How did DVC ownership change your trips?

[VGCgroupie]

We are leaving tomorrow for over a week at Aulani after buying DVC in summer 2024. Never in a million years would we have planned this trip without it.

Have an amazing time! Mickey in his Christmas Hawaiian shirt is everything!

 

[Apiary]

I just want to chime in with a different perspective. When we bought points we had been visiting once a year or once every other year for about a decade. We almost always stayed in deluxe resorts, and we sometimes traveled with family in another room. After buying a small resale contract in 2020 we have continued to travel this way.
Without the DVC contract we probably wouldn't have continued to stay at deluxe resorts due to price increases, and now we can book the occasional second room on points. DVC didn't make us different travelers, we still like spreading our vacation time over multiple destinations. We still like mid-day breaks and we still rope drop and try to close parks.

 

[radiodome21]

Without DVC we wouldn’t have been able to go to WDW three times this year. Two of those trips were planned around some runDisney races too, another advantage of owning DVC for us. The third trip was the longest vacation stateside we’ve ever taken which was 8 days in July. It’s also made us want to learn more about Disney too and have a deeper appreciation for the history behind the not only the parks/hotels but also the man himself, Walt. My 15 year old son loves giving us Disney trivia. If there’s one thing my whole family can agree on it’s that if there’s is one guarantee when it comes to Disney vacations it’s that we’re going to have a great time. That’s something that can’t be said for past vacations where we rolled the dice.

 

[SugarSweetLee]

If there’s one thing my whole family can agree on it’s that if there’s is one guarantee when it comes to Disney vacations it’s that we’re going to have a great time. That’s something that can’t be said for past vacations where we rolled the dice.

Oh, I'm curious where you rolled the dice and were dissatisfied

 

[Girlstar30]

30 years ago we bought OKW during a stay at a Value. We had made trips before and stayed at whatever place looked good on or off property. My first trip was in 1973 when Day's Inn was the rage and my brother and I didn't know the difference. Watching that monorail go around and around and through The Contemporary was mesmerizing!

In that 30 years our son grew from an 8 yo well traveled youngster to a late 30 something married professional. The journey has been interesting, starting with extended family and friends 3BRGV trips to 1 and 2 BR trips with DH, our son and me. Prep school, college and grad school meant empty nester trips for a decade, but we typically went during F & W and had a great time. I think DH and I have only stayed in a studio a few times and he is adamant about having a WD and so am I as it makes the trip so much easier. We don't cook much but stock lots of drinks, fruit, salads and always a frozen pizza for that rainy night.

We are off and on AP holders (on right now) as we try to use it over two longer trips in a year (10-14 days each) so it makes sense. Perks are helpful when our foodie kids are with us.

Until recently we almost always had a rental car, but this next trip in May will be 9 nights at BWV in a 1BR so there is no need for a car. We will be at EPCOT most of the time and will bus to other parks if we need to. We plan to take the Minnie Van to/from the airport as we are saving a ton on the rental car. Now that SWA announced it will deliver luggage from your home airport to your WDW resort I am thrilled! That was the biggest convenience and losing that perk was a PIA for DH as I use a WC at MCO. If there isn't an attendant (often) and sometimes not even a WC, rolling 2 bags and dealing with me is a challenge.

We always invite our son and DIL as they live 3000 miles from us now and have given them many solo trips as well. We love it when they go and we give them a studio at the same or different resort. Lately they have been going to Europe and will be there in March so we won't see them in May. We're planning October and our son may have a medical conference in Orlando so we're hoping they can join us.

We've gone from 230 points in 1996 to 650 or so post covid to 225 now with direct and resale. I often use the OTU points option and can get 48 between direct and resale. Better than buying a bunch of points. I've transferred in points but now that is not so easy as it is one time per year. I'll be smarter about transferring in a larger amount if necessary in the future for bigger trips. Disney is expensive and we are more about getting what we want and save by not eating out much at home the rest of the year, using SWA points for flights, using cash back credit cards and buying discounted Disney gift cards when possible (even to pay for dues). It all counts.

I hope you pick up a tip or two and enjoy your trips!

Is SWA delivering to the deluxe resorts, I thought it was only the value?

 

[Bryanpur]

Since I’m usually on here asking a million contract questions , I wanted to switch gears.
Instead of points/ROFR/prices, I’d love to hear from long-time DVC owners:
How did your Disney vacations actually change once you owned points?
Did you go more often? Stay in bigger rooms? Become more relaxed planners?
Or did ownership not change much at all?
We have always been park people morning til night but I want to stop all that
No echo chamber… I’m just looking for real, honest experiences. Thank you!

It became an actual vacation and not a test do everything possible while pushing our kids to over exhaustion. No more FOMO on the flight home.

 

[melissa70]

It became an actual vacation and not a test do everything possible while pushing our kids to over exhaustion. No more FOMO on the flight home.

This is what I look forward to. We have been going to Disney for 25 years and it’s always been this frenzy to do everything . I’m still processing the new mindset

 

[atthebeachclub]

I need help with the FOMO of the parks still.

Every visit: “I’m not buying lightning lanes this trip!”

Then every visit, I buy lightning lanes anyway 7 days before.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Is SWA delivering to the deluxe resorts, I thought it was only the value?

Apparently it is only values...

 

[Girlstar30]

Apparently it is only values...

Just making sure I didnt miss any thing bcuz we always fly sw

 

[kanerf]

I went from one trip per year to three and longer trips.

 

[melissa70]

I went from one trip per year to three and longer trips.

I like the sound of that!

 

[Orbiter_Fan]

Definitely we go more often, BUT....

DVC makes me more impatient for the next one, ha.

Kinda like the end of a long road trip...when I'm 10-15 minutes away from the destination, I'm the most impatient to be there already!