Anyone own just 150 points for a few years and have found it to be enough?

[westjones]

DH has convinced me that we don't need more points. We own 150 points at BCV that we bought last year. We banked last year's points and so this year with our 300 points we are going on a cruise and spending 5 nights split between HH and BCVs.

A part of me still wishes we could buy more points, but I do understand why my DH wants to hold with the 150 points (we do have other things that we need to put our money towards).

So I would LOVE to hear from others who do not have lots of points, but have found it to be enough for them. Mostly I read about others who had added and added and added and added .

Is there ANYONE on this board that is content with a small amount of points and have found it to be enough to give your family the vacations you want?

Thanks,
DJ

 

[Lora]

I understand what you mean. We had 150 for just over a year. The main reason we added on was because we had the money (from a real estate transaction that we didn't expect to do as well on), and because we wanted to stay in the 1BR instead of the studio, or not worry about the weekend points....or have some visitors. For our first couple stays we used less than our 150 points and banked them for future trips.

After adding the 75 points, we splurged on a nice long trip with some family members joining us in a 2BR and some others in a studio for 2 nights. This will definitely not be my standard MO. I think that we would have survived just fine on the 150 since we didn't need to go during peek times. We would have been in a studio more often, or had shorter trips. My trips now are usually about 11 nights. I still plan to not use more than my year's points each year unless I'm using banked points.

Don't feel like you have to give in to the add-on pressure. I would not feel comfortable taking a loan for my vacations, although I know that's pretty common. (Not that that is what I'm assuming you would do.) To me, it's just not a necessity.

 

[scootert]

We've been members for three years now with 160 points. We banked 80 points the first year (magical beginnings) and have not had a problem "living within our points". But ... it is just DH and I, and we go once a year at the most. We usually go in a non peak time so points for rooms are less. We do try to stay in a 1 bedroom whenever possible. This year we're staying for 6 nights at Vero in a 1 bedroom, then to BWV for two nights in a studio.

I think smaller amounts of points are possible, depending on when you go and how many people you are trying to accommodate. We haven't found it to be a hardship. Now, if the lotto fairy were to visit us, we'd buy some Vero points quickly to get the 11 month booking.... but that's the only way we'd do it.

 

[westjones]

Thanks so much! I love hearing from those of you with fewer points that have found it to be enough. I think for us, we need to learn to 'live within our means', and I feel lucky that we were able to afford to buy those 150 points. I was just feeling like a 'lonely soul' with only 150 points .

DJ

 

[crisi]

I haven't owned for several years - in fact, haven't been "home" yet, but have 150 points. And while I can dream of adding on to treat friends and relatives more readily -- 150 points does our family of four quite well for how we travel - approximately one week every other year, not during peak times. This gives us 300 points to spend each trip - which will put us in a two bedroom for six or seven nights in choice or dream seasons.

I don't see spending point to cruise when cash will do. I can't see spending points outside of DVC accomodations. And our travel plans don't have room in them for Disney more often than one week every other year.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I am a party of one and the 150 is just fine so far. Banking and cash do just fine for me. I will say that other than Old Key West the one bedrooms do nothing for me. I would have to be traveling with small children or elderly people who want to go to bed early before ever considering using one....or traveling with a larger party of adults where having a convenient space to hang out would be a factor.

 

[Cinderelli]

We bought 160 points in 2000. We banked all of the points and thus had 320 points to use in 2001 (no problem, ha!). Took a break during 2002 and now we're ready for and planning our 2003 trips.

I would love to buy more points sooooo bad. But, DH keeps telling me that with banking/borrowing, we have 320 points to use every other year. So far it seems to be working out great. We had so many fun trips in 2001 but were ready for a break. The year off has us so excited about our upcoming trip.

So, for the immediate future, I don't see us doing an add-on (boo hoo) and the 160 seems to be working out well.

Happy Vacationing!

Lissa

 

[sparkspeak]

I wonder if those who have added on . . and on . . . are still as enthusiastic 5-10 years later. I have 250 (since 2001) and use them up but I think I'd rent points or stay for cash before investing any more in ownership. Any thoughts?

 

[Melrosgirl]

I have 175 points, but I think no matter how many points you have this is true: the beauty of DVC is being able to borrow from the upcoming year. I love that! So you really have 300 points, lol. That's how I look at it. Now, of course, if you travel more than one time a year to Disney, this won't be beneficial to you probably. I can only get to Disney once maybe twice a year, but if I plan it right, I can enjoy at least 10 days a year at Disney on points (current and borrowed). It's great! I have trips "planned" in my head for through 2005, lol (don't tell DH!) and my 175 points will be enough for me in a 1 bedroom. Just depends on when I'm going, etc. DVC is great for planners.

 

[cgcw]

We have 150 point at BWV and for us, that seems to be enough right now. We just returned last month and don't plan on going to WDW until either 10/04 or 12/04. For us, the banking and borrowing is working. It may not in the future, but for now, we are content.

Now, HH...that's another story.

 

[DVC'96]

I think it depends on how big your traveling party is and how often you will want to go on a regular basis.
We bought 150 in 96'. We go every other year. Two years ago we added on 50. Last year we banked and borrowed and did the 4 day cruise and OKW. All of our trips have been our family of 5 and my parents(they got their own cabin on the cruise). I think if we had more we would have trouble spending them at this point. With 3 kids and their activities and school, its getting hard to find an ideal time to go away for a week. I just booked Christmas 2003 in a Grand Villa for the 7 of us. I'm so thrilled to be able to do that and share it with my parents. I think we can make it a better celebration than if we were in a little hotel room.
If you need a few more points one time you can always rent them!

 

[downontheBW]

We have 150 points and it's just enough. I always think I'll need more but we've banked each of the 3 years we've owned. The kids are in college so it's just the two of us - a studio is fine since we are hardly ever in the room. We go to WDW for 3 or 4 days each year and take two more vacations per year at places other than WDW.

 

[pharmlivin]

...want no part of traveling with us to WDW. So great for us. We go every other year with plenty of points for 1 bedroom for 1 week or more. Someday they will change their minds, especially if they marry and have DDs and DSs of their own. Then we'll need more points but until then we're enjoying our 150 very romantic points!.

 

[Jeanne]

We have had 150 pts for 5 years. We have been home every year at least once since we got our points. Now that we live in Florida, long weekends would be nice, but we do try to avoid those hight points. It would be nice to have more points, but I can't justify the added cost. 150 pts. works for us, banking and borrowing makes it possible.

 

[Mouse Ears]

Wow, this is encouraging. I, too, was feeling lonely with 'only' 150 points. The truth is 150 points is a whole bunch better than none!

We just joined in July and have a family of 5, so 150 points isn't going to get us to WDW every year. Still, we can stay in off-peak times for 5-6 nights in a 2BR for 2 out of 3 years:
(3X150=450 yielding 225 points per trip with every third year off).

As our kids get a bit older, we will probably have to go to every other year or shorten the trips. For now, we are in great shape because we bought and immediately banked a years worth of points. Our first trip is not until 12/03 (17 months after joining!).

I am Disney obsessed like many here, but I want my kids to have other experiences too!

 

[westjones]

Thanks so much to everyone who has responded. It has been very reassuring! And I no longer feel so 'lonely' with my 150 points .

I am sure our family will have many wonderful memories from our Disney adventures through our DVC points, and I am really excited about our first trip home next month (now that it is February, I can finally say we are going 'next month').

This has been a great thread for me, thanks again SO much for sharing your stories. I know if we plan well and are creative we can make those 150 points work well for our family too!

DJ

 

[Hilary]

We started out with 150 points and now own the grand total of....... 175 so, despite our modest add-on, we're still very much in the league of 'small number of points'.

We added on in order to have enough points for a family trip last autumn in a GV, otherwise I'm sure we'd still have 150.

Our way of vacationing is to fit our accommodations around the number of points we can afford - sure we'd like to stay in a two bedroom for two weeks every trip (our two teenage DDs still come with us), but we are more than happy with a studio for one week if that's all our points will stretch to.

I'm also very mindful of the increase in dues if we bought more points, and that helps to keep the desire to add-on in check!

 

[jimmytammy]

We started out with 170 pts and did add on 50 more for a total of 220. The reason we added on was prices were fixing to go up so we justified by that. For us 220 pts for 2 adults 2 children is like having 150 pts for a couple. What I mean is we can stay in a 1 bed for same amount of time that you can at a studio with your pts. We dont see a need to add more pts now or ever. We will probably take 1 trip to WDW every year. We have enough pts to take a nice trip with accomodations that are suitable for us.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

I haven't been home yet, but i have 196 points with 138 banked, I have booked 5 nights in a 2 bedroom after thanksgiving ,and it leaves me with either 106 or 109 to bank, this works perfect, we will go to WDW probably every 18 months, with a stay at Vero in between, I will not use the points for cruises or outside of WDW, you can usually do better on pricing with other discounts out there. We are a family of 4. kids ages 10 and 3

 

[tiberius]

150 points can be more than enough, depending on your use habits. Especially if you don't need a 2 or 3 BR or don't want to travel at peak season. I think there are many out there who own "only" 150 points and feel it is sufficient for them.