Aulani?

[wdrl]

Thank you for the info very helpful.. My concern is that after spending all the $$ on a flight [ from the east cost so $$] I don't want to get my DVC ocean view room and get stuck on the 1st floor looking into the bushes and grass. I know that at AK in Jambo house they have a dedicated floor - so I was concerned that Aulani may have done the same thing. And California Castaway mentioned that there is no charge to park if you are staying with points - I did not know that!! good to know!! If any of you have any other helpful ideas as to how to get a room on an upper floor not the first! I am thinking of going in Sept. SO hopfully it will not be too crowded. Is it necessary to rent a beach chair /cabana ?? Thanks again everyone.. very helpful.

If you look at the Aulani Villas & Views thread (see link in post #18), you'll notice that the Ocean View studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms are no lower than the 6th floor and could be as high as the 16th floor. If you book one of the other view categories, you might end up on a low floor, maybe even the 1st floor, with hardly any view. If you browse through the Aulani Villas & Views thread you'll get a feel for the views from the different view categories and the different parts of the resort.

Renting a car is an added expense, but could be worthwhile in many cases. There are lots of things to see and do on Oahu and a car gives you the freedom to move about the island on your own time and pace. If you book a one- or two-bedroom villa, you'll have a full kitchen. Many DVCers use a car to drive to Kapolei, about 5 minutes from Aulani, to go grocery shopping at the Super Target, Costco, Safeway, etc. Even if you get a studio, you'll have a mini-fridge, toaster, coffee maker, and electric teapot. We stay in studios and stock up on breakfast and lunch items and drinks. This helps us manage the cost of food while at Aulani.

Beach chairs are free to Aulani guests. There are ten cabanas at Aulani and here is an article with photos giving more details about them. The cabanas can be booked ahead of time by calling the resort. Some people like the cabanas and others don't feel its a necessary expense, so you'll need to decide for yourself. Usually, the resort is busier on the weekends because many of the locals do short staycations on Friday and Saturday nights. The prime pool chairs are usually grabbed early in the day, but that doesn't mean nothing is available if you get to the pools later in the morning.