toddler travel resorts image
mama2ameli
I am traveling with a toddler so which is the best option for transportation and food.
Answer
It depends on your needs. You can bigger, nicer accommodations at non-Disney hotels for the same price as a value. By staying onsite, you have better bus service. Some of the non-Disney hotels have shorter commute times to the parks than value resorts though. Onsite you get EMH privileges, which can help a lot with a little one.
Food is always more expensive onsite than offsite. Quality is relatively the same. If you are spending all your time in the parks, I wouldn't worry about it either way. Of course, you should check-out the dining plan too if you are onsite. See: http://trifter.com/usa-canada/florida/evaluating-disneys-dining-plans/
It depends on your needs. You can bigger, nicer accommodations at non-Disney hotels for the same price as a value. By staying onsite, you have better bus service. Some of the non-Disney hotels have shorter commute times to the parks than value resorts though. Onsite you get EMH privileges, which can help a lot with a little one.
Food is always more expensive onsite than offsite. Quality is relatively the same. If you are spending all your time in the parks, I wouldn't worry about it either way. Of course, you should check-out the dining plan too if you are onsite. See: http://trifter.com/usa-canada/florida/evaluating-disneys-dining-plans/
Is it worth leaving Kauai to see the volcano on the Big Island while on vacation for 10 days?
s73
Is it worth island hopping? It is my husband and 2 year old son traveling. I think most of the lava tour boats won't even take a 2 year old. Do you see a lot just in Volcano National Park?
Answer
It ABSOLUTELY IS...for adults. But I am afraid to tell you that if you are going to take your toddler with you on the hikes, it is discouraged taking young infants and toddlers into Volcano National Park at the moment. The reason is that the main caldera of Kilauea is also active and there are bad days of "vog" (volcanic fog) which is toxic (sulfur dioxide fumes and sulfuric acid when it mixes with air moisture). In fact, the volcano park main visitor's center is frequently closed (there is another museum close by however).
You do not have to take a tour boat to see the lava, if you are willing to drive quite a bit south of Hilo to Kalapana (clockwise around the perimeter of volcano national park), past Pahoa on Hwy 130. From the end of the road where the lava covered the highway, it is a 3/4 of a mile hike over jagged lava mounds at night to see it glowing (bring a flashlight, no lights although some enterprising people sell some if you arrive in the early evening for about $6 with batteries). Also bring repellent...sometimes after substantial rain, there are thousands of standing pools of water in the new lava (nice and warm!) that breed millions of mosquitoes. You must arrive by 8PM to get in, they close the gates to new visitors past that time. Depending on the lava flow, you are currently not allowed any closer than about 1/2 to 3/4 mile from the lava because a bit dangerous at the moment so bring binoculars. This is because when the lava hits the water, it "freezes" instantly into lava rock and creates an oversteep ledge near the water that will eventualy overhang the ocean and then collapse without warning.
For toddlers, there is still a lot of sulfuric acid to sting the eyes and sulfer dioxide in the air here, even this far from the lava flow spilling into the ocean.
I know all of this because my brother just got back from visiting this place.
Because the lava has covered the southern part of the highway, you need to backtrack to Hilo.
Even without the Volcano National Park (which is admittedly spectacular), the Big Island is just simply the most exotic island in the Hawaiian chain. You feel it at the Kona airport already, it is hotter, most of the landscape is solid black lava. There is less coral here (island is too new) so deep-sea life comes close to shore...you can view manta rays at night at Keauhou Bay (along the coast of the Sheraton) which come to feed on the plankton attracted to the resort lights (there is no coral to keep them away from the coast). You can even sign up with a night dive to swim with them. If you take the Fair Wind catamaran cruise from Keauhou, you will frequently be followed by spinner dolphins and there is the chance of seeing schools of flying fish jump out of the water to fly away to avoid the boat. The City of Refuge archeological site near Kealakekua Bay is amazingly spectacular. There are black sand beaches. Akaka Falls is the prettiest (easily accessible) waterfall. Holualoa town above Kailua-Kona is famous for its Kona Coffee growers and is also an interesting artist colony.
It ABSOLUTELY IS...for adults. But I am afraid to tell you that if you are going to take your toddler with you on the hikes, it is discouraged taking young infants and toddlers into Volcano National Park at the moment. The reason is that the main caldera of Kilauea is also active and there are bad days of "vog" (volcanic fog) which is toxic (sulfur dioxide fumes and sulfuric acid when it mixes with air moisture). In fact, the volcano park main visitor's center is frequently closed (there is another museum close by however).
You do not have to take a tour boat to see the lava, if you are willing to drive quite a bit south of Hilo to Kalapana (clockwise around the perimeter of volcano national park), past Pahoa on Hwy 130. From the end of the road where the lava covered the highway, it is a 3/4 of a mile hike over jagged lava mounds at night to see it glowing (bring a flashlight, no lights although some enterprising people sell some if you arrive in the early evening for about $6 with batteries). Also bring repellent...sometimes after substantial rain, there are thousands of standing pools of water in the new lava (nice and warm!) that breed millions of mosquitoes. You must arrive by 8PM to get in, they close the gates to new visitors past that time. Depending on the lava flow, you are currently not allowed any closer than about 1/2 to 3/4 mile from the lava because a bit dangerous at the moment so bring binoculars. This is because when the lava hits the water, it "freezes" instantly into lava rock and creates an oversteep ledge near the water that will eventualy overhang the ocean and then collapse without warning.
For toddlers, there is still a lot of sulfuric acid to sting the eyes and sulfer dioxide in the air here, even this far from the lava flow spilling into the ocean.
I know all of this because my brother just got back from visiting this place.
Because the lava has covered the southern part of the highway, you need to backtrack to Hilo.
Even without the Volcano National Park (which is admittedly spectacular), the Big Island is just simply the most exotic island in the Hawaiian chain. You feel it at the Kona airport already, it is hotter, most of the landscape is solid black lava. There is less coral here (island is too new) so deep-sea life comes close to shore...you can view manta rays at night at Keauhou Bay (along the coast of the Sheraton) which come to feed on the plankton attracted to the resort lights (there is no coral to keep them away from the coast). You can even sign up with a night dive to swim with them. If you take the Fair Wind catamaran cruise from Keauhou, you will frequently be followed by spinner dolphins and there is the chance of seeing schools of flying fish jump out of the water to fly away to avoid the boat. The City of Refuge archeological site near Kealakekua Bay is amazingly spectacular. There are black sand beaches. Akaka Falls is the prettiest (easily accessible) waterfall. Holualoa town above Kailua-Kona is famous for its Kona Coffee growers and is also an interesting artist colony.
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