Cash vs. Points for Weekend ???

[JohnNJ]

Is is better to buy just enough points for weekdays only and always pay cash for Friday and Saturday nights at the 25% discount

OR is it better to buy enough points for the entire vacation?

I typically stay three weekend days in a normal vacation of eight nights - Saturday through the following Sunday - in a one bedroom villa.

Thanks, John-NJ

 

[TammyAlphabet]

People think differently on this issue. I was thinking that right now, it is cheaper to purchase the weekends with cash, and conserve the points for more weeknights to extend the vacation. The weekends are "cheaper" on cash now, but what about in twenty years? Will they still be cheaper? I am thinking that as the new resorts are announced, assuming there will be more, that I will buy enough points at any resorts I add on at to get a two bedroom for a full week. It may turn out to be cheaper in the long run. Just a few thoughts.

 

[renda460]

Is is better to buy just enough points for weekdays only and always pay cash for Friday and Saturday nights at the 25% discount

OR is it better to buy enough points for the entire vacation?

I typically stay three weekend days in a normal vacation of eight nights - Saturday through the following Sunday - in a one bedroom villa.

Thanks, John-NJ

Is this 25% discount one of the member perks? I wasnt aware we could get a discount. Is the discount on vacation club rooms? Any info would be great. Thanks

 

[CarolMN]

Is this 25% discount one of the member perks? I wasnt aware we could get a discount. Is the discount on vacation club rooms? Any info would be great. Thanks

Yes, it is a member perk and aplies only to the DVC resorts. The member must be staying in the room to get the discount.

The "catch" is that the member discount is not always available. DVC has some formula to predict whether all the rooms in the "points inventory" will be reserved by members for points. Only if it appears that not all the points rooms will be reserved for points, does MS offer the cash discount. You never really know when/if the discount will be offered for a particular dateand MS doesn't make any announcements. You have to call and ask and hope your ae lucky. Weekends (Fridays and Saturdays) are easier to get than weeknights.

Best wishes -

 

[Towncrier]

In the early days of DVC, we relied heavily on the 25% discount and made use of it routinely. In the late 90's, we made cash ressies at Hilton Head for a couple of nights and I was surprised that we paid rack rate and were not offered the 25% discount. I thought that it was because we didn't own any points at HH. In retrospect, I suppose that it was because that we stayed during peak season and that the place was booked solid.

We now use points for all of our stays, even the weekends (although we try to limit our weekend stays).

 

[CarolMN]

I can't see paying cash when I have the points available. Why spend more when I already paid for the points - it's not like they earn interest while they are being conserved, LOL.

We bought enough points to match our WDW vacation needs, so I don't worry too much about "conserving" points so I can go more often. (I think conserving points is how/why people catch add on fever. Conserving points depresses your immune system, LOL. If you are not careful, you can easily end up spending more on WDW vacations than you do on food, clothing and non-DVC shelter).

Yes, Friday and Saturday nights are more expensive, but since we generally stay 6 or 7 nights, I look at the weekly cost instead of the daily cost.

When you book your whole trip on points, you don't have to worry about changing rooms or resorts in the middle of your vacation. You also don't have to chase the "discounts" and that is a really nice perk of owning DVC. I do not miss calling CRO every few seconds and the constant hunt to get the best room discounts!

Best wishes-

 

[JohnNJ]

I can't see paying cash when I have the points available. Why spend more when I already paid for the points...

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough in my original post. I do not own any points. I want to buy points and am trying to figure out how many I need.

Based on dollars alone, I would still get a great discount off rack rate for the entire trip if I used points for weekdays and paid full price for the weekend nights.

What's the benefit of laying out a lot more cash up front for more points plus paying more dues each year vs. paying cash (even rack rate) for weekend nights?

Dream Season for a 1 bedroom is 28 pts weekdays and 56 pts weekends.

Pts + cash: 5 weekdays = 140 pts plus 3 cash nights at rack rate

Pts only: 8 nights = 308 pts (168 more points than above)

That's alot more points to buy. What's the benefit?

Thanks, John

 

[geffric]

Hi.. speaking as one that doesn't use weekend points at all.. it is only Friday and Saturday night that have the premium on them. So it is 5 nights on points and 2 nights of cash.


We use our DVC discount to get annual passes and that gets us different resorts at WDW or we use the weekend to go to Universal or BG and SeaWorld. On the other hand, we stay for 2 weeks and change resorts for the second week 1 week at BCV and the second is OKW, we like to stay at AKL in between//

 

[cjb-nc]

Pts + cash: 5 weekdays = 140 pts plus 3 cash nights at rack rate

Pts only: 8 nights = 308 pts (168 more points than above)

That's alot more points to buy. What's the benefit?

As TammyAlphabet said: 10 years, 20 years, even 30 years from now, it will still be 168 points. How much will the rack rate be over that time?

OTOH, don't forget you'll be paying dues on those points over the years too.

 

[Scoootch]

What's the benefit of laying out a lot more cash up front for more points plus paying more dues each year vs. paying cash (even rack rate) for weekend nights?

The benefit is that rates go up every year at the non-DVC resorts and so does the price per point to buy later rather than sooner. We bought our pts in 97' and paid only $68 per point. Now to buy directly through Disney it will cost you $95 per point (or is it $98 pp?) once this price increase happens (if it hasn't already....I know it's suppossed to go up this month). So to have the points already paid for and at less per point you won't be spending more on the room year after year as the point charts are set. The points will never go up (accept in cases like holiday weeks but that's not actually points going up but rather date adjustment as when points go up for one week to adjust to Easter week for example, they also come down another week to make up for it.) To give you an idea of the difference in price for the cash rates....I stayed for a night or 2 last June at POFQ and paid with an AP rate of $79 per night plus tax, that same room with the same discount this year is $109 per night plus tax -- That's $30 per night more in just a year. A studio at OKW on the other hand cost me 11pts per night for the same dates (I'm going to see my neice compete in DTD for gymnastics -- same as last years trip) in June for this year. A studio 8 years ago for that date in June still cost 11pts per night and next year and until the end of my DVC membership that studio will only cost me 11pts . How much will that room at FQ run? For that matter how much was that room at FQ 8yrs ago compared to this year?

That's where the value comes in

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I typically stay three weekend days in a normal vacation of eight nights - Saturday through the following Sunday - in a one bedroom villa.

John: You may want to think about whether you can re-schedule your "normal" 8 night vacation so that it only includes 2 weekend nights, not 3. If this is possible, it will result in a significant saving of points every trip.

Also, remember that once you are a member, you can add on points in the future if you find you need more. Yes, they will probably cost more than they do now. But, just knowing that you can buy more -- it's a common disease suffered by many on ths Board called addonitis -- may keep you from not buying at all because you are in a crisis of indecision trying to decide on the perfect number of points.

Good luck with your decision. -- Suzanne

 

[DebbieB]

The past 3 years I've paid cash for one or two weekend nights at OKW. Last month it was $331 with tax for a 1 bedroom, member discount. Saved 48 points, so that comes out to $6.80 a point. If you figure purchasing more points plus maintenance, I figure it's about even. I don't want to commit to buying more points, especially at the price now.