My family spent $5,000 on a 5-night vacation in Hawaii — and that’s after we were able to save $7,600 on accommodations

• My family went to Hawaii and spent about $5,000 on airfare, a rental car, food, and activities.
• We used Disney Vacation Club points to get a villa for five nights that was valued at $7,630.
• Aside from taking more photos and cooking more food, there’s not much I’d change about our trip.

Aulani, Disney’s resort in Oahu’s quiet Ko Olina area, has been on my family’s bucket list for quite some time.

The resort opened in 2011 and cost an estimated $850 million to build. Today, the 21-acre property has more than 800 rooms (including suites and villas).

My family of four finally visited the resort in June. Our trip was pricey, but it went smoothly, and we had a great experience.

Our expenses are roughly as follows:

Airfare: $2,284 for two round-trip flights from San Antonio to Honolulu after using points for our kids’ tickets

Rental car: $464

Food and drinks: $1,193

Activities and excursions: $1,058

Hotel: $0 for five nights at Aulani after using points

Here’s a closer look at how we spent our money and what we’d do differently next time.