Hi, all. I want to thank you all for your responses and suggestions earlier when I couldn't decide where to go to in Hawaii.

I realized that I did indeed need to perform some additional research to figure out where would be the best island for me and my little boy and my younger sister.

I'm pretty sure (nothing is set in stone) that we will go to Waikiki and stay at one of the resorts there. The Honolulu Zoo is within walking distance. Sea Life Park (where I want to play with sea lions in the worst way)! is about 12 miles away. And we are tourists, so we enjoy touristy places. What I mean is the only exotic tropical places I've ever been to is Jamaica once and Cancun twice. So we don't mind what world travelers would call cheesy shows or whatever.

I figure with such a long flight, we would make the most of it and stay for nine nights and ten days. I thought about splitting the trip and spending half in Waikiki and half at North Shore. I don't like crowded beaches but I don't like it when it's isolated either. I like the idea of walking right out of the hotel onto the beach (even though it will cost twice as much), we also are pool people and the Hilton Hawaiian village Resort had some wonderful pictures of their pool. This resort is huge and we'd never have to leave it to have a good time!! Seriously my husband used to like to get to know the locals and learn the people's customs, but I'm the type of person who never has to set foot outside of the resort and I'm happy - this resort had all it's own shops and everything. BUT the Outrigger Waikiki sounds good too - not much of a pool and the prices are about the same I think but the pros of this resort are that like I said the zoo is a block away and we can walk to Diamond Head and go to Sea Life Park one day. Of course I know the beach is gonna be beautiful. We want to go to at least one luau. Oh and the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Cntr and the Internat'l Market Place is right beside the Outrigger.

I guess I'm still trying to decide on whether to stay at the Hilton with all it's shops and nice pools and the Outrigger with all the shops right outside the door across from the beach. Any suggestions??

I also wondered where this Aloha flea market was?? Also the Waikiki Aquarium. And can you take a glass bottom tour?

So I need to know which resort to stay - any opinions welcome and very much appreciated.

The only other thing I wanted to see was North Shore - I really don't want to have to pack and stay at a different place. So I wondered if it is worth it to go there for one day. And is it cheaper to rent a car or take a taxi to and from???

I can't think of anything else right now - oh yeah - one of the most important things - what's all this I keep reading about construction work going on?? Will it be finished by next spring??????

And what do people mean about the shoreline being rocky at Waikiki?? Do we really need water shoes??

I think renting a car for 1 day to go up to the North Shore would be best. Then you can poke around and take your time. I would not change hotels, just take a day trip. I'm sure there are tours if for some reason you didn't want to drive.

The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and International Market are part of the big "remodel" so am not sure their current state. I would not consider this a deal-breaker. I love Waikiki and sounds like you will too.

Taking The Bus and trollies around Waikiki is a fun thing I think all ages would enjoy.

I would take water shoes, last year one little guy at my hotel had cut his foot up pretty bad at the beach and was not a happy camper. Overall I didn't notice the beach being particularly rocky along Waikiki though. Certain stretches were even smoother than others.

You don't need to over plan, Honolulu and Oahu have a way of opening themselves up after you arrive. You can pick up 101 things to do kind of brochures on every street corner. Just find your resort and book your plane tickets. The rest will sort itself out.

I vote for the Outrigger, closer to all the shops, activities etc. they have an excellent restaurant there also(Duke's Canoe Club) You could always walk the beach to the Hilton. There's tours you can take to SeaLife Park with transport provided, so look into that. You'll be best to rent a car to drive to North Shore and you can do the Polynesian Cultural Center that day also (I think your little boy will like that)

You can walk to the Aquarium, it's near the zoo.

the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is near Pearl Harbor. You're going to that, right?

And for the North Shore....yes, definitely rent a car. The taxi fare will be ginormous! Plus I don't know how you'd ever get a taxi back to Waikiki!

The zoo is more than a block from the Outrigger, but it is certainly walkable. I like being more in the center of things than the Hawaiian Village. Waikiki is beautiful, and the beach isn't rocky.

Renting a car for a day to drive around the island makes for a good day. Stop at Kailua Beach park--that beach is great. We ate lunch in Haleiwa at Jameson's by the Sea, which was really good, and then had shave ice with ice cream in the bottom at the General Store. Their shave ice was voted by locals as the best on the island, and we surely didn't have any complaints!

If price isn't a factor, between the two hotel choices I prefer the Hilton. It's a nice resort property with some beachfront, and while still in Waikiki it is away from the busiest areas. Kind of depends what you want right outside the hotel though.

Renting a car for a North Shore day trip, or even for a few days is good advice rather than changing hotels. For food, Kua Aina in Haleiwa serves pretty good burgers and Matsumoto's is a must stop for shave ice on a hot day. If you are feeling a bit adventurous you might stop for a meal at Dot's in Wahiawa, on the way to the North Shore. A real locals place that has been around forever, as far back as I can remember. Have a great visit.

I also vote for the Hilton over the Outrigger. The outrigger can be a real zoo and the pool is tiny by comparison. The Hilton has lots of birds and fish for the kids. They also have penguins. The Hilton has the best strip of beach in all of Waikiki. We stayed at the Halekulani and walked to the zoo and aquarium. It's fun to people watch as you go. Maybe you could rent a stroller for your little boy. I'd say it's about 1 1/2 miles at the most up to the zoo and aquarium from the Hilton. If you walk the beach part of the way it might make it a bit more fun for the kids. We bought a trolley pass and took that to do whatever we wanted. It was very convenient. Renting a car is a real hassle because the traffic is SO bad. The trolley took us to Haunama Bay, Sandy Beach, Sea Life Park and many other stops. That was a lot of fun. The trolley driver was very amusing. You can go onto waikikitrolley.com to check it out.

If you love business, you will certainly find it in Waikiki. Be sure to pick up the coupon booklets at the airport or on any street corner in Waikiki. You can 1/2 off or two for one coups for lots of things. We have walked for miles around Waikiki.

I hope all the sewerage spill mess is all cleaned up. That was not fun.

Have a great trip.

Coming from someone who doesn't like to stay in Waikiki much, I have to admit that the beach around the Hilton is absolutely the best around the area. I stayed next door at the military resort, Hale Koa, and when I go back to Waikiki, I will only consider that area. Also, you can stroll over to the Hale Koa and use their outdoor bars/restaurants for a fraction of the price of Hilton. I believe you only need a military ID to go into the base exchange.

Try Priceline for the HHV, you can usually get it for around $160 - 175. That would be my choice too. That end of Waikiki is a little less crowded, and you can walk or take the bus easily anywhere.

We rented a car and drove to the north shore on our last trip. It was very beautiful.

Don't worry about shopping. Waikiki is very commercial, and shopping is everywhere!

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a fabulous resort. With the pools, shops, nice beach, and restaurants, you really don't have to leave if you don't want to! It's my favorite place to stay on Waikiki.

Hi, all. Thanks so much for the replies - I think we will stay at the Hilton Village. There are SO many things to see though!! I want to take so many tours - Pearl Harbor, Sea Life Park, Diamond Head, North Shore - I want to hit the flea markets and shopping plazas and go the zoo and aquarium and attend a luau...........so much to do!! And I'm getting so excited! Anyway I think I have more of a handle on where to stay and what to do. I'm going for 10 days and 9 nights - this way hopefully we'll have a couple days to just relax!! Thank you so much for your input. It'll be a while before we go but I love planning vacations - I usually start when I return from one!!

I think you can book a North Shore tour when staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Dunno who runs it, but a couple of cousins, staying there in April, did the tour and had a great time.

Another vote for the Hilton. We just got back from Waikiki last week (we were at the Marriott) and we would stay at the Hilton if we go back - the grounds were beautiful and it is more of a resort then the Outrigger. The Outrigger is in the busiest area and feels just like a hotel on the beach rather than a Hawaiian resort. The GOlden Dragon Chinese restaurant at HHV is excellent!! Best Chinese food I've ever had!

I think your little one would enjoy the HHV too - there is a lot more there geared to kids. Also - if he's picky like mine were, you could get some good meals at a decent price across from the HHV at the Wailana Coffee Shop - I always make sure to get there at least once whenever I'm in Waikiki.

If you do rent a car and drive out to the North Shore, make a pit stop at Dole Plantation - your boy will love the maze and you can all indulge in a pineapple ice cream cone like no other. Their gift shop has some really great stuff too - and not too expensive - I'm hooked on their Maui Onion Salsa and stock up every time I go over there.

Just don't forget to relax and enjoy yourselves - don't overbook yourself - then you'll have reason to come back and finish what you didn't get a chance to do!

The Hilton Hawaiian Village area is wonderful! We too stayed at the Hale Koa which is next door and since my husband is no longer military and we can no longer stay there, I'd pick the Hilton in the heart beat.
Just a point to note and this policy might have changed. However, someone recommended you visit the Hale Koa for their bars and restaurants. When we were there they did ask for military ID for all the restaurants I believe. I know they definitely did for the Hale Koa Room which is their fine dining restaurant. One of the best meals we ever had!!