Too many room types in Aulani!

[psimon]

I am looking for availability at Aulani. There are 8 different types of 2 bedroom villas.

Does it scan all 8 types when looking for availability when I select any one of the categories? I know it responds with what I request and 3 others. How does it pick the other 3?

How do I make sure I have checked all 8 villas?

Thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[gortman65]

I guess the "Rambo" method would be to try searching all the categories individually, or at least search enough different room types until all the possibilities are covered. Not super efficient, but it would get the job done.

 

[normr]

Any chance that Disney will add more rooms to the inventory? I was led to believe from member services that Aulani is still being built and more rooms will be added to the inventory in the future, is this true? I have 2 wait lists for August for a 2 bedroom any view and nothing is coming available. I'm kicking myself for not booking the day before I tried, because at that point there was plenty of rooms and the next day they were gone.

 

[psimon]

Any chance that Disney will add more rooms to the inventory? I was led to believe from member services that Aulani is still being built and more rooms will be added to the inventory in the future, is this true? I have 2 wait lists for August for a 2 bedroom any view and nothing is coming available. I'm kicking myself for not booking the day before I tried, because at that point there was plenty of rooms and the next day they were gone.

I have 2 wait-lists also for 2 bedroom. Problem is you can't wait-list for any room. You had to pick 2 of the 8 types. If you didn't pick one of the other six that come up, you won't get it!

I would be happier with an "any 2 BR" wait-list but that isn't an option!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[DVC Sue]

I agree that there are too many room types. I don't even understand the differences in the room types. it's so confusing!

 

[drusba]

That construction of more rooms is completed does not determine the issue of what is added to DVC inventory. That is determined by the progress of sales. As more sales occur, more units are declared into DVC inventory. That is a long process with inventory being added throughout the time the resort remains on sale before officially being deemed sold out. For example, AKV has been on sale for six years and there are still units not yet declared into DVC inventory.

Moreover, you can actually stay in any room in the resort including one not yet declared into DVC inventory. It is the reserve time that is affected by progress of sales. If 20% of the resort has been sold that means the members are entitled to about 20% of all reserve time for the rooms and Disney the other 80% and your waitlist would be for time within that 20%.

As to the OPs question, it is not actually known how the computer chooses alternatives although it is undoubtedly partly based on what else is actually available but you cannot be certain something is gone absent it being shown as an alternative choice with some days missing or specifically checking the category. With Aulani you can probably often assume that standard and island garden view are gone because those usually fill before others but you still need to check to be absolutely certain.

 

[mousefan1972]

Although I really like searching availability and booking online, if I need something broad like "any 2 BR at Aulani", I would call MS. It seems they can search more categories faster than I can via the website.

 

[DenLo]

Aulani only has two more view than BWVs have, Standard, Garden/Pool and Boardwalk with lockoff and dedicated for each of those rooms. At Aulani they have garden/pool, ocean, island and standard view with lockoffs and dedicated rooms.

I would say you should wait list the type of villa that there are more of--Ocean and next is island view, then pool, then standard. So I would wait list and ocean and and island 2BR (you pick if you want to do a dedicated or lockoff). Check out the Aulani Villas and Views, all this information is in that thread on post number 1. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2907389

 

[psimon]

Aulani only has two more view than BWVs have, Standard, Garden/Pool and Boardwalk with lockoff and dedicated for each of those rooms. At Aulani they have garden/pool, ocean, island and standard view with lockoffs and dedicated rooms.

I would say you should wait list the type of villa that there are more of--Ocean and next is island view, then pool, then standard. So I would wait list and ocean and and island 2BR (you pick if you want to do a dedicated or lockoff). Check out the Aulani Villas and Views, all this information is in that thread on post number 1. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2907389

I wish they had a wait-list category for "I'll take ANYTHING!!"

Frankly, I would love an ocean view, but I just want to get into the property. I would take any view!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[tjkraz]

Aulani only has two more view than BWVs have, Standard, Garden/Pool and Boardwalk with lockoff and dedicated for each of those rooms.

BoardWalk doesn't have any dedicated 2B villas.

Animal Kingdom has even more variations than Aulani, though, with the 4 different room classes, lockoff/dedicated and even Jambo/Kidani.

 

[Anal Annie]

I think it's great that there are so many room categories and I think they're quite straightforward. But with Aulani, since there ARE so many variables with the room types I would go online myself and check every day to see what's open - esp. with only being able to waitlist 2 of them. And I would check more than once a day. I think that Aulani is a dream vacation for many and they book the rooms hoping to be able to find affordable airfare and all that goes with such a big trip & when that doesn't happen or look feasible I think they cancel. Aulani is not a reality for many until the airfare has been purchased. I remember reading that June booked up completely but then people found holes open here & there later and were able to book additional nights. I think people booked HOPING to go but then couldn't. It wouldn't surprise me if the cancelation rate at Aulani is higher than at the WDW resorts. Don't give up looking if you really want to go!

When I was preparing to book our dates I watched the site daily to see what was open. We were trying to be flexible with any type of studio or a 1 bedroom. For the most part the lower categories on both were usually booked up so I decided that we would just put OV studio as our first choice since that seemed to have more availability. On the morning of our 7 mo. window I logged on early & as soon as the clock turned to 8:00 I grabbed it without paying any attention to what else popped up. When I was done booking I went back & searched again and there were no more OV studios open for the entire week! Like 2 of the days were gone!! So I guess I snagged the last one. Oddly enough tho all of the lower views were still available!! This was the first time that had happened (that OV was gone before the others) over the 2 weeks or so that I had been watching. I think it's really hard to predict but flexibility on the unit type is key. And I really think checking every day on your own is worth a shot. (And for somebody looking to book a 2 bedroom maybe consider booking 2 studios instead.)

 

[psimon]

I've been trying 3-4 times a day for the last month for a 1 or 2 bedroom in August and still nothing!

I have the air tickets..... just trying to get a room. Holding a room next door at the Marriott, but that doesn't get me into Disney!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[Anal Annie]

I've been trying 3-4 times a day for the last month for a 1 or 2 bedroom in August and still nothing!

I have the air tickets..... just trying to get a room. Holding a room next door at the Marriott, but that doesn't get me into Disney!

---Paul in Southern NJ

I'm sorry. Not knowing whether or not we'd get in I didn't want to buy our airfare until after I'd secured the reservation. Meanwhile I was also watching the airfare and it went up before my eyes while I was waiting for our 7 month window to open. But keep looking. You never know. What dates are you trying to book? Do they offer a DVC member discount on the hotel portion of Aulani? If you can't get into Aulani you could always do a split stay with the Marriott and a cheaper hotel in Waikiki. This will be our first time spending more than 2 or 3 nights on Oahu...

 

[psimon]

The 2 bedroom at Aulani on cash was about $6000!.... or 280 points! Seems so out of line.

Look at mid August.

Worst case I will sell my points to use to pay for the Marriott!

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[normr]

I keep checking every day and there is only one day out of the 5 I need, I guess it's keep the 2 wait lists for now, but I think if non of my 2 wait lists come through by June 15th, then I'll give up, that's a month before my planned arrival, I'm kicking myself for not booking the extra days that were available and then going back and canceling the days I didn't need, but I didn't want to be a jerk and book stuff knowing I didn't need those extra days, I guess next time I shouldn't care about anyone else except me

 

[Anal Annie]

I keep checking every day and there is only one day out of the 5 I need, I guess it's keep the 2 wait lists for now, but I think if non of my 2 wait lists come through by June 15th, then I'll give up, that's a month before my planned arrival, I'm kicking myself for not booking the extra days that were available and then going back and canceling the days I didn't need, but I didn't want to be a jerk and book stuff knowing I didn't need those extra days, I guess next time I shouldn't care about anyone else except me

Yup. Pretty much. In a case like this. That is actually how I ended up grabbing our 4 nights at VGC before we head to Aulani. I was online just looking at the availability and I realized that even tho it was about 3 days before our dates that I could just go ahead & book the entire week while it was available. It hadn't been my PLAN but once I got the idea I just did it. Then I called back a couple days later and cancelled off the first 3 nights. I looked at it that when I cancelled I probably made somebody else's waitlist come through because by then it was already all booked up. I'm sure I made someone else's day when I cancelled.