When planning your trip to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii, you will likely have images of relaxing by the beach or watching the kids play in the pool while you sample a Dole Whip or Shaved Ice. However, if you’re looking for a bit more excitement, Disney has what you’re looking for! Disney offers excursions from Aulani via Pleasant Holidays or Adventures by Disney.
On our recent trip to Aulani, we debated as to which excursion to choose – there is such a wide variety of activities to choose from, from surf lessons to submarine rides to visiting Pearl Harbor. Once we decided on surf lessons for the kids, I was overwhelmed by the online booking site, as I wasn’t sure exactly which surf lesson to book. The agent over the phone was extremely helpful and helped me book a 2 hour lesson for our two daughters with two additional adults with “transportation only.” The agent recommended the 2 hour lesson versus the 1 hour to ensure that the kids had enough time to learn and stand up on the board multiple times.
The morning of our lesson, one of the instructors picked us up out front of Aulani. She took us on a short drive to the beach where the other instructor was waiting. There were a couple of other people having lessons but other than that, the beach was deserted. Our instructors said that we were lucky in that the water was not too rough but there were waves that our girls would definitely be able to ride.
The girls were fitted in wetsuits and given some instructions on land. There were lifejackets available as well. (One thing I would change – I would definitely have our girls wear lifejackets. Our girls are very strong swimmers but I didn’t realize just how far out they would be going).
I was so surprised at how quickly our girls were able to get to their feet! The instructors were so patient and really worked to make sure that the girls were able to stand as many times as they could. My husband and I has such a great time standing on the beach, watching them, listening to their excited squeals each time they stood up and rode the wave in to us.
At one point, we noticed the instructor had a stick. We thought it was some kind of learning tool. Turns out it was a Go Pro on a stick that they used to take video of the girls. Once they were finished, we were able to purchase the videos, which they burned to a CD right there. They also had Girls Who Surf t-shirts and other merchandise. We were then taken back to Aulani, with two very tired girls! We ended up leaving our lesson before the 2 hours were up because the kids had done so much, they were exhausted!
This was an amazing experience for both us and our daughters. We weren’t sure how they would do and they shocked us with how well they did, and how much fun they had. The instructors were so patient and great with the kids. It just goes to show you that you don’t even need to be on Disney property to experience the magic.
Explore more of what Hawaii has to offer when you’re visiting Aulani! Email me at Amy@TravelWithTheMagic.com or you can find me on Facebook. You can also call me at 1-800-670-4312, ext 129. I can’t wait to plan your MAGICAL Hawaiian vacation!
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