Has anyone stayed in their home resort longer than 3 weeks?

[tecodis]

Last year we spent February in a studio at SSR. I enjoyed myself, but was anxious to get home in March--but when I got off the plane, it was COLD. This year we are spending two weeks in December, and two weeks in February, and two weeks in March. The Feb-March trip is one trip, for a total of a month. And no, we have never had a problem reserving the room, since we are quite happy to rearrange where we stay if we need to. I really am enjoying my retirement!

Wow!
That must be alot of points!!

 

[tecodis]

I was chatting with a woman sitting next to me at the pool last year who commented that she and her DH spend 3 months every winter in a studio at OKW. She said that she knew it was probably not the most "financially savvy" thing to do but they just loved it and, since they could afford it, decided that that is just what they would do.

Here's the kicker.....they were on the meal plan the entire time! And, I must add, she was in great shape!

And ovisouly they are quite well off financially!!

 

[Ms. WDW]

Wow!
That must be alot of points!!

You could do the month of January at the BW in a studio for 340 points. But depending on your contract size that could also be your only trip for that year.

DH and I are sitting and playing with the numbers. When and if we should decide to do this in the upcoming years, I can easily see us spending a few weeks at the BW and a few weeks at SSR in those cold dreary winter NY months!

 

[thepops]

Compared to having a vacation home where YOU have to do all the upkeep, and maybe get a call from a neighbor that a pipe's broken when you're not there, etc. DVC could be a very nice alternative.

 

[Ms. WDW]

Compared to having a vacation home where YOU have to do all the upkeep, and maybe get a call from a neighbor that a pipe's broken when you're not there, etc. DVC could be a very nice alternative.

Exactly!!! That's what I'm talking about!!!!

 

[VLee]

Hopefully, I will be retired by late spring and beginning May 24, we have four weeks booked right now -- for the grandkids and myself.

Since I have several home resorts, we will move for a variety. We start off at AKV in a concierge studio, then move to BW in a standard studio, and then on to BCV in a studio for the next two weeks. I am really thinking of canceling some weekend nights to stretch our points a little more or do at least one week in a 1 BR.

We may DDP for one or two of the weeks and I figured if we have a 1 BR, then we can cook that week and the concierge will also help cut down on outside meals.

We want to visit Universal Studios (already have tickets) and on that weekend, will probably stay on their property to have the front of the line access to rides. Also, we may stay at a value or two on the weekends and drive to nearby attractions.

 

[Sheribo]

Is there a maximum stay limit at DVC resorts? There was another thread for people with over 1000 points (some had more than 3000) and they had extended stays but I thought I saw something about not being able to stay more than 3 weeks. Of course, you could move to another DVC resort I guess.

 

[tiggerrr]

Is there a maximum stay limit at DVC resorts? There was another thread for people with over 1000 points (some had more than 3000) and they had extended stays but I thought I saw something about not being able to stay more than 3 weeks. Of course, you could move to another DVC resort I guess.

I don't know about a maximum stay, but there are maximums on the points. You can have no more than 2500 points at any one resort and no more than 7500 points total.

Of course, a studio at OKW only costs a little over 5000 points for the entire year.

 

[jpolak]

yes, Ihave many times. 4-8 weeks at a time. Usually in Oct & Jan, sometimes in Dec. No problem in getting it as I booked at the 11 month window.

HTH

 

[DonnaL]

We have no desire to move year round to FL, however, we're also thinking toward retirement and spending at least Jan and Feb sounds really nice.......I would also like March since sometimes we have the nastiest weather here in PA during March. I don't know so much that I would like to spend ALL of that time onsite, though......definitely several weeks, but, not two to three months. We have an acquaintance who spends Dec, Jan, Feb, March in a furnished rental condo several miles from WDW......he's a golfer and his wife has developed friendships with other "snowbirds" in their condo complex. The condo they stay in is actually owned by someone from the UK and while the condo is in one of the "short vacation stay" complexes, the owner prefers to rent longer term (one to four months) to a retired couple vs. weekly renters because it definitely means less wear and tear on his property. He does give them a discount from what the normal cost would be on a weekly basis (I believe several hundred dollars). It works for both parties.......our friend is guaranteed a clean, very nice place and the owner knows his property is well taken care of for those months and also he is guaranteed rental during a traditionally slower period for family vacationing during which he may not be able to rent for several weeks anyway. So, I think we may definitely look into an arrangement similar to this when the time comes for us......we will keep our DVC and use it most likely in early January with our kids, which is what we do now (DH is adjunct faculty at Penn State and our youngest of three is currently a PSU student so we've needed to follow the semester breaks for quite a few years now) and then the kids will come home (or where home is to them at that time) to winter and Mom/Dad will winter in FL!!!

 

[cseca]

WOW!!!
Any of you long term DVC stayers adopting possibly?
That would be my dream (not DH's tho)... to be able to stay at disney for a month. I don't even need the meal plan. Heck, I'll eat cereals in the hotel room for bfast every day if that would help...

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

Hadnt even thought of using it as a retirement plan We stay at SSR for 3 weeks a year in a 1 bed. We are all booked for Dec, no problem with the reservation. Have also stayed in Sept & Oct

 

[lbdpw1285]

we are going from jan 4 to 30 in 2009. about 4 weeks. my hope in 4 more years is to go for jan /feb to get out of nj winters.
wife and i figure if we bought a small house or condo, we are responsible for maint. etc and still have taxes etc. and a gated neighborhood similar to OKW will be big $$$.
we think DVC will be cheaper in the long run. resale will also probably be better if necessary, or pass it on.
DVC snowbirding looks to me to be entirely sensible.

 

[lbdpw1285]

bump

 

[Ms. WDW]

Thanks for keeping this post alive. As the OP, I never realized just how many DVC members use their points for extended stays.

I'm so looking forward to sepending 4 or more weeks in WDW when we retire. And, that's not too far away; maybe 4 more years!!