Any DCL Hawaii travelers going to Aulani afterwards?

[bobbiwoz]

We are not doing DCL, but RCCL and DCL gets to Oahu a few days before our ship does. Just wondering if the interest is so great that I won't have a chance to book Aulani?

Right now "our" days are available, but DH told me to walk our reservation. I am reluctant to do that, and told him that at 7 months nothing is guaranteed by trying to walk. In the spirit of domestic harmony, I am coming here. We want to stay for 5 nights, 2 bedroom any view beginning September 21. DCL gets there on the 17th. Suggestions, should I try to walk?

Bobbi

 

[wdrl]

We are not doing DCL, but RCCL and DCL gets to Oahu a few days before our ship does. Just wondering if the interest is so great that I won't have a chance to book Aulani?

Right now "our" days are available, but DH told me to walk our reservation. I am reluctant to do that, and told him that at 7 months nothing is guaranteed by trying to walk. In the spirit of domestic harmony, I am coming here. We want to stay for 5 nights, 2 bedroom any view beginning September 21. DCL gets there on the 17th. Suggestions, should I try to walk?

Bobbi

I wouldn't worry if I were you. There are two factors working in your favor:

1. You are arriving on a Monday (9/21/2015). Many of the locals who book weekend "staycations" at Aulani leave Sunday afternoon, so you won't be competing with them for a villa.

2. Even if a boatload of DCL passengers head over to Aulani when they disembark on the 17th, a good number of them are probably only staying 1-4 nights. You'll probably run into a few DCLers who will overlap your stay, but I suspect most will have left for home, or other islands, by the time you get there. So you won't be competing with that many people for a villa starting on September 21st.

There is actually a third factor that works in your favor. The Hawaii public schools have a Fall break that starts in early October. Many local families who want to go to Aulani will bypass the days you are at Aulani and save their vacation time and money for the October school break period.

I'm not a fan of walking and I don't think you'll need to use it in this case.

Good luck!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I wouldn't worry if I were you. There are two factors working in your favor:

1. You are arriving on a Monday (9/21/2015). Many of the locals who book weekend "staycations" at Aulani leave Sunday afternoon, so you won't be competing with them for a villa.

2. Even if a boatload of DCL passengers head over to Aulani when they disembark on the 17th, a good number of them are probably only staying 1-4 nights. You'll probably run into a few DCLers who will overlap your stay, but I suspect most will have left for home, or other islands, by the time you get there. So you won't be competing with that many people for a villa starting on September 21st.

There is actually a third factor that works in your favor. The Hawaii public schools have a Fall break that starts in early October. Many local families who want to go to Aulani will bypass the days you are at Aulani and save their vacation time and money for the October school break period.

I'm not a fan of walking and I don't think you'll need to use it in this case.

Good luck!

Thanks for your take on our trip. I appreciate the information and did notice that if we had wanted to stay a bit longer, 1 of the "standard" view villas was unavailable for the Saturday night, so I suppose that frequent visitors may opt for lesser view points. I was surprised that 3 bedroom standard view were gone for our stay, but ocean view 3 bedrooms were not.

 

[wdrl]

Thanks for your take on our trip. I appreciate the information and did notice that if we had wanted to stay a bit longer, 1 of the "standard" view villas was unavailable for the Saturday night, so I suppose that frequent visitors may opt for lesser view points. I was surprised that 3 bedroom standard view were gone for our stay, but ocean view 3 bedrooms were not.

Standard view villas tend go quicker then the other views, especially on weekends.

Something is up with Aulani's Standard View Grand Villas. There are only two of them but they have been totally unavailable for about a year. I know Standard View is popular, but I would have thought we could see at least one or two orphaned nights available each month. Instead, nothing, zip, nada, zilch, is available. Can it be that DVC has taken those room out of the system?

Last September/October we took the Celebrity Solstice from Vancouver to Hawaii and then spent a week at Aulani. It was a great cruise. We arrived at Aulani on October 5, 2014, which was the start of the Fall school break. The CMs told us Aulani was at 90%+ occupancy during the week we were there, but that it had been much, much lighter the week before.

 

[Anal Annie]

I'm going against the flow here. While I'm not necessarily a FAN of walking I would walk this one in a heartbeat to eliminate the worry & stress. JM2C. Good luck, Bobbi!!