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Hawaii Trip Next Week - Thoughts on GO City Card - Oahu?

kds4

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So, we are gearing up for our stay starting next week at Ko'Olina and wondering about how to best handle sightseeing the things of interest to us. Some have recommended waiting to get there for 'locally' available deals on attractions while others have recommended options like getting a GO City Card (smartdestinations.com).

There is a city card for Oahu. We got a 10% discount offer good through the 28th if we want to go this route and purchase. We've tried comparing 'at the door' pricing for the things of interest to us and we're not sure which is really the more cost effective (before we got the 10% off offer which is worth about $100 savings for the 4 of us).

Anyone ever used these GO city cards on Oahu? Did it save you money (and/or aggravation as they say you can skip standing in line to get tickets at the places it covers)?
 

Seaport104

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FYI Costco.com sells them as well and is a better deal than the website.
 

kds4

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FYI Costco.com sells them as well and is a better deal than the website.

That's good to know. We would have to purchase a Costco membership unless they allow you to purchase at an upcharge without one. We've actually been talking about whether a Costco membership for this trip would make sense from the standpoint of buying groceries for the week we are there. Would a family of 4 be able to save enough on groceries to offset at least a fair amount of a membership purchase?
 

Seaport104

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I see. Do they have longer options? We were thinking about a 5 day card, which includes a premium attraction like the Polynesian Cultural Center (which is on our to do list).

Doesn’t look like there’s other options. I just searched on their website but that 4 day card includes one premium attraction.
 

iqmavin

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FYI re Koolina and Oahu:

I've never used the cards as I don't think they're a good value for how we travel

If you are going to do Pearl Harbor you'll need a reservation. USPS site you pay a small fee. If you go definitely get the narration and plan on at least two hours. https://www.recreation.gov/showPage...arbor/home.jsp&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369

I strongly recommend going to Punchbowl. It's an impressive National cemetery with great murals of the battle of the Pacific.

Have you tried the app Oahu Revealed? I use it on all of my Hawaii trips. It's got a great GPS feature that gets you where you are going. Costs about $7.

Did you know they do a luau on Tuesday at the resort called Fia Fia? You get a taste of the entertainment at Monday nights welcome orientation.

Marriott now has no fees for the different classes they have: sunrise yoga, pool aerobics etc. Lots of fun.

Hope this helps
 

taterhed

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The Costco membership is worth the cost.

Gas at Costco is much cheaper. Ditto for liquor and other expensive supplies. Discount cards (not just Go, but direct cards to activities and restaurants etc...) will help to pay for the membership.
Plus, you can buy Hawaii REEF SAFE suntan lotion, snorkel/fins cheaper than rental etc....

Buy Costco, decide on what fits your needs.
 

DaveNV

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That's good to know. We would have to purchase a Costco membership unless they allow you to purchase at an upcharge without one. We've actually been talking about whether a Costco membership for this trip would make sense from the standpoint of buying groceries for the week we are there. Would a family of 4 be able to save enough on groceries to offset at least a fair amount of a membership purchase?

If you'll have a rental car, know that Costco gas is cheapest on the island, sometimes by a substantial amount. Combined with groceries and gas, you might save enough to pay for the membership. It looks like the Charlotte warehouse isn't too far from where you live, if you opted to shop there after you got home. It wouldn't take long to recoup the difference.

But even if you don't, here's a tip to keep in mind: Costco wants you to be satisfied with the membership you purchase. For that reason, at any point throughout the entire year's membership, if you feel you aren't getting good value for it, you can cancel the membership and they will refund the entire membership amount - even if it's on the last day of the year. Not suggesting you abuse the system, but you do have an option, if you're wondering whether to buy a membership.

Enjoy your trip! Hawaii is a wonderful place to visit.

Dave
 

kds4

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Doesn’t look like there’s other options. I just searched on their website but that 4 day card includes one premium attraction.

That's good. I thought we had to buy at least a 5 day card to get the premium attraction. The best price I am seeing for a Costco membership is $60 for a year.
 

kds4

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FYI re Koolina and Oahu:

I've never used the cards as I don't think they're a good value for how we travel

If you are going to do Pearl Harbor you'll need a reservation. USPS site you pay a small fee. If you go definitely get the narration and plan on at least two hours. https://www.recreation.gov/showPage...arbor/home.jsp&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369

I strongly recommend going to Punchbowl. It's an impressive National cemetery with great murals of the battle of the Pacific.

Have you tried the app Oahu Revealed? I use it on all of my Hawaii trips. It's got a great GPS feature that gets you where you are going. Costs about $7.

Did you know they do a luau on Tuesday at the resort called Fia Fia? You get a taste of the entertainment at Monday nights welcome orientation.

Marriott now has no fees for the different classes they have: sunrise yoga, pool aerobics etc. Lots of fun.

Hope this helps

Great info. Thanks. I had not heard of the Punchbowl.
 

kds4

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The Costco membership is worth the cost.

Gas at Costco is much cheaper. Ditto for liquor and other expensive supplies. Discount cards (not just Go, but direct cards to activities and restaurants etc...) will help to pay for the membership.
Plus, you can buy Hawaii REEF SAFE suntan lotion, snorkel/fins cheaper than rental etc....

Buy Costco, decide on what fits your needs.

Sounds good. I had not thought of gas. We will have a rental SUV while there. Guess I need to get to Costco this week-end.
 

kds4

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If you'll have a rental car, know that Costco gas is cheapest on the island, sometimes by a substantial amount. Combined with groceries and gas, you might save enough to pay for the membership. It looks like the Charlotte warehouse isn't too far from where you live, if you opted to shop there after you got home. It wouldn't take long to recoup the difference.

But even if you don't, here's a tip to keep in mind: Costco wants you to be satisfied with the membership you purchase. For that reason, at any point throughout the entire year's membership, if you feel you aren't getting good value for it, you can cancel the membership and they will refund the entire membership amount - even if it's on the last day of the year. Not suggesting you abuse the system, but you do have an option, if you're wondering whether to buy a membership.

Enjoy your trip! Hawaii is a wonderful place to visit.

Dave

That's good to know. Thanks. The local warehouse is actually close to my office.
 

taterhed

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upload_2018-3-23_12-14-50.png
 

DaveNV

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That's good to know. Thanks. The local warehouse is actually close to my office.

It's worth looking into. As I say, you have nothing to risk by joining.

If you have time ahead before your trip, buy the book Oahu Revealed, by Andrew Doughty. It's the print version of the online app mentioned in post #7 above. This is (arguably) the best travel book available, because it's based on "real world" travel. They don't accept advertising, so what's in the book is something they think belongs in there. The maps are organized by mile markers of the roads you're driving on, so it's easy to navigate around. Paired with the online app, you can ask things like "What's near me right now?" and it'll let you know what you're near. If you can't get the book before leaving home, they do sell it at Costco in Hawaii. Well worth the discounted price. Reading ahead may give you a lot of good ideas of places to visit, many of which are free to the public. https://www.hawaiirevealed.com

Punchbowl is the name for the National Cemetery of the Pacific, a very interesting place to visit, located inside a volcanic crater in central Honolulu. https://www.govisithawaii.com/2011/02/28/oahus-punchbowl-national-memorial-cemetery-of-the-pacific/

I know this thread was started about the Go Oahu card, but you may want to decide if you'll "really" use those attractions. You may find you're "forced" to do things you might not care about, because they're included with the card. For my money, they are often not worth it. Note also that the card only includes admission to ONE of the "Premium Attractions."

You mention going to the Polynesian Cultural Center. To get your money's worth on this, you have to plan your day quite carefully. The park doesn't open until 11:45. At 5:00 it basically shuts down so they can get ready for the luau and evening show. Between those hours, if you intend to visit each of the six villages, to see demonstrations and such, you cannot dawdle, and you have to keep moving. Things are performed on a schedule, and you have to make sure you're in the right place at the right time. If you miss one, there isn't time to circle back and see it again, unless you skip something else. It's interesting, and worth seeing if you are interested in learning the differences in the various Polynesian island cultures, but if you arrive late, you may find you spent a lot of money for something that isn't quite that satisfying. The luau food is marginal and pretty bland. (Very "sanitized" in keeping with the Mormon Church's rules. No alcohol is served.) The evening show is quite entertaining, but hula and fire knife performers are pretty commonly found, if you check around. After the show, it's a long drive back to Ko'Olina. (My opinion does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Management. ;) ) Here's their website: https://www.polynesia.com

Is anyone in your group Active Duty military, or retired military? You can save a lot by checking the ITT offices on the bases there. Well worth exploring, if you're eligible to buy tickets from them: https://jbphh.greatlifehawaii.com/tickets-travel

Dave
 
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taterhed

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BTW: For those that do routinely use the ITT ticketing offices (Military benefit), they have changed the policy on selling and issuing tickets. I think it varies by facility and by ticket. They would not elaborate.
Basically, plan on picking up your tickets in person with ID--unless you have mitigating circumstances. YMMV
 

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Another great hint is to download the Gypsy Oahu Island Tour on your smartphone. It is almost like having your personal travel guide.
 

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If you are going to do Pearl Harbor you'll need a reservation. USPS site you pay a small fee. If you go definitely get the narration and plan on at least two hours. https://www.recreation.gov/showPage...arbor/home.jsp&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369

.....

Arizona Memorial now withholds 1300 tickets for walk ups. So don’t skip it if you didn’t book it already. You have several other things nearby too. Missouri, Aviation Museum, Stadium Swap meet.

The most important thing to remember about Oahu is traffic. Do not spend your vacation in traffic. I would skip the Go Card for this reason and because you have enough to see without going to those paid experiences.

Enjoy Ko’olina and resist the temptation to constantly be talking about what you are going to do next. Have a couple of well-planned trips out of the resort when there is no traffic. I suggest two or three trips. You got a north shore trip, a Pearl Harbor trip, and an east side drive that can take you through Waikiki, Diamond Head, Sandy Beach, etc., and back over the H-3 before rush hour.
 

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We got the Go card once and there's some gotchas involved. For instance, you go to Pearl Harbor and find out the Go card can be used to buy an average size package, but you really wanted to see an extra attraction there. They don't let you just pay the difference to upgrade to the deluxe package. So you may buy the a-la carte ticket and end up spending more than you wanted. Same thing if you use it for an excursion. It covers the basic version but not the better version. If you just want to do a bunch of things, then go for it. If you want maximum flexibility, skip it.

I also agree with the people who say don't try to fit it all in, which you will try to do if you get the card. Traffic is a nightmare, so it's impossible to do very many things.

Personally, my family does one excursion every singe time we stay on Oahu - Captain Bob's Picnic and Snorkel Sail out of Kaneohe. The drive alone is worth it, it's so beautiful (we always drive from Ko Olina). The kids and the wife love the picnic and volleyball on the sandbar. I would call that a must-do. There's a hundred snorkel excursions on Oahu, and maybe half a dozen that go to this exact spot, but we love this one. Give yourself a good 70 minutes for the drive there from Ko Olina and you will be golden, as the drive steers clear of Honolulu (you take the H1 to the H3). On the drive back, stop by the Pali Lookout and get blown away, but that will add another 45 min to the drive back.
 
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taterhed

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----^^^

The above posters have great advice...

Also, if you do plan a trip to the east side (and beyond) don't blow-off the traffic planning and route-study. Leave late or stay too long and you'll have a 'less nice' experience coming back across HNL.
 

ljmiii

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We found the Costco Go Oahu 4 day card to be a great deal when we went in 2016. But it is somewhat Honolulu-centric so if you're staying at Ko'Olina it might not be worth it. The Premium Attraction we chose was Germaine's Luau (right next to Ko'Olina) but I'm not sure they will let you in without going to Waikiki first.
 

Dean

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We've done the GO card in Boston and NO. It was only OK for both locations and likely didn't save us anything. Besides costco, sometimes Groupon have had them over the years. If you have access to tickets at work, they've had some of the better deals when I've looked in the past.
 

kds4

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We got the Go card once and there's some gotchas involved. For instance, you go to Pearl Harbor and find out the Go card can be used to buy an average size package, but you really wanted to see an extra attraction there. They don't let you just pay the difference to upgrade to the deluxe package. So you may buy the a-la carte ticket and end up spending more than you wanted. Same thing if you use it for an excursion. It covers the basic version but not the better version. If you just want to do a bunch of things, then go for it. If you want maximum flexibility, skip it.

I also agree with the people who say don't try to fit it all in, which you will try to do if you get the card. Traffic is a nightmare, so it's impossible to do very many things.

Personally, my family does one excursion every singe time we stay on Oahu - Captain Bob's Picnic and Snorkel Sail out of Kaneohe. The drive alone is worth it, it's so beautiful (we always drive from Ko Olina). The kids and the wife love the picnic and volleyball on the sandbar. I would call that a must-do. There's a hundred snorkel excursions on Oahu, and maybe half a dozen that go to this exact spot, but we love this one. Give yourself a good 70 minutes for the drive there from Ko Olina and you will be golden, as the drive steers clear of Honolulu (you take the H1 to the H3). On the drive back, stop by the Pali Lookout and get blown away, but that will add another 45 min to the drive back.

Good to know. I'm the counter-weight to the 'go, go, go' voices in the family and definitely want time to just be at the resort.
 
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