Absolutely! When we bought DVC, we did so with the intention that we would not give up the other resorts that we love. We usually save the big weekend points and move to a resort such as the Polynesian. In November, I hope to stay at the Contemporay. It has been so long since we have stayed there, I want to try it out again before we consider adding on points there.
The times that we've had an annual pass, we've stayed on cash at non-DVC places. Sometimes it was just a night here or there and sometimes it's been for several days or even a week. Having that pass and receiving an AP discount certainly makes those stays a little easier on the purse!
We have done a Saturday night at Pop Century to save points before but haven't stayed at another resort. We probably won't since we've made such an investment with the DVC. I reserve the right however to buy more points later on, once we get our children college educated..
I was hoping some of you would talk me out of it! I was thinking of staying a few nights at the GF for Christmas and then moving over to BCV. We would actually stay at GF for Christmas Day! I am feeling pretty guilty about this since we own DVC. We are going to have to pay cash for four nights anyway at BCV but GF would be more!! Decisions...Decisions!
In May Im staying at the Poly Con on cash then moving to the BCV on points and will be there a total of 16 days !!
BTW....its my yearly solo trip !! Ya Hoo!!!
With only two exceptions, we've always combined a cash stay with DVC. We're too cheap to pay double points to stay at BCV on weekends. And this way, we get our Polynesian (or GF) fix. We typically stay 3-4 nights at the Polynesian and then move to BCV on Sunday. Next trip is 2 nights AKV club level, two nights in Hawaii at the Polynesian and five at BCV. We do prefer to end at DVC. As much as we love the Polynesian, it's hard to go from more space in a 1 or 2 BR to a regular hotel room and no w/d.
Several times a year, Disney offers AP discounts to certain values or mods ($79-99 - sometimes even less!). If I can arrange cheap airfare, down to WDW we go for a few days!
We haven't done it yet but I plan to. If you don't mind moving, you can save alot of points by staying somewhere else on the weekend. I would like to do a split stay at the poly/WL.
No, that always seems to me to defeat the purpose of buying DVC. We hafve only done it once, and that was to add a night at the beginning of a trip when we couldn't get flights for the day we wanted, and there was nothing available at DVC.
Yes! We purchased a small amount of points that gives us about a week in a studio every year. We love DVC but sometimes other resorts are more in order. I am not opposed to a $59 / night AP rate in a Value resort for a last minute long weekend. Usually that is a time when DVC is booked (i.e. F&W), weekend points are high, and I am only able to plan a month out.
We also like the Cabins at FW which I can book in the summer with an AAA rate of about $200 night.
We generally go two or three times a year. We never wanted our DVC points to cover every stay.
Almost every time! This time it'll be Shades of Green for the first night. We've stayed all over WDW in the past. Last time it was Wilderness Lodge on the first night, BWV in the middle and the Dolphin for the last night. The Dolphin didn't really blow us away, but tastes differ, and it was one move too many for a week's stay.
This year we are doing a weekend at GC in DL, 4 night DCL cruise and 4 night 30th anniversary at the GF -- cash reservations. We don't do cash much anymore but this is a special year for us. We are looking forward to DVC at DL so we can cut out the cash reservations there.
Yep. I live nearby and knew I'd want to take the occasional last-minute, weekend trip with a Sat. stay. I figured I couldn't count on being able to get DVC accomodations AND I didn't want to "waste" points on a weekend night so I bought fewer points and budgeted a few value/mod resort stays into my year. I also get either an AP or FL Resident discount, which helps make that a better option.
That said, since staying at the Poly last year, it's the only non-DVC resort I'm interested in anymore. Consider my budget busted.