First birthday locations

jenanded

DH is from Oahu, but has lived on the mainland for 15/16 years (I'm too tired for math right now).

We are coming to Oahu for DS's first birthday, and we are looking for a good place to have the party. We were thinking maybe a nice beach, like Ko Olina, but I don't know how the Disney construction has affected Ko Olina.

Any tips for baby-friendly beaches that offer some shade for a heat-sensitive haole? Or other ideas on Oahu (low cost, we don't want to blow our whole travel budget on the party).

TIA!

johndrea

Ala Moana Beach is pretty popular with lots of shade. I believe if you have over 50 or so people you need a permit. Good luck!

mrs.winter

FYI you can't bring an umbrella to any of the lagoons at Ko Olina...only one that you can is the secret one by Lanikohonua and Paradise Cove and the parking is not good. There are only about 15 stalls and they are usually gone really early in the morning.

How many people were you thinking? That may help give us some ideas for you:)

lola808

johndrea:

Ala Moana Beach is pretty popular with lots of shade. I believe if you have over 50 or so people you need a permit. Good luck!

I agree -- it's a great spot for a casual, family get together. We had a party here recently on a Saturday and it wasn't overly crowded and parking was pretty decent. You might consider getting a permit if there's a particular spot you want to reserve. We just showed up and popped our tents that morning.

myday1708

Kailua Beach Park has lots of shade and picnic tables. The trees are right next to the beach, so you can sit on the beach in partial shade. You can also bring a beach umbrella as well. Not sure the rules re permits for big parties, but there were a ton of people there having parties on Easter Sunday!

jenanded

I have no idea how many people MIL is inviting--my niece's party had about 350 people, but we are not up for anything like that! We'll probably get a permit, just to be safe.

We'll be there July 9, so it will be a Saturday in summer. Any idea how much the tourist trade will affect Ala Moana or Kailua?

And, if you had to choose the safer one for a little one to play in the water, would you go with Ala Moana or Kailua? 

Finally, the ILs live in Waipahu. To me, all drives on Oahu seem pretty short, but which park would be the closest/quickest for driving?

Thanks so much for all of your help.

vanceandlori

If your ILs live in Waipahu, there is a park near Pearlridge that ALWAYS has parties going on-- lots of bouncy houses and whatnot. I'm not sure what the park name is, but your ILs might know. . .

There are also a ton of parks in Mililani with shade and are well-kept but I'm not sure about permits and whatnot.

lola808

jenanded:

And, if you had to choose the safer one for a little one to play in the water, would you go with Ala Moana or Kailua? 

Ala Moana Beach is great for kids. It's really calm and shallow, and there are lots of spaces with sandy, not rocky, bottoms. There's also lots of sand. Kailua Beach suffers from erosion and tends to be a bit rougher. Lanikai is nice, but it's so crowded these days and parking is really tough. Both places have gorgeous views, though.

And although Ala Moana is close to Waikiki, it tends to be filled with more locals than tourists. 

jenanded

Thanks so much, everyone! I'll let you know what we finally decide and how it goes.