Aulani's Hidden Costs

[CaptainAmerica]

Interesting point that I had never considered. Do you think that the likelihood of finding Savanah View at AKL all booked up during slow season is high enough to be serious factor?

September you might be okay. October and November riskier. Early December no chance.

 

[sipnride]

September you might be okay. October and November riskier. Early December no chance.

In that case I'm going to think about this a little more before pulling the Aulani trigger. Maybe a few more financial negatives will roll in here to dissuade me altogether. Thank you.

 

[Brian Noble]

every two years.

Why so infrequently? ;-)

almost certainly stay somewhere other than Aulani when I do go to HI.

This is us. We are not big fans of Oahu generally. If we were on Oahu, we'd probably prefer a short-term rental on the north shore if we could find one. There is one property up there that very inrequently shows up as a timeshare exchange, but it is rare.

We tend to go to Kauai most often, followed by the Big Island in Waikoloa village. Last summer was Maui (Lahaina) and Kauai's eastern shore, next summer will probably be Big Island/Waikoloa and Kauai's north shore (Princeville). There's a Wyndham up there on a cliff with ocean views from every unit that I've been itching to try, and I have a surplus of points to burn on a stay there.

 

[hhisc16]

Why is that? Is there a reason to assume that booking Savanah View at the 7 month window will be more difficult in the future than it has been in the past? To get past ROFR I'd have to start bidding on contracts that are significantly higher $pp. If I'm

a) Not financing and have a very specific budget to work with
b) Most interested in one of the most widely available room types on WDW DVC, and
c) Looking at relatively comparable ongoing costs

I don't see why I wouldn't try to get as many points as possible. But maybe I'm missing something?

Most DVC members recommend to buy where you want to stay.

If you are going to look at cheapest DVC points, then you have other options if you are only looking for SAP.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Why so infrequently? ;-)

My vacation appetite exceeds my PTO availability.

 

[NorCalDisFan]

Maintenance fees on the beach DVC resorts tend to increase more.

I want to see how next year's MF goes before buying, but frequently temped.

 

[sipnride]

Most DVC members recommend to buy where you want to stay.

If you are going to look at cheapest DVC points, then you have other options if you are only looking for SAP.

That makes sense. I suppose my decision making process is unorthodox, and that's in part due to the fact that we're not driven by a need to be on WDW property explicitly, and in part due to the fact that I intend to buy a lot more points in the future, and certainly AKV will be at the top of the list each time. I absolutely plan on landing that whale at some point. Worth noting that the ROFR monster ate 3 SSR contracts too, so it's not like I wasn't searching for bargain SAP.

Having said that, I'm not viewing these strictly as SAP, because if I were to purchase this I would certainly go to Aulani next year. I've never been, and I have a good feeling both my s/o and I are going to like it a lot. But if that turns out to be incorrect, the prices I'm seeing for Aulani definitely make it competitive as an SAP, so if that's what they wind up being I'm not convinced that's a bad thing, though the one comment from cap has certainly given me pause.

 

[chalee94]

Kauai's north shore (Princeville). There's a Wyndham up there on a cliff with ocean views from every unit that I've been itching to try, and I have a surplus of points to burn on a stay there.

Brief detour for the thread but I stayed there a couple of nights pre-Pandemic and it was really nice. My timeshare week trade was for Marriott Kauai Beach Club (which I know purists don't like because it's a hotel conversion but it was my favorite all time timeshare so far - great central location and the resort is gorgeous).

But I wanted to do a boat tour to Na Pali from Hanalei which left in the very early morning so booked a couple of cash nights at the Wyndham for easy access to the north shore. My traveling buddy didn't like the lack of A/C but that is pretty normal for Hawaii. I can confirm the rumors that it is difficult to find after dark so try to arrive in the daylight...

 

[Paul Stupin]

That makes sense. I suppose my decision making process is unorthodox, and that's in part due to the fact that we're not driven by a need to be on WDW property explicitly, and in part due to the fact that I intend to buy a lot more points in the future, and certainly AKV will be at the top of the list each time. I absolutely plan on landing that whale at some point. Worth noting that the ROFR monster ate 3 SSR contracts too, so it's not like I wasn't searching for bargain SAP.

Having said that, I'm not viewing these strictly as SAP, because if I were to purchase this I would certainly go to Aulani next year. I've never been, and I have a good feeling both my s/o and I are going to like it a lot. But if that turns out to be incorrect, the prices I'm seeing for Aulani definitely make it competitive as an SAP, so if that's what they wind up being I'm not convinced that's a bad thing, though the one comment from cap has certainly given me pause.

I think it’s a bad idea to buy Aulani for SAP…the dues are just too high. And don’t buy it because “you’d have no problem staying there.” Buy it because you love it, and if you don’t love it, buy somewhere else. Feels like you regard Aulani as an acceptable consolation prize. Who wants that? Sounds like you really want AKV. So buy there!

 

[sipnride]

I think it’s a bad idea to buy Aulani for SAP…the dues are just too high. And don’t buy it because “you’d have no problem staying there.” Buy it because you love it, and if you don’t love it, buy somewhere else. Feels like you regard Aulani as an acceptable consolation prize. Who wants that? Sounds like you really want AKV. So buy there!

I mean I appreciate the advice but AKV is being targeted by Disney and I'm not going to pay $145 pp to ensure no ROFR. It's simply too expensive on a per point basis right now. Maybe next year. Likely gonna see some economic contraction and Disney seems to retreat in down cycles. In the meantime it's probably gonna be Aulani or nothing in 2022, and unless there's some other hidden costs that hasn't been presented, I'm leaning towards taking my chances on Hawaii, Joe Rohde, and a 7 month window looking out over the savanah.

 

[NorCalDisFan]

I think it’s a bad idea to buy Aulani for SAP…the dues are just too high.

AUL is one of the cheapest pp resorts and now MF is not that high, but the consensus is that it will increase sooner or later like VB?

 

[NorCalDisFan]

What is the best resort for SAP for now? I know it's a repeating topic in this forum, but the answer seems to change time to time.
What I learned from here:
In long term economic perspective, pvb seems like the best for now based on the smallest pp/remaining years + due and no ROFR. BLT and SSR have high chance of ROFR, so not now. VGF is also a good candidate in case PP is relatively low. RIV resale point is limited to RIV, so not for SAP.
Makes sense?

 

[Royal Consort]

I mean I appreciate the advice but AKV is being targeted by Disney and I'm not going to pay $145 pp to ensure no ROFR. It's simply too expensive on a per point basis right now. Maybe next year. Likely gonna see some economic contraction and Disney seems to retreat in down cycles. In the meantime it's probably gonna be Aulani or nothing in 2022, and unless there's some other hidden costs that hasn't been presented, I'm leaning towards taking my chances on Hawaii, Joe Rohde, and a 7 month window looking out over the savanah.

So just wait for a bit until the ROFR trends change. Then resume AKL. Be patient and it will work out. I remember when BLT was impossible to get through ROFR a while back, then Disney hardly touched it. Now they are a bit more active with it again. Pursuing Aulani just seems odd based on your original post and AKL being the place you love. I would also add that Aulani prices are a bit high currently too post pandemic so maybe there's benefit in waiting there too.

 

[sipnride]

What is the best resort for SAP for now? I know it's a repeating topic in this forum, but the answer seems to change time to time.
What I learned from here:
In long term economic perspective, pvb seems like the best for now based on the smallest pp/remaining years + due and no ROFR. BLT and SSR have high chance of ROFR, so not now. VGF is also a good candidate in case PP is relatively low. RIV resale point is limited to RIV, so not for SAP.
Makes sense?

It would be nice to see a fresh ranking of this.

 

[heynowirv]

It would be nice to see a fresh ranking of this.

That's easy. Just follow the ROFR board.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

What is the best resort for SAP for now?

Aulani if you can get a steal and are comfortable with all of the Aulani things.

Otherwise, I'd pick one of OKWe, Poly, Saratoga, and Copper Creek, probably in that order depending on how much you value contract length.

 

[Brian Noble]

It would be nice to see a fresh ranking of this.

I'm not a big fan of most of these, because they use straight-line depreciation at an interest rate of zero. A few years ago, when wages and inflation were mostly stagnant, maybe that made sense. I'm not sure it does now.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm not a big fan of most of these, because they use straight-line depreciation at an interest rate of zero. A few years ago, when wages and inflation were mostly stagnant, maybe that made sense. I'm not sure it does now.

I built an elaborate NPV model back in the day (i.e. two years ago) when SSR could be had for $100. I made a ton of assumptions about inflation as applied to rack rates, inflation as applied to dues, discount rates applied to cash savings per year, promotions that Disney may or may not offer, etc. I even went so far as to map out every single night of 2021, by resort, by view category, to compare rack rates to points costs. The file was enormous and it took me days, and ultimately I landed at the same conclusion pretty much everyone else reaches... Poly and Copper Creek if you want something long, SSR and OKW if you want something a bit shorter, never a 2042, and for the love of God not Beach Club.

 

[Paul Stupin]

AUL is one of the cheapest pp resorts and now MF is not that high, but the consensus is that it will increase sooner or later like VB?

I think it can consistently go up at a higher percentage. I actually love Aulani and own there, but…(1) We live in Los Angeles, and (2) We also own at WDW and use those particular points for a WDW 11 month booking advantage. We use Aulani for Aulani.

Also, I’m not sure I would bet on AKV going down. Maybe, I guess. But maybe not. Also, using Aulani to get AKV at seven months will probably work, as it will with SSR and OKV. But using one’s points anyplace else, which is part of the fun of DVC, could be problematic.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I think it can consistently go up at a higher percentage. I actually love Aulani and own there, but…(1) We live in Los Angeles, and (2) We also own at WDW and use those particular points for a WDW 11 month booking advantage. We use Aulani for Aulani.

Also, I’m not sure I would bet on AKV going down. Maybe, I guess. But maybe not. Also, using Aulani to get AKV at seven months will probably work, as it will with SSR and OKV. But using one’s points anyplace else, which is part of the fun of DVC, could be problematic.

Like everything else, a lot depends on how you use your points. I'm going to spend a ton more time at Walt Disney World than Aulani, but when I do go to Aulani, it'll be up to and including a 2 bedroom ocean view for 8 nights, which is going to take around 600 points. From a points management perspective, I've decided it'll be cleaner to have a single large Aulani contract than a smaller Aulani contract and a second WDW contract, otherwise booking those giant blowout trips every few years would mean a ton of 7-month transfer headaches.