"Book-ending" DVC stays

[rantnnravin]

If we were going to conserve our points by only using them for sun-thurs, which would you suggest, beginning our stay with a value or deluxe resort, ending our stay with a value/deluxe, or beginning and ending our stay with either?

I'm thinking value or deluxe because none of the moderates appeal to us, while the price of value and the location of the deluxes do.

 

[CarolMN]

When we don't plan on spending our entire vacation at WDW, we use the weekend(s) to stay off site and visit some of the other Orlando attractions. A few years ago, we went to Bok Tower Gardens (just beautiful) and Cypress Gardens (last year before it closed. So glad we did that). A few times, we spent a few days at Vero (paid cash). Last year, my nephew wanted to see whales, so we went to Seaworld first. This year we are spending the first weekend at Universal and going to US & IOA. There are lots of other things to see and do in Central Florida.

If we spend all of our time at WDW, we stay the entire time at DVC. I hate to move.

If you are going to spend all your time at WDW and don't want to stay weekends at DVC, my advice is to stay at DVC last. I think it would be hard to "downsize" and if you are staying in a 1 bedroom or larger, it's sure nice to come home with clean clothes. And why is it that dirty clothes alwasy take up so much more room than clean ones?

Best wishes-

 

[paults]

can't help you because we always do a moderate for thur, fri, and sat then on to BWV.

I think a lot of us use a moderate before a value resort, JMO.

I will say that we always end our stay at a DVC resort not a resort room

 

[lisareniff]

I'm not quite sure the size of your family and what unit size you will reserve at DVC but...

I agree with CarolMN, it is better to go from a hotel room to larger unit then the other way around. We did an AKL(4nts)/BCV(5nts) trip that worked out well. I know others don't mind moving back and forth but I would only move once. Also having the DVC the second half, you can do your laundry in your unit when you check-in!

 

[JimC]

I voted deluxe/DVC as that leaves you in the villas at the end and would be our preference. But our experience is that we do the opposite -- start Sun in villas then go on to the deluxe. We also try to have at least four nights in each. We use an AP code for the deluxe.

Our preference is to stay an entire week in the villas but the above routine is what we do when we want to enjoy more than one resort.

 

[rantnnravin]

i hadn't even thought of the laundry issue
just to give you an idea, we are a family of 3--me, DH and DD5, so we really don't need anything bigger than a studio, although if we wanted to splurge on points, we'd go with the 1-bdrm.
thanks for the votes & ideas--keep 'em comin'!!!

 

[Laurajean1014]

I, personally do not change rooms during a trip, but if I did, I would stay at the value first and finish off my trip with DVC. Towards the end, you want to relax a bit more, and I would want a better room to do it in.

 

[Alice Sr.]

We ended with the weekend at AKL concierge so we could do Sunrise Safari. I was really worried about 3 teenage girls and myself going from a 2 bdrm at BCV to one room at AKL but we all loved the lodge so much we didn't even leave for the remainder of our trip (except for the Sunrise Safari). We are starting our trip in June with one night at POR, I have never stayed there and am really looking forward to it.

 

[Alexander]

Depends on what you plan to do. We try to do a moderate then DVC. We have done value if we are sleeping there. Otherwise the values are way to crowded for us. You can't find a place to sit down and eat breakfast, you can't move in the pools. No, we don't like the values for anything but a cheap sleep. We always put the DVC at the end of our vacation because it is the best of the accomodations. It would be very hard to "down-grade" so to speak.

 

[Plus4206]

but just wanted to say thank you to all those who use their points for Sun-Thurs trips. It has allowed me to save huge $$$$. Thanx again.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

I voted for value/DVC but we stay in DVC at for our entire stay. If we were to split our stay to reserve points I would stay in a value first because I think it would be better to go from value to DVC. I don't think I'd want to end my trip staying in a value resort though! I guess I'm a DVC snob!

 

[DVCLiz]

but just wanted to say thank you to all those who use their points for Sun-Thurs trips. It has allowed me to save huge $$$$. Thanx again.

You're welcome - how does this save you money??

I usually do AKL for the arrival weekend, then move to a 1BR DVC villa at VWL or BCV. That's my ideal trip. But I've done all sorts of combinations - they are all fun!!!! I planned a last-minute use-up-some-points before they expire trip recently, and the only availability that fit my points was POR. I remember a very pleasant stay there once several years ago, so it will be fun to be there again. Not my usual routine, but occasionally I know I'll change my pattern.

If you are really set against a moderate, you'll know better where you will be comfortable. But POR and POFQ are really lovely resorts, and I've visited friends at CBR too, and would be happy to stay there. SO you have lots of choices!!!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Yes, I never completely understood the "avoid weekends" thing.
I realize weekends are not as good of a value as weekdays, but.... they are still a good value. The method I use to determine the cost of a point, shows a studio in Choice Season at VWL "costing" $150. Of course that includes tax.
I'm sure you can get All Stars for less, but a deluxe?

Even if I could save a couple of bucks, is it really worth moving? Checking out at 11:00, and waiting till 4:00 for another room?

Am I missing something?

-- Just one DVC/DISers opinion...

MG

 

[colleen costello]

We have never moved twice but often move once. It allows a nice long trip on way fewer points. We typically stay in a Moderate and then move to a DVC 2-bedroom or studio, depending on whether my parents travel with us. Last summer we splurged on the Polynesian first, a tough act to follow-- so my family of four followed that with a 1-bedroom at OKW. The 1-bedrooms there are so nice that even after the Poly we weren't disappointed.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yes, I never completely understood the "avoid weekends" thing.
I realize weekends are not as good of a value as weekdays, but.... they are still a good value. The method I use to determine the cost of a point, shows a studio in Choice Season at VWL "costing" $150. Of course that includes tax.
I'm sure you can get All Stars for less, but a deluxe?

Even if I could save a couple of bucks, is it really worth moving? Checking out at 11:00, and waiting till 4:00 for another room?

Am I missing something?

-- Just one DVC/DISers opinion...

I agree with you, MG. Average it out over the entire stay and you still beat everything. Plus, checking in and out is such a pain, you are homeless for at least 4-7 hours. We try to stay put.

 

[lisareniff]

Yes, I never completely understood the "avoid weekends" thing.
I realize weekends are not as good of a value as weekdays, but.... they are still a good value. The method I use to determine the cost of a point, shows a studio in Choice Season at VWL "costing" $150. Of course that includes tax.
I'm sure you can get All Stars for less, but a deluxe?

Even if I could save a couple of bucks, is it really worth moving? Checking out at 11:00, and waiting till 4:00 for another room?

Am I missing something?

MG

Excellent Point! For us it gives us the chance to experience different resorts (deluxe) when the points are higher, but we don't do it to save money exactly. For example AKL (AP rate last day of Value season). Next time we might go to the Poly for a couple nights before Vero.

 

[mamatojon]

Our situation is a little different, we are staying in the Hyatt at the airport the first night. We have a nine hour flight and young children who are going to be pretty cranky that first night after so long on the plane. I didn't want to "waste" a night at DVC because we likely wouldn't even get there until 10 pm or so. Last trip we stayed at the airport and it was really very refreshing, we started our next day bright and early, had breakfast and then headed off. When our kids are older, say 5 and 9 or so, we will likely do the first night in a deluxe though, I think when they are more portable and we don't have strollers and car seats to lug around it will be easier to just hop in a cab and head out to WDW, even if it is very late. Having a toddler just complicates everything though!

 

[rantnnravin]

i'm thinking that we may want to make two trips instead of one, get a 1-bdrm instead of a studio, or to go during a peak season we would need to use more points for sun-thurs--thus the "conserving points" idea
didn't mean to confuse the issue

 

[MiaSRN62]

We've done value/moderate then DVC OR our offsite timeshare (Vistana) then DVC. I voted "value/DVC". It's a little too costly for our family to book a deluxe because we need 2 rooms (but we did do this at WL once because we got such a terrific rate). We like to conserve our weekend points for more trips as we prefer to book 2 bedroom villas.

 

[JimC]

Yes, I never completely understood the "avoid weekends" thing.
I realize weekends are not as good of a value as weekdays, but.... they are still a good value. The method I use to determine the cost of a point, shows a studio in Choice Season at VWL "costing" $150. Of course that includes tax.
I'm sure you can get All Stars for less, but a deluxe?

Even if I could save a couple of bucks, is it really worth moving? Checking out at 11:00, and waiting till 4:00 for another room?

Am I missing something?

-- Just one DVC/DISers opinion...

MG

Not missing anything. We don't change resorts to save points or cash. Our changes are because we want to stay at two resorts on some trips. Still like to stay at the deluxe resorts, particulalry AKL!