Kids in Hawaii?
 

We have an 11 year old son and are thinking about a one week vacation in Hawaii this summer. Would appreciate feedback on activiies for that age group and feedback from others who have gone with their children. Any special advice/tips to give me??

Grand Wailea is the best resort for children. Many pools and water slides. Our kids loved the rope swing pool the best. So much fun at the pool and beach we didn't do much else. www.grandwailea.com

I'll second perkymom's suggestion. the Grand Wailea is a fantastic place, perfect for an 11 year old. The Westin Maui also has a nice pool complex. Make sure where ever you stay has a nice beach area. The Hilton Waikaloa on the Big Island is a nice huge resort for kids, but an unswimmable beach.
there is much to see and do in Hawaii, and you'll get great info here with a few searches, but I believe most of your time will be taken up with the pool and the beach.

I'm currently at the Grand Hyatt in Lahina. There are a lot of kids of all ages here and they all seem to be having a great time. There are pools, slides, wildlife in the lobby, a big luau every night, telescope on the roof for star gazing, snorkling... And the rates are very reasonable.

Oahu is the most kid friendly:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34812564

Especially kid friendly:

Polynesian Cultural Center - This is the best Polynesian entertainment in Hawaii

Sea Life Park (like a small Sea World) If you've been to or can go to a Sea World, forget this.

Hawaiian Adventures Waterpark

Hanauma Bay

Bishop Museum has a great volcano house where kids can create volcanoes & tidal waves

Chinatown

Waikiki Aquarium

Honolulu Zoo

Dklein2,
It all depends on your kid's style. My children, currently 13 and 15, went to Hawaii the first time when they were 7 and 9. They were never that thrilled about the resort's pool nor slides. It was fun, but they did not want to stay in the resort just to go down the slides. They love the hot tubs though.
My son still talks about the cave tour we did on the road to Hana. They enjoyed snorkeling, hiking, beaching and kayaking.
If you go to Maui, the aquarium there is nice. My kids liked the train ride in Kanapali, but your son may have outgrown the "train" phase.
Kauai: Lydgate Beach Park for snorkeling and the Kamalani playground is really nice. Kayak from Hanalei River to Hideaways Beach or just down the river for calm condition (if ocean kayaking is a concern).
Oahu: aquarium is nice. It has some really unusual seahorses. Snorkel at Hanauma Bay. Try the maze at Dole Pineapple Plantation.
Big Island: They love Dolphin Quest at the Hilton. However, now that I read more about captive dolphins, if I have to do it again, I wouldn't sign them up.

The Hawaiian Hilton on the Big Island looks absolutely awesome - so does the Hawaiian Hilton in Oahu. We went to both Waikiki (Oahu) and Maui but the kids actually preferred Maui. We found the Entertainment Book very worthwhile - more than paid for itself - in Oahu.

Maui: The kids loved the drive to Hana - we stayed overnight so there was time to swim in waterfalls etc. The Goofy Foot surf school was a hit. Loved the Atlantis Submarine ride. The sugarcane train was a bore. Very gentle snorkeling at Honolua Bay.

Oahu: Loved Polynesican Cultural Center. I was surprised at how well my kids enjoyed Pearl Harbor & the USS Missouri. Snorkeling at Haunama Bay was a big hit but take public transportation as parking is extremely limited and our rental car was broken into in the parking we found away from the park.

My grandson loves everything about Hawaii, but his favorites are swimming in the ocean and eating at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. He really enjoyed learning to bargain at the Aloha Stadium swap meet, too. We went when he was 10 and then back again when he was 12. He now has plans to attend the University of Hawaii so he can live there.

Cheeseburger in Paradise has perhaps the worst hamburgers on the face of the earth. We ate there once. The service was bad. The hamburgers were obvious frozen when they were put on the grill to be fried. They came out like thay had been boiled. The beer was warm.

The view of the sunset is great. Everything else has hideous.

My kids love just hanging out on the beach and snorkeling. On the Big Island we did a snorkeling trip with Fairwinds. It was the highlight of our trip.

dklein, Are you leaning toward a particular island?
I believe that Oahu is more active, but, I've done Maui with my kids and it was a memorable experience.

thanks for all of these suggestions. We plan to now go to Oahu but will be going over spring break (last week in March). Want to stay on Waikaki beach - any recommendations??? Also plan to do snorkeling -- any suggestions on where to best go for this? Thanks for the idea on the Polynesian Cultural Center -- defintiely have that on the "must do" list..

The Outrigger hotel brand has properties in Waikiki, both on and off the beach, and the prices reflect the location. They're very family friendly. Be sure to go on an outrigger canoe ride. Really fun for kids. Surf lessons are fun too. My kids have always just enjoyed the beach more than any activities in Hawaii, as well as snorkeling. For more hotel ideas try familytravelforum.com. Plan your day carefully at the Cultural Center, because kids can get bored with some of it.

What kind of hotel are you looking for? Waikiki has it all. High-rises, low-rises, on the beach or away, resorts with activities or low-key style. Do you want formal activities offered for kids? Do you care if it's a huge resort or a small hotel? General price-range is helpful to make recommendations.

oops, and Haunama Bay for snorkeling.

We want to be on Waikiki (or steps away!! as the ads say) so the the Outriggers had caught our eye. Like the idea of the Outrigger ride -- my son would LOVE that -- and we would too!! One is under construction -- how bad is it really? Also looking at the "Pink Hotel" -- feedback? Keep those suggestions coming in -- I really appreciate them!!!!