What would you do???

[KimviG]

Please Advise me!!!

I have a bit of money I want to save to pay for a large portions of next years vacation end of Aug/Sept
The thing is I need to put this money away now and not leave it in any acct that I have access to because I will absolutely deplete it.
I had a plan to sock it away in a Disney Vacation account and wait on codes/discounts/free dining and earn some Disney gift cards
But just checking the DVC rentals we could stay at a studio at AKL for a $130 difference
My family and I have only ever stayed at values and once at POR

 

[pepperandchips]

Please Advise me!!!

I have a bit of money I want to save to pay for a large portions of next years vacation end of Aug/Sept
The thing is I need to put this money away now and not leave it in any acct that I have access to because I will absolutely deplete it.
I had a plan to sock it away in a Disney Vacation account and wait on codes/discounts/free dining and earn some Disney gift cards
But just checking the DVC rentals we could stay at a studio at AKL for a $130 difference
My family and I have only ever stayed at values and once at POR

We rented points and stayed at the villas at grand Floridian (it was our big splurge trip). It was worth every single cent to feel like we had extra space and luxury. I have only ever stayed in that one villa, so I can't compare the experience of animal kingdom villas, but that luxury feeling has been universal at each deluxe we've visited. I think it's money well spent. Just be sure that you can commit to the dates as those reservations are hard to change at a later time.

 

[soniam]

I would be reluctant to wait on or expect any discounts. What happens if they don't materialize? They are not guaranteed. Also, if you have to wait until discounts/free dining are released to book, then you may not be able to get the room you want, or worse, the ADRs you want.

 

[KimviG]

We rented points and stayed at the villas at grand Floridian (it was our big splurge trip). It was worth every single cent to feel like we had extra space and luxury. I have only ever stayed in that one villa, so I can't compare the experience of animal kingdom villas, but that luxury feeling has been universal at each deluxe we've visited. I think it's money well spent. Just be sure that you can commit to the dates as those reservations are hard to change at a later time.

There is not a whole lot holding me back from doing this, the more I look into it the more worth it it seems. I would never have an oppurtunity to stay at a deluxe resort for this price. I'm just worried about heaven forbid something happened and we had to cancel, do I really wanna take that chance? I do see a link for travel insurance though through the DVC rental place.

 

[lovesdumbo]

Who's going on the trip? The studios feel pretty small with the kitchenette and you'll have just one real bed.

 

[KimviG]

I would be reluctant to wait on or expect any discounts. What happens if they don't materialize? They are not guaranteed. Also, if you have to wait until discounts/free dining are released to book, then you may not be able to get the room you want, or worse, the ADRs you want.

Who's going on the trip? The studios feel pretty small with the kitchenette and you'll have just one real bed.

My husband, Myself and 2 of our kids who will be 13 and 3 at the time.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

If you're afraid of spending the money before the vacation, are you absolutely sure you won't need to access it between now and then? I would hate to tie up a large sum of money if there's a chance you may need it for something else.

And, I may be wrong, but isn't travel insurance only if there's a medical, weather, etc. type reason for cancelling? Does it work if you just change your mind or decide you can no longer afford to go?

You can make a regular reservation with only a $200 deposit on a package/one night on a room only. And they're both totally refundable.

 

[KimviG]

If you're afraid of spending the money before the vacation, are you absolutely sure you won't need to access it between now and then? I would hate to tie up a large sum of money if there's a chance you may need it for something else.

And, I may be wrong, but isn't travel insurance only if there's a medical, weather, etc. type reason for cancelling? Does it work if you just change your mind or decide you can no longer afford to go?

You can make a regular reservation with only a $200 deposit on a package/one night on a room only. And they're both totally refundable.

You're absolutely right! This is why I'm asking for advice. My problem with the money is I got it sooner than expected, it was going to be for Disney either way.

 

[bookgirl]

Renting points is a great value if you are sure you can lock into your dates.

I don't because I've had two times where I had to cancel/change dates (weather/illness) and I can't count the number of times I've had to small adjustments (airlines/work/delays) to my plans (not just at Disney). I actually did a package this time and it's driving me nuts that at 45 days I'm locked in or I have to pay a fee. LOL

I tend towards the Room Only reservations because then I have until 5 days before to change without fees.

 

[KimviG]

Renting points is a great value if you are sure you can lock into your dates.

I don't because I've had two times where I had to cancel/change dates (weather/illness) and I can't count the number of times I've had to small adjustments (airlines/work/delays) to my plans (not just at Disney). I actually did a package this time and it's driving me nuts that at 45 days I'm locked in or I have to pay a fee. LOL

I tend towards the Room Only reservations because then I have until 5 days before to change without fees.

I'm more than a year out and I never purchase vacation insurance but I more than likely would for this if I did it.

 

[pepperandchips]

I was thinking again about your dilemma and reminded suddenly of what I do to basically "hide" the room reservation money from myself. I almost always book our resort on Orbitz as soon as I can afford to (or as soon as I stumble upon a deal I can't resist).

You might be hard pressed to find a promo this early out that applies to your 2016 travel dates, but Orbitz has been great with cancellations in my experience. You can book something now and cancel up to 5 days before your travel dates for a full refund. You can also cancel and re-book if a Disney discount comes out for your dates and you can even stack the discount with an orbitz promo.

The only "hitch" in this plan is that I'm not sure if you can book this far out with them yet. On my phone, it only lets me search through June 2016. I don't know about the web. In that case, I'd "hide" the money by booking a room with Disney, and watch the sales and orbitz promos until 2016 discount codes become available, get a refund from Disney, and book using a discount on orbitz. The 15-20% discount codes on orbitz are about equal to what Disney would discount a value room or POR anyways, and again, you can stack the discounts by canceling and rebooking if your dates become available on a "sale" later.

Good luck with your decision! That's a fun quandary to be in for sure

 

[unrequited23]

You are planning on the end of August/beginning of September...are you trying to get free dining, take advantage of southern states starting school earlier or prefer to vacation then? If you want free dining you would most likely have to book a package--I would recommend 'hiding' your extra money on disney gift card to use at a later date. Another option would be to buy your tickets now, either thru disney or an authorized seller, because prices will most likely rise next January/February.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope your family has a magical trip!

 

[GrumpyBelle]

I voted to rent the points. AKV is our favorite place to stay. With a minimal difference, it is worth it IMO. I also don't like to gamble with discounts. If I find something that fits my budget and am happy with the accommodations, I book. After that don't look back, just begin planning the trip you have reserved.

 

[Texas Barbie]

Rent the points. The deluxes have so much to offer, and by renting points you can stay deluxe for a mod price. We are booking at VWL in Septermber, doing exactly this.

 

[Marionnette]

Please Advise me!!!

I have a bit of money I want to save to pay for a large portions of next years vacation end of Aug/Sept
The thing is I need to put this money away now and not leave it in any acct that I have access to because I will absolutely deplete it.
I had a plan to sock it away in a Disney Vacation account and wait on codes/discounts/free dining and earn some Disney gift cards
But just checking the DVC rentals we could stay at a studio at AKL for a $130 difference
My family and I have only ever stayed at values and once at POR

What kind of studio are you looking for at AKV? If it's the "value" studios, you need to know that they are extremely limited in number and very difficult to book. While not impossible, I would not pin my hopes on being able to secure one. You would need to have a DVC member who owns at AKV lined up before the 11-month window opens up and they may need to "walk" the reservation in order to get the dates that you want.

As to the money, I would stash it in a CD for 6-12 months. You won't be able to touch it and you'll accrue a little bit of interest.

I would NOT invest in Disney gift cards, buy tickets, deposit the money in a DVA or pay for a DVC rental more than a year in advance (owners can book at their home resort beginning 11 months from arrival, 7 months out for non-home resorts). The GCs, tickets, and DVC rental are non-refundable and if you absolutely need the money for something else, you're stuck.

The DVA has had a lot of problems recently and getting $20-$60 on a 'bonus" GC is not really worth the hassle. I am still waiting for the bonus GC which I had ordered back in mid-June. And their refund department isn't very swift to respond. If you really want to go for those bonus GCs, do yourself a favor and open the account with a one-time deposit of $10 now. The account needs to be open for 120 days before any spending quaifies for the bonus. Do not put more money in it until you are ready to book your trip. Then, put only enough money into it to pay for your deposit. Add the remaining balance to the account no less than 6 weeks prior to your arrival date and pay for your package. This will give you enough time to order your bonus GC and have it arrive in time for your trip.

 

[KimviG]

I was thinking again about your dilemma and reminded suddenly of what I do to basically "hide" the room reservation money from myself. I almost always book our resort on Orbitz as soon as I can afford to (or as soon as I stumble upon a deal I can't resist).

You might be hard pressed to find a promo this early out that applies to your 2016 travel dates, but Orbitz has been great with cancellations in my experience. You can book something now and cancel up to 5 days before your travel dates for a full refund. You can also cancel and re-book if a Disney discount comes out for your dates and you can even stack the discount with an orbitz promo.

The only "hitch" in this plan is that I'm not sure if you can book this far out with them yet. On my phone, it only lets me search through June 2016. I don't know about the web. In that case, I'd "hide" the money by booking a room with Disney, and watch the sales and orbitz promos until 2016 discount codes become available, get a refund from Disney, and book using a discount on orbitz. The 15-20% discount codes on orbitz are about equal to what Disney would discount a value room or POR anyways, and again, you can stack the discounts by canceling and rebooking if your dates become available on a "sale" later.

Good luck with your decision! That's a fun quandary to be in for sure

Oh wow I have only ever booked through Disney directly, I never thought to check any of those vacations sites. Thanks for the advice!

 

[KimviG]

What kind of studio are you looking for at AKV? If it's the "value" studios, you need to know that they are extremely limited in number and very difficult to book. While not impossible, I would not pin my hopes on being able to secure one. You would need to have a DVC member who owns at AKV lined up before the 11-month window opens up and they may need to "walk" the reservation in order to get the dates that you want.

As to the money, I would stash it in a CD for 6-12 months. You won't be able to touch it and you'll accrue a little bit of interest.

I would NOT invest in Disney gift cards, buy tickets, deposit the money in a DVA or pay for a DVC rental more than a year in advance (owners can book at their home resort beginning 11 months from arrival, 7 months out for non-home resorts). The GCs, tickets, and DVC rental are non-refundable and if you absolutely need the money for something else, you're stuck.

The DVA has had a lot of problems recently and getting $20-$60 on a 'bonus" GC is not really worth the hassle. I am still waiting for the bonus GC which I had ordered back in mid-June. And their refund department isn't very swift to respond. If you really want to go for those bonus GCs, do yourself a favor and open the account with a one-time deposit of $10 now. The account needs to be open for 120 days before any spending quaifies for the bonus. Do not put more money in it until you are ready to book your trip. Then, put only enough money into it to pay for your deposit. Add the remaining balance to the account no less than 6 weeks prior to your arrival date and pay for your package. This will give you enough time to order your bonus GC and have it arrive in time for your trip.

Yeah that's one of the things I was worried about with opening a DVA, my husband actually has one going already and it's been really inconsistent

 

[KimviG]

You are planning on the end of August/beginning of September...are you trying to get free dining, take advantage of southern states starting school earlier or prefer to vacation then? If you want free dining you would most likely have to book a package--I would recommend 'hiding' your extra money on disney gift card to use at a later date. Another option would be to buy your tickets now, either thru disney or an authorized seller, because prices will most likely rise next January/February.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope your family has a magical trip!

Kind of all of the above, it's free dining time, my kids are still out of school and the prices are good. Free Dining would just be an added bonus but I could live without it particularly if I'm staying at a deluxe for a discounted price. The other reason I try to go then is to catch the first MNSSHP which happened for us when we stayed during that time in '08

 

[smidgy]

I wouldn't worry about the "free" dining. you have to pau rack rate for your room to get that. then money you save renting DVC points you can use for some TS meals. and you can take advantage of the microwave and toaster in the villas. even though we fly down, I bring frozen smoked sausage and those microwave amc and cheese cups. there's one meal.. I bring cans of tuna and buy a loaf of bread at the gift store. tuna on toast. a few cans of beef stew. or the stores at resorts with DVC also sell eggs, etc. which scrabmble good in a microwave. we grill burgers the day before we leave and freeze them.. they are "nukable".
then you can pay out of pocket for a character mea. and a couple other sit down meals.
we twice have rented a standard villa at AKL and loved it. we also love the boardwalk.. they recently refurbished them to sleep 5 so you 3 year old could sleep in the murphy bed and the 13 year old can have his own sleeper sofa. (but if you use the murphy bed, you have to put it away everytime you want to use the stupid fold dwon table.. sigh)