How difficult is it to use DVC points to stay at Grand Floridian?

elissam

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 13, 2001
Messages
23
We are thinking of becoming DVC members (maybe as early as this Sunday!) But during the first couple of days of each trip we'd like to stay at the GF (so I can go to the spa and also so we can be on the monorail when going to MK) I realize this may not be the most efficient use of points but it is what we want to do while we still have only one child.

So, does anyone else do this on a regular basis? Are there any problems? If this is difficult or problematic we may not want to do DVC. (and you don't think I'd trust a guide to give me the straight answer!)

Thanks very much to all who respond. It's nice to know there's a place to go for honest answers!
 
You can go back in time on this board and most will tell you that it is a poor way to utilize your points. You are better paying cash or getting an AP discount or DC discount for GF.

The choice is yours so good luck but DVC is best if you stay at DVC.
 
We've done it a few times without any problems. I personally like mixing it up a bit and staying in a regular resort once in a while. We've also stayed at the CR and YC using our points.
 
You can reserve the GF up to 11 months in advance. Can't believe you would have a problem getting a room that far ahead.

FWIW, I hope that you have looked at a point chart so that you know what the point cost will be. IMHO, you will be much better off just paying cash for your GF stay (possbily getting a DC, AP or other discount) than using points. If this were my decision, I'd buy fewer points and plan to pay for the 2-3 day GF stays with cash. You didn't mention whether or not you've already stayed in one of the DVC resorts. If not, it's very possible that you will not want to stay in the GF as often as you may now think.

Whatever you decide, good luck with the decision.
 
Getting a room should not be a problem as long as you make your plans as early as possible. I know people don't like to be told how to spend their points, but do take a look at how many are required and remember that WDW resorts points can go up (as they just did dramatically this year) unlike DVC points which remain pretty much stable. DVC points for a particular time period could go up but they would have to come down somewhere else on the chart. Currently, the cheapest time of year in a garden view room at the GF on Sun-Thurs night will cost 35 points. In many cases, that would get you a 2-bedroom at any of the DVC resorts during that same time period.

Using points to stay elsewhere for variety is probably the best way to look at point usage. You need to give consideration to making it a regular part of every trip. Of course, maybe once you stay at a DVC resort you will not want to do the GF every trip.
 
it's not the best way to use your points. it would be better just to pay
for a night. All of the vacation resorts are great. our home is the BV
we love being able to walk to epcot and MGM.
 
I stayed 5 nights at the GF this past October and had a good time. Since it was the only time I could get to Diney for an extended period of time I bit the bullet and spent the points.

I would make mention that there is no playground for children but there are activities for kids there. Food was also expensive there compared to other Disney resorts.

To me it was worth the points as I would never have been able to pay cash for that lenght of stay there. Our room faced the MK and at night we had front row seats for the light parade in the lagoon. We could also see the fireworks from the MK.
 
Why not rent out some points at the going rate of $10/pt then using the cash at the Grand Floridian? That seems to me to be the most economical way of doing things.
 
Thanks very much to everyone who answered my question.

I think people are being a little bit irrational in reprimanding me for wanting to use my points at the GF.

Let's face it, using points over the weekend is also inefficient, nearly costing twice as much as a weekday. It would be a lot more efficient to pay cash for a resort over the weekend and then switch to DVC during for the weekdays. And I'm sure some people do this. However, for the sake of convenience, many people just use their points inefficiently and stay at a DVC resort over the weekend. I don't hear people saying that people shouldn't join DVC because they plan to use points over the weekend, so why do people say I shouldn't join DVC because I want to spend 2 weekdays at the GF? I've looked at the point charts, and there's actually not that huge of a difference between staying at the GF during the weekday and the VWL during the weekend. So why is my strategy so stupid?

Until my 2nd child is born, I will not be interested in a 1BR nor will I be interested in staying at WDW a lot. I want to buy BCV points in anticipation of needing a larger place, and for the next year or so, I will have some extra points to dispose of.

Now, I could rent the extra points. But if I can rent points for $10 each and it costs 35 points to stay at the GF, then the GF would have to be appreciably less than $350 a night for it to make any sense for me to go through the hassle of renting my points out. As far as I know, GF rooms do not come significantly less than $350 per night. Am I wrong? If I could pay less than this, could someone let me know how? That would be useful. BTW, we do not have annual passes.

Thanks again.
 
elissam, as you have discovered, there are two distinctly different views of DVC! There are those who view the points from an economic standpoint and don't use them outside the DVC properties or even on weekends if avoidable, then there are those who simply view DVC as prepaid vacations. I'm in the latter camp, personally. When DH and I looked into the number of points to buy, we "padded" it to do things like stay at AKL or GF from time to time.

For us, we can afford the points and it's not worth the hassle to us to figure out the value every time we spend a point. We realize we're lucky to be able to do this and there are lots of folks out there who do have to watch their points. You'll find both views equally represented here. Don't take it personally - you've got lots of company here! No matter how you use your points, if you travel to WDW every couple of years for about a week's stay, DVC is well worth it IMHO.
 
Actually, there are those who have to watch their points,
and those who choose to watch their points.

It all depenes on how frugal you are!:D
 
elissam, as you have discovered, there are two distinctly different views of DVC! There are those who view the points from an economic standpoint and don't use them outside the DVC properties or even on weekends if avoidable, then there are those who simply view DVC as prepaid vacations. I'm in the latter camp, personally. When DH and I looked into the number of points to buy, we "padded" it to do things like stay at AKL or GF from time to time.

For us, we can afford the points and it's not worth the hassle to us to figure out the value every time we spend a point. We realize we're lucky to be able to do this and there are lots of folks out there who do have to watch their points. You'll find both views equally represented here. Don't take it personally - you've got lots of company here! No matter how you use your points, if you travel to WDW every couple of years for about a week's stay, DVC is well worth it IMHO.
 
We're definitely in the camp with WDW Guru: we can afford to be because we have a big contract. We just took our inlaws to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and we took two adjoining rooms with savanah view for 5 days. It would have cost lots of dough, but we just paid with our points and didn't think about it. We still have enough points to go on several other vacations this year.
THAT is one of the many great things about DVC--you're free to do as you wish with your points. In the future, of course, that may change. The ONLY thing we are guaranteed until 2042 is that we can use our points for our home resort, and the total number of points on that home resort's chart will never change. In even ten years, with the way room costs have risen over the past ten, that will seem like a huge bargain.
 
Vacation ownership is different for each person. No one is "reprimanding" you. But remember you said you appreciated "honest answers;" the majority of contributors on this board honestly feel that using points for non-DVC WDW resort stays is, in general, a poor value. For some - such as yourself - that may not be the case. Also, no response (except your own) suggested that your strategy was "stupid." Enjoy yourself, and if you do have the flexibility to use a point based vacation ownership program less efficiently than others, that is great. One of the greatest benefits of DVC is flexibility and just knowing that WDW will be a part of your family's lives for many years to come!
 
We are using our points as "pre-paid" vacations too! We aren't taking our DD to WDW until at least 2005!!! But we enjoy the beach, that is why our home is HH and we like the idea of being able to use points to go other places as well. We are planning to use our points at Disneyland in 2003. The way I see it, it is my money and my points, I'll do what I want with them. I appreciate any advice I get and respect anyone's usage of points because I feel that is really is a personal decision!:)
 
As far as I know, GF rooms do not come significantly less than $350 per night. Am I wrong?

A weekday GARDEN view (not lagoon) room at GF is 39 points during value season. The value season rack rate for a garden view room is $329. This past year has been unusual, but discounts as much as 40% off that rate have been available making GF rooms available around $200.

I don't think wanting to use points for non-DVC resorts is stupid at all. The only thing I suggest is you give consideration to the cost and the possibility that points needed for the GF could rise significantly. There is also the outside chance the program could be discontinued altogether.

Last October a weekday room -- usually a Lagoon view -- cost 30 points. This October, a lagoon view room will cost 46 points -- a 53% increase.
 
Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. It's nice to know that there are different strategies that work for different people.

elissa m
 
Originally posted by elissam
I've looked at the point charts, and there's actually not that huge of a difference between staying at the GF during the weekday and the VWL during the weekend. So why is my strategy so stupid?

I would not characterize the strategy as stupid- I would characterize it as not the most efficient use of points...First of all you are comparing VWL weekend points to GF weekday points but what size room are you talking about? VWL studios on the weekend are less than GF during the week-- and that is really the more fair comparison to a GF room (some would say the GF room is worse since you don't have the kitchenette) If you are comparing it to a 1BR at VWL there really is no comparison--GF rooms are much smaller, no jacuzzi, no washer/dryer, etc...Finally you have essentially taken a weekday (or 2) and turned it (or them) into high priced weekend day(s)---I think if DVC wanted to change the point charts to do that there would be a lot of unhappy DVC members...You are doing this GF stay presumably to be more convenient to MK...But if you stay the whole time at VWL- no hassle of moving in the middle of vacation and still just a boat ride or short drive away from MK...If you are doing it because you just love the GF theme-- there is no argument- that is not something we can calculate in terms of price/value.

I guess my question would be why join DVC? If money saving is not an issue, why not just pay cash for DVC rooms as you need them? DVC can save money over paying cash for deluxe accomodations but it takes a while and the savings may not occur at all if points are used inefficiently...Again if money is not a concern-good for you...but if it is, you might want to calculate how your strategy affects the value of joining... Good luck!
 
Until my 2nd child is born, I will not be interested in a 1BR nor will I be interested in staying at WDW a lot. I want to buy BCV points in anticipation of needing a larger place, and for the next year or so, I will have some extra points to dispose of

This makes more sense. It sounds like you are planning to buy points now that you anticipate will satisfy your family needs in the future. For the next few years, you anticipate that you will want to spend time at the non-DVC resorts and will have more points than you need.

Yes, you can get rooms at the GF.

Ellisam has thought this out and is satisfied.

For others --- The WDW resort seasons and the DVC seasons no longer are the same. There are times when the point difference can be quite substantial. This is something to consider when making plans or when trying out non-DVC resorts. For example a Studio at VWL or BWV December 1-14 would cost 12 points weekdays and 22 points weekends. The GF would cost 41 and 74 points for the Lagoon view room. In fact, you could actually stay at the OKW Grand Villa for fewer points on the weekdays -- 36 points weekdays and 88 points weekends.
 
Elisam,
I figured my cost /point for BCV for 2002-2003 will be about $5.80/point assuming $75/point and paying cash. So if you take those GF rate points and multiply times $5.80, that will show you the real cost of your stay. A weekday room on points can range from $203- $301.60 garden view and $237.80 - $348.00 lagoon view. Rack rates are: $329- $499 garden view and $390- $575 lagoon view, plus 11% tax. Certainlythis was an inducement fo us that we could use our points at the hotels as well as DVC. I was very unhappy that they changed the points up this year, but it still is a savings and you can not count on DC, AAA or other discounts- we do not have AP's either. Renting can be a pain, so I'm with you just use your points and enjoy them!!
 



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