Welcome And Trip Setup

Nathan 0:03

Please stand clear of the doors.

Alicea 0:16

Please stand clear of the doors. Hello everyone, I'm Alicea.

Nathan 0:26

I'm Nathan.

Amy 0:27

I'm Amy.

Alicea 0:28

Welcome to episode 245 of Adventures and Mouse Capades. Every once in a while, a trip comes along that creates the kind of memories that you'll be talking about for years. And today's guest has one of those vacations fresh in her mind. Our friend Amy is back with us today, and she is ready to pull back the curtain on a pretty epic family adventure to Hawaii and Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa. A nine-night stay in paradise means she's got stories, planning tips, and maybe even a few surprises along the way. So let's welcome Amy back to Adventures and Mouse Capades. Welcome back, Amy.

Amy 1:05

Hi everyone. Thanks for having me. Great to be with you again.

Nathan 1:09

Yeah, thanks for joining us fresh off the plane, as it were. I know you've you've had a a week or so as as we're sitting here and recording, but you've been a little busy. Your son Preston just had his Eagle Scout ceremony, so that's a big accomplishment too.

Amy 1:23

Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, this trip was part celebratory as well. So awesome.

Nathan 1:29

Well, big congratulations to Preston from us. I almost got there. I had everything but my project, and it was right in the middle of us moving, and the new troop that was in my new neighborhood was just never really clicked, and it just fell by the wayside. And the one regret of youth

Alicea 1:50

lifelong regret.

Nathan 1:51

I know. But let's talk about you and Aulani and Hawaii. Can you start off? Can you remind us a little bit about your your Disney background?

Amy 2:04

Absolutely. Thank you. I am East Coast based, so we most often go to Walt Disney World, but we also love to cruise. I think we've taken eight or nine cruises, not quite to the next level, but hopefully soon. We love the Walt Disney World Resort. We're DVC members. We can talk about how that got us to Aulani, of course. And a few years ago, I was proud to be a Plann Disney panelist. So now I'm a Planned Disney alumni of the program. I just love helping others, giving them tips and insights and really sharing a bit of our experience. We've been to Disneyland twice as well, but more East Coast based.

Why Hawaii And Why Aulani

Nathan 2:40

Nice.

Alicea 2:41

Before this trip, what were your expectations of Hawaii? And what made you decide that your family's first Hawaii experience would be Aul ani?

Amy 2:52

Sure. Well, I have to say, we were my husband and I were married in the Caribbean. So we're already very um biased against our islands. We love the Caribbean. You know, as I said, we love to cruise. We'll hops on there any chance we can. And we're spoiled from the East Coast with just a few hours, right? And so many different islands. So I'm definitely an island girl at heart, Caribbean queen, whatever phrase you want to use. Um, but Hawaii has always sort of been a bucket list, right? I mean, it should be for everyone. It's just one of those magical, mystical places. And for us being so far away, it was always this, you know, when do we get there? kind of bucket list thing. And in recent years with my son, he's now a sophomore in high school. You really feel like time is flying. And of course, we'll have vacations with him as an adult, but what can we fit in, right? What can we do each summer? And I'm trying to map out like every school break now, you know, between that graduation, just making the most of everything. So Hawaii's been on the list, but it was a matter of, well, how do we get there? And I think it's always felt unreachable because with the distance, you feel like, well, certainly flights are expensive no matter when you get them. And then compounding with you go that far, you want to stay longer. So then, you know, you need more time off work, and then it becomes more expensive, and everything kind of grows exponentially. So we were fortunate to have um just a few weeks this summer where it made sense that we could do it. And frankly, it was the DVC points that really made it possible.

Alicea 4:20

Yeah.

Amy 4:21

Certainly, there are a lot of places to go in Hawaii, and everyone has an opinion when you tell them you're only going to Oahu.

Nathan 4:27

Right.

Amy 4:27

But um being able to save our points, bank them, and then use them for Olani really made it possible because certainly you've paid for them, but in a different way, right? So yeah, I when I first booked it at that seven-month window, I really just grabbed as many nights as I could with the points that I had. And then once our plans evolved, it ended up wow, we can really fit, you know, this much activity over those nine nights plus the travel days. So we stuck with it.

Nathan 4:56

What kind of room did you have at Aulani, at the resort?

Amy 5:01

We had um a studio. So there's just the three of us. And even with my son as a teen, um we're very comfortable there. That's really the room setup we always have. And let's face it, even if I had more room, I'm not cooking. I'm I'm not. So that was okay. You know, the washer dryer would have been nice, but we did laundry otherwise. So we didn't need to spend the point somewhere, but we did have an ocean view. It was amazing. I did get my proper request, right? A lot of tips for that, but the interior room, high floor, we were on the top floor, the 16th. So stunning. Yeah, really stunning. But to your other question, I'll say my expectation was that it would be this amazing, mystical, magical place, you know, an island paradise with a deeper sense of culture and different than the Caribbean. Certainly, each of the Caribbean islands have their own individual culture, but you just, you know, from all of our Disney stories and films and just history and culture, you really had a sense of those stories even before we got there, and that really came to life.

Nathan 6:01

Yeah. Joe Rohde did a pretty decent job of putting that resort together. It is such a wonderful mix of all the different stories from the culture there that is indigenous to Hawaii. It's so fantastic. I remember we brought our daughter there for the first time. I want to say she was around like eight or nine or something like that. I think it was her ninth birthday, actually. Yeah. And it took her several minutes before she even realized it was a Disney resort. And it was like we pointed out like Goofy was down in the pool.

Alicea 6:36

Yeah.

Nathan 6:37

And that was, you know, oh, this is a Disney thing. So yeah, that's pretty neat.

Amy 6:41

Absolutely. I felt that too, in that arriving both on the island and at the resort, it felt exotic and foreign and far away. But then you had that familiar Disney font, right? On your TV and the level of service and that sort of thing. So it's a beautiful mix from that perspective, is you felt like it was far away and a real treat, but familiar and comfortable at the same time.

Nathan 7:05

Yeah.

Flight Strategy From The East Coast

Alicea 7:06

You alluded to this a little before, but um, with the flight from the East Coast, how was the journey? And what should East Coast families realistically expect?

Amy 7:18

Well, I'm not gonna lie, we ended up going first class, so that you can take all of my comments with a grain of salt. But frankly, I felt that was how I was gonna get there. Um, I did purchase them far in advance before all of these crazy flight prices. We could not have afforded it if we purchased them more recently, I'll tell you that. So that was sort of um a way that we felt more comfortable, right? But I did research so much because for us, there was one direct flight once a week. And if it's not at the time that it suits you, that's not gonna work. So we didn't do that. I was also a little worried about the 10, 11 hour direct flight, right? Like just uncomfortable. So in the end, we flew, we had like an 8 p.m. flight from the DC area on a Saturday, and we flew to San Diego, and then we spent the night in a hotel right by the airport.

Nathan 8:14

Okay.

Amy 8:14

And so we had maybe a 12-hour layover. So it wasn't a full typical night's rest, but we had a shower, we had a real bed, we got up, we walked around, yeah, and then we started again the morning. We had a 9 a.m. flight then to Honolulu. And so breaking that up, it really felt comfortable because it felt like two things. And leaving so late on a Saturday here, I didn't feel like I lost a day, right? A lot of times we fly, we're up and out Saturday morning making the most of that day. So we could drop the dog off, we cut the grass, we got everything needed that we had to get done on Saturday. So that felt good. I mean, it's far, no matter what, right? It was five hours to San Diego, almost six, then again to Honolulu. So it was quite far. But again, first class, we were comfortable, we were hydrated, we had the leg room. Um, but it was a lot. So I would say for families, just look at all the options. You know, if you have little ones, maybe a direct flight is better because you can keep them in one place, they can sleep. You know, you really have to look at that. But there are a lot of options, which I was fortunate for.

Nathan 9:22

Yeah. So why nine nights? Was it just to maximize your time with the points that you had available?

Amy 9:30

Yes, it was. And again, with the travel, right? So in both directions, we had an overnight. And so you feel like you added a whole day. Um, we knew we'd would need a little time to adjust. But yes, I really was maximizing my points at first. And then when we mapped out all the things we wanted to do, I wanted to try and find a balance of, well, you want to enjoy the resort. I mean, it certainly was going to be our home base, but we wanted some resort time. I feel like a lot of times a big lesson from, say, Walt Disney World is you're paying all this for the resort and you're really just popping in. They have, you know, these amazing amenities and the pools and the beach. So we wanted to balance time to enjoy the resort, but also get out and about and really see, you know, part of Hawaii because we've never been. So really making it that kind of mix. Um, so when we mapped it out, we went Saturday to Tuesday, I think, in the end, with our travels. So yeah.

Nathan 10:22

Do you think that was the right amount of time for the things that you wanted to do, or was it too short, too long?

Amy 10:29

I do for us. I think a lot of times when you are leaving for a vacation, Disney or otherwise, when it's amazing, you know how awful you can feel on that last day, right? Like you're clawing your way, you, you know, you you just don't want to leave.

Nathan 10:44

Yeah.

Amy 10:44

I didn't feel that way. I wasn't quite ready to leave. I wouldn't say I was happy to leave, but I felt just satisfied and fulfilled. Yeah. Like we truly saw all of Oahu. Right. So I really felt good about that. There were no regrets, you know, that sort of thing, or really disappointed, or if only. So I really felt like it was absolutely perfect for us.

Arrival Day And DVC Welcome Events

Alicea 11:05

What were the first few hours at Aulani like? Did it live up to the hype?

Amy 11:11

Absolutely. I think that arrival is stunning, right? I mean, yeah, the lobby is just incredible. You see the callbacks to Animal Kingdom Lodge or other similar um architecture there, and certainly the beautiful smells, right? We all love our Disney smells and that view for sure. Um, so yes, it was gorgeous. It was amazing. We rented a car, so we were able to find our way there pretty straightforward. Um, no troubles there, so that was good. We really just explored at first. Our room wasn't quite ready as always, but that's expected. We just kind of walked around and got comfortable. We did visit the DVC desk, of course. You always have to check in and get your free things, and we were part of Welcome Home Weeks, so they had a lot going on.

Nathan 11:56

Nice.

Amy 11:57

And as much as we love DVC and truly the cast members there are amazing, it was a little overwhelming. I started to feel like, whoa, because they were throwing so much information at us. And that's when I think, oh, the travel's starting to hit me, and I'm not absorbing. This is open from these hours, and you can do this and you can do that, and don't forget on Monday, go here. Like it was overload. So um, you know, I really appreciate them wanting to welcome us and all, but I would say maybe I should have gone to DVC the next day because it was just too much to take in. So by then our room was ready and we were able to settle in and being there for that long, we truly unpacked, you know, through the suitcases under the bed and all of that, and felt really good about that.

Nathan 12:38

Nice. What were some of the special things that they were doing there for Welcome Home Week?

Amy 12:43

There were a lot of special events just for members. You had to RSVP to most of them just because they had a capacity, but there was a coffee talk, there were free Mickey bars one afternoon, there was a wine Wednesday. Um, I don't know if this is all the time or just for no, I think I think this is all the time, but I noticed that they really like their DVC members there. They had some secret drink menus, for example, right? And things like that.

Nathan 13:10

So yeah, every once in a while they'll do um like some special tastings too. Like if you think on the ship, they'll you can do like a like a chocolate and liquor or something like that on on the ship. Um we've done a similar experience. Obviously, it wasn't chocolate and liquor, but it was you know very nice, like elevated bites out of the, you know, from the chef in the kitchen paired with you know some some very local inspired drinks there at the oh boy... the Olelo Room. Yeah, so if folks are there, and I we've been to it and it was a DVC exclusive event, but I do believe they do those for kind of anybody who's staying at the resort from time to time as well. So there are cruise-like things that you can do at Aulani. In fact, I often say Aulani is probably the closest that you'll get to a Disney cruise experience without being on a ship.

Amy 14:06

Yes, yes, absolutely. No, there were a lot of things going on and a great schedule, and they had that Monday night party, which we actually went to the second Monday because the first day was just too much for us. Um, but that was a great event too with the characters, was a dance party, and that was open to everyone. Yes.

Nathan 14:23

Nice.

Aulani Must Dos For One Day

Alicea 14:24

All right, so you stayed at Aulani for nine nights. What do you think Disney got right at Aulani that a non-Disney Hawaiian resort might not?

Amy 14:34

Probably the seamless service. Like the cast members were just incredible. Um they certainly were very proactive, they were very kind. I think they would sprinkle in senses of their culture or trying to share things with us proactively. Um, there's one gentleman around the pool who had a blue name tag and just kept reaching out to us all the time. In the end, he gave us a special pin to say goodbye. You know, it's just those kind of next level touches to personalize things at such a big busy resort that really felt great.

Nathan 15:04

Was it very busy while you were there?

Amy 15:07

I don't have anything to compare it to for you know, other times, but yes, I do think it was busy. Um we can talk about the full chairs, but that was a keen indication of how busy it was. And people in like the Facebook planning groups and things like that leading up to our weeks were saying how busy this summer was. It didn't really impact us too much. You know, there's certainly not many cues or that sort of thing, the way you measure busyness another way. Um, but it did feel just a lot of energy.

Alicea 15:37

Yeah.

Nathan 15:38

If someone were to give you only a single day at Awlani from your experience and what you got to do while you were there, what are kind of like the must-do things inside the resort that you would recommend people lean into?

Amy 15:55

Certainly um the beach and pool, right? I mean, you are there for the island vibes and it's just so gorgeous. Um, I love that tropical aqua water, and so I was thrilled that you know, my favorite color was there. We really enjoyed the lagoon beach more than the pool, probably just because of my son's age, you know, we're we're past the splash time. Um and we found the pool chairs um, again, very difficult to come by. So that was okay. We knew that was coming.

Alicea 16:24

Yeah.

Amy 16:25

Um, but a lot of times after our daily adventures, we would get there in the afternoon. So they were certainly taken up, or we would find one or two. But it was always easy to go down to the lagoon. So that felt more relaxing. Um, and we love that. So I think just relaxing, taking everything in that they have to offer, whether it is the pool or the lagoon, you know, the water experiences, certainly trying to see a character. We didn't go out of our way to see them, they were very plentiful, I thought. But if you're a Disney family, certainly watch that schedule and look for the unique characters that you won't find elsewhere. And again, that sort of adds that special Disney touch to the day to make sort of a quintessential Aulani day.

Nathan 17:05

Yeah.

Amy 17:05

Did you do a character breakfast at all? We did. We did one of our last days. Um I really enjoyed it in the sense that of course it just brings you home to this is what we're used to at a Disney resort, right?

Nathan 17:20

Yeah.

Amy 17:20

Um, but I did feel honestly, it's pretty expensive. Everything was there. We can we can talk about that. But I think for me, that character meal was one and done. Again, my son's 15. We love our Mickey and Minnie hugs, they were very attentive. You um you queue up after you check in to meet Mickey, and that was a long line, actually. So our reservation time ended up being, you know, on time. But then when you sit, by the time you do it, do all that, it was quite delayed from what we thought. So we were pretty hungry. It was a lot of food, more than we could manage, um, which certainly balances out the price and the experience. Um, the food was delicious and some different things. You had your traditional meal, but then also some kind of Hawaiian touches and flavors there. So I did enjoy it, but I don't think it's something that I personally would need to do again. But we had to do, of course, right?

Nathan 18:13

Well, I'll get back to price here in a second, but I did want to circle back to the lagoon. I think I saw um from some of your adventures that you shared that you got to do that little outrigger canoe sailing experience out of the lagoon. That's always been something that I've watched go in and out while we've been there at Aulani throughout the day, but never have done. What did you think of that?

Amy 18:38

I loved it. I would do that again in a heartbeat. Um, we considered doing it twice on our trip, honestly. It was amazing. So that you sign up for at the lagoon, like um, you know, at the beach huts there. You sign up for it. They open a week in advance. So when you arrive, see what they have that aligns with your schedule. They only fit, I believe, eight at a time, but they do go almost every hour. So it's a matter of fitting the number in your party into the puzzle. They would have a sign that said, you know, two here, five there, sold out, sold out. So we picked a day in advance that suited us, and it was fantastic. It's a vendor, it's not a Disney company, but of course they're run out of there.

Nathan 19:18

Sure.

Amy 19:18

Um, super smooth. You just climb on and sit, quick safety briefing. But um, the two local gentlemen who took us out were so kind, and it's a super smooth ride. It does have a motor. Um, but a lot of the times once you're out there past the reef, right? Once you're safely past the reef, they um we we sailed all along the coast, and it wasn't a specific speech narration. They really tailored it to our questions. There was a really inquisitive little boy on board who we talked about a lot of creatures and that sort of thing. It was great, but they were fantastic. And through those conversations, we found out one of the gentlemen actually was on the team that was building the canoes for the live action Moana. He's a boat builder, and this team built those boats that we're sailing on. And oh, by the way, I just happened to a few years ago. So that was really incredible to hear, you know, such craftsmanship, right? And we just we don't have those kinds of roles out here, and just hearing about what their life is and what it was like working with the cast. They had had um a media event just a few weeks prior to our visit. So he was recounting all of that. But all along we're sitting pretty low. Like my family loves the water and we love boating, but it was great to just be sitting so low, just right above the water. Yeah, um, really peaceful and beautiful. And we sailed up and down the coast. So it was about a solid hour. Um, you could always use more, of course, but it didn't feel too short. Like it was really um just a beautiful, fun, unique thing, right? I loved it.

Nathan 20:54

Oh, we gotta that's on the list, hon. Put that on the list.

Alicea 20:58

Yeah, we we have not started planning for we're going in December. We haven't started planning. Oh, wonderful.

Amy 21:04

Yeah, definitely do. I had made um a list because as you know, there's certain things you can book ahead of time and certain things on site. So that was kind of on my radar that, hey, I really want to do this, so let's make sure that we go to that hut on one of the early days.

Nathan 21:19

All right. So, Amy, you alluded to that Aul ani is not necessarily, and Hawaii in general is not necessarily the most inexpensive place to stay, to vacation, or even just to live. Um, after experiencing Aulani and and everything that you did, and we'll we'll get into some of the other stuff you did around the island here in a minute, but do you think that the value was there for what y'all paid? Was was the the was it really worth it?

Amy 21:53

It's tough because it is so far and it feels exotic, and you know it's going to be expensive, right? I mean, and I I just told you we flew first class. So again, please take it all with a grain of salt. It's all relative. But it is, it is quite expensive. So it does get into the more forward planning and that sort of thing. I do feel um it's an incredible resort, like all things Disney, you know, it really the quality was there for me. Absolutely. Where I really felt the price getting into things is at the quick service, the bananas are $4 each. Yeah. You know, I mean they're 20 cents here at Trader Joe's. Right.

Nathan 22:31

Right.

Amy 22:31

That's quite an increase. And I understand all the logistics, you know, everything in Hawaii comes in. Believe me, I get it. I was expecting it. But in cases like that, or the three of us would often share, like for lunch at the pool side, three of us would share two meals and maybe a drink. We didn't get away without a $75 lunch.

Alicea 22:52

Yeah.

Amy 22:52

Right. Like every meal was $7,500 for the three of us. We're not heavy drinkers. That wasn't it. It just um, so it's okay. That's what we expected. And, but it's not something that we could do over and over again, right?

Nathan 23:05

Yeah.

Amy 23:06

That's for sure.

Nathan 23:07

Well, it's interesting you mentioned earlier that you had a studio because you're on vacation, you're in Hawaii, you're not gonna go, you're not gonna cook. You know, we have done that, and it is as expensive as it is to eat out in Hawaii. I honestly think when you're on vacation, it's almost a better deal because groceries are insane like that.

Amy 23:30

Yeah, yeah. Yes. And I had read that a lot of people do that. And again, you have more kids or different kind of routine while you're there. I totally get that appeal. I understand that people would go to Costco or that sort of thing. We just went to the ABC store and had some snacks.

Alicea 23:44

Yep.

Amy 23:44

Um, we didn't have the room for anything from Costco, right? In the studio, so we didn't get there, but it was very accessible and I understand why people do that. It just wasn't for us on this particular trip.

Alicea 23:55

Yeah.

Amy 23:55

And like a lot of vacation days, we would have maybe um just snacks in the room. I did pack like some neutral game bars and other healthy, healthier snacks for the pool and stuff like that. So we would do our own quick breakfast and then maybe, you know, just two other meals. So we did space things out that way.

Nathan 24:13

That makes sense. That makes sense.

Renting A Car And Seeing Oahu

Alicea 24:15

So you said you rented a car and really explored the island. Looking back, was the car rental essential, or do you think you could have had a great trip mostly staying around Aulani?

Amy 24:28

I'm really glad we rented a car for my family because it was our first time to Hawaii. Who knows when we'll get back? If we get back, we'll probably do another island because we saw so much now, right? Absolutely. I feel the car was essential. Um, we kind of had a laugh that we don't know if we rented a car on an island and still drove on that side of the road. Like it was easy, you know, because everything was as it is at home. So the driving was fine, certainly around Honolulu and oh goodness, getting to Pearl Harbor, like traffic was something, but we're from DC. We can take it. We we knew what to expect, but um no, I'm really, really glad we had a car. I don't think people realize how far things are. Um, a lot of our adventures were an hour, hour and a half, 45 minutes away from Aulani, which is fine. It's not um in a remote area, it's just an island and everything is on the coast, right? Everywhere. There's that pesky mountains in the way. So I'm really, really glad we had it. Now, I certainly think if you only want to do Aulani, yes, there's plenty to do there. Again, for my family, the goal was also Hawaii and the DVC was the way that we got there. So for us, it was about the balance. Yeah. And we wanted to explore more. But I'm sure there are many families who go and make it feel like it's that cruise experience where you just stay put and really have everything you need.

Nathan 25:47

Yeah.

Surf Lessons and the Shaka Guide

Nathan 25:48

So speaking of being able to go off property, um, you've you guys did a ton. We've, you know, Pearl Harbor, North Shore, Kualoa Ranch. What ended up being the the biggest surprise or maybe a favorite experience that stuck out for your family?

Amy 26:06

My guys loved surfing. Um, this was something when I was making kind of our checklist of what do we want to do, that sort of thing. Certainly, Pearl Harbor was a must. We're a military family. We love military museums, you know, we we had to go there, and that was everything we expected. It was just a fantastic experience and really well done. Um, but then we think when we go places, it's nice to do those, you know, when in roam kind of experiences.

Nathan 26:32

Right.

Amy 26:32

My guys are athletic. As you mentioned, my son's a scout, super active. And I was like, let's do surfing lessons. And at first they were like, I think they were a little intimidated. You know, you picture North Shores just surfing. But um, they came around and so I did book that just for them. I have a knee issue, and I just I was no.

Nathan 26:53

So I'm I'm right there on the beach with you.

Amy 26:56

You know, you know. But it was fantastic. We had this local company, and they were just um so kind, and it was a really small group. In the end, it was just um my husband and son with the instructor because they split off the two instructors with the small group. And that day it was really calm. And so when we pulled up to the beach, my son was a little disappointed, like, how are we gonna do this?

Alicea 27:20

Yeah.

Amy 27:20

But in the end, the instructor said it was so perfect for beginners, and he's like, You're gonna get up. And they did, and um, the pictures were fantastic. They had an add-on service for photography. Okay, and we had the photographer surfed with them, so he was right out there, which was awesome because I could barely tell who was who from the beach. My pictures would have been terrible, yeah. Right. Um, but I could tell they were having a good time, and that was important, but um, just you know, for the small additional cost of the photos, he was awesome. And again, local guys teaching them things, and I think that was probably the biggest surprise because they were hesitant to do it, but then just felt they stood up so much, you know, they didn't take an hour and a half to stand up once. Yeah, and so they really had a cool experience. And um, similarly, I'll tell you, when I was in high school, I've only been skiing once in my life, but it was in the Alps. And I tell you, I've been skiing once and it was in the Alps. Wow. So now if if they've only been surfing once, it was on the North Shore of Hawaii, right? You know, like you gotta do it.

Alicea 28:22

That's where you go.

Nathan 28:23

Doing it right, that's for sure.

Amy 28:25

And it was beautiful, you know. Certainly I got in the water, but I wasn't surfing, and it was just idyllic. It was amazing.

Nathan 28:32

Yeah. Yeah, the North Shore is gorgeous.

Amy 28:36

And we did take our time. We went through Haleiwa there and, you know, shopped and ate our way through. And we had taken the advice of others and we downloaded that Shaka app. And so we had an amazing narrated tour on the way. So we really felt like we learned so much. Yeah, but that was a really special place. I we were debating to go back for a second day, really, but it's far as you know, so it is we didn't make it again, but yeah, that was heavenly, really perfect day.

Nathan 29:02

Yeah, I will I will give an a non-sponsored plug for the Shaka Guide app. We love it. Oh, it is fantastic. And it's not just, you know, it started off in Hawaii and they have tours all around all of the islands at this point, but they have stuff here on the mainland now, too. Um, my daughter Kaitlin and I did a tour around the Olympic Peninsula a couple summers ago. Um, they have stuff down in many of the major national parks and California and and all sorts of places. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a tour around historical sites in the DC area or something like that. If you know, you're if you're you're a family who's up for a little bit of adventure and letting a guide, in this case, you know, it's it's basically having a book on tape that that uses a map on your phone so it knows where you are and you hit specific points and it tells, you know, it triggers various things that it wants to tell you, and stories and local stories, and really amazing places that you never would have stopped. Yeah. It's amazing. We found so many little local holes in the walls in Hawaii that were you know, this little public beach access in this middle of a neighborhood that you never would have stumbled across. And all of a sudden it's the most amazing, like outcropping into the ocean with huge waves and a blowhole and all such a stuff. And oh yeah, the Shaka Guide is fantastic.

Alicea 30:31

We we found some gems using that for sure. Yeah, thanks.

Amy 30:35

Nice.

Kualoa Ranch Movie Magic

Alicea 30:36

You guys also hit Kualoa Ranch, which is on many Oahu bucket lists. What did you guys do there?

Amy 30:44

Well, first you have to know we are huge Jurassic Park fans. Like me since middle school, my son loves them all. Like, you know, we are very serious Jurassic Park fans. So of course it was a must do.

Nathan 30:55

Yes.

Amy 30:55

As well as Lost. We love Lost. Okay. My husband and I watched it the first time through when it was on actual television. We've probably watched it two more times, and then we just introduced my son. Within the last maybe two years, we've watched the whole thing again. So that's the background of where we had to go for sure. Um, I did a lot of research to determine which tour. It can be a little overwhelming because it's it's not clear. There's just a lot of them and they're different lengths. In the end, we took, I think, the one of the longest. Um, it was two and a half hours. And what drew me to that one was people saying, This is the only one that goes to the Indominus Rex paddock. So we had to go there. So we took the longest tour and it was fantastic. Again, our guide, the local guy, he was just so authentic and so fun. Um those mountains are certainly like nothing I've ever seen. You know, that kind of volcanic creation and that knife edge on the mountains. It's just stunning. You know, it's hard to believe that you're actually standing there.

Alicea 31:55

Right. Yeah.

Amy 31:56

So that was really fun. I'll tell you, we had over spring break this year, we went to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and we did a UTV tour, which was amazing and filthy and you know, wild and crazy. So we decided not to do that kind of tour this time, just to do different things. Yeah, sure. So we had a very comfy kind of an open air bus, and it was great because we stopped, we got out for pictures at different stops, see some of the Jurassic Park things up close, but then we were very comfortable. So I think any of those tours that you do will probably be incredible, and you could go back and do a different one, whether it's horseback or the e-bike or the UTV and experience different things. So I love seeing those, you know, seeing those movies come to life. But again, just a really unique environment, you know, like nothing I've seen.

Nathan 32:42

Yeah.

Amy 32:43

Do you recommend that for first-time visitors going there? Absolutely, yes. Especially, and we can picture them from Jurassic Park and Lost, but there's like 200 films and television shows that have been filmed there. So they they mention a lot of them, which is really fun.

Alicea 33:00

Yeah.

Amy 33:00

I won the trivia to know that it was 50 First Dates when we pulled up on that particular curve where he had the little penguin trying to get Drew Barrymore's attention. So that's another fun scene everyone can picture.

Alicea 33:12

Yeah, we've gone there a couple of times. Um, the very first time we went was the movie um tour, basically. Um, our most recent one was a UTV one, and um, that was great. That was our first UTV tour, and I just remember cresting the hill there, and then you see the valley right in front of you, and I was at the top of my lungs singing the Jurassic Park theme because you have to.

Amy 33:39

Yes. Yes. And as you describe that, on your left and front is the valley, but on your right is the ocean, which you don't see from a lot of the photos, but that's really incredible too, just seeing that whole, you know, 180 view of everything. Really, really amazing.

Nathan 33:54

And they have tours that go down towards that side of the property as well, down by the ocean. And there's beautiful, um, like ancient fish farms, and they have, I forget the name of the tour, but it like um you could see like about like the local agriculture and how they make all sorts of things and harvest some of the plants and the taro and all the rest of that stuff. Like there's so much to do, really for all ages at Kualoa Ranch.

Amy 34:23

That's a huge absolutely and being a working nature preserve that was really nice. You know, it wasn't just overrun tourism kind of exploiting the beauty kind of vibes, not at all. It was really, really authentic. We loved it.

Nathan 34:35

Yeah.

Best Local Eats Near Ko Olina

Nathan 34:36

You mentioned along the way on some of your Facebook posts that you stumbled across a lot of amazing local restaurants. What were some of your favorite meals and how important was that to kind of get beyond the bubble? You know, we see so many times people are like, Oh, I went to the Hard Rock Cafe in like, you know, some amazing place in paradise. It's like, you know, there's other places to go. So interested, your thoughts on some of those, those local joints that you hit.

Amy 35:08

Yes. I'll tell you, my family's not too adventurous, but we did want to, of course, you know, get some Hawaiian culture and flavors and stories and that sort of thing. So starting back at the resort, everyone said you got to go to Monkey Pod. So we did on our arrival night. And spoiler alert, we went three times over the nine nights. We loved it. Um, my son especially loved the pizza and the garlic truffle fries. So that was his order. I tried a few things, as did my husband, and of course, the classic Mai Thai everyone tells you about. But again, just the service and the people were great, you know, completely open air. So that was heavenly. Um, I really liked the lobster pizza. That was fantastic. Um, and their drinks were good, and so we we really enjoyed that um a few times. Over near Kualoa Ranch, um, my husband works with some people in DC and had gotten a tip from a district congressional staffer, so a local, who said, Oh, you got to go to this place. It was called Crouching Lion.

Nathan 36:10

Okay.

Amy 36:11

And it was on the water over by Kuala Ranch and just incredible. Again, open air. Um, it had um a heavily slanted, like Asian menu with tasting sizes meant to be shared. So it was delicious. Um, for example, just a simple white rice. They pressure cooked just for you, so it took a little longer, but it was local rice, and it was just, I mean, it was white rice, but it was the best I've ever had. It was incredible. And the tropical drinks and that sort of thing. So that was really unique again, just right on the ocean there. Stunning, stunning. Um, certainly up on the North Shore, we had to go to the famous shave ice place. I know there's a lot of debate online over which shave ice to do. We did V1, we stood in line, we didn't mind at all. They have an amazing system. And when we realized back to price that each shave ice was $3.75, we each got our own. We weren't sharing anymore. So that was really fun and delicious. You know, we love those flavors. We got pizza that day as well after the boys went surfing. They had an 11 o'clock lesson, so our kind of lunchtime was really thrown off. So by the time we were back there at two, they wanted pizza and it was delicious and some unique flavors there as well. Oh, and forgive me. Of course, on Waikiki, we went to Duke's. We had to go to Duke's. Nice, that was another favorite meal. Um, you know, again, I just love that surf side. I feel like a thousand places that we've all been have tried to replicate that quintessential beach feel, and Duke's just felt like the original. You know, you're in there and you think, oh, it started here. This must be where everyone's copying. So my guys got their lunch buffet, which was big and beautiful. They had North garlic shrimp, North Shore garlic shrimp there. I got coconut shrimp as an entree, and we all shared their famous hula pie, which is a huge slab of like macadamia ice cream with chocolate and served with genuine sporks. So that was a really fun experience. Sporks. Yes, yes. So, you know, I don't know if others who've been there a lot would call it a more tourist trap, but I loved it. I I had to check that box and go there. It was great.

Waikiki And Diamond Head Real Talk

Nathan 38:23

What did you think of Waikiki? Like it's it's almost like the opposite. It's what Disney did not want to do when we open a resort on Oahu. Because this is, you know, you're in the middle of downtown Honolulu. It is incredibly built up and high rises and lots of activity. Like I always think of it as like, you know, New York City or a San Francisco, like right on the water in Hawaii. What did you think about that kind of like dichotomy? And did you like it?

Amy 38:50

Mm-hmm. So we went there because the boys wanted to hike Diamond Head. So that's something else you have to make reservations in advance. I think it's 30 days right now. So we got an early morning time because again, our trip was in August. We knew it was going to be hot. They didn't want to hike, you know, midday.

Nathan 39:05

Right.

Amy 39:05

So we got down there pretty early. They dropped me off. We were trying to think about the logistics because they had a parking pass. So they dropped me off um near Duke's, which I ended up at a beautiful hotel. And I just sort of lingered there on their boardwalk. I got a coffee. Um, I really enjoyed the ocean and kind of the um high-end shops there. I was browsing once they all opened. So that area I thought was lovely. I probably wouldn't have stayed there because it was a different vibe. That's not what I go to Hawaii for, but I'm so glad I saw it. You know, it was fun to browse the shops that I would never purchase anything in just because they're Beverly Hills style, right? Um, but we saw the Duke statue, we walked all around there. They had a great time on the hike. Um, it was busy, but they did well, and then came back and you know, we enjoyed our lunch. So we were only there really probably from like eight to one, and that was fine.

Nathan 39:57

Yeah.

Amy 39:58

You know, we saw what we needed to see. So I thought Waikiki was fine. I was glad to see it. But the beach itself, if I wanted a beach day, was too busy for me. And lots of surfers, lots of different, lots of fun things in the water, but um, it was busy.

Nathan 40:13

For your opinion, do you think that Waikiki is a must-do? And I know this is so subjective because some people want to be in the middle of Fifth Avenue, but you're you know, like in Hawaii on the beach. Some people want to stay as far away from that as humanly possible and want to be, you know, off and remote. Given that though, kind of what's your thought? You know, you you you're a Plan Disney alumni. How would you spin Waikiki to people who are considering, you know, should we go there or not?

Amy 40:42

For me, it was, I don't know if I'll get back, and this is a famous place I've always heard about. So I want to see it, whether it's my vibe or not. Um, I really feel that way when I travel. You know, I want to see the things that have been in movies or um literature or just things I've heard about. So to me, it was a must-do. I had to see Waikiki because you know, it's in so many films and so many things that you hear about. So, yes, I'm absolutely glad I did it. Um, again, just really walking along the beach or the shops or some food, that was enough for me. We didn't need to do any more deep dive tourism. But I feel like I've seen so many pictures of that Duke statue, or you know, people are surfing on that beach in so many films or songs. So now I know what they're talking about, right? Yeah, so definitely a must-do for me. But again, if you have little kids, I can see it's just too much to corral everyone in the streets or those shops, you know, aren't going to have any interest to you. Right. I get that. Absolutely.

Nathan 41:36

Yeah.

Alicea 41:37

Did you guys visit the Polynesian Cultural Center at all?

Amy 41:40

We did not.

Alicea 41:41

Okay.

Amy 41:42

Um, it was on the list as a possibility, but it is far. I think it's like 90 minutes away. And from my research and understanding from others, you really want to invest a day there, um, including the luau. And so I was sorry we didn't see it, but we did another luau that I loved. So I felt like we did get to enjoy that. Um, it was just you're spoiled for choice on some of these vacations, right? And you have to make some decisions. But given the distance and the whole experience, no, we didn't get there. So perhaps another time.

Alicea 42:12

Tell us about the luau that you did go to.

Picking A Luau That Fits

Amy 42:15

Yeah, we went to the Malcolm Warriors Luau, which is just a few miles down the road from Al Lani. So again, I did a lot of research. Again, we're going to Hawaii. You have to do a luau of some sort. And certainly there's one that many people love at Aulani. So there's a lot of debate of do you do that one? Do you not do another one? For me, um, this other one appealed because they advertised it as really storytelling of the history of war and warriors throughout all of Polynesia. And again, I have a 15-year-old son who we're all into the military. Like that really appealed to us.

Nathan 42:53

Yeah.

Amy 42:53

And frankly, they had a discount code, and the price, even without that, was much better than Aulani's for the value. And we had a car. They offered transportation, but we didn't have to pay for that option. Some people have said online that the Disney one is all you can drink and you're on property. But we're not heavy drinkers. I enjoyed, you know, the one or two that I had, but that wasn't a selling point to me. Um, and I'll tell you more about the luau in a moment, but even just seeing a woman in the elevator, we were talking about that luau versus the one because I was holding a bag. She was disappointed at some things that the Disney one didn't do. So I felt kind of validated, like, oh, ours did that. So interesting, interesting. I think another time I'd love to see the Disney one. You know, Disney entertainment is always top notch, no matter what. But for us, we debated and what are we gonna do? So I really loved this luau. I didn't know what to expect. I thought, well, it's a lual, you know, it could be cheesy, the food might not be good, you know, there's a lot of different ways this could go, but I'm gonna do it. And we loved it from arrival. There were, um, I guess I'll call them activity stations, really, where you sort of walked around and it turns out it was the performers. It wasn't very clear who was working them, you know, these stations, but in the end it was the performers, kind of like a dinner theater, right?

Nathan 44:12

Yep.

Amy 44:13

Um and there were different stations, like they were braiding some palm leaves and putting them around our heads like a headband. They did a cooking demo where they talked about where you bury the pig and the things they do all day. My son got to shave a coconut. They did lessons where you twirl the baton that could be on fire, right? So there were a lot of neat things like that. Ladies who were making um flower bracelets, temporary tattoos that were drawn on with special ink. And again, every time they're doing this, they're teaching you about their culture. Um they had little shops and the bar was open first. So it was a great way to really manage the crowd and kind of get you moving and mingling and getting in the zone before the dinner and show. And then the dinner itself, it was delicious. It really, really was. It was a great buffet. They had a really nice system whereby they dismissed you essentially by different table sections. And so it was organized. We didn't felt like we stood in line too long. The drinks and the bar system were also really well done for the ticket you paid. You had X number of drinks, and they could come to you or you could go get them. Um, and things that mattered to us, like the host who was fantastic on stage before the true show, he led a thousand of us there in a prayer of gratitude. I mean, it was kind of shocking because they just don't do that anymore. But it was so nice and it was so nicely phrased. I can't imagine anyone would have been offended, but it kind of set the tone, and we all felt like, okay, this is the kind of experience we're here for. Similarly, at some point during the show, because they take little breaks, you know, like a lot of shows do, so that performers can change or catch their breath and just break up the cadence. Um, they did an appreciation for today's modern warriors and veterans. So, again, that just felt really nice and it was a good way to connect with other guests there.

Amy 46:10

But the show itself was fantastic. They did individual dances and educated us on again the history of war in different Polynesian islands. So they would do different dances, whether they were hula or more warrior style, and certainly peaked with the great fire dances, which were just incredible, right? If you picture like Festival of the Lion King, um, you know, when they're doing Be Prepared, it was that just to the next level. These guys were just so incredible and throwing the fire, probably 30 yards, we couldn't believe it, and catching it. Yeah, and so the music was really energetic. It was a really intense show, but we came away just feeling so good. Like it was pure entertainment and really well done end to end. So highly recommend that experience. I would do it again. I feel like you know, everything we experienced, you would still be surprised and in awe and do it again and have a good time.

Nathan 47:05

That's fantastic. Yeah, the Disney show has definitely changed some over the years. I don't know if it's good or bad. I think it's just different. And so if people were expecting what their show used to be like, it it has evolved and grown and and changed, you know, so many things changed post-pandemic that this is one of them. And I, you know, and they're all going to be unique. That's kind of the thing is there are so many of these luaus, and no two of them are going to be the same. And so if you went to like one or two of these events on your vacation, like if you had a long stay and you did a couple luaus, like you you would have very different experiences going to those two different luaus. So don't be afraid to venture out like you did, but I think the Disney ones is really good too.

Amy 47:55

But it's just it's just and they all have their different price points too, which again for every family you need to balance, you know. I will tell you this one just for the three of us was $400 less than the Disney one. So that was an easy decision when we were already leaning, you know, towards the content. Yeah, that's significant. Yeah, it really is. So again, you have to to make your priorities. We wanted to do so many things that we had to kind of pick and choose.

Dole Plantation And Sunset Sailing

Alicea 48:20

You hit the Dole Plantation too, didn't you?

Amy 48:23

We did, we did. We passed by on our way to the north shore. Again, the Shaka guide told us it was coming, but it wasn't open yet because we were we were up and out. So we hit it on the way back from the North Shore because frankly, we could use a drink and a nice restroom and we knew they would be there. So it was a great easy stop. It's right on the main road. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a a vision of overrun, kind of tourist, cheesy stuff. I had read, don't take your time with the tour, the train. But I was really, really glad that we saw it. I think it's certainly a lot of fun. The gift shop has everything pineapple you can ever dream of, and then some. But I thought it was done really well. I mean, it didn't feel, you know, inappropriate or too cheesy. It was just pure fun. I loved it.

Alicea 49:11

Yeah.

Amy 49:11

So we certainly got our dole whip because you have to, I guess. They also had some local vendors selling some things, and we met a really kind woman there who was making shirts. My son got a shirt and she helped him pick one out. You know, again, just these local touches were really, really nice. So, yeah, absolutely. It's worth a stop. I can't speak to any of the tours there because we didn't do them, but it was busy but well maintained, and just it puts a smile on your face, right? I mean, all that sunshine yellow and all the fun products. It was really cool just to walk around and look at.

Nathan 49:42

Yeah, our kids really liked Dole Plantation when they were younger. The train. Especially the train, yeah. I don't I don't know if it was just us as a or or just adults or like you with an older teen. I don't know if all of that stuff would hit and maybe you know, stopping in for a snack and a little bit of merch shopping is probably the right level, and you can see a bunch of things from that main building there. But I think you did well. But if you have kids, I actually think it may be worth going there for a larger experience. Yeah.

Amy 50:18

I could see that, definitely.

Nathan 50:20

And then speaking of experiences, you guys did something that is always at the top of my list no matter where we are. And you did a sunset catamaran sailing cruise, right?

Amy 50:29

Yes, yes. We love the water. Again, we love boating and sailing, so that was a wonderful thing. I um booked it out of the marina that's just past the Marriott, and it was through a local company, and it was fantastic. We run a catamaran, it wasn't too many people, and we sailed further, of course, than we had on the smaller boat out of Aulani um just for the afternoon. But we had hot appetizers and drinks, and it was just absolutely stunning. I think everyone talks about the sunsets there, right? Because of where Aulani is positioned and just being in Hawaii in general. So that was absolutely heavenly. And again, the crew was fantastic. They were um so kind and really interested in all of us. It was fun because I think, at least my family, we go on these things and we daydream, oh, maybe I should do this. Maybe I should just like work on a boat, right? And the crew was talking to us about what we do, and frankly, we both have kind of serious, heavy jobs in the DC area. Yeah. And they were like, oh, that sounds so cool. And you know, it was fun kind of thinking how other people live or perceive things, right? Like, let's trade because I wouldn't thrill to be running this boat every day. And they thought what we did sounded really interesting and intriguing. So, you know, it's it's good perspective. But yeah, we just relaxed and it was um they had little kids as well as adults, but no one was out of control. It wasn't a booze cruise vibe at all. It was just, you know, really, really heavenly. I loved it. That's awesome.

Starting Vacation With The Spa

Alicea 52:01

Aulani has a killer spa, nice spa area. Did you visit there at all?

Amy 52:07

I did. So I mentioned already a few things that just the boys did, right? So this was just for me. Um, I booked the spa. We arrived at Aulani on Sunday afternoon and I booked it for Monday morning. I thought this is how I'm starting, right? I'm gonna work out the jet leg. They can get a massage before I get sunburned. Let's plan this. So it was absolutely perfect, perfect way to begin. Um, and being East Coast, I could book an early morning spa appointment without trouble on that first day.

Nathan 52:38

Right.

Alicea 52:39

Right.

Amy 52:39

Um, I knew that I would have no trouble getting up and out for that. So they allow you and encourage you to arrive about an hour ahead of time to really enjoy the gardens and all of the different water features. So that was fantastic. I was really glad I read about that, showed up in my swimsuit, I knew what to pack. Um, and they really make it an experience, I'll say, from start to finish. When you come in, the hostess has you close your eyes and she talks about how the spa was designed and you select a stone from the bin and it has a word on it, right? And this is your intention for the day, and yeah, sort of little ceremonial touches. And then she would explain as we walk through how the spa was designed and what the elements mean. And I really enjoyed the water area. It did remind me of the cruise because I love the rainforest room. So picture a rainforest room, but outside, right? They had the different showers with the different pressures. This was the first time in my life I tried a cold plunge at their pushing. So that was fun. Again, you know, things I wouldn't have done otherwise. They had a cold plunge next to the regular hot tubs. So they talked me through what to do. So I could enjoy that on my own. And, it was really, really relaxing. They also just had sort of an open-air lounge room, like most spas you would expect. You know, you didn't have to get wet, you could really just enjoy the snacks and lounge. Um, but I had one of their signature massages and it was absolutely heaven. Truly, truly, probably, you know, one of the best I've ever had. I loved it. And as a DVC member, you get a free upgrade. So that was really nice. I got hot stones, which I always opt for anyway, but they were included with this upgrade. So that was fantastic. Nice. But yes, I really, really recommend the spa. Um, like you, I like to get them on the cruises or, you know, they always ask, when was your last massage? And it's like, well, my last cruise or my Mother's Day gift card. This isn't a monthly thing for me, but it was a real treat. And I felt amazing then, truly in vacation mode, right? From the beginning of that Monday morning.

Nathan 54:42

That's a perfect start to a vacation.

Alicea 54:45

Getting ideas here.

Amy 54:48

Also works out everything in your legs from the flight and that sort of thing, right? Highly recommend that timing. I thought that was really great.

Pearl Harbor Tickets And Timing

Nathan 54:56

So we've talked about a bunch of things. Is there anything you want to bring up? Any experiences you want to share?

Amy 55:02

Sure. I would just reiterate that Pearl Harbor was absolutely worth doing. I think um a lot of people might shy away because it's sad and it's scary, but it was incredible. We absolutely loved it. Um, again, my family, we love military history museums. So we were going in knowing we were going to enjoy it. But I would encourage folks to really take the time, especially if your family, if your kids, you feel you know they could handle that. Um, there are certain rooms of the displays that warn you because they're a little more graphic. Yeah. But overall, it's just really beautiful storytelling. There's an audio tour that you can add on where Jamie Lee Curtis narrates at different sections. So that was really educational and you can kind of go at your own pace. I will say one of our lessons though, um, in all my Disney travels and even at home, I rope drop everything, right? Like I just gotta do it. Well, we thought we'd rope drop Pearl Harbor, and that was a mistake because I had booked kind of the earlier Arizona times again, just thinking, okay, we have a car, it's early in our trip, we're still waking up early, we'll get out there. The drive to Honolulu was fine, even though it was like rush hour-esque.

Nathan 56:12

Right.

Amy 56:13

But when we got off the exit, then we stopped dead because all of those military installations, there's that they just don't have the infrastructure, and everyone has to get to work at the same time. Right. So it was really after the exit off the highway. It took us 45 minutes to go a mile. So we were okay, you know, you're on vacation, you can only stress so much, but that was frustrating. I think if I had gotten a 10 or 11 o'clock Arizona ticket, it would have been better instead of first thing. Um, so you know, the things we learn. But after that, it was fantastic. I will say before you take the boat ride over to the Arizona, you stop in a little theater and the National Park Service ranger speaks to you. And it was just incredible and authentic what he said. He really spoke to, hey, you're probably here because this is a bucket list vacation destination. But I'm here to tell you it's not. This is where, you know, thousands of people have really given so much for us, and we need to be respectful, you know, no more selfies, social media can wait.

Nathan 57:17

Yeah.

Amy 57:17

It was just the kind of talk you wanted to stand up and applaud when he was done. It's like, yes, absolutely. So he really set the tone and kind of put the audience in the right mindset in an appropriate way, right? So that was really moving and meaningful for everyone. But we really enjoyed that. And there's a nice little restaurant you can keep your car at Pearl Harbor and just walk to the next dock over. And we had a nice kind of beach lunch after that to decompress and eat before we went back. So that was a really nice experience, but definitely lesson learned. Get more of a midday ticket, don't rope drop Pearl Harbor on a weekday.

Alicea 57:52

And you need to get tickets early too. Yes, right when they are available. I forget the exact timing, but they sell out very quickly.

Nathan 57:59

They do.

Amy 58:00

Absolutely. Yeah, which is a great thing. You know, lots of people are interested in this. But yes. And you could definitely do it at your own pace. So that was important too. You know, you can't absorb all of it at once, but definitely worth going to. That was great.

Nathan 58:12

What was the restaurant? Was it 408?

Amy 58:15

Yes. Yes. I knew it was a number or yes.

Nathan 58:18

Yeah. Yeah, that's a we we may have been there once or twice before. Yes. It's a fantastic spot.

Amy 58:23

It's right there. Yeah.

Nathan 58:24

Yep.

Amy 58:25

Absolutely. No, but I wouldn't have known because you can't really see it. So that was a good thing to have researched and known about. Yeah.

Food Expectations And Practical Hacks

Alicea 58:31

Was there something else?

Amy 58:33

Um, maybe unpopular opinion, but I'd like to share. I think overall, I was kind of disappointed with the food at Aulani. Everyone kind of builds it up. And certainly it's Disney and we know what to expect. But I think overall, like if you can do a quick compare, the Polynesian Resort is better in food, right? For me. Yeah. Um, I think everything from the quick service to the higher end meals, I was just a little disappointed. So again, with the quick service and four dollar bananas, I did mobile order a few times and it just never worked out well timing-wise. Um, I think I'd be better off just to order in person. I thought the pizza was just fine, you know, it's was it was nothing in particular, but others had said it was incredible. Um, again, we were there for a while, so we sort of tried a few things, but we enjoyed the poolside menu a lot better, both whether it was at the lagoon or at the actual poolside. Um, I shared about the character breakfast. We went to off the hook just once for dinner, but we did not want to return. All three of our entrees were just okay. Yeah, that was probably the least great service we had, the whole trip. And again, you you know, get someone with an off night, it happens. And we did not do the higher-end dinner, the fixed price because...

Nathan 59:58

Ama Ama?

Amy 59:58

correct. Yeah, I know people um seem to really love that experience, but for the money and a 15-year-old son, like that wasn't going to be for us when we saw the menu. Yeah, but I wish we had more options. We did enjoy the Olelo room and their amazing music one evening and kind of appetizer style meals, you know, lounge food. So that was good. But I think looking overall, I just wish the food was a little better.

Nathan 1:00:21

Yeah. We've several times had a room very high floor, but kind of in that middle wing, just to the left of the when you go in the lobby. So it's basically right above the Olelo room, and it's amazing in the evenings because they always do like live music outside. And so you just sit out on the lanai and read a book and have live music just showered on you. It's beautiful.

Alicea 1:00:50

Yeah.

Nathan 1:00:50

And then if you happen to be on the other side of that same tower, um, or at least closer down towards the I forget whether that's the Ewa Tower or the other one, but it's the one to the left from the lobby. If you're on the outside side of the rooms once or twice a week or whatever the schedule is, you get to view and observe and hear the luau there on the on the grass. So on the lawn. It's it's you know, there are benefits to lots of different rooms there at the Aulani Resort. There really aren't very many bad ones, if any.

Amy 1:01:31

Right?

Nathan 1:01:31

I mean, you're in Hawaii.

Amy 1:01:33

And the atmosphere is always changing, right? So even when it's busy, like it's fun and upbeat, but yeah, then you can see the pool party or the relaxing music at the lounge. Absolutely. I love that. That was one of probably like the more magical feelings about Aulani, is you just go around and it's always changing, you know, the vibes are good. That's for sure.

Alicea 1:01:53

Did you do the scavenger hunt at all?

Amy 1:01:55

We didn't.

Alicea 1:01:56

Okay.

Amy 1:01:56

No, we did not, but I saw a lot of families really enjoying that with the little kind of iPad scanners. Yes, that seemed to be a big hit.

Alicea 1:02:03

It's a little dated now, but it's still fine.

Amy 1:02:06

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Super cute though.

Nathan 1:02:09

That's we still like finding all the Menehune statues all around the resort and the you know, they're up in the corner of one of the elevators and stuff like that. So yeah, that's fun.

Amy 1:02:18

Yes. We also just from like a practical standpoint, I don't usually do laundry on vacation. I've only done it on my Alaska cruise, was probably the only other time I did. Um, but that was super easy too. Again, they love their DVC members. You get free tokens every day if you just ask. And so we were able to do that, which helped, you know, with a lot of the beach things that we had and that sort of thing. So even with the studio, um, we had it right on the first floor of our tower. And that was super easy and convenient.

Amy 1:02:48

With the food, too, even though we wished it was better at the resort, we were never wanting anything because we loved walking across the street to the shopping center in Ko'Olina there.

Nathan 1:02:57

Yeah.

Amy 1:02:57

So charming over near Monkey Pod Kitchen. But we also really liked the Mexican restaurant a lot. Um, we thought that was delicious. And they have a couple other great restaurants and of course the ABC store, they have warm platters and to-go foods. So even though just looking at it from like a Disney resort, you know, you can compare all of the different food options. Um, we were never wanting anything because it was right there.

Nathan 1:03:20

And there's a bunch of other resorts kind of right there in Ko'Olina. I mean, if you really want to get really bougie, you can go have dinner over at the Four Seasons. So I mean it's good. Yes. We're you're you're gonna be okay. It's it you'll be fine.

Amy 1:03:34

Absolutely, absolutely, yes. And we did like our Mickey Shave ice, even if you know it might not be that snow kind of texture that some of the others have. Like it just makes you smile at that adorable Mickey Shape and hit the spot on an August afternoon by the pool, that's for sure.

Would We Return And What’s Next

Alicea 1:03:51

Is Oahu and Aulani a repeat vacation, or do you think you'd try a different Hawaiian island next time?

Amy 1:03:59

Can I say both? I think I'd love to go back.

Alicea 1:04:02

Of course.

Amy 1:04:04

If I had the opportunity and the means, certainly I would go back. But I also know there's so much more to Hawaii than what I've been able to see, you know, just on this visit. So absolutely, I'd love to go back, but I would also like to do other things. I think um like you all, we just love to travel. And you know, we're fortunate that this world has so many desirable places. So I don't think I'll go back right away just because there's so many other things to do, and it is so far and so pricey, but um, certainly I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. That's for sure. I feel the same way about Alaska. I thought it would be kind of a one and done, but man, I would go back tomorrow if I could. I loved that.

Nathan 1:04:42

Same. Yeah, and and island hopping in Hawaii is is is pretty great. We we'll be we'll be doing that again. Don't tell anybody, but Marriott Vacation Club keeps wanting us to buy points or or buy into their system, and we keep getting these offers to go back and reconsider our "no". So we'll be like, you know, six nights for some stupid low price. And we're like, oh, okay. You're you know, if you're gonna give us a deal, we'll take you up on it. So, you know, we're doing that again over the holidays. We'll be this time on the big island, because it'll be our first time to the big island, Hawaii. And then, of course, we have lots of Aulani points, so we will island hop and then go to Aulani and our home away from home, as it were.

Amy 1:05:25

Heavenly. That'd be amazing. Yeah, really good mix. I would have loved to have seen the volcano, but of course, it doesn't go off on my schedule, because it was right. So, but if I could have guaranteed that I could have seen that, that probably would have been a very desirable island hop.

Nathan 1:05:40

100%.

Nathan 1:05:41

Well, now that you've done it, if another family on the East Coast is debating whether Hawaii and Aulani are worth the long travel days and the cost, what would you tell them?

Amy 1:05:53

Absolutely. I think it is. I think you have to time it right for your family. Um, you know, to certainly decide is the Something we do frequently, or do we pick the right age for our kids and our family, or do we want to do other things as my family did with a home base and then see everything that we could, or um, that sort of thing? It does have a lot of comfortable touches, like a Disney resort that you're used to, or like you said, with feeling kind of cruise-like, if you know that your family loves the beach and the tropics. I mean, you can't beat that. Absolutely. It's heavenly paradise for sure.

Nathan 1:06:26

Yeah.

Alicea 1:06:26

All right. So Aulani and Hawaii is a bucket list for most people. But what is your next Disney trip?

Amy 1:06:34

Oh my goodness. Well, next week I'm going on a girls' trip to Walt Disney World. I am fortunate to have a small group of Disney girl friends, and we like to go used to be about once a year, but we were just there in December and last summer as well. So just for the long weekend, but that'd be really fun. And as you know, when you do these Disney trips with different groups, they have different activities and different flavors and different ways to experience the parks. So that'll be really fun. And then after that, we are going on a cruise for New Year's Week.

Alicea 1:07:07

Fantastic.

Amy 1:07:08

You might recall last year, Christmas week, we went on the destiny. And so that was our first time being away for the holiday, but it was amazing. I was on the beach Christmas Day. I did not cook a thing. It was just pure heaven, pure heaven. So this time we're going um New Year's Week on the Dream, and that's a fun itinerary because we get to go to San Juan. I was listening to all of your tips about that because I've not been one of the few islands I haven't been to, and our favorite Tortola, of course, and then Lookout Keys. So that'll be really nice. Oh, very nice.

Nathan 1:07:44

Yeah. Your guys are going to absolutely love the forts for sure. For sure. Yeah, I still need to go back and read a bunch of that content, so...

Amy 1:07:54

And what about you? Um, anything before Christmas?

Alicea 1:08:00

Yes. So we are doing Oogie Boogie Bash um early October down in California. So Sterling and I have done Oogie Boogie, but nobody else has. So it'll be fun.

Nathan 1:08:13

Have to meet Oogie Boogie, and it'll be a seminal experience, of course. That's right. And I think we're working on some stuff. I may kick Alicea out of the state here in a few weeks.

Alicea 1:08:25

You may I'm going down to Orlando by myself for a couple of weeks.

Nathan 1:08:30

Yes.

Alicea 1:08:31

I might stop at a park. I don't know.

Amy 1:08:33

I imagine. So nice.

Nathan 1:08:36

Yes. Our best friends are doing a big trip. And so, you know, as friends do, you fly across the country to watch their dogs. Um just so happens to be that you're six miles away from a theme park that you have annual passes at.

Amy 1:08:51

That's kind of friends. Yeah, exactly.

Nathan 1:08:53

Exactly.

Amy 1:08:54

That's fantastic. Yeah, and we're fortunate to be able to work from anywhere, so take advantage of that. That's great.

Nathan 1:08:58

Exactly.

Nathan 1:08:59

Amy, it was so great to reconnect and have you back on. Thank you so much for sharing all about Hawaii. It sounds like it was an absolutely fantastic trip.

Amy 1:09:08

Thank you for your interest. Yes, we absolutely loved it. It was everything we wanted it to be and more, and just really a tropical paradise. And dare I say a true vacation. I mean, we were very busy, but we never felt rushed or stressed. You know, it was jam-packed, but with all good things and a great balance of beach and pool time almost every day with our adventures. So that's awesome. Perfect. Absolutely so glad we did it.

Nathan 1:09:31

Yeah, definitely the opposite of a parks trip in terms of actually being a vacation.

Amy 1:09:35

We love those two, but in different ways.

Nathan 1:09:38

Well, we'll definitely have you back on after your next big trip. Thanks again.

Amy 1:09:42

Thank you.

Final Thanks and How To Connect

Alicea 1:09:43

As we wrap up, a reminder that we are not affiliated with Disney or any of its subsidiaries. Everything that you hear on the show is based on our own personal experiences, opinions, and questionable snack choices. We are, however, proudly affiliated with fun.

Nathan 1:09:58

And Aloha.

Nathan 1:10:01

If you're planning a Disney vacation, we always recommend working with a travel advisor or reaching out to Disney directly to help make the magic happen. And if you enjoyed today's episode, please take a second to rate and review the show. It really helps other Disney fans find us.

Alicea 1:10:17

If you have a question, a topic suggestion, or a story that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear it. Please send us an email at podcast @ our mousecapades.com.

Nathan 1:10:27

You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and threads @ourmousecapades, and over on YouTube @ourmousecapadespod. And please don't forget to share us with your friends, your family, and Disney fans of all ages.

Alicea 1:10:42

Thank you so much for listening. We'll be in your ears next week.

unknown 1:10:45

Thank you for flying Star Tours. Bye bye.