Update: We chose Island View

[TagsMissy]

UPDATED:

This am I was able to get an Island View studio Decided to save points for either another trip later in the year somewhere or to bank for next year. Hubby was my voice of reason the other night, "We are hardly in our room when on vacation" and he is right!

ORIGINAL:

Here my dilemma... If and I know it's a big If, but if I can get a standard view studio for hubby and I we'll have enough points left over to possibly take a week long vacation at WDW later in the year if we can get away again...

Part of me is saying, we really don't spend a lot of time in our villa so why waste points on a view, the other part of me is saying it's Hawaii it may be nice to at least have a pool view!

UUGH I am so torn. Hubby has suggested we get an Island view as it's not much more points than a standard and we'll see a bit more scenery other than parking lots

What would you do? It's not as if WDW is even something that we have decided we are doing, it's just something we are considering maybe doing which makes it all that more difficult! I am booking the studio at the end of the week...

As an FYI it's just hubby and I and we're planning on staying 9 or 10 nights.

 

[emilymad]

I am at Aulani right now in an island view studio. We are really happy with the view. We are on the 14th floor and can see Diamond Head and Waikiki in the distance. I think a standard view room would be the same side of the building but a lower floor so you would be probably looking right into a parking garage. I a not sure I would spend the points on the pool view. The pool is lovely and beautiful but I would be afraid it would be loud.

Zoomed in view of Diamond Head

 

[kbeam]

We opted for the pool view, since we like to sit on the balcony (mostly at night) with a glass of wine. We thought we might not be able to see anything at night with the island view (ditto for ocean).

 

[ACDSNY]

I was torn too. We ended up booking a island view for Jan 2012. We're only there for 3 nights to check out the resort and I didn't have enough points to do the pool or ocean view this time.

 

[rparmfamily]

We just got back from an oceanview. We were also overlooking the pool area. The pool is loud (not the guests, but the constant sound of water from the fountains,etc) and so I was a little bummed to not hear the ocean at night. Though it wasn't a bad sound (fountains) I just would rather sit on my balcony and listen to the ocean at night. When we were there we watched the moon over the ocean and it was still magical.

 

[Dizny Dad]

Please be preparred; the Island isn't that pretty. We stayed at the Marriott last year next door. The pictures emilymad posted are exactly what you get; not at all the lush waving palms that seem to be in all of our minds. I'm not saying it is a bad view, just very mundane and brown in most spots.

All four of the Ko Olina lagoons are open to the public, as much as Disney will let you believe that the lagoon is just for Disney guests. Certainly the pools and upper areas are privatem, but once you go down the steps to the public walkway and out onto the lagoon beach area, it is open to all. Still very nice, though.

If you like to use your balcony, get a pool or ocean view.

 

[emilymad]

Please be preparred; the Island isn't that pretty. We stayed at the Marriott last year next door. The pictures emilymad posted are exactly what you get; not at all the lush waving palms that seem to be in all of our minds. I'm not saying it is a bad view, just very mundane and brown in most spots.

All four of the Ko Olina lagoons are open to the public, as much as Disney will let you believe that the lagoon is just for Disney guests. Certainly the pools and upper areas are privatem, but once you go down the steps to the public walkway and out onto the lagoon beach area, it is open to all. Still very nice, though.

If you like to use your balcony, get a pool or ocean view.

I agree with all of this. We are very happy with our island view but we don't spend tons of time on our balcony. Another thing about the island view is that is loud. You can really hear the traffic from the highway. It doesn't bother us but if you are looking for quiet I am not sure you are really going to get it with any view. We are watching the sun come up with the lights of Waikiki in the far distance so not all bad.

 

[ACDSNY]

I was surprised this morning when I called to see if a studio pool view was available for our January dates it was. The more I thought about it the more I think it will be fun seeing the pool lit up at night.

 

[bmalonef45]

We decided on the pool view for our trip as well. We were torn between a pool view and a ocean view. By looking at all the pictures we decided we'd probably get a little of both with a pool view. We requested a high floor as well. We won't be going to Aulani much so we figured we'd splurge. Can't wait. 6 months from today!

 

[carlbarry]

I, too, opted for the Island view. Didn't want a view of the parking garage. So I figured the Island view would be a step up, without the added expense of Pool or Ocean, which are substantially more. I don't intend to spend much time on the balcony. And it's not like AKL, with different animals going by. From what I've seen, th Island view is good enough to make you feel like you're in Hawaii!

 

[TagsMissy]

we ended up with Island view

 

[arthur06]

we ended up with Island view

The OV would be wonderful, but for us, we would enjoy the view for only a matter of minutes each day. Enjoy the points you save with another trip.