DVC Retirement

[Patsaizan]

Just saw this thread. Last night my husband said “hey, we could spend 4 weeks at OKW in a 1 bedroom in January and still have a few points left over.” Interesting, never looked at it that way before.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Our March UY does not lend itself to Wintering in WDW, sadly. Luckily I had been able to rent out some late December/January reservations that I had made long before DH had a heart attack last December. He’s OK…and I will still book some nights in January, but our longer WDW vacations begin in March.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Hi Everyone.

I was talking to my wife about how neat it would be to get enough points to stay a whole month on property when we retire. Does anyone else do this?

I just thought thought it would be great to get away from the cold and spend time just hanging out and enjoying the parks and atmosphere.

It's what motivated me to buy the resale contracts on top of my original ones. I can stay all of January and February at my home resort, OKW, in a 1 bedroom villa. Yes, I would have to move for a day but I have another 100 points for that. Except now I live in FLA!
I may retire overseas and it would me nice to be able to come back to the U.S. with a place to stay.

 

[ABCanada]

We do three plus weeks in January. Since the price increase on the Annual Pass we have even done a few years without going to the parks. (Years without a pass we usually get a Universal pass and spend a couple of nights at one of their hotels that gives you unlimited Express Pass.)
As with many of the others we do split stays. For years with passes we coordinate stay and parks to minimize travel time, preferably walking distance. For years without passes we select based on good walking trails and restaurants.
When it is just the two of us we book a one bedroom. (Washer / Dryer and different sleep patterns)
We often invite friends to join us for at least part of the trip so would then get a two or three bedroom. (The difference in cost for the two over the one bedroom is so small that it is easy to justify inviting friends and I find makes an extended stay more enjoyable. The friends usually stock the unit with good wine and snacks which also helps.)
Our only issue is we have discovered the Cabins at Copper Creek and the Grand Villa at the Grand Floridian. We will either need to cut our trips back significantly or get more points.

 

[bcwife76]

We have enough points at Aulani to do this when we retire and the kids are out of the house. We also met a few older couples at aulani who stay 3-4 weeks every year.

Aulani is our home resort and this is what we plan to do once my husband is retired, hopefully every January after the holidays. Right now we'd have enough points to stay up to 14-15 nights at that particular time of the year, depending on whether we went with a studio or a 1 bedroom every OTHER year. I'm hoping to pick up a resale contract in the next few years so we could get enough to do that every year, we shall see

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Owners locker is not Disney owned/disney run - here’s the Link. We’ve had ours since 2010. Not surprisingly we started with one and now have two. The service is great and once I saw them doing a drop off so I stopped to chat with him - very personable. Bell services will hold the lockers and bring them up/ take them back. Also if you are doing a split stay, they are treated just like luggage and moved for you.

Everyone uses them differently - some people use them so they don’t have to check luggage, other people keep work remote stuff in them (I saw one poster who kept a printer and monitor in theirs), but we use ours for comfort of home items. We have a nespresso plus pods, vodka, cognac, ice bucket, bath robe, slippers, special wine glasses and cocktail tumblers, good wine key, cutting boards, citrus squeezer, paring knife, pepper grinder, pizza cutter, DVC coffee mugs, DVC mug for pool, pool bag, collapsible laundry baskets, camping style clothes line, laundry pods, dishwasher pods, extra magic bands, first aid kit, a few DVC polos, 2 Disney throw blankets, extra charging cords/cables, left over non perishables. I’m probably forgetting stuff but you get the idea.

The lockers are decent size so they hold a fair amount of stuff and we are really spoiled by them. We miss having them when we are staying somewhere not Orlando!

Edited to add other thread links that I could find:
Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3
Thread4

Thank you (and also thank you @Best Aunt)— I was hoping it was physically a storage locker somewhere in the WDW area with secured access—but I see it’s 3rd party delivery. I guess we don’t need Fort Knox type security for our magic bands, warm blankets, umbrellas, etc. I would be worried about some of the stuff you’ve mentioned breaking but it sounds like it’s working out OK?

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Thank you (and also thank you @Best Aunt)— I was hoping it was physically a storage locker somewhere in the WDW area with secured access—but I see it’s 3rd party delivery. I guess we don’t need Fort Knox type security for our magic bands, warm blankets, umbrellas, etc. I would be worried about some of the stuff you’ve mentioned breaking but it sounds like it’s working out OK?

We’ve had one for a year and have had it delivered and picked up 2x times so far, our July trip will be the 3rd time we use the service. We love it and have thought of getting a second already. It’s like a public storage or POD storage. They’re kept in a temp-controlled warehouse somewhere in the Orlando area. I think they say they don’t flip them over or store them in any way other than upright, so people who have more fragile/glass items won’t have to worry. They’ve been very efficient with delivery and pick up when they say they will and you get a text when it’s been returned to the warehouse. We’ve had no issues with Bell Services either.

Someone mentioned having a portable fan in their locker because they like sleeping with a fan and I’m very strongly debating doing the same…would have to get a second locker for that though. Anyway, I’d definitely recommend for those travel with a bunch of things that are WDW specific and don’t mind leaving them behind!

 

[CWTC]

I would be worried about some of the stuff you’ve mentioned breaking but it sounds like it’s working out OK?

Most of the glassware came in boxes which we kept to store them in. We also bought some packing materials (foam pouches and foam net sleeves) meant for glassware. We generally pack the lockers tightly so there’s not a lot of room for shifting. Maybe we’ve just been lucky but, knock on wood, we’ve never had anything break.

 

[Best Aunt]

Thank you (and also thank you @Best Aunt)— I was hoping it was physically a storage locker somewhere in the WDW area with secured access—but I see it’s 3rd party delivery. I guess we don’t need Fort Knox type security for our magic bands, warm blankets, umbrellas, etc. I would be worried about some of the stuff you’ve mentioned breaking but it sounds like it’s working out OK?

About the Owner's Lockers and security:

One end of the lid clicks in place. The other end of the lid has a place where you insert two zip-ties to attach the lid to the locker and keep the locker closed. They provide zip-ties, but for some unknown reason I find them hard to use. I bought my own zip-ties at the Dollar Store near my house and I find them easy to use. You also can buy a lock and use that instead of the zip-ties.

I have never worried about security, but I don't keep anything of financial value in there.

One thing, though -- at the end of my trip, I call Bell Services and wait for them to come to my room. They take the locker(s) down to the Bell Services Storage area and keep the lockers there until the Owners Locker people come to pick them up. I have read once or twice about people just leaving the locker in their room as they leave the hotel to go to the airport. I would never do that.

 

[CWTC]

I have read once or twice about people just leaving the locker in their room as they leave the hotel to go to the airport. I would never do that.

We had to leave the lockers in the room once - we were leaving BCV at 430 am (or some equally ridiculous hour) and no one ever answered the bell services line (we tried every few minutes over the course of about half an hour and also were told at one point that bell services was closed). We ended up dealing with the luggage ourselves but had to leave the lockers, I spoke with the person at the front desk, and texted the OL people to let them know what happened. The lockers made it back just fine - we certainly would NOT recommend this strategy. And now we’re paranoid about not getting bell services in the future.

Edited: for clarity

 

[Chili327]

We had to leave the lockers in the room once - we were leaving BCV at 430 am (or some equally ridiculous hour) and no one ever answered the bell services line (we tried every few minutes over the course of about half an hour and also were told at one point that bell services was closed). We ended up dealing with the luggage ourselves but had to leave the lockers, I spoke with the person at the front desk, and texted the OL people to let them know what happened. The lockers made it back just fine - we certainly would NOT recommend this strategy. And now we’re paranoid about not getting bell services in the future.

Edited: for clarity

Don’t do that to yourself on vacation.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

For the last few years, we have been going for 3 wks. The first few years we did 2 wks at WDW after we stayed in St. Augustine, Daytona or Vero Beach for a week. The last two years we have done split stays at WDW, 1 wk at BLT and 2 at BW (our home resort). This year I have decided to do our next trip with all 3 wks at BW. I will only have to pack and unload two times, once at home loading the car and getting to WDW and once on our return trip home. I really don't enjoy the packing and unpacking part of moving. So far, we have enjoyed our extended time at WDW. One year we didn't have park passes and it was a really nice and relaxing time. I don't know if I will renew our annual passes again when they run out. IMHO they are getting a bit too pricey, and the parks are just too crowded for me, I can find other things to do besides going to the parks, the pards no longer have the same appeal for me that they once had.

 

[DougEMG]

We've been doing 4 weeks in Orlando for the last 10+ years. Other than 4-6 days at Universal the rest is all at WDW. We always end up doing split stays with 3-4 resorts. We have been doing Oct-Nov one year and then Sept-Oct the following year to spread the annual pass over 2 trips. The biggest problem with doing long trips is that I'm never in a hurry to do something thinking I have plenty of time and before I know it, it is time to go home.

When I ever do get around to retiring we'll probably do another trip in the Jan-Feb time period.

 

[Judique]

Before retirement, almost 6 years ago I tossed around the idea of buying more points. Didn't do it and I'm okay with that. I still get to Disney and I still enjoy my stays but it's not as important to stay 'at' Disney.

Last 3 visits were Dec 23, Feb 24 and March 24. Next visits will be Dec 24 and Feb/March 25.

Once the points run out, there are hotels or houses to rent. After my Feb week in 25, I'll be doing another week with family starting right after, either in a hotel or a villa or a house somewhere. There are several options being evaluated by a few of us. Some will still go to the parks after that. I'll probably do walks and go to nice dinners with other family members who won't be doing any parks (gasp).

I've often tossed around the idea of a whole month at one of my resorts. It would have to be studio and one bedroom alternating combo as I'm not too points rich. Banking and borrowing can also help. I just want to know 'exactly' when bad weather will hit at home so I can avoid it. So far I've missed a few storms purely by luck.

 

[cheryl.UK]

We have been adding on for a few years now to the point where we have enough points to stay in a studio for 7 weeks. Once we retire, we intend to stay for 4 weeks and then rent the rest of the points out bringing in enough $$ to pay the dues for all contracts. Currently we are only going for 3 weeks every 2 years out of 3. We are using the $$ to pay for dues and flights. Our holiday fund is very healthily in credit. I keep it in a separate account so that I know how we are doing.

 

[pmcpmc]

Retired.
Staying at BWV for a month in July for our 50th wedding anniversary with our family of 11 .,one bedroom and 2 studios. Bought in 1998 as a retirement package. Have stayed at Bwv in one.bedroom for three weeks in July ever since

 

[zackiedawg]

I typically stay at DVC about 20-25 days a year mostly in 1-bedrooms - just not all at once. So it's something I could certainly consider as an option when I retire. Currently I can make it on my points that many days with a mix of trips mostly in the more value point times like Jan and Sep, but also some stays in the 3rd or 4th points tiers in mid June or March. If I tried to do that many days all in one of the higher point seasons, I wouldn't make it. Also if I tried doing it all at one of the pricier resorts, I couldn't do it. But mixing in Boardwlk, Saratoga, OKW, etc throughout the year, I can make it about a month in a 1-bedroom on my current points.

I could also opt to purchase about 100 more points to ensure I could stay at most resorts most of the times of the year - which wouldn't be too pricey as a retirement plan. Theoretically, if I were willing to do some studio stays, stick to the cheap resorts like OKW, and stay in the value seasons like Jan and Sep, I could probably squeeze out nearly 2 months. I may just! But I'm probably 7-8 years away from retirement.

 

[Minniesgal]

That was our plan until we got 3 dogs. We won’t leave them more than 2 weeks

 

[veginaz]

There's a guy on you tube who starts out his intro saying he and his wife stayed for a year in DVC. I never followed up to see how he did it or if he really did it. Home sick today so I'll look him up and see, if its worth sharing I'll share here if Im allowed.

 

[Chili327]

There's a guy on you tube who starts out his intro saying he and his wife stayed for a year in DVC. I never followed up to see how he did it or if he really did it. Home sick today so I'll look him up and see, if its worth sharing I'll share here if Im allowed.

Yep, i posted their channel a while back, it is "Here with the Ears". It wasn't all DVC though, but it was all Disney.