Booking Aulani today?

[Debs Hill]

We are looking to book for Easter or summer 2012.......which do you think will be harder to get? We would like a one bed but can be flexible on view!
Fingers crossed!!!
Debxx

 

[snackyx]

Do any Aulani owners have any indication about how the availability is for between Christmas and New Years? I would like to book this week at the 7 month window and am curious if there have been any indications if the holiday season is booking up?

 

[Brava Centauri]

We were thinking about going in the summer of 2012 and ideally would want a grand villa.

How is availability affected by how much of the resort has been sold? Is Disney strict about only allowing DVC members to book based on declared inventory while reserving the rest for cash customers? Wouldn't it make sense to be flexible with Aulani in order to get more people to visit in hopes that they eventually buy?

 

[papamouse1]

We were thinking about going in the summer of 2012 and ideally would want a grand villa.

How is availability affected by how much of the resort has been sold? Is Disney strict about only allowing DVC members to book based on declared inventory while reserving the rest for cash customers? Wouldn't it make sense to be flexible with Aulani in order to get more people to visit in hopes that they eventually buy?

The resort is built with 2 distinctive destinations in it.

There are 359 hotel rooms (some suites) that are specifically booked by cash. You won't be able to book these on points

There are also 460 DVC Villas which are specifically for DVC owners. NOw this is where I am not totally clear on the process, all I know is that only units not used by DVC owners can be put into cash ressie status. Whether they determine this by a certain time frame or release inventory if there is a large unused amount of villas that I don't know, but it would seem they wouldn't release any inventory into cash until they were confident it wouldn't be used by DVC point owners.

Personally, I kind of doubt there will be a lot of opportunity to pay cash for villas at Aulani, they are going to be booked pretty solid by DVC'ers.

Will be interesting to see

 

[boscoj]

Hi,

I just made a reservation today for a 2 bedroom SV for 9/16-9/18. The CM told me that the two bedrooms and studios are almost gone for the weekend but there were plenty of 1 bedrooms available.....

 

[tjkraz]

NOw this is where I am not totally clear on the process, all I know is that only units not used by DVC owners can be put into cash ressie status. Whether they determine this by a certain time frame or release inventory if there is a large unused amount of villas that I don't know, but it would seem they wouldn't release any inventory into cash until they were confident it wouldn't be used by DVC point owners.

Personally, I kind of doubt there will be a lot of opportunity to pay cash for villas at Aulani, they are going to be booked pretty solid by DVC'ers.

All of the points in a DVC resort are owned by Disney until sold--specifically by an entity called Disney Vacation Development. Over time DVD will amend the condo association to slowly add groups of rooms to the timeshare program. This is a very gradual process which occurs over a number of years as sales dictate the need for additional points.

Bay Lake Tower began selling in September 2008 and even today about 10% of the resort is not yet part of the timeshare program. With nearly 500 villas, Disney is likely to be selling Aulani for many years to come. Could be 5 years, 7 years, 10 years....only time will tell.

If only 10% of Aulani has been "declared" into member inventory, DVC members will only have access to 10% of the villa rooms REGARDLESS of construction timelines or member demand.

Until 100% of the points are declared into the condo association, Disney will still own points which are used to rent villas to cash guests.

And even after that happens, villa rooms are still made available to cash guests by virtue of members trading out of DVC. When a member uses point for a cruise or any other non-DVC destination, the details of the transaction result in villas being made available to cash guests as a means of paying for the non-DVC trip. That's why even today a cash guest can book a room at Old Key West, BoardWalk or other DVC resorts which are long since "sold out."

In other words, villa rooms will always be available at Aulani in some quantity. Ultimately Disney will choose which dates, room sizes and views they keep for cash bookings so cash inventory will always vary from one date to the next.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Hi,

I just made a reservation today for a 2 bedroom SV for 9/16-9/18. The CM told me that the two bedrooms and studios are almost gone for the weekend but there were plenty of 1 bedrooms available.....

Congratulations and well done!

 

[Debs Hill]

Can we make cash reservations for the villas yet? Does anyone know the prices or whether there will be a DVC member discount?
Debsx

 

[wdrl]

Until 100% of the points are declared into the condo association, Disney will still own points which are used to rent villas to cash guests.

And even after that happens, villa rooms are still made available to cash guests by virtue of members trading out of DVC. When a member uses point for a cruise or any other non-DVC destination, the details of the transaction result in villas being made available to cash guests as a means of paying for the non-DVC trip. That's why even today a cash guest can book a room at Old Key West, BoardWalk or other DVC resorts which are long since "sold out."

Don't forget that the "Breakage Inventory" is another way that DVC villas can be rented by Disney for cash. The Breakage Inventory are villas that have been declared for the DVC membership AND have not been booked by members within 60 days of check-in. Rather than risk these villas sitting idle, they are made available for cash reservations. Both DVC members using points and guests paying cash through Disney's Central Reservation Operations have an equal opportunity to book the villas in the Breakage Inventory. DVC members receive income if Disney gets cash for booking a DVC villa from the Breakage Inventory. For example, in 2010, AKV owners received $0.1012 per point in Breakage Income (see http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/2010-resort-budgets).

 

[dsneygirl]

Just booked a week starting 9/16 at the 7-month window. No sense of inventory issues ... had my choice of 1BR views. (Booked the OV for our first stay ... simply had to do that!)

We're thinking about going the first week in Oct so I called just to see what Sept was looking like. There was tonnes of availability.

I had my choice of
1 bedroom standard/garden/pool/ocean

or

studio
garden/pool/ocean

Hopefully it's as good when I call back in a couple of weeks

 

[papamouse1]

Don't forget that the "Breakage Inventory" is another way that DVC villas can be rented by Disney for cash. The Breakage Inventory are villas that have been declared for the DVC membership AND have not been booked by members within 60 days of check-in. Rather than risk these villas sitting idle, they are made available for cash reservations. Both DVC members using points and guests paying cash through Disney's Central Reservation Operations have an equal opportunity to book the villas in the Breakage Inventory. DVC members receive income if Disney gets cash for booking a DVC villa from the Breakage Inventory. For example, in 2010, AKV owners received $0.1012 per point in Breakage Income (see http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/2010-resort-budgets).

Yeppers ... I knew about the breakage inventory, and also about the inventory that was traded out like tj mentioned. I did not know they limited the amount of rooms released, doing it in waves like tj described. Hope that doesn't affect our ability to book rooms at the 7 month window.

 

[CapeCodMatt]

Well, I have to say I am feeling pretty good about the week before Thanksgiving. I want to send my folks for their 40th Anniversary. Gotta wait until April to book though!!!!!

 

[LeenaLee]

Just recently booked Aulani at the 7 mos window for a Sept. visit. Seemed like they had plenty of rooms available the day I called.

 

[wink13]

That's great to hear. I can call in 2 weeks and I hope we have the same luck on available rooms.

Just recently booked Aulani at the 7 mos window for a Sept. visit. Seemed like they had plenty of rooms available the day I called.

 

[wink13]

I called today just to see what kind of availability for Oct 2-7th. They have studio and 1 bdrm in all categories. I'm will be booking on the 12th for our Oct stay and hope the availability is the same. Has anybody booked Aulani lately?

 

[Podgieree]

We booked today for a 10 day stay end Sept-Oct with no problem. We will have a one-bedroom with an Island view. I had planned to call DVC about booking at BCV, but on a whim I decided to look into Aulani. Yippee! Can't wait!

 

[wink13]

We booked today for a 10 day stay end Sept-Oct with no problem. We will have a one-bedroom with an Island view. I had planned to call DVC about booking at BCV, but on a whim I decided to look into Aulani. Yippee! Can't wait!

 

[slowly]

Not to spread vicious rumors but I think there has been preferential treatment for those who are from the Mainland and those flying to HI over local residents. Case and point we had reservations for Labor Day weekend confirmed back in Novemeber and got bumped a few days ago along with other families who booked during the 7 month window and got bumped to the hotel side.

The common denominator for all families is that we all live here. Not going into detail on what we got to make us happy but hopefully this is not an on going issue. They blamed it on numerous things but each reason was different. I am all for tourists coming to HI but we have family plans as well. Again hopefully this is an isolated issue for the first big weekend for Aulani.

Sorry to but a damper on things but not everyone in HI is happy! Then again living in HI is a blessing in itself!

 

[slowly]

Can we make cash reservations for the villas yet? Does anyone know the prices or whether there will be a DVC member discount?
Debsx

I think there is availability on the Hotel side for cash but not positive.

 

[slowly]

Did you get bumped or is your reservation still confirmed?