Considering it...but are the kids too old?

[eandesmom]

I am considering an Aulani purchase.

While I know that seems crazy to most it may make the most sense for us but need some input to see if I'm nuts.

I like Aulani as our option for the following reasons.

1. We live in Seattle, easier to get there than FL!
2. I have family in Honolulu I adore and have yet to visit, this would provide an easy way to do that.
3. It would give me the 11 month window which, for presidents week from Seattle, for school break, could be a very invaluable thing
4. It would still give me access to everything else at 7 months. I don't see us having the ability to book earlier than that for FL anyways so a home resort there is less of an issue.
5. I like the 2061 aspect of the contract
6. Incentive is decent and while I know folks balk at the prices, I've walked away from 3 potential trips due to room pricing there over the last 2 years. Flights are less of an issue than rooms. While I don't want to only stay in Oahu, this lets me do a split say in peace but still see my family while there.

I'm looking at 170 points which will let us do about a trip every other year depending on how we manage it.

I can see us easlily getting in at least one Hawaii trip based on the time of year we want and 2 to WDW over the next 5 years with that amount of points. I definitely want 2 trips back to WDW before they get too old.

Our youngest are 10 and 11. DH is big on traveling elsewhere so I don't want more points than that to be stuck with. The question becomes will we be able to use them with decent flexibility knowing he may not want to frequent WDW as much as I might want to as the younger ones head off to college (though I can go without him lol) or even Hawaii?

Just wondering how practical it is to consider the points for use elsewhere with the other options available (passport, cruise, adventures, etc). Short term not really an issue but....there will likely be a point int time where the kids don't want to go to Disney with us, until they have kids of their own. Contract is long enough to cover that in spades but there is a gap...

thoughts?

 

[Mtnman44]

If you plan on regular trips to HI with once in a while trips to WDW, I think it is worth looking into.

If you plan on frequent trips to WDW, with once in while trips to HI, consider a DVC resort in Orlando.

If you plan on frequent trading outside of the DVC network, with only ocassional DVC use, then, in my opinion, it is a bad move.

 

[eandesmom]

If you plan on regular trips to HI with once in a while trips to WDW, I think it is worth looking into.

If you plan on frequent trips to WDW, with once in while trips to HI, consider a DVC resort in Orlando.

If you plan on frequent trading outside of the DVC network, with only ocassional DVC use, then, in my opinion, it is a bad move.

With my family size, regardless of where we purchase I'm not sure I'd consider any of the options frequent or regular, we are looking at this as an every 2 or 3 year trip option, to one of the other and choosing the number of points accordingly. Our pattern has been every 2-3 years at WDW and I hope that continues and I would like to see Hawaii on a similar rotation. That said, it is next to impossible (for the next 6-9 years) for us to plan that far out for a FL trip given kids activities so I don't see owning in WDW as giving me as much as an advantage, if all things were equal.

With hawaii, in the next 9 years I do see the need for that home booking advantage for presidents week or spring break trips where all of seattle exits to the islands hence looking there versus WDW. If I could get a 2057 OKW contract, I'd consider it but none are available and with incentives, Aulani becomes a better deal for the longer contract. I'm reluctant to do a resale contract that would kick out right when my kids/grandkids would probably start wanting to use it in earnest (assuming some of the 4 kids have kids of course lol).

Given our point usage at least for the next 8-9 years I can't see any available for trade outside.

It is after that that we may want/need to consider that but it's hard to know.

 

[Sandisw]

I think, given your plans for the next almost 10 years, this may be a good option for you.

We bought in to DVC in 2009 and our children were already 21, 17 and 13. We had been going to WDW for years but only took the plunge when BLT was built (didn't want to stay elsewhere).

As previously mentioned, using DVC points outside DVC is not always the best use and no one knows what the agreements for those trades will be in the future, but if you see that using it at AI and WDW alternatively for quite a bit of time, then I would say go for it and make decisions about things down the road.

When we bought, we used a 10 year value to figure out what we were getting in to. It worked out that even if we sold then for less than 1/2 we bought, we still made out. We didn't buy necessarily as a money saver but rather a way to stay in upgraded accommodations for the same as we were paying now for a typical hotel room.

If you cost it out over the approx. 10 years you know its good, does it work out to be something that makes sense? If so, then any ownership and what you do with the points after that is just gravy. Hope this makes sense.

Good luck!

 

[eandesmom]

I think, given your plans for the next almost 10 years, this may be a good option for you.

We bought in to DVC in 2009 and our children were already 21, 17 and 13. We had been going to WDW for years but only took the plunge when BLT was built (didn't want to stay elsewhere).

As previously mentioned, using DVC points outside DVC is not always the best use and no one knows what the agreements for those trades will be in the future, but if you see that using it at AI and WDW alternatively for quite a bit of time, then I would say go for it and make decisions about things down the road.

When we bought, we used a 10 year value to figure out what we were getting in to. It worked out that even if we sold then for less than 1/2 we bought, we still made out. We didn't buy necessarily as a money saver but rather a way to stay in upgraded accommodations for the same as we were paying now for a typical hotel room.

If you cost it out over the approx. 10 years you know its good, does it work out to be something that makes sense? If so, then any ownership and what you do with the points after that is just gravy. Hope this makes sense.

Good luck!

Thanks! That's how I've been looking at it, as I plot out how I think we'd use the points, we'd break even in about 5 trips/6 years using it all on DVC AI/WDW alternating with one small intrawest trade (if it worked out, not a necessity, more something we'd take advantage of if we could).

 

[cvjw]

We've been going to Disney regularly for 10 years before we bought DVC. We bought in 2009 when our kids were 14 and 10. Our kids love Disney and never get tired of it - only wish we had bought into DVC sooner.

 

[wbl2745]

We bought last February. Our daughters, triplets, are 23. I didn't buy for them, I bought for ME!

By the way, we bought 160 points and ended up adding on 50 points in August. It would have been cheaper to just get 210 points up front. You might be surprised how nice it is to travel there and your plans of every other year might be less than you actually end up wanting to do. Also, DLR is closer than Florida too and VGC is wonderful! We own at VGC which has a similar price structure to Aulani.

 

[Friendofpluto]

It sounds like a wonderful plan to me! I would do it especially how close you are and how much it offers. My kids are 25 and 28. We have the luxury of taking them and their families w/ us. Never too old for Disney.

 

[Lost boy]

Yes, it sounds reasonable to me too. Our four kids 18 thru 26 are old enough to go or stay home alone yet they usually want to go. We go every other year and always get a 2 bdrm, this month 18 and 20 year olds are coming with us with the 24 year old coming down mid-stay with a friend who's never been to Dis. Now our oldest son has two little ones, 2months and 3 years old and that opens up a new chapter for our Dis trips.

 

[ttepsich]

Started going to WDW when my oldest was 6. We wanted to buy for years but thought our children would lose intrest. (not to mention we didn't have the cash at the time) We finally took the plunge 3 years ago when my kids were 24, 22 and 17
Tina

 

[OhioDVC]

I've been to Hawaii about 20 times and I think the location/beach is the best I've seen at Aulani