Booking a room until day after departure

[FinnFogg]

We have been to Aulani more times that I can count (DVC owners there). We’ve always have the 3 kids, always check out of our 1 bedroom villa by 11am and have our routine (day at the pool/beach, shower in the lounge, kids go to Aunties while we go to Monkeypod, then head to the airport around 8pm for our 11pm flight).

We have a trip booked in November, and this time I booked the room through to the day after our departure as the lounge and Aunties are not available and given this is (hopefully!) our first trip in a year and a half we deserved to enjoy it.

Originally we were taking the kids, but as two of them are not yet eligible to be vaxed, it will just be me and DH if this trip happens. We can easily check out at 11am and find something to do with ourselves, but part of me thinks it would be way more awesome to just keep the room and cough up the points for the extra night so that we can totally relax on our last day and enjoy the view (we have a 1 bedroom ocean view villa booked). No desire to change rooms on the last day, so it is the one bedroom ocean view or nothing points wise.

Question for those on the Board: Do you ever book the extra night when you have a late departure from Aulani and, if so, is it really that much more awesome (do you enjoy your last day more)?

 

[Van@Disney]

I never considered doing that. But I certainly will in the future. Sounds like a great idea and likely as much as or less than a cabana.

 

[Iceman93]

If you've got the points, I would totally book the room for the day of departure. Personally I've never had a late departure (I despise red-eyes), but if I did, I would do it the way you are this time around.

 

[To the honeypots]

We plan to spend our last day at the resort so we plan to book the room for the night even though we will be leaving for a red eye. We like to have the home base to get cleaned up and to use for rest if needed.

 

[denecarter]

We’re doing the same in February.

 

[JLemaire7]

We did that during our last trip to Kauai in 2019. I would say definitely worth it. We didn’t feel rushed and could relax on our last day of vacation before leaving for the red eye.

 

[OKW Lover]

I wouldn't spend the extra points for a night that I wouldn't be there unless I really, really had a lot of extra points.

Our flight back to the mainland typically departs HNL at 4 pm. That means being at the airport by 2 pm. So if you stay until checkout (11 am) you only have 3 hours to kill before hitting the airport. If you have a car you could go lots of places in that time.

 

[JLemaire7]

I wouldn't spend the extra points for a night that I wouldn't be there unless I really, really had a lot of extra points.

Our flight back to the mainland typically departs HNL at 4 pm. That means being at the airport by 2 pm. So if you stay until checkout (11 am) you only have 3 hours to kill before hitting the airport. If you have a car you could go lots of places in that time.

When we did this it was because our flight home was at 10 PM. I agree that if the flight home is earlier ie: at 4 PM it probably doesn’t make much sense.

 

[wfjny]

Never did it at Disney...

But I have done that at Great Wolf Lodge. Situation there was a trip with several boy scout families. Trip was an overnight Sunday night, as Monday was Presidents Day.

Due to some bad weather in December, the schools decided to now be open on President's Day to make up the lost days...

Many families cancelled. We went anyway, had a great time, went back to the room late in the evening, and let everyone shower and get their PJs on. Then went to the car and drove the hour home. Let the kids sleep a little later in t he morning, then drove them to school.

 

[FinnFogg]

When we did this it was because our flight home was at 10 PM. I agree that if the flight home is earlier ie: at 4 PM it probably doesn’t make much sense.

Yes - Our flight is at 11:15pm, so I’m thinking it may be worth it.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Are you dead set on the redeye? I'd keep the room, USE the room, and reschedule my flight for a 10am the next morning.

 

[FinnFogg]

Are you dead set on the redeye? I'd keep the room, USE the room, and reschedule my flight for a 10am the next morning.

Unfortunately, direct flights back to Vancouver this time of year are limited to the red eye. But otherwise that would be a great solution!

 

[Kmk2]

For points - heck yeah! I would. Non Disney I use a cc that gives me 4pm checkout so I usually don’t do the last day. But after a long sleepless red-eye where I got to a hotel at 7am exhausted - I have added an extra day on the front end a few times just to avoid that feeling.

 

[LisaDKG]

We're doing it for our trip this week! Red-eye return to Alberta always gives me anxiety about being 'homeless' for the day. Sure there are lots of things to do with a car but I don't like locking ALL our luggage in a car and leaving it. It feels like an absolute luxury to book that extra night but at least it makes for a relaxing ending to the trip.

 

[Van@Disney]

Unfortunately, direct flights back to Vancouver this time of year are limited to the red eye. But otherwise that would be a great solution!

We Also fly to vancouver, it makes for a long day; no room, late flight, then landing and fighting rush hour traffic to get home to the north shore. A room to have a rest in for the afternoon would be so lovely.

 

[Unclelude]

I couldn't do it, but I'm a point miser...

... we just got back, we had a later flight as well ( not that late ). The gym is closed right now, I assume if it was open you could have freshened up there... One CM suggested people use the showers by the ocean in the pool area to rinse off and then just use one of the larger bathrooms to change.

We made a couple of big drinks and strolled around the resort for a while. Was fun. We checked out the view from the lounge area on the 16th floor of both towers.

We also booked the "Ko Olina club" lounge at HNL. ( Not sure if it's new or what, but it was empty ) That was really nice. We spent a couple of hours there before our flight.

 

[kdonnel]

We do this not only at Aulani but also at WDW if we have a late flight.

It makes it so much more relaxing to be able to come back to the room, get cleaned up, pack, and head to the airport.

It really makes the vacation seem much longer than the few hours gained.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I haven't done it there, but have other locations. It's much more relaxing than checking out and keeping busy all day. Plus, it's more convenient to change clothes, kick back, use the restroom, take a nap. On the surface, it can sound like a waste of points, but when you really figure out the convenience factor, it's worth it.

 

[mort1331]

The other option is to switch rooms the day before,,,standard studio,,,then the points work in your favour. And your not waiting your last day for a room. Just a thought. But I would book the extra day anyway. We book the extra day when we know we are arriving late,,ie. 2,3am so we have a room to goto right away, instead of waiting for 4pm. And I would book if I i was arriving even at 10am so I did not have to wait,,,but that is us.

 

[BayGirl22]

Unfortunately, direct flights back to Vancouver this time of year are limited to the red eye. But otherwise that would be a great solution!

Wow I'm surprised to hear this, since Vancouver is on the west coast.

I'm in CA and I completely avoid red-eyes for any trip, business or personal, because I've hit the age where I just can't recover. I think in this case I'd just add a connection through SF/LAX/Seattle to take a morning flight home. Its not that many flight hours or a time change like it would be to the east coast.

That said, if there is no other flight option and I had enough points, keeping that 1 bdr sounds like a luxurious treat. An alternative would be booking a spa treatment for the afternoon then hanging out at the spa pool area all day, showering there, then grabbing a late dinner on the way to the airport. That may end up costing more than that points though!