I appreciate you being so transparent with the costs of everything on this trip. Of course that is one of the most important factors in deciding on what trips to take so it is key information. 🌴 💫
Once you get the cameras developed, make a scrapbook for him! Do it for each of your big trips! He can look back at them when he’s older. As for showing us, do whatever’s easy for you, whether that be scanning them or just kind of showing us through the video.
Next time, in the event you guys don't buy into DVC, you may want to atleast rent DVC points. It's pretty easy to get a 1 bedroom and it would have likely saved you quite a bit. Many rental services now offer some kind of insurance too Also, you should consider investing in a travel rewards credit card, that would likely save a ton on those longer flight fares
As much as I love watching how y’all vacation, I really think you can have an amazing trip trip to aulani for like 1/4 of the cost if not less. Just on the airfare alone! I’ve gone to Hawaii for like $350 on economy, so for anyone who is scared of the price tag, I would keep that in mind (renting dvc points is also a really affordable option). Anyways, I love how transparent you guys are about it though, and it’s fun to see how much you can actually do on a vacation there.
If you're still thinking about it, the DVC Fan UA-cam channel has a lot of good info and discussions. When I did the math, by buying in I could stay in DVC studios for about the same amount as a moderate resort room, and I can book a 1 bedroom for about the price of a normal deluxe hotel room. If you're going to stay in those larger rooms anyway, I think it's worth the upfront deposit.
@@cindyardoin1748 dvc resale all the way! There are a few great companies out there you guys should look at. Those upfront buy in prices go waaaaaaaaay down.
We bought in DVC coming up on 5 years ago, can't imagine paying for as much as direct would want now. I am confident people who bought five years before we did felt the same way we do now though. We bought in as a way to ensure we took our vacation time as workholics and warm weather escapes from Wyoming. Definitely requires planning especially to take advantage of your home resort. Potentially investigate resale options also. You would not get some of the "perks" of being a "blue card" but the amount you save, a lot of the discounts are the same as annual passes. Bottom line, after 7 trips using our points, we've "paid" for it, I would do it again and if it's the right fit, you'll know in your heart. Also, we could sell our points now and get back as much as we paid up front if we wanted too but I think we'll stick with the 46 more years of vacations just for the cost of dues ;-)
The best thing to do is book with a travel agent who will watch for and apply the offer rates to your booking without you even having to do anything (completely free, same price as booking directly). I hope you tried to modify your first booking to extend it instead of booking a 2nd separate booking. Potentially the offer may have been included for the entire stay then. Please support agents, we are drowning with Covid cancelations.
I see someone already commented on getting the blue card when buying Disney, which is the card that gets you into the parties, special events, the lounge at Epcot and cruises. Another option is to buy the minimum points you can directly from Disney, I think its 150 right now. Then purchase another contract resale and you will save ALOT of money.
When considering DVC you have to really look into restrictions when you buy, As a member since 1996, it is harder and harder to book even at 11 months out at your home resort, and almost impossible to get other resorts at 7 month booking window. However it is one of the best things we have purchased
I agree completely. Also look into buying direct vs. resale. You can save $10,000+ by buying DVC resale. If you are interested in Aulani as a home resort I would definitely try to get a subsidized dues contract if possible.
That’s why I ultimately decided not to buy in. I was sooooo tempted. Sat down with the guy and everything, but with my work, I can only plan ahead three months, tops. There’s no way I could plan 11 months out and know that those dates would still be okay when the trip was about to happen. No flexibility is why I decided not too, which is too bad, as I spend a lot of my time doing Disney.
@@davidcretella5547 1 bedrooms are the easiest ones to get at 7months....check out the disboards and they show you records of availability at various months. Most people do not want to spend the extra $$ on 1 bedrooms because a lot of them do not sleep more people than the studios but cost way more points.
Thank you for being transparent with the cost, such valuable information to make an informed decision for future planning. I just love you all to pieces & sharing your lives.
I really appreciate your open and transparent answers! You're right that some people treat vacation finances like a taboo topic. But it's important! It's refreshing to hear people be real about it and not gloss over the fact that these type of trips are expensive (and that's okay!). Thank you for sharing!
I mean if you're looking to go on these trips you know they're expensive lol neither Hawaii nor Disney are cheap vacations! This is def a dream vacay type of vacay. And if you're mildly curious and thinking you could splurge and put it all on a credit card welp the reality check is good!
Thank you so much for answering the personal price questions. Makes you guys so trustworthy and for your viewers to always trust your word!! LOVE THAT about y’all! Thank you guys for answering the harder questions helped my family a lot!😁
I would not chose Aulani as a home resort. Chose something you want to visit more frequently as you get to book your home resort father in advance. I would chose a Florida resort especially since they are getting harder to book. As for price, keep in mind annual dues.
I guess have that 11 month window may not really be necessary for them tho as they are locals who stay at the resorts randomly vs other who plan out full Disney trips. They are the people who can rely more on one or two random night stays than the rest of us
And see for me, if I was ever able to buy into DVC I Would choose Aulani. Given how I'm a Southern Californian it's a lot shorter of a flight for me to get there (and cheaper too) and I have an aunt who lives on Maui and I love that island and would love to be able to explore the others so I think I would love to go there more than a lot of the WDW resorts and could use a day every trip to island hop to visit my aunt or explore another island :)
I wish I had that kind of money you guys spent on this trip..i could pay off all my debts. But thanks for being honest about Aulani prices because it's in my bucket list and this reminds me I need to save ALOT😂. Thanks for letting us travel through you guys. Can't wait for the next trip you take!
In our experience, DVC allows us to stay in resorts we couldn’t normally afford and gives us a lot of flexibility. We can go to Hawaii, California, South Carolina, Florida beaches or do a WDW vacation and we now plan time for ourselves.
Hey guys- Thank you for sharing so much about your trip! I’m sure this has been mentioned elsewhere in the comments, but if you’re looking at DVC, it’s worth taking a peek at doing a small contract direct from Disney, and then the remainder of your points from the resale market. Finding the same use year could be a bit tedious if there isn’t immediate availability on the market (if you want the same use year), but I just wanted to share that idea in case it would interest you!
DVC is the BEST decision we ever made. Member since 2000, I own at Boardwalk and Hilton Head. We have never stayed at Boardwalk. We mostly went to Hilton Head or Vero Beach. In 2017 we finally made it to WDW and unfortunately in 2018 my husband passed unexpectedly. So 2017 was our last vacation with him and we had an amazing time. Without DVC we would not have all the memories we had with him going on vacation together with our kids and my sisters family and my mom (which she passed in 2020) I will forever be grateful that we chose DVC and continue to make new memories with my kids
I highly recommend buying several smaller DVC contracts instead of one large contract. Sounds like they whited you a 350 point contract. That would be harder to sell resale in the future. If you buy direct, consider starting with around 100 points (or whatever the minimum is these days).. You can always add more. We started with 100 points at one resort, bought 100 later at another resort, then added on here and there, as we could afford it. Buying smaller points may mean you couldn’t do Aulani every year, but you can save up points or borrow to make it happen periodically until you have a larger number of points. Dip your toes into DVC! It’s likely that, like us, you’ll love it and will keep adding on! Also, direct points are most expensive so most either buy all resale (has restrictions) or buy a minimal direct contract then buy the rest resale (cheaper). Riviera resale has restrictions, so be sure to read about that. We love Aulani and not having a hefty hotel bill made deciding to go an easy decision.
If you take away the cost of the first class tickets which is obviously a personal choice, this vacation still isn’t THAT expensive in comparison to Disney trips if you don’t already live in Florida, I recommend that when people stay in Aulani they travel in groups and go together to split cost! That’s what me and my sisters do when traveling abroad.
I was really shocked that, like Jenn said, it's comparable to the prices at some of the deluxe resorts at WDW... don't get me wrong, it is entirely out of my price range 😂 but lots of people stay at deluxe WDW resorts without a thought, so I was actually surprised to hear Aulani is on par with those prices!
How much is there to do in Bora Bora or Maldives for wee Jackson? Probably not so much. They clearly stated they chose Aulani for family memories and things for him to do.
Looked amazing but hearing these costs, that legitimately is some people’s entire annual salary! I get this is their job so actual cost to them is much different but for the average person, holy smokes. I guess I am more of a budget vacationer to get more vacations than an all out one trip kind of vacationer.
Being DVC, you can book in advance for the home resort, but it may be difficult for you to use those points at various resorts with short notice. The availability for short notice is slim lately…something to keep in mind that we’ve learned from experience at being Poly owners.
Love all the tips!! We are replanning our canceled trip to Aulani!! I’ve been DVC for about 3 years and already feel like I’ve saved so much!! I couldn’t imagine doing my trips without it anymore!
You can rent DVC points also and it saves you money. This summer I'll be getting 2 studio rooms at Boardwalk for 8 nights for the same price as 1 room if I booked through Disney
It should definitely not shock me but goodness if I had $10,000 to spend on anything… let alone a flight for my sleeping kid lol. No judgement at all 🙏🏾 I was just shocked at the number. I need to vlog 😂
I would recommend looking at the DVC resale market to save some money. You do have to compare the perks as resale contracts don't come with the same perks but if it's a big savings it might be worth it for you.
We bought our DVC through resale and our home resort is Aulani. We have a big family so it saves our family a TON of money. So if you end up having more kids, it will be worth your money. My kids are older too, and they still loved it. It was actually really enjoyable for us because my kids could wander around independently and us parents enjoyed the downtime. It was great. I don't have any regrets buying through resale! Saved us a lot of money!
If you go to DVC, find the cheapest annual dues (I think Bay Lake Towers) with the most reasonable price (while still having a high exchange value-most Disney World properties are high exchange value, but monorail locations have more value than say Animal Kingdom because of convenience.) Use that to factor in actual "cost." It used to be you could buy "aftermarket" DVC but they have taken some of the perks away with that so may or may not be a good deal.
I can definitely suggest you booking an inexpensive resort when you land in Hawaii for a day or two to acclimate before you head over to Aulani. It helps to cut down on cost and lessen the pressure of you feeling like you need to get out there and make the most of your expensive resort when you're exhausted
Hi Tim and Jen I don't know if you noticed but on the camera you used for your trip or lens has a defect in the bottom right if you play a video back on a large screen 32+ you will be able to see is about an inch on that size screen Just to maybe let the lens hire place know.
we saved money in hawaiii getting food from the ABC stores and cooking some meals in the room and just do some snacks or breakie etc out. which is great with kids who are tired and may not wanna leave the room after a long day
My best friend is a cast member at Aulani. Actually he was in one of your Vlogs. He said you don’t have to be a hotel guest to eat at our venues but we did have certain days that were hotel guests only, but I think that has changed since occupancy is lower but you should call just in case.
They didn't answer the shopping part of that question; do you know if it's the same as well? Are you able to go in the merch shops if you're not staying there?
Thanks for your insights. I think the disposable camera is a great idea. No worries about it getting wet. And it something your child can look back on.
Looked like a beautiful vacation! I want to go some day! I loved watching all the footage and seeing Jackson have so much fun! Don't feel bad we spent 1,000 a night on a Disney cruise only 4 nights, but what a great trip! Plus you do this for a living so why not! Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
So many people throwing some sly shade about the prices. I have to say that when you watch the Trackers you would never know their wealthy. They are humble. Most the time I notice them being very conscious of prices and not over spending. So to splurge on their family vacations and allow us a window in while it's also their job to document these trips.... good for them 👏 and I appreciate the honesty to be honest 🤷♀️ I would however love to see them do some more budget friendly staycations around Disney that is more connectable for most of their viewers. Maybe compare all the value resorts for us currently. And I really hope they do the Fort Wilderness RV stay soon 🙌
No shade, just really incredible and mind boggling. Tim and Jenn are different than other wealthy people in that they worked their butts off for years and years building their business. They deserve their success. Doesn’t make it any more sad for the millions of people in poverty working hard though😢
@@yocpum123 they’ve been on UA-cam for over a decade and have gained themselves almost 900k subs within that time and the number continues to grow each day. You can’t deny it’s not hard work just because their work doesn’t look like other professions.
@@yocpum123 Everyone has different lives, different jobs, different circumstances. If getting rich off UA-cam were easy you'd probably be doin it 🤷♀️ I think the Trackers are blessed to have found something they enjoy and made a career out of it. But that doesn't mean it's not work. To be committed to making a video of your life and in your home every single day and then committed to editing it every single day..... as well as travel and spending alot of their of pocket to make sure they are doing things they're viewers want to see.... not mention subjecting themselves to the constant criticism.... all thats certainly not easy.
My son recently vacationed in florida from our home in the Pacific Northwest and “splurged” traveling first class because of the distance involved and discovered only about $100 difference in price between first class and coach. He flew American.
I’m really glad you guys are transparent about the prices of things. I remember when Jen and Tim would talk about how expenses these trips would be and how they could never do them. I’m happy you can do them now but I wish you still had the insight to not spend on some of these ridiculous things. At the end of the day you are doing really well and if it makes sense for your finances, enjoy life!
A good tip instead of taking your vaccination around with you is to take a picture of your vaccination card along with your ID. Then just show that picture when you want to eat indoors at the restaurant. This is what i did last month and a tip by the hotel guest serviced where i stayed.
I’m a longtime follower, I really love you guys. I totally see how a lot of this can be written off on your taxes but WOW this is incredibly expensive, even for the average Joe. I feel the same as some others, I’d rather go to Tokyo Disney or see other parts of the world… own property 😬 haha congratulations to you guys though! More power to you!
One tip I got when going to a different country and it's a different time zone is set your watch, phone anything with a clock when you are on the plane to the time of the country you go going to. It helps a ton with jet lag.
And I have to say I cried a few times watching the videos because you are making such wonderful memories as a family and you guys try so hard to be awesome parents and you are doing amazing! Jackson is such a sweet boy!
$70k?! So you’d pay it like a house note? Pulse your annual dues? So that could possibly be like $5k+ a year?! That’s a lot of money. Would you get to go as many times a year as you want? Is that to any DVC location? Or you select certain ones?
I would say a 10-14 day stay at Aulani is perfect. Gives you plenty of days to explore the island and do plenty of activities. The first time we went we spent a week there. It seemed like it was just two days.
I agree, family memories are priceless! We made vacationing a priority when our girls were little even when my husband was unemployed. We used our tax return money for vacation. I have scrap books from every trip. My girls are 20 and 23. This year is likely our last family vacation just the four of us. Absolutely no regrets!! PS : YES DVC
Agreed! I never grew up wealthy but my mom ensured that my 4 sisters and I made plenty of memories! And I cherish them (and her) so much, and am in awe at the sacrifice it took to make that happen for us!
I saw that you mentioned to call Disney directly for discounts but travel agents can also get the best discounts! We are hurting right now and don't cost anything and would super appreciate your support to TAs!!!! :) thanks 😊
You need to look into DVC Resale. Aulani is MUCH cheaper on the resale market per point than direct from Disney. You are already AP Passholders. The DVC discount is the same as the AP discounts.
Paid $10 grand 17 years ago for a 2 week honeymoon in Tahiti (4 islands) all included (flights, transfers, meals & lodge (Bora Bora we stayed in a hut over the water!!). Took 1 year for both of us to save. WORTH IT!!!
Thanks for great information! A good way to look at buying into DVC is that prices are going to keep going up for hotel rooms, but this is a way to keep some control over what you pay (and get better rooms) and if you can’t use all of the points, you can rent some to others and that helps to pay the dues.
I went for my Honeymoon in July and I would only go back if COVID got better and things were different. I realized how much I was missing when I was at the resort . People kept telling me "Due to Covid". It was a dream to go and on my Disney bucket list. I didn't have the best experience because of how much was missing and we also had issues with our room. Our room wasn't being cleaned at all and we stayed for 5 days. We stayed in non DVC room with a view. We also had so many people trying to sell us DVC and it was pretty extreme. It was a disappointing experience for my husband and I. Aulani is a beautiful resort but a Disney Cruise is something that I would do in heartbeat. We just came from one and it was AMAZING!!!
Love love loved this Q&A!! I enjoyed watching your Hawaii videos and was extremely curious what a trip like this would cost. I appreciate you sharing what you paid for everything. We don’t quite have the means for a trip like that but I loved watching yours. I’m glad your UA-cam career can enable to do things like this. I know a lot of people are jealous and critical, but I don’t think they have any idea the work that you guys put into your channel! Again, my sincerest thanks for disclosing the costs of the trip and Jenn you looked radiant in this video! Love you guys!!
Only regrets DVC members have is not buying sooner or not enough points! Just think of it this way in 7/8 years you will break even if you only go one week in the one particular accommodation you had and everything after that is gravy for 40 something years.
Holy moly that was expensive. It's even worse for us when you have to convert from NZD. In 2017 we flew Auckland, Honolulu, New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Auckland. It was a 5 week trip with a week in NY, 2 weeks in Orlando, 10 days road tripping to Arizona, Utah, Nevada from Vegas, and then the rest of the days spent there and back in Honolulu. We stayed in moderate/value accommodation and it cost less than your Aulani trip. (2 adults, no kids). Please do more travel so we can enjoy through you as we are stuck in New Zealand, the hermit kingdom due to Covid restrictions. Love your channel. Keep up the good work!
I love our DVC. We’ve been going to Aulani as DVC members since they opened. The buy in is expensive, no doubt. But as far as the cost, it’s the same as buying a deeded vacation home. We paid off ours last year. The trips we’ve taken have been so worth the cost. Also, as a member of DVC we have access to a lounge with changing rooms on check out day. Just another perk that I love when we stay there.
Are you talking about rhe Luana Lounge? I thought that was for all guests and had to be reserved on check-out day. At least that is what I was told by a cast member when I asked since we have a late flight the day we check out!
Such a great video! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and the cost of flights, rooms, etc. The information you share about your travels has helped us so much and we appreciate all the work you put into these incredible videos. Looking forward to the live show today.
We went to Aulani three years ago, flew nonstop from NY on Hawaiian in comfort plus seating for just over 1k per person. Used DVC points for 2 bedroom ocean view , then it’s basically what you spend on a normal vacation , food prices weren’t much different from here. Basically like going to WDW for a week By the way , first class was over 3 k per person
I appreciate you being upfront about the costs. Hawaii is expensive. We have been four times, and alternated with Florida often due to the cost. We could go to Florida for less than half the cost. However we have loved and appreciated our Hawaiian vacations. Maui is our favourite island. Loved seeing how much fun Jackson had bathing suit swimming. So cute.
Wow, I'm so happy for your family that you can afford vacations like this! Because even though all of my vacations are thoroughly and tightly budgeted 😅 I really really really enjoy your content! It's so fun to see the possibilities!
You guys can buy Disney re-sale. So you'd be buying somebody else's initial contract, so you wouldn't have the whole 50 years ahead of you, but you also wouldn't have to pay the whole amount for the initial buy in. You can buy DVC resale through Disney or through a third party. Personally, I love my DVC and it saves us a ton of money because we regularly travel to Disney properties.
People complaining about prices and what Tim and Jenn are doing recently regarding vacations are proper weird, two extremely hard working and happy people who are enjoying their lives with Jackson, keep it up guys!
I would get a small photo album that you can also write in and Title it Jackson's first Aulani trip. Then add a short caption of what he did that day or was excited about that day .
When you get the pictures developed you should put them in a mini photo album and label it Jackson’s First Hawaii Trip by Jackson so you ca always look back on and see his handy work!
Purchase dvc resale. You will saves tons of money. You get Florida resident discounts so you really do not need to purchase direct unless you want to stay @ Riviera.
You definitely need to buy into DVC…You will for sure save money and all the extras would be so worth while. Just doing Staycations will be so worth it!!!
You don't need that many DVC points! You can bank and borrow points. We are staying for 8 nights with just 2 years of our points. We bought direct, buy you can also buy resale.
Not sure if someone answered this but you can go to Walgreens and get the cameras developed. You get the prints and a cd for about $18.00. Takes about a week to get the pics back. Hope this helps !
So, glad I am a DVC member after hearing the price of the rooms. With DVC a you are using points not paying cash. Unless you are out of points, then you get 20% off the rack rate. That is one reason we joined. I agree with you guys on having the private tours. It’s worth the money to have locals share those island secrets. 😎👍🏻
DVC owner here. If you’re going to buy, then buy where you want to stay. Out points are at Poly, and the resort is awesome. But the rooms suck. Wish we had bought at Old Key West.
Thank you for sharing your trip! We are going with our 1 year old in March and staying 10 nights in the 1br (on DVC points). Your advice on the trip has been super helpful. I've been DVC for 10+ years and I can tell you even with the buy-in and annual maintenance (over the term), every stay I'm paying less than half of what I would EVEN with discounts. Knowing your channel well, it would save you overall. Thanks for the excellent family-friendly content over the years!!!
I appreciate you being so transparent with the costs of everything on this trip. Of course that is one of the most important factors in deciding on what trips to take so it is key information.
🌴 💫
Once you get the cameras developed, make a scrapbook for him! Do it for each of your big trips! He can look back at them when he’s older. As for showing us, do whatever’s easy for you, whether that be scanning them or just kind of showing us through the video.
That's a great idea :)
I don't think I could dream of the day where I could spend $10,000 for flights and another $9,000 for hotel. That's wild and amazing!
Right? The plane tickets is a third of what I make in a year😳
@@lindamemo5224 oof. I feel for you. We are all so horribly underpaid
Costco Travel has great deal on this resort.
I want to thank you for the transparency though. It is good information to know!
Next time, in the event you guys don't buy into DVC, you may want to atleast rent DVC points. It's pretty easy to get a 1 bedroom and it would have likely saved you quite a bit. Many rental services now offer some kind of insurance too
Also, you should consider investing in a travel rewards credit card, that would likely save a ton on those longer flight fares
As much as I love watching how y’all vacation, I really think you can have an amazing trip trip to aulani for like 1/4 of the cost if not less. Just on the airfare alone! I’ve gone to Hawaii for like $350 on economy, so for anyone who is scared of the price tag, I would keep that in mind (renting dvc points is also a really affordable option). Anyways, I love how transparent you guys are about it though, and it’s fun to see how much you can actually do on a vacation there.
Jen, your hair looks so cute like that! You always do such a great job of styling it. Tim has cool hair too :)
If you're still thinking about it, the DVC Fan UA-cam channel has a lot of good info and discussions.
When I did the math, by buying in I could stay in DVC studios for about the same amount as a moderate resort room, and I can book a 1 bedroom for about the price of a normal deluxe hotel room. If you're going to stay in those larger rooms anyway, I think it's worth the upfront deposit.
They need DVC resale market in their lives
@@cindyardoin1748 dvc resale all the way! There are a few great companies out there you guys should look at. Those upfront buy in prices go waaaaaaaaay down.
Appreciate you guys being so transparent with prices specifically, it helps me specifically dictate how much to expect and save for a trip like this
I love how honest you guys are about everything! It is so much appreciated.
We bought in DVC coming up on 5 years ago, can't imagine paying for as much as direct would want now. I am confident people who bought five years before we did felt the same way we do now though. We bought in as a way to ensure we took our vacation time as workholics and warm weather escapes from Wyoming. Definitely requires planning especially to take advantage of your home resort. Potentially investigate resale options also. You would not get some of the "perks" of being a "blue card" but the amount you save, a lot of the discounts are the same as annual passes.
Bottom line, after 7 trips using our points, we've "paid" for it, I would do it again and if it's the right fit, you'll know in your heart. Also, we could sell our points now and get back as much as we paid up front if we wanted too but I think we'll stick with the 46 more years of vacations just for the cost of dues ;-)
*Ten thousand dollars* for plane tickets? That's the down payment on a house in some parts of the country.
They also have an LLC and can write off, too soooo let them do what they want 🤷🏼♀️
Best you tuber for dvc info to make a decision is Jen lefforge. She has a whole playlist explaining everything and in an unbiased way.
I love Jen Lefforge.
link please🙏
Agree. She’s great.
Agree!!!
I absolutely agree! I found her channel recently and love it!
The best thing to do is book with a travel agent who will watch for and apply the offer rates to your booking without you even having to do anything (completely free, same price as booking directly). I hope you tried to modify your first booking to extend it instead of booking a 2nd separate booking. Potentially the offer may have been included for the entire stay then. Please support agents, we are drowning with Covid cancelations.
I love the post vacation Q&A vlogs! It helps us when booking our own trips, flights, etc. Thank you guys for making it personal to us as well as you
I see someone already commented on getting the blue card when buying Disney, which is the card that gets you into the parties, special events, the lounge at Epcot and cruises. Another option is to buy the minimum points you can directly from Disney, I think its 150 right now. Then purchase another contract resale and you will save ALOT of money.
When considering DVC you have to really look into restrictions when you buy, As a member since 1996, it is harder and harder to book even at 11 months out at your home resort, and almost impossible to get other resorts at 7 month booking window. However it is one of the best things we have purchased
I bought at SSR - haven't stayed there yet in over 15 years (knock on wood that continues). Then again, I'm always booking 2 BR or GV
@@Yankee717 much easier to get that type of room , studios and 1 bedrooms go quick
I agree completely. Also look into buying direct vs. resale. You can save $10,000+ by buying DVC resale. If you are interested in Aulani as a home resort I would definitely try to get a subsidized dues contract if possible.
That’s why I ultimately decided not to buy in. I was sooooo tempted. Sat down with the guy and everything, but with my work, I can only plan ahead three months, tops. There’s no way I could plan 11 months out and know that those dates would still be okay when the trip was about to happen. No flexibility is why I decided not too, which is too bad, as I spend a lot of my time doing Disney.
@@davidcretella5547 1 bedrooms are the easiest ones to get at 7months....check out the disboards and they show you records of availability at various months. Most people do not want to spend the extra $$ on 1 bedrooms because a lot of them do not sleep more people than the studios but cost way more points.
Thank you for being transparent with the cost, such valuable information to make an informed decision for future planning. I just love you all to pieces & sharing your lives.
I really appreciate your open and transparent answers! You're right that some people treat vacation finances like a taboo topic. But it's important! It's refreshing to hear people be real about it and not gloss over the fact that these type of trips are expensive (and that's okay!). Thank you for sharing!
I mean if you're looking to go on these trips you know they're expensive lol neither Hawaii nor Disney are cheap vacations! This is def a dream vacay type of vacay. And if you're mildly curious and thinking you could splurge and put it all on a credit card welp the reality check is good!
Thank you so much for answering the personal price questions. Makes you guys so trustworthy and for your viewers to always trust your word!! LOVE THAT about y’all! Thank you guys for answering the harder questions helped my family a lot!😁
I would not chose Aulani as a home resort. Chose something you want to visit more frequently as you get to book your home resort father in advance. I would chose a Florida resort especially since they are getting harder to book. As for price, keep in mind annual dues.
I guess have that 11 month window may not really be necessary for them tho as they are locals who stay at the resorts randomly vs other who plan out full Disney trips. They are the people who can rely more on one or two random night stays than the rest of us
And see for me, if I was ever able to buy into DVC I Would choose Aulani. Given how I'm a Southern Californian it's a lot shorter of a flight for me to get there (and cheaper too) and I have an aunt who lives on Maui and I love that island and would love to be able to explore the others so I think I would love to go there more than a lot of the WDW resorts and could use a day every trip to island hop to visit my aunt or explore another island :)
I wish I had that kind of money you guys spent on this trip..i could pay off all my debts. But thanks for being honest about Aulani prices because it's in my bucket list and this reminds me I need to save ALOT😂. Thanks for letting us travel through you guys. Can't wait for the next trip you take!
In our experience, DVC allows us to stay in resorts we couldn’t normally afford and gives us a lot of flexibility. We can go to Hawaii, California, South Carolina, Florida beaches or do a WDW vacation and we now plan time for ourselves.
Hey guys- Thank you for sharing so much about your trip! I’m sure this has been mentioned elsewhere in the comments, but if you’re looking at DVC, it’s worth taking a peek at doing a small contract direct from Disney, and then the remainder of your points from the resale market. Finding the same use year could be a bit tedious if there isn’t immediate availability on the market (if you want the same use year), but I just wanted to share that idea in case it would interest you!
DVC is the BEST decision we ever made.
Member since 2000, I own at Boardwalk and Hilton Head. We have never stayed at Boardwalk.
We mostly went to Hilton Head or Vero Beach.
In 2017 we finally made it to WDW and unfortunately in 2018 my husband passed unexpectedly. So 2017 was our last vacation with him and we had an amazing time.
Without DVC we would not have all the memories we had with him going on vacation together with our kids and my sisters family and my mom (which she passed in 2020)
I will forever be grateful that we chose DVC and continue to make new memories with my kids
Those plane tickets would be my yearly travel budget lol
Aww glad you had such an amazing time making wonderful memories with Jackson and thank you for letting us be a small part of your adventures ❤️❤️
I highly recommend buying several smaller DVC contracts instead of one large contract. Sounds like they whited you a 350 point contract. That would be harder to sell resale in the future. If you buy direct, consider starting with around 100 points (or whatever the minimum is these days).. You can always add more. We started with 100 points at one resort, bought 100 later at another resort, then added on here and there, as we could afford it. Buying smaller points may mean you couldn’t do Aulani every year, but you can save up points or borrow to make it happen periodically until you have a larger number of points. Dip your toes into DVC! It’s likely that, like us, you’ll love it and will keep adding on! Also, direct points are most expensive so most either buy all resale (has restrictions) or buy a minimal direct contract then buy the rest resale (cheaper). Riviera resale has restrictions, so be sure to read about that. We love Aulani and not having a hefty hotel bill made deciding to go an easy decision.
If you take away the cost of the first class tickets which is obviously a personal choice, this vacation still isn’t THAT expensive in comparison to Disney trips if you don’t already live in Florida, I recommend that when people stay in Aulani they travel in groups and go together to split cost!
That’s what me and my sisters do when traveling abroad.
25:00 wow $8,761 for 9 days to stay at Auluni whoa 🤯 it’s pricy I would rather go to bora bora or Maldives for that price
I was really shocked that, like Jenn said, it's comparable to the prices at some of the deluxe resorts at WDW... don't get me wrong, it is entirely out of my price range 😂 but lots of people stay at deluxe WDW resorts without a thought, so I was actually surprised to hear Aulani is on par with those prices!
How much is there to do in Bora Bora or Maldives for wee Jackson? Probably not so much. They clearly stated they chose Aulani for family memories and things for him to do.
Y’all gotta remember - they also have an LLC so a lot of this they can write off. Sooo let them be 🤷🏼♀️
Looked amazing but hearing these costs, that legitimately is some people’s entire annual salary! I get this is their job so actual cost to them is much different but for the average person, holy smokes.
I guess I am more of a budget vacationer to get more vacations than an all out one trip kind of vacationer.
Being DVC, you can book in advance for the home resort, but it may be difficult for you to use those points at various resorts with short notice. The availability for short notice is slim lately…something to keep in mind that we’ve learned from experience at being Poly owners.
You can always buy DVC with a different home resort that has lower annual dues and still be able to vacation at any DVC resort
Love all the tips!! We are replanning our canceled trip to Aulani!! I’ve been DVC for about 3 years and already feel like I’ve saved so much!! I couldn’t imagine doing my trips without it anymore!
You can rent DVC points also and it saves you money. This summer I'll be getting 2 studio rooms at Boardwalk for 8 nights for the same price as 1 room if I booked through Disney
It should definitely not shock me but goodness if I had $10,000 to spend on anything… let alone a flight for my sleeping kid lol. No judgement at all 🙏🏾 I was just shocked at the number. I need to vlog 😂
I would recommend looking at the DVC resale market to save some money. You do have to compare the perks as resale contracts don't come with the same perks but if it's a big savings it might be worth it for you.
We bought our DVC through resale and our home resort is Aulani. We have a big family so it saves our family a TON of money. So if you end up having more kids, it will be worth your money. My kids are older too, and they still loved it. It was actually really enjoyable for us because my kids could wander around independently and us parents enjoyed the downtime. It was great. I don't have any regrets buying through resale! Saved us a lot of money!
If you go to DVC, find the cheapest annual dues (I think Bay Lake Towers) with the most reasonable price (while still having a high exchange value-most Disney World properties are high exchange value, but monorail locations have more value than say Animal Kingdom because of convenience.) Use that to factor in actual "cost." It used to be you could buy "aftermarket" DVC but they have taken some of the perks away with that so may or may not be a good deal.
I can definitely suggest you booking an inexpensive resort when you land in Hawaii for a day or two to acclimate before you head over to Aulani. It helps to cut down on cost and lessen the pressure of you feeling like you need to get out there and make the most of your expensive resort when you're exhausted
I can recommend the ala Moana hotel as an inexpensive option right next to a huge mall with lots of shopping and dining options.
Hi Tim and Jen
I don't know if you noticed but on the camera you used for your trip or lens has a defect in the bottom right if you play a video back on a large screen 32+ you will be able to see is about an inch on that size screen
Just to maybe let the lens hire place know.
we saved money in hawaiii getting food from the ABC stores and cooking some meals in the room and just do some snacks or breakie etc out. which is great with kids who are tired and may not wanna leave the room after a long day
Wow that vacation was extremely expensive 😬. I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.
My eyes bugged out when she was telling the prices. The 3 plane ticket prices blew me away!
Yeah I was like OMG
Y’all gotta remember… they also have a business out of this. They can write ALOT of this stuff off, too.
Some people have those budgets, plus this is their job. If I had that kind of budget I would utilize it similarly.
Delta First Class! Wow 🤩💰! God Has Blessed y’all big time! 💕
My best friend is a cast member at Aulani. Actually he was in one of your Vlogs. He said you don’t have to be a hotel guest to eat at our venues but we did have certain days that were hotel guests only, but I think that has changed since occupancy is lower but you should call just in case.
They didn't answer the shopping part of that question; do you know if it's the same as well? Are you able to go in the merch shops if you're not staying there?
Jenn, do a hair tutorial on your channel for this look. So cute!!!
Thanks for your insights. I think the disposable camera is a great idea. No worries about it getting wet. And it something your child can look back on.
Looked like a beautiful vacation! I want to go some day! I loved watching all the footage and seeing Jackson have so much fun! Don't feel bad we spent 1,000 a night on a Disney cruise only 4 nights, but what a great trip! Plus you do this for a living so why not!
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
So many people throwing some sly shade about the prices. I have to say that when you watch the Trackers you would never know their wealthy. They are humble. Most the time I notice them being very conscious of prices and not over spending. So to splurge on their family vacations and allow us a window in while it's also their job to document these trips.... good for them 👏 and I appreciate the honesty to be honest 🤷♀️ I would however love to see them do some more budget friendly staycations around Disney that is more connectable for most of their viewers. Maybe compare all the value resorts for us currently. And I really hope they do the Fort Wilderness RV stay soon 🙌
No shade, just really incredible and mind boggling. Tim and Jenn are different than other wealthy people in that they worked their butts off for years and years building their business. They deserve their success.
Doesn’t make it any more sad for the millions of people in poverty working hard though😢
@@yocpum123 any film maker would heavily disagree with you, but that’s your opinion.
@@yocpum123 they’ve been on UA-cam for over a decade and have gained themselves almost 900k subs within that time and the number continues to grow each day. You can’t deny it’s not hard work just because their work doesn’t look like other professions.
@@yocpum123 Everyone has different lives, different jobs, different circumstances. If getting rich off UA-cam were easy you'd probably be doin it 🤷♀️ I think the Trackers are blessed to have found something they enjoy and made a career out of it. But that doesn't mean it's not work. To be committed to making a video of your life and in your home every single day and then committed to editing it every single day..... as well as travel and spending alot of their of pocket to make sure they are doing things they're viewers want to see.... not mention subjecting themselves to the constant criticism.... all thats certainly not easy.
My son recently vacationed in florida from our home in the Pacific Northwest and “splurged” traveling first class because of the distance involved and discovered only about $100 difference in price between first class and coach. He flew American.
I’m really glad you guys are transparent about the prices of things. I remember when Jen and Tim would talk about how expenses these trips would be and how they could never do them. I’m happy you can do them now but I wish you still had the insight to not spend on some of these ridiculous things. At the end of the day you are doing really well and if it makes sense for your finances, enjoy life!
A good tip instead of taking your vaccination around with you is to take a picture of your vaccination card along with your ID. Then just show that picture when you want to eat indoors at the restaurant. This is what i did last month and a tip by the hotel guest serviced where i stayed.
Loved the video series. You guys make me laugh when you were talking about the discount. 😂 Didn't sound like Disney gave much discount.
I mean, it saved them like 200 bucks a night for 4 of the nights. $800+ isn't chump change :)
@@keandric2765 True true. But really Disney shouldn't have been charging that much to start with. But Disney is Disney I suppose 😂
I’m a longtime follower, I really love you guys. I totally see how a lot of this can be written off on your taxes but WOW this is incredibly expensive, even for the average Joe. I feel the same as some others, I’d rather go to Tokyo Disney or see other parts of the world… own property 😬 haha congratulations to you guys though! More power to you!
One tip I got when going to a different country and it's a different time zone is set your watch, phone anything with a clock when you are on the plane to the time of the country you go going to. It helps a ton with jet lag.
Other ideas for your next Aulani trip: Pearl Harbor, Waikiki/Diamond Head hike and Polynesian Culture Center.
And I have to say I cried a few times watching the videos because you are making such wonderful memories as a family and you guys try so hard to be awesome parents and you are doing amazing! Jackson is such a sweet boy!
It was great meeting you three for the very first time at Aulani! Thank you for taking the time to chat with Eric and I!
Once you fly First Class it's hard to go back to Coach. 😊😊☺
$70k?! So you’d pay it like a house note? Pulse your annual dues? So that could possibly be like $5k+ a year?! That’s a lot of money. Would you get to go as many times a year as you want? Is that to any DVC location? Or you select certain ones?
I would say a 10-14 day stay at Aulani is perfect. Gives you plenty of days to explore the island and do plenty of activities. The first time we went we spent a week there. It seemed like it was just two days.
I agree, family memories are priceless! We made vacationing a priority when our girls were little even when my husband was unemployed. We used our tax return money for vacation. I have scrap books from every trip. My girls are 20 and 23. This year is likely our last family vacation just the four of us. Absolutely no regrets!!
PS : YES DVC
Agreed! I never grew up wealthy but my mom ensured that my 4 sisters and I made plenty of memories! And I cherish them (and her) so much, and am in awe at the sacrifice it took to make that happen for us!
the Cams u can take them to ur local Walgreens & they will have them sent off to be done for u
I saw that you mentioned to call Disney directly for discounts but travel agents can also get the best discounts! We are hurting right now and don't cost anything and would super appreciate your support to TAs!!!! :) thanks 😊
You need to look into DVC Resale. Aulani is MUCH cheaper on the resale market per point than direct from Disney. You are already AP Passholders. The DVC discount is the same as the AP discounts.
Thank you Tim and jenn glad you guys had a fabulous trip hopefully your next one
Would be nice enjoy 💕💕
Paid $10 grand 17 years ago for a 2 week honeymoon in Tahiti (4 islands) all included (flights, transfers, meals & lodge (Bora Bora we stayed in a hut over the water!!). Took 1 year for both of us to save. WORTH IT!!!
With drinks, excursions, souvenirs and having a verandah, transfers,hotel and airfare we spent about 6k for 8 day cruise
Thanks for great information!
A good way to look at buying into DVC is that prices are going to keep going up for hotel rooms, but this is a way to keep some control over what you pay (and get better rooms) and if you can’t use all of the points, you can rent some to others and that helps to pay the dues.
I went for my Honeymoon in July and I would only go back if COVID got better and things were different. I realized how much I was missing when I was at the resort . People kept telling me "Due to Covid". It was a dream to go and on my Disney bucket list. I didn't have the best experience because of how much was missing and we also had issues with our room. Our room wasn't being cleaned at all and we stayed for 5 days. We stayed in non DVC room with a view. We also had so many people trying to sell us DVC and it was pretty extreme. It was a disappointing experience for my husband and I. Aulani is a beautiful resort but a Disney Cruise is something that I would do in heartbeat. We just came from one and it was AMAZING!!!
Love love loved this Q&A!! I enjoyed watching your Hawaii videos and was extremely curious what a trip like this would cost. I appreciate you sharing what you paid for everything. We don’t quite have the means for a trip like that but I loved watching yours. I’m glad your UA-cam career can enable to do things like this. I know a lot of people are jealous and critical, but I don’t think they have any idea the work that you guys put into your channel! Again, my sincerest thanks for disclosing the costs of the trip and Jenn you looked radiant in this video! Love you guys!!
Omg so expensive🥺
A great synopsis of your stay. Thank you for all the information. And see you tomorrow during your “live” show.
Only regrets DVC members have is not buying sooner or not enough points! Just think of it this way in 7/8 years you will break even if you only go one week in the one particular accommodation you had and everything after that is gravy for 40 something years.
Holy moly that was expensive. It's even worse for us when you have to convert from NZD. In 2017 we flew Auckland, Honolulu, New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Auckland. It was a 5 week trip with a week in NY, 2 weeks in Orlando, 10 days road tripping to Arizona, Utah, Nevada from Vegas, and then the rest of the days spent there and back in Honolulu. We stayed in moderate/value accommodation and it cost less than your Aulani trip. (2 adults, no kids). Please do more travel so we can enjoy through you as we are stuck in New Zealand, the hermit kingdom due to Covid restrictions. Love your channel. Keep up the good work!
I love our DVC. We’ve been going to Aulani as DVC members since they opened. The buy in is expensive, no doubt. But as far as the cost, it’s the same as buying a deeded vacation home. We paid off ours last year. The trips we’ve taken have been so worth the cost. Also, as a member of DVC we have access to a lounge with changing rooms on check out day. Just another perk that I love when we stay there.
Are you talking about rhe Luana Lounge? I thought that was for all guests and had to be reserved on check-out day. At least that is what I was told by a cast member when I asked since we have a late flight the day we check out!
Such a great video! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and the cost of flights, rooms, etc. The information you share about your travels has helped us so much and we appreciate all the work you put into these incredible videos. Looking forward to the live show today.
I spit out my drink hearing the price of the plane tickets! But damn worth it to lay down!
We went to Aulani three years ago, flew nonstop from NY on Hawaiian in comfort plus seating for just over 1k per person. Used DVC points for 2 bedroom ocean view , then it’s basically what you spend on a normal vacation , food prices weren’t much different from here. Basically like going to WDW for a week By the way , first class was over 3 k per person
Remember they videotaped it and posted to their UA-cam channel and included IG reels, so, some parts are a tax write off.
I appreciate you being upfront about the costs. Hawaii is expensive. We have been four times, and alternated with Florida often due to the cost. We could go to Florida for less than half the cost. However we have loved and appreciated our Hawaiian vacations. Maui is our favourite island. Loved seeing how much fun Jackson had bathing suit swimming. So cute.
Wow, I'm so happy for your family that you can afford vacations like this! Because even though all of my vacations are thoroughly and tightly budgeted 😅 I really really really enjoy your content! It's so fun to see the possibilities!
We went to Costco for our groceries. Stayed in a studio and made most of our own food.
DVC is paid for in 5-7 trips. You can buy DVC for OKW or Saratoga and use those points at Aulani.
Thank you for making these videos, I am traveling vicariously through you because I’ll never be able to afford Aulani 😂
You guys can buy Disney re-sale. So you'd be buying somebody else's initial contract, so you wouldn't have the whole 50 years ahead of you, but you also wouldn't have to pay the whole amount for the initial buy in. You can buy DVC resale through Disney or through a third party. Personally, I love my DVC and it saves us a ton of money because we regularly travel to Disney properties.
People complaining about prices and what Tim and Jenn are doing recently regarding vacations are proper weird, two extremely hard working and happy people who are enjoying their lives with Jackson, keep it up guys!
Great video! Definitely explore resale for DVC. yes you don’t get all the direct sales benefits but the upfront savings is a lot!
I would get a small photo album that you can also write in and Title it Jackson's first Aulani trip. Then add a short caption of what he did that day or was excited about that day .
We did the same tour you did but with Trans Luxury who was recommended by Hi-5. It was amazing! Highly recommend! And definitely buy into DVC!
One of my dreams is to go island hopping in Hawaii. Stay a few days on each island and just enjoy it all.
When you get the pictures developed you should put them in a mini photo album and label it Jackson’s First Hawaii Trip by Jackson so you ca always look back on and see his handy work!
Purchase dvc resale. You will saves tons of money. You get Florida resident discounts so you really do not need to purchase direct unless you want to stay @ Riviera.
This was great thankyou for giving us all the information about the trip ...
Definitely consider renting points, Aulani is way cheaper that way. Your room ends up like $400-500 a night rather than the prices you were paying.
You definitely need to buy into DVC…You will for sure save money and all the extras would be so worth while. Just doing Staycations will be so worth it!!!
You don't need that many DVC points! You can bank and borrow points. We are staying for 8 nights with just 2 years of our points. We bought direct, buy you can also buy resale.
There is a restriction on points borrowing right now, only can borrow 50 percent from next year
@@davidcretella5547 yes but you can bank points. We used 2 years of points for our upcoming stay.
Not sure if someone answered this but you can go to Walgreens and get the cameras developed. You get the prints and a cd for about $18.00. Takes about a week to get the pics back. Hope this helps !
So, glad I am a DVC member after hearing the price of the rooms. With DVC a you are using points not paying cash. Unless you are out of points, then you get 20% off the rack rate. That is one reason we joined. I agree with you guys on having the private tours. It’s worth the money to have locals share those island secrets. 😎👍🏻
After watching your day with Hi5 Tours, we booked them for our trip in September! So Excited!
Another Thank You for this! A great insight on a bucket list trip for sure! & a Thank you to all who asked such great questions as well! 👍❤️👍
DVC owner here. If you’re going to buy, then buy where you want to stay. Out points are at Poly, and the resort is awesome. But the rooms suck. Wish we had bought at Old Key West.
I love Aulani. Definitely worth the money. My fourth visit was in May 2021. The spa was still closed at that time. I looooooove their spa.
Thank you for sharing your trip! We are going with our 1 year old in March and staying 10 nights in the 1br (on DVC points). Your advice on the trip has been super helpful. I've been DVC for 10+ years and I can tell you even with the buy-in and annual maintenance (over the term), every stay I'm paying less than half of what I would EVEN with discounts. Knowing your channel well, it would save you overall. Thanks for the excellent family-friendly content over the years!!!
In whatever way you can show us some (or all :-)) of Jackson's pictures would be great! I can't wait - they are going to be so cute!!!