All of a sudden we have absolutely no interest in WDW (gasp)!!

[Murron]

OP back again. I'm thinking we will do this some also. It is not that we're tired of WDW as much as we really do have problems walking after a couple of days. DW has knee problems and I have feet problems (getting old is h___ ). Plus to be frank the increasing cost of the tickets really bug me. So a vacation at just the resort sounds great to me. We love AKV and are owners there. I prefer Jambo while DW prefers Kidani. I could see staying a week there without going to a park as very attractive.

We've done this. Stayed one week at BWV and one at AKV. Enjoyed the resorts completely. Hit our favorite restaurants. Did miniature and regular golf and relaxed at pools. It is definitely doable. Oh....and of course I found my way to the outlets. =) We have the same dilemma. I love Kidani and husband loves Jambo.

 

[Tim French]

Even though we just bought in last year, my wife and I had similar concerns before we bought. but I think you are doing absolutely the right thing!! Nothing says you have to go to WDW to enjoy DVC. We haven't been (yet) but Aulani is DEFINITELY in our future. To us DVC is so much more than just the parks. We were truly convinced to join because a friend of my DW is a long time member who has done things like Adventures by Disney and raved about them. We also think that, later in life, taking advantage of things like RCI to go see Europe and other places will fit the ticket for our changing needs and desires as vacationers. So ENJOY it!! It sounds like you're already well versed in VB, HHI, and Aulani and I'm sure the bug to "head home" will strike again before you know it.

 

[Alfredo68]

I hope this never happens to me. WDW is my happy place!

While I am a few years behind 60, I think that Disney represents different things for each of us. For me, it is memories and a feeling I get being there that I do not get anywhere else. And it does not even have to do with the rides -- just walking down Main Street can do it. I will probably feel this way when I am 60, since I have felt this way about WDW since I was 12 and am now 48. I do agree about the crowds, especially being an introvert, but I just block them out.

 

[michelleiada]

While I am a few years behind 60, I think that Disney represents different things for each of us. For me, it is memories and a feeling I get being there that I do not get anywhere else. And it does not even have to do with the rides -- just walking down Main Street can do it. I will probably feel this way when I am 60, since I have felt this way about WDW since I was 12 and am now 48. I do agree about the crowds, especially being an introvert, but I just block them out.

I agree. I can sit on a park bench at Disney and be happy.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I agree. I can sit on a park bench at Disney and be happy.

I used to be..... Now it takes a bar.

(Thinking AK Dawa)

MG

 

[Alfredo68]

I used to be..... Now it takes a bar.

(Thinking AK Dawa)

MG

LOL!!!!

 

[disneynutz]

I used to be..... Now it takes a bar.

(Thinking AK Dawa)

MG

Welcome back, I missed you!

Bill

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I agree. I can sit on a park bench at Disney and be happy.

Except that current management seems to be taking those benches out.. Sitting doesn't generate income! Get moving LOL!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Except that current management seems to be taking those benches out.. Sitting doesn't generate income! Get moving LOL!

There are a few in DHS right after the closed off portion past TSM that are almost never used. DW and I hung out there for a good hour.

I am in the category of love the parks, hate the walking and crowds. We are just as likely to just hang out at the resort, or check out one of the other resorts on the loop. We are not beach people, but the DVC rooms with a kitchen (we always book 1 bedroom) are just a nice getaway from the house and don't cost us much other than a plane ride. So WDW is still our vacation spot even if we don't spend a lot of time in the parks. We will sometimes dip in for a good meal and a few fastpasses, but that's touch and go.

Still plenty for Disney to offer us - not to mention all the things you can do outside of the parks. They have some great walking trails and looking for hidden mickeys is a past time I love. I also enjoy spending some time talking to the CM"s in Kidani about the animals and other random CM's about their home lands. You meet some fascinating people there.

 

[bz8bls]

For some reason DW and myself seem to have no interest at all in going to WDW in the forseeable future. You have to understand we are in our mid-upper 60's and the thought of getting in all the crowds and doing all the walking just has no appeal to us at all. Plus the high cost of tickets is another big factor. So for the next few years, we'll just be using our points (we have 290) at HHI, Vero Beach and Aulani. We love all three resorts and figure that will be a great use of our points. In fact, we're booked at HHI twice this year and heading to Aulani next year. I find it interesting we can go all the way to Aulani and spend a week there for about the same as going to WDW and spending a week once you take into account the cost of tickets.

This isn't to say we won't be going back to WDW but perhaps just every three years or so. We have grandchildren we want to take eventually.

Anyone else in a similar situation and with similar feelings.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

My DH and I are in our 40's. He can retire next year, and I have four more years. We are already at that point, kind of. We love WDW, but we don't like spending long periods of time in the parks. Right now, we are trying to use up our last No Expiration tickets. We usually go into the parks only two days/trip. But with this strategy, we spend way too much time in the park each day. I can't wait to get APs and just relax. We would love to take 3-week vacations, maybe in November for F&W and Christmas decorations or in January to escape the winter weather, and go into the parks every few days for just a few hours. WolfPackFan, I am also like you in the respect that I love HHI. We would choose it over WDW any day!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

My DH and I are in our 40's. He can retire next year, and I have four more years. We are already at that point, kind of. We love WDW, but we don't like spending long periods of time in the parks. Right now, we are trying to use up our last No Expiration tickets. We usually go into the parks only two days/trip. But with this strategy, we spend way too much time in the park each day. I can't wait to get APs and just relax. We would love to take 3-week vacations, maybe in November for F&W and Christmas decorations or in January to escape the winter weather, and go into the parks every few days for just a few hours. WolfPackFan, I am also like you in the respect that I love HHI. We would choose it over WDW any day!

Exactly. We live 20 minutes from WDW.
In the past year I have visited:

1) MK twice. Made it all the way to Tony's for dinner, then left. No further.

2) Epcot numerous times for 2015 F&W (strictly food & drink).

3) DHS once for the last Osborne Lights. Nothing else.

4) Twice at AKL. Once strictly for Dawa Bar, once for Tiffins and night safari.

BUT.... More times than I can count for dinners at the resorts without entering a park.
If it wasn't for F&W I wouldn't have an AP.

MG

 

[bwvBound]

So, I just looked at my DVC Member Dashboard and was surprised to see multiple bookings. I guess "little things add up," don't they? We've got a great travel line up for Fall/Winter/Spring!

• Sept: Wyndham Pagosa in Colorado (not related to DVC)
• Oct: DVC Aulani and Worldmark Sydney, AU.
• Nov: Worldmark Dolphins Cove (very near Disneyland) with a waitlist for DVC Grand Cal for the DVC Member event.
• Dec: DVC Grand Cal and Worldmark in Tuscon
• Jan: DVC Saratoga Springs -- speculative reservation for Pro Bowl 2017. I think we are likely to cancel this ...
• Feb: DCL Dream + DVC Grand Floridian

We won't likely do parks while at WDW but will enjoy hanging at the Grand Floridian for a couple days on the end of the cruise. Maybe this will become our new pattern ...

 

[Bunless]

When we bought into DVC, we did it because we could use it at so many other places than WDW. Note, we do live on the west coast.

Things we have done with our points over the last decade...
-Gone to Aulani for a total of three weeks
-Caribbean cruise
-Alaska cruise
-12 day Mediterranean cruise (only one ticket paid for by DVC)
-a couple of short trips to DL
-three nights at Disneyland Paris
-a week at Vero Beach
-five visits over the December holidays (when the main reason was to visit my parents) where we stayed at a DVC property, never went to parks
-several one or two day visits by myself when I go to visit my parents (mainly to take advantage of sleeping off the time change, instead of inflicting my grumpiness on my parents)
-gifted a few days at Vero to my parents
-gifted a couple of single nights (when I forgot to bank points) at WDW to my parents and/or their friends
-ONLY ONE extended time at WDW over that decade, a ten day trip

My husband is fed up, he has made the decision that we MUST go to WDW next year for two weeks. He misses it too much.

 

[luckylady131]

Even though we just bought in last year, my wife and I had similar concerns before we bought. but I think you are doing absolutely the right thing!! Nothing says you have to go to WDW to enjoy DVC. We haven't been (yet) but Aulani is DEFINITELY in our future. To us DVC is so much more than just the parks. We were truly convinced to join because a friend of my DW is a long time member who has done things like Adventures by Disney and raved about them. We also think that, later in life, taking advantage of things like RCI to go see Europe and other places will fit the ticket for our changing needs and desires as vacationers. So ENJOY it!! It sounds like you're already well versed in VB, HHI, and Aulani and I'm sure the bug to "head home" will strike again before you know it.

We just got off a disney cruise where we bought into DCV this last week. Hubby and I are not disney goers, but we this the brand is such good quality, and the options to be able to go to other places led us to believe that this is a good option for the way we vacation. I completely agree with you. We current,y live in Europe on an expat assignment, and I can see us using our pints for ABds and river cruises and regular cruises while we are here, and points for regular resorts when we get back.

 

[disneynutz]

We just got off a disney cruise where we bought into DCV this last week. Hubby and I are not disney goers, but we this the brand is such good quality, and the options to be able to go to other places led us to believe that this is a good option for the way we vacation. I completely agree with you. We current,y live in Europe on an expat assignment, and I can see us using our pints for ABds and river cruises and regular cruises while we are here, and points for regular resorts when we get back.

IMO you should rescind and think the purchase over. While Disney is a good brand, the DVC and resort rooms are not maintained at the level that you would expect. Website issues, room issues, cleaning issues, all show and little go. They advertise that you can use your points everywhere but in reality the use of those points for anywhere but a DVC resort can be very expensive with limited availability. You need to look at the cost of using those points verses paying cash, many of the quotes are per person.

Thousands of contracts are sold on the resale market each year, there must be a reason.

Bill

 

[luckylady131]

IMO you should rescind and think the purchase over. While Disney is a good brand, the DVC and resort rooms are not maintained at the level that you would expect. Website issues, room issues, cleaning issues, all show and little go. They advertise that you can use your points everywhere but in reality the use of those points for anywhere but a DVC resort can be very expensive with limited availability. You need to look at the cost of using those points verses paying cash, many of the quotes are per person.

Thousands of contracts are sold on the resale market each year, there must be a reason.

Bill

Thanks for the advise.

Thousands of houses are also sold and bought each year....things change for people.

We just finished a disney cruise, we have already booked an ABD for next year and I want to do a river cruise or 2 here in Europe. Not to mention Paris is a 4 hour drive from my house, so we plan on staying there some. It's not like we loathe disney. Actually I love disney...it's just getting hubby into as much as I am. My kids are 6 and 10. I have a niece who is almost 5. I definitely see disney as part of our future.

I keep hearing how expensive it can be to use points when staying at a non DVC location. How much money are we talking? Because the places we tend to go are not the cheap places, so paying out of pocket is expensive for a family of 4.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Thanks for the advise.

Thousands of houses are also sold and bought each year....things change for people.

We just finished a disney cruise, we have already booked an ABD for next year and I want to do a river cruise or 2 here in Europe. Not to mention Paris is a 4 hour drive from my house, so we plan on staying there some. It's not like we loathe disney. Actually I love disney...it's just getting hubby into as much as I am. My kids are 6 and 10. I have a niece who is almost 5. I definitely see disney as part of our future.

I keep hearing how expensive it can be to use points when staying at a non DVC location. How much money are we talking? Because the places we tend to go are not the cheap places, so paying out of pocket is expensive for a family of 4.

Bill is correct. Heed his advice.

MG

 

[mrsR123]

Thanks for the advise.


I keep hearing how expensive it can be to use points when staying at a non DVC location. How much money are we talking? Because the places we tend to go are not the cheap places, so paying out of pocket is expensive for a family of 4.

It's not so much an out of pocket expense to visit those other places although many options require a $95 fee. It's more of a conversion factor kind of thing. If you compare how many points are required for a cruise, for example, versus the cash price of that same cruise DVC points don't go nearly as far elsewhere as they do when used at a DVC Resort.

YES, THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT ONE CAN DO WITH DVC points, and Disney markets that heavily, but conventional wisdom holds that people should buy where they actually want to stay because other uses are not a good value.

YMMV, but that's the idea.

 

[bwvBound]

I agree with Bill's advice -- rescind for now and take your time studying the materials and options.

I keep hearing how expensive it can be to use points when staying at a non DVC location. How much money are we talking? Because the places we tend to go are not the cheap places, so paying out of pocket is expensive for a family of 4.

Sample ABD options when using DVC points:

• ALASKA: Denali National Park, Anchorage & Kenai Peninsula
  8 Days / 7 Nights
  DVC Points per adult: 667
  DVC Points per child: 634
• FRANCE: Paris, Versailles & Normandy
  8 Days / 7 Nights
  DVC Points per adult: 853
  DVC Points per child: 811
• AUSTRALIA: Sydney, Ayers Rock, Tasmania & Great Barrier Reef
  12 Days / 11 Nights
  DVC Points per adult: 1053
  DVC Points per child: 1001

River Cruises:

• DANUBE RIVER CRUISE
  Ship: AMAVIOLA
  7 nights
  Least costly cabin (E), Adult: 551 ; Child 525
  Most costly non-suite cabin (A), Adult: 870 ; Child: 827
  Suite, Adult: 1062; Child: 1009

Plus, of course, the $95 transaction fee on all the above.