This seems to me to be the more certain option. It would also give you the option to book at the Marriott Ko Olina (their 1BR are super nice and probably cheaper than Aulani) or even at a hotel that might be more conveniently located to where your BiL and his GF will be staying. Ko Olina doesn’t have the only beautiful beaches on Oahu!
This is why I don't teach in the spring/summer trimester. I'd rather have the vacation than the money.we basically have one week in between his spring quarter and summer quarter.
I would not be thrilled. Plus, there would be a new chorus of complaints by people claiming that WDW resorts are being flooded with reservations made with Aulani points and they can't get anything at 3 weeks anymore, like they could when they first bought back in 1973.
If I had walked it, I would have had it. But also have to be able to sleep at night so here we are. There's got to be a better (more fair) system.
Im not sure its the Aulani points as much as Saratoga points that flood the 7 month mark .
So we've actually been before (but not to Aulani). This trip was actually mostly about going specifically to Aulani then my BIL jumped onboard and it sort of became about his family + Aulani. I'll probably give it a month or so and then we'll reassess. We'll either scrap the plans with my BIL and tell him it's too complicated and book whatever we can find that's available at Aulani or, if being with my BIL in Hawaii is the priority (we'll have to decide as a family) I'll change in the points in some manner and just book something else.
The argument always is that, even with a ton of people using their SSR points as SAP at 7 months, the total number of WDW points still matches the total number required to reserve all WDW villas, and mathematically, everyone would still get a room (of some size or shape or location) at WDW if only WDW points were used there. Like musical chairs where the number of chairs and players are equal, only some chairs are wooden barstools, some are beach chairs, and some are leather recliners. You get charged based on which chair you end up in, but you're still going to get a chair.
As an Aulani owner, let me just say that I and many people disagree with you which is why the OP is having an issue with availability.
Completely fair, but it was built to be a Hawaiian resort by Disney… not a Disney resort that happens to be in Hawai’i
I agree 100%. If Aulani wasn't in Ko'Olina, there's zero chance you'd ever catch me over on that side of the island. Years ago, long before Aulani was even a scribble on Rhode's sketch book, we took a wander over there on a whim to see the "lagoons". Never went back until we bought DVC there. The whole leeward side of Oahu is way too dry and brown for me.
I spent time in Hawaii a lot as a kid, and my brother and I will vouch for BI as being well worth a real trip. Spend a few days in Kona, then drive down via South Point to stay near Volcano at least two nights. Then stay near to Hilo (or use Volcano as your homebase) to check out some of Hilo, as well as the Puna District, which is a gem. Come back up around the island 's east side.
This is a great hike---and IMO much (much!) easier than the Kalalau Trail to Hanakapi’ai Beach. (And that's the easy part of the Kalalau).
Some of the best food on the Big Island is up here. The "unpretentious" Merriman's is up there, and Moa Kitchen looks like it shouldn't be good, but it is great.
And everything on BI is so much less crowded than either O'ahu or Maui, honestly.
