Booking Aulani or Disneyland hotels from UK?

[gemmybear83]

Going on a big family trip to Vegas next year, and we want to either to go to aulani or Disneyland, any tips for booking hotels from the uk? I have not been to either before

 

[Samaya]

Going on a big family trip to Vegas next year, and we want to either to go to aulani or Disneyland, any tips for booking hotels from the uk? I have not been to either before

One option to consider is renting vacation points from a DVC member for stays at either the Grand Californian in Disneyland or Disney's Aulani Hawai'ian Resort and Spa.

Check out the DisBoards for renting points at http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

 

[torsie24]

Aulani is in our future plans. We'll be renting points for that as its a much cheaper option.

Remember for DLR than some of the off property resorts are closer than the DLR ones and staying on property doesn't get you benefits like EMH etc like at WDW and DLRP. (Magic Mornings is a perk if you buy a certain ticket type so you can stay where you like and benefit from that.) That being said I love the new rooms at the DLH and some of the DCA views from the GC look fab and I never need convincing that a nice hotel is worth spending money on. Have fun in Vegas. We love it there.

Where are you staying? My parents just got back from Encore at the Wynn and loved it.

 

[gemmybear83]

I have no idea,not booking flights or hotels until the January sales leaving the Vegas part to DH family who have been a few times - they are paying for us all to go so not getting involved!

Looks like it is really difficult to rent points at aulani at 7 months, have looked at offsite but also love the look of the new DLH hotel rooms!

Hmmm going to wait until after Christmas I think and see which is cheaper!

 

[disneyholic family]

if money isn't an issue than stay onsite at the grand californian - beautiful hotel (looks like wilderness lodge) and it has an entrance right into california adventure.

i'm not into renting points as i prefer a sure thing. And if money isn't an issue, just stay at the hotel like a regular guest.

to make reservations just call aulani and make reservations - it's a hotel.

same for disneyland, just call up the hotel and make reservations.

the disneyland hotel is also very nice and you can sometimes get much better rates there than at the grand californian. If money really isn't an issue, go for concierge.

we stayed concierge at the grand californian - very nice

as for vegas, my preferred location is the venetian - nice suites. but i hate vegas, so even a day there is more than i want to be there.

 

[A Small World]

Aulani is in our future plans. We'll be renting points for that as its a much cheaper option.

Remember for DLR than some of the off property resorts are closer than the DLR ones and staying on property doesn't get you benefits like EMH etc like at WDW and DLRP. (Magic Mornings is a perk if you buy a certain ticket type so you can stay where you like and benefit from that.) That being said I love the new rooms at the DLH and some of the DCA views from the GC look fab and I never need convincing that a nice hotel is worth spending money on. Have fun in Vegas. We love it there.

Where are you staying? My parents just got back from Encore at the Wynn and loved it.

If you stay onsite you get early access everyday of your stay whereas if you are staying offsite the access you get with the tickets is usually once during your stay.

Gemma we stayed at Grand California last year and it was lovely. We are back to Hojos again this year - about 15mins walk.

We also stayed in Bellagio in vegas last year and again that was amazing.
if you want anymore info about DL let me know

 

[Samaya]

If you are thinking of taking the renting route, then be aware that prices can fluctuate widely due certain times of the year and the following are the cheapest times.

Example for 7-nights at Disney's Grand Californian Villa's in a studio; Jan 6 - 31, Feb 1 - 23, Sept 1 - 30 and Oct 1-3 where the price (depending on who you rent from) could vary from $1,290, a private transaction with a DVC member through to $1,677 with David's Rental's, http://www.dvcrequest.com/

The next cheapest option would be during April 7-30, May 1–31, June 1–23, October 4–31, November 1–25, December 1–19 and again could vary from $1,480 for a private transaction with a DVC member through to $1,924 with David's Rental's.

Compare this to making a reservation today on http://disneyland.disney.go.com for 7-nights - 1st June 2013 in a standard view room cost $3,882 including tax.
Not sure if or when the Grand California Hotel will have any special room rates, hopefully somebody might be able to shed some light on that?

Therefore a possible saving between $1,958 and $2,402, clearly if you want to save a little then this would be an option worth exploring.

Check out the following for info on the DVC Villa's, also shows room layout's and floor-plans.
http://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/resorts/grand-californian-villas/

 

[disneyholic family]

if they can afford to fly the entire family to vegas, LA and hawaii, they can afford to stay at a hotel the regular legitimate way and not rent points from some stranger they've never met.

There is no way i would ever rent points - you don't know who you're sending those thousands of dollars to and there is no recourse whatsoever if you end up with a scam artist.

 

[Linda67]

I've recently returned from my first trip to DL and booked the hotel throught Dreams Unlimted
They were great and even booked my ADRs, tours etc
I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and loved it
Used early entry every day and it was so worth it to get into Cars Land ahead of the crowds
During a 4 night stay, DCA had early entry for hotel guests on three morning and DL on just one

 

[torsie24]

If you stay onsite you get early access everyday of your stay whereas if you are staying offsite the access you get with the tickets is usually once during your stay.

Sorry - I must've interpreted something I read wrong.

In that case I'd say onsite all the way!

if they can afford to fly the entire family to vegas, LA and hawaii, they can afford to stay at a hotel the regular legitimate way and not rent points from some stranger they've never met.

There is no way i would ever rent points - you don't know who you're sending those thousands of dollars to and there is no recourse whatsoever if you end up with a scam artist.

Renting points isn't an illegitimate way to stay anywhere. My AKV Savannah view room was the same room, view, and Disney experience as my AKL room was (we actually preferred that the room was larger and had the kitchenette). But at half the price to me. So of course I'm going to suggest it to others.

I've rented points from someone I trusted, and I know the OP has as well. I didn't anywhere suggest the OP go and find a perfect stranger and rent risky points from them. In fact I didn't even suggest she did, I just said we would be.

I wouldn't rent from a stranger, but I would definitely do so again from someone I know and trust.

Just because people may have the money to travel across the globe doesn't mean they won't be interested in doing so for less money. If we hadn't rented points last trip we couldn't have stayed for as long and we couldn't have tried BLT.

Because you think one way is the right way, doesn't mean it's the only option.

 

[gemmybear83]

Thank you everyone that is really helpful! I am pushing for Disneyland, and really want to stay at the disneyland hotel. My DH wants peace and quiet after dealing with the madness of family for the first few days

if they can afford to fly the entire family to vegas, LA and hawaii, they can afford to stay at a hotel the regular legitimate way and not rent points from some stranger they've never met.

There is no way i would ever rent points - you don't know who you're sending those thousands of dollars to and there is no recourse whatsoever if you end up with a scam artist.

Like Torsie I would only rent from someone I knew.....

We are fortunate that our lovely family are funding the trip for us all to vegas as there are a number of special birthdays and they love it. From then we are on our own

 

[torsie24]

I'd pick DL if it were me. Hawaii is a long flight if you are just looking for a few extra days. And I'm desperate to see WoC and Carsland.

If your DH wants a chill out you could always team it with a couple of days at the beach in San Diego? Santa Monica is lovely but quite busy. Xxx

 

[disneyholic family]

i agree - if only vegas is paid for by the family, i would go to disneyland rather than hawaii..

i've been to hawaii many times, and it's true that it's paradise, but it's very very very very very very very very very very expensive. Very.

even the locally grown food (e.g. pineapples) is expensive.

it's a purely lie on your back in the sun sort of holiday - if you like that sort of holiday, then perhaps it is for you.

i only went to hawaii when i was growing up - i haven't been there as an adult - too far and i'm not interested in sunworshipper destinations...
now if i were considering new places to live, it would be at the top of my list, but not as a vacation destination.

however, if you were to talk to my sister, she would disagree with my point of view completely...
she has membership in one of the nicest hotels on the planet on Maui (i'm not a big fan of oahu - which is where aulani is)...
she goes to hawaii (to maui) at least once a year, despite the deadly long flight) and loves every minute of it....but she is and always has been a sun worshipper...

so perhaps you would enjoy hawaii - in any case, it's nice to visit places at least once to see what it's like for yourself...

if you're a big WDW fan, i think you'll enjoy seeing disneyland/california adventure....we really enjoyed both the parks.....disneyland, though similar to the magic kingdom, has enough differences to make it interesting (i think DL is prettier than MK)...
and DCA is very different from anything at WDW....

 

[disneyholic family]

what time of year are you going?

if you're going in the summer (you're going to die in vegas - but that's another story), you could go on a disney cruise to alaska....
another possibility