Will 100 pts be enough when kids in school

[disneynutz]

True, it was my thinking that even though AKL is more pricey, I would be able to get a 6 night stay there at slower times of the year. It didnt sound like those rooms are guaranteed 7 months out. It seems you get more for your points there rather than BLT or other resorts where i could only stay 3 or4 nights in a 1 bedroom. There is so much to consider, positives and negatives to every situation! I am feeling so lost!

If you don't care where you stay, what category of room, or how many points it costs, buy at the resort with the cheapest point and dues cost.

If you like a certain resort, category of room, view, buy at that resort.

We have stayed at each resort several times and we now know that the resort matters to us. VGF and VWL for MK stays and BWV for DHS and Epcot stays.

Bill

 

[crisi]

Those rooms aren't guarenteed at ELEVEN months. There are very few of them and because of the low points, they'll book very quickly.

A few questions -

Are you content with values?
Are you content off-site?
Is the big driver here saving money?
A personal question that you don't need to answer, but do think about - are you expecting money to get less tight in the next few years and after you have kids? Student loans paid off, a big raise after a few years in the profession - that sort of thing. Kids don't make vacations cheaper and DVC makes Disney into an expensive commitment.

It sounds like the financial component of this is a big deal - and personally, I get nervous when the financial component of this purchase is a big deal - because its really easy to loose your shirt on this through no fault of your own - so you sort of need to go into it with an extra shirt.

 

[Kcags]

Points do matter now. Location not as much. And no, values and moderates aren't our thing. Neither is staying off site. I love that we can go every other year. But money is the tightest now too. Once student loans are paid, I wont be so strapped down.

 

[Sandisw]

Points do matter now. Location not as much. And no, values and moderates aren't our thing. Neither is staying off site. I love that we can go every other year. But money is the tightest now too. Once student loans are paid, I wont be so strapped down.

In terms of choosing resort, if you are going to book those trips during the home resort time, then paying more for AKV vs. SSR, so you can book there is worth the extra money, IMO--if that is where you would rather stay if you couldn't trade out.

If it really doesn't matter, or you won't be booking until 7 months or less, then it doesn't matter at all.

We too have found owning where we want is important and paid more to do so. We love BLT and BWV. Owning BLT does help us to get the SV rooms, which we don't mind since the point cost puts it in line with the other resorts we like. We like BWV because we can choose between SV or BW view without having to worry, depending on whether we want to conserve points, or spend the extra for the nicer view.

Good luck!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Points do matter now. Location not as much. And no, values and moderates aren't our thing. Neither is staying off site. I love that we can go every other year. But money is the tightest now too. Once student loans are paid, I wont be so strapped down.

How about a mortgage? Do you have one yet? Or car payments? Those also should be considered first before you buy DVC points. A DVC vacation isn't a cheap vacation by any means. All you have is your lodging. And if you only go every other year, you still pay the monthly fees on your points the year you aren't going.

You will never get the deals on a points stay that you get from a direct from Disney for cash stay. Members don't get stay four nights get three free on points. Or Book a studio and get a one bedroom. You get what you book unless there was an emergency at the last minute and the only villa in the category that you booked is unavailable.

 

[jodifla]

If you start out with 50 points, I would pick a resort that you know you would like to stay at AND has low amounts for studios.

you can get your feet wet and make sure it's a vacation you would really enjoy on a regular basis ...and by banking and borrowing, you could even use 150 points some years. Once you have kids, it's REALLY a vacation when you don't have to be in the same room with them 24/7.

We started off before we had kids with 150 points, then added on with 56 points. We've owned for 17 years, and we've been very happy with our purchase.

And if you decide DVC isn't for you, it won't be hard to sell the 50 points.

 

[Kcags]

I thought you could only borrow OR bank in combination with you previous year. Can you do both? I thought with 50 yearly points, i could only ever use 100 at a time.

 

[Missyrose]

I thought you could only borrow OR bank in combination with you previous year. Can you do both? I thought with 50 yearly points, i could only ever use 100 at a time.

You can bank and borrow at the same time. So with a 50-point contract, you could bank Year 1's points and borrow Year 3's points and travel in Year 2 with 150 points.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can bank and borrow at the same time. So with a 50-point contract, you could bank Year 1's points and borrow Year 3's points and travel in Year 2 with 150 points.

But if you have to cancel, you could lose the banked points if you can't get something quickly. And borrowed points could not be unborrowed. You could bank the current year points as long as you weren't in the last four months of your use year.

 

[mckinneyld2000]

We've got 130 points at SSR and go every year or multiple times over the course of 1 year (using banked / borrowed points). Our kids are 3 and 2 right now and a studio is fine for us, however within the next 2 years we will have to buy more points to allow us to stay in a 1 BR. To me the idea, should not be how many points to buy, but where to buy. For toddlers there's not much for them to do at some of the parks, however at MK there's lots to do! With this in mind, I would have tried to buy at VWL or maybe at BLT if I would have thought about it more. You can get into some of the other resorts (at the 7 month mark), however you sometimes have to limit your length of stay or have split stays.

 

[bom_noite]

Thanks for the good feedback. Yes, a studio room would be fine for a long time I think. I would prefer to stay more than 6 nights, but you are right, I can add on once we can afford it in the future.

Think what you will find many people do - including us and our 190 pt OKW contract: Get there (via Car or Air) on a Saturday and stay off-site. Then, check in on Sunday. We then plan a park day, DTD or a Resort Hopper day for Sunday and check-in when the room is available.

Is expensive to check-in on Saturday or stay through Friday when you look at the Point requirements.

My Wife never likes moving from one hotel to DVC, but, it is a economic decision. Friday / Saturdays are expensive, and, we can get a better value off-site then on.

 

[crisi]

Your toddlers won't be toddlers long, and then you'll be saying "my geek likes Epcot" or "my thrill ride teenagers want to spend all their time at DHS."

Reading here its easy to get the impression that 1) everyone owns points at multiple resorts so they get the home booking window and 2) its impossible to book 'not home.' But neither of those things are true. It is true that if you want something in high demand, you want to be able to take advantage of the home booking window - and a lot of members own BWV or BCV specifically to stay at those resorts during F&W, or own BLT specifically to get the standard view, or VAKL specifically for conceirge - in addition to owning points at another resort for less specific reasons. But VWL is open at seven months for most of the year without a problem - and BLT too, if you budget for Lake View.

The problem is when people make the assumption at purchase that the places you can stretch points (BWV/BLT standard, VALK value) will be available seven months out - you can always stretch points at OKW at the seven month window - but many people buy under the assumption that at seven months they'll get BLT standard - THAT isn't likely to happen. So if that is what you want, that is where you need to own. If what you want is to stretch 50 points - OKW is a great resort, a bargain on points, and usually has great availability much later - you don't need to own it to stay there.

 

[bom_noite]

$1000 to $2000 for park admission also take a big chunk out of the budget. And ticket prices continue to go up each year. Also, annual member fees go up each year. Plus you've got to get there. So depending on how far away you are, it could be a lot.

Disney vacations are not cheap by any means like others have already said.

Agree with your comments. We go every year, but, do everything to keep the trip cheap:

1) We buy 10 Day no-Exp - those last us 3 or 4 years. We have been to the Park's so much we don't feel we need to go but once or twice a trip. Regardless, we do spend more time in the park we choose.

We have been lucky that our 2 kids have been College Program members and get us in free.

2) Always come back at 1 or 2 for Lunch / Dinner and a power-nap in the room. Then, head back for more. It is our opinion (and budget) that Dining Plans are not needed. I understand that many at DVC feel it is a vacation and cooking is optional - if you have the budget - I agree!

3) One or two days a trip we go on a Resort Day and check out all the other resorts.

4) Will usually splurge on a Dinner at Swan/Dolphin, Whispering Canyon, Cape May, etc. And, usually a Lunch at AOA, Caribbean or Coronado.

5) At nights on non-park days we head to Poly or BLT for Fireworks. Or, go check out Bob Jackson at PORR.

6) We have the extra advantage of being in Atlanta and get us all down / back for $250 in gas and then park for free.

So many of my friends say: What do u possibly like about going to WDW every year? Well, my wife does not like flying - and - has no aspirations of European Vacations.

I have 4 Million miles logged on Delta - I have seen the world twice and don't need to see it again! In my opinion, WDW is one of the greatest resorts in the world - you don't have to go to the park every day to enjoy it. We look forward to it every single year!

It is not for everyone, but, it is right for us.

 

[darkwing818]

If you don't care where you stay, what category of room, or how many points it costs, buy at the resort with the cheapest point and dues cost.

If you like a certain resort, category of room, view, buy at that resort.

We have stayed at each resort several times and we now know that the resort matters to us. VGF and VWL for MK stays and BWV for DHS and Epcot stays.

Bill

Sounds like us, except we go to BCV for hitting EPCOT or DHS.

 

[bakerworld]

We bought AK for the low pt rooms and BLT for the location thinking we had everything covered but after 3 years running of not being able to get a studio during the F&W we just bought 55 at BCV think every other year we'd borrow to do a week.

We like studios because we've no small children - often large adult children, yes - with us and do not spend much time in the room. We've done 1br and 2br but they're not our thing. I don't do laundry or cook on vacation and prefer to nap at the pool.