FINALLY a strategy for scoring Aulani @ 7-month window

[twinsmom44]

I thought I would never find a working strategy to get my coveted Aulani 2-BR week-long ressie for June 2022 at the 7-month window, but this morning, I did it! #HappyDance

I read quite a few posts about booking hot properties at 7-month window, but could never really find a definitive answer, even when posting the actual question regarding how far into the reservation screens you can go prior to the 8:00:00 a.m. EST critical point.

Was it only to the main enter your party #, dates, room type resort "Check Availability" screen?

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Was it only to the second screen where you click on the room you want to book?

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Was it the last screen where you've selected your room from the screen above and click on "Continue"?

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The answer is the last one, where you have clicked all the way through and are sitting at the "Continue" button screen. Here was my full strategy in case others can benefit:

1. Log into DVC with ID/Password by 7:50 a.m. EST on both iPad and laptop.​
2. Bring up on your phone or another screen with the official time clock in WDW Orlando, FL https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/@4177401​
3. Make selections for booking vacation on BOTH iPad and laptop, stopping at the last screen that has the "Continue" button so it is ready to go right as the official time turns to 8:00:00 a.m. EST.​
4. Watch the WDW time clock and click "Continue" button on both iPad and laptop right as the clock turns to 8:00:00 a.m. EST.​
5. Hold my breath, say a little prayer and hope for the best. It worked! The ressie hit on my iPad screen.​

One thing I did research before I put together my 7-month strategy was how many of each type of room was at the resort I was booking. I also read some really helpful posts on the DISboards that showed what inventory typically looks like at the 7-month window for each type of room for the resort I was trying to book. From that, I learned that at Aulani, the 2BR- Ocean View are usually less desired than the hotel rooms, studios and 1BR since the points are higher for the 2BR Ocean than those types of rooms. Since we are a family of 6 with adult children brining significant others, that's the room we wanted anyway.

I hope this detailed post helps those like me who like to have a clearly laid out strategy for the 7-month window for popular resorts and times of the year. I am happy to say it is

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Pomaika'i (Good Luck)! (some pixie dust coming your way!)

Now, I just have to get my darn ticker to work.......

 

[JETSDAD]

I think that the reason that you couldn't find a definitive answer is because it's apparently not the same depending on what type of device you're using. Using Android this does not work (I'll have to test on a desktop to see if it works). I just tested it out this morning again because I can never get it to work by having it at the Continue screen and always have to refresh at 8:00 before continuing. I had a few tabs set up and tried to hit Continue right at 8:00 and I got the usual error about it not being 8:00 yet. I also had another tab set up with an easy to get room and waited until 8:01 to make sure I was well within the correct time and that there would be a room available....I still got the 8:00 error.

 

[hcortesis]

Excellent, thank you. I really needed this.

 

[mort1331]

Congrats,,,now hope it works for us for July