What to do... Aulani split stay

[CaptainAmerica]

This is my first DVC reservation since closing on my contract earlier this year, so bear with me as I'm a little bit paranoid about getting it right.

We're doing an 8 night stay at Aulani, 2 bedroom villa ocean view. I don't have anywhere near the points to cover that with the borrowing restrictions in place, so the plan was to book 5 nights in cash and 3 nights on points. We'll call that the 5-3 option. It's worth pointing out that the points cost for all 8 nights is the same, but the last two nights are a holiday weekend, so they're much more expensive than the others on the cash side.

Tomorrow is 7 months from the check-in date of the three points nights, so I went in this morning to confirm availability. The first two nights are available, but the third is waitlist only. What to do? I could attempt to book a second cash reservation just for that last night, shift my points nights forward, and end up with at 4-3-1 split stay (cash-points-cash). I could book a different room type for the last night, likely two studios, and have to change units while I'm there. Or I can waitlist for the last night and pray vigorously.

I'm not sure I really have a question beyond "what would you do in this situation?" Again, this is my first DVC booking so I want to make sure I'm not overlooking anything.

 

[drusba]

The "holiday" during that time is Presidents' Day, which will be Feb. 21. Tomorrow will be 7-months out from Feb 17, so if I am understanding correctly, your five intended "cash" nights are Feb 12 though 16, making Feb 17 through 19 (a Sat night), your intended DVC reservation. You should be aware that there is no certainty Feb 17 and 18 will be available tomorrow, So you may want to reserve via points the 16th and 17th today, with the plan to modify it to the 17th and 18th tomorrow, which "walking" may give you some better chance of actually getting those two nights if they are currently available.

If you get those two nights, then you should waitlist that last night and hope you get it (and probably stalk the reservation site every so often to see if it opens during the day). Having 5 cash nights, then two point nights, then a last cash night, is potentially the worst situation because there is no guarantee you will not be required to change rooms when going to point nights and then back to a cash night. Nevertheless, you may also want to reserve that last night via cash now. Typically, you would have some time to cancel that night and get money back (up to 30 days before at WDW, not sure if that is same for Aulani), and during that time during which you might get a full refund, your waitlist may come through.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The "holiday" during that tine is Presidents' Day, which will be Feb. 21. Tomorrow will be 7-months out from Feb 17, so if I am understanding correctly, your five intended "cash" nights are Feb 12 though 16, making Feb 17 through 19 (a Sat night), your intended DVC reservation. You should be aware that there is no certainty Feb 17 and 18 will be available tomorrow, So you may want to reserve via points the 16th and 17th today, with the plan to modify it to the 17th and 18th tomorrow, which "walking" may give you some better chance of actually getting those two nights if they are currently available.

If you get those two nights, then you should waitlist that last night and hope you get it (and probably stalk the reservation site every so often to see if it opens during the day). Having 5 cash nights, then two point nights, then a last cash night, is potentially the worst situation because there is no guarantee you will not be required to change rooms when going to point nights and then back to a cash night. Nevertheless, you may also want to reserve that last night via cash now. Typically, you would have some time to cancel that night and get money back (up to 30 days before at WDW, not sure if that is same for Aulani), and during that time during which you might get a full refund, your waitlist may come through.

Yeah I'm currently one night ahead with a "walk," so I have three nights starting February 16 booked. I also hold a cash reservation for the full 8 nights.

This is unusual, right? I assume a combination of COVID reopening and the points glut is causing it, but all of the research I've done said that a two bedroom ocean view should be EXTREMELY easy to get outside of Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, and early summer.

 

[drusba]

In the past ocean view has typically been open 7-months out in Feb, including for Presidents' week. However, normal 7-month patterns have not been happening for 2022 thus far with more rooms disappearing than in prior years before 7-months out, likely a factor of huge numbers of banked points that many members need to use now.

 

[gwmort]

Are the cash 2 BR ocean view villas in a different part of the hotel than the DVC points ones? Is there a decent chance we can combine the cash night with the points nights and not have to change rooms? (In a similar boat to OP)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Are the cash 2 BR ocean view villas in a different part of the hotel than the DVC points ones? Is there a decent chance we can combine the cash night with the points nights and not have to change rooms? (In a similar boat to OP)

They're the same units. Bridging the reservation in the same room is possible, but not guaranteed.

 

[vacay77]

I would go for the first option. The waitlist makes me nervous since I waitlisted the Aulani for my last stay and never got anything. So I’d go for the sure bet.