Have you used your DVC points at locations other than Disney?

[LisaZ1113]

And if so, did you find it to be worth it?

We are new DVC members, FYI.

 

[kmks514]

Hi Lisa -

I've been a DVC member since 1997 - have always gone to Disney resorts. However, I have been attempting to use RCI this year, but have been wait-listed since February. It seems to be difficult to get something in a popular place (I requested Lake George, NY) unless you request far in advance. I'm thinking of cancelling this request and trying for one of the Adventures by Disney for next year.

I'll be interested in seeing other members' responses along with you...

Karen

 

[cpbjgc]

We had left over points we used for a few night stay at the Keystone Resort in Colorado in 2007. We had a great one bedroom unit right in the action.

We are also using points this July for a stay at the Hollywood Hotel at Hong Kong Disneyland. You get length of stay tickets at Hong Kong Disneyland when staying on points, so that makes it a not bad deal for us (a family of four).

 

[Nikisha421]

We had left over points we used for a few night stay at the Keystone Resort in Colorado in 2007. We had a great one bedroom unit right in the action.

We are also using points this July for a stay at the Hollywood Hotel at Hong Kong Disneyland. You get at Hong Kong Disneyland when staying on points, so that makes it a not bad deal for us (a family of four).

oooh length of stay tickets...maybe I should travel to hong kong...but yeah really i would like to hear how other respond

 

[CMOORE185]

We have used are points at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, Grand Californian(before the new Villas), and Disney Cruise. I don't think I would use them for the cruise again because it really sucks up the points, but as for the rest of them I think it was well worth it. I like to get away from WDW once in a while. Also was going to use them at the Grove Park Inn in N.C. but I waited to long and they had no exchanges left.

 

[oakmanner]

We will be using 152 points for a luxury room in NYC next month. When we booked, it sounded like a good idea. However, I'm thinking those points would have gone so much further at a DVC resort.

 

[downontheBW]

We've used them outside of WDW in a few ways. Stayed a night at the Charleston Place on points then spent 3 days at HHI DVC. I looked into trading back when DVC was affiliated with Interval (before RCI) but most trades seemed like a step down from DVC - other comparable resorts were too hard to get. We ended up doing a private trade with an owner of Four Seasons Aviara in Carlsbad, CA. We used points to try a Disney Cruise as well. During the last few years, we've just used our points at WDW. Using DVC to stay at DVC is definitely the best use of the points.

 

[acourtwdw]

We used them in 2007 to extend a business trip out to Cali. We stayed at Disneyland Hotel for one night and Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica for 2. We are also using our points to do the WBTA cruise in 2010.

 

[acder12]

We have been members since 1993 and have used our points all sorts of ways (WDW, cruises, HHI and Interval exchange).

Our only Interval exchange was to Keystone for a week at Christmas last year. The resort was gorgeous and we were right on the slopes. At the time I felt it was worth it but after really looking at how many points we used I started to doubt myself. Because our stay crossed into January of 2009 we had to make two different reservations (Disney did not have a points chart available for 2009 at the time we booked the 2008 portion of our stay). I am now under the impression it would be more valuable to rent the necessary points and use the cash to book directly with the resort. When you do an exchange you don't always get the perks you can negotiate with the resort (food, ski lift tickets, golf, etc.).

As for the Disney Cruise, each time we have done it we swear we wont do it again because you do use up a ton of points. When we look at booking direct and paying out of pocket we usually fall back into using our points.

I guess it is an individual decision!

 

[LisaZ1113]

We have been members since 1993 and have used our points all sorts of ways (WDW, cruises, HHI and Interval exchange).

Our only Interval exchange was to Keystone for a week at Christmas last year. The resort was gorgeous and we were right on the slopes. At the time I felt it was worth it but after really looking at how many points we used I started to doubt myself. Because our stay crossed into January of 2009 we had to make two different reservations (Disney did not have a points chart available for 2009 at the time we booked the 2008 portion of our stay). I am now under the impression it would be more valuable to rent the necessary points and use the cash to book directly with the resort. When you do an exchange you don't always get the perks you can negotiate with the resort (food, ski lift tickets, golf, etc.).


As for the Disney Cruise, each time we have done it we swear we wont do it again because you do use up a ton of points. When we look at booking direct and paying out of pocket we usually fall back into using our points.

I guess it is an individual decision!

So, I'm assuming you enjoyed the cruises?

 

[AnnaS]

We have been members since 2000 and have done 4 DCL cruises. We have always needed two cabins so we used a combination of points and cash each time.

The only other "official" trade (as I call it), is through Interval and we are going next month and staying at the Royal Sands. We put in for this exactly two years before our date. My brother (also a dvc member) was not as lucky).

I will wait a year or so to hear/read any feedback/experiences with RCI before even thinking of trying again and if it's worth it. If experiences are good, I won't mind trading out every 3/4/5 years or so.

 

[RLevy29]

We have been members since 2001 and have used our points for a few other places besides DVC. Some of these places are no longer available.

Stein Erikson lodge in Utah -Concierge -no longer available

Grand Californian Hotel -Disney collection -once at Easter and plans for this summer- Hotel will not be available once the villas open.

Shelburne Murray Hill in NYC- Concierge- no longer available

The Sands of Kahana in Maui -through II - not not if it is available through RCI

3 night Disney Cruise

The Kaanapali Beach Club this July- II - still available through RCI

Club Intrawest in Sandestin

Club Intrawest in Palm Desert - this August

We have been very happy with all of our exchanges and did not have a problem getting any of them. We were unsuccessful in getting an exchange at the Westin St. John (no longer available) but that was the only time.Some people think exchanges are not worth the points but we have found them to be worthwhile.

PS we did try to use points for an ABD but it was cancelled.

 

[jodifla]

USed our points for a 20th anniversary stay at the Whitehall in Chicago, pinnacle level. LOVED it!

 

[rentayenta]

We are currently on the wait list for Zihua, Mexico. I will let you know how it turns out. I know the resort is beautiful as we stayed two hotels down the beach in Feb 2007.

 

[Dean]

Other than a few limited options in BVTC and a few in RCI, most are a very poor value using DVC points but it certainly would be your choice to use them that way.

 

[ACDSNY]

We used ours for Marriott Waiohai on Kauai through II, but it's not available through RCI. We had a wonderful trip.

 

[DVC4me4Ever]

We have been a member since 1998 and have done many things other than DVC in WDW. We have used our points for 10 DCL cruises...anything from a 4 day cruise up to a 15 day Panama cruise. Next year we are booked on the WB Transatlantic sailing and can't wait for that!!!

We go to HHI DVC just about every year. We have traded 2 times when DVC used II. We traded for a week stay in Las Vegas but that resort is not included in the RCI offerings but it was fantastic. We also stayed at the Bay Harbor in Upper Michigan and it was wonderful.

There is so much chatter about whether any of these options are a good way to 'spend' your points but....to me it is all worth it!!! Memories of different vacations using my DVC points is priceless.

 

[emlutz23]

We used points for a one-bedroom suite at the DLH last June and loved it! Did it require more points than a typical one bedroom villa at DVC resort? Yes, but it was great having our accomodations already paid for! The second half of that trip was in San Diego where we stayed in a tiny "suite" at a chain hotel and it cost over $700 for 4 nights! So I am very glad I used my points for the DLH.

Trading out may not be something I'll do all the time, b/c I want to have enough points to do a WDW trip every year. But I love having the option and flexibility for nightly or weekly trades.

 

[DisFor20]

Yep. We stayed at The Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe a few years ago. Had a great time. Great use of our developer points.

 

[drummer1616]

We used points for Marriotts Desert Ridge Villas in Phoenix,2 br was huge,bigger than anything Disney has to offer and less points.It was the best trip we have had anywhere WDW included.The main reason I bought DVC was to use at other locations