DVC Cash Discount Price?

I know there's smarter folks than me on this topic, but I'm almost certain the issue is how slowly that property has sold. DVC doesn't declare all units into inventory at one time. So resorts get piece-mealed into declaration. Until units are declared, only that portion of the resort is available to be booked on points. I agree it's a bummer about not being able to easily book.

Sadly, the dues are a big discouragement to ownership, so it's a hard sell. 😢

We were able to grab a 6-night stay in late August last year. I have mixed-feelings about staying there again. A lot of those mixed feelings are likely the time of year (I think the cabins would be more enjoyable when you actually WANT to be outside). The layout is amazing, but one of my favorite things about staying at WDW is being able to walk and/or meander around using transportation. The cabins are quite a hike from the amenities at the resort. It was about a mile walk to Trail's End and Crockett's Tavern (which we really enjoyed). But there wasn't much else to walk to. I'd like to try again when Lakeshore Lodge opens, as it will add more "resort things" close to the cabins (it felt kinda isolated). I'm also hoping they reconnect the path that used to connect Wilderness Lodge to the Fort.

I guess the good news is, it should get easier to book over time. We've owned DVC since 2009, but we did not try to stay at Aulani till 2025. I'm curious if it was hard to get as a non-owner in the early days (because it's also been a slow-selling resort).

I've considered the cabins for Summer 2028 because my kids also want to hit Universal while we are there, and the cabins are on that side of the park. Plus, we could park right at the cabin. I am a little concerned because my home resort is PVB, so I cannot make a reservation until seven months out. While the cabins appear easy to grab in the 7-11 month timeframe, they disappear quickly at seven months out.

I'm curious if you call and ask if you might be able to get something more easily than online. I know during the sales pitch they mentioned they keep unlisted inventory for the initial "welcome home" reservation, which likely converts to cash rooms if not used. For a place like the cabins, I'm curious if they might be a little willing to let some of that go. Point for point, I'm willing to bet my PVB points are worth more as a cash room than the cabins.