Overall Value for Aulani

[KyleAfterAWhile]

I think I am missing something. So, I am seeking thoughts from those with experience.....

I am in the pre-planning stages to take my wife on an anniversary trip. One thing I was considering is Aulani. I looked at the Disney site for Aulani, took a look at the restaurants, beach seating, etc and it seems that everything comes with a super high cost, even for Disney. Even the shuttle service seemed very, very high.

Off the bat, airfare (not Disney's fault) is crazy high, which we expected, but it seems like a week there (outside of the cost of airfare) would cost more than an all-inclusive week on a ship.

Perhaps the better value is to have a rental and leave property for meals and not use the shuttle?

 

[BillPA]

We have been 6 times, never stayed at DVC, too much $$$. A 1 BR OV is about $750 night in DVC points. We get a 1 BR condo in Waikiki beach for about $250 a night with a real ocean view, not a DVC OV.
Hawaiian airline just announced a 48 hour sale today. If you are near one of their hubs it could be a good deal for you.

 

[KyleAfterAWhile]

We have been 6 times, never stayed at DVC, too much $$$. A 1 BR OV is about $750 night in DVC points. We get a 1 BR condo in Waikiki beach for about $250 a night with a real ocean view, not a DVC OV.
Hawaiian airline just announced a 48 hour sale today. If you are near one of their hubs it could be a good deal for you.

Thank you, Bill.

 

[BillPA]

Don't get me wrong, Aulani is a beautiful resort. It's just if it's your first trip to Hawaii, you will want to see all the sights and will spend little time at the resort. You can rent your points and cover a beach front condo, meals and most likely airfare for what a DVC stay will cost you. Have a great trip.

 

[jodybird511]

Aulani is definitely pricey. I assume that you are not a DVC member, but correct me if I'm wrong. I would HIGHLY recommend renting points to cover the room cost--it will save you a tremendous amount of $$ over the cash price. You will definitely want a rental car, and if you stay on points, you will get free parking, which, for a longer stay, is a significant cost. I also strongly suggest going off-site for meals, or, even better, do some meals in your room. If you can swing it, one-bdrms have a full kitchen, which allows you to cook as many meals as you like. Even studios have a kitchenette, so you can at least keep snacks, drinks, and breakfast items to decrease the cost of meals. For our family, the cost we save by cooking more than makes up for the cost of the rental car and also makes up the diff for a one-bedroom versus a studio. We have been twice, and this most recent trip in May/June we cooked all breakfast and lunch in the room, as well as more than half of our dinners. We also bought bulk alcohol and mixers and took our own drinks down to the pool. Based on our previous trip, we're fairly certain we saved at least $1000 (maybe more!) by doing so, over the course of a week, for our family of 4.