Buying Aulani

[AstroBlasters]

That’s funny because I saw that email this morning as well and was like hmmmmmm

I just got off the phone with ABD and DVC MS. I think it will come down to if they expect 100% upfront payment or if it is just a 10% refundable deposit.

For our family of 4 it will cost around $30k for tickets and flights… I’d want to spread that out and use the 0% Disney Visa for 6m rolled into a 21m 0% card to spread the payments out.

Of course, demand is so crazy for everything Disney…. I’m not going to stress about it…but I have the reminder set on my calendar. There are other dates, but the late June timeframe would work best for our summer plans.

 

[Royal Consort]

For our family of 4 it will cost around $30k for tickets and flights… I’d want to spread that out and use the 0% Disney Visa for 6m rolled into a 21m 0% card to spread the payments out.

Theres definately a comfort in Disney but, wow, what a premium. You can do an impressive trip independently with more freedom for that price. I've found travelling the Netherlands very simple and it also gives you access to other European destinations that I would argue are more impressive than the ABD itinerary.

 

[NorCalFanatic]

Want to put in a strong recommendation for the Mango Mojito at Off the Hook. I, too, love lava flows but can't drink too many heavy drinks during the day (especially after pounding onion rings)-- the mango mojito is refreshing but light.

I'm a Southern Californian who can drive to DLR, but we like the more relaxed pace (and better weather) at Aulani. We also own at BCV and VGF and adore them both, but Aulani is the only spot where I actually feel like I'm relaxing more than I'm hustling.

We need to form a thread (or support group?) where we keep an eye out for AUL contracts at fire sale prices. We own 200 points at AUL and I'm already thinking about borrowing my 2025 points into 2024...

Oh! I missed that last trip I’ll have to try the Mango Mohito! I hear you on the heavy drinks! The onion rings, poke nachos and tempura cauliflower, I’ve about made myself ill on all of those they’re so good.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Theres definately a comfort in Disney but, wow, what a premium. You can do an impressive trip independently with more freedom for that price. I've found travelling the Netherlands very simple and it also gives you access to other European destinations that I would argue are more impressive than the ABD itinerary.

It’s around $5500 per adult and $5000 per kids, but it seems pretty all inclusive and is for 8-days and 7-nights and should include kid friendly activities.

https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/destinations/europe/holland-belgium-river-cruise/

 

[Royal Consort]

It’s around $5500 per adult and $5000 per kids, but it seems pretty all inclusive and is for 8-days and 7-nights and should include kid friendly activities.

https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/destinations/europe/holland-belgium-river-cruise/

Delft is nice.

 

[Jimmy Geppetto]

I just got off the phone with ABD and DVC MS. I think it will come down to if they expect 100% upfront payment or if it is just a 10% refundable deposit.

For our family of 4 it will cost around $30k for tickets and flights… I’d want to spread that out and use the 0% Disney Visa for 6m rolled into a 21m 0% card to spread the payments out.

Of course, demand is so crazy for everything Disney…. I’m not going to stress about it…but I have the reminder set on my calendar. There are other dates, but the late June timeframe would work best for our summer plans.

$30k for 7 nights … or…

300 AUL points… annually.

Tough call.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I just got off the phone with ABD and DVC MS. I think it will come down to if they expect 100% upfront payment or if it is just a 10% refundable deposit.

For our family of 4 it will cost around $30k for tickets and flights… I’d want to spread that out and use the 0% Disney Visa for 6m rolled into a 21m 0% card to spread the payments out.

Of course, demand is so crazy for everything Disney…. I’m not going to stress about it…but I have the reminder set on my calendar. There are other dates, but the late June timeframe would work best for our summer plans.

I saw the email and but itinerary you linked looked much more engaging for our kids than I would have expected. Those numbers are extreme—especially for such a small stateroom. For $20k for a week, I would at least want a suite with a true wall between us and the kids or a mini suite and a separate room.

I did a Uniworld cruise on the Nile a decade ago—it’s cool to be able to pull right up close to where you’re going and I suspect sailing along European river ways may be even more charming…but for that money I think I’d prefer a luxury all inclusive cruise line (Regent, Seabourn) or giant suite on Celebrity for a Baltic or Croatian itinerary. On the other hand, the ABD really seems to cater to excursions for tweens/teens.

 

[AstroBlasters]

$30k for 7 nights … or…

300 AUL points… annually.

Tough call.

Expensive for sure. But we already have enough points for a week in a 2 bedroom ocean view at Aulani every year and 6 nights in a Grand Cal 1 bedroom…. so I don’t think more time at Aulani or Disneyland is going to move the needle for us…

I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany with an Aunt and Uncle when I was 13 (as the babysitter and luggage boy ) and still have memories of it to this day.

The experience of being in other countries is one of the reasons I went with a girlfriend to Venice when we were in college on cheap student travel deals while everyone else was going to Mexico…. it’s one of the reasons I took my wife to London and Paris soon after we met…. her family never traveled outside the US and she always wanted to go, but didn’t have the expectation that she could….

So that is the debate…. it’s much more expensive to do overseas travel with kids… but it also can have a lasting impact on how they see the world…. decisions decisions…..

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany with an Aunt and Uncle when I was 13 (as the babysitter and luggage boy ) and still have memories of it to this day.

So that is the debate…. it’s much more expensive to do overseas traveled with kids… but it also can have a lasting impact on how they see the world…. decisions decisions…..

That’s what EPCOT is for!

Mostly joking, but I had parents who had no interest in traveling overseas and EPCOT pavilions were the closest I got to seeing other global cultures when I was a kid (and we only went there once)—but EPCOT’s world showcase made a huge impression on me and helped inspire a lifelong love of travel and cultural exchange.

My husband’s biggest concern about binging on DVC points was that we only have so many vacation days/dollars and he was worried we wouldn’t take as many trips to explore other continents….but my feeling is that the kids are only going to be really excited about Disney a few more years and I want to squeeze out every last childhood Disney parks memory while I can.

Meanwhile, I have been asking my kids about their favorite trip last year. In 2023, we spent Jan 1 and Dec 31 at WDW, did a few Disney cruises, traveled to Japan and Korea (including TDR), and spent Thanksgiving at Aulani. They both say Aulani was their very favorite. When I asked why, my 9yo said: they have the best soda machines and you can get as many refills as you want.

 

[AstroBlasters]

That’s what EPCOT is for!

Mostly joking, but I had parents who had no interest in traveling overseas and EPCOT pavilions were the closest I got to seeing other global cultures when I was a kid (and we only went there once)—but EPCOT’s world showcase made a huge impression on me and helped inspire a lifelong love of travel and cultural exchange.

My husband’s biggest concern about binging on DVC points was that we only have so many vacation days/dollars and he was worried we wouldn’t take as many trips to explore other continents….but my feeling is that the kids are only going to be really excited about Disney a few more years and I want to squeeze out every last childhood Disney parks memory while I can.

Meanwhile, I have been asking my kids about their favorite trip last year. In 2023, we spent Jan 1 and Dec 31 at WDW, did a few Disney cruises, traveled to Japan and Korea (including TDR), and spent Thanksgiving at Aulani. They both say Aulani was their very favorite. When I asked why, my 9yo said: they have the best soda machines and you can get as many refills as you want.

That sounds like an amazing year!

 

[Unclelude]

$30k for 7 nights … or…

300 AUL points… annually.

Tough call.

Hehe... It really is! We had the Mediterranean member cruise booked ( was gonna be 20k all in) ... After 5 months I couldn't come to terms with it.. refunded cruise ... And bought more points....lol

I really want to do a member cruise sometime tho...

 

[DonMacGregor]

I'm a Southern Californian who can drive to DLR, but we like the more relaxed pace (and better weather) at Aulani. We also own at BCV and VGF and adore them both, but Aulani is the only spot where I actually feel like I'm relaxing more than I'm hustling.

We need to form a thread (or support group?) where we keep an eye out for AUL contracts at fire sale prices. We own 200 points at AUL and I'm already thinking about borrowing my 2025 points into 2024...

Pretty much the same boat here, although we can and do feel relaxed in WDW, and will likely continue our December visits long into the future, removing any scheduling or reservations re: theme parks definitely gives Aulani the edge for relaxation. I mean, it's Hawaii. Plus, since we've been vacationing in Hawaii for decades, we do what we want to do when we want to do it, and typically have zero plans prior to arrival, regardless of what island we are visiting. The only DVC trips we tend to make longer term plans for are our mid-year trips to WDW for F&W, etc. For those, we do make a few more concrete plans, but the beauty of DVC is that you really can let go of the "must-get-this-done" mindset knowing there will be plenty more trips ahead.

We started buying Aulani in 2022 (had stayed on cash stays several times before), and we're now up to 375 points there.

 

[Paul Stupin]

$30k for 7 nights … or…

300 AUL points… annually.

Tough call.

I’m with you on this. And river cruising is an entirely different beast than ocean cruising, which we far prefer. Of course, all ships are fun, but there were many relatively unpleasant surprises we had on a Viking Rhine River cruise a few years ago:
1. Most excursions involve several hours on a bus.
2. Depending on the time of year, the water level of the river can make it impossible to cruise, so instead of actually cruising, you’re transported from one docked ship to another by bus every single night of the cruise. Luckily, didn’t happen to us, but it can happen, and often does.
3. Very little time actually spent cruising. You mostly travel down the river at night while you sleep, so you basically wake up every day already at your destination. As a result, the entire experience isn’t particularly relaxing.
4. Not a whole lot of space on those river ships.

I would also check the price for various, if not identical non Disney river cruises. The excursions are pretty much exactly the same, and I’d bet there are kids programs worth investigating offered by other cruise lines. The savings would be substantial.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’m with you on this. And river cruising is an entirely different beast than ocean cruising, which we far prefer. Of course, all ships are fun, but there were many relatively unpleasant surprises we had on a Viking Rhine River cruise a few years ago:
1. Most excursions involve several hours on a bus.
2. Depending on the time of year, the water level of the river can make it impossible to cruise, so instead of actually cruising, you’re transported from one docked ship to another by bus every single night of the cruise. Luckily, didn’t happen to us, but it can happen, and often does.
3. Very little time actually spent cruising. You mostly travel down the river at night while you sleep, so you basically wake up every day already at your destination. As a result, the entire experience isn’t particularly relaxing.
4. Not a whole lot of space on those river ships.

I would also check the price for various, if not identical non Disney river cruises. The excursions are pretty much exactly the same, and I’d bet there are kids programs worth investigating offered by other cruise lines. The savings would be substantial.

Ocean cruising doesn’t particularly interest me and my wife has stated she will never step foot on a large cruise ship. That might mellow over time, but definitely not anytime soon.

If it’s 5k per person and we get 2 rooms and it’s inclusive of all meals, excursions, drinks with meals, and tips…. that’s $2,857 a night… that’s really not too bad for a curated experience with guides.

Frequent bussing would be miserable, as one of the perks would be “only having to unpack once”. More things to consider….

Thank you for the insights.

 

[Paul Stupin]

Ocean cruising doesn’t particularly interest me and my wife has stated she will never step foot on a large cruise ship. That might mellow over time, but definitely not anytime soon.

If it’s 5k per person and we get 2 rooms and it’s inclusive of all meals, excursions, drinks with meals, and tips…. that’s $2,857 a night… that’s really not too bad for a curated experience with guides.

Frequent bussing would be miserable, as one of the perks would be “only having to unpack once”. More things to consider….

Thank you for the insights.

FWIW, we quite disliked all the bussing. Every day we’d get off the ship, and there would be a huge line of busses waiting for us to get into. Most but not all of the rides were kinda long. It completely turned us off to river cruising.

Would probably be worth researching how the river cruise lines handle things when there’s both not enough water in the river, or something is wrong with a lock, and how they move you from ship to ship to spend the night, transporting your luggage every day. That kind of fine print is in every contract, and it happens more often than you’d think.

I also still think it’s worth comparing the experience offered by competitors, which provide a level of curation as well.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

FWIW, we quite disliked all the bussing. Every day we’d get off the ship, and there would be a huge line of busses waiting for us to get into. Most but not all of the rides were kinda long. It completely turned us off to river cruising.

Would probably be worth researching how the river cruise lines handle things when there’s both not enough water in the river, or something is wrong with a lock, and how they move you from ship to ship to spend the night, transporting your luggage every day. That kind of fine print is in every contract, and it happens more often than you’d think.

I also still think it’s worth comparing the experience offered by competitors, which provide a level of curation as well.

While other river cruise lines sometimes have a few sailings where children are welcome, I think most lines do not want children and do not permit them under a certain age (maybe 10?)— this may have changed but it was basically impossible to do a river cruise when I was looking a few years ago with a 4 and 6 year old. Disney seemed to take

FWIW, I think how much time you spend on buses can vary by itinerary (it’s my biggest pet peeve about ocean cruises to most of Italy — takes a couple hours to get to the major cities), some of the river cruises do put you in the heart of the city. Generally I prefer traveling on my own pace to being in a big group tour on any ship or program, but some of the options Disney puts on look particularly fun for kids/families.

 

[CarolynFH]

For those of you with questions about river cruising, I suggest the Cruise Critic River Cruising forum https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/. DH and I took two with Viking that we enjoyed very much, and neither was affected by river levels (which can be too high as well as too low), but that is a significant concern every summer.

Some river cruise companies don’t allow children at all - I think Viking’s minimum age is 18 now. As PP mentioned above, there aren’t a lot of activities on board other than eating and sleeping, except when cruising through particularly scenic sections of the river.

 

[AstroBlasters]

So… I made an offer on another Aulani contract…. probably lower than will be accepted…. but we’ll see….

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

So… I made an offer on another Aulani contract…. probably lower than will be accepted…. but we’ll see….

You might be keeping a floor on Aulani prices all by yourself. I don’t judge though, I am also tempted to add.

 

[DisneyMimiUSMC]

So… I made an offer on another Aulani contract…. probably lower than will be accepted…. but we’ll see….

I had one too many glasses of wine a few weeks ago and made an Aulani offer without discussing it with my husband. I was remorseful for a moment but figured they wouldn't accept it because I came in $25 pp under asking. I woke up to a congratulations email the next morning. That was a fun conversation with my husband. Good thing he's a good sport.