Vacation Habits

[ohioMickey]

OK...here is a question for all you DVCers out there.

What are your vacation habits? How many weeks per year? How many trips to WDW? How long do you stay at WDW? Do you vacation at places other than WDW? etc etc etc.

It will be intersting to see all the vacation variations out there.

http://members.aol.com/mpatrickmd/mickeyski2.gif

Off Site 05/90
Dixie Landings 05/00
Wilderness Lodge 09/00
Polynesian 05/01
VWL 12/01 -- First trip with DVC points!!

[wdwnut]

hi: i'll start- we've been trying (usually successfully) to take two 1 week vacations at wdw since 1993. we usually go for a week in september and a week in may. other vacations usually coincide with business trips for my dh's company (cruise next spring). there's also the occasional long weekend or mini vacation to visit a ds in college.

[msdisney53]

We have been members since 1999 and have only used our points at wdw. This year 2 weeks at BWV. Last year we split it in 2 vacations. Next year we hope to cruise. :rolleyes:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/loveairdvc2.jpg

[walter]

We have taken six trips in the four years since we joined DVC. We have stayed at OKW,VB and HH. Jan. of this year, we spent 12 days at OKW, then 4 at VB. In October we will once again visit OKW before taking the 7 day cruise (for the second time). Next year we hope to spend 10-12 days at HH.

[Margie J]

I've been trying to take two vacations a year since joining the DVC (in 1994). One is usually a week long, another ranges from one week to 12 days.

My vacations are usually in April/May, October/November or December. Since I don't have kids I can travel during "slower" seasons.

Besides my WDW vacations, I've been on many cruises and to Cities like New Orleans, New York, D.C., Las Vegas, LA, etc.

[Richnj]

I get 5 weeks a year,DW gets 3. 1 week at WDW(nov).One week at Jersey Shore.One week at scout camp. Two weeks hiding from wife who has found odd jobs for me to do. I take these in winter,( no outside painting!

[Cyndy]

We try to take 2 DVC vacations per year. Usually 1 at WDW (sometimes 2) and 1 at HH (or this year Vero) We love the options and the 11 mo window for BWV, but we also love the room size at OKW and seem to be there a lot.

[LarryM]

since we've joined in Jan 2000 we are trying to go 2 trips a year. we bought the season pass and are trying to get 2-3 trips on the pass. It makes the trip much more feasable if we don't have to buy admission each time.

June 1988 offsite
Nov. 1994 DxL
Nov. 1995 DxL
Nov. 1996 DxL
Nov. 1997 DxL
Dec. 1999 DxL
Dec. 2000 BWV DVC
May 2001 WLV DVC

[BetsyB]

Our family owns a small commercial printing business, so we don't get a set amount of vacation time. It would be impossible for us to leave for a week at a time, so we just take it when we can get it and do long weekends here and there. Looking back, if a nything, we go away too much! In the past year we have been to WDW 3 times, NYC 3 times, and to Canada twice. Financially, it would probably make more sense to go for 1 week at a time -- but it sure is fun to always be looking forward to our next trip! This year we are going to the Grand Californian (on points) in July and to see family in Texas over Christmas, so we won't be doing WDW again until 2002. :(

[Disnydad]

We own a small insurance agency (well, my wife owns it) and it is hard to get away for extended times. We usually get to WDW for a week in January. The last couple of years we have been able to get a long weekend in December. We have not used any points in DVC yet as we bought into it on our last trip. For now we have a 5 day stay at the VWL in November (over Veterans Day) and a 8 day stay also at VWL in January planned.

It's hard with a small business to get away as everyone wants to see the owner. We have licensed staff that work for us, but folks will just turn around and walk out saying "I'll wait till they get back." :rolleyes:

Don, DVC/VWL 2000

No frogs were riveted during the construction of this post.

[MdmMim]

I go during the winter, staying for 3-4 weeks, depending on how long I make the points stretch out. :) I usually start off in a studio, then switch at some point to a 1-bedroom. I usually stay at the BWV, but tried OKW last year and really liked it there.

Next year, I may use some points in December, then go back to finish the rest off in January. It's great to have so many choices, isn't it?

[mrsdon]

We used to live about 3 hours from our front door to check-in at OKW. We would go for 1 weekend a month and at least 2 weeks a year. I loved going that often and NEVER got tired of it. My DH took a new job and we moved all the way to Memphis. We are now about 13 hours away. :(.
Last year we used our points to go white water rafting and an the way we stopped at MT Rushmore and Yellewstone/Grand Tetons.
I absolutely loved this part of the country. I love WDW and love going every year, but in MHO disney can not recreate what God and nature created. So my future plans are to see the world and still visit Disnye every year. :)

[TeresaNJ]

Fortunately for me, I get 5 weeks vacation, plus I work three 12 1/2 hour shifts per week, and we do self-scheduling, so realistically, I could have tons of time off if I scheduled myself to work Sunday, Monday, Tuesday one week, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, the next week, as my work-week runs from Sunday to Saturday, and I get paid every two weeks. My DH works four 10 1/2 hour days, and he can also adjust his work week, plus he gets two weeks vacation. We've only been married a year, together for 2 1/2, and we've been to Disney together four times already, with three more trips scheduled this year. In the past I usually went to Disney approximately every other year, and to the shore every year for a week or so, but recently we've only vacationed at Disney. Now that we've bought into DVC, we'll probably continue to do Disney several times a year. My favorite times to go are May and November/early December, although I've been several times in the summer. This year we're doing WDW May, October, and the end of Nov/beginning of December. I doubt I'll ever stay at the shore again for vacation. It's only an hour or so away, so we just do day trips there. I'd like to eventually stay at Vero Beach and Hilton Head, and sometime in the near future I really, really want to visit Canada, specifically Nova Scotia. Before my DH went to Disney with me he couldn't understand why I would go to the same place for vacation all the time. After going with me twice, he's hooked! He now talks about Disney more than I do. :D

<font color=blue><font face=Disney Print>Polynesian 1985, 1990, GF 1992, BC 1995, 1997, BWI 1998, PO 1999, BWV 1999, WL 2000, OKW 2000, AKL\VWL May 2001, VWL Oct 2001, DIS CON. POR\VWL Nov 2001</font></font>

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http://houseofdisney.homestead.com/files/vacclub01.gif

[Disney Doll]

In a good year, we get to WDW twice. This year, we've already been in January, and will be going again in October (it's our 10 year anniversary and we spent our honeymoon in WDW...DH says we're "returning to the scene of the crime" ;) ).
The January trip was 10 days, the October trip will be eight days. One year we were really lucky and got in 3 trips...one being a long weekend!!!!!! We also like to do little long weekends elsewhere throughout the year. We love to travel! if we won Lotto, we wouldn't move, or buy fancy cars or any of that...we'd invest wisely and travel!!! :D

Disney Doll

[Lesley]

We don't really have set vacation habits. I grew up with the yearly week long trip to the shore in the summer. That's kind of what I'm used to so we try to take at least a one week trip a year. In the last few years we've been going to WDW every year at different times, but we're skipping 2001. We also tend to do a weekend somewhere every year.
I think our DVC vacationing habits will turn out to be a week or a bit longer every year...probably in the fall or winter and spaced to get 2 trips to an AP. We will probably do weekends to other places, but not with our points. And we may even do some cash stays at WDW.


Lesley


1979 Contemporary
1992 Off-site
1994 Carribean Beach
1999 Fort Wilderness and Coronado Springs
2000 Polynesian and Old Key West
2002 Boardwalk Villas

[JohnG]

As you can see below, we've done WDW at least once almost every year since it opened. We used to go for up to 10 days at a time, plus we took a yearly trip to Hawaii for two weeks.

With two sons in college at the same time, buying into DVC let us keep our travel habits the same, while actually lowering our costs.

Now that the oldest is out of school, I look forward to two WDW world trips a year, probably 5 nites each, one for "Flower Power" (I go to see the entertainment, not so much for the flowers and one for "Wine and Food" (I know, Disney calls it "The Food and Wine Festival", but they should be forgiven for missing the point) ;)

JohnG
Offsite 73,74,75,76,77,79,80, 82
Poly 82,83,85,86
Carribean Beach 87,88,89,90
Beach Club 91,92,93,95,96
Yacht Club 94
ASM 99
BWDVC 97,98,99,2000 (3 Times)2001 (New Year's for the REAL Millenium!)

DLand 74,78,84,88,92,94,95,96,98

[dianeschlicht]

We used to go every other year until we bought DVC. Since then, we have gone at least once, usually twice and sometimes three times in a year. Last year we did three trips because we were there for the millennium celebration NYE 1999/2000 and the following week plus 1 week in September and 10 days in December. This was to make the most of our AP. We wont be going at all this calendar year, but will go for 10 nights next January and 2 weeks the folling January again to take advantage of our APs. We would normally go another time in there, but we did an exchange to Hawaii for next April, so we need to save vacation time for that too.

Disneydiane http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/vltdisney/mickey36.gif http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/images/official_logos/keywest.gif

[mattsdad]

We like to take about four three night vacations a year. That way we don't miss a lot of events at work but at the same time have something to look forward to almost every quarter

[larry_poppins]

I find that I like to take two vacations a year spaced 6 months apart. Otherwise I go kind of nuts from the stress from work. If I don't go to WDW for both trips, then my first trip may be 10 nights at OKW. If I am going to WDW for both trips then I may spend 7 nights each time.

Sometimes I just go to WDW once, and bank my points for a cruise the following year. THen I will go to another location for my semi-annual trip.

[Peggy Sue]

We normally take a 2 week vacation in the spring and a week in late Fall. Since joining DVC, we have found ourselves drawn to the DVC resorts and taking more vacations than normal. this year we will be at WDW 4/28 - 5/6, 10/30 - 11/4, 11/27 - 12/9.

Next year, we will take a break from multiple WDW vacations and plan one trip during the Christmas holiday season. We hope to resume our normal vacations taking 2 weeks in the spring. I believe we are planning on going back to Hawaii next year, but havn't made any plans yet.

Have a wonderful day!

[Beth]

We joined in April, 1997.

Since then, we've booked 44 reservations with DVC.

We tend to vacation quite differently than most of you, staying for only 1-3 nights at a time. In fact, we're leaving on 4/22 for a "5-night" stay - our longest yet. (Can't wait!!)

Of those 44 ressies, we've:

sent friends/family 8 times to a DVC resort w/o us

sailed on the 11th sailing of the MAGIC,

spent 2 nights at Grove Park Inn

spent 2 nights in Contemporary Tower Room

sent SIL and new husband on their honeymoon for 2 nights at the White Swan in San Francisco

21 trips "with" friends/family

11 trips just for us

Kinda crazy, huh?

But we enjoy our short getaways.

[jmatzen0106]

1993 - 1996 ( OKW 190 points )
we drove to WDW from NYC - Summer Vacation
5 nights Studio
2 nights Ft Wilderness Campground
5 nights 1 Bed Room

1997 - 1999 ( OKW 290 points )
We are now flying - Still Summer Vacation
7 Nights Studio
5 Nights 1 Bed Room

2000 ( OKW 290 points / Vero Beach 150 points )
Still Flying but now retired
January - 12 nights Studio
June - 12 nights Studio
September - 7 Night Cruise

2001 ( Same 440 points )
January - 12 Nights Studio
June - 12 Nights Studio

2002 ( Same 440 points )
January - 12 Nights Studio
September - 7 Night Cruise

[ohioMickey]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It is interesting to see all the variations out there.

We plan on going to WDW for 12 nights each May in a studio and 7 nights in early December in a 1 bedroom. Both trips at VWL.

Of course it is very early in our DVC career and with all the flexibility, who knows what are plans will be in a couple years. Our kids are 6yo and 4yo and we only use the room for napping/sleeping and we do not plan on cooking during vacation, so i hope the 12 days in a studio will be alright....guess we will see.

In terms of other vacations, we also take a ski trip every winter for a few days at places like Peek 'N Peak or Snowshoe. Maybe in the future we will exchange points for a trip skiing out West. We keep hearing nice things about Snowbird in Utah, which is on the DVC exchange charts.

The next vacation is our (hopefully) last cash trip for a long time. Polynesian, here we come...only 32 days to go!!!!

http://members.aol.com/mpatrickmd/mickeyski2.gif

Off Site 05/90
Dixie Landings 05/00
Wilderness Lodge 09/00
Polynesian 05/01
VWL 12/01 -- First trip with DVC points!!

[sumessefui]

We usually go to OKW once a year for 9-14 days. We also try to get in a trip to VB or HH.

[rbuzzotta]

We try to get to WDW at least 2 times a year. Now with my DD in 4th grade it is hard to travel on the slower season. Since June 2000 we have been 3 times (WL, off site, DxL) and we will be back in July for our first official stay at a DVC resort (BWV). I am hoping to try to book VB for late August/early Sept. before school starts!

We have pretty much given up on our vacations at the shore in Maine (water is way to cold to enjoy) and only take day trips or overnight trips there. The traffic to Cape Cod is unbelievable on a weekend! Once it took us 6 hours to just reach the bridge!!! It only takes 3 to fly to MCO. (I used to work for the airlines and took an early retirment with full flight benefits, stand-by of course).

We rather vacation in Florida, Disney property of course! Disney has spoiled us and it is awfully hard to compete for accomodations!

Rosemary
Off-site every year since 1985
PO '96, '97, '99
Coronado '00
WL '94, '00
CB '98
VB '97, '98, '00
DVC member '00 OKW
DxL '97, '01
BWV '01