Do you switch resorts to avoid the Fri/Sat nights?

[kaguilbeau]

I just keep going back over this in my head.

We have seven in our party - so will rent a 2BR villa for Sunday night through Thursday night. I really want to get to Disney on Saturday before our reservation and would like to extend the trip through the following weekend.

It just seems like an awful lot of trouble to start and end the trip at a value (where I would need two rooms).

We 'could' stay at an off sight hotel at one end of the trip - but I was really wanting some of the college age kids to be able to use DME in case they fly in different days than we do.

And I won't know yet if we'll drive or fly. Depends on the cost of airfare that time of year.

So - the question to you is: Do you move in and out of the DVC to save $/points - and do you find it too much of a hassle?

While it may not be for some of you, cost is an object on this trip.

Thanks!

 

[DebbieB]

I usually stay Saturday to Friday, that way only 1 weekend night. When I was short on points, I booked Saturday for cash at the same resort, didn't have to change rooms. One time at BWV, I did book a night at Boardwalk Inn on an AP rate, that way we only had to go to the lobby to check-in to our new room (wasn't ready, we had to store our luggage).

Which resort will you be staying at? OKW & SSR tend to have great AP rates.

 

[Chuck S]

We usually stay 10 to 12 days, with the weekend being in the middle of the trip. We don't move. We used to move, but it is just too much hassle for us.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

For the past couple of years we have only been able to do a 3 day weekend for F&W. So we don't move, it's too short of a trip!! Other trips during the year, we go Sun-Thurs, so it all evens out in my mind.

 

[KyleRayner]

I usually stay Saturday to Friday, that way only 1 weekend night. When I was short on points, I booked Saturday for cash at the same resort, didn't have to change rooms. One time at BWV, I did book a night at Boardwalk Inn on an AP rate, that way we only had to go to the lobby to check-in to our new room (wasn't ready, we had to store our luggage).

Which resort will you be staying at? OKW & SSR tend to have great AP rates.

I haven't paid cash yet for a DVC resort. When you're short on points and want to pay cash at a DVC resort for one night, do you still make the cash reservation through Member Services along with the points reseveration at the same time?

 

[vandy]

We normally go ahead and stay over the weekend. Sometimes, we will plan an offsite excursion for Friday and Saturday, but if we don't we'll just stay put in our DVC. Some off-site excursions have been to Kennedy Space Center and Tampa Bay to see a ball game.

 

[lundve]

We switched mid trip last time - it was some work but worth it point wise to get a whole week.

We stayed in a 1BR Wed & Thurs, a studio Fri & Sat, then a 1BR again Sun, Mon, Tues.

We ended up at 3 different resorts. We had rented a minivan so it was easy to pack the car and leave each place. Fortunately our room was ready each time...

I'd do it again, but only if I had a rental car again.

 

[LeCras]

No. When we bought our points we specifically bought enough to stay for two whole weeks in a one bedroom during the time when we are most likely to visit WDW. Moving out for the weekend would just feel like such a waste of valuable vacation time to us.

If I was in your situation I'd proabably do a split stay, starting at a value and finishing at DVC.That way you'd only have to move once at least.

Charlotte

 

[Inkmahm]

We switched mid trip last time - it was some work but worth it point wise to get a whole week.

We stayed in a 1BR Wed & Thurs, a studio Fri & Sat, then a 1BR again Sun, Mon, Tues.

We ended up at 3 different resorts. We had rented a minivan so it was easy to pack the car and leave each place. Fortunately our room was ready each time...

I'd do it again, but only if I had a rental car again.

We switched this last trip only because I wanted a niece/nephew to stay at AKV for one night before our stay at VWL. I had a minivan so I did the move while the rest took the bus to Epcot from AKV. It was a hassle and not something I plan to do often in the future.

And yes, we always use points for weekends. We are most often there both Fri and Sat nights as I try to maximize my vacation days.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Some things to consider:

Will you have groceries? With 7 people you may have alot of food to move. Even the basics can add up. You won't have a fridge at a Value resort unless you rent one, and then it may not be big enough to hold what you have. You'll have to plan that in.

ME is a definite plus when you have guests arriving or departing at different times. The tolls back and forth, gas and time should be budgeted in for an offsite location. When we held our Family reunion at SSR, we started out at a vacation home offsite. Everyone came in at different times and we spent a ton on gas and tolls and time going back and forth for the college aged group. We ended our reunion at SSR and it was so nice to send everyone back on ME.

If we do it again, we will start and end at WDW so that we can use ME, preferably without a move, but if there is a move, I would prefer at the start of the trip and definitely only once. After our group left, we moved from the Grand Villa to the 1 bedroom to enjoy a few days of relaxation.

 

[BurghFan111]

On our last trip we planned on checking in Sunday and checking out Friday since we have enough points to do that multiple times in a year and would rather at least 2 trips over 2 extra (point costly) days. When we saw rates for values had dropped quite a bit we jumped on it and booked it for the Saturday in the beginning so we could come in a day early. It worked out great. We still used Magical Express. We enjoyed AS Music. Bell Services moved our luggage to Saratoga. We went to Saratoga, picked up our KTTW cards, ate breakfast and were in HS by 10:30AM. We took ME back to MCO and felt no pain from the move at all. Having no fridge the first night was no big deal we did Liberty Tree Tavern but any buffet would leave you with no leftovers. I definately woul rather do the switch at the start of the trip since there are not any souveniers, added breakables, or weight balancing of the suitcases issues involved yet. If you have enough points to stay as long as you like - great. For us this was a great way to add a day.

 

[bluslag]

We have never moved. I pack way to much (I try not to) to put my husband through that. He would probably never let me pack alone again. Right now I am in charge of packing and he is in charge of getting us through airports. I do not like to fly.

 

[WolfpackFan]

We usually just stay six nights in our DVC accommodation, checking in on Sunday and checking out on Saturday. That way we only use Friday night points and not Saturday night. We usually pay cash for the first Saturday night, staying in either a Value or Moderate room. Sometimes we stop and just spend that first Saturday night at the Hampton Inn in St. Augustine. Going back home we'll stop sometimes at the Hampton Inn at Sun City near Hilton Head, just to break up the drive home. It doesn't seem to bother me to drive all the way (10 hours) going to WDW, but the drive home always seems to be a killer. And I'm the kind that has to do all the driving myself.

 

[Telcogirl]

I haven't paid cash yet for a DVC resort. When you're short on points and want to pay cash at a DVC resort for one night, do you still make the cash reservation through Member Services along with the points reseveration at the same time?

We have made a cash reservation for our weekend nights. We just don't have enough points (yet ) to be able to stay over on the weekends on points.

It is very easy to do. You call Member Services and tell them that you are looking for a cash reservation for the dates you want. IF there is availability, they can make the reservation for you and link it to your points reservation so it appears to be all one reservation. This is great because you don't have to move rooms.

As OP's have pointed out, with the number of people in your party, it could be a big hassle moving rooms.

Depending on your resort and your booking dates, you may also be eligible for a 25% DVC discount on the room. That is a nice bonus, too.

Be prepared, however, that there may not be any cash resservations available for the resort and date you need.

 

[spiceycat]

AKV value and standard is pretty cheap on the weekends (cheaper than OKW)

so if staying there - don't move.

others - would move - done both offsite, Pop and POR.

Pop is nice!

offsite can be nice - but then you have to drive. if you are going with others that could be coming in at different times - Disney is definitey easier. Otherwise you might be going to the airport alot.

 

[javamom]

We often book a couple of nights at the beginning of the trip somewhere else. We do this to save those weekend points for another trip, and also it sometimes turns out cheaper to fly in a day or two earlier even if it means paying for a room for those nights.

It all depends. Personally, I would NOT want to end my trip by transferring out of my villa.

 

[dvcdisney]

For us, it would be a hassle. We usually stay for 14 nights - so 4 weekend days. Like someone has already mentioned, if we do not have enough points, we pay cash (and hope for a dvc discount) for any of the weekends for which we don't have the points. Or, we can go for 12 nights instead and increase our second vacation to 16 nights since it is usually in lower season where the point usage is less.

 

[kimberh]

When my daughter and her family travel with us, we have 2 weekend nights in a 2 bedroom. It kills me to pay that much for the room, but I just grin and bear it. When it is just us, we usually go to Universal before we go home on the weekend. We stay at Universal property's. I have never moved to another Disney resort.

 

[keishashadow]

my resolve has evaporated

since we do split stays (typically, Universal onsite for a few days & DVC); it's become a necessity to add a weekend day (or 2) to avoid moving more than twice (or 3 times if we add a short cruise to trip)

Overall, has been working out well for us, other than our here-to-fore banked points balance dwindling

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I'm with others who bought enough points to stay weekends.