Aulani Christmas 2016???

[NSL]

I posted this on the DVC resorts page, but no one replied so I am trying here. I have been watching the Aulani availability from Dec. 23-31 for a while now. It is definitely hit and miss. I booked Dec. 23-24 today (as today was the 7 month mark). I am going to grab what I can from day to day and wait list what I can't get. I already know we will likely have to move multiple times, but if that is what I have to do to go to Hawaii, it is what it is. My question is what room types are most abundant and least in demand to be more effective with the wait list? I have enough points that I can borrow to be able to book anything from a studio to a standard or garden 2 bedroom. We prefer a 1 bedroom, but will take what we can get. I will keep checking from day to day and pick up a day or two as I can. I was also thinking I would keep the wait list times shorter to be more likely to get something. I also know we will likely have to pay for a couple of days cash. What are your thoughts? Do I have hope in getting close to 7 days on points and only have to pay a day or two cash??? TIA!!!

 

[suebeelin]

Look for 1bds.

Not sure but I thought I read somewhere that ocean and pool/garden view are less vied for bc high points.

Good luck!

 

[DenLo]

1BR ocean views are usually the last to book completely. Often when people book that view they have a wait list for another view and when it comes through they drop the ocean view WLs. Good luck!

 

[bobbiwoz]

1BR ocean views are usually the last to book completely. Often when people book that view they have a wait list for another view and when it comes through they drop the ocean view WLs. Good luck!

Thanks for this observation!

 

[rsinj]

We were just at Aulani two weeks ago - you will enjoy it very much.

I think that you'll be driving yourself nuts if you need to move multiple times day to day to get the number of nights you want. We booked at 7 months and could only get 3 nights for the week before Memorial Day. The week of Xmas through New Years will be extremely difficult.

What we did was to stay at Aulani for the three nights we could get, and then paid to stay at a nice resort on the North Shore for the remainder. You might want to consider that as an option as well - take the most consecutive single room nights you can get at Aulani, then look elsewhere for the remainder of your trip...the rest of the island has lots to offer. You might even consider booking the reservation elsewhere now, just to have it as an option and then modify/cancel that as you are able to get more at Aulani if something becomes available. As much as we enjoyed Aulani, bending over backwards to get an entire peak week there, possibly with day to day moves is probably not worth the effort.

Just my view.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Or, there are some really fabulous stuff on AirBnB near various beaches as well, to do something of an entirely different flavor for part of your trip.

 

[southerngirl528]

I agree that the pricier villas go last. I've booked Aulani 4 different trips on my DVC points. Fortunately my preferred view IS ocean view. But one time I booked just a few months out so I had to book what was available and W/L. I think if the OP books something and gets on the W/L right away the odds are good the W/L will come through.

As for AirBnB, PLEASE, PLEASE be forwarned that Hawaii frowns legally upon non-permitted rentals of any kind. And Hawaii is not an easy place to get a permit granted for neighborhood transient rentals. The state loses a lot of taxes on non-permitted rentals so they are pretty serious about it. Some of Hawaii's counties more serious than others. As a frequent visitor to Hawaii and a frequenter on a very popular Hawaii travel forum (not this one), I can tell you horror stories about folks that paid their hard-earned money for a place only to arrive and find that the place they booked was not permitted and that it is not available for their stay. They are out of both their money and a place to stay. Yes, I have read of folks that were able to rent non-permitted places with no issue but for me, no way I would risk it. JMHO.

 

[JWG]

We did Aulani 2013 over Christmas. Were there 12 days. Was able to get a dedicated 2BR Garden View. It took a combination of booking what was available, waitlisting, and paying cash for two nights (12/31 and 1/1). Otherwise we were able to piece it together.

I'm told 12/31 and 1/1 are busy because of the locals. Don't know if true.