Do you plan around point calendars?

[janette]

There have been a few posts about vacation planning where people have indicated that they plan their vacation when the DVC points have the highest value. Although I know we could stay longer / more often by doing this I don't really plan around it. My kids are still in school so most of our vacations are in the more popular seasons, I took that into account when purchasing points.
I usually decide when I want to go and then see how many points I need.

I also don't plan around weekends, last time we stayed the last weekend of our vacation onsite at Universal and we may stay one weekend at AKL this year because my girls want to have a safari view but in general I'd prefer to stay in one place for the entire vacation.

Just curious about other's views on this.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

We have four children and my DH works for a school district, so we are trapped by school vacations. Therefore we tend to go (at this point in our life) when you get the least bang for the points. The good news is that in 10-15 years when all the kids are grown and we are looking at retirement, we will be able to get a lot of use from our points in the lower point seasons.

Last year we stayed a weekend at AKL, the year before we went to the Poly. This year in a few weeks we are staying at the HRH at Universal. Sounds like our plans are very similar.

HBC

 

[mikesmom]

We never move for the weekend, we tend to look at the total cost for the week instead of take apart the days.

Now, that being said, being in the South, school gets out earlier than up North. So, we usually have a choice between mid to late May or early June for our vacation. Because points are cheaper, we tend to shove the trip as far back into May as we can.

 

[Chuck S]

Well, Yes and No....

Our winter trip is usually planned in the least expensive point season (although it overlaps a little this coming season) - our May/June vacation is often planned around the school schedule, as some of our guests are often teachers. We try to stretch our points where we can, if it is convenient to do so. We don't check-out of DVC for weekends, usually we'll stay Tuesday of one week through Thursday or Friday of the next week - staying one weekend, but not two.

 

[WDWguru]

We're childfree and can go whenever we like, but we still don't normally plan around points. We bought enough to go pretty much whenever we want and not have to move around or skip weekends. That said, we're going on two Disney trips next year AND traded out to do the Holland America Alaska cruise, so when we decided dates for the second trip (over New Year's Eve), we adjusted things back one day to get some extra time on that trip as we only had so many points left to spend.

 

[crisi]

It isn't necessarily a point thing - its a crowd thing. We prefer the fall - when crowds are lower, heat isn't as intense (but its still swimming weather) -- just so happens that's a low point time.

Eventually, as our kids get school age, we will move to early June or late August - the low point part of summer - but once again, more due to the fact that the earlier or later in summer you can schedule your trip, the lighter the crowds than because of the low point cost.

 

[Dean]

The points variations excluding Premier are pretty minor. I'm sure there are those out there that don't have enough points to stay at even a slightly more expensive time but suspect this is not the main group. In general the DVC points vary no more than 25% from Adventure to Magic. Weekend to weekday can be 250% difference. We avoid weekends and either just go 5 days or try something else (Universal or other WDW resorts) for weekends. Since we're only 4 hours away, 5 days is usually about right for us anyway.

 

[dvc guy]

We are locked in school vacations, what we do is try to take the kids out 1 or 2 days early, this can save a ton of points, and try to arrive on Saturday or leave on Friday so we don't have to spend 2 weekend nights.

With the children moving rooms is a HUGH waste of time.

 

[lsutigger2]

It is just DH and I and thus far we've not moved once we settled in our DVC unit. This trip, in May, we're staying Sunday-Thursday at VWL and Fri-Sat at Courtyard Marriott near DTD, on reward points. Had thought we would drive and stay at the beach on the way home and then realized that it would be memorial day weekend, so we'll fly and stay at WDW two 'extra' days

We plan trips for when we want to be there. Like others have said, usually fall and spring when crowds are lower and weather not as hot. Hope to not go in the summer again. Sometimes it is around events, like golf tournament this past Oct.

 

[Pig Pen]

Since we love other Disney resorts we are splitting our stays - using our points during the week and staying at other resorts on the weekend. We WANT to split our stays.

Because of certain work-related events, I cannot take vacations between January and April (YUK), so I am heading south in May. It's still pretty cool here so it will be a good break.

We are planning our trips when the points are lower so we can get 2 vacations per year out of our points. Our APs expire in Sept and we are going to take a break and maybe go to Key West or Puerto Rico next spring.

Then we will save for another AP and do Disney 2 or 3 weeks in 2005.

I am such an obsessive planner - I love to have everything planned out so far in advance.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I wouldn't go during Premier because there is nothing Premier about it. I'd avoid Magic for the same reason...other than that...in studios there isn't a big difference. If the number of points is important then I'd stay at OKW.

I will say I have friends who have gone in the low season...I think its a bad trade for them...for example this week was downright cold the first half...reschedule just a week later and the weather tends to be better.

 

[Verandah Man]

We have one child in school-7th grade. The first week of November she has off on W-Th-F for teacher in service and Teacher's Convention. We took our DD 12 out of school for M-Tu of that week and had a GREAT time at Vero Beach Resort. We stayed there Su-Th nights and only use 120 pts. for a 2 BR villa. We brought along my Dmom, Dsis, and Dneice.

 

[Disney Doll]

I plan my vacation based on when I want to go.

Now that we have purchased a second contract, I also don't have to plan as frugally in terms of what days I stay. I used to plan to not be in a DVC porperty on Friday or Saturday nights(the highest point-per-night rates), but now it doesn't matter as much.

 

[Richyams]

It isn't necessarily a point thing - its a crowd thing. We prefer the fall - when crowds are lower, heat isn't as intense (but its still swimming weather) -- just so happens that's a low point time.

Ditto

I would add the first two weeks of December. Again, crowds, no heat, but here you get the xmas decoration and extra activites....the points being so low, actually, the lowest, is just a bonus.

Weeknds, never would I dream of moving for the weekend...I also live four hours away, 12 nights works well. I do arrive on Sunday and leave before the second weekend, so I do minimiz weekend points, but I do have a weekend in every stay.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Not having kids I never knew exactly when Jersey week was...just that it was either the first or second week of November.

For the life of me I don't know why they don't buckle down & make it the first half of Thanksgiving week. You'd have fewer absences for the year & a lot of the teachers go on trips instead to the convention anyway...anybody who wanted to convene would go to AC...everyone else would revel in the week off. Worst case...force the teachers to provide proof that they went to AC.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

What happens if you cross calendars? Do your points change accordingly or do you stick with the "season" the reservation began in.

Example...your reservation starts Jan 31st....do you stay in Adventure or do you move up to Dream or Choice...whichever one it is. I think with cash reservations you stay in the season your reservation started in.

 

[Verandah Man]

for doubletrouble_vb:

Our school district uses Thanksgiving week for Parent/Teacher conferences. There's always a catch!!!

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by doubletrouble_vb
What happens if you cross calendars? Do your points change accordingly or do you stick with the "season" the reservation began in.

Example...your reservation starts Jan 31st....do you stay in Adventure or do you move up to Dream or Choice...whichever one it is. I think with cash reservations you stay in the season your reservation started in.

For DVC, you get the point charge per night based on that night's season. If you "cross seasons", your points will go up or down per night after the season change occurs.

 

[SCDizneyDawn]

We do plan around point charts. We like to go in May and early Dec. This yr the first weekend in Dec falls into a higher point season, so we are going the second week in Dec instead. In May it does not matter cause we always go the first or second week, same for both weeks. If the first weekend fell into a higher season, I would go a little later!
We try to stay 7 nights (less is just not enough! ) but had to reserve 6 nights 2 different times cause we did not have enough points! Both times we were getting a 2 br and bringing friends with us.
Oh, and we are 2 adults, no kids!
We originally thought we would go the first week in November cause that is when our wedding aniv. is, but then that week started becoming a BUSY week, so we changed to Dec.

 

[WDWMom]

We will maximize points by trying to tack on extra weekday stay. We've tried vacations such as Wed - following Fri ( 9 nights, but only two weekends). I will never ever leave my room just to save a Fri, or Sat nights points. Just too much hassle.

Judging by the responses thus far it sounds like most people don't avoid the weekends. This is interesting.