Aulani: what are most of you buying??

[remfam5]

This will be our first DVC purchase and we are trying to decide how many points to buy?
I know it differs from family to family, but just wondering what most of you are buying for Aulani.

Such a big decision and the whole "DVC system" is a little fuzzy to us, but we're getting close to it all making sense

 

[OhioDVC]

We picked up 450 points. Thought it would be nice to go for a big vacation every three years

 

[ORD2KOA]

This will be our first DVC purchase and we are trying to decide how many points to buy?
I know it differs from family to family, but just wondering what most of you are buying for Aulani.

Such a big decision and the whole "DVC system" is a little fuzzy to us, but we're getting close to it all making sense

This is off-topic, but when I saw your posting, it made me wonder (again) about something I've been thinking about: I'm curious about whether or not the majority of Aulani buyers have every been to Hawai'i or if most are buying blind, without knowing anything about Oahu and the location.

Does anyone happen to know?

 

[paults]

This will be our first DVC purchase and we are trying to decide how many points to buy?
I know it differs from family to family, but just wondering what most of you are buying for Aulani.

Such a big decision and the whole "DVC system" is a little fuzzy to us, but we're getting close to it all making sense

whatever you decide on just don't buy a large 1 contract. If its's over 150 pts I would splite it up into 2 contracts. Smaller contracts are easier to sell if you need to get rid of some pts.

If you look at the resales contracts (for any DVC) you will see a lot of high pt contracts that have been there a long time.

 

[DeeCee735]

whatever you decide on just don't buy a large 1 contract. If its's over 150 pts I would splite it up into 2 contracts. Smaller contracts are easier to sell if you need to get rid of some pts.

If you look at the resales contracts (for any DVC) you will see a lot of high pt contracts that have been there a long time.

Highly agree....good luck

 

[bwvBound]

I know it differs from family to family, but just wondering what most of you are buying for Aulani.

While we plan to visit Aulani, having our first stay booked for this September, we don't plan to buy any points at that resort. We plan to keep resort-hopping on our existing SSR points using the 7-month booking window.

 

[WDWLVR]

This will be our first DVC purchase and we are trying to decide how many points to buy?
I know it differs from family to family, but just wondering what most of you are buying for Aulani.

Such a big decision and the whole "DVC system" is a little fuzzy to us, but we're getting close to it all making sense

We already own at BWV so for our add on at Aulani we bought enough so that we could do a one bedroom every three years.

This is off-topic, but when I saw your posting, it made me wonder (again) about something I've been thinking about: I'm curious about whether or not the majority of Aulani buyers have every been to Hawai'i or if most are buying blind, without knowing anything about Oahu and the location.

Does anyone happen to know?

On the 2006 DVC Member Cruise my husband won a week long trade out to II (who DVC used to trade with at the time). We booked a one week stay at the Marriott Beach Club at Ko Olina and loved it. So much we even took the tour and if we could have afforded it we would have bought in. When we heard Disney was building there we were thrilled we waited and can't wait to go back to Ko Olina!

 

[tufenuff]

We bought 190 points to go every three years.

 

[scotttrippett]

We own 300 points, but we keep on adding on so we have a few contracts (110, 110, 30, 50) we also have 50 SSR point and looking at getting 250 OKW

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

We added on 165 points at Aulani.

It was enough to get a 1BR unit (Ocean View) if we borrowed next year's points (which is what we did).

We have NEVER been to Hawaii. It has always been my DW's dream to go to Hawaii.

With 165 points we should be able to go either every other year or every third year.

 

[adminjedi]

whatever you decide on just don't buy a large 1 contract. If its's over 150 pts I would splite it up into 2 contracts. Smaller contracts are easier to sell if you need to get rid of some pts.

If you look at the resales contracts (for any DVC) you will see a lot of high pt contracts that have been there a long time.

CAUTION: Don't make your contracts too small. There is a ROFR fee on all Aulani resales. Read the contract!

 

[adminjedi]

This is off-topic, but when I saw your posting, it made me wonder (again) about something I've been thinking about: I'm curious about whether or not the majority of Aulani buyers have every been to Hawai'i or if most are buying blind, without knowing anything about Oahu and the location.

Does anyone happen to know?

We have been to several islands. We aren't experts on Ko Olina specifically, but we know what we need to know.....Ocean Front, Beach, Disney!

 

[Golden Rose]

Beachfront and in Hawaii hasn't turned out to be sufficient reason for our family to buy yet. We were tentatively planning on buying points at Aulani. (In our case, about 200, since we wanted to get a 2 bedroom ocean view villa for something around a week every three years.) We love Hawaii. We don't mind Oahu, although it isn't our favorite island to visit.

We've run into two issues. The first is that my DM and DSF stayed at the Marriott Ko'Olina last year, in part, in order to scope out the Aulani site. They thought it was fine, but they weren't blown away by the location. It's a man-made beach and lagoon system, and looks it, and lacks (to us) a little of the charm and beauty of the natural beaches. It's also not really near any of things we enjoy doing on Oahu. They did not love the Marriott timeshare, but did think that Aulani looked like it might be beautiful.

We're still probably going to buy a timeshare in Hawaii in the next few years. We're just not certain it's going to be Aulani. We've decided we're going to stay there once, either on our existing points booked at the 7 month point, or on the hotel side, before we buy.

Oh, and the second issue for not buying Aulani now... we were finally matched with a birthmother, and adopted a daughter in December. With an infant in the family, we're not looking to fly to Hawaii in the near future. (DS is mostly happy about the baby, but we've admitted to him we're not going to take him to Hawaii this year or next year anymore because babies don't do long flights well...)

 

[remfam5]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone!!
As I'm sure everyone does, we have been writing and re-writing down all possible scenarios and how many points we think we may need.

Hubby is still ALOT unsure about the annual dues. Do we really want to shell out another $1000- $1600 a year for this???
And how do people feel about let's say in 20-30 yrs.(we are 40 year olds) when you no longer want or need or can physically use DVC.... are you ok with possibly handing it all over to your kids for them to have the worry of making the annual payment should they decide to keep it.

I know..... he over thinks things!

I'm way more spontaneous

 

[PrincessKeely'sMommy]

We bought into Bay Lake in Feb 2010 and the added Aulani in late 2010. We have never been to Hawaii, we did buy in blind. We just added 100 points so that if we wanted to go, we had that option. I guess we just figured Disney has never done us wrong, so we will see.!? Lol!!

 

[JimMIA]

This is off-topic, but when I saw your posting, it made me wonder (again) about something I've been thinking about: I'm curious about whether or not the majority of Aulani buyers have every been to Hawai'i or if most are buying blind, without knowing anything about Oahu and the location.

Does anyone happen to know?

Don't have a clue, but I'm gonna go with "buying blind."

Most people who visit Hawaii occasionally will tell you that Oahu is probably no better than their fourth choice of islands. And people who know Oahu might suggest somewhere other than Ko Olina.

That said, I have no doubt that Aulani will be wonderful. The question in my mind is -- if I were going to buy a timeshare in Hawaii (NOT), would I buy this one?

 

[Iggipolka]

We added on 300 points.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . We love Hawaii. We don't mind Oahu, although it isn't our favorite island to visit . . .

1) Pretty much our feeling.
2) We are certain that many will love Aulani.
3) We would just prefer other islands.

 

[sweetdana]

Oh, and the second issue for not buying Aulani now... we were finally matched with a birthmother, and adopted a daughter in December. With an infant in the family, we're not looking to fly to Hawaii in the near future. (DS is mostly happy about the baby, but we've admitted to him we're not going to take him to Hawaii this year or next year anymore because babies don't do long flights well...)

SUPER CONGRATS!

 

[DenLo]

I would think that most DVC members are buying Aulani blind, because even if they've been to Hawaii they haven't been to Ko Olina.

I think many people say they don't like Oahu but only have been to Waikiki, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and Pearl Harbor. The biggest complaint about that island is that it's built up and has a large city. That's where you find the museums and cultural centers is in large cities. I think most visitor's favorite island is one they stay at in their timeshare or the TS they rent. I remember when we stayed on Maui it left a lasting impression of timeshare multistory building one after another. And thousands of people on the beaches. But I know the island has more than that to offer because Haleakala is on Maui, the road to Hana, some fabulous beaches, and other beautiful sites or whale watching in the Auau Channel between Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. It's just my mind remembers those crowded timeshares and beaches. Whereas on Hawaii and Kauai I only remember the waterfalls, beaches, the volcanoes. And all of the lush landscape. With Oahu I remember the city and museums and historic buildings and monuments, and the views from Diamond head or the Punchbowl National Cemetery or the north shore and it's waves still leaves me in awe. One of my favorite memories is cruising into Oahu and seeing Diamond Head it the distance.

So to me you haven't seen Hawaii until you experience all of the bigger islands. But then there are some small islands to be explored as well.