Addonitis - Tell me how you use 200/250 points.

[Mickey'sApprentice]

DH and I currently have 100 points, but are beginning to get a small case of addonitis. We are trying to decide how many more points we need.

There are just the two of us, and we tend to travel in off peak season. We have already brought family, but don't think that will happen often. We would maybe start using some other options outside DVC, but are not sure. We like HH too! We may decide to purchase another 100 or 150 points.

With this in mind (off-season, studios and 1bdrms.)...how do you use 200 points? 250 points? I'm interested in knowing how you may have banked/borrowed to do something fabulous too.

How happy have you been with doubling your points? Did you ever feel like your add-on wasn't worth the extra money and MFs?

 

[daisyduck123]

In 2007, we took 3 trips, for a total of about 24 nights.

We would never have been able to do that with just 100 points.

I'm still begging DH for more...

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Thanks DaisyDuck123

Did you do all WDW? Stay only in studios? etc.?

I assume you got annual passes. Did that make it seem like you were going to Disney for free?

 

[daisyduck123]

Thanks DaisyDuck123

Did you do all WDW? Stay only in studios? etc.?

I assume you got annual passes. Did that make it seem like you were going to Disney for free?

Yes, we did all WDW & only stay in studios...although I don't know how much longer we'll only be able to stay in studios.

We have APs that will expire this May. DH & I are not sure if we're going to renew them or not.

With the APs, it's been great because then the only thing we've needed to pay for each time is the Dining Plan...we always do that, even though we do have a DDE card as well. We have 200 points. I'd love 100 at AKV or BCV!!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Thanks again DaisyDuck123

I'd love to hear from others. Has anybody with 200 or 250 points taken a cruise, used II, Concierge Collection, ABD, or other.

 

[igitur]

We've done several different strategies...all have been good for us.

The first trip, we stayed for a week in a 2 BR at BCV, our home resort. We had just joined and had bonus points so we treated my parents to a stay.

The second trip, we bought an annual pass, stayed for a week in a 1 BR in February and then again in November but booked a 1 BR and a 2 BR (borrowed points for that) and treated my parents, cousins and aunt and uncle to a Thanksgiving stay.

The fourth trip, we spent close to a week in May in a 1 BR (Memorial Day holiday) at OKW.

The fifth trip was just last month...sandwiched a cruise between stays in a 1 BR at SSR and a Studio at AKV. Oh, and we purchased an AP to use for our next trip as well.

Our 6th trip will be very different....2 full weeks in a Studio at our home resort for Christmas and New Years!

200 points has given us many different options! It's not a lot of points but we've gotten a variety of trips out of them! Our 2 children are now 8 and 9 so in a few years, we're looking forward to using our points to explore other places (HH, VB and trips elsewhere.) I'd love to purchase more points but we do just fine with 200

Deb

 

[eva]

Well, we used to have 250 points and now have 550. We do take trips with extended family, multiple trips just the two of us, three cruises now, and we just made a reservation for ABD. We always stay in a 1-bedroom when it is the two of us. We've never stayed in a studio before. I don't think I could after having all that space and the jacuzzi tub.

 

[lmb]

I may be the odd one out but we started with 170 pts and added on 55 and now I'm regretting it a bit. We have a 1 and 2 1/2 yr old so we are going 3x this year and although it's a good value from the points and annual pass perspective now that airline prices are going up (from phl) we're spending a lot more on disney than I'd probably like (we have gotten the meal plan in the past). My husband's a physician so it's not like money is the big issue as much as the fact that I feel like I"m missing out on other vacations we could be taking.

 

[vbarry]

We just cruised on points. We have 200 and borrowed from the next year. I know it is not the best use of points but I am not yet comfortable with renting my points. It was great to get on the cruise and only have to worry about paying your bar tab!

 

[Donald is #1]

I have 260 points and this year I am using them as:

'07 UY -> AKV Concierge Studio for 5 nights over a weekend (May)
'08 UY -> AKV 1 BR SV for 4 nights over Veterans Day weekend
-> AKV SV studio for 10 nights beginning of December

I currently have about 100 points left. (Please note that I am using 2 years worth of points in 1 calendar year)

I am actually thinking about doing another add-on because even though many of my trips will be solo, I would like to stay in a 1 BR for my 8-10 day vacations.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I may be the odd one out but we started with 170 pts and added on 55 and now I'm regretting it a bit. We have a 1 and 2 1/2 yr old so we are going 3x this year and although it's a good value from the points and annual pass perspective now that airline prices are going up (from phl) we're spending a lot more on disney than I'd probably like (we have gotten the meal plan in the past). My husband's a physician so it's not like money is the big issue as much as the fact that I feel like I"m missing out on other vacations we could be taking.

Thanks lmb!

I had wondered if anybody felt that way. We are really happy with our 100 points, and our $500/yr. MFs. I'm just wondering HOW happy we could be with more points.

We joined in 2006 and have stayed:

2 nights in a studio in HH in November '06, (paid oop for a 3rd night)
5 nights in April '07 BWV - BW view - 2bdrm and a preferred studio with extended family. - Sun-Thur.
3 nights std. studio BWV/1 night BW view studio - January '08.

3 of the 10 nights were weekend nights.

We had 70 points transferred in for the studio on the April trip, and now have 10 banked '07 points left, and no '08 points. DH wants to go back to HH in November, and maybe stay at VWL for 5 or 6 days for my 40th birthday in March '09.

On one hand, we spent almost all of our points in January '08 and will need to borrow from '09 to go anywhere, but I don't see us going anywhere with family anytime soon so I know that we won't eat 270 points again like we did in April.

We look at the cruise options, and even II and see that we just don't have the points to do that, and feed our Disney fetish. We really don't have the points to take advantage of AP discounts either, although we could if we strictly stayed Sun-Thur. Std. Studio in Adventure Season.

It was really neat to be at WDW for a week in April and then a week in January. We didn't see everything in January and didn't care. We knew we would be back. (I only wish I'd known and bought APs.) Now its February, I want to go back to WDW, and would have to borrow from '09 to get there. Oddly, 100 points is more than enough for our old Disney habits, and not really enough for our new Disney habits.

So really, should we take the plunge?

 

[Pennyguy23]

We have 300 points for the two us. ( No kids yet) We go probably 3 or 4 times a year. I could use 1000 points if I need to. We ALWAYS stay in a studio. We just can't justify spending twice as many points for a 1br. We would much rather go twice as long. Once we have kids we will probably start the 1 br stuff, but by that time hopefully we will be close to 1000 points by then anyways.

 

[dairyqueenmom]

We have 200pts, but we have 6 in our family. We haven't even taken our 1st trip home yet and I would like to add 50pts at BWV for the 11th month booking window for F & W.

Our current plans for out points is to visit Disney every other year and hit some Vero Beach or Hilton Head on the off years.

We would also like to try and exchange with International some day.

 

[kapeman]

We have 105 points and we need a 1-bed because we have 2 boys, aged 5 and 3.

We just booked a stay in Dec for 5 nights (Sun-Thurs) and my wife thought that we would need one more night.

Let me tell you, those weekend night point costs are STEEP.

If we had 200-250 points we could do a couple of trips with one weekend night on each and not have to make a cash reservation.

 

[spiceycat]

this year
march 2-6 - 44 points BWV & Akw
june 1-5 - 50 points - okw
Sept 7-11 - 40 points - okw
rent the points not using.

most of the time
spring - 55 points - OKW change to BWV at 7 months or maybe AKV
may - 50 points - OKW
sept - 40 points - OKW
dec - 60 points - VWL
sometimes
oct - 45 points - BWV

if I had to fly on every trip - this would not be possible. only live like 523 miles away from WDW.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Thanks everybody:

Its especially good to hear from you spiceycat since your 80 miles up the road. We're going to have to hitchhike with you sometime to WDW. Just kidding.