Early planning for 2020 and not sure where to begin...

[Surgie2]

Our family of 10 (6 adults and 4 preschoolers) just returned from from WDW and are already thinking about our family vacation for 2020. We love Hawaii and we like Disney and thought maybe Aulani and somewhere else on Oahu might be a good combination.

1. Can someone point me to the process of reserving at Aulani? I know a little bit about David's and point rentals but not much. I saw the sticky in this forum on how to choose location. Can someone give me a current price in dollars, not points, for a 3 bedroom villa in mid-July? Obviously will change in 2 years.

2. We want to split our time with 2-3 nights at Aulani and the rest of the time (10-12 nights) in a house rental on the windward side. Coming from Illinois so there will be jet lag. Trying to decide which first - wondering if kids will think beach house is sleepy after the excitement of Aulani. But then Aulani at the end doesn't seem as relaxing. We will have rental cars but don't plan to do much island exploring while at Aulani.

3. Reviews...I know opinions vary, but there have been recent very negative reviews about Aulani on a different travel forum. Outdated rooms...crowded...kids activities difficult ti sign up for, etc. Of course there are positive ones, but enough negative to make me wonder.

4. I'll continue to read this forum but if there are other resources that would help me in planning that would be great.

 

[keaster]

I'll try to answer as much as a I can!

1. If you go to David's website, he has a cost calculator that shows the cost both in points and dollars. For example July 18-20 this year would be $4480 for a standard view grand villa and $5888 for an ocean view. Your issue would be availability. July is very popular and only 2 of the 20 grand villas are standard view and would be hard to get as owners can book at the 11 month mark. You could explore booking two rooms to spread people out.

2. We come from Toronto, so we understand jet lag! Aulani might be better at the end if you are only doing a 2-3 days there as you might be too tired to enjoy the resort fully in that time. There is an amazing splash area for pre-schoolers, the lazy river/tube slide and the main pools. Also activities at Aunty's beach house, character interactions, and of course fun on the beach.

3. We have stayed at Aulani twice (last time March 2017) and we have nothing but good things to say. In fact we purchased more DVC points there so we can have the 11 month advantage to book peak times like summer/Christmas. Caveat here...our daughter was 13 when we started to go so we never used Aunty's beach house so I cannot comment on how hard it is to do the kids activities there. Rooms are definitely not outdated, the resort is clean and fresh (love the indoor/outdoor lobby). Crowded can depend on the time of year you go. The two times we've been in March have been good. July would be busier. The onsite restaurants can be pricey, but with a car you have other options (or with DVC you have a full kitchen so we do some quick and easy meals in the room). Many complaints I see about Aulani is that it is isolated, but I kind of like the fact it's away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki.

One more note...if your trip is in 2020, there could be construction underway on the new Atlantis resort planned for next door, so keep in mind construction noise/activity could be an issue.

Hope that help a bit! We are heading back to Aulani at the end of August and we truly believe it's one of the best places we have ever stayed at!

 

[Surgie2]

Thanks for your helpful reply. This is what is confusing to me:

Your issue would be availability. July is very popular and only 2 of the 20 grand villas are standard view and would be hard to get as owners can book at the 11 month mark.

Since we are not an owner, I assume we cannot book until 7 months in advance? Yet David's website states:
For popular dates, breaks and holidays, it is best to be earlier than the recommended time lines. For June, July, August and December all room types book at least 8 months in advance.

Is he referring to owners? It is very hard for me to imagine not securing accommodations until 7 months in advance of our trip which is why I have always reserved the traditional way for Disney resorts. I would rather pay more to know I could get what I want (and have a lenient cancellation policy which David's does not.) Plus our house rental will depend on getting Aulani on the dates we need so we don't have a gap in accommodations and I won't wait until 7 months out to reserve a house. Ugh...is this point rental stuff the only way to book Aulani?

 

[keaster]

Thanks for your helpful reply. This is what is confusing to me:



Since we are not an owner, I assume we cannot book until 7 months in advance? Yet David's website states:
For popular dates, breaks and holidays, it is best to be earlier than the recommended time lines. For June, July, August and December all room types book at least 8 months in advance.

Is he referring to owners? It is very hard for me to imagine not securing accommodations until 7 months in advance of our trip which is why I have always reserved the traditional way for Disney resorts. I would rather pay more to know I could get what I want (and have a lenient cancellation policy which David's does not.) Plus our house rental will depend on getting Aulani on the dates we need so we don't have a gap in accommodations and I won't wait until 7 months out to reserve a house. Ugh...is this point rental stuff the only way to book Aulani?

You can book Aulani online on their website or by calling. However, I'm not familiar with the room types available for the hotel booking side as we've never booked that way or if the grand villas can be booked directly. I would call to see what the process is.

 

[alohamom]

You can book earlier through Davids but you will be paying more (I think) I booked a rental of DVC points at the 10 month mark for a studio. We were renting in August and I knew it was going to be very busy and I didnt want to risk waiting. As soon as I knew we were good to go, I contacted Davids.

DVC owners of the resort can book at 11 months at their home resort, DVC owners at other resorts can book at 7 months at resorts other than their home ones.


July and August are busy, like wall to wall people busy during the peak of the afternoon. We always found room in the beach/lagoon area and the lazy river was never too bad with being over crowded. If you are prepared for this reality you will be fine.

I honestly think they need to keep the pools open later, I think it would alleviate the crowds. I have older teens who love to swim at anytime of the day and we use Aulani as a base when on Oahu. We go out during the day but find ourselves making sure to be back in the late afternoon so we can swim a bit before they pools close. If they were open later, we probably would take our time and swim mostly in the evening.

I personally feel Aulani has slipped a little as far as luxury touches go but it is still a fantastic resort with lovely cast members and an excellent pools. Until Atlantis exists I personally think it is the best family resort on Oahu. This includes all the places in Waikiki and the Marriott down the beach from Aulani.

 

[jodybird511]

Ugh...is this point rental stuff the only way to book Aulani?

You can book the DVC rooms directly through Aulani and pay cash, but you will be paying OODLES more than if you rent points through David's or somewhere else.

 

[Surgie2]

I honestly think they need to keep the pools open later, I think it would alleviate the crowds. I have older teens who love to swim at anytime of the day and we use Aulani as a base when on Oahu. We go out during the day but find ourselves making sure to be back in the late afternoon so we can swim a bit before they pools close. If they were open later, we probably would take our time and swim mostly in the evening.

I personally feel Aulani has slipped a little as far as luxury touches go but it is still a fantastic resort with lovely cast members and an excellent pools. Until Atlantis exists I personally think it is the best family resort on Oahu. This includes all the places in Waikiki and the Marriott down the beach from Aulani.

I understand what you’re saying. Our grandkids will be 3-8 at the time of the trip so we are probably ok with ending our nights early. We love Oahu and I’m just trying to wrap my head around a “Disney version” of the island and it’s not computing lol! But I know the kids would love it. As PP said it might be better to go to Aulani at the end of the trip so we can fully enjoy before heading home.

 

[alohamom]

Ugh...is this point rental stuff the only way to book Aulani?

You can book the DVC rooms directly through Aulani and pay cash, but you will be paying OODLES more than if you rent points through David's or somewhere else.

If you decide to not rent points and book directly through Disney be aware that Aulani sometimes runs seasonal specials. I dont know if there are summer ones though. They include extras like resort credits and room discounts. They can offer some fairly substantial savings but you need to book early (which is totally what you have in mind anyway so obviously not an issue) Like other Disney direct bookings you can book with a deposit and cancel without penalty right up until

One thing I like with booking points is that you do not have to pay for parking when renting DVC points. This saves about $37/night. You pay for parking when you book directly with Disney. Of course, this could change by the time your trip comes around.

 

[alohamom]

We love Oahu and I’m just trying to wrap my head around a “Disney version” of the island and it’s not computing lol! But I know the kids would love it. As PP said it might be better to go to Aulani at the end of the trip so we can fully enjoy before heading home.

Oh I totally hear you on that. We travel to Hawaii on a regular basis and have been to all the islands multiple times. I resisted Aulani for years because I didnt want a "Disney version" like you said but it is honestly great. I really wish it was on a better beach but there are so many beautiful ones on Oahu it makes for great day tripping.

 

[Lewisc]

You can book the DVC rooms directly through Aulani and pay cash, but you will be paying OODLES more than if you rent points through David's or somewhere else.

Promotional rates, discounted rooms and resort credits, bring Aulani cost close to the cost renting points for some stays. You'll have better cancellation, and payment terms if you make a conventional booking, either direct or through a travel agent. You'll have daily maid service and daily replenishment of supplies such as coffee and laundry detergent. You'll have to pay for parking. I think cash reservations have a better shot of upgrades then point reservations. My understanding, not sure if it's a real fact or an internet fact, is Disney will almost never voluntarily upgrade a point reservation. They don't want to treat some owners better then others. Obviously overbooking (room availability issues) would be an exception. I was upgraded from an island view studio to an island view one bedroom. I had no problem paying for parking

 

[alohamom]

I think cash reservations have a better shot of upgrades then point reservations.

I agree with this. The first time we stayed at Aulani we could not get all of our nights booked with DVC so we bought two extra nights directly at the beginning of our stay. We were upgraded to oceanview. We have never been upgraded with DVC point rental stays. This doesnt mean it is guaranteed to happen but I have read this elsewhere as well and then it happened to us.

 

[Surgie2]

Promotional rates, discounted rooms and resort credits, bring Aulani cost close to the cost renting points for some stays. You'll have better cancellation, and payment terms if you make a conventional booking, either direct or through a travel agent. You'll have daily maid service and daily replenishment of supplies such as coffee and laundry detergent. You'll have to pay for parking.

I think the cancellation policy is what scares me from renting points. You never know what's going to happen and even trip insurance doesn't cover everything. But I have lots of time to think about it and I appreciate everyone's advice.

 

[pharmama]

Thanks for your helpful reply. This is what is confusing to me:



Since we are not an owner, I assume we cannot book until 7 months in advance? Yet David's website states:
For popular dates, breaks and holidays, it is best to be earlier than the recommended time lines. For June, July, August and December all room types book at least 8 months in advance.

Is he referring to owners? It is very hard for me to imagine not securing accommodations until 7 months in advance of our trip which is why I have always reserved the traditional way for Disney resorts. I would rather pay more to know I could get what I want (and have a lenient cancellation policy which David's does not.) Plus our house rental will depend on getting Aulani on the dates we need so we don't have a gap in accommodations and I won't wait until 7 months out to reserve a house. Ugh...is this point rental stuff the only way to book Aulani?

To be clear, David's is a middleman. DVC owners who aren't going to use their points (or just want to make the $$ instead) sign a contract with David's who pays them $13/point. David's then sells those points to non-DVC owners for $16/point. They get point contracts from owners at lots of different resort so you can submit a request to book at the 11 month window. If they have a point contract with enough points from an owner with Aulani as their home resort then you will be able to secure that reservation. HOWEVER, there is a $1/point premium on reservations booked in the 11-7 month window (so $17/point. This is directly passed to the owner- David's pays the owner $14/point in the 11-7 month window).

We are renting through David's for our upcoming Aulani stay in October which we booked a little over 6 months out. Initially when I put in my request they did not have enough points available but within 48hrs had secured enough points for my reservations (there were actually 3 reservations that needed to be booked as 'all or nothing'). So far it's been a positive process.

You can book directly through Aulani for sure. It is substantially more cost effective to do a DVC rental but the cancellation is much more strict as you mention. I don't remember the exact cancellation policy when booking direct but I supposed you could consider booking through Aulani and then trying DVC rental as well (and cancel the direct booking if DVC comes through).

 

[corgi_monster]

Be VERY VERY careful when renting a vacation home. People have been renting through airbnb and vrbo without problems for years, but illegal rentals have become a hot button political issue in the past few months and the city is very actively trying to shut down illegal rentals by imposing new fees and fines. The council is currently considering raising building permit fees, presumably to hire more inspectors to shut down illegal rentals.

When renting, ask the owner for their bed and breakfast license number or their transient vacation rental #. If they don't have one, they could be shutdown by the time you arrive in 2020. There are only two scenarios where an owner is not required to have a license - if the rental is for 30+ days or if the rental is located in an area zoned as "resort." As far as I know, there are no resort zoned areas in Kailua and Kaneohe. Ponds at Punaluu is the closest "resort" I can think of to the windward side.