Plaise Halp!! Buy or rent for upcoming BIG trip?

[_auroraborealis_]

was going to try to book 2 two bedrooms and the rest as studios or hotel

I wouldn't transfer in points assuming you can book the elusive "hotel room listed for points" from the points charts. There are a grand total of 8 of them, and there are already holes for next July. You could have points tomorrow and have issues booking, because on the days they are available it could be only one.

 

[Dizzydizney]

Personally, I see nothing but angst for you with this trip. Your intentions are gracious. But the reality is that’s a large group and trying to get accommodations for all when you can’t even reserve until 7 months out, plus the expense you will incur to transfer or buy one time use points.....that is a lot of aggravation. Throw in people thinking it’s no big deal to cancel last minute, well there’s been enough stories on these boards that just makes me shake my head.
As others said, there are other timeshares all along that coast. Maybe you and your in-laws could do Aulani and others could do Marriott...I forget which one is right next door. Maybe check out VRBO for other locations close by. When people find out the cost of flying there, they may change their mind too. Also, who is going to pay for all these meals for all these people? You could be perfectly honest and say you just don’t have enough points for the wonderful plan you had.
I would sit down at my computer and do some research on the rooms and availability. We’ve been their twice and opted not to do ocean view the second time. You can see the ocean from various places in the resort. Standard is a little claustrophobic, but the next category up is not bad.
You’re a kind person to do this. We recently had a family trip with 9 at Disney. I felt like nearly every day for six months was mostly focused on the trip. Although Aulani is easy since there isn’t the angst of park tickets and reservations and ADRs.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

[DonMacGregor]

What happens if, sometime in January or February, the old in-laws realize there are 4 more friends and relatives that absolutely HAVE to be there, with the same all-or-none attitude?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

We’ve been their twice and opted not to do ocean view the second time. You can see the ocean from various places in the resort. Standard is a little claustrophobic, but the next category up is not bad.

I'd add that getting Standard in July at 7 months is likely not happening. They would need to be budgeting for OV, and hoping for IG or similar. But Standard is such a small category.

 

[Dizzydizney]

I'd add that getting Standard in July at 7 months is likely not happening. They would need to be budgeting for OV, and hoping for IG or similar. But Standard is such a small category.

Both times we went in January, so demand was not so high. Did 3 nights standard studio then 8 island view one bedroom. Takes a day or two to get over jet lag from the east coast, so figured why waste points (just the two of us). But let’s face it, any room at any time at Aulani is like heaven.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Both times we went in January, so demand was not so high. Did 3 nights standard studio then 8 island view one bedroom. Takes a day or two to get over jet lag from the east coast, so figured why waste points (just the two of us). But let’s face it, any room at any time at Aulani is like heaven.

Yeah. OP wants July, and I already saw holes in Standard when I looked at RAT this morning for June and July.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Both times we went in January, so demand was not so high. Did 3 nights standard studio then 8 island view one bedroom. Takes a day or two to get over jet lag from the east coast, so figured why waste points (just the two of us). But let’s face it, any room at any time at Aulani is like heaven.

Aulani is the So Cal getaway secret. I can book a Southwest flight out of LAX for Honolulu for mid-October at around $230 round trip, and grab a deluxe villa for 21 points per night. You aren't going to beat that for a weekend in Hawaii anywhere.

 

[Great3]

Aulani is the So Cal getaway secret. I can book a Southwest flight out of LAX for Honolulu for mid-October at around $230 round trip, and grab a deluxe villa for 21 points per night. You aren't going to beat that for a weekend in Hawaii anywhere.

Other than I would never do a week to Hawaii, let alone a weekend! But to each his own, if you can enjoy weekend in Hawaii, with 5 hours flight each way, more power to you!!! Just enjoy....

Back on topic, to the OP, I would just be truly honest to the cost, and explain why you can't do it, even if you were able to truly afford the $$$$, doesn't mean the rooms will be available. The parameters changed, instead of hiding the true costs behind everything and trying to do everything behind the scenes, you will need to be upfront with it. And expect that the likelihood of everything going according to plans to get the reservations you need is probably closer to 0% than 100%.

I do family reunions with my parents and siblings and their families/kids, and it's stressful enough with last minute cancellations, and I had it happen twice, where cancellations did occur. Granted, I made it clear to my siblings the cancellation costs, and that they would be incurring it and reimbursing me if they don't abide to the cancellations rules I need to abide by, and it's still difficult/hard to enforce because they don't think the same way, so be prepare to eat costs and make sure points you got are bankable if they do cancel on you.

Above all, obviously, you can do whatever you feel right or best for your families and extended families, but I would advise not going into debt to provide this vacation for everybody.

ETA: I just reread the first post again OP, and you are looking to book at 7 months window, definitely gonna be difficult, as you don't even have Aulani home resort advantage, so availability may be a problem for multiple rooms to line up for the same dates. Need to book 1 unit is easily doable, but needing multiples for the same dates, a whole different ball game... you will need enough points to cover ocean view room for all units or it's gonna be a nightmare.

Great3

 

[starry_solo]

Oh no, I offered for more than 6! My family unit is 6 and that was going to be expensive no matter what to go to Hawaii. I convinced my in-laws to go with Aulani saying I'd cover rooms for them and my two SILs' immediate family units (since we've already "paid" for it). I knew it could be up to 16 people total (including my 6), but initially the number was only 13. Now it looks like not only are all 16 going, but 2 more as well (in-laws' cousin/best friends). So 18. I did offer to cover 5-ish rooms (or combo thereof) originally, so this was always on me. Bigger issue is the 6th room AND them insisting on the 2nd or 3rd week of July.

FYI- It seems to me that if you are covering the rooms, you pick the dates.

 

[DaveNan]

At this point, buying resale is getting tight. ROFR - 35 days - takes you to mid Oct. Then MA is taking 6 weeks to add the contract and another 1-2 to add the points. This takes you to mid Dec. You need to be booking by mid Jan (and with that number of rooms I would be walking them starting at a week to 2 early). You would need to find the right contract in the next 1-2 weeks, and then need to have the seller be very responsive at returning the contract before it goes to ROFR and then again at closing. Just losing 1-2 weeks at each of those spots would have you not getting the points in time. I would look at adding hotel rooms or going the rent/transfer route. The nice thing about the cash side is that the cancellation terms are so nice. Plan on having the folks most likely to cancel in those rooms. Even if they bail late in the game, you get your money back. (and who knows, being in the "lesser" room, maybe away from everyone else, might even encourage them to bail, maybe a good thing?) If you go with transferred points, use those points for the rooms least likely to be cancelled. Next use your banked and borrowed points for the most expected room types. Finally, use your current UY for the rooms you are most likely to drop. (I hope June (30 day cancel window) is more than 4 months from you banking window).

I have a similar situation with my family at HHI. We are actually going in 2 weeks. I feared some may drop or add after the 7 month window. I needed 5 BR based on who finally committed. But the number could have floated up to 7 or down to 3. I eventually booked a GV, 2BR, and a studio. Figuring I could drop the appropriate ones at 30 days. If everyone actually came, we would need to take advantage of "packing them in the GV" or using the common areas, but at least we would have the space. So far there have been no changes, and I dropped the studio a while back.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Other than I would never do a week to Hawaii, let alone a weekend! But to each his own, if you can enjoy weekend in Hawaii, with 5 hours flight each way, more power to you!!! Just enjoy....

Growing up in So Cal, our preferred destination was Hawaii. If you wouldn’t even spend a week there, then you just don’t like it and that’s cool.
As to the flight time, I have had to take, over the course of my professional career, literally hundreds of flights, many to Chicago, Detroit, New York, Miami, etc. all for maybe a two or three hour meeting, deposition, etc. 5 hours nonstop to end up in paradise is a nap on a plane.

 

[Great3]

Growing up in So Cal, our preferred destination was Hawaii. If you wouldn’t even spend a week there, then you just don’t like it and that’s cool.
As to the flight time, I have had to take, over the course of my professional career, literally hundreds of flights, many to Chicago, Detroit, New York, Miami, etc. all for maybe a two or three hour meeting, deposition, etc. 5 hours nonstop to end up in paradise is a nap on a plane.

LOL, sorry, I wasn't more clear. I do love going to Hawaii, it's Paradise, with the deep blue ocean. I often go for 2-3 weeks at a time. I was meaning a week is too short for flying across an ocean for me, but flight time is closer to 8 hours for me. I need at at least 10 nights or I ain't going to Hawaii. 5 hours isn't so bad, given what you are used to, I see how it's a nap. For me, who mainly only travel for leisure, 5 hours is like limit before I go crazy on the plane, lol!!!

Great3

 

[Ginamarie]

I have NO idea how to do this. We are taking a large family trip to Hawaii in July 2022 for my in-laws 50th. We offered to supply the rooms if everyone would go to Aulani, thinking we have 6 people to pay for (2 adults, 4 kids) and if the rooms were taken care of financially (yay DVC) then this trip would be more feasible for us (everyone else is traveling in 4s or 2s).

The number of people has grown and now we need to cover rooms for 18 people!! 3 kids, 2 teenagers, 3 young adults, and 10 adult adults (5 family units, but some could be combined in rooms). With the current borrowing restrictions and a Dec. 2021 trip we already had planned, I'm looking at only 401 points available during the most expensive (points-wise) time of year. (Can't move it because it is the only time 1 of the people can go and in-laws insist EVERYONE MUST ATTEND (even though I was betting on a few of the young adults not going)).

I had originally planned on buying another contract, but with all of the latest changes at WDW, I'm not convinced another loan right now is the best idea long term. I have no idea how to rent points just for some of the trip though. Then again, if I'm dropping a bunch of money on renting points, should I just put that toward a contract? And I'm concerned about booking enough rooms at the 7 month window. Has anyone else planned a large trip like this at a non-home resort. Any advice, tips or tricks?

(Family is offering to provide some funds or cover other expenses for us in return, but we all know how that goes so I have to plan as if this is a gift to everyone and we're still on the hook for the rest of our costs)

(CCV is our home resort)

We are in the SAME boat. We are planning Aulani in July 2022 and will be a party of 14. We just bought another resale contract because I DO NOT want to run out of points. I have a lot to plan with now (2 years worth on three contracts now for a total of 1820 points). This way, even if the less expensive room categories are sold out, we should still be able to swing a 2 bedroom and a 1 bedroom for close to 2 weeks. It was a bit stressful doing the layout of cash for this last contract, but I know it's the right deal in the long run. I will be stressing from now until the 7 month mark about getting these rooms!

 

[SorcererC]

We are in the SAME boat. We are planning Aulani in July 2022 and will be a party of 14. We just bought another resale contract because I DO NOT want to run out of points. I have a lot to plan with now (2 years worth on three contracts now for a total of 1820 points). This way, even if the less expensive room categories are sold out, we should still be able to swing a 2 bedroom and a 1 bedroom for close to 2 weeks. It was a bit stressful doing the layout of cash for this last contract, but I know it's the right deal in the long run. I will be stressing from now until the 7 month mark about getting these rooms!

I had actually landed on getting another contract if I can do it in the timeframe needed, since we had been wanting one anyway. But definitely won't have that many points! So I'm thinking this just isn't going to work out the way I had hoped after all and need to let family know sooner than later that they'll need to prepare to cover at least some of the cost. Really, really, REALLY wish they would be flexible on the timing of this trip!!!

Maybe we'll see you there! Good luck and may the DVC booking odds be ever in your favor!

 

[CarolynFH]

So I'm thinking this just isn't going to work out the way I had hoped after all and need to let family know sooner than later that they'll need to prepare to cover at least some of the cost. Really, really, REALLY wish they would be flexible on the timing of this trip!!!

Good luck Maybe you need to show them the difference in cost between the dates they're insisting on vs. the dates you originally had in mind. Also, of course, the impact of the increased number of attendees that you hadn't expected. They need a dose of reality!

 

[DonMacGregor]

REALLY wish they would be flexible on the timing of this trip!!!

I hate to sound like a tool, and no offense to your family, but if I were in your shoes I'd be wishing they were a little more sensitive to your situation and the HUGE expediture they are enjoying for free.

 

[Unclelude]

If the dynamic could handle it, 2BR sleep 9. So you could get everyone in 2 of them.

FWIW... We had a similar mindset on a smaller scale. We bought direct points at SSR ( before they went up ) ... Specifically to do a hawaiian trip for a special occasion. The cash outlay would have covered a large chunk of the contract... Plus we wanted to get in the club... You are already in...hehe.

So, the math... Like others have said, I think point price is working against you unfortunately right now. Still should be fairly straightforward... Cash to rent/borrow/book extra is lost - how much would that eat into an equivalent point contract?

The 2 - 2br scenario is compelling... Pretty good 'value' on points.

Prior to us buying as I mentioned above, we did an Xmas trip in 2018, 15 ppl at CCV in 2 - 2 br... It was too late to rent points... So we ended up paying cash for the rooms... I still regret not pulling the trigger on putting that cash outlay towards buying points for that trip.

I agree some of the things Disney has been doing to the brand lately concern me. At least in the short term it hasn't hurt price...

So could you buy - stay - sell and end up ahead??!?

Tough call. Good luck!

 

[SorcererC]

I hate to sound like a tool, and no offense to your family, but if I were in your shoes I'd be wishing they were a little more sensitive to your situation and the HUGE expediture they are enjoying for free.

While I know I got myself into this situation, a big THANK YOU for validating my feelings! Sometimes just that helps a lot

 

[kniquy]

As nice as it is for you to cover the accommodations maybe looking at a whole house that could fit everyone would make more sense. Rent out your points to help cover the cost of a house.

Or You could buy an aulani resale, use the points and then sell it or rent out the points if you don’t want to use it.

That seems like a big ask of these people. Everyone should pay their own way especially if it is putting you in a financial bind. You might be late to booking aulani anyways as we are past the 11 month window.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Honestly, this sounds like a disaster.