Dealing with the high weekend DVC points?

[lsutigger2]

More bullet biting here. We usually go once a year (although I have loose plans for three this year! How did that happen?) and just use our points to make us happy. That is one of the wonderful things about DVC is the flexibility. Something for everyone!

 

[cgcw]

We just shortened our Christmas trip in order to stay in a 1 bedroom rather than a studio and not be staying Saturday night because of the points needed. We checked into a cash night and it was way too pricey. What we might end up checking into is a night someplace in Orlando before heading home Sunday. When we go to HH, we have enough points to stay Sunday-Saturday....those Saturday night points there are killers so unless we can get a cash night there, we won't be staying.

 

[Paul in CT]

We don't let the extra weekend points bother us. We just plan our vacations on the days we can get away and on the best airfare. For example, I just found that I could save $25/ticket on Delta if I changed our departure day from Monday to Tuesday or Wednesday so I used the savings to pay for nearly another night at POFQ. I know it will cost us a little more, but it's an extra night at a resort I would like to try.

Changing resorts does not bother us, but we still don't try to avoid weekends at DVC. We even paid the "freight" for the Millennium NYE which was prohibitive, something like 75 points if I recall correctly. It was worth it!!!

 

[PamOKW]

I bought DVC to enjoy DVC. I also bite the bullet and very often end up staying three or more high-priced nights.

The weekend rates jump out at you but, if you look at the rest of the chart, you are sometimes paying the same to stay in a studio as to stay in GV, depending on time of year. I just work with my points to get what I want. I might consider staying somewhere else to stretch points or try another resort but I hate spending "more money" for something less than what I've already bought.

 

[gracelrm]

Add one more to the list of bullet biters! We bought what we thought would be enough points, but as you all know - there is no such thing! We added on once and now feel like we have enough for a week every other year during the summer on site and a few days at Vero and a few at HH during our school breaks. We're both teachers and have a very small vacation window due to DH's extended days so we just plan for a week at VWL and use our points. We also drive, since DH won't fly, so we go for the long haul. I think it would be great to be able to fly down for a few days and be particular about what days we stay, but we can't so we just enjoy it this way.

 

[Caskbill]

We have family living in Clearwater, FL so usually visit them for the weekend. This works out best for us because 1) We don't have to spend weekend points to stay at WDW. 2) We get to see family while we're in Florida. 3) We're not at WDW on the weekends when the crowds get larger.

At other times we have taken our RV to WDW and stayed in DVC Sun-Thur and then stayed in the RV at Ft. Wilderness for Fri-Sat.

One time we did move off property and stayed in an Orlando hotel for the weekend. It was nice, but too much of a hassle. So don't plan on doing that again. However, we are considering to spend some weekends at Universal. I've heard so many good things about the hotels there, and front of the line access on a weekend would make visiting the Universal parks a lot nicer.

We have spent some weekends at DVC, but since 1993, probably averaging less than 5% of our points.

 

[dlr25]

We fly in on a Saturday and go to the Kennedy Space Center, Seaworld or some other one day thing. We spend the night in the cheapest, clean chain hotel (i.e. Best Western) we can find. The next morning we're within a short drive of WDW and arrive rested and excited to start our real vacation.

We do this because we are cheap! We only have 150 points so those weekends could really kill us. Also, I hate the idea that if my flight is delayed or some other delay beyond my control I will arrive at my DVC resort just in time to sleep. It just seems like a waste to me.

I understand not wanting to move and if you have plenty of points you don't have to. Frankly, we're thrilled with what 150 pts does get us: Sun-Thurs in a fabulous DVC resort.

 

[SamSam]

Having our own business and with both our children grown and out on their own, we find that 3 & 4 day weekend trips work best for us. We bite the bullet and spend the extra points for weekends! Hopefully, at some point in the 'not so distant future' we'll be able to take a week and take advantage of the lower weekday rental points. Until that time, we are just pleased that we finally realized that DVC was the way to go!!!

 

[trishy]

Coming from California, we do long vacations and split the time between resorts. This last time we did Sun - Thurs at VWL; Fri - Sat at AKL; Sun - Thurs at BWV - followed by a cruise. Done this the past 3 times and didn't find it a hassle at all - even with the 3 kids (6, 9, 12). Looking forward to doing a weeklong OKW or BWV GV one of these years though - wouldn't want to split that up .

 

[dmadman43]

We have schedule around kids school vacations. We also live in Seattle so we prefer to not sacrifice our rare beautiful summers up her for time in hot, muggy Fla. So, we go during mid-winter or spring school breaks. So, we typically leave on a Sat and return the following Sat. It takes ALL DAY to fly from Seattle to Orlando. You can rarely get in before 5:00 pm if you are lucky. The first The first time we went we "bit the bullet" and stayed the Sat night at OKW. I then thought: what a rip! The next time we did as peterd does...stayed the weekend at Universal, on property. That worked out great. Two days was plenty for Universal for us. We then checked in on Monday at OKW. Will likely do something similar this coming April. I've concluded I do not like spending points on the first night I arrive in Orlando when all we end up doing is going to dinner, grocery shopping, upacking, then going to bed. But, that's mainly as to due with the time it take us to travel from Seattle to Orlando.

 

[musical2]

Well here is what we are doing this December. We are arriving to OKW on Sunday, Dec. 1, and leaving on Friday Dec. 6. We drive down to my sister's home in West Palm Beach on Friday and visit with them for the weekend then return to WDW on Sunday Dec. 8. at BCV and stay until Friday Dec. 13. This way we stay only on night that take weekday points and still get an almost 2 week vacation in Florida using only the weekday points. If we stayed the one weekend it would be almost twice as many points.

Bart

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I like to stretch my points as far as they will go. We have not used points for a Friday or Saturday yet. Having said that, I will be using them for a Friday and Saturday for an upcoming stay at BCV, but only for a studio. We have not minded changing resorts, but there are no little people involved either and that might make a difference.

I have always found when we decide to change resorts, it is best to start at the bottom and work your way up. Start with a regular hotel room and then move to DVC or start with 2 studios and then move to the 2 bedroom. Moving the other direction is usually a downer.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[OKWKirt]

This will be our third year in a row for two trips, a nine day stay in June and a four day weekend in Dec (2000), and Oct last year and this year. We bought our points to use and would not move or pay cash. The short trips do take up points for a two bdrm Thur, Fri, and Sat.

 

[Towncrier]

When we first joined DVC in 1995, we paid cash for weekends on the advice of our DVC sales rep (taking advantage of the 25% discount off of rack rate). This way we could stretch our vacation from 6 days on points to 9 days with a combination of points and cash. We had 210 points to spend, and a 2BR at OKW was 30 points a night during the week. So we did 5 days on points, 2 days on cash, then 2 more days on points.

Since we purchased a 230 point resale in 1999, we just use points for everything. I divide the total points needed by the number of days we stay, and I came to the same conclusion as Richyams.

Least expensive: Stay 5 nights or less, avoiding weekends
Next best: Stay 6 nights (1 weekend) or 12 nights (2 weekend)

Everything else causes the average points needed per day to increase.

We just happen to have (almost) enough points to stay 12 nights a year at OKW in a 2br, so our cash paying, room changing days are over.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate all the comments. The problem is that we only have 175 points and are really trying to conserve. But, I feel the "need" for an add-on a'comin'!

 

[mickey7861]

We stay Sun-Thurs at DVC and then do the WDW deluxe stays (or family visits) on the Fri-Sat. This year we tried AKL....wow it was wonderful. I love to resort hop, always have even before DVC.

 

[zurgswife]

We switch and only stay 6 nights.....

 

[OKW91]

I guess we are lucky, my sister in law lives in Tampa, so we spend the weekends with her! We have stayed for 7 and 9 nights in the one bedroom, but only when we have banked some points from the previous year. We usually do the Sunday thru Thursday night routine, having family near by is a big advantage!

 

[vernon]

Pretty much all of the above at different times. I will always try to avoid usinging points over a weekend, but have done so because it made sense ( or was too much hassle not to).

If I was to fly in on a Saturday, I'd book a motel for the night and go to WDW EARLY the following day. For one night I'd pack clothes for the following day in a travel bag and not unpack the rest of the stuff.

If I planned to spend time at US or BG I'd book a couple of nights in accommodation there in the middle of the trip, if going up to HH I'd make sure I spent at least one night in a motel on route and again arrive at the DVC resort EARLY the next day to make the most of the facilities, and at times I've paid cash for weekends when I found the $$price made that a viable option.

It's really a question of what makes the best sense on each trip and what other plans I have for those trips. IMHO the biggest factor is I plan to be doing "off site stuff" like visit other parks etc then I don't find it easy to justify paying the premium of Disney service if I don't get the benefit because I'm at Universal.

 

[sumessefui]

We look at the points on a per week basis and never move. We took weekends into account when we bought our points and use them. Besides, if everyone avoided weekends, DVC might change the point schedule and raise the weekday points.