Importance of 11 month booking window at Aulani?

[DVCRSheridan]

Planning on adding 200 more points in the next few months & 1 of the main reasons will be to use for our honeymoon at Aulani in July 2013. Originally we had just planned on adding @ Saratoga Springs since it's the cheapest, however we began thinking that booking Aulani may be difficult without the 11 month window (especially for 2 weeks in July). Does anyone have any insight on this issue? Thanks for any help!

 

[Acirish11]

Unless you are going to use the 200 points to visit Aulani often you may want to consider purchasing the SS points and trying at the 7 month window. If you cannot get a Res at that point you could always pay cash or rent points for the one trip. You would pay much less for the SS pts. If you buy them resale you will save almost twice as much $$. Just something to think about.

 

[DVCRSheridan]

Yea you're 100% right & that was our original thought. The problem is that we really have our hearts set on Aulani for our honeymoon & we don't wanna rely on that & then get to that 7 month window & boom, we can't get it & then have to scramble for our honeymoon. All things equal we'd obviously prefer to save the money, buy Saratoga & still be able to get the honeymoon at the 7 month mark.

 

[oktracy]

I am new to DVC and I recently closed on a resale contract for VGC. I had some difficulty booking Aulani for the mid August this year. I could only secure 3 consecutive nights for the same room type. Keep in mind this was 2 weeks after the 7 month window. I have subsequently changed my dates to labor day week and was successful booking 7 nights in the same room category. This was 4 days after the 7 month window.

 

[DeeCee735]

Have you considered trying to trade out through RCI with your current points for a place in Hawaii for your honeymoon? That may work??

 

[disneynutz]

Aulani availability won't be known until the rooms are finished being built and all DVC inventory declared which could take several years depending on sales.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Unless you are going to use the 200 points to visit Aulani often you may want to consider purchasing the SS points and trying at the 7 month window. If you cannot get a Res at that point you could always pay cash or rent points for the one trip. You would pay much less for the SS pts. If you buy them resale you will save almost twice as much $$. Just something to think about.

I agree with this. If Aulani is a one or maybe 2 time deal and the rest of the time you'll be at WDW then I'd say buy SSR (resale - correct?) and try to book Aulani at 7 months. If you can't book it right away waitlist and book a cash room as backup. I would not worry about cash rooms not being available and you'd still save money even if you pony up for a cash room once.

 

[lilpooh108]

I agree with this. If Aulani is a one or maybe 2 time deal and the rest of the time you'll be at WDW then I'd say buy SSR (resale - correct?) and try to book Aulani at 7 months. If you can't book it right away waitlist and book a cash room as backup. I would not worry about cash rooms not being available and you'd still save money even if you pony up for a cash room once.

I totally agree w/this, esp b/c you'd be flying out from NY to use your Aulani pts. Plus, you'll be paying the higher unsubsidized dues for Aulani which are already starting pretty high. I also vote SSR (and resale, if you don't mind the restrictions).

 

[Anal Annie]

We would never fly all the way from the east coast to Hawaii and only visit one island. Nor can I imagine being able to afford to fly to Aulani every year. We would bank & borrow those points & go every 3-5 years. Having been to Hawaii several times now we usually only spend 2-3 nights on Oahu so if we were to ever add on at Aulani we'd just buy enough points for a studio for maybe 4 or 5 nights tops. We would then island hop to Maui and / or the Big Island for 4 or 5 nights. I really can't imagine spending 2 weeks in one spot when there's so much else to see there.

Why don't you consider doing a split purchase and buy 1/4 or 1/3 of your points at Aulani - enough to use for a few nights with banking & borrowing every few years and then buy the rest at SSR?! I mean do you think you'd be able to afford to GO to Hawaii that often? If you split your purchase you could always guarantee an 11 month booking window for Aulani AND for FL.

 

[XGrumpy1]

I tried for Aulani at 7 months last month and OMG! Right now it is all booked!

I think this will be better in the future, but if you want to go in the near future you really might need to own there if you want normal vacation periods

 

[beachbunny]

Does this mean that the grand villas are also booked solid for the summer? I'm asking because I'd like to book one or two nights after I close on my DVC purchase (hopefully soon).

OP, I would purchase at SSR unless you know you will be visiting Hawaii regularly. I'm in the opposite position as you. I live in Hawaii and am in the process of purchasing AKL. My biggest fear is that airfare to the east coast will get so high that I can't afford to fly there every year and will have to use all of my points at Aulani during the off season when I can book at a moment's notice. Right now, airfare is running about $1000 per person for this summer.

 

[rpcvpanama]

I was able to book 2 Studios at the 7 month window in June. I had to call the exact day and hour of the opening of the 7 month window and then only higher category (mountain/ocean views) were available. However, I was able to get 2 rooms for a week.

I don't think you will have a problem booking at 7 months if you are ok with anything other than the standard view (view of parking lot). Of course that may be different if you are looking for a grand villa.

I would not base a DVC purchase on a honeymoon trip. You would then be stuck with the 7 month window at the WDW DVC resorts. Unless you plan on using Aulani every year I would buy where you want to be at WDW and go for the 7 month window. I am sure you will get something if you are calling/booking right when the window opens.

 

[disneynutz]

Just because someone else has been able to book at 7 months today, doesn't mean that you or they will be able to tomorrow.

If we were able to foresee the future, we would all have the money to own Disney, and not just visit there.

The only way to guarantee 97% availability is to own points at that resort.

Bill

 

[jel0511]

Another way to look at it, is the money you're saving on the initial buy in, you could use to pay cash at either Aulani or another resort (or resorts) of your choice if you can't get Aulani at the 7 month window.....

 

[Sammie]

Just because someone else has been able to book at 7 months today, doesn't mean that you or they will be able to tomorrow.

If we were able to foresee the future, we would all have the money to own Disney, and not just visit there.

The only way to guarantee 97% availability is to own points at that resort.

Bill

One of your best quotes, Bill

 

[taaren]

It doesn't sound like you have your heart set on Aulani every year, so it doesn't sound like buying Aulani is good for you. If you have your heart set on Aulani once every three years, buy 1/3 of the amount of points there, then buy the rest at WDW, like Annie suggested.

Personally I think Aulani is going to be harder to get at 7 months in the usual high seasons: summer, spring breaks, holidays ... then add in the Japan holidays in late April/early May. If you want those times, you might want Aulani points.

If its a one-trip thing, just transfer some Aulani points in from an owner who isn't going that year ...