small bag of rice. The kids loved using the rice maker in the room. We even had rice for breakfast.

The clothes pins or chip clips are a must as mentioned for both closing bags and keeping the drapes closed to hold out the light if you go to bed early.

If you have ocean view then I would also recommend some binoculars.

 

[SeaPic]

Thank for all the great ideas. I am now the proud owner of a Kyss bag, have some clips set aside for curtains and have planned a meal with rice!

 

[Figee17]

a waterproof watch.

I don't typically wear one but when I wanted to be sure to catch the character meet and greets or activities and wanted to know what time it was, I had to go back to my bag and check my phone or seek out a hot tub, since those were the only places I could find a clock (and at least one of those was off by at least 20 minutes)

 

[bcvlover]

GPS for rental car
Vodka.
Swim googles
Sun shirt sunglasses. Suntan lotion


zip lock baggies

 

[kbeam]

We don't go to Hawaii without out beach mats with the back supports....just in case the chairs are gone (which happened a few days).

 

[tinibee]

We brought water proof pouches that had neck straps. I carried my phone, DVC membership card and room key in it. Less to worry about incase the chair patrol takes your stuff. Also, bring a sharpie if you are planning on buying a drink mug so you can mark the bottom to identify your cup. It sounds dumb, but just about everyone I saw had a mug and there are only four designs so it's better to mark your mug territory