UPDATED: Aulani, is there an option I'm not considering? RESOLUTION: post 19

[Disney Dreams]

Hi All!

We need a little advice or suggestions.

Our Current Plans
We booked seven nights at Aulani several months out.

We were arriving on a Saturday and leaving the following Saturday. We wanted to fly using Frequent Flyer miles for obvious reasons. The only flight available for our arrival date got us in around 5:30pm. By the time we would arrive at Aulani, it would probably be 7ish, making it such that we were really not having that day in Hawaii. So, we booked a flight the day before (Friday), arriving in the evening, giving us our FULL 7 days that we originally wanted as we will wake up Saturday in Hawaii.

Our Dilemma
However, that leaves us with nowhere to sleep Friday night. While our friend's idea of just sitting on the beach and enjoying the evening/sunrise, we thought that was not the best idea. So we need a place to sleep Friday night.

What To Do
Options we have looked at:

• Spending the points and booking a one bedroom for that night (it's available, but we only need a studio so it's a waste of 11 points)
• Booking Aulani for cash that night
• Booking the Marriot next door for Friday night
• Constantly checking dvcmember for an available studio

Are there other options we are not aware of that we should consider? Example: When flying into Orlando in the evening and simply needing a room for the night, many suggest staying at the Hyatt that is literally at the Orlando airport as it's inexpensive, convenient, and merely a place to crash for the night.

We don't know what other options there are in Hawaii. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

- Dreams

P.S. Waitlisting: We have not created a waitlist because I am not sure how that would affect our current reservation. We would need to borrow points for the one night. We don't want to transfer them into 2013 because if the waitlist doesn't come through we don't want to lose the points as we will not be travelling again before the end of our June UY ends. Thanks, again!

 

[lilpooh108]

I would book the 1BR available now, waitlist the actual room you need.

If you are "short" 11 points or don't want to borrow, perhaps look into buying a transfer of 11 points from either another member or from DVC.

The total should be MUCH cheaper than renting a CRO room in that villa for the same night.

You could also do the Marriott if it's not in the middle of your trip. It's literally right next door. But if it's cheaper to buy a point transfer, that's probably a better idea to stay at Aulani instead at the 1BR.

Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Points would only be borrowed if the waitlist filled. When you set up the waitlist you have to authorize dvc to borrow but it doesn't happen unless you get a room.

I'd waitlist and depending on the cancellation policy book a cash room for backup.

 

[e46m3]

I'd stay in a hotel in Waikiki. It's not too expensive if you shop around.

 

[Iceman93]

First off, I think you're silly! :d

Arriving at 7pm is hardly a waste of a day, as any time spent at Aulani is magical in both a Hawaiian and a Disney way. I would not plan to stay at Waikiki or the Marriott or anywhere else that requires you to live out of a suitcase for a day. Just start your vacation, for crying out loud (again, this is in teasing and not as harsh as it probably sounds in print)!

 

[Sandisw]

First off, I think you're silly! :d

Arriving at 7pm is hardly a waste of a day, as any time spent at Aulani is magical in both a Hawaiian and a Disney way. I would not plan to stay at Waikiki or the Marriott or anywhere else that requires you to live out of a suitcase for a day. Just start your vacation, for crying out loud (again, this is in teasing and not as harsh as it probably sounds in print)!

But the OP has decided to arrive a night earlier at 7:00 so they get the full day on Saturday..to the OP, IMO, I would book what is available and not worry about it and then wait list and hope for the same rooms type so you don't have to switch rooms. And, I think I would spend the extra points to be at the resort without having to still deal wi travel from elsewhere...

 

[Disney Dreams]

I would book the 1BR available now, waitlist the actual room you need.

If you are "short" 11 points or don't want to borrow, perhaps look into buying a transfer of 11 points from either another member or from DVC.

The total should be MUCH cheaper than renting a CRO room in that villa for the same night.

You could also do the Marriott if it's not in the middle of your trip. It's literally right next door. But if it's cheaper to buy a point transfer, that's probably a better idea to stay at Aulani instead at the 1BR.

Good luck!

We aren't short 11 points. The difference between the studio and the 1 bedroom is 11 points. We would have to borrow all the points for the additional night. Soooo, if we book the 1 bedroom, we will be bringing points into a different use year and lose them if we don't use them before June 2014... which we won't if we get the studio.

The night we are "homeless"is the first night of our trip.

Points would only be borrowed if the waitlist filled. When you set up the waitlist you have to authorize dvc to borrow but it doesn't happen unless you get a room.

I'd waitlist and depending on the cancellation policy book a cash room for backup.

Thanks! That's our current plan. We were just wondering if there was another option we were not considering, similar to the WDW Hyatt that we learned about from DISers.

I'd stay in a hotel in Waikiki. It's not too expensive if you shop around.

Hmmm... that's a thought we had not considered. We'll research that. Thank you!

First off, I think you're silly! :d

Arriving at 7pm is hardly a waste of a day, as any time spent at Aulani is magical in both a Hawaiian and a Disney way. I would not plan to stay at Waikiki or the Marriott or anywhere else that requires you to live out of a suitcase for a day. Just start your vacation, for crying out loud (again, this is in teasing and not as harsh as it probably sounds in print)!

Thanks for your view. We disagree. We don't want to arrive at 7pm on the first day of our seven days as, to us, then we are shorting ourselves a day. By flying in the night before, we are getting the full number of dad we wanted in HI. We just need a bed for that first night. Thanks for your input, though.


- Dreams

 

[Disney Dreams]

But the OP has decided to arrive a night earlier at 7:00 so they get the full day on Saturday..to the OP, IMO, I would book what is available and not worry about it and then wait list and hope for the same rooms type so you don't have to switch rooms. And, I think I would spend the extra points to be at the resort without having to still deal wi travel from elsewhere...

Thanks for your input. The problem with booking what's available and wait listing what we want is I believe we will lose points if our wait list comes through as the initially booked room will have more (borrowed) points than the new room. Those unused points will get stuck in 2013, right? (June UY)

- Dreams

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks for your input. The problem with booking what's available and wait listing what we want is I believe we will lose points if our wait list comes through as the initially booked room will have more (borrowed) points than the new room. Those unused points will get stuck in 2013, right? (June UY)

- Dreams

Since you would have to borrow all points for this one night then yes, the difference would remain in your 2013 UY and other than saving yourself from changing rooms you might as well just stay in the 1BR and check it out if you were to go ahead and book it now.

As far as booking cash - looking at Waikiki it's going to be about the trade off of getting to your destination right away or staying one place and moving the next day.

 

[crisi]

I'd stay in a hotel in Waikiki. It's not too expensive if you shop around.

I'd do the same - my understanding is that Aulani is a drive from the airport - maybe an hour. We don't fly in from the coast, we are in Minnesota, and a wiped by the time we land in Hawaii.

Crash in Wakiki - maybe get tickets for Pearl Harbor for the morning if they are available (that will save you the drive in), then drive out to Aulani the next day.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'd do the same - my understanding is that Aulani is a drive from the airport - maybe an hour. We don't fly in from the coast, we are in Minnesota, and a wiped by the time we land in Hawaii.

Crash in Wakiki - maybe get tickets for Pearl Harbor for the morning if they are available (that will save you the drive in), then drive out to Aulani the next day.

In the evenings with no traffic the drive is just a little over 1/2 hour from the airport. It was very easy.

 

[Apps]

Since you would have to borrow all points for this one night then yes, the difference would remain in your 2013 UY and other than saving yourself from changing rooms you might as well just stay in the 1BR and check it out if you were to go ahead and book it now.

As far as booking cash - looking at Waikiki it's going to be about the trade off of getting to your destination right away or staying one place and moving the next day.

Can't the OP trade the 2014 points (11 points) with 2013 points if the waitlist comes through and bank the 2013 points? THis is all assuming the waitlist comes through before the banking period ends.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Can't the OP trade the 2014 points (11 points) with 2013 points if the waitlist comes through and bank the 2013 points? THis is all assuming the waitlist comes through before the banking period ends.

I hadn't been thinking about their original nights booked but yes, they could do that on that part of the reservation as long as the waitlist did not happen less than 31 days out.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Can't the OP trade the 2014 points (11 points) with 2013 points if the waitlist comes through and bank the 2013 points? THis is all assuming the waitlist comes through before the banking period ends.

I hadn't been thinking about their original nights booked but yes, they could do that on that part of the reservation as long as the waitlist did not happen less than 31 days out.

This sounds like the creative kind of problem solving that I am all about -- if I understood it a bit more. Can one of you explain in baby steps for me, please?

Thank you,
Dreams

 

[Madhattr]

Do a search on hotels.com for ko olina Hawaii. Several options. I tried a random date (Friday before tgiving...not the cheapest time). Several options for under $200.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This sounds like the creative kind of problem solving that I am all about -- if I understood it a bit more. Can one of you explain in baby steps for me, please?

Thank you,
Dreams

If you used your 2013 points for the original reservation then here's what could be done.

Book the 1BR - borrowing all the points required (we'll just say it's 40). Waitlist the studio (example of 29 pts). If the waitlist fills 31 days or more prior to your arrival then there will be 11 borrowed 2014 points sitting in your account. Call MS and ask them to reallocate those 11 points to your other reservation you made at 7 months out and they will switch those borrowed points for 11 of your 2013 points. As long as your are 4 months from the end of your UY you can bank those into your 2014 UY at which point those 11 points will have to be used by the end of your 2014 UY or expire. And this only works if the waitlist fills 31 days or more in advance otherwise the change from a 1BR to a studio would leave those 11 points in holding and they would have to be used prior to the end of your UY.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We flew in one night and stayed in Honolulu that night so we could get up the next morning and start our trip in earnest. We got an adequate (though not luxurious) room for a reasonable rate. We were in the room maybe 7 hours at most anyway. Remember, no matter when you arrive, you can't check in until after 4:00. That said, our unit was ready for us when we arrived, so you could be lucky.

 

[snackyx]

The problem with Honolulu is that there is no cluster of hotels around the airport that you can crash in for one night, unlike Orlando. Your best bet is to find something relatively cheap in Honolulu just for clean beds for the night.

Trust me: when you head to Aulani the next morning, you will appreciate it even more after a night in a Honolulu 2 or 3 star hotel.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I just wanted to let everyone know what happened with this --- and a word of caution as I almost lost out while reallocating points.

So after considering all of our options, DH and I decided to book the one bedroom and hope for the studio to come through from wait list. If we don't get the wait list, we will just enjoy one night in a one bedroom (there are definitely bigger problems in the world to have!).

Pre-scouting
I spoke with DVC rep 1. I told her what I wanted to do (see what Kat4Disney explained above). I asked, "Does that work as I understand it?" She said, "Yes, you can do that."

Perfect.

I called DH. Explained what I was going to do. We were both cool with it. I called back.

I spoke with DVC rep 2. I explained to him what I wanted to do (see Kat4Disney's post above again). He said, "Okay." I asked if it mattered if he or I made the reservation for the 1 bedroom. He said it did not matter.

Ready, Set, Go...
So, I booked a 1 bedroom (36 points) online borrowing 35 points from 2014 to do so (we had 1 2013 point still left :teacher; ). I then told DVC rep 2 that the reservation was there and ready for him to reallocate the points so that THAT reservation used my 2013 points and the 2014 points were used for some of the nights we have the studio. He told me it would take a few minutes and could he place me on a brief hold. "Of course."

- holding - listening to Disney tunes - lalalalalala - holding

Ummmm....
He comes back and tells me that he cannot reallocate the points right now. He continues, "If the wait list for your studio clears for the night you have the one bedroom, then you can call us and we will reallocate the points after the extra go back into your account.

- wait - What????

I made TWO phone calls. Asked TWO reps if I could do what I wanted. I was told TWICE, including once by you, that I could. Now that I've borrowed the points, you are saying you cannot do what you JUST told me you could do?

"We can do it, after the wait list fills, but not now."

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

So, I get transferred to a supervisor.

She and I go through the ENTIRE thing. What I wanted to do. What a friend suggested I do (see Kat4Disney's explanation). Phone call number one. Review what I want to do. Was told it could be done. Phone call number two. Re-confirm that what I want to do can be done. Book 1 bedroom with borrowed points. - bam - We can't reallocate until wait list clears.

Supervisor says that it is correct that it cannot be done now. I asked repeatedly why I was told I could by two different reps. She, of course, cannot explain that.

Trying to Understand
She then explains:
Right now, the points are pulled from our account and locked into the reservation, so she can't reallocate what's in the reservation telling it to pull points from a different reservation because the points are tied into that reservation and we have no additional points for her to use as a "placeholder." (Yes, this is where my head started spinning!)

She continued:
She can cancel the one bedroom now, redistribute the points and hopefully book the 1 bdrm again. However, she could see from her system that I managed to get the last one bedroom. So... if she tries to reallocate the points, I could lose the one bedroom if someone else grabs it in the time that she is redistributing the points.

So apparently, in order for them to reallocate the points, they actually cancel the reservation. Take the points that are now in 2013, book the reservation again and in that time, if you happened to get the last room available (which I seemingly did) there is the risk that someone else gets the room when it's released and you lose your reservation completely.

No risk, no gain, right? (Not for the faint of heart!)
In the end...
I told her to go for it and risk losing the one bedroom while she reallocated the room. I then shut up so she could work quickly.

And everything went fine. She cancelled the one bedroom. Moved points around. And then... got the one bedroom back(!!!), booked using 2013 points and the 2014 points reallocated to the studio nights that we know we will not be touching. Phew!!!

One hour, 36 minutes later.

May You Benefit from My Experience
There are all sorts of lessons about reallocating points in my experience. When my mind is a bit more relaxed, I am sure I will be able to separate them out to help others. In the meantime, just know that if you have NO extra points in your account, reallocating points apparently can be tricky and risky if you happen to have grabbed the last room available.

Which we did! Woooohooooo!

Thank You
Thanks everyone for your ideas, input, and Kat4Disney for your very detailed explanation which gave me the knowledge I needed.

I think I need some chocolate...
Dreams

 

[Apps]

I just wanted to let everyone know what happened with this --- and a word of caution as I almost lost out while reallocating points.

So after considering all of our options, DH and I decided to book the one bedroom and hope for the studio to come through from wait list. If we don't get the wait list, we will just enjoy one know in a one bedroom (there are definitely bigger problems in the world to have!).

Pre-scouting
I spoke with DVC rep 1. I told her what I wanted to do (see what Kat4Disney explained above). I asked, "Does that work as I understand it?" She said, "Yes, you can do that."

Perfect.

I called DH. Explained what I was going to do. We were both cool with it. I called back.

I spoke with DVC rep 2. I explained to him what I wanted to do (see Kat4Disney's post below again). He said, "Okay." I asked if it mattered if he or I made the reservation for the 1 bedroom. He said it did not matter.

Ready, Set, Go...
So, I booked a 1 bedroom (36 points) online borrowing 35 points from 2014 to do so (we had 1 2013 point still left :teacher; ). I then told DVC rep 2 that the reservation was there and ready for him to reallocate the points so that THAT reservation used my 2013 points and the 2014 points were used for some of the nights we have the studio. He told me it would take a few minutes and could he place me on a brief hold. "Of course."

- holding - listening to Disney tunes - lalalalalala - holding

Ummmm....
He comes back and tells me that he cannot reallocate the points right now. He continues, "If the wait list for your studio clears for the night you have the one bedroom, then you can call use and we will reallocate the points after the extra go back into your account.

- wait - What????

I made TWO phone calls. Asked TWO reps if I could do what I wanted. I was told TWICE, including once by you, that I could. Now that I've borrowed the points, you are saying you cannot do what you JUST told me you could do?

"We can do it, after the wait list fills, but not now."

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

So, I get transferred to a supervisor.

She and I go through the ENTIRE thing. What I wanted to do. What a friend suggested I do (see Kat4Disney's explanation). Phone call number one. Review what I want to do. Was told it could be done. Phone call number two. Re-confirm that what I want to do can be done. Book 1 bedroom with borrowed points. - bam - We can't reallocate until wait list clears.

Supervisor says that it is correct that it cannot be done now. I asked repeatedly why I was told I could by two different reps. She, of course, cannot explain that.

Trying to Understand
She then explains:
Right now, the points are pulled from our account and locked into the reservation, so she cant reallocate whats in the reservation telling it to pull points from a different reservation because the points are tied into that reservation and we have no additional points for her to use as a "placeholder." (Yes, this is where my head started spinning!)

She continued:
She can cancel the one bedroom now, redistribute the points and hopefully book the 1 bdrm again. However, she could see from her system that I managed to get the last one bedroom. So... if she tries to reallocate the points, I could lose the one bedroom if someone else grabs it in the time that she is redistributing the points.

So apparently, in order for them to reallocate the points, they actually cancel the reservation. Take the points that are now in 2013, book the reservation again and in that time, if you happened to get the last room available (which I seemingly did) there is the risk that someone else gets the room when it's released and you lose your reservation completely.

No risk, no gain, right? (Not for the faint of heart!)
In the end...
I told her to go for it and risk losing the one bedroom while she reallocated the room. I then shut up so she could work quickly.

And everything went fine. She cancelled the one bedroom. Moved points around. And then... got the one bedroom back(!!!), booked using 2013 points and the 2014 points reallocated to the studio nights that we know we will not be touching. Phew!!!

One hour, 36 minutes later.

May You Benefit from My Experience
There are all sorts of lessons about reallocating points in my experience. When my mind is a bit more relaxed, I am sure I will be able to separate them out to help others. In the meantime, just know that if you have NO extra points in your account, reallocating points apparently can be tricky and risky if you happen to have grabbed the last room available.

Which we did! Woooohooooo!

Thank You
Thanks everyone for your ideas, input, and Kat4Disney for your very detailed explanation which gave me the knowledge I needed.

I think I need some chocolate...
Dreams

haha. congrats