"I'm going places, but I don't need to travel far to get there." I enrolled in fall classes at the new SLCC Harriman campus right here in my neighborhood. It's brand new with 91,000 square feet of amenities like a STEM Learning Center and Career Services. There's so much I can study from economics to psychology to information systems and I'll save big on tuition with SLCC's low cost. See you this fall at SLCC in Harriman, enrolled today at slcc.edu/harriman. Today we'll have Stephanie's Hawaii trip, including Elani, that's coming up on this episode for 20 of WWE Prep to Go. Hello and welcome to WWE Prep to Go Retalk Strategy and Ideas for People playing their Disney World trip. I am your host Shannon Albert from www.dwprepschool.com. Thank you for being here for episode for 20. Today is another trip report, but it is in Hawaii, which we don't get to hear about too often, but I was excited to talk to Stephanie about her Hawaiian trip because I have been to Hawaii once last year, but not been to Elani because I find it all hard to figure out. She did that on this trip and you'll hear more about that in just a minute. As always, a reminder to follow on social media and if you want to be a trip report guest, like Stephanie, the only way to do that is to submit using the speak/bipe information in the show notes of every single episode. Please let us know about your trip and if it fits with our schedule, then somebody on my team will reach out to you. Without any further ado, here are my chats with Stephanie. Welcome to the podcast, Stephanie. Hello. We are talking on July 4th eve, July 3rd, and I understand you are headed to Hawaii very soon. I am. We leave tomorrow to drive down to Austin. We're flying out of Austin because Hawaiian Airlines flies out of Austin and it was significantly cheaper to fly Hawaiian out of Austin than it was to fly to DFW. Yeah. So we were chatting before we hit record, you and I are literally just minutes apart from our physical locations. And I think it's super interesting you're going to Austin because we have an embarrassment of riches with flights here. This American Airlines is based here in South Austin Airlines is based here. So this idea and I just was in Hawaii last September, this idea didn't ever occur to me. But it's direct, right? Yeah, it is cheaper. It is cheaper. So and we're going to Maui first and so our flight actually will land in Honolulu and then we do have a layover from Honolulu to or another flight from Honolulu to Maui. But yeah, it saved us a significant amount of money to drive down to Austin. And I'm on several Hawaii Facebook groups and people talked about Hawaiian Airlines literally feels like vacation as soon as you step on the flight and I was like, I'm all in for that. Oh, I love that. Yeah. And so I looked it up and I saw they didn't fly to Dallas, but they did fly to Austin. The dates were limited. So like they only they don't fly every single day and there's only like one flight a day. And so we just made it work, we actually ended up adding an extra day to our trip so that we could fly, which nobody minds adding a day in Hawaii. But literally including gas, a hotel in Austin, and we even upgraded our flights and we still saved like a thousand dollars. That is wild. Okay. I love I love clever ideas. So this is interesting and one I wouldn't have considered based on where we live. So on July 4th, you're driving to Austin and then on July 5th, you're flying to Hawaii. Correct. Okay. And then when do you come back? So we fly home on we will leave Honolulu on the 16th overnight flight and we'll be home on the 17th like our flight gets in like 8 a.m. and then we'll drive home from there. Holy moly. That's a long trip. Yeah. Okay. And you've never been to Hawaii. So my husband and I have been to Hawaii on our we went on our honeymoon. Okay. But that was in 2008. So that was before Alani was built. And we weren't Disney people back then. So we didn't know we wouldn't have even even if they had had it, we didn't know anything about it. So we went to Oahu and to Kauai. Okay. Got it. Okay. So we've got a lot to work through here. So July 4th, you're driving to Austin State, a hotel, July 5th, you fly to Hawaii and you have that little connection in Hawaii before you land in Maui first. Yes. Okay. Let me tell you though. Okay. Go ahead. I was going to say who's going on the trip because you said you and your husband and then. Yeah. So me, my husband and my 13 year old daughter Abigail. Okay. Got it. So just the three of us. There is in the Oahu airport or the Honolulu airport, I guess there is a lounge called the Coelina Lounge and it is only for the, there's like four resorts there in Coelina where on Lonnie is. And so if you have a, if you have a reservation at a Lonnie, you can go visit this lounge. So you just have to sign up for it. It's free. And so I just signed up so that we would have that lounge to be available like in between our flights while we're in our layover. That's so fun. Okay. I've just learned about that like two weeks, like last week I learned about that. So, so your, your layover is on your way to Maui, but you get the lounge because you do have an Lonnie reservation at some point. Yes. Okay. Interesting. Yes. Okay. So after you enjoy the lounge and you make it to Maui, where are you headed? What are you saying? Okay. So we have a Verbo and so we're standing in a condo in Kihei. Okay. And we're doing tour for a rental car. So, and we will have a rental car our entire trip because when we went on our honeymoon, we didn't and we regretted it. So we were like, we'll just have it the whole time, even if it sits in a parking lot. Okay. Um, and have you done Tarot before? We have not. Okay. This will be new. Yes. Okay. And okay, the Verbo is in Kihei and you're doing the car. Tarot car. Okay. And any plans on this first day as you arrive, other than just like checking in? No, we have, um, we are, our flight gets in. I'm looking at my time at about, at about four o'clock. And so, and I keep telling myself that's going to feel like nine o'clock here. And so I know we're going to be tired. Um, I plan to, we're going to stop at a grocery store. I decided, I, I usually when we go to Disney, like I'll have, um, like an Amazon grocery order delivered, but, and I started to do like a target order and just pick it up on the way to the Verbo, but I decided I really wanted to hit a local grocery store. So I got on the Facebook groups and found some local grocery stores. So, um, just pick up, I think the plan is going to be to pick up dinner, like at the grocery store that we can just eat in our Verbo go eat out on the line. I, and just enjoy the sunset because it overlooks the ocean and the sunset. So that's the plan. Okay. Okay. So you are staying, um, I was just looking at the map where Kihei is because it started by Wallaya. Yes. That's where we stayed. We were there. We got married on Poulina Lena Beach. Okay. It is all right in that little area. So beautiful. I cannot. Um, okay. So then how structured are your plans in Hawaii? Cause, you know, from a Disney World perspective, it's like plan, plan, reservation, touring. Yes. So does this work for you? So it's very, um, well, I could, my spreadsheet is a little, um, it's color coded. It's color coded. Okay. It is. It's like the Disney planner out of the girl. You can't. However, so my family, all three of us vacation very differently. Um, my husband is very like, go with the flow. He's like, he always tells me, I'm so thankful I have you to plan everything because he doesn't plan anything. Um, and then my daughter is, she's a water baby. Like she loves to be in the water, but my husband does not prefer it. So it's like finding like that, like balance of all the things. Um, so it's, it's like, it's kind of structured. I have things like planned. There are a few things that I told my husband, these are non-negotiables because we've paid for them. And then these are the things that we can do. So, um, it's a little structured, not completely. Okay. All right. So then what do you think you're going to do on July six? Okay. July six is going to be the road to Hannah. Oh, but bless you and good luck. Did y'all do it when you were there? Mm hmm. Okay. And did you go the whole way? No. Okay. Mm hmm. That was so, it was scary. That's sort of afraid of, however, my husband will drive and I always tell him, even when like the speed limit's like 15, I'm like, you can go slower and he's like, it, I'm going the speed limit. And I'm like, and it's still okay to go slower, um, but we did, um, so my plan is to just go halfway. And if we only make it halfway, that's totally okay with me. I know there's like a banana bread shop at the halfway mark and that's kind of my like target. Mm hmm. I do get car sick. So I have ginger chews packed and, you know, car sickness medicine. And so we'll just go as far as we can and if we can't do it, we'll turn around. I bet half is what we did as well. I just didn't anticipate how hard it was going to be to navigate. And I wasn't even driving. Yeah. It was just like when you're having to pay attention for so, so many details that can just get more exhausting than a regular road. Yes. And a friend advised me, they said anytime you see a pull off that is like, I know they, they talk a lot about, um, there's a lot of private property. So you really have to be careful to stay off of people's private property on that line on that road, but they told me anytime you see a pull off, pull off and get out and it'll help you just like reset and then get back in and go and just, just see all the things. Mm hmm. Okay. So, and then there's the Maui brewing brewing, brewing company is right there in Kihei also and they do tours and their last one for the day is 330. So if we get finished and we can make it over there, we're going to go over there. And if we can't, then we'll just go there for dinner and some music. They have live music. So fun. Love that. Yes. Okay. Um, July 7th, July 7th. So we have no plans in the morning. It's a Sunday and I have found a church. So if we are up and we want to go, we have a church that we have found to go visit, other than that, we have no plans in the morning, but we do have a snorkeling tour in the afternoon to go out to Molokini Crater and do snorkeling out there. Okay. We did a boat ride out to the crater. Okay. Yes. Everything's just so pretty. Yes. Okay. All right. July 8th will be, so let me also say on my Facebook groups, they all tell me like, don't go to all the islands. They're like, just pick one and stay there for a week. It's just not in my nature. Um, so I'm like, I have to try them all. So this is enough. This is a travel day for us. So my plan is to get up, go to breakfast. I have a feeling we'll still be kind of on Texas time. So I feel like we'll still be up kind of early, um, get up, go walk the beach, get some breakfast, get our stuff checked out. And then we, um, fly to the big island in the afternoon that day at like two 45. Okay. All right. And then what? And then we are on the big island and we are staying at a Verbo there as well. Um, and we have a car rental through Turo and we're staying in Kona and we have no plans that evening. So that's just going to be kind of get there, get situated again, a grocery store and that kind of stuff. So, okay. July 9th, July 9th, we have kayak rentals in the morning. So they have glass bottom kayak rentals. So we just did like an hour rental, so we're going to go do that. They have a two person and a one person. They didn't have a three person. And so my daughter and I will take one and then my husband will take his own. And that's because my husband also, we did a tandem bike across the golden gate bridge once. And I don't think he'll ever do anything tandem with me again. So, um, so my daughter and I will have the two and he'll do the one. Mm hmm. So that is in the morning. And then our plan is to go visit, there's a farm, um, a coffee farm, not too far from there. So we're going to do the coffee farm that day and then know like scheduled plans that afternoon, just kind of get to know the town. Mm hmm. Okay. And we're on July 10th. Yes. So July 10th is, it's a big driving day for us. Well, we're going to hit the, um, chocolate fat. There's a chocolate farm. So we're going to go tour that. We have tickets for that. And then the rest of the day, there's nothing like that has tickets, but there's a, my plan is to run my family ragged until we get to Alani and then we'll rest at Alani. Um, but there's a, um, orchard that we want to hit. There's the Black Sea and beach that we want to get to. There's the southernmost point of the United States that we can go look out. So that's kind of the plan for the day is those things and then find food and, um, enjoy the day, just out, explain the island. You said southernmost point of the U S. So I have to look that up because I thought that was in the West Florida. Maybe that's in the continental U S continental U S, right? And then I think ours is it's other most of the whole U S. So if you can't all the state, okay, I'm going to look that up because I didn't realize that was. Yes. Yes. Okay. July 11th. Yes. And so July 11th is, um, the day that we're traveling to a Wahoo. So, um, but we do have a, like, um, the big island has all the farms. And so I was like, we got to visit all these farms. So there's also a sea salt farm there. So we're going to go hit that in the morning. So we'll check out of our verbo and then do that. And it's right by the airport. So we'll do that and go get some lunch and then head to the airport. And all these flights are on Hawaiian Airlines. They are. So, um, the Hawaiian Airlines flights were all like inner island flights. If you book them far enough and advance, we're only like 50 bucks. So, um, it wasn't crazy. Yeah. That is nice. Okay. So now sea salt farm, tribe and do a whole, a Wahoo and then is it the same thing you're doing a turo. Yes. And verbo thing. No. Well, then once we get to a Wahoo, we're going to a Lonnie. Okay. Yeah. Go to a Lonnie and, uh, you mentioned before we hit record that you're a DVC owner. So that's how you booked a Lonnie. Yes. So, um, my advice for DVC people, um, is that for a Lonnie, you kind of have to walk the reservation. And so I know like, I don't believe in that with like Disney because I always feel like at Disney, there's somewhere you can stay. Our home resort is at Disney. And so we can always book something. But at a Lonnie, I tried several years ago back in 2021. We were, that was our original plan to go. And I went to go book it. And one, I learned two lessons then. One was that I needed more points than I realized. So I wanted to do like the cheap room and I learned, okay, I need to just have the availability to go to a more expensive room in order to be able to get what to at least get something. And then the other thing was just try for anything on the dates, like start early. And then once you get something booked, just walk it until you get to where you want it. So I don't usually recommend walking your points, but that is, um, at a Lonnie, it was like it was necessary or we would not have gotten the dates that we needed. Okay. So any plans at a Lonnie on this first day? Okay. So pretty much everything at a Lonnie we have is a lot of things are like, they're offered multiple days. And so I kind of just have things like earmarked for certain days, but we'll just kind of see once we get there, but they have a hula that night that I think we're going to try to get to. Okay. All right. And then July 12th, what's your plan? Yes. And they have, and I am not normally a fitness person and definitely not on vacation, however, there's a fitness class that's down on the lagoon that's like partly in the sand, partly in the water. So I signed my daughter and I up for it. My husband was like, you can leave me out, but it's called splash and dash. So we have that reservation for nine o'clock on Friday morning. And we'll see if we actually get up and make it down there. Yes. Might just enjoy the views. Yeah. What else? And then at 10 30, we have reservations to make your own Mickey ears. And so they have like the Hawaiian things, like the flowers and the leaves and you go in and you just make your own that. And that costs, I wrote this down, that costs 26 to $36. So $26 for like, not for like the plain ones and then 36 if you wanted the light up ones. So we're going to do that. And then the rest of the afternoon is all there, like just getting to know the resort. There's a, they have pin trading hours, so my daughter will do pin trading. They have a culture nature walk, they've got the art of a Lonnie walk that you can go on and they'll walk you through like the different art that's around there. So that's kind of just the plan for the afternoon is get to know the resort. And then the evening, they have teen, they have like teen things and my daughter's 13. So she's too old for like aunties be child, which is like their childcare thing. And they only do those teen things like two nights of the week. And I think that's the only time they're doing it while we're there. So I don't know if she will go. She's kind of introverted as she's very introverted. So I'm not sure when we get there, if she'll be up for it, like, I need some time away from my parents. But there's like a karaoke and a game night. So if she goes to that, great. And if she doesn't, then we'll go do the fire pit storytelling. If so, just all right. That's fun. I didn't know that they offered that for teens. Yes. Angel. Go ahead. Ages 13 to 17. And so we actually have another friend that's going to be at a Lonnie at the same time. And it's like crazy when we started talking and we just realized like, hey, we're going to be there at the same time. And so I had texted her and said, are you're either of your girls 17? And she's like no 18 and 21. So I was like, okay. So I thought maybe one of them would go with her, but yeah, so if she doesn't go to the teen night thing, maybe she can hang out with the other teens. Yes. Go swim with them or something. Yeah. You and your husband go to dinner alone. Yes. Yes. July 13th. So July 13th is our like out in Oahu day. So we plan to get up really early. We have Pearl Harbor tickets like to visit the USS Arizona. They're only like $3, but you do have to book them in advance. You can do walk up on the day of as just I knew that we wanted to start really early that day. So I wanted like the 8 a.m. tour. And I knew that if we didn't book it, we wouldn't cap the early one. So there's a bakery that people recommend, so our plan is to hit that bakery on the way to Pearl Harbor. Go visit Pearl Harbor and then spend as much time there as we want. I kind of have it timed out, but I told my husband it's so flexible because that's the only thing that's scheduled and everything else is just at our own pace. So after Pearl Harbor, we'll go to the Dole Plantation and visit that, which we did both of those on our honeymoon, but we feel like our daughter would love to see both of those, although she does have a pineapple intolerance. And so we're like, you can't have any pineapple. However, you should come see how it's grown. And so, and we're not intolerant and we like pineapple, so we'll leave it. Exactly. Yes. And then we'll head up to the North Shore and just like see if we see any surfers, just watch it. We won't get in the water there. But there's a shrimp truck that people recommend that there's Matsumoto Shave Ice. And apparently in Hawaii, I'm sure you know this from when you went, it's shave ice and not shaved ice. I'm trying to train my husband. No, you can't say it like that. Yup. You got it. Trunkate that D. That's right. So we'll just spend some time in the North Shore and then head back to the resort. One fail that I made, my husband is a musician and they have ukulele lessons. And I really wanted to do that. And I was like, oh, I know you have to schedule an advance, but I didn't really stress about it. And I should have. So when I went to go look at it like last week, they were all, they were all booked. And there it was like, oh, you can book it 30 days out. And I did not realize that. And somehow I missed that. So we did not book any of those, but I've, I like asked on the Alani Facebook group someone and they were like, when you get there, just ask them and they'll get you into one. So I'm hoping that that'll work out. So I kind of have it tentatively in lots of spaces to see where they can get us in. So I'm hoping that day we'll get to do that ukulele lesson. And then in the evening, we booked the stargazing. So there's a stargazing that they that they have there at Alani, they have, I think even three separate times. And I think the last time in the night is like adults only, it's 18 and up. But so our plan is to just go with that evening. So our reservation is at 745 for that. And that's $45 a person for stargazing for adults. And if you have a child under 12, then it's only 25, but that 13 man, all of a sudden everything is an adult on a Disney world 11. Yeah, that's true. I know that's that's both are absurd numbers. They are July 14th. Okay, so that one we're the Aloha swap meet is like, it's like they're big. I always, well, to my husband, I explained it as traders village. You might know what traders villages being from around here. It's kind of like their traders village. But it's open. It's like supposed to be local like stuff. And so if we decide to get out after the night of after being busy, if we decide to get out, then we're going to go to the swap meet that day. It's only open Saturday, Sundays and Wednesdays. And so if we want to go, that's the day we can go. And then back to the resort, maybe over to we might go down to like Waikiki that day and just visit down there the Honolulu area and because we when we went on our honeymoon, we stayed in Waikiki and we hardly left. So I feel like I'm good not going over there, but we might want to take our daughter and just let her kind of see some of that stuff. And then we have a photo shoot that afternoon. So we scheduled a photographer to come do photos on the beach. We used Shaka shoots and it's a it's a very affordable. It was $100 and it's a 30 minute, which is all we need. Our family doesn't do like annual family photos. We just it's just not as we take pictures all the time. But I was just I was like, this is a splurge I want to make. So it's like $100 and they come to you wherever you want and it was like and they're available like everywhere. I learned as I was like looking at their website like it just is a website that they they match your photographer with what you need. And so we just did the 30 minute session and you get like 12 edited photos. But you get access to all the pictures they take. So nice. That's not bad at all. Yeah. And our plan when we originally booked that I said, okay, we'll have to figure out what we're going to wear for our pictures. And my husband was like, well, why don't we just find something when we're in Hawaii? And I was like, okay, let's do it. So that's kind of our like we'll see if we come across anything. I do have some backups in case like we just don't find anything. I have outfits planned. However, if we find something that will take the place of it. So maybe at the swap meet that morning, exactly that's what's going to say that's a shopping day for you. So right. Um, okay. The other thing, like I said with the ukulele lessons, I missed the deadline on that. So also there's animation classes and my daughter loves, she's an artist. She loves to draw. And I totally missed the ball. Those are like the two things my family wanted to do. And I totally missed out on like booking them. But when I started looking on the animation on the stuff on the Alani app, it says that it's actually available in your room on demand at any time. So I just ordered her a sketch pad and she'll have that in the room at any time when we're just have some downtime, she can just pull it up and do some drawings. So okay, that's fun. Yeah. Okay. And then July 15th, July 15th is just a, it's a pretty open day and nothing really planned. Just relax. Enjoy the resort. Do some pin trading, um, there is a hula on the lawn in the afternoon that we might go to, there's a DVC event that evening, um, and I think it's just like a, like a party. Um, it's from seven to eight, but we went ahead, I made Ama Ama reservations for our last night in Hawaii. So it's, and they're at seven 30. So we may or may not go to that DVC event and we might, we might go and just stay for a little bit. But, um, so we have reservations at Ama Ama that night. Okay. And July 16th, is that when you fly home? Yes. So we, our flight is not until seven o'clock that night. So we have the morning to kind of just get our lives back together and organize everything, check out of the room. Um, they have, um, at a loney, they have, um, uh, they call it the Luana lounge and it is there. Um, like a lounge for once you check out, so you check out, you can leave your bags at Bell services and then enjoy the resort. And then the Luana lounge has showers and everything so that after you're, you can shower before you fly home. I know a lot of people fly overnight to go home. So, um, we have, so we'll do that so that we can go and shout or we can enjoy the day, but also I have pedicures booked for me and my daughter at the spa there. Um, that last day, I figured there's no point in doing it before vacation because your pedicure gets messed up in the ocean. So we'll just do it at the very end, a way to relax right before getting on an eight hour flight that we're going to try to sleep in. So. In the year trip of the pedicure is a fun idea. Yeah. If, if, and if she was older, I would consider massages, but they don't do massages on young children and until, or on, on the, you have to be 14 and she'll be 14 in September. So I was like, well, saved me some money. So. Yeah. I don't know. It's funny about that. Yeah. I think it took time to get comfortable with the taking might need to be 18. Yeah. Maybe. Um, but for now you'll do the pedicures and then, um, anything else before you fly home at night. Nope. So I have the Cola Lena lounge booked for when we get back to the airport. Um, and then we fly home and then you fly home and you land the next day. Yes. It leaves at 7.05 PM Hawaii time and it lands at 7.55 AM Texas time. Okay. Got it. Yeah. That's a, that's a nice long trip in Hawaii. I am so ready to go. Not like physically, like nothing's packed, but I mean, it is like the, the suitcases are open with things thrown in them. However, they are not organized tonight. Tonight is the goal for that. And we plan on leaving here around noon to noon, one o'clock tomorrow. We have reservations for dinner down in Austin. Um, my husband was anxious about because we're going to go somewhere on the, there's a restaurant that's on the lake in like Travis and Austin and, um, he was like, what makes you think we're going to be able to get in there on 4th of July and just be able to walk in and eat dinner. And I was like, okay. And so I called and they actually took reservations. So. And if it's on the lake, do they have fireworks use? So I'm not sure, but I will tell you, we do not prefer traffic period. Like my, we have some anxiety when we get in traffic. So, um, so we're hoping our reservation is at five. And you know, the sun doesn't sit here till like eight 30 or eight, I don't know. But you know, fireworks probably won't be till nine. So our plan is to be in our hotel by nine and not worry about fireworks. So we are not, um, fireworks people. Okay. Then that will not be important to you then. No, it will not. Okay. Well, have a fantastic time and I'll talk to you when you get back to see how it went in a couple of weeks. Sounds good. Welcome back from your trip, Stephanie. Thank you. We are talking on Friday, July 19th, which means you've been back for two days. How did it go? Oh, so great. It was so great. I'm adjusting back to this time zone though. And it's very challenging. Yes. These time zone trips are a whole other level because you've got the adjustment when you get home, you know, during your trip and then you get home. So it's really a lot more than gesture trip dates. Yes. That affects your life. Okay. So long trip, let's get started on July 4th where you drove to Austin and you're going to have dinner and not, not fireworks per se, but just getting there, right? Yeah. And that's exactly what we did. We got down there. We had dinner on the, at this restaurant called County Line on the lake. And then we just hung out in our hotel room and like, you know, did my nails hung out. All the good stuff and just like got a, you know, in vacation mode. Yeah. You're just getting there so you can have your flight, which was the next day on July 5th. Yeah. You had a flight from Austin to Maui with a stop of a tweet, I think? Yes. So we stopped in Honolulu and then had a short little flight to Maui. So yes. So one thing that I didn't prepare for on when we got to the airport, I had looked at like parking because I knew we were going to have to park our car there and every, like it was, you can park in economy parking while we get to the airport and it's full. And we were like, oh, oh no. So I had made sure my family left plenty early. And so we were okay, but we were like panicked about finding a place to park our car. And so we just found a parking spot and they shuttled us and it worked out perfectly. So it was more than we expected, like then we had planned on paying for it, but it just is what it is. It is. And the parking spot is sometimes better than the actual airport parking depending on the airport. Absolutely. It was covered and so it's ever unsecured more secure, I think. So okay. So how was the flight to Hawaii? It was, it was okay. They served some meals that were okay, but it was, it was, it was good. It was good. It was, they had some movies, but we tried to sleep most of the time to kind of just to help us adjust when we got there so that we weren't exhausted when we got there. So you chose Hawaiian Airlines for pricing, right? Yes. So it was significantly less expensive. I think I said in the pre trip that can even, we upgraded our seats to, oh, what do they call it, extra comfort, to comfort class. That's what they call it. And it gives you like six extra inches of legroom, which made a huge difference. So we upgraded to that. We had to pay to park our car and we had to spend a night in Austin and we still saved like a thousand dollars on our flights. That's a lot. Okay. Yeah. So finally get to Maui. Yes. So we, all those flights were on time. Everything went very smoothly. We got our, oh, I did a lay greeting. So like when we went on our honeymoon, everybody like they would, they did the lay greetings at the hotels and all of that. Well, that's not like common anymore. It's, you have to add it on. So through Hawaiian, they gave us a link, I found this link and I was able to get one for my daughter for, I think it was like $23. And so that was way affordable compared to everything else I looked at. So that was the nice little surprise that I had even forgotten about until we came around the corner and I was like, and they were standing there with our name. And I was like, ah, so that was one little surprise. And then through the airline or just the third party company. So it was a third party company, but the airline is the one that gave me the link to it. Okay. So I think, and I think that they must be affiliated some way because I put in the flight number and everything. So they, I don't know, interesting. I was just in Hawaii and did not get a lay and didn't think about it until now. Yeah. Good tip. Yeah. So we did that. We got our rental car. So we did Turo and they met us right at the bag pickup. It was easy. We went to the condo, dropped all of our stuff off and then went to a grocery store. I think I told you that I was going to do all these local grocery stores. Well, we did do a local one. And then after it, I was like, oh, no, we're not doing any more local grocery stores. It just, you know, I was like, no, I think we'll go back to Target because that's where I feel the most comfortable where I know where things are. And that's also where we went. They just have such a selection. Yes. And actually the prices were so much better at Target. I know a lot of people suggest if you're going to be on a long trip going to Costco. And they say that the $50 that you spend on a Costco membership is probably, and I don't know if that's the exact amount, but that they say it's worth it. If you're buying a lot of groceries in Hawaii, but we're a family of three and we were only staying a few nights on each island. So it definitely wasn't worth it for us, but I know for longer stays, people recommend them. Mm hmm. Okay. So go ahead. I was going to say anything else on this arrival day. Nope. So we went to the grocery store and then we just, I made my daughter go walk on the beach with me. And so we just walked and enjoyed it. And then that was it. So you were saying that your verbo condo in Kihei, how did you like the condo? So the layout of the condo was very strange. They had the bathroom was actually like separated the bedroom from the main space. So if anybody was taking a shower, you were locked in your space, like you couldn't go from the bedroom to the living room while somebody's taking a shower because you had to go through the bathroom. And we were like, that is the strangest thing, but the location was fantastic. It was not crowded at all. We were literally, we were on the sixth floor and like right on the beach. So it felt very private because nobody could see in where you were. And I, it was the most beautiful place to just like sit and drink my coffee in the morning. And so like that part of it was a really great, but the layout was just so strange. It was like, Abigail would say, I'm going to get in the shower. Is everybody where they need to be? And we'd be like, okay, where do I want to be locked while she's in the shower? That is so funny. I wonder where they did that way. Yeah. I'm sure it has to do with because it was like a long kind of skinny. And so they, because they probably can get more on like facing the ocean when they do it that way, but it was a weird, but still trapping people when you're in the shower. Yeah. Okay. So the next day was July six. And you told us that you were planning to do the road to Hana. We did. And we, so the plan was to get up and go hit, get breakfast in pa, pa, pa, pa, pa, pa. Yeah. I think that's how you say it. P-a-i-a. All of these places, the whole time, it's like, I don't know how to say it. I'm just going to spell it to you. So we, we're going to eat breakfast there. Well, we got to the place that I had planned for breakfast and they were not open. And I was like, okay. And so we were like, well, let's just hit the road. So we were all, we just had, I'd packed some like peanut butter crackers and we just ate those and went about our business. Our first stop was going to be Twin Falls or it was Twin Falls, but because we, well, no, when we got there, we found out they were doing an event for Hawaiian residents only. And so we were not able to go in that day. So we thought maybe we'd go back later, but we never did. So we missed that. And then because we didn't go to Twin Falls and we didn't go to breakfast, by the time we got to the Garden of Eden, it was still too early. It wasn't open yet. And so it was like, do we sit here for 30 minutes, 20, 30 minutes, and wait for them to open? Or do we just keep going? And we were like, let's just keep going. So we kept going and we got to a lookout, a place where they had like dad bathrooms. And it was just, and it was beautiful. So we got out and walked and did that. There was an arboretum and it's, I'm going to spell it, K-E-A-N-A-E, K-K-N-A, maybe. Arboretum. And it was free and it was just like an area in this. So that was really pretty. They had rainbow eucalyptus trees. So we got to see those. There was a creek that my husband decided he was going to go walk in because he's a boy. And then my daughter followed him because she was like, well, if he can do it, I can do it. So they walked through the creek. And then we got, and we did do the gypsy, the guide along, I think the new app is called guide along. And it was, it was perfect. It was very specific. And I loved how it would be like, after this turn, the car park will be on the right, you know? And you're like, okay. And so I'm like, we're like going slow and like following all the directions. And so that was really helpful. And then on the way back, it was giving all that history, which was really fun to hear and learn about. We nicknamed him Carl because he never says his name. Oh, so we felt like we had a dad with us and we gave him, we're like, thanks dad for the back of that. I didn't even think about giving him a name. So we'll call him Carl too then. He's so helpful. Yeah, he was super helpful. We got down to Aunt Sandy's and had our banana bread down there. And we also had the banana bread at halfway to Hana. And we said that the banana bread at Aunt Sandy's was significantly better at Aunt Sandy's. We also had chili with rice. And I learned that in Hawaii, they serve so many meals with rice. And that is like so great for me and my family because we love rice. So it was, it was just such a nice little treat that it was rice with everything. Are you going to start making that at home? I think we're going to have to. I mean, it sounds healthier than the Fritos that I put in my chili. So yeah, why not? I don't know if you remember a previous strip report with the Hawaiian, a person from Hawaii you went to Disney World and you brought a rice cooker with them. I don't hear that at their hotel. I think it's because there's so often rice with the food. Yeah. So, but it was nice and it was nice with all of our meals. And I'll talk about it in a little bit, but my daughter didn't feel great on this trip. And so she, so having rice was really good for her stomach too. So it was just an added benefit of there was always somewhere where we could just go pick up some rice. So after the halfway, we turned around and headed back. So we knew my daughter got a little car sick in the car. She had started withdrawing in the car and I think that that didn't go well for her. And so then she wasn't feeling great. And so we decided that we would, I was, I was worried about myself. I was okay, but it was, it was the right choice to just turn around for us. So, but, and the drive was kind of stressful, but okay. My husband drove at a acceptable speed. And so we were okay. But the people on the road with you, did they drive at acceptable speed? Yeah. So we had, we went so early because it was our first day. So we were up and I was like, let's go. And, and so there weren't a ton of cars out there. And so even when we turned around, we were going opposite of where it was. So that we saw all the cars coming the other way and my husband was like, I'm so glad you made us get up and do this early. He was like, cause I would not want to be in that. And so I think just starting early was the, the key to all of that. Good. So we went back to our condo. I'm pretty sure everybody, well, my husband and my daughter took a nap. I probably sat on the balcony and read cause that was like, they would nap and I would go do that. I'm not a napper. If I nap, I won't sleep at night. So, but they are. And then we went to the Maui Brewing Company. They did, by the time that we were, we were able to go do a tour. We were early enough to be able to do the tour, but they were sold out by the time that I looked it up. So we just went for dinner and it was fine. It wasn't anything. They sat us right where the sun was shining. Like they had a door that was open and the sun was like beating down on my legs. And I was like, I didn't even put on sunscreen for this. Like I was like, I'm going to be sunburned and I didn't, I'm just going to dinner. But they came and closed the door for us so that like it was not, you could still see through the door, but it was at least shaded. So that helped a little. And then we just went back to the condo and I'm in, because we were right on the beach, I made my family, at least somebody, I was like, somebody's walking with me every night. I'm going down to walk in the ocean. So this night it was my husband. So the first night I looked at Abigail, second night it was my husband. So we went and walked and just enjoyed the, the ocean. The views. Yeah. And the sounds. Do you think you were on the new time zone by now or did it take you a little while? No, it took us some time. I swear my daughter lives on Hawaii time already. Like she's a late sleeper and she stays up late. Like she's all like I swear she was already on it before we even went. But I'm always an early riser. So I did get up even earlier, but that first morning that I got up, I sat out on the balcony. And because of where we were, there were just no buildings. And you could see all the stars and it was just so beautiful. And I was just like in awe. And so I was kind of grateful I wasn't on their time zone yet because it was a great opportunity to be able to get up early and just enjoy that. But no, we would definitely go to sleep very early. Like it was like eight o'clock and my husband was like, let's stay up until nine. And I was like, I don't see the purpose. I was like, let's just go to sleep. Yeah. And we live near each other in the DFW area and we don't really get to see stars like that here. No, you don't. There's nine million people in this area, literally. So a lot of lights. Okay. So that sounds like a good July 6th. And then July 7th, you have plans to go snorkeling, I think. We did. So we slept in that day. So we did not go to church. We stayed in our condo and just enjoyed the morning. And then we went snorkeling. My daughter and I both got sick on the boat, like nauseous. I was okay. We were okay while the boat was going. It was when we stopped. It was real windy. It was the afternoon. We were supposed to go to Molokini Crater. And it was too windy to go out there. So they just found another spot to take us. And so I was okay while we were going. Once we stopped and they anchored in and we got out, I actually got nauseous while snorkeling, like floating on the water and the way it was just like moving. And I was just like, I'm going to go get back on the boat. Well, that didn't help a whole lot either. But literally, as soon as the boat started moving to take us back, I started feeling better. And then by the time I was off the boat, I was so much better. And Abigail was the same. She kind of, it took her a little bit longer, but she was fine until she got back on the boat after snorkeling. So we got to snorkeling. There were not a ton of fish in the area they took us to, so there was not a whole lot to see. I'm sure if we'd have gone further away from the boat, maybe there was. But there were rocks over there and we didn't want to get too close to those. And so we just kind of kept our distance and enjoyed it. It had the snorkeling tour that we did, had a big slide. So we got to go up on that and take the big, like a bouncy house kind of slide. So we did that and it was fun. But it's a one and done for us. We don't need to go do that again. Yeah. It's so interesting that you're nauseous after the boat stopped. But the waves really do get to us. Yeah. You're going. It's like, you just, I mean, I guess because it kind of rides on top of the waves. But when you were just sitting, it was just rocking and it was just, yeah. There was a pie shop kind of north of the, where we went for our snorkeling tour. And so we went there and got pie afterwards. And so we didn't eat it right away because we were nauseous. But my husband was like, we're so close and you're going to be sad if we don't have it later. So I was like, okay. So we went and got it. And we had got it like a coconut cream pie and we had it for dessert that night back at our condo. And it was delicious. So it was called, I love a pie shop being a priority. Right. I mean, it's dessert is important to me. It was called Leota's high shop, Leota's kitchen and pie shop. So, and then we went to South Maui Gardens for dinner. It's like a little truck, truck, food truck, like shop. So there were, it was almost overwhelming how many choices there were, but I hadn't had fish tacos yet. And that's what I really wanted. So I was like, just find me the fish tacos and I'm good. So we did that and it was really good. It was the weather was beautiful. Like I said, we couldn't have this at home because it would be too hot to sit out here and eat, but it was just, it was just perfect. Yep. And you're in Hawaii. You might as well have that fresh fish. That's right. And so when we got back, we went and walked on the beach again, because that's what we did every night in Maui and that time I got both of them to walk with me together. So I was not all by myself. So it was like a little one than the other and then perfect. So that was it for July 7th and also it for Maui. Yeah. Unless you managed to fit anything else in the next day before your flight. Well, we did a little. So there was a farmer's market that was like walkable from our hotel. So we were able. So my husband and I got up Abigail slept in, but my husband and I got up and walk down, walk down the beach to the farmer's market. So we were able to walk on the beach, but then the farmer's market was right across the street and we went and got an acai bowl and picked up apparently guacamole is also a really big thing. And, and so then somebody was telling us, this is the best guacamole you'll ever have. And so my husband was like, challenge accepted. I was like, we were leaving in like three hours and he's like, not a problem. And so he bought a bag of chips and a, and a package of guacamole and when we got back to the condo, he just sat and ate it and ate it and I was like, okay, well, good job. So, and it was that good. It was fine. It was fine, but it was good. And then you were applying to the big island in the afternoon. Yes. So I will have to say that. So in Maui, so we got checked out of the Verbo and then we went and found this shave ice place over by the airport, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm looking up and how it said, ooh, aunties, maybe, but it was, it was really good. That was probably, we had shave ice four times on our trip and that was probably the best one. So you have to tell people that's the one you want to go to. Then we went to the airport, we got the Tarot car returned. The flight to the big island was on time and smooth and we got there. I forgot to tell you that, I remember I had told you that we were looking at doing the Colina lounge between the two flights on the way out. When we got there, it just felt like there wasn't enough time and it wasn't super easy to find. We kind of looked for it and then we gave up pretty quickly. We were like, we don't want to be late, it's too stressful. So we did get it on the way home, but we did not even try to find it. We gave up pretty quickly. Okay. But anyways, back to this. So we got to the big island, we got our rental car and then headed to our Verbo there, okay? And you're staying in Kona for this part. You're staying in Kona. How did your two row car rental, did it go well again? Yeah, it was smooth, everything was great. And then how about the Verbo here? So this one, it was, it was great, the condo was like probably twice the size of the one in Kihei. So it was really big. The one thing, and I had read all the fine print prior to going, but they charge for air conditioning at this one. And I, air conditioning is a requirement for me, not like a, you know, a luxury. It's a necessity. So, and it was like $25 a day for air conditioning and I was like done, not a problem. But so when we walked in, we had to turn it on. And so it was warm when we walked in and I was like, oh my gosh, but we got it cooled down and all of that. Our view was not the same. So it was more of like an angle. You could still see the ocean, but it, just the way it was set up, like there were condos across from us. And so like it didn't feel as private, but it was still really great. And it was in a great area. So there was lots of places within walking distance. We walked to dinner every night and, um, and so the area was really great. The condo was nice. The view just wasn't as beautiful. Mm hmm. You had bigger space. You didn't have that weird bathroom situation. Exactly. And it actually had two bathrooms in it. So we, Abigail was able to have her own space and then we had our own space. So what else did you manage to fit in on this day? So we just went to a restaurant for dinner. So as we were, I think coming down for after we were like, we were dropped off all of our stuff and we were coming down to figure out where we were going to go eat. We were just going to walk and find something and we talked to a lady and we just, and she had mentioned that she said, I'm going to hunt beasts for dinner. And we were like, well, that sounds interesting. So we started walking and we got there and we were like, okay, this looks good. So we went and ate there. And it was, it was good. It was, I got the, I can't remember what I got, but I remember it being really good. You had a, you had a long trip. You don't, it was a long trip. No way to memorize all the meals, but you did remember that it was good. It was good. It was some sort of fish, I'm sure. Cause I love the food and my, the rest of my family does not. Okay. So anytime I have the option to get seafood, I go for it. So I think it was coconut shrimp. I think that's what I got and it was really good. Okay. And then the next day you have plans for glass bottom kayaking. Yes. So after our situation was snorkeling, we called and canceled that. Okay. So I was going to ask if you were nervous about the, the nauseous part of that. So my husband was like, I don't know that this is the best idea. And I was like, well, let me look at what their cancellation policy is. I pulled it up and it said 24 hours and so I was like, all right. So I called and canceled it. And so, and I was able to get our money back and everything. So it was probably the right choice. No, it was definitely the right choice, but just a bummer to find out that it's not going to work after you get there. No, but when our turo, so at this, at on the big island, when our turo picked us up, she actually picked us up and drove us to a gas station outside of the airport for us to switch drivers and everything. And while we were driving, we asked her like, what are some great things to do? And she had given us a whole list of things and she said, I'll send you links to everything. And she was great. And she sent us all of these links. So we, so we ended up canceling the kayak. And so we ended up with a lot more time that day than we had planned on having. So my husband got, he got online and found a restaurant called Clover and Mug and they do croissants and they, like it's croissant batter, but they make them into waffles. And it was so delightful. So we went and found that for breakfast and I had an Ube coffee and I'd never had Ube before, but it's apparently also big there because I also got a drink later and oh, I think actually that night I got a drink with like a, a grownup drink with Ube in it. And it was really, really good. So that was just a new experience, but it was really good. So we went there for breakfast and then we went to our, we went to the coffee farm. So that one, we didn't have to have reservations for. So we got there about 10 minutes before a tour was about to start. So we kind of just browsed and then we went on this tour. And I will say that my family did really great with all the tours that I scheduled and that we had planned. They didn't complain at all. And I think my husband actually enjoyed himself and I think my daughter did too. So I think that it was like a win. They had a white pineapple there also and somebody had told me before we left, if you see a white pineapple, you have to get it because it's delicious at the coffee farm. They did, yeah, because they have other plants, they have all the other things there too. And I didn't know that pineapples, like they only produce one fruit in its lifetime. And so when it, when it blooms, they pull it and so it takes 18 months to grow a pineapple. And so they don't have them very often, but he said, we actually, and they had one and so I was like, all right, give it to me. He was like, it's $20. I said, that's fine. They told me I had to have it though. It was great. It wasn't earth shattering. I don't think I would spend $20 on it again, especially because my daughter can't eat pineapple. So it was just me and my husband, I was like, eat more pineapple. Did it taste like pineapple, like yellow pineapple? Yeah. Okay. It was really sweet. And the core, it was like almost, the core was almost edible, like it was like really soft all the way through. So it was good. Good to know. Never heard of it. Yeah, I've experienced it now. So then we did all the things that our two girl had recommended. So we went to boiling pots, which is an area with some waterfalls. And this was all on the east side of the island over on the hilo side. So it was about two hours of driving over there. And I was just in awe of like the drive. It had, it was, it was like deserts of volcanic like rock. And it was fascinating because there was all this greenery growing from the volcanic rock. And it was just, I did, I took video of it, but it's just, it doesn't even do it justice. I've like just watched. So like the drive was absolutely beautiful. So we did boiling pots. And then we did rainbow falls, which was another like 20 minutes away from there. And then a coca falls. So we got there and found out that in order to get over there, they were going to charge, which it wasn't a crazy amount of money was like $5 a person. It wasn't crazy, but it was like 656 steps to get to it. And I was like, Oh, no, we'll take a picture from here. And so from the distance, we took our picture and we were good with that. And then we started our drive, our two hour drive back. So and none of these things were on your radar because you thought you were going to be kayaking. Correct. And, and we hadn't planned on going to the other side of the island. Like I had kind of like anything that was recommended on the hilo side. I was just like, Oh, we're not going to make it over there. It's too far. And so when she recommended it, my husband was like, well, let's just let's look at it. So I put it all in a map and I was like, it's going to be about four hours of driving. And he was like, that's fine. So I was like, OK, so we did. My daughter, my daughter is a huge Taylor Swift fan. So we just turned on a Taylor Swift playlist and drove. Got to keep everybody happy that way. That's right. OK. So is that in for July 9th or did you have other things? So we went out to dinner to a place called Island, Oh, no, Lao. And it's it was burgers, but it is apparently like number eight and on Yelp, like in all of America for burgers. And it was number one in Hawaii. And when the soon as my husband saw it, he was like, well, we have to go have that. So it was it was actually really good. And then my husband and I Abigail went back up and took a nap and Eric and I went and got drinks across the street. So that was that's the beauty of a 13-year-old is that she can hang out and rest when she doesn't want. Yeah, when she needs some time away from her parents. So so that's where I had that that drink with the Ube in it and it was really good. Yep. So that was what day was that Tuesday? The next day, July 10th, you've had a lot of plans before, and including the chocolate farm tour at Black St. Beach at Southern most point of the US. Much of that did you get to do? We did all of it. OK. We did the chocolate farm and that was a really like again, it was really fascinating. It was like just learning how and they do from like plant all of these farms. They do from plant to like packaging all on the property. And so they like walk you through their whole process and it was really cool. We did the Black St. Beach was probably one of the highlights of our trip. Every time we would ask Abigail, what's your favorite part so far? She would say the Black St. Beach, there were turtles out there. So we we barely got in it. We had our water shoes on. So we walked in, you know, up to about mid calf, maybe, but there were turtles out there. And so they were up on the sand and just resting. And it was just it was again, it's just that volcanic that that contracts between the black and the green. It's just so pretty. Yeah, and the turtles, it just happens to be their season right now, I guess. So like if you went another time of year, you may not see them. I'm not sure because I feel like they always talk about them being there. OK, I'm not sure if it's a seasonal thing. I know whales. This is not the season for whales, but I feel like turtles are kind of there all the time. OK, so we and there's a bake shop over there by the Black St. Beach that had like this famous sweet bread. So we went and got that. And then we hit that southern most point of the US. The thing is, is there's no sign. We were just down there and I'm like looking on my Google Maps. I'm like, oh, there's no sign that we can take a picture with. This says that we're here, but it was right on the edge. It was on a cliff, kind of. And so it was real high up and there were people cliff jumping off of it. And so it was fascinating. I was like, not a chance. I would do that. However, I am enjoying watching you do it. And so it was really it was very windy. And my husband was like, I need you to get away from the edge. I was like, I'm fine. And he's like, you're making me anxious, but nobody fell in. So it was, I'm surprised there's no sign though. I so my only theory is maybe we didn't walk far enough, but it's where everybody was and it's where the parking lot was. And we walked a little further down. There was nothing down there. And so I don't know. Maybe we didn't make it to the actual point. I don't know, but I feel like we got close enough. Well, because of you, I learned that the southernmost point of the US is not in Florida. Yeah, just just need to go to Hawaii for that. You will. And I my husband kept saying, OK, so which one was which island was your favorite? And I was like, well, they were all so different. I was like, I can't pick a favorite. So but I could have definitely spent more time on the big island. You had a. OK, this was your last full day on the island. Yes. OK, the next day, what if you're down on July 10th? Yeah, so we went out to dinner, but I can't remember where we went. So OK, went to dinner. It was probably good and you probably ordered fish. Yes, you're right. I ordered coconut shrimp. I remember now my husband got a steak and we had some drinks. OK, the next day was July 11th and you were going to be traveling again. Yes. So we packed up all of our stuff that condo that we stayed out here had a is managed by a company that is actually in the building. And so they held all of our luggage for us in the morning so that we didn't have to keep it in the car. So we dropped off all of our luggage down there in their office. And then we went to the sea salt farm. My husband said, I'm actually really excited about this because he's like, I knew a little bit about coffee and chocolate and like how they come from plants. He's like, I have no idea where sea salt comes from me either. I didn't know sea salt farms were a thing until you mentioned it. Yeah, well, so because my husband was like, doesn't salt come from like a salt mine? And I said, well, that might be a thing too. And I'm not a hundred percent sure. But so apparently I want to say like the 1800s, there was a volcano that brought the lava that extended the land like an extra mile off of the big island. And when that happened, it got them really close to like an ocean shelf. And so it's not, it's like not even a football field out. And you're in the ocean goes like 22,000 feet. And so, and so because of that, they're able to, they have some like filtration thing that goes all the way down to the bottom of that ocean. They're pulling it from the very bottom of the ocean. It's fascinating. That is fascinating. So we got to see. So they had like a fountain too of like the water that's coming straight out of there that you could put your hands in and it was so cold. Cause it's coming from 22,000 feet under the ocean. Yeah. I will say at this point, my daughter started, she wasn't feeling great. A lot of the trip, but here she was like exhausted and she was like laying her head down and the people here were so great. And like right as we pulled up, she said, I'm hungry and she hadn't been eating a whole lot. And so I asked the lady who was doing the tour. I said, do you have any snacks that I can purchase? I said, I, she's just declared that she's hungry and I'm like, get food in her while she says she's hungry and they didn't have anything for sale. But she was like, let me see what I can find. And she like went and scrounged up all this stuff. It was the sweetest thing. They like sliced up some banana and apples and brought her some almonds and some cheese and crackers. It was. And I was just like, thank you so much. So it was big. The place was just really great also. And this is the sea salt farm. Yeah. It sounds like someone's home. They're right. Were there a great house? Yes. I was like, they're probably like digging through their lunchboxes. I don't know, but it was just so sweet. And, and they do, and they do a tasting, a sea salt tasting because you can buy like flavored sea salts to put on your food. And so they had like that kind of stuff for you to like put the salt on. So I'm sure some of it was from that. So that was that. And it was, it was really great. We bought a lot of sea salt. I bet you didn't expect that to happen beforehand. I didn't, but I'm not mad at it. No, but that's interesting. And you'll learn some things. Yeah. So then was it about time to travel to a wahoo? Almost. So yes, but we had to go back and get our luggage. So we had to go back to cone and get our luggage. We were going to eat lunch and my husband had seen a pizza place that he was like, I'd like to go there. He'd been craving a pizza because when we went to Hampi's the first night, he wanted pizza and they don't serve pizza after three o'clock and it was dinner time. And so he's like, I really want and he'd seen this black rock pizza. So we go, we get there and they don't up until four. And he's like, I just want a pizza. And I was like, well, hey, it's before three. We can go back to Hampi's. So we went and got a pizza at Hampi's and then got our luggage and headed to the airport. I think one, a good takeaway from what you've said is checking the hours because places may not be open as much as you expect them to. That is so true. And I think even more so, like I'm Maui in the big island, they feel a little more relaxed and just kind of laid back and they aren't places aren't open as late or as early. I think in a wahoo, things were because it's a bigger city, there was more open. And I think like because of where we live and we're just used to having so many options, it can be easy to take that for granted. Absolutely. So travel to a while. Can you give me a feel for like you did a couple of fights between islands? How long did those little flights take? So the one, so one was like 35 minutes. One was 25 minutes. And are they tiny planes? I think they were, I want to say two and three, like two seats and three seats. So it wasn't super tiny. On our honeymoon, we flew from Oahu to Kauai and it was a two one. Like it was real tiny. So this was, it felt bigger. Yeah, that's, that's a pretty big plane to just go 20 minutes in the sky. Yeah. And they did not, they didn't do like they had pre-packaged water and juice. And they walked down with like a box of it and they said, water or juice. And those were your two choices. Do you want it or don't you? And that was that. So, and by the time they made it to the end of the plane, it was like, okay, prepare for landing. So those were kind of nice. And then the one from the big island to Oahu was the longer one. I want to say that one was about 50 minutes. Okay. So we got to the airport. Our flight, that was the first flight we had that was delayed. So I guess there had been a runway in Maui that was shut down. And so it delayed a lot of their flights. And so they had three flights that were delayed. Maybe two that were delayed and one that was on time. And the numbers were all the same except the middle digit was different. And so, and they were boarding them at different gates and they were all taking off at the same time because they had all. And so it was really confusing. I'm like, wait, which gate are we at? And what time are we leaving? And so they, and they tried, but it's, it's a really small airport. And all of the airport is pretty much outside and there were no computer screens. Like normally you can like go look at the computer screen and find out like where your flight is. And so we were just banking on the app being correct. So I use the Hawaiian Airlines app for everything to like check in and everything. And it was, it was easy. So. So you eventually made it. We did. We did. And so since we were delayed, this tour, he left the car for us in the parking garage. So that was nice. Cause we didn't have to worry about like him meeting us and our flight being delayed. So he just left it in the parking garage for us and he left the key on the tire. I was like, well, that's brave, but okay. And it worked for brave. Yeah. I was trying to remember, we used to do a lot of the stuff. When we're, when I was younger, and I'm trying to remember how we did it. You say it was a little more hidden than that, but I can't remember how we used to do it. Yeah, it was, I mean, it worked. So we found the car, we got the car and then the traffic. It was like all of a sudden you felt like you were back in DFW. Like the traffic in Oahu is just very different than the big island in Maui. And so it took us. I think when I had originally looked at the directions, it was supposed to be like a 25 minute drive and I think it was closer to 40 on the day that we drove it. And I guess we got there at like six o'clock. And so it was, you know, that. So we got to the resort, got all checked in and then we went to Ulu Cafe for dinner. And you, the resort in this case was Alani. Yes, I guess that's important. And so we got to Alani, we had an ocean view room. And we were in, I can't remember the names of the towers, but if you're looking at Alani from the front, we were on the left side and we were on the angled part that looks out over the ocean and the pool. So you could see everything and the ocean and everything. But because of all the noise of like the waterfalls that Alani has and all of that, you couldn't hear the ocean, which is like my favorite part of the ocean. So that most of the time I would just in the mornings, I would get up and go sit by the ocean and read down there and then come back up when the rest of my family was awake. So that we were going to go to a hula that night. They had like a hula thing, but by the time we got there, we were delayed and we were hungry and we did not do that. So we dropped off our bags and went down to Ulu Cafe and got, I got a poke bowl. My husband got a steak of some sort and Abigail got some chicken tender. So it was Disney food, but like Hawaiian Disney. So like the chicken tenders were like the same chicken tenders you're used to. But there was, you could have it with rice. It rice on it. It's Hawaiian now. That's right. So Alani is talking about Alani for a bit, like your room, because your previous ones had been verbos that were a little bit more space. So this room was more like a standard hotel room, right? Yeah. So it's a DVC room, so it does have like a miniature refrigerator in it and a microwave and a sink and all their coffee pots are the Keurig ones now, which I drink a lot of coffee. And so when I have to call and say, I need more coffee and I'm going to need like significantly more than what you put in here. And they're like, okay, I'm like, like whatever you think you should bring, like double that and bring it, especially when it's in a Keurig. Like it's a lot easier if it's a pot of coffee. But the room was, we had a queen bed and then a couch that pulls out. And so there was not a ton of space in there. And the bathroom, it doesn't have like, it's got like a sliding door and it and it's like slotted. So it's not even like super private. And I guess you're with the people that you love, so it's okay. I know, but like, you know, we travel a lot with each other for work and stuff. And I'm like, who are the people that approve these kind of non-private bathroom tours? Right. And actually, I don't think the latch even worked to lock it. Like if you wanted to lock it, like it wasn't even an option. And like your daughter is at an age where privacy becomes extra important compared to when she was a little like, I don't understand the choice to do this. Yes. And you can just hear everything. Like, so like we would be talking in the room and my husband could hear us when he was in the bathroom, you know, and it's just like, whatever. Yeah, but that it was good. It had, there's not a ton of storage space. There was like a dresser and I'm the only one that unpacked my stuff. When we got to Disney, I was like, okay, I feel like I've been living out of the suitcase for a week. It's time to like unpack it. So I put all my stuff in the droids and then would just kind of throw it into a pile at I wore it so that it could be washed if I needed to wear it again or I could throw it in the suitcase to bring it home. But yeah, the rest of my family just lived out of their suitcase for the rest of the time. So there was just, it felt like there was just stuff everywhere. Yeah, so, yeah, so I was just wondering if that reduced space and reduced privacy back to the, because when you were the teenager, it's a little bit different. Yeah. Well, and like I said, she wasn't feeling great and she was coughing and so nobody slept well because we were used to her at least being in another room. So it was a little challenging, but it was okay. But yeah, I mean, there's pros and cons. You're at a resort with a lot of amenities, so you just have less space. Yes. So that was Thursday. I was trying to think if there was anything else about the check in. I went, we did check in. One of the things that was interesting is our DVC does include parking at the resort. And so, and they only put it on my husband's room card. So his was the only card that could open and could go in and out of parking. And so that was just interesting. I was like, why would you not put it on? But they were like, well, who's the driver? I was like, well, I mean, we could, we both drive. So we just took his and actually left it in the car the whole time. So we just stuck it in like a, in the console and we just left it in there. And then we used mine and Abigail's cards whenever we went anywhere. I love it. It's like one person that can drive. Who is it? Yeah, whatever. So yeah, so you had told us before that on July 12th, the next day, you were going to start with a fitness class on the lagoon. Yeah, that didn't happen. Oh, you had a lot of things potentially planned. Yeah, yeah, I did get up early and I thought about it. I really did. And then I was like, well, it's a splash in that shot. Am I supposed to wear a swimsuit or am I supposed to wear like my like yoga shorts? And so then I was just like, or just nothing or just neither. And so I just opted to sit on the beach and read instead. What else did you do this day? So we had to make your own Mickey ears. So Abigail and I did that. And then, like I said, she hadn't been feeling well. So we finally went to an urgent care. So we found a urgent care and they were fantastic. Did you find it on your own or did the resort help? No, we found it on our own. So I went through our insurance to try to find one that took our insurance. And they tested her for everything. She was negative for everything. It just dehydrated. So they did a bag of fluids and she perked up almost immediately. But unfortunately still didn't feel great the rest of the trip. But we were just like, you've got to keep drinking and eating because she was kind of. I'm sure it was just all the things, but, but so that took a big chunk of our day. It was getting over there doing all of that and so, but it was worth it and it was necessary. So we had tried earlier in the trip. We did an MD live and that was not super helpful. So we decided it was better to just go in somewhere and find the place. MD live. Oh, like a virtual health kind of. Yeah. Yeah. So, so we had a whole bunch of things that were like tentative on this day that we just didn't do. So we went and did that. And then when we got back, she was feeling a whole lot better. So we just went and swam in the lazy river. And we just did, I cannot even tell you how many laps we did in the lazy river while we were there. It was, we, I don't think we even actually went to any of the other pools. Maybe one other one because the slide came out over on a different place, but then we just got out of that and went to the lazy river. And we just floated. I don't even count less hours in the lazy river. And so we did that. I had told you that the, the ukulele lessons I wasn't able to get signed up for. And so on this day, I had asked about it and they said, you can come in 24 hours before the one you want. So we wanted the 530 the next day. So at 530, I went over and asked if, if there was any way to get on the list. Well, it wasn't available yet. And I told, and she, but the, the girl was super sweet at the community center. And so her community hall, I guess is what they call it. She wrote down all of our information and she said, as soon as it becomes available, I'll check and see if there's a spot and if there is, I'll put you on it. She said, you'll get a call from me either way, whether you get it, whether I'm able to get you in or not, I'll give you a call either way. Well, we never got a call. And the next day we were out and about all day long. But when we got back at like 330, I went down and asked and they said, yeah, you're on the list. And I was like, okay, great. So we didn't do it. No one called, but nobody called, but we did. We were able to make it, but that was the next day. So that was that day. We did Ulu Cafe again that night for dinner. It was just easy to grab and take up to the room. That was the night of all the teen stuff. But Abigail was not in the mood for all of that. So she did not do any of that. And so that was the end of July 12th, right? That was okay. So July 13th, you just said you were out and about all day. So did you get to explore Oahu? We did. So we went to Pearl Harbor that morning. And Abigail actually said that this was one of her favorite things, which surprised me, but because you never know with a 13 year old, like, are they going to love it? Or are they going to be like, why did you drag me here? But she really did enjoy it. So we did Pearl Harbor. And then, and we really didn't do a whole lot of the museum stuff. We just watched the movie that they have. And then we went out to the memorial. And so we got to do that. She was anxious because she said, we have to go on a boat. And I said, it's not, it's not a long trip. And it's, it's going to be get over there. And then, and she was like, and so I was showing her. I was like, it's right there. Like we're going like five minutes. And she was like, okay, but she was fine. And then we went to a place called Leonard's Bakery. I had originally told my family I wanted to go there first, but then when they were looking at the time, they were like, we don't want to get up that early. So we went after instead. And we got Malasadas, which are basically donuts, cinnamon donuts, sugar donuts. And, and then we got some that were like cream filled and like a coconut type cream filled. And they were delightful. They were warm. And I would encourage anybody to get Malasadas at Leonard's. You are making me hungry. We're recording this around dinner time. I'm like, this is what I want for dinner now. Right. Yeah. We had gotten Malasadas somewhere else. I would that bake shop in on the big island, but they were not the same. They were warm at Leonard's and they were just, they were just like, they like melted in your mouth. So we went from there to the dol plantation. And we just did the train ride around the dol plantation, saw all the things and kind of checked that off the to-do list. Abigail wasn't super into that one. She was just like, okay, whatever. Also, she's allergic to pineapple. So like it's really not appealing to her. So then we were heading up to the North Shore to go see there's a shrimp truck that we were going to go eat at. It was incredibly crowded up there. Like it was just so dense with people and we were there at lunchtime. And so there was like no parking to be had. And so when we finally, so we ended up going, we ended up having the shave ice first because I had found a place that I wanted to try that people had recommended for shave ice. We ended up having that first and then going to find the shrimp truck because of parking. The shave ice was, it was really good. It wasn't as good as the place on Maui. And then we did. So when we got to the shrimp truck, the line was so long. And I was just like, so we had decided to walk from Matsumoto, which is the shave ice place to the shrimp truck because the parking was so bad. And it was like a 20 minute walk. And it was hot and we got there and the line was so long. And I was just like, oh my gosh. And there was another truck right next to it. And so we were like, well, I guess we're going to eat over at that one instead. And I will tell you, I sat and watched the other shrimp truck. And I really think that at the speed that the one we ended up going to went, we probably could have gone to the other one with the long line that they took forever. The shrimp was not great. They did, my husband did a half shrimp, half fish plate and the fish was really good. But the shrimp was not. So my husband offered to go back the next day, but I was like, nah. The place with the long line, has it been like, how did you find out that it was really good? Because it feels like the word is out about that one. Yeah. Well, I'm just in a whole bunch of Facebook groups about Hawaii. So I was like on a big island Facebook group or on a Wahoo. This is a Wahoo. I was on just all the Facebook groups and people just talk about the places. Like don't miss this one. So that's how I had found out about it. Mm-hmm. I guess we'll never know. Yeah. And like I said, my husband offered. He was like, do you want to go back out there? And I was like, I really don't. I was like, that parking was, it was so stressful. It just wasn't worth it. The personality to the islands are interesting as you're moving through your trip. Yes, this is a busier than the previous ones. Very much so. And then after the food truck. Yep. So then we headed back to Alani. It was about a 45 minute drive back. We stopped at the ABC store, which is like their convenience stores and picked up the surfboard that we could get our characters to sign on. I had thought Alani had one. And when I got there, there was nothing for the characters to sign. And so I had in my mind that I wanted the surfboard. I thought there would be one there at Alani. And then there wasn't. And I was like, well, I guess we'll have to find something else. I have a journal. They can just sign in that. It'll be fine. And it turns out. So one of my other, one of my friends is actually staying at Alani while we're there also. And so we were kind of communicating with each other. And her daughters are 18 and 21. And she had sent me a picture and said, look at all the signatures we got. And it was on the surfboards. And I said, where did you get that surfboard? She was like at the ABC right across the street. And so I was like, I'm so glad that she sent that to me. So we went to the ABC store and got the surfboards. Nice. I am surprised they didn't have that at Alani as well. Right. It seems like a great money maker. Missed opportunity. Yeah, for sure. So we went and picked up that surfboard. And then we got back to the resort and found out that we had ukulele lessons. So we went and did that. And that was really cute and sweet. They taught us four chords and we strummed along. It was fine. Is it something you had to pay for? It is no, ukulele lessons are included. So they're free. You just have to book them. You're supposed to book them 30 days in advance. And because they're free, people book them for the whole all the days. And because they haven't decided which one they actually want yet. And so which I understand that you get out there and you don't know exactly what you're going to be doing. Hey, maybe we're going to be at the pool longer. And there's no penalty for not showing up. So there was hardly, there were plenty of spaces available in there. Like if we hadn't, if we'd walked up at 530, we probably still could have gotten in. So that night, we ate our leftovers in our room. So we had plenty of leftovers. We'd had a refrigerator in our microwave. So we just ate our leftovers. And then we did the stargazing that night. Well, all three of us, yeah. That I don't think was worth our money. It was $45, $45 a person. And it was a big group of people and a lot of kids talking. So like you couldn't even hear the presenter talking. The space was really too big for him to be in. Like I feel like it should have been like 10 people would have been like a max. There were probably 25 of us. And so you got to look through the telescope. I think, I think we looked through it three times, which we live in Dallas and you can't see a whole lot of stars here. But we do have opportunities. Like we've looked through telescopes plenty of times. And so it was kind of like the money we spent just wasn't really worth it for us. And you book that through Alani as well. Yes. Yes. It was a paid thing versus a complimentary thing. Okay. Correct. Yeah. And for what it was, I feel like it should have been a complimentary thing. Or they should have had significantly less people. Good to know. Yeah. So. Was that was at the end of that day? That was the end of that day. Okay. The next day was July 14th. You had some plans to do the Aloha swap meet. I think it was. We did. So I got it that morning and went and found, so we also had photos that night. And I went and found the beach that we were going to go to. So I went and made sure I knew how to get there. So there's like a secret beach off of like over by the four seasons. And there's like a pathway to get to it. And so I went and found that just to make sure I knew how to get there for that. And then. And then we went to the swap meet. So my daughter stayed at the resort and my husband and I just went to the two of us, which I think was the right choice because I think she would have loved it. But also it was warm and she's 13. So we found some really great finds. I got some cute like Hawaiian like pants, like flowy pants. I had told you that we were looking for outfits for our photo shoot. I actually forgot to tell you that I bought them back in Maui. I found dresses back in Maui and. And I got them back then. I found a really good deal. And so we did get them a long time ago, so we weren't super worried about it. So the fact that your daughter wasn't there at the swap meet, not a big deal. No big deal. Yep. But they did have a Dallas Mavericks jersey and my daughter is super into basketball. So he said, I know that this is probably bootleg and not like a real jersey. But she we got it for her and she was like, I think she wore it every day, the rest of the trip. Like she put it back on every day. Okay, but that's very funny. Because you live there, right, but it was $25. And if you buy a jersey here, even a fake one is probably more than that here. Yes, that is very funny though. Yeah. So it was a Luca jersey and so we're good. So we got that at the swap meet. We got some pants and some just other knick-knacks. We got back to the room and it was time for us to go start meeting some characters. So we went and got the board and we went and met Stitch. We had bought her a Stitch, the little thing that goes in your crocs. What are those called? The jibbitts. The jibbitts. Jibbitts. She had, so we'd gotten her a Stitch one at the swap meet. And so when we met Stitch, she showed it to him. And you know, the characters are so great about reacting to those. And he was like down on the ground, like just pointing at it. It was just like, and he was just loving it and Stitch is her favorite character. So that was really sweet. And then we met Pluto and then we swam in the lazy river. Can you talk about the characters? Are they available every day? Yes. So not all characters are available every day. So every morning in the app, around nine o'clock, it would populate which characters were out that day, what time they were out and where they were. So they were in different places. So you didn't know before nine a.m. what that day was going to be? Right. So you would just kind of, you would get up and kind of like refresh it. There's a number you can call. I think it's chip. I can't remember what the numbers are, but the word chip. If you type it on the phone and it'll go through it all on the phone with you. And I don't know exactly how early that was available because I didn't ever try it before nine a.m. But so maybe they're available earlier on that because some characters would be out earlier than so. And then so they had their scheduled times and they were out at that time, but then also sometimes they would just be out walking around. And so you wouldn't know, but they would stop and sign and do pictures even when they were out walking around. So so on this day, if your daughter loves stitch, you didn't know until that day that stitch was going to be out and available to me. Correct. Yeah. Okay, but we have figured and we didn't really start meeting characters until this day because we hadn't gotten the surfboard until the day before. But I figured over those the days that we had left, we would truly meet most of them. And we did meet several. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. I think we met nine if I'm looking at all my list. Okay, so there's a lot. Yeah. And the lines were not too terribly long to meet them. There were some that were longer than others, especially if you just timed it, right? But if you could catch it, like towards the end of their time, the line was short and you could just walk right up. In fact, the day that we saw stitch, we walked out there and he was out in the garden. And there was literally nobody in line. He was over there doing like they were doing like ring around the rosy with the photographers. And so we were able to just walk right up. Good to know. Yeah. So we met Stitch and Pluto that day. And then we went back and got ready for our pictures and met our photographer at 645. And we're done with those. He took the pictures are beautiful. He hasn't edited any yet because he sent it to me. And I have to go through and like pick the ones that I want him to edit. And I haven't had the brain capacity to do that. But he took 900 pictures in like 20 minutes. So I have to sit down and like process. But it worked really well. The the lighting we got sunset and it was just beautiful. And so the ones that I've seen look really good there and they're not even edited yet. So yeah, it's a photography paradise with that background and lighting and everything. Absolutely. And then we went to off the hook for dinner. So that's just like their like a sit down meal. But I want to say it's not fancy, but it was expensive. So but everything is expensive. So maybe that's not a good judge. But I got the fish that like the fresh catch, whatever that was. And Eric and Abigail shared a steak and that was it was really it was nice. And we actually got a table like outside of the restaurant. So it was actually like right by the pool. And they were doing that hula that we had missed on the first night. They were doing it that night while we were happened to be there for dinner. And so it just worked out well. So we kind of got to watch that from our table too. So we weren't like a front on view of it, but it was a nice little treat. And you said it was expensive, but not fancy. Did you find a Lonnie prices to be in line with other Hawaii prices? Or was it even more expensive than the Hawaii prices? Yeah, I think it was more expensive because on our budget that we had set for ourselves, we did so good even in Maui and on the Big Island, like we did, we stayed under budget like every day, even buying souvenirs and everything. And then we got to a Lonnie and we made up for all the money we had saved. So yeah, that's really saying something because Hawaii is not cheap. Yeah, yeah, I think it was it's like it. I mean, I think Disney is more expensive in Florida than anywhere else in Florida. And so it's kind of like just multiplied by Hawaii. You're always going to pay a premium. You are. It is what it is when it went in Rome. That's what I just kept saying. I was like, well, I mean, we're here. So, but it was good. I think our dinner that night, literally, it was I got a meal. They shared a meal. We got an appetizer. And then my husband and I both got drinks and Abigail got like a non-alcoholic, like fancy drink. And I think our total was $150. So anything else on this is still life 14. Nope, that's it. Abigail had really started feeling better by here. And so she actually we played a game called Nerds. Have you ever played Nerds? Oh my gosh, my family played this growing up. But I've never heard anyone bring it up before. It's like speed solitaire. Yeah, yeah. So we learned how to play it right before we went. I always like to find a new game for us to play. So we had learned how to play it right before we left. And so we this was like the first night we really got to like stay up and just played Nerds for a while. So we got in the room and just made space around the table and played Nerds. That is amazing. Yeah, we would play it with 12 people. Oh, it's like a lot of activity. You can't even reach all the cards if you do that. Like you have to get up. You can play it in pairs. So each pair does a different part of the activity. So the person that gets up to plays in the middle, it's like that's their job. But yeah, that's funny. Okay. Did you have a chance to do the animation class in your room? We did not. So any time I would ask her if she wanted to, she is like, no, not really. And I was like, okay. An option. It was. She was really, I know this sounds crazy because she's 13, but she was really in the bluey this trip. She was like, can we just turn on bluey in the background? And we watched a lot of bluey and we were like, it's actually a really funny show. Like when you sit down and watch it, it's actually quite enjoyable. Yeah, a lot of fans. Yeah. So I was like, do you want to do the animation class? And she's like, no, just turn on bluey. I'm wondering if they'll have a bluey meet and greet in the park soon, because they are going to have one at D23 Expo. Oh, so that's good to know. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so that was July 14th and then July 15th was pretty open for you guys. Yes. So we got up. Again, I just went in the morning and went for a walk and enjoyed the beach. We met some characters this day. So we met Moana, Mini, Duffy, Mickey, and Chip and Dale on this day. She had bought those little magnet, you know, the shoulder buddy things that sit on your shoulders. And she had bought the Chip and Dale. And so she wanted to wear them when she met Chip and Dale. And she had both that one on each shoulder. Yeah. And it was so cute. Because when she walked up to them, they were on the right side with their, with like, Chip was on Chip's side and Dale was on Dale's side. And they were like kissing them and loving them. And then when she turned to take the picture, they were on opposite sides. And so they kept covering the other one up. Like while they were trying to take the pictures. And it was just, it was so cute. And so the photographer said, let me fix this, hold on. And so he went and took them off her shoulders and switched them so that they would be on the right side so that everybody could just smile and take the picture. That is adorable. It was precious. And then lots of swimming. I was going to say, I also think that for those characters that can't speak, having something to play off of. Yes. Makes the interactions a little bit more fun. Absolutely. And we have found that too. Like even when we used, even at Disney World, we would take colored Sharpies. And so we would try to like, when we would meet Tiggers, she would get out the orange Sharpie. And they like play off of that. Like giving them something is exciting for them. Yeah, that's cute. This evening was the night of that DVC event. And I had kind of forgotten about it. And so when we headed down for our on the on the reservations. So one thing I should say, so every day you have to get a wristband to swim in the pools. DVC wristbands are sparkly. And then the non DVC are just like, just wristbands. And so it took me a minute to realize when people would say, welcome home. And I would be like, how do they even know I'm DVC? And then I remembered, oh, because my wristband. So we were walking down to dinner. And somebody said, are you on your way to the DVC event? And I was like, oh, no, we're on our way to dinner. And she was like, oh, it's like the best of it. And I was like, oh, well. And so we had like five minutes. And so we just walked over there for a few minutes. And they had like beaded lays. And they were doing like a character meet and greet, but we didn't have time. But and they were doing like a whole dance party. It was really cool. I wish we would have, I wish I would have remembered about it. But there was too much. So it's a party, but you couldn't have had dinner there. No, no, they had. No, I don't think there was any food. I think it was just like a DJ and there were characters up dancing and like leading, like line dances kind of thing. And there were characters that you could meet and greet. Where did you go to dinner? This was our Amma Amma night. So this was our last dinner, our last night in Hawaii. And they would say, are y'all celebrating anything? And I said, I guess we're celebrating our last night. I was like, it doesn't really feel like a celebration. But it was really, really nice. It was fancy. It was a four course meal. And they were so great. I forgot to tell you that Abigail had, we discovered that she is allergic to honey on this trip. So we, and maybe it was just the local honey that we gave her. So because she wasn't feeling great, we had given her some honey water. And like the next, like an hour later, all of a sudden her legs were like, hived all over. It's like this poor child could not just like catch a break. But, and she was like, it's itchy. And I was like, that's all I can come up with is honey. And so we gave her Abigail and within two hours, like everything was gone and she was fine. But so when we got there, we told them about pineapple and honey. And it's just amazing how the waiters know like every ingredient that's in things because they did like a bread service. And he said, you know, this one doesn't, this one has honey in it. So she can only have these two. And he said, and, and it was two waiters that were like taking turn, like they were both waiting on us. And, and so when the girl came to drop it off, he said, he like whispered in her ear, she can't have that one. And so she said, okay. And she was like, I'll go get some that hasn't touched it. And I was like, she'll be fine. Like it's not that dire, but it was just really like thoughtful about the allergies. And, and so that was really good to know. I listen, that's one thing that's consistent with Disney. I love that. Yeah. So we, my husband and I made sure that we picked everything different so that we could try as many things as we could. And we definitely got out of our comfort zone. And it was really fun and really good. So there was this also pricey. It was, it was like a car payment. I think, I think the total was over $400. Mm hmm. Was it, is that a fixed price meal? It is, it is. Okay. And it was, so it's $125 a person. And then Abigail is an adult, but they did let her have the kids menu. So that was nice. And they did only charge a kid's price. So they had the option of she could have a kid's menu, but adult portions. And that at the adult price, or she could just have a kid's menu at a kid's portion, which is all she needed because she's not a big eater. And so they allowed us to do that, which was really nice. So hers was 55. That, that is really nice. I like that. Cause I hate that Disney considers kids in this age range adults because some of them might be adult, you know, appetites, but so many aren't. Yeah. And it was nice that they had the option of using, like you could, if your kiddo wouldn't eat, cause I will say the, the menu was very adventurous. And, and that is a lot of kids, even teenagers are not that adventurous in their eating. And so the option to be able to choose from the kids menu, but adult portions is great for even kids that are bigger eaters. Yes. Or adults that are bigger eaters. That's true. Good point. I've known a few of those. Yeah. So that was really fun. And then we actually, and we added so between the meals and then my husband got a beer, and then we also did a pot of coffee at the end. And they had like a hundred percent cone of coffee, which is expensive. And so like just all of those things added up and, and it is what it is. When in Rome, that's right. That's right. And I was like, we're going home tomorrow. We might as well spend the money now. This was your last, yeah, the way that you're closing out your trip. So that was the end of July 15th. And then July 16th was your check out, but you had a little bit of time to spend in the region. So let me also tell you after I'm on my reservation, because I just was like, I guess we're in the mood to spend money. So let's go. And in all of the Alani rooms, there's a lamp that had like a Mickey. It's, it's very like people talk about it all the time on the Facebook groups. And it's, it's like a bronze Mickey holding a surfboard. And it's just a very, it's a very Hawaiian lamp. So they sell them. And so we ordered one and we're having it shipped to us. They said it'll take four to six months. And I said, well, that'll be a great Christmas present. It'll show up. We'll have completely forgotten about it. So, so you can't, can you only buy it if you're at the resort? Maybe. I'm not a hundred percent sure on that. But I know they did have some in stock, like if you were willing to take it home with you. And I was like, well, we don't have space in our luggage for it. And so she said, I can take that back. I'm not a hundred percent sure if you could, if they had it. She said, I can check, but we only sell them if you're willing to take it today. And I was like, well, we're not. So it doesn't matter. Yeah. So we have space for lamps in our luggage. Right. So it was $300, but we just felt like that was a necessary upgrade in our house. So it's a souvenir. Yeah. Always remind you of your time at Alani. Absolutely. And we, and we were able to use our DVC discount on that. So that was really nice. They, they did not use our DVC discount on any food, but they did on all of the, all of the merchandise you can use it. And then on some of the classes, so like on our Mickey ears, we could use it, but not on the stargazing. And I don't know why, but. Yeah. I mean, I think that's similar to just New World. Some, some things have AP and DVC discount. Some don't. Yeah. But that's good to know you could use it on merchandise. Yes, but not on the shipping, but that's okay. So it almost covered shipping. So you purchased that after your baby dinner. Because we were like, well, we've spent all this money. We might as well go spend some more. Yeah, and I was like, we're going to get a fraud alert on our credit card. But it's fine. So we did, or so we got that ordered and then, yes. So now we're on, so we went back and played some more nerds. And then on Tuesday was our checkout day. So we kind of slept in, packed up our luggage, dropped it off at Bell Services. They have that luon allowance that you can use for the day. The card that they give you is a one time, like you can go in one time with it. And so you can't go in and out throughout the day, which I was like, so I feel like you're committing to like, I'm going to go sit in here or I'm not. And so we actually didn't even go in. So I took it and then we ended up doing other things and we never even went in there. That is very strange that it is a one time card as opposed to a, like, six hour card. Right. It was an, I agree. But, and so we didn't want to commit to being like, okay, we're here now. So we just didn't. So we met a couple of characters. We met Max Olu Mel is like the Alani mascot. And we met Goofy. We did finally get a Mickey shave dice, shave ice. And it was not the best one by like, it was probably the bottom of the list on shave ices that we had throughout the week. So I'll tell people it's worth the drive. Yes. Okay. So it's the shape. Yes, it's cute. But it's worth the drive to go find a like true Hawaiian one. So, oh, and then the scavenger hunt. So we had never gotten around to doing that. I kind of thought we would do it on our first day and then Abigail wasn't feeling well. So we went and got the scavenger hunt. And then we did it for like 20 minutes and then we didn't have enough time to finish it. And so we were like, well, my husband was like, well, we should have done this earlier in the trip. And I was like, yeah, we should have, but it's fine. So we maybe next time we'll go back for sure. We were already talking about when do we get to go back? Yeah. And then so then Abigail and I had our pedicures. They only had when I went to book them online, they wouldn't let me book them at the same time. So they, I was able to book one and then the other one right after it. And so when I was one of the days prior, I had gone to see if there was any way we could get them at the same time. And she said that they only had one tech. And so they just, oh, I guess it's not a super popular thing. So, so we did them. I went first and then Abigail came in after and I sat while she did hers. And then one, apparently a very Hawaiian meal is spam misubi. And I had never had it. And I kept telling my husband I have to have it at some point. And here we are, we're about to leave and I haven't had one. And so we ran back over to the ABC store. It was like on our way out because my husband wanted to get a few things like to take home. And so they had spam misubi. So I finally got my spam misubi and ate it. And my husband said, you ate that whole thing. I said, I did. It was actually really good. Judgemental, right? But it was yummy. I didn't need to. One was enough, but it was, it was good. So we got to the airport, dropped our stuff off. We went to a, we, I made my family get there super early because I had read lots of things about having to go through like the, the checks, they, what do they call it? Were they make sure you're not bringing back any fruits and vegetables and customs? Yeah, I feel like they call it something different. Yeah, but it doesn't matter. They, they have all of these checks, like to make sure you're not bringing back like plants and things. And so I was like, I want to get there in plenty of time to, I would rather get there early and not need all the time than to not have enough time and be stressed. So we got there with, I think we got there at four and our flight was at seven. So we got through really quickly, quickly the lines were not long. We went and sat at a bar to have a drink first because it was too early for our Colina lounge because it started at five and it was probably about 430. And so we just went and sat to have a drink and we were going to get out our cards to play nerds and we spread out on the table and we get out the cards and the waitress comes over and says, you can't play cards in here. And we said, what? And she said, it's actually against the law in Hawaii to play cards in a bar because of gambling. And I'm like, it's a card game. But so I looked it up and it's a thing and a lot of bars won't let you play any games, like of any sort because it could be considered gambling and a bar. So she was like, you can sit right there, like literally across the line, like across the bins and play. And we're like, but we can't take our drinks over there. And she was like, no. So we just had our drinks and then we went and found the Colina lounge. We searched for it. We found it and we played nerds in there. That's very funny though because it's like you can never combine drinks and games. No, they're rules. It's you have to choose. Yeah. Who knew? So I guess we were learning things. Yeah, exactly. So our flight was on time until we actually all got on it. And then we were and we'd already pulled away from the jetway. And apparently there was something wrong with a window. And so we had to go back and they had to like fix the window. But thankfully they were able to fix it and we were able to take off. We took off maybe 45 minutes later than we were supposed to. But did you have a connection that was affected by that delay? No, it was a direct flight back to Austin, though we slept on the plane. Well, I should say me and my daughter slept. My husband every time I would open my eyes, he's over there on his phone. So I don't think he slept much. Yeah, but then you landed and the next day. Yes. So we got in at 8 a.m. And had to take the shuttle back to our car. I think our bag was maybe the last one off the carousel and got the shuttle back to the car and then drove home and we were home around noon. Yeah. All right. So sounds like you had a really good trip knowing what you know now. Would you have planned it differently like more time in one place or less time? Like how would you have done that? I don't think I would have just because there was so much that I wanted to see in both places. So unless I was going to be able to extend the trip and make it even longer, I still would do all three islands. And you feel like you had like enough time in those places to do that. I mean, I definitely could have spent more time in all of them. But no, I think it was okay. It was good enough. It was good for us. Yeah. This has been for me, one of the tricky parts about figuring out how to do a Lonnie. Yeah. It's just like, how do you want to balance that with everything else? Yeah. Because there's a lot and there's so many else. And even so, I feel like we still didn't see a lot of a Lonnie between Abigail not feeling great and then just all the other things that we did. We didn't even visit a lot of the pools. There were a lot of activities we didn't do. And so I'm just ready to figure out when we can go back. Listen, that's a nice problem to have. Yeah. So anyway, okay. Well, this sounds like it was a really good time. I appreciate you taking the time to share. Yeah. So welcome back. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed my conversations with Stephanie. And maybe it even inspired some future travel ideas for you. It's one of my favorite parts about this niche is that there are just literally almost unlimited options for travel and things to do and try been doing this for 20 years and still haven't done everything. There is an after chat up on Patreon where we continue to talk afterwards about some things that we did not fit into the main feed podcast. If you would like to check that out there. I think that'll wrap up this episode of webinar prep to go for more information. Please check the show notes in your podcast app or head to the website, wdwprepschool.com, click on podcast at the top school down to episode 420. And until next time, I will see you on the site.
