Does anyone use their points for Fri and Sat. stays?

[debbiebones]

We're going to BCV for our first trip home November 7-14. We have a 2 BR booked for us, our 3 and 4 year old and my parents.

I'm noticing that a lot of people only use their points for Sun-Thurs. stays and stay elsewhere over the weekends. Is that pretty typical? We had more than enough points to do the whole week at BCV since we were given 200 '02 points as well as our '03 points.

Is there anyone who uses their points for weekend stays too?

Thanks,

Deb

 

[PamOKW]

I'm not sure what the percentage is between "point savers" and "point users". I know I tend to book my vacations at DVC pretty much regardless of whether or not it's a weekend, as long as I have the points available. Unless there is a reason for me to want to try another resort, I'll use the DVC I've already paid for.

 

[Boardwalk III]

Yes, we often use our points for at least one of the weekends, if not both - I'm not a big fan of having to move while on vacation. It really depends if you'd rather save the points to do another trip. We have stayed as long as 10 days in a Boardwalk villa and loved every minute!

 

[RoutemanDan]

Thats what we bought them for.

 

[Disney Doll]

We never used to because we had 200 points and we like to go a couple of times/year. We would stay at a regular resort for the weekend nights, and then move to the DVC for the Sunday-Thursday part. I actually liked that in a way, because you got a taste of the different resorts without it costing an arm and a leg.

We just bought a second contract with another 230 points, so I think we'll probably start doing the whole stay at the DVC property, because I'll feel like we have enough points to spare, maybe .

 

[chris1gill]

We bought an extra 100 points so that we could use points to pay for one weekend of our yearly trip (usually checking in on Sunday & checking out on a week from the following Friday)... occasionally we've used points to spend long weekends down there as well... I've found that the resorts have already outpriced us, so we definitely use those points now!!

 

[luvindisneyworld]

we hardly ever use weekend points,if we do it is saturday only,we usually go down on Saturday or Sunday and come back that Friday to rest over the weekend before going back to work.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

Normally I would say no, we only stay Sun - Thurs, BUT we added on a Fri/Sat to both our trips to HH and WDW this year and we are staying over a weekend for our New Year's trip. We will also stay over the weekend when we go for Thanksgiving in 2004.

 

[RobDoc]

While we have avoided weekend nights on some trips when we've driven (leave home Sat morning, arrive WDW Sunday afternoon/leave WDW Fri morning, arrive home Sat evening) we've discovered that since we now usually fly, we can stay for 10 nights with 4 weekend nights. Not the most economical use of points, but a great stay. We now fly out late Thurs and leave on a Sunday afternoon flight 10 days later.

 

[KNWVIKING]

We normally drive down for our trips. We leave friday evening and drive straight thru the nite,arrive Orlando early Sat morning. In the past we would check in to an I-Drive hotel for the nite and move into WDW Sunday morning. We would leave the following Sunday so our stays always include one weekend. We have since added points and have decided it is more relaxing to spend the points and check-in on the Saturday.

 

[MdmMim]

I don't look at points as "9 points Sun-Thu; 20 points Fri/Sat." I look at 85 points per week, and like RoutemanDan, that's what I bought them for.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

I ditto the comment "that's why I bought them" I hate moving, once I am there, I am there! Our first trip as owners is arriving on 11/28, the day after thanksgiving, so we are getting hammered on points usage for a 2 bedroom, but hey, that's why we bought them!!!!

 

[Richyams]

I don't look at points as "9 points Sun-Thu; 20 points Fri/Sat." I look at 85 points per week, and like RoutemanDan, that's what I bought them for.

(usually checking in on Sunday & checking out on a week from the following Friday)... occasionally we've used points to spend long weekends down there as well...

That sums it up for me...except that we only started doing the long weekends iver the last two of our six years down here.

 

[littlestar]

So far we've done both. Last fall in October we did long weekend trips (booked a second studio for parents on that trip). So we burned the points up quick! Then in February did a Sunday through Thursday stay on points (paid cash for a Saturday night arrival - mainly because we didn't want to risk a cancellation due to bad weather here in Indiana).

Our plan is to take six night trips mostly. Come in on a Saturday and leave late Friday night. That way we have Saturday and Sunday to recoop from traveling (catch up laundry, mail, etc.) before going back to work.

 

[dizneeluvr]

We plan our trip around the time we have available and weekends are always in there. For me...leaving and going to a different hotel ruins part of the reason I love vacation (relaxing).

And as someone else said...that's why We bought them too! I love using every last one of those points!

 

[erikthewise]

Although we bought in at a minimum level, we stayed Sat-Thurs last year. We recently bought a small add-on that brings us up to roughly one week. But even if we had infinite points, we prefer to spend a couple or three days of our 8-10 day trip at another resort, and it's crazy not to make those weekend days.

Since it's very difficult for us to go more than once a year, there is limited value to "saving points". But even still I'd rather be banking them than borrowing them.

Incidentally, in my very limited experience, it seems that checking in on a weekend day (Fri-Sat) increases your chances of getting your rooms requests met. Does anyone else think so?

 

[BarbOKW]

When we bought it was with the intention of staying over the weekends, which we did. But now that my kids are older they love IOA. So with the front of the line access for on site hotel guests we either start at the Hard Rock or end our trip there, with added bonus of saving some weekend points.

I'm using the points we've saved over the past few years for a summer trip to Disneyland!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Checked in once on Friday,OKW for one night-requests met; checked in once at BCV, Saturday, requests not met. So I guess in my limited experience, 50-50.

 

[Muushka]

We have enough points, but we always stay weekends at Universal- either HRH or PB. We enjoy those hotels very much and also enjoy the change of scenery between WDW and USF.

 

[TDC Nala]

I will only book weekends for my yearly December trip - not for the 6 or 7 shorter trips I take every year. That way I have enough points to make 6 or 7 shorter trips every year.