I'd go for the nonrev and use the miles another time--If you're willing to have a little back-up and split (based on #'s in 2 more days) you could be fine. You apparently aren't the damsel in distress type and know your way around some tkt counters.
Thanks for the Croatia info--I get great deals on luxurylink.com and the Adriana (+sister resorts) have been up for auction frequently. We're thinking 2 cities with a villa stay somewhere for 4-5 nights--where to choose most ideal spot for side travel/excursions?? Just starting to do the research. We considered flying in/out VCE and so on.
PS--I have sometimes been lucky to have the FF dept shift the res to another 24-48 hrs (maybe not for Hawaii??) but it's worked before for ICN and NRT--gave me a little breathing room to confirm. Just a thought