Does anyone go every other year?....

[jerryn2368]

I just started the ball rolling on a 150 point BCV purchase.Our plan is to use 300 points every other year,and stay for 8-10 days per trip.
If you or someone you know has done this,my question I guess is,How did this work for you? **Grin** I haven't told DW,this yet,but my plans include buying an add-on set of points somewhere down the road to allow us to come EVERY year.
Lol I think I am more excited than our 3 kids!

 

[dianeschlicht]

LOL, we'll see how long THAT plan works! WE actually started out with that thought when we purchased our first 230 point contract, but after just one trip, we realized once a year was NOT going to cut it, so we added on another 150 points. That 380 has seemed to be a good total for us over the last 10 years, but we did add on a few at AKV for an every third year booking there.

 

[DVC Grammy]

We started out with the idea of "at least every other year". Now we're up to "at least 3 or 4 times a year"!
You CANNOT fight the dreaded ADDONITIS (well, maybe if you avoid the Disboards..................... ).

 

[lisah0711]

We just bought 150 points at VWL with the same idea. So far the plan is working but it is hard for us to get to Orlando, even by plane. I did add a DL trip with points this year so maybe the plan is already not working . . .
I agree to beware of addonitis -- I haven't taken my first trip and I have it already! (Saving for DVC GC, if it ever comes . . .)

 

[MikeyNS]

I just started the ball rolling on a 150 point BCV purchase.Our plan is to use 300 points every other year,and stay for 8-10 days per trip.
If you or someone you know has done this,my question I guess is,How did this work for you? **Grin** I haven't told DW,this yet,but my plans include buying an add-on set of points somewhere down the road to allow us to come EVERY year.
Lol I think I am more excited than our 3 kids!

We go in the off season Sunday - thursday and usually spend the Friday night at the airport hotel and have been able to really stretch out out points. We have 180, and even though would love to have more points, until we actually need them (and even if we borrow once, we're really just losing out on year 49 anyways...).

 

[crisi]

We've been doing every other year successfully for six years now. Its worked great. My husband squeezed in an extra trip with his brother....but other than that, we've been satisfied. On alternate years we've been cruising DCL with cash, but that is about to end in favor of non-Disney vacations now that the kids are a little older.

I'll actually be in Orlando for business, and my husband will also be in Orlando for business this Spring...and neither trip are either of us intending to visit WDW or fly the kids down for a weekend or do anything else for a "fix."

 

[jerryn2368]

Thanks everyone!

I will have to watch out for that darn "addonitis" bug that is out there!
All comments are helpful,and welcome.

 

[crisi]

Don't add on the first time the bug hits - if you need an extra fix, book a resort on cash - they are still available, and its a great chance to revisit your favorite resorts. We added on a night last trip at AKL on cash. Or rent a few points.

Keep your sharing minimal - its tempting, but unless you can afford to treat family and friends, don't. We've been able to do it while the kids were young because our "two bedroom every other year plan" leaves us with the possibility of kids on the sofabed. But its easy to start thinking about adding on so "Grandma can have her own studio." If you wouldn't pay for Grandma's trip with cash, don't add on to do it with points.

Think long term. "Extra" points would have been nice the last couple of years. But already at seven and eight we want to take other vacations with our family.

 

[lumiere13]

That's our plan...every other year. Firm. We are waiting on a 53 point SSR resale (passed ROFR!) so we can visit WDW with DD, DSIL and 3 DGD's . DD has 150 points at BCV and now uses 2 studios when she goes due to occupancy rules. She would love to be in a 2br so we decided that we would throw 100+ (every other year) points into the equation which allows her book Sun-Thurs 2br every year and we would go every other year...... Except, DS just got engaged and he wants to honeymoon in WDW next year....... Let's see..If I pour 53 points into an orange press, hopefully 80 points will come out??? Well, can you add on before you have anything to add on to??...

 

[bpmorley]

I just started the ball rolling on a 150 point BCV purchase.Our plan is to use 300 points every other year,and stay for 8-10 days per trip.
If you or someone you know has done this,my question I guess is,How did this work for you? **Grin** I haven't told DW,this yet,but my plans include buying an add-on set of points somewhere down the road to allow us to come EVERY year.
Lol I think I am more excited than our 3 kids!

Originally we were going to do the "Every other year." But once we bought an add-on & AP's that went right out the window. It's great in theory, but I don't see it happening. At least not now, while we're still pretty new DVC owners.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We're at a different time in our lives, we're empty nesters. We bring our family with DGC once a year, but we go more frequently, for the Flower show, a bit of relaxation at the end of the school year (I teach p/t), sometime in the fall for the F&W and Halloween festivities, and then in December. When we retire, these will be longer visits

Bobbi

PS. This year most of my spring break will be in Vero Beach...gosh, we've missed that place!!!!

 

[vandy]

We would like to go every year but life interrupts those plans. Kids in spring/summer sports, college summer courses and so forth. Not to mention that even with this great value for lodging, there are still six park passes, meals, travel and other expenses to go along with that. We have enough points for 9-10 nights in a 2BR villa every other year. As our life changes, I hope to add on as well. Eventually I would like to have enough to give a contract to each child and still have enough for a studio or 1BR for just us.

 

[Mary Ellen]

We don't go every year. Like you, we're in a more Western state, making it harder/more $ to fly to Orlando often. We take longer trips (12 night minimum) to WDW. We do plan our trips so we DO have 2 stays in a 12-mo period, so that we have two trips on 1 AP. It is then a year (or two) before we go again. Right now it is looking like our next time 'home' will be Dec 2008 at the earliest, as in Jan 2008 we're taking a 20-day cruise from Rio to Chile via Antarctica. There goes DH's vacation time.

 

[Dean]

From a technical standpoint EOY is very workable with DVC. When you get to every 3rd year it seems to break down if you're not very careful with when you visit.

 

[disneydenisel]

We were planning to go EOY with our 170 points...I think it would have worked if two years wasn't such a long time to wait .

I'm trying to add on right now, but have had addonitis since we bought early last year. I resisted for a whole year!

There are much worst diseases to have ! Good luck!

 

[kimberh]

We drive to Disney. I was not going to buy into DVC, until I found this board and saw how far away all of you lived,how many, and how much you all went to Disney. We go at least twice a year, sometimes 3 times. My husband says that is way to much. I just can't wait every two years.

 

[BroganMc]

In answer to the thread title, no not everyone waits for every other year. A good many of us go several times a year.

I think it depends on the stage your family is at. My siblings all have young school age kids so they have curtailed their visits. They were going every year for a week in March. Now it's been 2 years since they've been, and one isn't getting back until next year... maybe if the stars align just so.

Meanwhile my dad and I switched to twice a year as of '05. Now we just can't imagine making two long trips a year and throwing in a short weekend. I think we've been more in the last two years than my entire family has ever been. I keep forgetting Expedition Everest, the Car Stunt show, Nemo and even the rehab of Small World is new to them.

 

[La2kw]

We've had absolutely no success with limiting our trips to every other year so far. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[tomandrobin]

EOY? LOL!!!! Good luck with that one!

When we purched our first contract we thought we would go maybe once a year. After our second trip in 2 months we added on. Went to Disney 2 months later and discovered the Food and Wine Festival, added on again. Then Disney decided to build the Animal Kingdom Villas, added on again. Notice the pattern here?

We spent 31 days in Disney last year . We already have gone once this year and have 3 more trips planned for this year, two trips for 2008 (i'm sure more are coming). The more we go, the more we want to go!

Those cheap Southwest flights and AP's make it way to easy to feed our addiction!

 

[DVCAmy]

We bought at the same time as my parents and my sister and her family with the plan of doing a big trip together every other year. Other than 1 trip dh and I took alone that plan has worked out pretty well. It is definitely doable. I would love to go every year but for us that's just not possible at this point in our lives.

Good luck!

Amy