Best Way to Book?

[brandyleeann]

Hi there,

We are considering booking a trip for February next year (week of February 20, 2017) for eight nights and just wondering if anyone has insight into whether that is a spring break timeline for US residents (we are Canadian). Also, when would the booking window come open for that time since it appears only to go to December 31 online.

Any advice on best/cheapest booking options:

1) Travel Agent - any recommendations? any value in booking flight/hotel together? any special offers provided?

2) Online Direct - any insight into general promotion timelines?

3) David's Vacation Club - we used them recently to stay for two nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge and it was certainly very easy and much less expensive. Any experience using them for Aulani and for such a long time? I don't like the idea of having the kids on a pull-out couch for 8 nights and would also be interested in room cleaning.

Thanks for your help!!!

Brandy

 

[jtba]

We are considering booking a trip for February next year (week of February 20, 2017) for eight nights and just wondering if anyone has insight into whether that is a spring break timeline for US residents (we are Canadian).

according to this official document from the hawaii dept. of education, the 2017-18 spring break for hawaiian public schools is march 19-23. i've read many local residents like to hang out at aulani for a couple days on the weekends and when schools are out. as for the rest of the u.s. schools, they are all over the place, but usually it's a few weeks before or after easter, which falls on april 16.

for february you'll be competing with some u.s. schools' winter break (also known as ski week in certain areas; it's different from december break, which takes place around christmas). february 20 is presidents' day, however, so it's better if you come another week. i personally would avoid 2/17-2/21 as it's a three-day weekend for most u.s. residents.

edit: i would avoid that entire week including the friday, saturday, and sunday before, if you have a choice to come earlier or later.

1) Travel Agent - any recommendations? any value in booking flight/hotel together? any special offers provided?

we booked our disney cruise through costco because they give a ~9% cash card after you complete the trip, but there was no such a deal for aulani, so we booked aulani directly online through their website.

2) Online Direct - any insight into general promotion timelines?

aulani seems to have these "stay longer than 4 nights and get 25% or 30% off" type of deals all the time, sometimes with a room credit or free meal thrown in. we booked our stay about 4 months before our arrival date, when the promotion was released on the website.

just visit the site every day and book when february 2017 dates are released.

good luck!

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

Hi there,

We are considering booking a trip for February next year (week of February 20, 2017) for eight nights and just wondering if anyone has insight into whether that is a spring break timeline for US residents (we are Canadian). Also, when would the booking window come open for that time since it appears only to go to December 31 online.

Any advice on best/cheapest booking options:

1) Travel Agent - any recommendations? any value in booking flight/hotel together? any special offers provided?

2) Online Direct - any insight into general promotion timelines?

3) David's Vacation Club - we used them recently to stay for two nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge and it was certainly very easy and much less expensive. Any experience using them for Aulani and for such a long time? I don't like the idea of having the kids on a pull-out couch for 8 nights and would also be interested in room cleaning.

Thanks for your help!!!

Brandy

Mid-Winter/President's week break is February 20 - 24 for most of the west coast schools. IT IS GOING TO BE PACKED. That is the time of year we go every year, and it's always at capacity.

 

[alohamom]

I am Canadian and we have used Davids before as well as for our upcoming Aulani trip in August. I found it to be the best option because I lucked out on cheap airfare first. Then I really looked hard at booking with Disney directly vs Davids and honestly, Davids was much cheaper once you multiplied the savings by 7 nights. The icing on the cake was when you book through Davids, you save the parking fee per night too. I am sure I dont have to tell you that $37 USD per night parking is almost $50 CND, just seemed like a no brainer for me. I did have to book before the 7 month mark to get what I wanted and all the hotel rooms were gone when I booked.

 

[brandyleeann]

because I lucked out on cheap airfare first

Where did you find good pricing for flights? We have never travelled to Hawaii, so not sure what a good price might actually be either

 

[twodogs]

If you rent points and still want daily housekeeping, I think you can just pay for it. But I believe the cost of that would wipe out the savings you would get of free parking with points booking versus cash. So that's likely a wash, but if David's is cheaper overall, then it could be a savings. I have never rented points due to my fear about not being able to cancel or change it if something happens. For a short trip like your two nights at AKL, it wouldn't be awful, but 8 nights in Hawaii would be a lot of money to lose if you had to cancel.

We are going for the first time in May. I booked the 30% off 5 or more nights and got a $50/night resort credit as well ($400 as we are staying 8 nights). I booked in December right after the offer came out, and the resort credit got pulled from the offer after about the first month. Rooms seemed to book quickly, with the lower cost views booking first. Since you can cancel room only reservations without penalty up to 5 days prior to arrival, you can book when the window opens and always rebook/ cancel if a better offer comes out. I have also heard some book a cash reservation and then try for a points rental. That way if the points don't come through, you still have the cash reservation.

Agree with avoiding Presidents' Day weekend if you can, as I hear locals flood it on long weekends. Our schools here are typically off the Friday before to the Tuesday after Presidents' Day, though many schools only get Monday off. It is still not a long enough break for us to travel from Texas to Hawaii but for west coasters, it's doable. Spring break in Texas is usually the second or third week in March.

I have not used a travel agent for Disney as they never seem to get access to any offers that I can't get myself online. I like to be in control of my reservation, not the agent. Just my preference.

I can't advise on flights from Canada, but from Dallas, they are expensive. I watched fares for a few months before and then diligently a few weeks in January. They previously had been $1000 per person coach, so when I saw $840, I booked. For a party of 6, that made a big difference. I've checked back periodically since I npbooked, and the fares just keep increasing as it gets closer. Our flights are now almost $1300 each now. So I would just start checking fares from your airport periodically to get a sense for the average, and then when it gets closer, you will know a good fare when you see it.

As for not having the kids on a pull out, not sure what will work. How many kids? If you get a studio with two queens (not sure if they have that), then there are two beds. If a 1 bedroom villa, they would be on the pull out. If you get a two bedroom villa, then you have one King and either two queens or one queen and pull out couch.

 

[alohamom]

Where are you in Canada? I am in the GTA/Toronto and because of the low cost of oil and the drop in our dollar, flying out of Toronto to Honolulu has been the best option over the last year or two for us. (I price it out all the time LOL!) Sign up for alerts from WestJet, AirCanada, United and Delta.For this coming August, we bought our tickets on Nov 27/2015 during an Air Canada Black Friday sale. We paid $570.98/CND/PP round trip which is probably the cheapest we have ever paid. I keep telling our American Disers to look at flying out of Canada right now if you live close to a border town because with the exchange that is roughly 430/USD round trip. If the price of oil keeps climbing up so will the airfare for long haul flights like Hawaii but for now the cost of a round trip ticket from Toronto to Honolulu has been fairly steady between 600-750/CND per person. I just checked for the month of Feb 2017 and if you are to go for 8 nights, United has a round trip flight from Toronto Pearson to Honolulu for $664/Canadian/per person There are many route options but none direct for that price, they all connect. You can choose quite a few dates to leave at that price too (feb 1,2,3,11,12,13,and then 18th to 28th any day) Another airfare tip, sales tend to happen on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

From the United site

Total CA $2,655.84
4 adults (18-64) CA $2,080.00
Taxes and fees CA $575.84
Total CA $2,655.84
Trip summary
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Economy(lowest)
Economy Plus® Essentials
Economy Plus® Enhanced
Thu, 02 Feb, 2017
Departing7:10 amToronto, ON, CA (YYZ - Pearson)
Arriving2:15 pmHonolulu, HI, US (HNL)
Number of stops
1 Connection
Toronto, ON, CA (YYZ - Pearson)
Honolulu, HI, US (HNL)
Duration12h 5m totalShow on-time performanceFlight segments

• YYZ to ORD
  YYZ to ORD
  FLIGHTUA 547
  Aircraft typeAirbus A319
  Wifi onboard
• 1h 18m connection
• ORD to HNL
  ORD to HNL
  FLIGHTUA 219
  Aircraft typeBoeing 777-200
  Wifi onboard

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• Details
• Seats

Select fare for United Economy (lowest)
No additional charge
Select fare for Economy Plus® Essentials
+ CA $197
per person
Select fare for Economy Plus® Enhanced
+ CA $397
per person

Fri, 10 Feb, 2017
Departing
Fri, 10 Feb
7:40 pmHonolulu, HI, US (HNL)
Arriving
Sat, 11 Feb
12:55 pmToronto, ON, CA (YYZ - Pearson)
Number of stops
1 Connection
Honolulu, HI, US (HNL)
Toronto, ON, CA (YYZ - Pearson)
Duration12h 15m totalShow on-time performance
Please note this flight involves a date change.

Flight segments

• HNL to IAH
  HNL to IAH
  FLIGHTUA 252
  Aircraft typeBoeing 777-200
  Wifi onboard
• 1h 29m connection
• IAH to YYZ
  IAH to YYZ
  FLIGHTUA 5225
  Aircraft typeCanadair Regional

 

[alohamom]

Since you can cancel room only reservations without penalty up to 5 days prior to arrival, you can book when the window opens and always rebook/ cancel if a better offer comes out. I have also heard some book a cash reservation and then try for a points rental. That way if the points don't come through, you still have the cash reservation.

This is a really good strategy and what I will do for the next time. Long story short, we were originally planning to go over the Christmas/New Year holiday this past year but due to some family issues we bumped it up to this coming August. I had booked 4 nights in a hotel room directly through Disney and it was very easy to cancel (sad, but easy!) So what you can do is watch the Aulani site or here on the Dis for the winter 2017 promos and then, book tentatively with Disney until you book the airfare or if Davids is right for you.