After my post on Aulani's accommodations, some of you had asked about the value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership. Originally I hadn't want to write about the value of a timeshare ownership, as its rather complex. But Disney Vacation Club is a bit different from traditional timeshare ownership programs. Plus, while the wife and I were Disney Vacation Club owners, we have … [Read more...] about Value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership
Aulani Activities
Today I'm continuing my mini series on Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. The previous posts discussed the resort's accommodations and dining, but today I'm going to go over Aulani activities. Pools Despite being a resort in Hawaii, the main draw at Aulani are its pools. The Waikolohe Valley is the resort's main attraction, home to its many pools, slides, and lazy … [Read more...] about Aulani Activities
Ally CashBack Credit Card
Ally Bank is jumping into the credit card game. You know, that bank with the purple logo and the great savings rates? Their new credit card, the Ally CashBack Credit Card, is another iteration of what's becoming the hottest type of credit card. Similar to American Express's EveryDay credit cards, the Ally CashBack offers 2% cash back on gas & groceries and 1% cash … [Read more...] about Ally CashBack Credit Card
Costco Switchover Day
Today is the long awaited day. It's Costco switchover day! Beginning today, Costco official begins accepts of Visa credit cards. As you may remember, in a surprising turn of events Citi purchased the Costco portfolio from Amex. This stunning blow cost Amex 10% of its entire portfolio. Amex not only lost exclusive rights to Costco, but all of the cardholder accounts were … [Read more...] about Costco Switchover Day
Aulani Dining
In my last post I went over Aulani's Accommodations, mainly the Disney Vacation Club villas, so this time around I'll be covering Aulani Dining. Why? Well, despite the perception that there's few options, Aulani does have a TON of different dining options ranging from quick-service to upscale fare. 'Ama'Ama To me the best and only sit-down restaurant at Aulani is … [Read more...] about Aulani Dining
Hawaiian Airlines SEA-HNL
At the beginning of our PNW Adventure, we flew Hawaiian Airlines HNL-PDX, which was an afternoon departure with late night arrival. For our return trip home we flew Hawaiian Airlines SEA-HNL, which was an early morning departure with a midday arrival. This meant an EARLY start to our day and a pre-dawn Uber ride from our hotel out to SEA. Hawaiians ground staff at SEA are … [Read more...] about Hawaiian Airlines SEA-HNL
Steelhead Diner
Our final meal in Seattle would be dinner following our final day. We wanted something relatively close to our hotel that was more on the casual side. After much searching, we settled on Steelhead Diner. So after we finished packing, we headed back up to Pike Place Market and slightly past Rachel's Ginger Beer at Post Ally. Restaurant was still going on during our … [Read more...] about Steelhead Diner
Matt’s in the Market
Before I officially close out our Pacific Northwest Adventure, as promised, I'm including our final day's dining reviews, beginning with Matt's in the Market. Matt's in the Market is a really highly regarded Seattle eatery. They're open for lunch and dinner and is always packed. We arrived at Matt's towards the tale end of the lunch crowd, around 1pm. Unfortunately, … [Read more...] about Matt’s in the Market
Goldfinch Tavern
Following our adventures and lunch at Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, the wife and I decided to have dinner at Goldfinch Tavern. But before that, we headed over to downtown Seattle to visit Chihuly Garden and Glass. While the sculptures are stunning, it is basically a building full of glass. Instead of boring you with all the details, I'll just leave you … [Read more...] about Goldfinch Tavern
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
The second to the last day of our great PNW adventure was also our first full day in Seattle and the last day we had our rental car. So to kickoff the day, headed up to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room. While most may flock to the original Starbucks location at Pike Place Market, it really isn't much of a destination if you ask me. It's simply a tiny … [Read more...] about Starbucks Reserve Roastery