Aulani--Christmas Availability and Weather?

[ratfam]

Hi, we are DVC members at BCV, interested in Aulani for this coming Christmas but are concerned about the weather (family friends who live in Hawaii have always said never to visit in the winter) and whether we will be able to book anything when our 7 month window opens. Can anyone share their experience? Thanks in advance!

 

[TALB]

We just went at Xmas. I started calling at 7 months on the 20th and walked the reservation until the 22. We stayed 9 days and it was amazing. It was 80 degrees everyday and it never rained at Aulani. When we were at other parts of the Island it would get cloudy and sprinkle for 10 to 15 minutes and stop. It is the perfect time to go. If you have any other questions pm me I would be happy to help you plan. we will be going back again in a few years.

 

[jekjones1558]

Not sure why anyone would say not to go in winter. We have gone Dec. - April about 10 times and always had wonderful weather. Get online at 7 months and GO!

 

[JWG]

We went thus past Christmas (2013) and were there 12/21 through 1/2. We were able to get all but two nights on points. We did have to use wait lists and do some manual work, but it all worked out. We paid cash for 12/30 and 12/31, the two nights we couldn't get. They were the same booking category as on points so we didn't change rooms. Weather was perfect.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Another one here who doesn't understand the weather comment. We ALWAYS go in winter (hey, we live in Minnesota), and the weather has always been wonderful. Only once did we have too much rain, and that was when we traveled too late in the spring.

 

[Girimama33]

I used on live on Oahu, and the weather is fairly consistent all year around. Cold for people in HI would be in the mid 60's temp wise. I think winter is a great time to go.

 

[Cinderpamela]

We were there this past December and have absolutely no complaints about the weather. Aulani is on the drier side of the island so that certainly helps, on a couple of excursions we were over on the other side of the island and it was more cloudy but still warm out. The few times that it sprinkled the clouds passed over and then it was sunny and warm.

At 7 months out our reservation definitely took some work. I booked 3 open nights and then kept checking back on the website for openings and in the end managed to get 6 nights at Aulani December 23rd - 29th. We did not have enough points to be able to walk a reservation forward like TALB, but I was still happy with what we did get.

We wound up spending the first 4 nights in Waikiki to get all the touristy stuff done and then headed out to Aulani to relax. I do wish I would have added a couple of nights up on the Northshore at Turtle Bay to the end of our trip, my 2 teen sons loved watching the surfers on the big waves, December is prime season up on the Northshore..... oh well there is always next time!