Aulani Resort vs Aulani Vacation Club?

[hotdaveswife]

Hi Everyone, I'm a first time poster here...hope I'm in the right spot. I'm planning a last minute trip to Aulani and was on the Disney site trying to book the room, etc. I chose Aulani Resort & Spa and after selecting dates and travel info I was given an alternative offer for Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas. The price difference is astounding....Aulani Resort & Spa came out to $8,314 and the Aulani Disney Vacation Club came out to $2,635. What is the difference? HELP...I'm thoroughly confused! Thank You! Heather

 

[Anal Annie]

Aulani is both a Disney resort hotel and a DVC resort. DVC units are timeshare units - there are studios, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and Grand Villas (3 bedroom) units. Views range from standard (ie no view) to island/garden to pool view to oceanview. The studio units will have a kitchenette with a coffee pot, under-the-counter frig., toaster & a small microwave. They have 1 queen bed & a sleep sofa & sleep 4. Larger 1-bedroom units have a washer & dryer, a separate bedroom with a king size bed and a full kitchen but the 3rd & 4th persons still have to sleep on either a pullout sofa or a fold-down bed in the living room area. The larger the unit the more room they have and the more real beds...

Without knowing your exact booking dates it's hard to second guess what you're seeing as still available but I am guessing that you're probably looking at some sort of "parlor suite" vs a studio unit with a lesser view. I am guessing if it's truly a last minute reservation the availability of "regular" hotel rooms is slim to none. For that price difference I'd go for the DVC unit in a heartbeat. Sounds like you're lucking out with finding any availability. I looked at the first week of June & the only DVC unit that came up was a 1-bedroom OV & it's only $1,687 less than the regular hotel room however looking at the last week in May it's reversed and the DVC unit available is $2,735 more than the poolside/garden regular room. When I try to do a search using our dates in August there is nothing available!! I get the following message: Sorry, there are no room types available that fit your search criteria. Please change your Resort hotel or package selections using the Change Your Search module on the lefthand side of this page. For reservation assistance, please call (407) 939-7842. (The room types with views and amenities are all described if you click on them but for example DVC units don't come with robes whereas hotel rooms will. DVC units are not cleaned every day etc.)

Looks like you need to do a thorough check of the dates you can go and the types of rooms available as it varies by a LOT.

 

[Minnie222]

Cash customers will have robes in the room and room cleaning and towel changing services everyday even if they are in DVC rooms.

 

[kvichi]

Cash customers will have robes in the room and room cleaning and towel changing services everyday even if they are in DVC rooms.

DVC members also get robes.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Cash customers will have robes in the room and room cleaning and towel changing services everyday even if they are in DVC rooms.

DVC members have robes in the rooms too. There are also far more DVC units in the resort than non-DVC units. Given a choice, I'd stay in the DVC units, since the views are generally better in those units if what the castmembers t here have told me is true.

Also...Given the choice, I'd choose the rooms with kitchens and laundry over a "hotel room" any day.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hummm. We've never had robes in any DVC villas anywhere else. Is this just a special amenity just at Aulani?! Are they in studios as well??

 

[DiznyDi]

Our 2-bedroom lock-off had robes. They are heavenly - and available for purchase in the gift shop; $125. if I remember correctly.

 

[kvichi]

Hummm. We've never had robes in any DVC villas anywhere else. Is this just a special amenity just at Aulani?! Are they in studios as well??

Yes, our studio had two robes at aulani.

 

[Anal Annie]

Yes, our studio had two robes at aulani.

Awesome!! Me thinks that hotdaveswife (the OP) should book a DVC villa!!

 

[eandesmom]

We get robes? Ok this made my day!!!!

 

[hotdaveswife]

Thanks everyone! I booked the DVC 1 bedroom villa and it ended up being half the cost of the parlor room.

This is a surprise for my kids and I am super excited!!!We will be there the first week of June!

Thanks again for all of your help!
Heather

 

[kerickson]

We were there the 1st week of June last year. Amazing week! Have fun!

 

[audrey2580]

We are also cash guests staying in a 1 bedroom DVC. I know we have a washer/dryer but do they supply the detergent or should I plan to bring some?

Thanks!!

 

[Sir William]

Our 2-bedroom lock-off had robes. They are heavenly - and available for purchase in the gift shop; $125. if I remember correctly.

They are $120 as of yesterday, plus tax of course.

 

[Sir William]

We are also cash guests staying in a 1 bedroom DVC. I know we have a washer/dryer but do they supply the detergent or should I plan to bring some?

Thanks!!

We're in a 1BR now and they provide 1 box of Tide for the washer.

 

[Cottager]

I have an interesting comparison request. On the Aulani website, it describes the Standard Aulani Resort rooms as having an "in-room electric beverage cooler" while the DVC Studios indicate a "small refrigerator".

Is this just a play on words or what on earth is an electric beverage cooler?

 

[hakepb]

I have an interesting comparison request. On the Aulani website, it describes the Standard Aulani Resort rooms as having an "in-room electric beverage cooler" while the DVC Studios indicate a "small refrigerator".

Is this just a play on words or what on earth is an electric beverage cooler?

Hmmm. I don't know what that means for Aulani. You can buy 12v thermoelectric coolers to plug into your car. They don't have a compressor like a fridge, and a thermoelectric cooler only cools up to 40 degrees less than ambient temperature.

 

[ptlycloudy]

I called about the beverage cooler in the resort rooms. They said it only cools beverages but is not cold enough for dairy items, or anything that will spoil without refrigeration. So I guess we will only be able to use it for drinks and fruit. We check in this Sat.!!

 

[Hunnypaw]

I called about the beverage cooler in the resort rooms. They said it only cools beverages but is not cold enough for dairy items, or anything that will spoil without refrigeration. So I guess we will only be able to use it for drinks and fruit. We check in this Sat.!!

Hmmm.... interesting comparison on temperatures on both. I will look back to see what you say about the difference.

 

[audrey2580]

We're in a 1BR now and they provide 1 box of Tide for the washer.

Thanks! Box as in 1 load or multiple load box?