Who is really going buy DVC Hawaii???

[ACDSNY]

I doubt we'll be purchasing there, but I plan on visiting once in a while.

bwvBound - I snagged RT Sacramento to Lihue for $347 last week on Hawaiian Air for our Feb trip.

 

[OC_stacylace]

We will probably buy into DVC Hawaii. We live on the West coast, and figure as our children age, trips to Hawaii every year may be more to their liking rather than Disney World. We have swimmers and water polo players in our family, so the ocean is a popular thing with us. Plus, taking time off of school is getting harder and harder. Trips to Hawaii for Thanksgiving and spring break will be easier in that we won't have to deal with holiday crowds at WDW.

 

[kenny]

We will definitely make the trip out there to try the resort, as long as we can get a room at the 7 month mark, but don't see ourselves making the plunge to buy points.

While we love Hawaii, much prefer Maui and Kauai over Oahu. Plus the flight from NY is about 11 hours plus a stop over. Don't forsee us making it often enough to own points there.

As people had mentioned, had it been on Maui though, might have done it. Just love it there.

 

[dvcdisney]

I'd love to stay there a few times, but I'm not sure if I would buy there. My husband on the other hand is ready to buy. I'm still waiting for the "Villas at the Polynesian"...

 

[crisi]

We wouldn't buy, but I know a lot of people who go to Hawaii every year - and several who own Hawaiian based timeshares - including a former co-worker who went every year with little kids (a nine hour plane ride with little kids is not my idea of a good time). His kids are older now. I'm in the Midwest.

 

[bwvBound]

Travelocity posted today: San Diego/Honolulu round trip fares starting at $298!

American Airlines dropped their SAN/HNL fare to $248 with travel through April.

ACDSNY: You booked a great fare to Kauai! Enjoy!

 

[CarrianneB]

I doubt Hawaii will be less expensive than VGC.

No, it won't be cheaper. I'm not going to buy there either.

You know what - VGC was the CHEAPEST when we added on in October. So for me- it's nice to have some variety off WDW property for a home resort.

 

[Dean]

I don't think the price will be that much different than the other resorts that are in active sales. The factors besides price are incentives AND the points structure. One really means nothing without the others. For HI, DVC is competing with Wyndham, Marriott, etc. I don't think where or how much they advertise will make much difference until they are willing to become more aggressive with tour incentives and on the tours themselves. Plus I don't think that much of the flexibility of the system will be applicable to HI because almost no one is going to HI for just 5 days. What the flexibility will do is add value to those that own other timeshares and/or get exchanges to HI.

 

[Starr W.]

What the flexibility will do is add value to those that own other timeshares and/or get exchanges to HI.

That's what I would use it for.

 

[geoffrey]

My 8 year old has been to Hawaii 4 times.
We live on the west coast. Many of our friends go every year. Lots of them have time shares or condos that they rent out.

I think there is a definite difference in the view of Hawaii between the west coast and the rest of the country. Our friends in Boston think Hawaii is sooooo far away and so exotic. To us, it is just Hawaii.

I think that people on the west coast think of Hawaii like people on the east coast think of Jamaica.

 

[limace]

We are on the West Coast and go to Hawaii most years. Like others, I'm not very interested in a resort on Oahu. In addition, DVC prices are way too high for me for Hawaii. I'm willing to pay a premium to stay onsite at WDW, because I love the parks. But I see DVC Hawaii as just one of many other resorts-it's hard to imagine what they'll offer to make it worth the premium.

We rent a 3 bdrm condo for about $1500 a week on Maui every year. Not over the top deluxe, but nice, right on the water with fabulous whale watching. Hard to beat.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I was looking at my Disney Files magazine and they had a article about the DVC in Hawaii they are building and I wondered who is gonna buy there.

I know so many people who go to Disney every year or more but I have never heard anyone say I go to Hawaii every year or twice a year.

I really don't even know very many people who have ever been to Hawaii.

How are they going to get poeple to buy points with the intention of going every year or every other year?

Just curious what other people think, will you be buying?

Well, in our neck of the woods LOTS of folks take annual trips to Hawaii and quite a few others take trips there on a semi regular basis. As for owning there....I'm not sure I'd like to own in Hawaii, since the airfare and length of flight make me not want to make that trip more than once every 5 years. We have been to Hawaii 4 times, and if I own a timeshare there, it is NOT likely to be Disney, since I'm not interested in staying the whole time on Oahu. I'd be more inclined if the DVC resort had been built on just about ANY of the other islands.

 

[Chuck S]

I can understand the Oahu location, if they are thinking that many DVCers would only make an occasional or one time trip. There is alot of touristy things to do on Oahu.

The Polynesian Cultural Center
Pearl Harbor Memorial
Wiamea Bay
Waikiki
and the major airport facility vs. having to change planes.


It is the traveler that goes to Hawaii regularly that tends to explore the other islands.

Either way, a Hawaiian location is a bit of a gamble for a timeshare...do you go with the areas most first-timers are familiar with and which may increase sales to to first-timers, or do you go with locations more experienced travelers prefer, but that somewhat limits your marketing to newbies.

 

[bwvBound]

Either way, a Hawaiian location is a bit of a gamble for a timeshare...do you go with the areas most first-timers are familiar with and which may increase sales to to first-timers, or do you go with locations more experienced travelers prefer, but that somewhat limits your marketing to newbies.

Agreed!

For me, the Oahu location is perfect as I already have timeshare on Hawai'i, Maui (x2: Kihei and Lahaina) and Kauai through Worldmark. In Oahu we either crash with friends (if personal travel) or stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (if business travel). This gives us a new option -- gotta like that!

 

[Anal Annie]

While we try to go to Hawaii once every 5 years Oahu is not our most fav. island. We usually only spend about 2 or 3 nights there each trip before moving on. We will likely TRY IT OUT if we can get in at 7 months but I have my doubts that we will be able to "afford" it if they make it too point intensive. This is especially true for us since we'd rather pay cash to be on Maui!!!! We are "points challenged" and if it's anywhere close to what they want for VGC we won't spend more than a few weeknights there. Our points are too precious to waste. That said, if it should turn out by some miracle to be "affordable" for us and we LIKE it but have trouble getting in at 7 months...we'll see. But I keep going back to the thought that we'd rather be on Maui....and I really don't think we'll be able to afford it.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

I live in Idaho and own at BLT and considering purchasing in HI. It depends on the cost and the fees.

For me it is about the same to fly to WDW or HI. I don't know if we would stay there every year but every other would doable. Of cource we would have no problem using the points elsewhere.

I just had to jump in and say Hi neighbor. IF is where we shop and call it the city. Of course we only come over every other month but it is for the entire day. I thought I was the only person in the area that owns a DVC and speaks Disney. Glad to see you here!

 

[Dean]

I sincerely doubt that Disney went to HI and after touring all the islands said "We want our timeshare on Oahu and Ko'Olina is the best place for it". More likely it was the best bang for the buck given that a good location on Maui would be hard to come by AND expensive. It essentially means buying an existing property (? hotel) and razing it for a new resort like Marriott has done for a number of projects (Grande Ocean, Ocean Pointe, the new Maui location). IF the current HI project is successful, something I truly doubt unless they change their approach, I'd expect them to be on the lookout for another HI option on Maui or one of the other islands.

 

[minnieandmickey]

I would love too, just not in the cards. And if the points are anything like VGC,then we won't ever be able to afford it.

 

[kdzgon]

I don't think the price will be that much different than the other resorts that are in active sales. The factors besides price are incentives AND the points structure. .....Plus I don't think that much of the flexibility of the system will be applicable to HI because almost no one is going to HI for just 5 days. What the flexibility will do is add value to those that own other timeshares and/or get exchanges to HI.

I agree we will need to see the whole picture, incl incentives and point requirements. However, I'm not sure that "almost no one is going to HI for just 5 days". When my daughter was stationed in San Diego, she and many of her friends and/or fellow Marines would travel to HI for five (or less) days. I'm sure many CA residents do the same. There are often airfare bargains just as we would often see on the east coast for FL or the Bahamas, etc.

I also agree with the OP that said Asia will be a big market. In fact, aren't they opening an office or sales center there? I know one of the kiosk personnel was telling me he was hoping to be able to go work there, and a guide I know said something similar.

 

[Dean]

I agree we will need to see the whole picture, incl incentives and point requirements. However, I'm not sure that "almost no one is going to HI for just 5 days". When my daughter was stationed in San Diego, she and many of her friends and/or fellow Marines would travel to HI for five (or less) days. I'm sure many CA residents do the same. There are often airfare bargains just as we would often see on the east coast for FL or the Bahamas, etc.

I also agree with the OP that said Asia will be a big market. In fact, aren't they opening an office or sales center there? I know one of the kiosk personnel was telling me he was hoping to be able to go work there, and a guide I know said something similar.

Certainly some will go for shorter times but even for west coast, I think 5 days will be the minority. From the rest of the country, a full week is the minimum MOST people will go and many won't go unless they can go more than a week and often around 2 weeks or more. Don't get your hopes up about Asia. I don't think they are nearly as active in HI as they were a number of years ago and to most of them, it's just a nice timeshare of which they are a number of others choices that are more aggressive and likely better choices for non WDW options.