DVC Question of the Week: 4/25

[texhanddoc]

I thought I would try to get some conversations started and get the forums more active. I would like to start some DVC questions of the week. Feel free to put your opinions below. Would love to hear from you.

Also, my buying DVC guide is almost done. Just need to do the excel spreadsheets.


DVC Question: Do you plan to use Aulani in your DVC vacationing plans?

[lisapennie]

Probably - DH and I have discussed it, and since airfare from Chicago to Hawaii is relatively insane most of the time, it would be a way to do Hawaii for a lot less money. We have enough DVC points that we can be fairly flexible with how we use them, and we don't go down more than once a year or so because of the distance, so a slightly higher point trip to Hawaii could be a viable option.

[blyday]

Yes......I'd like to get down there sometime in the next 5 years. We both LOVE Hawai'i and we LOVE Disney......both mixed together......well can't get closer to perfect then that!!!!

[vicki_c]

I would like to, but I'm not sure we ever will due to lack of points. I haven't really investigated the points requirements but since we only have 160, I'm not sure. I would never want to use multiple years' points to go there, since we like to go to WDW. But I would like for my family to go to Hawaii. I am the only one in our family who has been there and it was when I was a teenager (circa 1981!).

[IzzyQ]

I would love to but I'm not sure it'll ever happen. It's more likely when my kids are older. For now we seem to be on the WDW resort track only.

Amy

[Brandie]

While I've got all four kids at home, probably not. I hope we'll make it once all the kids are out, or maybe when they are older and we can farm them out and it's just my husband and I. I haven't researched airfare, but I imagine it would make the trip too expensive for all of us.

[josh]

$524 a night for a partial oceanview room? :RpS_crying:

[MichaelColey]

I'm not a DVC owner, but I exchange into DVC through RCI.

It's doubtful that Aulani will make its way into RCI for exchange for 2-3 years (and tons could change in that time), but I wouldn't go out of my way to stay there. There are a ton of great Hawaii timeshares I can exchange into. We exchanged into two last year (for a two week trip to Kauai) and are exchanging into three this year (for a three week trip to Kauai, Maui and the Big Island).

DVC has a lot of appeal to us in Orlando because of the on-site perks and the proximity to Disney. Outside of Orlando, I just don't see the draw. It's just another timeshare. Better than most, but there are plenty that are even better.

Even in Orlando, I have a hard time justifying DVC. Compared to exchanging into some of the best non-DVC timeshares (which we can easily exchange into with advance planning - just like DVC), our effective cost is a bit higher exchanging into DVC (although much less than actually owning DVC), the units are smaller, and the kitchen isn't as big/nice. The on-site perks make up for that, but just barely. (In fairness, we've only tried three Orlando DVC properties so far, although we're booked in three others between now and August - we might like some of those better.)

[DizDragonfly]

The DH and I will probably go without the kids someday. We may end up renting points to do it though. We'd have to bank and borrow to do a trip long enough and that's a long time to not have a park trip.

[texhanddoc]

Josh.... that is probably market in Hawaii for a partial oceanview.:RpS_blink:

[daleNchip]

I guess my answer is. . . maybe.

We'd both really like to go to Hawaii one day. And we'd like to take Dale to Hawaii. But the budget just doesn't have Hawaii in it, unfortunately. We pay about $1k a year in DVC dues and I have no idea if the points we have would get us a week at Aulani or if I could get another condo for the same $1k elsewhere.

I'd be willing to give up a week at WDW for a week in Hawaii. It's the cost of the drugs to knock me out as we fly over the ocean that might put me in the poor house. Flying over the ocean weirds me out. Excuse me--I need to go rock in the corner for a bit. . .
:peep:

mk

[texhanddoc]

Haha. I have flown to Hawaii once. The going wasnt bad. The coming back trip is longer. You just need to go rob a bank or turn in a ton of points and fly first class.

[Kate]

Probably not, the price of tickets for 5 is just to prohibitive. Maybe as the kid get older we will consider going just DH and I but right now very unlikely we will make it. But still love reading about it :RpS_biggrin: !

[blyday]

Haha. I have flown to Hawaii once. The going wasnt bad. The coming back trip is longer. You just need to go rob a bank or turn in a ton of points and fly first class.

I agree!!!! One of the worst flights that I've ever been on was coming back home from Hawai'i.......it was a RED eye and no-one slept!!!! Longest flight of my life!!! And we lived in UT at that time....now we are in VA so it would be even worse!!!


I'd be willing to give up a week at WDW for a week in Hawaii. It's the cost of the drugs to knock me out as we fly over the ocean that might put me in the poor house. Flying over the ocean weirds me out. Excuse me--I need to go rock in the corner for a bit. . .

Hmmmm......there has to be a cheap way to do that.....maybe this: :brick:.....no....wait.....then you wouldn't be able to enjoy Hawai'i......ok.....I've got nothing!!!!

[mdsd8700]

We are planning for June, 2012. Our 7th month window would be November so still more than 6 months away, but time does fly.

DS will be graduating from HS in June so we will use it as a graduation trip as well as a vacation. Since we will not likely go back to Hawaii for many years after this trip using graduation for a reason to go will work for us.

My husband and I went to Maui about 9 years ago with his company and we enjoyed it, although it isn't something that I would want to do on any regular basis. Our DS is a huge WWII buff so Pearl Harbor is really something that he wants to experience and talks about it often. I know that will mean alot to him. Which makes the graduation trip even better.

As well Aulani looks amazing to me. Having no real experience with hotels in Hawaii I obvisiously don't have much to compare it to. 8 years ago we stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Wailea (very nice), which was next door to the Grand Wailea and that was beautiful!!

Hopefully it will work out and our plan to go next June will stay on track! :RpS_smile:

[Darcie]

Yes! We are booked for a week in November. For anyone interested, 7 nights in a 1 BR island view was 308 points.

[Brandie]

Anyone have any thoughts on how hard it will be to book Aulani at 7 months?

[texhanddoc]

I cant imagine its too difficult.

[Michele1607]

Aulani looks pretty stunning on the DVC site but I think Hawai flights for us from the UK will be v.high... so doubt it's viable particularly with our DS now 6. His concept of travelling to the US is very much WDW. We've still got many years ahead of us on our DVC lease though so who knows maybe it'll be a good 30 year wedding anniversary trip.

[Mommyrella]

I think I might be the only person on the planet to have very little desire to go to Hawaii, so probably not.

[texhanddoc]

Hey Jill!! Welcome!

No desire to go to Hawaii? You have something against great weather, beautiful beaches, and a lot of fun outdoor activities?

[atlgator]

I think I might be the only person on the planet to have very little desire to go to Hawaii, so probably not.

Nope, you can add me to that list, too. I guess I would like to go once in my life, but it is a long and expensive flight from Atlanta, especially for a family of five. Maybe one day when the kids are grown DH and I will try to use our points there. I would really love to go back to Bermuda more than anything. No volcanoes, but it is a beautiful island.

[blyday]

I think I might be the only person on the planet to have very little desire to go to Hawaii, so probably not.

I felt that way.......until we went with my family. (My parents paid for us all to go from the inheritance from my grandma). DH and I feel in LOVE with Hawaii and quite seriously.....would love to live there some day. I do want to get back there sometime soon.