Rethinking next years trip - please help!

[amy56]

Hi all

For a couple of years now we've been planning our 40th birthday trip to the west coast/Hawaii, and I'm beginning to have a panic at the cost and what we really want to do and I was wondering if I could talk it through with you guys please?

The plan as its always been...

5 nights in Anaheim (hopefully Grand Californian Villas on dvc points, but quite possibly a nearby motel with cash!)
2 nights in Waikiki (probably the outrigger)
7 night NCL cruise around the islands - already booked but could cancel!
5 nights at Aulani
3 nights in Vegas (probably Bellagio)

I'm now beginning to question the whole thing! The only certainties are that we definitely want 5 nights in Anaheim (not necessarily at the beginning) and at least 5 nights in Aulani. We also definitely want to do a helicopter tour of Kauai to see the Jurassic park waterfall!

There are four of us ( our two boys will be 11 and 7 when we travel) and I'm wondering a few things really - would a few nights in SF be better than Vegas? Would we be better off cancelling the cruise and hopping for a few days to Kauai? (We'd miss Maui and the big island that way though). Has anyone found booking through virgin holidays cheaper than booking direct for this type of trip? (Years ago we went to California/Vegas with VH a couple of times because the room rates were much cheaper than booking direct - but I know how expensive virgin are for Florida these days, so wondered if the same is now true for west coast trips?)

Any advice is much appreciated

Ps - I know from other threads that lots of people don't think you need very long at Disneyland - but I went for a couple of days nearly 20years ago and really don't remember it at all - so this time I want to take it slow (or as slow as the boys will allow!) and really take it in!

[daytonababe]

VH seem very expensive to me , DIY had been cheaper for us the last few years .

Never been to San Francisco but I've not long come back from Vegas with my kids , it was there 5th trip ( been at various ages between 18mths and 15) and as usual they loved it and can't wait to go back .

[Tinkers]

Originally Posted by amy56

Hi all

For a couple of years now we've been planning our 40th birthday trip to the west coast/Hawaii, and I'm beginning to have a panic at the cost and what we really want to do and I was wondering if I could talk it through with you guys please?

The plan as its always been...

5 nights in Anaheim (hopefully Grand Californian Villas on dvc points, but quite possibly a nearby motel with cash!)
2 nights in Waikiki (probably the outrigger)
7 night NCL cruise around the islands - already booked but could cancel!
5 nights at Aulani
3 nights in Vegas (probably Bellagio)

I'm now beginning to question the whole thing! The only certainties are that we definitely want 5 nights in Anaheim (not necessarily at the beginning) and at least 5 nights in Aulani. We also definitely want to do a helicopter tour of Kauai to see the Jurassic park waterfall!

There are four of us ( our two boys will be 11 and 7 when we travel) and I'm wondering a few things really - would a few nights in SF be better than Vegas? Would we be better off cancelling the cruise and hopping for a few days to Kauai? (We'd miss Maui and the big island that way though). Has anyone found booking through virgin holidays cheaper than booking direct for this type of trip? (Years ago we went to California/Vegas with VH a couple of times because the room rates were much cheaper than booking direct - but I know how expensive virgin are for Florida these days, so wondered if the same is now true for west coast trips?)

Any advice is much appreciated

Ps - I know from other threads that lots of people don't think you need very long at Disneyland - but I went for a couple of days nearly 20years ago and really don't remember it at all - so this time I want to take it slow (or as slow as the boys will allow!) and really take it in!

See more...

I'm in the middle of trying to plan a trip next year, what we are hoping to do:

7 nights NCL around Hawaii Islands
7 nights at Aulani

And that is as far as I have got at the moment Not sure where to go before and after, have been to Vegas twice, San Francisco will the kids when they were younger and they loved Vegas, hence why we went back again and did Anaheim last August without kids, after our Akaska cruise. Will probably stay somewhere in Hawaii before cruise, but what to do after is yet not decided.

We stayed at Grand Californian villas last year for 7 nights, it was absolutely lovely and could have stayed longer. We entered parks really early 7.00 ish , did all that we wanted Cars etc and was lying around pool by mid day, then back into parks on the evening if we wanted. By staying longer it did not feel that we were rushing around.
Can't help with Virgin as we always do DIY

[lesley1960]

A couple of years ago we did 5 nights San fran , 5 nights Maui and then back to San fran for 3 nights. And to be honest it was just too much , the extra 2 hours time difference really affected us .The cost of adding Hawaii was as much if not more then the San Fran part , and i wasnt blown away by Maui ... but thats just my opinion

[amy56]

Thanks everyone

I've spoken to my eldest, as I thought he'd like to go to Alcatraz - but apparently he wants to save that until he's older! he now seems keen on trying out the pools in Vegas - so I think that we might stick to the original plan after all - although I'm definitely going to look for some ways of cutting down on the cost - just hoping flight prices for four of us aren't too scary!

[Guest]

My son loved Alcatraz! Well, we all did . If he's not keen then I'd scrap it . I didn't think there was much to do tbh.

[Cyclospora]

Why not think about San Diego?

[amy56]

Hi again

Well we think we've decided - and we're cancelling the cruise!

Steve and I went on an island cruise 15 years ago and so have seen some of the islands and if I'm honest with myself, I think the island hopping was going to be all about me and the boys would have just been trailing along!. They love the disney med cruise last year, but only because of everything on the Ship - they didn't enjoy getting off at all!

So... we are now having almost two weeks on Oahu, with six nights at Waikiki and a week at Aulani. I know Oahu isn't everyone's favourite place, but we actually like Honolulu and all our fav US chain restaurants! . Having looked at things to do, we are going to hike diamond head, do the movie tour, explore the north shore and the east coast, have surfing lessons, swim at a waterfall, visit pearl harbour, go to a luau, spend time on lovely beaches and ultimately chill at Aulani!

Neither Steve or I really remember much of our last trip to Hawaii and we think its because we tried to visit too many places - this time, whilst we won't be getting to other islands - we will hopefully get to know oahu really well and then next time perhaps we'll have a trip based purely in Kauai or perhaps Maui.

We will then have a full week in Anaheim, including a day trip to universal and a little tour of Hollywood - the boys are both excited at this!

So whilst I'm sure this isn't most people's idea of a great Hawaiian adventure - I think this will make for a good family trip for us (hopefully with lots of relaxation time thrown in! )

[Guest]

Sounds brilliant to me! Enjoy

[KarenG]

I think you're doing the right thing

Xxxx