Choices, choices....the downside of DVC flexibility

[Lesley]

Ah...here I am beginning to plan out our DVC future...or at least the next few years. We have a couple of issues we're trying to work with....getting a couple of trips in on an AP, getting those in before the baby turns 3 so we don't need to get her a ticket, dealing with the eccentricities of our now 4yo dd and trying to plan with this in mind, wanting to spend some time in HH, planning around dh's use it or lose it vacation schedule and finally...our limited number of points!

I'm thrilled that we should be able to accomodate ourselves in whatever way we decide....but does anyone else get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available? I mean, even limiting ourselves to adventure season we have so many options! So do we try OKW in January? BCV in September? Maybe a December VWL visit? When can we go to HH?

Ah, well, I've vented....can anyone else relate? At least this is a fun thing to figure out...even if I do wish there were some kind of magic fairy to do it for me!

 

[DrTomorrow]

I relate - it's like being given the keys to the candy store (or liquor store ). But keep in mind that they same flexibility that seems almost overwhelming now will keep your vacations fresh 25 years down the road....

 

[gopherit]

I feel your pain.

My biggest fret is usually over where to stay. We're a fam of 5, so at least room type is pretty well a no-brainer 2BR for us now! I know some folks talk about availability being a limiter -- to some degree I wish it were, then at least I could use it as an excuse in picking a resort! But when we travel, we have never had a problem with virtually anything being available at 7 mos, so the ball is clearly in our court. What to do, what to do! We have now stayed at all the WDW resorts. I thought that would make our choices in the future easier. Not true. There is something to love about all of them, and each family member had their own personal fave!!

This will sound weird, but I get a funny almost guilty feeling no matter where we stay. Last trip, we stayed at BCV then BWV then SSR... but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness when we visited VWL or drove past OKW! I love whereever we stay and miss wherever we don't. It's a dilemma, I tell ya.

Like you, we like to plan out a few years (I usually go as far as 10 yrs). We take into account everything from kids' ages, anniversaries, school calendars and holidays, phases of the moon (just kidding)... you get the idea. It's fun -- but mind-boggling as well!

 

[Granny]

This will sound weird, but I get a funny almost guilty feeling no matter where we stay. Last trip, we stayed at BCV then BWV then SSR... but I couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness when we visited VWL or drove past OKW! I love whereever we stay and miss wherever we don't. It's a dilemma, I tell ya.

Gopherit....that's too funny! This year's trip we will be staying at OKW (another sampling effort) and after booking the trip I looked at DW and asked her "Can you believe we won't be staying in VWL for three consecutive years?" Who'd have ever thought that!

But Dr. T nailed it (again) by indicating that this is one way that repeated trips to WDW stay fresh, and something we eagerly anticipate.

 

[lllovell]

I have yet to go home, and have only planned one vacation (sun - thurs night to save on points - that part was the ONLY nobrainer for me here) and I don't have a CLUE how to use the rest! We are pop down for the weekenders in my family. We drive and can go several times a year, so I am also used to going rather cheaply and this is making me crazy!!! I know a change in vacation style would not be a bad thing, and we will still take some of those little weekend pops down just to go and play (going down in March to see a baseball game, spending the night and heading home) but I know once I have gone home, staying elsewhere will be rough!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I cannot decide if we should go ahead and get a 1 bedroom. I cannot decide if I want to hold our points and take a week next winter at HH or VB (buying points that I could not use for a while almost seems WORSE somehow, but I suppose its no different than planning for everyone else lol). I cannot decide if I want to go ahead and burn weekend points for Star Wars weekend (hopefully it is going to happen this year) or just hold them or rent them to pay for the weekend. See what I mean? I am clueless!!! lol

 

[lllovell]

oops double post

 

[gopherit]

I cannot decide if we should go ahead and get a 1 bedroom.

Word of caution...Once you go there --there's no going back.

Of course, that might help your planning, huh -- you would only have to fret over 1 br, 2br and GV after that!

You need to take that 1st trip -- break in those pts!

 

[dis-happy]

We're solving the dilemma by doing it all (almost, anyway): OKW in Jan, BCV in June, BWV in December before leaving on a Disney cruise for Christmas! Since we are getting AP's this year, we're going to max out our points and enjoy it until we get sick of it (yeah, right!).

My only suggestion to Lesley: hold off a year on HH---since the baby is still free at WDW.

 

[slk537]

I am so with all of you - we recently had all five resorts available for our trip this May - and considering virtually nothing was available for our December 2004 trip (we waitlisted into VWL...YAYYYY!!!!) I was stunned at the fact that we had choices. I actually only wanted to have one or two to pick from, crazy as that may seem. We settled on BCV for SAB and Epcot, but I have also been having the guilt twinges when I think about VWL and OKW (last May's trip and the resort that finally seduced us into DVC). I wouldn't give up this flexibility for anything, but dang it makes things harder!

Just tonight we were perusing air fares for DS's 4th birthday in September for a possible 3 nighter...I believe this flexibility has gone to our heads!

 

[Laurabearz]

Planning is part of the fun of DVC. Do you have Caskbil's Planner??? Hours upon hours of fun all tied up in a neat little package!!!!

Dr T said it best... so much to do, so little time, that is why we love our DVC.

 

[DD2Disney]

This is so funny. DH and i were just sitting here trying to finalize our future vacations plans. It's all so hard. We have it figured to have a 10 day trip in Jan 06, a 10 day trip in Oct 06, and a 7 day trip in Jan 07. Giving us 3 Nice trips on one AP. Which sounds GREAT...lol but how in the world do I wait til January to go again??? Hehehe maybe we will go over those numbers again

Tricia