Booking Aulani today?

[nifferearly]

I forgot to post mine. I got a 2 BR ocean view for Jan 13 for 8 nights at the 7 month window! All views were available when I called. I had asked MS about it a week prior and they said that phase 2 is now available to book, so there's been plenty of availablity at 7 mo.

 

[emilymad]

I called today for this September and no problems. I booked 6 nights in an Island view Studio. I was surprised to get it so close to traveling.

 

[ACDSNY]

I called today for this September and no problems. I booked 6 nights in an Island view Studio. I was surprised to get it so close to traveling.

Wow! Congrats!

 

[rentayenta]

Love hearing about all of the success at the 7 month booking window. I'd love to celebrate our 20th anniversary there in 2013. DH lived in Hawaii for a summer and said it's amazing but to start saving now as it's very expensive.

 

[carlbarry]

Love hearing about all of the success at the 7 month booking window. I'd love to celebrate our 20th anniversary there in 2013. DH lived in Hawaii for a summer and said it's amazing but to start saving now as it's very expensive.

I hate to be a wet blanket for your plans, but the situation may be quite different in 2013. By then, many of the available points should be sold, so owners will be booking more rooms at the 11 month window.
I stayed at the Grand Californian when it was a few months old, and booked in December for a January stay! I hear that now it is difficult to book there. But again, they have way fewer units than Aulani.

 

[rentayenta]

I hate to be a wet blanket for your plans, but the situation may be quite different in 2013. By then, many of the available points should be sold, so owners will be booking more rooms at the 11 month window.
I stayed at the Grand Californian when it was a few months old, and booked in December for a January stay! I hear that now it is difficult to book there. But again, they have way fewer units than Aulani.

Not worried but thanks. I've been able to get into the GCV at both the 6 and 7 mo mark. My DVC mojo is pretty good.

 

[tjkraz]

I hate to be a wet blanket for your plans, but the situation may be quite different in 2013. By then, many of the available points should be sold, so owners will be booking more rooms at the 11 month window.
I stayed at the Grand Californian when it was a few months old, and booked in December for a January stay! I hear that now it is difficult to book there. But again, they have way fewer units than Aulani.

Your experience at the Grand Californian doesn't really foreshadow Aulani to any significant degree. Disney goes through the formal process of "declaring" physical rooms into the timeshare program in small blocks. Yes VGC is small (48 rooms) but had even lower member inventory in its infancy. You may have been competing with a smaller number of owners when you booked VGC, but you also did not have access to the full 48 rooms.

Aulani will have nearly 500 villas available when complete--ten times the size of VGC. That size means it will be fairly easy for members to book at 7 months.

Not all members book at 11 months. When that 7 month window opens, the larger the resort, the greater chances for success.

Just to pull a number of out a hat, let's imagine that members tend to book resorts to 65% occupancy at 11 months. At VGC--with its 48 rooms--there would only be about 16-17 villas left at 7 months for non-owners.

At Aulani, which has about 480 villas, there would be over 160 villas remaining at 7 months.

Certainly these percentages will vary from resort-to-resort and season-to-season but history has shown that it's quite rare for owners to fully book a resort at 11 months.

Greatest success will be had by those calling right at the 7 month mark--at 6.5 months (or less) there are absolutely no guarantees. And there is no way of predicting which views will be available. The Standard View is really small and could often go to owners. Ocean view also seems like it would be popular. But odds of getting a room--any room--appear to be quite high over most of the calendar.

 

[carlbarry]

Not worried but thanks. I've been able to get into the GCV at both the 6 and 7 mo mark. My DVC mojo is pretty good.

Thanks! Good to know. I hope to go back, as my aunt and uncle live in Culver City.

 

[Harleyis#1]

Booked a one bedroom 2/3-12/12 today, getting excited already! Lots of availability when I called.