Dealing with the high weekend DVC points?

[Simba's Mom]

We're recent DVC members, and we knew about the much higher DVC point values on weekends. Just wondering what people do about them. Do you go to a hotel on weekends (but only at the beginning or the end of your vacation)? Or if you want to stay 6 nites, does it seem to make a difference whether you "move down" (go, say, from a 1-BR to a studio) at the beginning or end of your trip? Do you try for member cash at the DVC resort? Do you simply not stay any more than Sunday through Thursday? Or do you "bite the bullet" and just pay the higher point values on Friday and Saturday? I'd just appreciate others' ideas of what they've done. Thanks.

 

[RoutemanDan]

We bite the bullet and pay the higher point value.

I hate the hassle of switching rooms.

 

[Pinnie]

We end up just biting the bullet, so to speak. With my teaching job, we really don't have much choice but going on weekends and in the more pricey seasons. That's one reason we bought as many points as we did and just added on another 50 today!!!!


pin
remember the magic
DVC/BCV 2002

 

[Richyams]

You look at it in whole week or longer blocks. So many points for a week, or my usual twelve night. I do make those twelve nights from Sunday till a week from the following Friday to minimize weekends. There is no way in the world that I would move in the middle or any time in my stay.

I just couldn't be bothered.

 

[MdmMim]

I bite the bullet, too. I look at the points (as Rich suggests)--in whole weeks or blocks. I purchased adequate points to cover weekends.

 

[4greatboys]

We are looking into the dvc and I got got my packet today in the mail. I have gone from thinking I will need 150 min to about 300, lol. We are a family of 6 so we can only stay in the 2 bdrms and like most of you I dont want to move during my stay. How many points did you start out with simba?

 

[SnowWitch]

I guess I'm in the minority. Although we bought plenty of points , I'm cheap! For 1 Friday night at VB in a 2 bedroom, I can have 5 nights in a studio at the BWV's. So here is what we do: When we stay at Disney, we drive so we like to book a weekend at a deluxe, pay cash, and relax. Last summer we spent 3 nights at the AKL, enjoying the resort. Then we moved on to the BWV's for 6 nights. Next summer we are going to VB again we will pay cash for the weekend nights and points for Sun-Fri.

We still enjoy staying at other Disney deluxes, so we get to enjoy other resorts and relax. And maximize our points!!!

We live in Ga and tend to take 2-3 trips a year anywhere from 5-9 days each. We still bank 150-200 a year. If I could only take one longgggg trip a year, I would probably bite the bullet and use points on weekends.

 

[Dean]

We're only 4 hours away so go Sunday to Friday, that's the perfect length of time for us.

 

[Laurabearz]

We bought enough points to cover any weekend worries....

 

[Peterd]

We do both. We now stay at one of the Universal hotels on the first weekend, go to the BW for either 12 more days or on the middle weekend go back to Universal. We love the perks they offer there. They give the AP holders and resort guests so much more, and we love the front of the line option. The BW IS fun on the weekends with the D.J.s, excitement, and other stuff, but to go to a park on the weekend and not worry about lines, can't beat it. We sometimes get two or three rooms at the other Disney resorts on the first weekend before our check in at DVC., and it's a nice change.
It seems we're doing a family reunion every year now, and we wind up with 7 to 8 rooms, last year with help from a fellow DVC member from Chicago, had 11 rooms (thanks again Patty). So the extra points for the weekends, would probably cut off one family, so some decide to pay on the weekends or go to Universal with us. This next trip, we've set up camp at both Universal and Disney. We have a GV for 13 days waiting for a few more days, and ressies at the same time at the Hard Rock.

When we do the mods on weekends, we like the CBR pool at night with the band, the Coronado is great, love the contemp., GF, and WL. It's fun to sample the other resorts once in awhile. Once every two years we do a full two weeks at our resorts in DVC, but it's tough with all Universal gives their guest lately. It would be nice if DVC members were treated like they were a little more special than 10% off some restaurant's lunch menu, (drinks and tip not included)

 

[Lesley]

We switch resorts a lot during trips.....but not usually to save weekend points. But we are getting pretty borrowed out....so we may do it in the future! Our trips tend to snowball....we start with a week, add a few days at the beginning, a few more at the end...then a few more at the end again! Our last trip was over a weekend and we stayed on cash at POR.....no more points to use if we want to go in 2003!

So far we've booked studios for over weekends....but our upcoming trip has us in a preferred view 2br for a whole week. Out of 4 weekend nights on this trip....3 are at DVC.

I guess my point is.....until we add on again, we may have to avoid weekends for a couple of years until we're not so borrowed ahead. No problem for us though! We like trying all the different resorts and switching rooms isn't really a problem....the luggage can be sent from one resort to the next. The only downside is being roomless for several hours.

 

[Eeyore2U]

We bite the bullet also. Maybe as we do more adults only trips we'll do Sun-Fri but right not we just go.

 

[timC]

For our trip next summer we intend to avoid the high point cost for weekend stays by taking a 3 day cruise

 

[Regina]

One of the biggest surprises when I first found this board was finding out that members move or pay cash on weekends.

We've never done this.

 

[DebbieB]

Before joining DVC, our trips were usually 5 nights, Thursday to Tuesday. Since that would be 2 weekend nights, we thought we would do Sunday-Friday. But airfare is horrible if you don't stay over a Saturday night, so we usually go Saturday to Friday, the extra night on a weekday isn't bad for points and gives us more time. I figured that all out before I joined DVC and based my point buy on 5 or 6 nights twice a year with 1 weekend night.

 

[ncligs]

We always go down in Feb(President'sWeek) for 6 days, Friday through Thursday (DW -teacher). When we go in summer we always stay a Saturday- thursday(6 nites).
We always fly down so we have to stay a Saturday to get a cheap fare.We have never stayed off-site to avoid weekends. Thats also why the Marriott by DD has that special for $25 night, it is only for Sun-thurs , I would consider there since it is basically on WDW property and we always rent a car anyway. If it would have included a Friday or Saturday, that would be the only place we would have tried to avoid the weekend pts.

 

[DaisyDebbie]

I haven't moved yet. It really is a hassle, especially with kids

But I never say never.

 

[Mickey527]

I have never stayed at a DVC on a weekend.
I plan my trip so I have a few days at US and off property so I can do all the Orlando stuff, like shopping and seeing the sites, like Old Town, etc...
Then I go onto disney property from Sunday till check out on Friday. I usually stay somewhere off property for the night and get a fresh start in the am if I am driving home, and if I am flying I get 1/2 day to do more shopping on Saturday before my flight.
the last time I stayed at BCV I just couldn't leave,but had no more points left for Friday night. So I called downstairs and with my member discount I paid $410 to stay in my 2 bedroom for another night. Definately worth it, the 2 bedrooms are so spacious, but not something I can do every time. Peggie

 

[DeeP]

I do both, sometimes I stay at a DVC resort for Fri & Sat and sometimes I check into a non DVC WDW resort for those nights and sometimes I book the trip arriving on a Sun night to avoid the weekends, it vairies from trip to trip. I greatly enjoy staying at other WDW resorts besides DVC resorts so moving is no big deal to me, it has given me a chance to stay many times at every WDW resort but 2 and I really enjoy it. There are several non DVC resorts that I would rather stay at then some DVC resorts, so if I can not get into a DVC resort I prefer, I would much rather stay in a non DVC resort that I like than waste points to stay in a DVC resort that I really do not enjoy. I have always been lucky and am able to get a good rate at a non DVC resort for the cash nights and I am much happier being in a resort that I enjoy than one I do not care for just for the sake of using pts. My situation is different from a large family though because my trips are usually myself and another adult so a room at resort/location I prefer is perfect and much more to my liking than being in a 1 BR in a location/resort that I do not care for.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

Living 1,200 miles away and always driving, we stay an extended period of time each time we visit WDW. Last February, after 10 years of rejecting the thought of buying into DVC, we took the plunge and bought two contracts at BCV. (The second contract was to be assured we had enough points for our extended weekend stay without having to change locations or travel to other offered resorts). We will find out if our strategy is correct or if we should sell the second contract. Only time will tell.