Room Type Poll

[PlutoNotPlanet]

Want some opinions before finalizing my reservation so setting up a poll. Please vote based your preference taking both value and cost into consideration but without considering my situation.

For me, studio is large enough. We typically go during peak season or one week after. We are mostly debating whether/how necessary it is to get a better view. We know view is just a nice-to-have and comes with a price tag. But we still ruled out standard view as we don't really like watching the garage plus the fact that it's harder to book. We've check a few blogs and the ViewFinder.

Now questions:
Island garden at Ewa short wing sounds like a cost-effective choice as you might see a little bit of ocean. Any thoughts on how likely it can be fulfilled? And would it be noisy late in the evening due to the luau?

One major hesitancy to book Ocean view comes from a concern that we might end up with a so-so view with more points (e.g. low-floor blocked by trees, facing outside rather than the resort) while I can confirm rooms during check in when paying rack rate (we've been spoiled before). What should a realistic expectation be?

Any inputs are welcomed!

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

When I stay at a WDW or DL DVC resort, I take the view with the lowest points, as I don't care about the views since I am not in the room that much. Aulani is different, as I love Ocean View rooms. Since I am from the East Coast, I am up earlier in the morning and in the room earlier in the evening, so I enjoy lounging on the patio first thing in the morning or in the evening. It is so magical in the evening to have a drink on the patio in Ocean View. My only drawback with Ocean View is that it faces Four Seasons Resort, and Four Seasons will have occasional wedding-type ceremonies that blare loud DJ music that drowns out the lovely Aulani Loop Music or Olelo live band. I stayed in Island View on my first trip to Aulani. The view was okay, except for the drawback: Highway H1/93 is in view.

 

[Minnie84]

Here is my Island Garden view in the Ewa tower currently. Also a perfect view of the luau lawn. The luau is done by 8pm and hasn’t bothered us at night. It was awesome to watch a few times from our balcony!

 

[PlutoNotPlanet]

Here is my Island Garden view in the Ewa tower currently. Also a perfect view of the luau lawn. The luau is done by 8pm and hasn’t bothered us at night. It was awesome to watch a few times from our balcony!

This is a perfect answer to my question! This is like a partial ocean view. I think I will give it a go before 2026 (when the construction of Atlantis plans to start).

 

[PlutoNotPlanet]

When I stay at a WDW or DL DVC resort, I take the view with the lowest points, as I don't care about the views since I am not in the room that much. Aulani is different, as I love Ocean View rooms. Since I am from the East Coast, I am up earlier in the morning and in the room earlier in the evening, so I enjoy lounging on the patio first thing in the morning or in the evening.

I 100% agree with your philosophy. The concern is that Ocean View can be in any wing. To me, either low floor or less than partial ocean view will be underwhelming with the additional points. I can add a request but the uncertainty of "no guarantee" during a peak season bothers me. Someone need to talk me out of it.

 

[Minnie84]

This is a perfect answer to my question! This is like a partial ocean view. I think I will give it a go before 2026 (when the construction of Atlantis plans to start).

My room request was Ewa Tower, high floor, view of luau. We are on the top (16th floor)!
Booked Island garden view at 7 months. It was easy to get at 7 months exactly, but availability was gone a few days later. I guess it is kinda spring break right now though, so maybe a more popular time.
Enjoy your future trip!

 

[WinterSolider]

We book 2BR villas during slow season, and our points cost is 47 / 49 / 59 / 62. So we book Island Garden because it's barely more expensive than Standard; or Ocean because it's barely more expensive than Poolside Garden. Poolside Garden for our room during our price season is an insane ripoff.

This is not true for all seasons, as Poolside Garden studios during peak season are only a couple points more than Island Garden.

 

[PlutoNotPlanet]

book Island Garden because it's barely more expensive than Standard; or Ocean because it's barely more expensive than Poolside Garden

That’s pretty much exactly my thought process haha! Yes, the difference does vary by dates.

 

[TikiRob]

Is it best to contact DVC guest services to put in room request or Aulani?

 

[DanCali]

Is it best to contact DVC guest services to put in room request or Aulani?

DVC owner services should work. They will take your request and will tell you that requests are just requests. Sometimes it will work, sometimes not...

 

[DanCali]

Now questions:
Island garden at Ewa short wing sounds like a cost-effective choice as you might see a little bit of ocean. Any thoughts on how likely it can be fulfilled? And would it be noisy late in the evening due to the luau?

One major hesitancy to book Ocean view comes from a concern that we might end up with a so-so view with more points (e.g. low-floor blocked by trees, facing outside rather than the resort) while I can confirm rooms during check in when paying rack rate (we've been spoiled before). What should a realistic expectation be?

Any inputs are welcomed!

Hard to say how likely a request is to be fulfilled. I suspect if you book earlier in the home resort window 10-11 months in advance you probably have a better shot than someone booking the same stay at 6-7 months out.

I think there are 2 ways to look at it -

- The best island views are a partial ocean view and pretty great. I'd rather have that than the worst ocean views.

- How much would I regret booking the view category if I got the worst island view or the worst ocean view.

Personally, we are somewhat local to WDW and mostly do shorter trips in cheap studios there. Coming from FL, Hawaii is a longer trip that we do just every few years and so we take more of a YOLO attitude and don't mind splurging on room size (we book a 2BR for 4 people) and view. For a 2BR, the ocean view can be an extra 70-119 points/week vs the island view (say $1500-$2500 in rental value) so it's pricy, but I'd probably have too much regret booking the island view if we ended up facing east.

FWIW, these were our ocean views on our last trip (split stay with Marriott Ko Olina). We probably got some of the best options in each respective view category. IMO the only thing at Aulani that truly rivals the Marriott's views are the grand villas, but we loved what we got in both places.


Aulani Ocean View (Ewa high floor):




Marriott View (top floor, building closest to ocean) - you can see the dark Aulani buildings and Four Seasons 2 lagoons over

 

[PlutoNotPlanet]

more of a YOLO attitude

Wow! I thought buying DVC already shows YOLO attitude. Now I now it’s not enough haha

Speaking my of likelihood of request getting fulfilled, are the request managed in order of the time it’s added/booked?

 

[DanCali]

Wow! I thought buying DVC already shows YOLO attitude. Now I now it’s not enough haha

The real YOLOs book the Grand Villas

We actually have the points to do it, especially when going there every few years only, but when I translate 900-1100 points to point rental value, I drop the idea... We could still do a 2BR at half the point cost and rent the other half to (more than) cover airfare for 4!

Speaking my of likelihood of request getting fulfilled, are the request managed in order of the time it’s added/booked?

I believe it's either that, or the time the request was made. If you make the request shortly after you book, then it doesn't really matter.

 

[OKW Lover]

The real YOLOs book the Grand Villas

...and get this view at night