Activities Maui in Oct with 3 & 9 yr olds

1. Haleakala Sunrise - not such a good idea with young ones cuz (a) waking them around 3am and (b) getting them dressed in very warm clothing like parkas for below 50F weather up at the summit hardly sounds like fun for the entire family all for a very brief sunrise. Consider doing the sunset instead.
2. Snorkeling - make sure your 3yo will be comfortable snorkeling in shallow areas first (suggestions near your resort are Kapalua, Airport Beach, Kahekili and Black Rock) before venturing to deeper waters at Molokini. Wouldn't rec Trilogy trip to Lanai just yet until you know your kids can handle the LONG day out on the ocean.
8. Jumping to snorkel rental: the two most popular are Snorkel Bob (www.snorkelbob.com) and Boss Frog (www.bossfrog.com). Weekly rates are very competitive.
3 & 4. There's a Maui Value Pass (http://res.atlantisadventures.com/tour_info.php?site=8&tour=50) that includes Atlantis Submarine Adventure, admission to Maui Ocean Center AND the Maui Tropical Plantation and the Hawaii Nature Center for one discounted price.
5. Can't help you there but here's a link to the only Maui provider I'm aware of: http://www.mauiwatersports.com/mws/node/36
6. A very good family stargazing venture ("Tour of the Stars") would be at the nearby Hyatt Maui in Kaanapali:
http://maui.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/activities/onsite/details.jsp?onsiteActId=424
Best to reserve a date at or near new moon to see the stars at their brightest
7. Old Lahaina Luau is generally considered the best on Maui. Not speaking on personal experience since haven't gone to one (other than Horizons show at PCC on Oahu) since honeymoon in French Polynesia. One and done type of touristic activity for me.

Have a fantastic trip!

Why on earth would you put a 3-year old on a jetski?

Drop that idea FAST, real fast. I seriously doubt any jetski rental would allow it. Most all activities have age limits. I can't imagine a jetski rental could even get insurance if someone found out they were allowing toddlers on one of them.

Unless you are going for 2 weeks, you already have too much to do.

If you're on a budget, then Royal Lahaina Luau is decent.

Feast at Lele & Drums of the Pacific are better, but also more expensive.

Lots of sites for Maui. Ignore the Oahu things.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1&tid=34812564

Thank you for all of your input.
I guess I should add that my 3 yr old is very adventurous and has no fear. He absolutely loves the water and is doing a great job swimming. I agree that an all day long snorkeling adventure may be a bit much, especially since my 9 yr old has a tendency to get motion sickness. Does anyone know a possible prevention for that?

I think one problem with your 3 year old riding a jet ski will be his ability to hold on properly. Can he reach around and have a tight grip around your waist? Jet skis and wave runners are not smooth rides...they're extremely bouncy, and you often came up off your seat. It's extremely important that he be able to swim well, but I think it's also as important for him to be able to hold on for an incredibly bumpy ride. That might be asking a bit much of a 3 year old, but the ultimate say will come from the rental company.

If they don't allow the 3 year old to ride the jet ski, you could always take turns with your husband, especially if you do a rental by the hour.

For motion sickness, bonine and dramamine work great. I also like the little wrist bands - buy 2 pair so your son can wear them in the water (where one pair one day, then the second pair the next while the first dries out). I also frequently see folks on boats wearing the little patches behind their ears.

Bonine is not recommended for children under 12. Some doctors say Dramamine is okay for older kids, but in my experience a 9 year old would react extremely poorly to the drowsy side effects (there's nothing worse than being stuck on an all-day cruise with a crabby child). As for jet skis - good luck.

Have you considered spending the day at the beach? And the next day at the pool? And then back to the beach?

Oops...you're correct. Didn't even think about bonine/dramamine not being okay for those under 12 (just figured they would take a 1/2 dose or something).

Scratch that. Use the wrist bands.

I agree with not letting my 3 yr old on the jet ski and just renting 1 and trading off with my husband.

Why not skip the jetski altogether? They are bad for the environment, burn precious fossil fuel, and make a horrible noise. Nothing I like more than my afternoon at the beach disrupted by screaming jetskis roaring back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

They are banned during whale season, but I think they should be banned all year. Besides being a threat to whales, they aren't very good for turtles and disrupt reef fish.

Sorry, but I am not a fan of the jetskis in our waters.

1. Haleakala Sunrise --
Skip the sunrise. (Its just touristy hokum.) Go mid-day for the best views and best driving experience.

2. Snorkeling. Not sure if we should go on the Four Winds, Trilogy, or Pacific Whale Foundation --
Trilogy is Maui's premiere snorkel outfit.

3. Maui Ocean Center. --
The kids will really enjoy it.

4. Possibly the Atlantis Submarine. --
I think the kids would really enjoy it. How often in their lives will they be able to glide 100 feet BELOW the surface of the water?!

5. Jet skiing. Hopefully my 3 yr old can go. --
Can he swim??

6. I would like to see the stars/moon. Not sure which tour to take or the best way for that. --
Why do you need a tour to see the moon and stars? (Never heard of that.) Just drive away from the lights of the hotels and you'll see the entire Milky Way brightly.

7. Luau. Not sure which is best --
The Old Lahaina Luau is the best - but I'm not sure if the kids will like it. (May be a bit boring for them.)

8. Rental of Snorkel equipment. Not sure where the best place to do that would be. --
Lots of places. Try Snorkel Bob's if you are not sure.

Other ideas: Take them to the Maui Tropical Plantation to ride the tram through the property. Also, try surfing lessons for the kids.

Have fun!

we just got back w/ our baby 6 mths old , a 5 yr old and 8 yr old

I'd suggest against any car trips over 2 hours at this young of age. by the 3rd hour they started misbehaving and getting loud in the car that all of us were annoyed soo much they got timeouts!!! but serioulsy a road trip for anyone is difficult imagine a child who's attention span is that of a peanut. the pool and the beach /snorkeling at the beach are by far the best things for kids at that age. get them a sand pail/ and go out on the beach and build sand castles w/ them. get a snorkel and mask and snorkel the area near the beach.. our kids had the best tiem doing that and that's all they wanted to do was go to the beach. we also hung at our pools that had slides etc.

if you need to do a day trip limit it to a few hours. don't do a boating trip too young for that unless it's a short trip then it'd be fun. maui ocean center is probably an excellent idea

and we did the old lahaina luau and they all enjoyed it but missed the "fire dancers" that's kids for ya. so i 'd say if you've never been and want to save a few dollars go to a cheaper luau as the OLL Is pricey (but worht it in my eyes as i don't mind spending the cash) but royal lahaina has deals or the hyatt may have a fire dancer.