Crazy to plan activity on arrival day?

[Mamapapa]

We arrive in Honolulu at 2pm Hawaii time this May (8pm NY time). We have a rental car all week but don't want to spend every day driving around. Since we'll already be in Honolulu, does it make sense to try and gab lunch and maybe hit Pearl Harbor or the beach in Wakiki? I know we'll be tired from traveling, but we need to try and stay awake to adjust to time change easier and maybe if we were doing something exciting that would be easier!!

 

[LottiesMommy]

Driving in Hawaii is very slow going. I was always surprised at how long it took to get from point A to point B.... especially near Waikiki. We arrived at 3:30 and it took until after 6:00 to get to the hotel after getting baggage, getting rental car, and fighting afternoon traffic.

Also, if you left right from the airport you would still have all your bags with you in the car. Theft is a big issue from parked cars and I doubt it would be advisable to leave all your belongings in the car while you visited the beach or Pearl Harbor.

Just some things to think about since otherwise I think it just comes down to personal preference and whether you all get exhausted by flying or not.

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

We arrive in Honolulu at 2pm Hawaii time this May (8pm NY time). We have a rental car all week but don't want to spend every day driving around. Since we'll already be in Honolulu, does it make sense to try and gab lunch and maybe hit Pearl Harbor or the beach in Wakiki? I know we'll be tired from traveling, but we need to try and stay awake to adjust to time change easier and maybe if we were doing something exciting that would be easier!!

Personally, I think you are setting yourself up for failure with that plan. You're arriving at 2, but you're not going to be off that airport property before 3. Aulani is our home property, so we are there at least once a year. I speak from experience when I tell you that you need to bring your patience with you when picking up your rental car. They are slow, and rarely efficient. I've used every company in the complex at this point, and it's always the same. So, if you're out by 3, you're then battling traffic to get to Pearl Harbor (weekday traffic in Honolulu is on par with what I deal with in Seattle ). Also, you really need to get your tickets in advance for Pearl Harbor. As someone else mentioned, you'll also have your bags in your car, and car prowls are the number one crime on the island. I just wouldn't do it. Land, get your car, go to Target or Costco on your way to the resort, get settled, and relax. Plan Pearl Harbor for another day when you are not rushed and exhausted from travel. Pearl Harbor deserves your time, and after a long day of travel, plus being late in the afternoon, no one is going to want to spend 3 hours there. Schedule your return trip around the days the Aloha Swap Meet runs to grab your souvenirs! http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/content/home.aspx

 

[cleophus12]

And your plan is entirely contingent on an on time arrival. Although planning some type of activity is not a bad idea, I'd plan one that doesn't depend on a tight schedule-- Maybe some dinner reservations somewhere that you can cancel if necessary. On our last trip to Hawaii we were 6 hours late and so all my plans for a lovely afternoon strolling on the beach and dinner at Duke's in Waikiki went promptly out the window.

 

[E&Cmom]

I agree with some f the previous post. don't do it. We arrived at the airport at 9:30pm but then got stuck in construction even at that time of night and did not get to Aulani until after 11 pm. I would get to the resort after stopping at Costco if needed, settle in and then either eat, explore around the resort or enjoy the pools/ activity around the resort. Save siteseeing for another day. There is no way I would enjoy it to my fullest coming off a plane. You will all just get to the resort exhausted and cranky.

 

[Mamapapa]

Thanks for the tips so far! We've never been to Hawaii so I appreciate all the help you pro's can offer! I hadn't thought about the luggage in the car, that's a very good point. I also forget most of the world isn't on NY time and I'm used to things being much faster and efficient! I think the plan for hitting Target and dinner sounds like a good one...

 

[JimmyV]

Personally, I think you are setting yourself up for failure with that plan. You're arriving at 2, but you're not going to be off that airport property before 3. Aulani is our home property, so we are there at least once a year. I speak from experience when I tell you that you need to bring your patience with you when picking up your rental car. They are slow, and rarely efficient. I've used every company in the complex at this point, and it's always the same. So, if you're out by 3, you're then battling traffic to get to Pearl Harbor (weekday traffic in Honolulu is on par with what I deal with in Seattle ). Also, you really need to get your tickets in advance for Pearl Harbor. As someone else mentioned, you'll also have your bags in your car, and car prowls are the number one crime on the island. I just wouldn't do it. Land, get your car, go to Target or Costco on your way to the resort, get settled, and relax. Plan Pearl Harbor for another day when you are not rushed and exhausted from travel. Pearl Harbor deserves your time, and after a long day of travel, plus being late in the afternoon, no one is going to want to spend 3 hours there. Schedule your return trip around the days the Aloha Swap Meet runs to grab your souvenirs! http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/content/home.aspx

It cannot be stated better than that.
There are lots of ways to stay up to adjust to the time difference without pushing too hard. A long walk around the resort property is one of them. And frankly, when we go to Hawaii, (from the East Coast), we don't try too terribly hard to adjust to the time difference right away. We like to adjust slowly. It is awesome waking up at 4:00 and watching the sun rise, and hopping in the car at 5:00 when there is no traffic, and heading out to catch some of the local sights before others have had breakfast. There is no way that we could have made it to the top of Haleakala to catch the sunrise if we had adjusted to the time change too quickly. So we planned that excursion for our very first morning on Maui so as to take advantage of the fact that we were going to wake up at 3:30!!

 

[alohamom]

Agree with all of the above...

 

[Gorechick]

On our first night, we arrived at the resort around 4:30 and settled into the resort. We freshened up and had apps and drinks for dinner during sunset hour at the lounge off Makahiki restaurant. They had live music which got us in the mood for our stay. Then DD swam for a little while before the pools closed at 8. We went to bed early but I pretty much stayed on our home time our short trip. It was very relaxing to go down and get coffee at 6 am, find our chairs for the day, watch the sun come up, and listen to the waves in the lagoon.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

I agree with all of the others. We came from the eastern time zone too. After nearly 12 hours of traveling (including layover in Atlanta, getting luggage and rental car in Honolulu, and traffic), we felt grimy. I needed to freshen up to feel human! We checked into our room, freshened up, and enjoyed a stroll around the resort. My daughter and I were star-struck as we followed "Uncle" to the fireside pit for his story time. We walked out onto the little peninsula at the edge of the lagoon and watched the sunset. Then we stopped by the Ulu Café for pizza out on the patio. It was refreshing to have arrived, unpacked, and gotten some fresh air on our first evening. Then we were well rested and ready to go the next morning.

 

[Amw1064]

I agree with all of the others. We came from the eastern time zone too. After nearly 12 hours of traveling (including layover in Atlanta, getting luggage and rental car in Honolulu, and traffic), we felt grimy. I needed to freshen up to feel human! We checked into our room, freshened up, and enjoyed a stroll around the resort. My daughter and I were star-struck as we followed "Uncle" to the fireside pit for his story time. We walked out onto the little peninsula at the edge of the lagoon and watched the sunset. Then we stopped by the Ulu Café for pizza out on the patio. It was refreshing to have arrived, unpacked, and gotten some fresh air on our first evening. Then we were well rested and ready to go the next morning.

This was us exacatly.

 

[cgattis]

It cannot be stated better than that.
There are lots of ways to stay up to adjust to the time difference without pushing too hard. A long walk around the resort property is one of them. And frankly, when we go to Hawaii, (from the East Coast), we don't try too terribly hard to adjust to the time difference right away. We like to adjust slowly. It is awesome waking up at 4:00 and watching the sun rise, and hopping in the car at 5:00 when there is no traffic, and heading out to catch some of the local sights before others have had breakfast. There is no way that we could have made it to the top of Haleakala to catch the sunrise if we had adjusted to the time change too quickly. So we planned that excursion for our very first morning on Maui so as to take advantage of the fact that we were going to wake up at 3:30!!

So, did you do the POA cruise? I ask because Maui is the first full day, and I had that exact thought about Haleakala. Not sure my DD-then-15 and DS-then-13 will agree though!! Lol Tell me, is it really "worth it," versus just driving up there later in the day? If it's a must-do, then I guess I must do it!

 

[JimmyV]

So, did you do the POA cruise?

No. This was purely a land-based vacation. When we flew in to Maui, we rented a car, hit up a grocery store for some breakfast supplies, and on our first full morning, we hit the road well before sunrise and drove to the top of Haleakala to have a picnic breakfast to watch the sun come up. There was an old TV ad run by the U.S. Army that said something like: "We do more before 9:00 a.m. than most people do all day." When you don't adjust to the Hawaiian time zone, this becomes very true. There is also a bike trip at Haleakala where you get taken up to the top in a van, and ride a bike (coasting all the way) down. It is possible that your teens would rather do that. My older brother did that one year. My wife and I stuck with the picnic idea. If you go, bring (or buy) a sweatshirt. It is pretty cold at the top of the volcano even in the summer. Shorts and a t-shirt ain't gonna cut it.

 

[cgattis]

There is also a bike trip at Haleakala where you get taken up to the top in a van, and ride a bike (coasting all the way) down. It is possible that your teens would rather do that. My older brother did that one year. My wife and I stuck with the picnic idea. If you go, bring (or buy) a sweatshirt. It is pretty cold at the top of the volcano even in the summer. Shorts and a t-shirt ain't gonna cut it.

While it's possible my kids and DH might like that, it's certain that I would NOT! I hate a bike...if I'm gonna be saddle-sore, I'd better get to smell a horse. (We may go try to ride somewhere while we're there...)

So, if you had only two days on Maui, would you spend your first day that way again?? Thinking first day would be the easiest to get up and, like you say, we'd have the rest of the day! Just not sure if we'll really wake up as early as everyone says.

 

[JimmyV]

Thinking first day would be the easiest to get up and, like you say, we'd have the rest of the day! Just not sure if we'll really wake up as early as everyone says.

For the reasons that you state, yes. I would do Haleakala at sunrise in a heartbeat and would still have lots of time to do other stuff during the rest of the day. Make sure you check a map and perhaps Google Maps to figure out how long it will take you to get to the summit. You don't want to underestimate how long it takes to get to the top. We checked and double-checked, and still only beat the sunrise by 10 minutes.

 

[cgattis]

For the reasons that you state, yes. I would do Haleakala at sunrise in a heartbeat and would still have lots of time to do other stuff during the rest of the day. Make sure you check a map and perhaps Google Maps to figure out how long it will take you to get to the summit. You don't want to underestimate how long it takes to get to the top. We checked and double-checked, and still only beat the sunrise by 10 minutes.

I'm considering doing that one as an excursion from the ship, just to keep from making a sketchy drive in the dark. It might make sense to do that, then pick up a car mid-day to have the rest of the day and some of the next. Decisions, decisions...

Did you post any kind of trip report? I'm picking every brain I can!!