Considering buying Disney's Aulani

[gmarine]

Before signing on the dotted line be sure to walk two lagoons over and check out Marriott's Ko Olina resort.

The kids will be kids for only so long and 10 years from now you may end up kicking yourself for buying at Aulani instead of the Marriott property.

To me Aulani is a cement pad; Marriott's Ko Olina has far better landscaping (just my opinion).

Best of luck with your final decision!





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I agree 100%. We were stayed at Marriott Ko Olina last month and visited Aulani while we were there. Beautiful resort but way too crowded. The beach at Aulani was packed with chairs so much so that you could barely walk around. Pool areas were packed with people as well.

The Marriott is beautiful without the crowds of people. Both of our kids commented on how they liked the Marriott better because Aulani was too crowded. Take your time and dont rush into anything.

 

[Kapolei]

I agree 100%. We were stayed at Marriott Ko Olina last month and visited Aulani while we were there. Beautiful resort but way too crowded. The beach at Aulani was packed with chairs so much so that you could barely walk around. Pool areas were packed with people as well.

The Marriott is beautiful without the crowds of people. Both of our kids commented on how they liked the Marriott better because Aulani was too crowded. Take your time and dont rush into anything.

the Marriott is definitely a better option if you plan on coming year after year

way, way more relaxing for adults ... yet, still great for kids

 

[cayman01]

I'm here for seven days, and in a hotel room, 112 points it would cost me if I was a member but since I'm not I'm paying $3550 for the week.

So would I really need 350 points in the future? The room is nice and all, but we are doing our best to spend all waking moments outside and in the resort because it's so awesome with all of its activities.

You CAN save money by using a smaller room, but as the kids get older you are going to need more space, and I really don't think points are going to get cheaper.

Let's look at Marriott Ko Olina for a second. You can get a 2BR on the resale market for around $7-10k depending on the season. Maintenance will run you around $2000 a week. Much more affordable AND A BIGGER UNIT. The kids get their OWN room.

Of course, you have to like it. As a few have suggested, walk over there and see what it is like. Take a tour. Maybe it's not your style and it reinforces Disney as the place you want to stay. Compare it to what you see at Disney. Maybe the grass IS greener at the other resort.

The main thing to consider is your family's happiness. It sounds like you are having a great vacation with everybody thoroughly enjoying themselves. At this point you really are not missing anything as you haven't experienced a larger accommodation. Once you experience a 1BR or larger vacation there IS NO GOING BACK, LOL. And I am sure that almost 100% of TUGer's would agree with me on this.

I just wanted you to see the actual outlay for Disney for accommodations that you WILL NEED in future years. You can get Aulani resale for around $100-105/pt. Disney does have ROFR on any sale. I used Bay Lake as an example for the cheaper maintenance fees.

Lastly, some have mentioned how they rent out half their points to pay MF's for the year. It DOES work, BUT you have to double your upfront outlay. Meaning you have to buy 650 points which is going to cost around $70k out of pocket. You can get $13-14/pt renting, and with MF's at $7, you are covering all your maintenance. It's just the huge outlay upfront that gets you. This was a great idea back when you could get SSR and OKW for $50/pt. and it only cost you $15K out of pocket for 300 pts., of which you only needed 150 for a week's vacation.

Good luck with your choice and enjoy your vacation!

 

[smmatrix]

You could rent from an owner, but at $15-16 per point, it adds up. Also, you have to find someone with the points you need when you need them. As an owner, I can check the DVC member website whenever I want. For this last trip, we changed our days three times, and it was as easy as pie on the DVC site. Renting from an owner generally means you can't change or cancel your reservation. We considered buying DVC a few years ago but held off because of the purchase price. Now that we are in the system, we are kicking ourselves for not buying sooner when the prices were lower...

On this stay, I tried to rent points from David's DVC rental site but nothing for Aulani was available. I booked two months out. $3550/wk for a hotel room seemed nuts but it is what it is.

I'm convinced I should try to buy resale. Someone mentioned here it may be a good idea to purchase 50 points direct from Aulani, and then maybe I can add 200 point resale iat at a later date. That way the entire 250 points gives me the full 11 month booking window. The salesman was OK with it and said it was a good strategy. He said the resale points would not be valid toward Disney hotels or cruises. The salesman also warned that Disney's first right refusal may make it difficult to add resale points under $120 per point.

I haven't signed the contract to purchase 50 points yet. I will sleep on it and sign tomorrow evening. Disney sales reps are very low pressure.

By the way, I walked down to the Marriott resort yesterday evening and it was totally different. Many less things to do, low-key, and less beach chairs/umbrellas, low-energy, more intimate. Seems like a nice resort to visit and stay while you visit the orher attractions on the island. Not sure if I would want to spend a week there without a car. I'm pretty sure our Worldmark membership fills this need.

 

[DeniseM]

It's just a bad idea to buy while you are still under the influence of that resort glow - go home and think about it. The exact same thing will be available after you get home.

Even buying part of it resale, this is going to be a very expensive proposition

IMNSHO - if you have to finance any of it, that's a deal killer. Financing off-sets any value of owning.

 

[famy27]

On this stay, I tried to rent points from David's DVC rental site but nothing for Aulani was available. I booked two months out. $3550/wk for a hotel room seemed nuts but it is what it is.

Just a warning that even as an owner, you'd be unlikely to get anything but Saratoga Springs at two months out. If you are buying Aulani points for the booking window, you'll generally want to make your reservations 11 months before check-in. If you buy SSR or other cheaper points, you'll still need to reserve at 7 months, and some of the cheapest point units may already be gone. With timesharing, you need to be able to plan ahead.

 

[smmatrix]

It's just a bad idea to buy while you are still under the influence of that resort glow - go home and think about it. The exact same thing will be available after you get home.

Even buying part of it resale, this is going to be a very expensive proposition

IMNSHO - if you have to finance any of it, that's a deal killer. Financing off-sets any value of owning.

Yeah, I know better to finance anything. Price is $171 per point. I wonder if DVC is flexible and if this price is negotiable. I see some printed discounts at higher point levels, and it looks like prices are firm otherwise.

It'll be about $9000 for 50 points including some closing fees. $2000 down and they'll hit my credit in 90 days for the balance.

Now I'm thinking "Why again am I buying some points from developer?" Based on advice in this thread, I thought I would buy minimum points and then resale the remainder. This way, I'll still have Aulani booking privileges of booking Christmas week 11 months out, but doesn't purchasing Aulani resale points offer the same privilege? Having a bit of Information overload... I'm confused what advantages with buying 50 points directly from DVC offer? Now, I'm back considering buying 250 points of Aulani resale instead.

 

[Serina]

To share our experience with DVC, we have both resale and direct from Disney points. We haven't regretted any of the purchases. For Aulani and the other smaller DVC resorts, I find having the 11 month booking advantage to be a big plus - especially if you are limited to a school vacation calendar.

If you buy a small direct from Disney contract, you will get all the perks entitled to being a DVC member - resale only points won't get those perks.

We LOVED Aulani too!

 

[cayman01]

discounts

Small DVC contracts get no discounts from Disney. OTOH they tend to sell for more resale. Good luck with your purchase. Buying from Disney DOES get you all the perks, the biggest being the discount on Annual Passes to the theme parks. I'm sure with the little ones they will be begging for a trip to Orlando soon.

One small piece of advice. When coming to Orlando plan two trips. No more than 11 months apart. That way you can buy the annual passes and use them TWICE. A huge savings for a family of 4.

 

[MIDisfan]

Yeah, I know better to finance anything. Price is $171 per point. I wonder if DVC is flexible and if this price is negotiable. I see some printed discounts at higher point levels, and it looks like prices are firm otherwise.

It'll be about $9000 for 50 points including some closing fees. $2000 down and they'll hit my credit in 90 days for the balance.

Now I'm thinking "Why again am I buying some points from developer?" Based on advice in this thread, I thought I would buy minimum points and then resale the remainder. This way, I'll still have Aulani booking privileges of booking Christmas week 11 months out, but doesn't purchasing Aulani resale points offer the same privilege? Having a bit of Information overload... I'm confused what advantages with buying 50 points directly from DVC offer? Now, I'm back considering buying 250 points of Aulani resale instead.

Yes the booking window is the same regardless of how you purchase. IMO, what you gain buying direct, as far as perks go, is not worth the premium over resale on a larger point size contract.

Resale purchases cannot be used for Disney Cruises and other collections available to Direct purchases. Big deal, if you want to take a cruise, rent your points out, and use the cash for it. It's a much better value than booking with points anyways.

Resale purchases no longer get the dining discounts or AP discounts. If you don't plan on doing Disney World it's irrelevant to you. You can always add on 25 points direct to get these discounts.

I would hold off until you research some more. There is no hurry to sign the contract for those 50 points.

 

[Serina]

[QUOTE=cayman01 Buying from Disney DOES get you all the perks, the biggest being the discount on Annual Passes to the theme parks. I'm sure with the little ones they will be begging for a trip to Orlando soon.

Or a discount on an annual pass to Disneyland. (I believe OP lives on the west coast). LOVE Disney's Villas at Grand Californian!

 

[presley]

I believe the discount for the Disneyland annual pass is only $20. and that is only for the pass that costs $1,000. I wouldn't spend $9,000 to get a $20 discount.

smmatrix, I see no reason to buy any points directly. If you buy an old contract with the subsidized MFs, you'll be buying at the best value. Why pay thousands of dollars, an extra closing fee and extra MFs to get a few junky perks? If you buy an annual pass for Disneyland, you get better discounts than you do as a DVC direct purchase owner.

 

[MIDisfan]

Or a discount on an annual pass to Disneyland. (I believe OP lives on the west coast). LOVE Disney's Villas at Grand Californian!

The discount on a Disneyland AP is $20 I believe. IMO, even the $100+ discount on WDW AP isn't enough to justify OP buying a 250 point contract direct. If they decide later the visit WDW enough and want APs, they can add on 25 points direct.

 

[Bailey#1]

Try this Disney re-seller www.resalesdvc.com they have plenty of aulani listings. If you can get a "subsidized dues contract" that will save you money on MF's. Resale prices are about $110.00 a point.

 

[simon.fisher.2]

I apologize if I missed and someone posted earlier...

https://www.disneydvcresale.com/

I like this website a lot as it is a search engine for active DVC resales.

Also - I returned from Aulani this summer and had an absolute blast. If your family is not early risers you might have difficulty finding seats near the pool. It is frustrating when you see all these chairs with only towels on them in the late morning/early afternoon.

The resort is fantastic as you are aware, but I definitely echo what people are saying about the crowds.

The other option is Marriott Ko' Olina. In my opinion - my family would rather go to another beach resort than to go to Ko' Olina for the beach. The draw to Ko' Olina is Aulani for us. I have not stayed at Marriott's property in Ko' Olina, I am sure it is a nice resort.

 

[smmatrix]

smmatrix, I see no reason to buy any points directly. If you buy an old contract with the subsidized MFs, you'll be buying at the best value. Why pay thousands of dollars, an extra closing fee and extra MFs to get a few junky perks? If you buy an annual pass for Disneyland, you get better discounts than you do as a DVC direct purchase owner.

Our salesman said the subsidize maintenance fee contracts do not roll over in resale deals and that they are reset to normal levels. In other words, the subsidized maintenance fees are lost forever once the contract is sold. Anyone confirm?

 

[tschwa2]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/re-subsidized-contracts.3500088/

Here is a discussion from Disboards about subsidized resales.

 

[littlestar]

Just because I am curious, I logged into my DVC account and checked Aulani studio availability for March and early April using my Saratoga points - there was quite a bit of availability.

I have booked Aulani studios in the past for honeymoon presents for friends or for my kids and I have always been able to book studios at the seven month window. I was not booking holiday weeks, though.

 

[smmatrix]

Thanks all for your good advice. I canceled my 50 point purchase and decided to buy entirely resale. Of interesting note is how prices have drastically increased over the last few years. I met a DVC member which bought direct at $85/point in 2011. Prices have been going up every year since and now it's $171/point. Resale hovers around $110/point currently. I bet resale prices were around $50/point a few years ago. Where will prices be 10 years from now?

 

[dansyr2514]

Thanks all for your good advice. I canceled my 50 point purchase and decided buy entirely resale. Of interesting note is how prices have drastically increased over the last few years. I met a DVC member which bought direct at $85/point in 2011. Prices have been going up every year and now it's $171 per point. Resale hovers around $110 a point. Where will prices be 10 years from now?

The good thing with Dvc is that it holds its value better than other timeshares. I'll bet if you changed your mind after purchasing a resale you could probably sell it for just about the same price you bought it within a few years .

 

[elaine]

I have AKV resale and have no regrets. As long as you have a contract for 160 points or less, it should be fairly easy to resell. There is a good network of DVC brokers with high demand, esp. for smaller contracts.
If you really want to go to A every year or EOY and can book prior to 7 months out, I would buy A resale, even if it is a bit higher to ensure priority booking. You can also ask over on disboards.com under DVC forums about availability for 7 mths out. 2 months out for summer travel to Hawaii is unrealistic to expect to get anything at all. Even at WDW with 7 DVCs, it can be tough at 2 mths out.

 

[npmadsen]

I just bought 250 points resale akv in May
Will be going in December booked beach club at
7 months a one bedroom ,I agree one bedrooms are wonderful
I also own hgvc so I feel best of both worlds
I used dvcresalemarket.com they were great. They also have info on the website

Disboards great for information
Good luck

 

[smmatrix]

Thanks everyone for the excellent feedback. I now feel I am an informed buyer and will make the most sound decisions. I will be seeking to purchase 250 points resale over the next year.

 

[icydog]

Thanks all for your good advice. I canceled my 50 point purchase and decided to buy entirely resale. Of interesting note is how prices have drastically increased over the last few years. I met a DVC member which bought direct at $85/point in 2011. Prices have been going up every year since and now it's $171/point. Resale hovers around $110/point currently. I bet resale prices were around $50/point a few years ago. Where will prices be 10 years from now?

I bought my points at $50 per point in 1992. I had lots of contracts and sold them all after my husband died ( something I would never advise doing)

My kids and I couldn't stand not owning DVC so I bought a couple of BCV and OKW (extended to 2057) contracts on the resale market.


I just received notice TODAY that my newest acquisition passed ROFR. I bought 275 BCV points, that included an extra 275 banked 2016 points and 44 2015 points, for $115 a point. By having those extra 275 points in the contract, WITHOUT ME PAYING MAINTENANCE FEES, cut the buy-in price in half.

There are many Disney Vacation Club Aulani available on ResalesDVC.com


There is one there with banked points. That's the only way to buy a resale contract imho.. If you have any questions about what to buy, where to buy (buy where you want to go) or what use year you should buy, just give me a holler by PM or email icydog@comcast.net. I get NO comission From the Tutas Famiy, the owners of the website, but I do recommend them hardily!

 

[frank808]

Also there are only 8 DVC hotel rooms.
When Aulani converted one of the DVC standard view Grand Villa to the Ulu Cafe, they added 8 hotel rooms to the DVC inventory. All 8 are standard view rooms with views of the parking lot. The hotel room has two queen beds but no microwave or toaster.
NOTE: Generally there's lots of competition for the lowest point DVC rooms.

Here are some other threads that you might find helpful
Aulani views - http://www.disboards.com/threads/aulani-villas-views-updated-09-09-2016.2907389/
DVC Resource a Center - http://www.disboards.com/threads/dvc-resource-center.3516203/
Maintenance Fee history - http://www.disboards.com/threads/dvc-resource-center.3516203/#post-55874468

I believe it was one std view grand villa and two 2br units that were converted to Ulu Cafe.
You are correct those 8 hotel rooms are the first to book up almost everytime. Seems like dvc members like to stretch their points.