Any Chance...

[kristenrice]

...of HHI in late June for an AKV owner?

DH is not interested in *another* Disney trip so I thought I'd check out HHI. I have about 140 points to use and I am thinking a 4-night trip should do it. I think I'd want a studio for our arrival night (since we'd get in about 10pm) and then either a studio or 1BR for the next three nights.

I'm pretty sure that my chances are slim to none, but is there anything that might work in my favor? Studio vs. 1BR? Weeknights vs. weekends? Any particular arrival day? We'd be driving down, school would be out and our work schedules are infinitely flexible. (DH is police officer with 20+ years seniority and I am a paramedic with 13+ years in so we have our pick of vacation days.)

As much as I would rather take another Disney trip, I think this would be a nice compromise. I priced it out and it looks like it would cost about the same either way.

One OT question....can you use Disney Gift Cards at the resort?

TIA!

 

[DebbieB]

...of HHI in late June for an AKV owner?

DH is not interested in *another* Disney trip so I thought I'd check out HHI. I have about 140 points to use and I am thinking a 4-night trip should do it. I think I'd want a studio for our arrival night (since we'd get in about 10pm) and then either a studio or 1BR for the next three nights.

I'm pretty sure that my chances are slim to none, but is there anything that might work in my favor? Studio vs. 1BR? Weeknights vs. weekends? Any particular arrival day? We'd be driving down, school would be out and our work schedules are infinitely flexible. (DH is police officer with 20+ years seniority and I am a paramedic with 13+ years in so we have our pick of vacation days.)

As much as I would rather take another Disney trip, I think this would be a nice compromise. I priced it out and it looks like it would cost about the same either way.

One OT question....can you use Disney Gift Cards at the resort?

TIA!

Very unlikely. First, summer in HH is very popular. Second, most of the rooms are 2 bedrooms; studios and 1 bedrooms are difficult to get. You may have a chance for a Friday or Saturday night, people check-out due to the high points.

 

[RobDoc]

HH has only 21 Studios and 21 1BR villas so your chance of finding something 2 months away is not very good, especially for the busiest time of the year at that resort. Weekend nights are sometimes available due to the high point costs, but those are often reserved using cash and there may not be much available either at this point in time.

It's certainly worth a call to MS - since they are the only ones with a definitive answer. You'll never know until you call MS!

Good luck!

 

[kristenrice]

HH has only 21 Studios and 21 1BR villas so your chance of finding something 2 months away is not very good, especially for the busiest time of the year at that resort. Weekend nights are sometimes available due to the high point costs, but those are often reserved using cash and there may not be much available either at this point in time.

It's certainly worth a call to MS - since they are the only ones with a definitive answer. You'll never know until you call MS!

Good luck!

Oops! I forgot to mention that this is for NEXT year (2011). I would be able to call right at the 7 month window, but with only 21 units, I guess my chances would be slim.

 

[RobDoc]

Oops! I forgot to mention that this is for NEXT year (2011). I would be able to call right at the 7 month window, but with only 21 units, I guess my chances would be slim.

Your chances should be better right at 7 months especially if you can be flexible with your dates for next summer (2011). Many have reported success with summer reservations at 7 months over the years but there are lot of recent HH owners who have purchased specifically to have the 11 month priority during the summer months.

Good luck!

 

[DizGirl20]

I was kinda wondering the same thing for next summer as well. Thanks for posting! We own at AKV so we would also be forced to book at 7 months... unless we add on which is a possibility

 

[kristenrice]

I can be such a dunderhead sometimes!

I totally forgot that we would also have the option of going over spring break! Our girls have spring break the first week of April every year so those dates would not be flexible. Would it be warm enough to swim that early in the year? My girls LOVED the pool at AKV (both Kidani and Jambo) and I know that they would enjoy trying to spot dolphins. I assume that more DVC owners would be going to WDW in April so I would think that my chances at HHI would be better, but I am worried that it would be too "cold".

 

[RobDoc]

Last week the air temps were in the upper 70's at HH. We are here right now and the temps this week have been in the low-mid 70's with no rain. The ocean temps are 66 (too cool for me) , but the pools are heated.

We've seen dolphin every day we've walked on the beach. The resort was very busy last week and still near occupancy this week. There were a lot of checkouts this morning.

Studios and 1BRs are still scarce at this time of the year, but you might get lucky right at 7 months or by using the waitlist. HH is busiest during the summer months, but also during Spring Break and Thanksgiving. It's a great family destination!

 

[kristenrice]

I'd thought about waitlisting, but I will be dealing with borrowed points and if we couldn't do HHI, then we would do Disney. I couldn't wait for a waitlist and I couldn't do a "backup" because I would have the potential to lose points.

Maybe we'll try for HHI in April (calling in September) and if it is not available, then we'll plan on trying again for June, and taking WDW if HHI is still not available.

I know my kids would still swim in the ocean if it were cold, but not me! I think they would be competely happy with the pools so as long as the air temps are above 70, I think we'd be OK.