Do you have a long term plan on how you use your points?

[WolfpackFan]

I'm just curious - do most people have a long term plan on how they use their points or does it change year to year?

The thing is we have 290 points split 150 at VWL, 80 at HHI and 60 at AKV. I'm finding as we get older (and we have no young children or even grandchilldren) we are looking for more and more relaxing type vacations. We stopped doing commando mode at WDW a long time ago. As much as we (well me more that DW) love WDW; we really love HHI a lot more. So I'm thinking from now on I'm going to try to do HHI twice a year with a Spring trip (May or June) and a Fall trip (September or October). One trip will be using our HHI pts. with the ressie made at 11 months. Since we only have 80 pts. this will have to be in a Studio. If possible I will try to switch to a 1BR at 7 months. Our other trip will be using our other points and will be in a 1BR made at 7 months (that's going to be the hard part). By doing this we're going to only be able to go to WDW every other year (gasp) staying at either VWL or AKV.

Does anyone else have any long term plans as to how you plan on using your points? Now all this would change of course if DD29 would surprise us by finding a boy friend, getting married and giving us some grandchildren . Then we'd have to go to WDW every year.

 

[Ms. WDW]

Yep; we definately have some long term plans. We're going to use them when we retire.

We now have enough points where if planned right, would get us a month at WDW. Funny, but this is the ONLY place I would even think of saying that!! Most of our friends can't understand why we go back again, and again, and again.......

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Let's see, the initial plan was to share my lifelong joy of Disney with my son. It's a done deal , he's just as hooked as I am. The longterm plan is to continue vacationing together w/ friends and family and then when he's 18 (in 5 years) to allow him the use of it w/ his friends also. I love the resorts, it doens't always have to include the parks, so I see myself going alone once in a while. I still vacationed w/ my parents when I was older and I hope my son will continue to do so as well.

Then later perhaps, God willing, I can share it w/ him, his wife and my granchildren if it's meant to be.

At the end, in the year 2042 I'll be 80, and hopefully we as a family will have used every point to the fullest. Hey maybe I'll be able to afford an add on and I can go till 2057!

 

[SamSam]

We definitely have long term plans for our points. We plan to have enough points to spend 2 months, October and January, in WDW. We crunched numbers and it made more sense to us than buying a second home to use.

Our biggest problem is that we have become accustomed to one bedrooms instead of studios. That changes the points needed drastically, but it's still our plan.

 

[Coach81]

First- finish paying off the rest of our first DVC (150pt SSR) within the next few years.
Second- Add on about 50 more SSR points and pay cash for it to bring us to 200 pts.

Long term- Continue to go at least once a year for the foreseeable future!!!

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

Yes, we would like to spend more time there in 2 week chuncks.

 

[dgaston]

One of my longer term goals is to save enough money to pay cash for about 60 to 100 BWV resale points. Those would be reserved for F & W trips.

I'm trying to figure out who to invite for my Treehouse trip -- probably in 2011. Of course if one of our kids has children, I'll be so tickled to bring the grandchildren to WDW.

 

[rentayenta]

Absolutely!

Eventually I would like to add 150- 200 GCV points and then maybe 100 at the BWV way down the road.

 

[bobbiwoz]

My plans need more points!

Generally speaking we want enjoy our DVC points as empty nestersand with our extended family as long as we are able! This may include years that we spend 1/2 of January and 1/2 of February in WDW and VB.

Bobbi

 

[amandelba]

We definitely have long term plans for our points. We plan to have enough points to spend 2 months, October and January, in WDW. We crunched numbers and it made more sense to us than buying a second home to use.

Our biggest problem is that we have become accustomed to one bedrooms instead of studios. That changes the points needed drastically, but it's still our plan.

Just curious - how many points is that?

 

[Mlissa88]

My long term plan is to keep adding on points....lol...

eventually I'd like to use our points to be snowbirds flying down there every winter for a month or so...

 

[ssawka]

We are new DVC members, but I'm already planning about 5 trips out. In the short-term, the plan is:

• 1/27/10 - 2/2/10 - 1 BR MK View at BLT
• 7/17/10-7/19/10 - Studio OKW to attend a conference
• 7/19/10-7/22/10(?) - Vero Beach
• 1/11 or 2/11 - Disneyland
• 10/11 - AKV

Our Long-Term plans are:

• Buy points at HHI and vacation every 6 months (WDW in Winter, HHI in summer)
• Hawaii DVC
• Disneyland Paris

 

[Ms. WDW]

We definitely have long term plans for our points. We plan to have enough points to spend 2 months, October and January, in WDW. We crunched numbers and it made more sense to us than buying a second home to use.

Our biggest problem is that we have become accustomed to one bedrooms instead of studios. That changes the points needed drastically, but it's still our plan.

We basically did the same thing. Right now between the two contracts we have enough for the entire month of January and we were even talking about ways to stretch that.

 

[GoofItUp]

My long-term plans:

Vacation with my boys (currently almost 3 yrs and almost 1 yr) for the next 15-18 years, bringing family & friends with us to make lots of memories.

Take my DCousins (currently 13, 13, & 10) to Hawaii when they each graduate.

Get in a few "DH & me" trips.

Take DH's family to VB for a week.

Girls trip to HHI.

Who knows what else!

To accomplish my long-term plans, I'm going to have to do add-ons as $ will allow.

I can't even fathom a month here & there in retirement because it seems so far away, but that sounds so fantastic!

And I've only got 33 more years to get all this accomplished!!

Guess I better go let DH in on what my long-term plans are.....

 

[photobob]

I do have long term plans as well. My plans when we become empty nesters in about two years is to try to go more trips in smaller accommodations. I'm thinking maybe some years for it just being me and DW and going for three five night studio stays at various times during the year. Some years it may just be one trip staying in a two bdr and taking my DS, DDIL and DD.

I only have 180 points and would love to double that or at least add another 100 points or so. Currently that is just not possible. Let's hope for more prosperous times in the near future!

 

[eliza61]

Boy, I feel like the Grinch who stole Christmas. Unfortunately we've been a little bummed out by Disney's management. We're hoping that it's all recession related.

We've been disappointed by the restaurants. Menus are watered down and because of free dining, it feels like the emphasis is simply mediocre food instead of reallly great meals.

Cut backs in the parks: remember when they used to have pre shows before the live entertainment? 4 for a dollar at Beauty and the beast, Rosie the cleaning lady before Indiana Jones and Adventures clubs.
Getting to see Fantasmic nowadays is almost like getting in to the pope because it's now been cut to once or twice a week.

So we're actually going to bank our points next year and see Yellowstone.
We're probably going to start doing shorter trips, 3 or 4 days instead of our usual 10 day trips.

We love the dvc resorts though. so we'll be back, don't think I can go too long without a visit to the world.

 

[bwvBound]

Our plan remains as "long term" as IBM's Lotusphere Conference continues. We've been attending most years since 1996 and staying at BWV since 2004. Owning DVC has certainly changed the way we handle the conference and has allowed us to tack a few days to either end of the event for rest/relaxation. These few days make a notable improvement in our health!

If/When the conference goes away or moves to a new venue outside Orlando -- we'll have to revisit our point ownership. Given the great locations - we'll keep using DVC but might not need as many points. Our account is made of three different contracts allowing us to sell off points if we need to downsize.

However, before we seriously speak of selling we'll certainly spend more time at Vero and seek to try out the resorts at Hilton Head, Oahu and Anaheim. Who knows what new locations might be added between now and then ... ??

 

[ToddyLu]

Dh and I do not have children....so we planned our trip this Oct for 9 nights, at 2 studios at AKV with SV (one for DH and me) another for (MIL and BIL). We bought 210 points AKV (with our additional 210 points from 2008). So we are using 263 total points for the 2 rooms this time leaving us 156 points going into 2010 (Dec UY). I am hoping to get DH out of commando style and into lazy mode with our DVC. I am hoping to make our next reservation as soon as the Fire Dept picks out the vacations for 2010. I think we will try to do AKV once a year and hopefully try the other resorts, too. Goal: two trips a year between 5-10 days.

He came into the bathroom this morning while I was getting ready for work...we are lovingly pooh sized and lately have been trying to get motivated to diet. He told me he had a plan....he would buy 50 more points if we could each could loose 50 pounds......hmmmmm Talk about incentive....I swear I love that man!

 

[DVCJones]

Dh and I do not have children....so we planned our trip this Oct for 9 nights, at 2 studios at AKV with SV (one for DH and me) another for (MIL and BIL). We bought 210 points AKV (with our additional 210 points from 2008). So we are using 263 total points for the 2 rooms this time leaving us 156 points going into 2010 (Dec UY). I am hoping to get DH out of commando style and into lazy mode with our DVC. I am hoping to make our next reservation as soon as the Fire Dept picks out the vacations for 2010. I think we will try to do AKV once a year and hopefully try the other resorts, too. Goal: two trips a year between 5-10 days.

He came into the bathroom this morning while I was getting ready for work...we are lovingly pooh sized and lately have been trying to get motivated to diet. He told me he had a plan....he would buy 50 more points if we could each could loose 50 pounds......hmmmmm Talk about incentive....I swear I love that man!

Wow!!!! that would get me motivated for sure....Love that idea!!!!

 

[dsneygirl]

My long term plan is to keep adding on points....lol...

eventually I'd like to use our points to be snowbirds flying down there every winter for a month or so...

That's pretty much it. As our son gets older I can really see us wanting to stay in a 1 bedroom. Also the room hopping and trying to save weekend points is getting a bit tiresome so we'll add on to stay a whole week in a 1 bedroom.