DVC Math

[JABEAR]

Does anyone else spend their free time doing "DVC Math"? You know, if we stayed during this season we could get this for this many points and if we added on 15 more points we could get this, and if we banked and borrowed we could get this.........and I am not even a DVC member yet!!!


Is this something that goes away with membership or something that goes away with time or should I just resign to this cruel process as part of the DVC experience?

 

[bobbiwoz]

I can relate! I recently found some old legal pads that I used for figuring out just what vacations we could do, who we could invite, and there were pages and pages filled.

2 years later, I'm not even sure what I was thinking about then. I don't plan ahead like that any more, but I do have our plans for '06 with dates on this years calendar circled to call for ressies either at 11 months or 7 months to try to change resorts.

JABEAR, I come here to expend some of my DVC enthusiasm, because I feel extremely lucky and happy and in other contexts, it would just seem like bragging. We have 4 DVC trips to come for this year, all of that planning is finally coming to fruition.

Maybe one of the reasons I'm not planning like I used to, is we're heavily borrowed and it's too depressing, (those 4 trips are costing many points, 1 of them is the members cruise). I don't think the anticipation of spending points ever goes away!

Bobbi

 

[PKS44]

It was doing precisely this sort of calculation that led to my disovery of the 4 year's points scenario where you can use not 3 but 4 years' worth of points if you time your trip to start just as your use year is ending and end after the use year has begun....Example- AUgust use year 200 points...vacation in July/Aug 2005--use up to 400 points with banking 2003 points good until July 31 2005 + the Aug 2004 points--then for the dates after Aug 1 2005 use the 05 points and borrow the 06 points...voila--800 points available for a huge trip or GV or something....it is nice to know it can be done....

 

[MdmMim]

I play a little game where during planning, I move my dates around, change resorts just to see if I can use each and every point. One year, I banked one point, another year, two.

I also like to see how far I can make my points stretch. I'd rather have several long trips in a studio than shorter trips in a 1-bedroom (usually solo), so I like to plan my vacations to get the maximum time at WDW.

 

[Tagrel]

"DVC Math" lead me to create my own online DVC point calculator. I can type in my desired dates and see any combination of DVC resort choices in one table showing point costs per stay for all unit types. Anyone can try it out here: DVC Point Calculator

Now, if you can install the software on your computer (they won't let me do this at work! ), Caskbill has an awesome planner with tons of features! This is a great tool, and you can save your various scenarios/plans.

 

[RumpleMom]

Yep. I also have the number for Member Services in the address book of my cell phone. It actually came in handy when I told DH why we needed a 25 point add-on and he agreed it was a good idea. I was done in like ten minutes.

 

[lllovell]

DVC math is more stressful for me than deciding about buying in! Where to stay, what seasons, what size accomidations, etc....TOO MANY CHOICES!!!





(I am so glad we are members now!)

 

[spiceycat]

and soon there will be more!!!

yea when there was only oKW (DVC) it was much easier to decide.

the plan was to save the money that we would use to buy the tickets - so in 2000 I would have enough to pay for the tickets.....guess what I spend the money in those years trying out the other WDW resorts that we haven't.

Oh well! We had a good time!!!

but yes sometimes I still try to plan. - my problem there is always something else to consider.

 

[marathonmommy]

Tagrel,
I LOVE the points calculator. Thanks so much for the information! It is such an easy and convenient way to compare options at a glance. Very Nice!

 

[OneMoreTry]

DVC math is easy. The answer's always the same: add-on needed .

 

[chimera]

You need CaskBill's DVC planning program

It's better than a video game!

 

[momsgoofy]

I play a little game where during planning, I move my dates around, change resorts just to see if I can use each and every point. One year, I banked one point, another year, two.

I also like to see how far I can make my points stretch. I'd rather have several long trips in a studio than shorter trips in a 1-bedroom (usually solo), so I like to plan my vacations to get the maximum time at WDW.

This is our first year as DVC owners...our first use year date was June 1, 2005. I booked our Christmas trip (1bdr @ SSR) back at the 11 month mark for Dec. 17 - 25. When we found out in late April that DS's school would get out 2 weeks early it took me about 3 days to convince DH that if we took off the first night of the December trip we could stay at OKW for 5 nights in a studio and only have 2 points to spare. We did it and now I'm trying to figure out how I can con...I mean convince DH that we should borrow a few point and go during our spring break in March...hey, we had to buy the AP's since it was more economical than MYY tickets with the DVC discount. It's either borrow for March or go to DL Paris or CA...never been to either and I would like to go to see where it all began at least once in my life. So, we'll see....

As for the DVC math...I must talk to DH, he teaches calculus and statistics at the local college, so I should suggest he incorporate it into his lessons.

 

[JABEAR]

You need CaskBill's DVC planning program

It's better than a video game!

I finally downloaded the program and I must agree with you that it is better than a video game! It is the perfect program and I want to thank CaskBill for taking the time and effort to make such a great program. VERY addictive!

Thanks!

 

[rigsby25]

We wanted to do a family reunion for a week in May and found that we didn't have enough points. Then the idea hit me, and I went back and figured out that just our family could get a studio the first night, we would get the Grand Villa for 5 nights for the family, and we will have the last night in a studio and still have points left over. So we will be going Saturday to Saturday, just as we planned, and the extended family will be going Sunday to Thursday checking out on Friday. For those driving, it works out well. It pays to do the math!

If any of the extended family want to stay extra - don't DVC members get a discount on resorts? We will only be providing the grand villa for 5 nights. Transportation, tickets, spending money, etc will be on their own. Our family's plane reservations only cost 178.00 each round trip from Chicago. So that's what we're paying for this vacation. Sweet. And we probably will be getting the annual passes at the DVC discount.

 

[Blue&Gold]

My family has recommended I find a nice 12-step program to help me break the addiction. I spend about 15-20 minutes a night cruising the 3 main resale sites, quick look at the disboards, then a couple minutes with CASKBILL's planner. It's sad in a pleasant sort of way...