Packing for Aulani

By: Princess Diva

I can’t tell you the number of times that I have packed for a trip and ended up not wearing half of the stuff that I packed!  With airlines charging for bags, it pays to really think about what you are packing.  After an eight day trip to Aulani, I’m back to help you make the most of your suitcase space.  For our family, we ended up with two suitcases and three carry-ons.  (I was VERY proud of myself for this…if you know me, you know why).

For our trip, we booked a 1 bedroom Villa (there are 5 of us, remember)…this was awesome (more on that to come) because there was a washer and dryer in the room which allowed me to throw a load of laundry in whenever we needed.  There are laundry facilities available for those rooms without a washer and dryer.  You can read more about doing laundry while on Disney vacations here.

When packing for our trip, I started with The Disney Diva’s Packing Check List to make sure that I didn’t forget any of the basics.  There were some things that I decided to leave off, because this was going to be a vacation about relaxing and not running from park to park.  Here is what we brought:

Toiletries

-face soap

-moisturizer plus SPF

-deodorant

-hair products…air bands, clips, brush, extra shampoo, flat iron, blow dryer (like most hotels, there are blow dryers in the room, but I am partial to my own)

-make up

-nail file AND nail clippers (had to buy clippers there because I forgot ours)

-toothbrushes/toothpaste/floss/mouthwash

-shaving products

-feminine products

-medicines/vitamins

-Band-Aids

4 T-shirts/tank tops (solid colors make it easy to mix and match outfits)

1 golf shirt (there is an awesome golf course across the street)

3-4 pairs of shorts

1 pair of jeans (can dress them up for a nice dinner…had all the boys do this when we went to ‘Ama “Ama)

1 nice outfit (for a nice dinner out or a mom and dad night)

1-2 summer dresses (for evening activities on property…more on this later)

2-3 pairs of pajamas

5 pairs of underwear

3 pairs of socks

bras

belt

sneakers

Same as above

-diapers (I thought that since there was a grocery store across the street that we could just buy diapers there…WRONG!  I ended up having to buy them at Kalepa’s Store, the gift shop at Aulani, and spent like $10.00 for every 10 diapers that we needed…BRING DIAPERS!!

-wipes

-sippy cup/bottle

-stroller (we found that with a 2 year old, we didn’t need one, but might be a good idea if you have a younger child or plan on lots of sightseeing)

-formula (they do have this at the grocery store)

-pacifiers (great for airplane rides)

-favorite blanket or stuffed animal

-cash, credit cards, picture ID, and birth certificates (for the kids)

-insurance cards…just in case

-plane tickets and confirmation numbers (I like to save these in my phone too)

-cell phones and chargers

-camera/batteries/charger

–autograph books and pens

-iPad, iPod, personal video game system and their chargers (even from the west coast, this is a 5+ hour flight…keep kids busy with movies and games)

-headphones

-snacks for the plane

So here is where the list deviates slightly from a typical trip to Disney World or Disneyland.

*Bathing suits- 2-3 this allows for a dry suit at all times.  You may decide to break up your swimming during the day.  If you bring 2 piece suits (bikini or tankini) make them solid colors and you can mix and match the pieces

*Cover-up- Walking to the pool, around the lobby, or grabbing snacks at The Lava Shack

*Flip flops or water shoes- Easy to take on and off at the pool, or for trips to the restroom…you don’t want to burn little toes on the hot pool deck

*Sunglasses- After sitting in the sun for hours, your eyes will thank you

*Hat- I totally suggest a hat while lounging and working on your tan…nobody wants a sunburned head

*Sunscreen- When you think you’ve paced enough, pack some more!  We went through 5 bottles in 8 days!  Bring this with you…DO NOT buy it once you arrive…I paid double for the 5^th bottle that we needed.  Do get a higher SPF than you normally think you would need.  Even the locals told me that they don’t use less that SPF 50!  You don’t want to spend your entire vacation miserable and burnt!

*Aloe or after sun lotion- Just in case you didn’t believe me about the sun!

*Chapstick with SPF-Salt water and sun can dry out your lips

*Ear drops- You will be spending lots of time in the water, and these would be great to help prevent any ear aches or swimmer’s ear.

*Ponytail holders- Keeps your hair out of the water and helps keep you cool.

*Arm Bands or inflatable floats for kids (none of the water areas are over 4 feet deep, but for infants and toddlers, these come in handy)

*Swim diapers-same as with regular diapers, ABC Island Country Market did not have any, luckily, I had plenty of these…over $2 each in Kalepa’s Store.

*Baby powder- Helps get all the sand off

*Pool bag- I made sure one of our carry-ons could double as a pool bag.  This will keep everything together while you are having fun…no lost flip flops or room keys!

Diva Hint-If you take an early flight in (arriving before check-in) pack swim suits, flip flops and travel bottle of sun screen in a carry-on…when you arrive at Aulani, check your bags with the bell desk, head over to the Pau Hana Room or the Luana Lounge in the Ewa tower where you can change, use the lockers, and hang out by the pool until your room is ready.  Also awesome for late departures (showers, blow dryers, shampoo, etc.) for guests to use before flying out.

I’m sure that I forgot something in my list along the way, but I hope that this helps maximize your packing space when planning your trip to Aulani!