Trying to decided how to get to Aulani..

[RookWDW]

Help needed to figure out the best way to get to Aulani for Christmas 2023 - which will go with a planned MVC week for a two week trip.

I have a small 60 pointe Poly contract, Sept use year. I have 30 2021 points banked (expired Aug 31, 2023). For December 2023 I'll have available 60 2022 points (if I bank), 60 2023 points, and 60 2024 points (if I borrow). But that is only 180 points. I'd want a one bedroom which appears to be around 350 points.

I see a few different options:

1. Rent out 150 Poly points to Davids or similar for around $18 per point, or $2700; then rent Aulani points at $23, or roughly $7,000-8,000.
2. Buy 100 Aulani points ($19,000 direct or roughly $14,000 resale - plus fees and dues), and plan to go once every three years, or use those points elsewhere in DVC.
3. Buy 100 Poly points (which we normally would use more often)(roughly $17,000 resale, plus fee and dues or who knows when they start selling the new deal direct) and wait until 7 months and hope to get a booking at Aulani at Christmas. Plus side is that Poly is getting the new1 and 2 bedroom suites and we love the Poly, and airflight is easy from Ohio. Downside is our kids are getting older (12 / 16) and while we love the Poly I'm not certain on how much we will continue to use it.
4. Screw all this and just rent on Redweek or similar and find time to go to Poly again with those points, which is a bit hard as we already have one trip to HHI planned and another MVC week to trade and limited vacation time.
5. Maybe there is another option I'm missing?
6. EDIT to add: I could also try to trade the Poly points through II. Have not looked at what that gets me yet.

Appreciate any thoughts and advice.

 

[bnoble]

Buying points for a single trip doesn’t sound like a good idea unless you genuinely want to use more DVC points regularly. If you’ve been to Aulani and know you want to go often that’s different.

 

[cory30]

Given your desire for a high demand time period, it it were me I would do the following:

- rent out all of my Poly points (I prefer to rent points myself but a third-party broker is certainly an option but will provide less return)
- identify the number of Aulani points required and contract with another DVC member to either a) transfer the required number of points to your account (you would then make the reservation at the 11 month window and control the reservation; b) have the DVC member make the reservation on your behalf (a third party could be used for this option as well although again more cost outlay). This will ensure that you get the reservation and room type you want during a high demand period of time.

If it were me, I would not use this trip as a factor in purchasing additional points unless you know you want more points anyway to use on a recurring basis.

 

[sunski]

You could also try to see if anyone wants to "swap" points and maybe has some extra Aulani points to sell. Or do it as two separate transactions and save the expense of a middleperson.

Poly is a hard resort to book, so there's possibly someone with Aulani points who might want to do their tropical vacation at WDW this coming year.

I do not suggest buying more points, as your children are getting older, unless you like to be in the rental game.

 

[RookWDW]

Thanks. I have been thinking about if we want more DVC points as 60 at Poly is limited, especially when they open the 1 and 2 bedroom units (i'm assuming they will be under the same contract). BUT ... the kids getting older gives me a bit of pause on it.

 

[RookWDW]

Where do you find people to sell / buy points from? Also, how do you transfer points for one time use like that?

 

[bnoble]

i'm assuming they will be under the same contract

I would not make this assumption. The recent changes in pricing suggest that the restrictions on RIV have had no practical impact on demand, so there's no real downside of making it a separate association.