Oahu - fam of 5 needs advice
 

I have booked 5 days on Maui and 5 days on the big island. I can get an inter-island round trip flight using 5,000 FFM/ticket and go from Maui to Honolulu in the a.m. and then to Kona in the evening. I am thinking of checking our luggage thru at the airport and hopping the bus to see Pearl Harbor. Return in the evening and go to Kona. How long does the tour take? Is it possible to do this on a stop-over?

Also, as a family of 5, I'm wondering if I should buy 2 gold cards, and 2 entertainment books. Would appreciate your input!

I don't know what happened to this post. It disappeared right after I wrote it and then reappeared at the bottom of the page. Hope to have some input PLEASE!

When you arrive at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, you wait in line for a ticket (we waited about 30 min after arriving around 9:30am), which has a specific time on it. For us, we had 2 hours to kill.
We went to the USS Bowfin submarine and visited the musuem. (Don't go on the sub if you're claustropobic, though.)
We then did the audiotour of the exhibits at Pearl Harbor.
By the time, we saw the movie (which was excellent), and took the boat ride over to the memorial, and returned, it was probably close to 1:30.
It was definitely well-worth the trip. It's a very special place.
Afterwards, we had lunch and maitais at the Moana Surfrider overlooking Waikiki Beach.

I would consider renting a car for the day.

Taxis could be expensive if you into Waikiki because the traffic is really bad.

Boy, that's a tight squeeze! It's a "don't miss" thing, but you really can take most of a day there. Like Dina said, you don't just walk in and see the memorial. You get an assigned time based on where you are in line. But there's so much more than just the memorial- you actually only visit that for 10 minutes. There are exhibits that explain the events leading up to, during, and following the attack. You didn't give the ages of your kids. If too young, they may get very fidgety, not understanding the significance of where you are, expecially if you have an extended wait.

If you do go, I second the advice to rent a car. The traffic in Honolulu is horrendous, and a car would be cheaper than a cab, I'll bet. Besides, you may have an issue getting back to the airport on time. You need to be able to get out quickly. Also, get the audio tour! It makes all the difference in your visit.

If this seems daunting, and you decide that Pearl may not be for you, perhaps you might think about a visit to the USS Missouri, which is right next to, but separate from, the Arizona memorial. We spent so much time at the memorial that we didn't make it to the Missouri, so I can't tell you about that experience. However, it may still give your kids that historical perspective you're looking for.

If you decide to skip Pearl altogether, but are looking for something on Oahu to occupy you for several hours, here are some thoughts:

Rent a car and drive the loop around the island.

Drive to the Dole Plantation.

Walk "the strip" along Waikiki and have lunch along the ocean.

Climb Diamondhead.

Hope I helped, rather than confused!

Thanks for the input! My kids are 22, 19 and 16. I was thinking we could get there early and spend the morning at PH. Maybe see the Polynesian Cultural Center in the afternoon? Take a flight to the BI around 7? Do you think it's too much for a day?

Also would appreciate suggestions for activities that older kids would enjoy.

Thanks!

Aside from the fact that I don't think you have time to do the Arizona Memorial AND the PCC, I should let you know that my teens (who are great travelers and love almost everything we do) thought the PCC was sort of a bore. Yours might love it, of course, but the great thing about Oahu is the wide variety of activities. You may not want to choose that one.