OK, this is getting ridiculous **New update post #45
 

I'm trying to book Aulani at the 7 month window. This is now the 6th day in a row that I get online at 8:00 AM SHARP, only to find every time that the first day of my window is not available. The rest of the week is available, but just not the first day. So I can't book anything. What irritates me is that the first day shows up as available just minutes beforehand, when I put it in as part of a trial reservation starting on an earlier date.

I could see this happening once or twice, but every single day for 6 days in a row? I'm beyond frustrated, and don't know how to proceed.

I would suggest checking at different times throughout the day, beginning with 12 midnight EST. I have seen availability change periodically at various times and that may work better for you. :)

Next time you see it with the earlier arrival date, book it and call MS to cancel the first few days of the longer booking.

I've been checking this repeatedly throughout the day and evening, but no luck so far. I guess everyone wants to go to Aulani in June. :confused3

Yes, I did call today. The CM basically said that I've just been unlucky, and that others are getting on a split second before. I explained that it's only the first day of the window that disappears, and that it seems strange that this same scenario is repeating itself 6 days in a row. She declined to put through a trouble ticket for the website.

The trouble is that I can't book anything at all because it's always the first day of my dates that shows up as unavailable. For example, when checking if June 19 was available at about 7:45 this morning, I put in a practice reservation for June 18-25. June 18 was already gone so I couldn't book anything, but June 19 showed up as available in that scenario. So my intent was to book June 19-26. But when 8:00 AM arrived, June 19 was no longer available. That's why I'm so frustrated. I've never had the chance to book anything and then try to cancel the first dates later. The first day keeps disappearing at 8:00 sharp. Today was the 6th day in a row that this identical scenario played out. Can anyone say "Groundhog Day"? :(

So as of now, June 20-26 show up as available. If I go on tomorrow (the 20th) at 8:00 AM to try to book June 20-27, you can bet that June 20 will be gone at 8:00. So then I have to try for June 21, and so on. And it's only ever the first day that disappears. The days following still show as available.

Do you hear that loud tearing sound? That's just me, pulling my hair out. :upsidedow This is a helpless feeling.

Try at the end of the day and see what you get available then, instead of trying a practice run the morning of the day before.

I'm open to any and all suggestions! Could you clarify this a little for me? So if I wanted to reserve June 19-26, I should check at the end of the day on the 18th or the 19th?

By the way, I've been trying different scenarios at all different times of the day, with no success. This thing where the first day of the booking window disappears from availability when 8:00 AM strikes is what is getting on my last nerve. :badpc:

You said you were checking on the next day after you got shut out each morning. Look at the end of the day to see if that next day is even still there. People may be adding days at a time to their trips by calling MS.

Oh, I see. I guess I didn't explain clearly enough. In every case, I had checked the day before, the evening before, and the morning of. I checked right up until a few minutes before 8:00. In every case, the first day I wanted WAS THERE. But as soon as 8:00 came about and I entered my dates as quickly as possible, poof! The first day was then gone, even though it had still been there just a few minutes before 8:00.

My input would be to not do your "test" search just before 8 am. You actually may be placing a hold on the day yourself. In a way I did that to myself the other night for an October reservation. I waited a few minutes, logged out and logged back in and the days were available again. Actually I also did it to myself a few weeks ago for a night I was trying to get so we could go down a day early - the next day.

But there also have been more than one inquiry on the boards about booking June at Aulani. If you have only one category you are willing to take and there is limited availability you may in fact just be getting to it a little behind someone else.

Could it be your clock not in sync wih the website server clock? Have you tried to book at 7:59?

GOOD LUCK!
Please let us know what happens tomorrow.
I would love to book Aluni for July or August 2014 and it seems the summer is VERY hard to get.
I wish you a TON OF LUCK!:wizard::wizard::wizard:

never mind, re read the info.

Bolding is mine...I'm also thinking this might be the problem, that you are inadvertantly taking the room out of inventory by checking just before, even for just a few minutes.

Hope you get what you want!

When booking right at 7 months, getting that "first day" is always going to be the most difficult. It represents the greatest intersection of guests who are already on a vacation (arrived before that date) with guests who are beginning their stays on that date.

When you see availability for June 20 before 8am, reality is it could be as little as one room. And that room will go to whomever is quickest booking.

Why is there still availability for June 21 and beyond? Simply because SOME of the people who are booked for June 20 will be checking-out the next morning.

Number of rooms available plays a huge role in booking success. If you've chosen a room size & view with limited inventory, and are trying to arrive on a day when there tend to be fewer check-outs, it will hurt your chances.

Also, FWIW, the one time I tried booking at 7 months online, it was actually 7:55am when I first attempted and the reservation went through without a hitch. Had the confirmation on my screen a couple minutes before 8am. Don't know if that's typical or not.