While we are not DVC members, nor did we stay in a DVC room during our August 2018 stay, when I attempted the online checkin beforehand I ran into several technical issues with their website, particularly when it came to special requests. As a result, I ended up calling Aulani directly to 1) confirm that my online checkin actually went through, and 2) to mention during the conversation that it was our first time at Aulani and our daughter's first item ever to the Hawaiian islands. I never asked for any sort of upgrade, but once we arrived and discovered out room, we were excited to find that our inland island view was now an internal view, above Makahiki, with a view of the lazy river and the ocean in the distance. It was a wonderful surprise!