Own at AKV, want Aulani for Christmas

[caniac27]

So, I'm fairly new to this. We own at AKV, and have been several times, also to a couple other central Florida resorts. We would like to go to Aulani December 17 to 27, 2014. I'm worried about availability though when I am finally able to book it (in May). If we can't get in there we would go to AKV for the same period. My question is - should I book AKV now, while it's available (using current years points and borrowing from next year), then attempt to change to Aulani in May? Would that work? Any penalties? Any downside? Thanks for any input!

 

[bigvig1130]

So, I'm fairly new to this. We own at AKV, and have been several times, also to a couple other central Florida resorts. We would like to go to Aulani December 17 to 27, 2014. I'm worried about availability though when I am finally able to book it (in May). If we can't get in there we would go to AKV for the same period. My question is - should I book AKV now, while it's available (using current years points and borrowing from next year), then attempt to change to Aulani in May? Would that work? Any penalties? Any downside? Thanks for any input!

You should absolutely book AKV now. If not, you run the risk of not having either at 7 months out (with Christmas and Food & Wine). The only downside would be if Aulani were less points than AKV. Then you would have extra borrowed points needing to be used by end of 2014 use year.

 

[jillgunter]

Yes I would book for sure AKL, that is over christmas which will go fast. Then check at 7 months. If not available do a waitlist for Aulani. And keep the AKL until it comes thru. Is there a points difference in the two? I dont think you can bank borrowed points, you would have to use them.

 

[Cinderpamela]

The downside will be that when your 7 month online window opens up for Aulani at 8 am EST, if you have your points all "used" for the AKV reservation, you will need to call member services to change the reservation over when they open at 9am EST ... thus waiting an extra hour.

The best way to get Aulani at Christmas time (one of the most in demand times) is to be online right when your booking window opens at 8 am EST. So others will grab up the rooms while you wait another hour to call MS. If you have enough points to maintain the AKV reservation and are still able to book Aulani online before MS opens then that might be a good way to go, but since you mentionend having to borrow points it sounds like that is not the case.

It helps that you are talking about the week of the 17th, when most schools don't let out until that Friday the 20th. That could give you a tiny jump on others unless people are walking their reservations forward.

We were fortunate enough to get 6 nights at Aulani this past year from December 23rd to the 29th. It was a tricky thing to do and I was stalking the MS online reservations to add days and piece together the 6 nights. At my 7 month window there were only 4 nights available and then over the following months as I checked the site, I was able to add on the other nights. At one point we were going to have to switch room view category's 3 times during our stay and I managed to whittle it down to only one room transfer.

It is a beautiful resort, the Disney Imagineers really out did themselves! It was well worth the effort that I put into it to be able to stay there for part of our trip.

We stayed the first 4 days of our 10 day trip in Honolulu in order to get all of the island touring & sightseeing (Pearl Harbor, the North Shore, Hanauma Bay, ect.) out of the way because once you get to Aulani its really hard to leave!!

 

[drusba]

If you have to use the same amount or more (likely) borrowed points for Aulani than AKV then you should go ahead and book AKV because either way you are going to use those borrowed points. In making the decison be aware that it is highly likely AKV savanna and standard view will be open at 7 months out for at least Dec 17 through 20 so if you are trying to avoid any borrowing, you could book Dec 21-27 now. and just add on nights at AKV at 7 months out if Aulani does not come through.