[TrudyM]

Hi,

My husband was born and raised on Oahu so our view is a little slanted. One thing the Disney resort is way out from Waikiki. Great for beach and sun and avoiding the crowds, not so great for restaurants and shopping. No place on the island is far by distance but Honolulu has some of the worst traffic in the Us now.
Hanauma bay is great for snorkeling but stay inside the reef there is an undertow past the reef many tourists drown every year. It is also very far from Disney resort.
Polynesian cultural center is a good pick. An overview of what life was like in the pacific islands years ago. I believe it is still run by the church college (Mormon) and a lot of the workers showing craft demos etc. are students from around the pacific working their way through.

A good trip from were you are going to be would be the North Shore to Haleiwa town to Waimea Falls Park and Waimea bay beach park. go a little farther and watch the surfers at the Ehukai beach other wise known as the Bonai Pipeline. This trip is best after a big rainfall as the falls can go to nothing during a dry spell and the surf is better after a storm.

When visiting Waikiki hold onto your wallet. They have done an upscale revamp and the stores are more like Rodeo Drive than Hawaii. Also a lot of pickpockets these days.
If you stop at any local stands or go to the Pearl Ridge swap meet which has a lot of junk but also some good local made items remember no plants or fruits can come back to the mainland without agriculture inspection so don't buy from the stands unless they have sealed inspected stuff.

Have fun
Aloha •Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year)