travel to Hawaii with a baby and a toddler!

[travelhome]

First off, I should be happy that my DH gave me such a surprising gift for our 10th anniversary. He booked a package to Hilton Hawaiian Village!! The trip will be 9/6-9/12.

After the initial shock and joy, when I start to actually plan for the trip, I get a little worried and would like to get advice from you experienced travellers.

Our first trip to Hawaii was four years ago before the kids. We were in Hilton Waikola villiage and fully enjoyed it. This time, it will be our first time to bring kids, a 9month old and a 2.75year old, for such a long travel. We live in CA so there will be 5hours flight plus going in and out of airports plus 3hours time difference...

Making things even more unpredicable, he booked the package through priceline.com so when I called up priceline.com and HHV, I couldn't get room information. I have no idea which tower we will be in, what view we will be getting. I'm actually less concerned about the view than whether we can have a microwave in the room. I wish we could get a suite so that we will have more space and a kitchen. This feature will be convenient for staying a week outside of home with a baby and a toddler. I don't know if you book through priceline.com, whether you can choose room or upgrade, and how much extra.

We just came back from a weekend gataway at Carmel Highland Inn in a one bedroom 2-story townhouse. We spent most of the energy rotating between baby's morning and afternoon nap and my son's noon nap. Don't get me wrong. It was a beatiful and relaxing stay since we didn't do much and didn't even expect for doing much. So the 1hr at beach and a short walk at the Point Lobos reserve were actually big plus.

This time, it will be a whole week. I have no idea what activity we could manage doing. I'd love to hike the diamond head, drive up to north shore or go to the pearl harbor. Are these activities feasible? Are we pretty much locked down in the resort pool and beach? Anyone travel to Hawaii with pre-walk kids please comment... Anyone had experience with the guest rooms at HHV, which tower would be more convenient if we couldn't get a room with kitchen?

I guess I may be just overjoyed and then over worried. Appreciate any input.

Thanks a lot!

Tiffany

 

[DeniseM]

I have no idea what activity we could manage doing. I'd love to hike the diamond head, drive up to north shore or go to the pearl harbor. Are these activities feasible? Are we pretty much locked down in the resort pool and beach?

Diamond Head is a hard, hot, vertical hike - not doable with 2 babies. A drive up the North Shore is doable as long as your kids are happy in the car. Pearl Harbor should be fine, except you can't take any bags into the park including diaper bags and purses. If you each stick a diaper and a baby wipe in a sandwich bag in your pockets you should be OK & go early (7:00 am) before it gets hot, because there is very little shade there and you have to wait for your ticket time to go out on the launch to the memorial. The beach and the pool will be the most fun and the least stressful for your family. Don't forget that the sun in Hawaii is hard on little ones. I would buy some of the sun proof clothing and hats that they offer for kids these days + high octane sunscreen. Have fun!

 

[Twinkstarr]

Diamond Head is a hard, hot, vertical hike - not doable with 2 babies. A drive up the North Shore is doable as long as your kids are happy in the car. Pearl Harbor should be fine, except you can't take any bags into the park including diaper bags and purses. If you each stick a diaper and a baby wipe in a sandwich bag in your pockets you should be OK & go early (7:00 am) before it gets hot, because there is very little shade there and you have to wait for your ticket time to go out on the launch to the memorial. The beach and the pool will be the most fun and the least stressful for your family. Don't forget that the sun in Hawaii is hard on little ones. I would buy some of the sun proof clothing and hats that they offer for kids these days + high octane sunscreen. Have fun!

To add on to Denise's advice, have your DH wear those cargo shorts with the pockets. You'll be amazed at how many diapers, pullups, wipes he can carry. :rofl:

 

[charford]

Aloha!

The first time I travelled to Hawaii was when my 3 children were aged 10, 7 and 12 months. The youngest wasn't walking yet.

All the kids liked the pool and the beach. The youngest also liked luaus and drives around the islands. I've always traveled with the mindset that if the kids need a nap, they'll have one in the car. But I haven't asked them to do more physical activity than walk perhaps half a mile. I haven't hiked since the youngest was 3, LOL. If there are certain activities that you would like to do with just dh, the hotel would probably have either babysitters on staff or a service that you can call.

We only stayed in timeshares. I won't stay in anything without a kitchen now that I have kids. Someone is always hungry! I would imagine that you should be able to upgrade your room. Be prepared to pay for it though. You are going in off season - so it shouldn't be too much.

As for the flight, it really wasn't too bad. Our flight was 8 hours long. 5 hours sounds like a piece of cake to me! Bring a portable DVD player with headphones and their favorite DVDs. Does the 9 month old have their own seat? I was able to get a seat to HI at half price for the little one. No way was I going to hold him for that long. If dh didn't book the 9 month old a seat, perhaps he'd like to hold the baby during the flight? :hysterical: I don't bring a car seat for kids once they're over about 15 months, especially 2.75 years. Their legs are too long and they kick the seat in front of them. Makes for rather nasty glares from your fellow passengers.


Have a great time! We've traveled many times with the kids. It's all an adventure!

 

[LisaRex]

I take it that this is the HHV hotel, not the HHV timeshare...?

If it's the latter, then all should have a microwave, etc as they are all suites. If it's the former, I doubt you'll be eligible for upgrades with a Priceline booking, and certainly not to a suite which go for several thousand dollars a day.

The rooms in the Tapa tower are the biggest hotel rooms on campus, so you might request something in that tower, if possible. There was plenty of room for a family of four. You can also request a cot for the older child.

However, I don't remember a microwave being in the room. If you really need one, you might want to call and ask.

http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/index.asp

 

[jestme]

another possible option for the microwave, is to get one of the cheap ones at Walmart (behind the Ala Moana Center) and leave it there when you leave. For $39-$49 for the week it is a lot cheaper than upgrading a room at HHV for 7 nights.

 

[Denise L]

Nice present!

Wow, nice gift from your DH. I'm still waiting for my Kirby vacuum attachment that I asked for this year as a birthday present... !

Anyhow, I've heard great things about HHV (my two sisters and their families were there this summer), so if you have to pick a Hawaiian resort to be "stuck" at, this is a good one :whoopie: ! There should be plenty to do, and babysitters to hire, if you want to get a break from the kids. Our first trip to Hawaii with a 6-month old was mostly spent indoors, and since our daughter was still on CA time for feedings and sleep, she was out for the night at 3:00 pm, which left us pretty much inside too, so we were trying to go to sleep by 5:00 pm because she would be up by 3:00 am!

We took both kids to Maui when they were almost 4 and almost 1, and spent nearly all of our time at the beach or the kiddie pool, or at the outdoor malls (great fountains!). We enjoyed that! I'm sure that there is plenty just to see at the resort and in the surrounding area at the HHV on Oahu. There are shops to walk to and you can have the baby in a Bjorn carrier or something similar, or just a stroller. The baby will probably take lots of naps. We would take turns sitting by the pool if one or more kids are napping. The kids just love the beach...we could just hang out at the beach with lots of sunscreen all morning, then nap after lunch, then to the pools after nap. Then dinner. Then walks around the property, etc.

It's a really easy flight from CA, so I'm sure you will be fine, and you'll be going back year after year, since it's such a family place !

 

[travelhome]

great suggestions!

Thanks a lot for all the great suggestions!

It's a great idea to just buy a microwave during the stay.

I'm pretty sure we will be staying at a hotel room. From tripadvisor.com, I read Rainbow tower and A'lii tower are closer to the beach. Kalia tower is newer?

Anyone had experience of upgrading or change rooms when you actually bought a flight/hotel/car package? There is no visibility of the individual pieces. I couldn't even find out which tower I will be assigned to before hand.

Thanks a lot! I'm really looking forward to the trip. Will be an interesting experience for us as a family to adjust to the time difference, to handle the different nap times, and at the same time to try to have some water fun and exercusions if possible.

Tiff

 

[linsj]

You'll definitely be staying in the hotel, not the timeshare, and won't get an upgraded room at the hotel. Those go to people with Hilton Honors gold and diamond status--assuming they are available. So you won't have a microwave.

Your older child will enjoy seeing the birds and animals on the property, i.e., penguins (yes, in Hawaii), flamingos, koi. There's a Hawaiian show and fireworks on Friday nights; one of the best places to view the fireworks is sitting on the low rock wall on the beach by the dock. There are kids' programs, but I don't know what the minimum age is.

Here's a link to the hotel to see what's offered:
http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/index.asp

 

[slomac]

We just got back from Kauai with a 5, 21/2 and 4 month old. We have been there many times before but this was the first time with 3 kids. We spent a lot of time trading off watching the kids in the room during nap time. Hawaii is a great place to bring kids though because you feel safe and there are a lot of people with kids. Don't try to do too much just enjoy your resort and you will all have a great time.

 

[jehb2]

This past January my husband had a conference in the big Island and I finally agreed to go at the last minute. We took our then 3yr old and 7 month old-almost the same age as yours. We stayed at the Bay Club and had an absolute blast. We also took my oldest daughter (the 3.5 yr old) to HHV and Kauai when she was only 18 months. That was awesome too.

I packed next to nothing for myself and whatever I thought would make life comfortable and easy when taking care of my kids away from my home. Waikiki is very walkable and we really love walking along the main blvd. in the evening. However, Hilton is a bit distant for little legs. I would take either a sit-n-stand stroller or what I really like is my umbrella stroller and my Ergo baby carrier. My 3 yr. old walks a lot but when she gets tired I put her in the stroller and carry the baby on my back.

I wouldn't take the kids up Diamond Head. However, its not that far from the Hotel (I jog there and back), maybe you guys could trade off. I see no problem in going to North Shore or circling the island unless your kids hate car rides.

 

[debraxh]

You probably have a "room assigned at checkin" type of package, and they will just assign you a room when you checkin, based on availability.
During checkin, it doesn't hurt to be exceptionally nice, mention your anniversary, excited about the resort, first time to the islands, first vacation with kids, etc. etc. Depending on occupancy % while you there, you could end up with a really nice room.

Although many people like to arrive early, I think upgrades are easier if you arrive later, when more clean rooms are available. Even if you say you'll wait for a nicer room to be cleaned, I find they like to put you in what's ready right then.

The resort is huge -- with lots of rooms -- but the physical area is not all that big. With a family, I would prefer a larger, more comfortable room, even if it's a 6 minute walk, vs a 3 minute walk to the pool and/or beach.

I agree with the advice to forego the Diamond Head hike unless you can leave the little ones with a sitter. Although Pearl Harbor is doable, the kids are too young to understand the history or what it all means. Once you get on the memorial you're asked to respect silence, which is particularly hard for youngsters. It may be another trip best left for you and your husband (or kids are older).

Driving a circle island tour, visiting north shore, is definitely better. You can enjoy the scenery and they can nap in the car when tired. Just be sure to take snacks, books, small toys, and whatever else will help keep them entertained between stops.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.

 

[seatrout]

wrong post

 

[cigarboo]

The zoo and aquarium are nice. Sea Life Park is small, but have some whales, dolphins, seals and penguins. I was just in Oahu last week and Hilo Hattie had buy 1 get 1 free coupons for Sea Life Park, plus a bunch of other coupons. There's lots of shopping, people watching and plenty of casual places to eat. You'll probably have to save some of the typical "must do" things for another trip, but you'll still have plenty to do with the little ones in tow. Remember, the less you do, the more relaxed your vacation will be. Enjoy!

 

[chellej]

I am sure you will have a great time with the kids along....but have you thought about getting a trusted family member to stay with the kids and have a romantic week with just DH?