How do you handle weekends?

[AOPI57]

We stay at other Disney resorts on the weekends. I have never used points for a weekend stay. We love POFQ as it was one of the first on site resorts we stayed at so we usually stay there or POR. Plus we got a rate of $84 in August. We have also stayed at the Contemporary and the Swan and Dolphin. all at discounted rates. This way we get to experience many of the Disney Resorts.

 

[DMDSTPRGIL]

We have also purchased more points to make up the differance.Now we have 654 points so that is doesn't seem to matter.But if we do plan to visit family while in Fl we always stay with them on a friday and saturday. I also have friends that stay for three or four weeks at a time. They check out on fridays and get a cheep hotel off site. I still thinks thats a pain if you are all setteled into a one bedroom and it's set up like home and now you have to pack up and leave,and do it a couple of times.I bite the bullett and in my mind it seems to even out.....

 

[nakedbear]

I can't see for us paying cash to stay on weekends. I invested a lot in DVC, so the idea to pay cash for my accomodations seems like too much of an additional expense. My points based on what I paid for them, and the current MF, come out to about 6 dollars a point. No matter if I stay weekends, cruise, or disney collection, if the total points cost is less than using cash I feel I am using my points wisely. I bought DVC so I never have to pay for accomodations again . So far it is definitely paying for itself.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Divamomto3]

Well I'm new at this and never actually did it before, but my plan is to move to a cash ressie at a different resort for the weekend. I don't have enough for a 2 BR for an entire week, and I actually like to stay longer than a week anyway. I am dying to stay at all the deluxe resorts, so I"m happy to try it. However, this summer will be the first time I really do it, so maybe I'll hate it and need a new plan. As soon as I have more money saved up for it, I'd like to add on more points so that I have enough for an entire week if I don't want to move.

 

[Pa@okw95]

We stay at the Hilton DD before we check into OKW and then again if we stay for a weekend. With me it is the principle of the thing rather than just the money. I have actually rented two rooms for the same day to avoid any check in hassle. Also Hilton allows you to stay after check out if you are willing to pay. I only used my points for one day on the weekend since being a member in 95 and that was because of guests. We love the Hilton anyway. It is right across the street from DD. I stay free at the Hilton at times also which is always nice. I am a gold member of Hilton Honnors and have a number of points saved to stay free. The one problem for me doing this is the check in process at WDW which I do my best to avoid.

 

[drtpaper]

We usually get a 4 day weekend package off site to get ready for the move in to our DVC resort. We usually go to Seaworld and the water park for a day. You don't benefit much by going on site and then going to these parks. We also use it to get our grocery shopping done for our move on site. We use our extra points to get friends a room and we spend 5 full days in th park which is about all we can take. We have found great timeshare deals off site for $99 a night for two bedroom and we save enough for airfare and tickets over using Disney points.

 

[jtiggercat]

Actually we used this method last time and have vowed to continue the practice. We depart the west coast on Saturday and get in late Saturday night. We stay at an airport hotel (using Priceline) and crawl into bed.

We sleep in a bit on Sunday and then take the rental car to the Disney store at the Outlet Mall and get groceries.

When we enter the happiest place on earth, we are well-rested, the travel stress has evaporated and we can fully immerse ourselves in the vacation. We don't emerge again until Friday night when we head back to an airport hotel. This last part works beautifully since most flights go out so early in the morning that taking a shuttle would require getting up at 3 a.m.. With an airport hotel, we can sleep a little longer.

jayne

 

[kathleena]

We are staying Fri-Fri in a 2br at BCV next march. The total points is 350 and the Fri-Sat alone is 150. Yikes. That one really hurt, but so does going in March instead of May or Oct or Dec.

Anyway - I got over it. That's why we own 385 points. So we can get a 2br in the higher seasons if we want to, especially as the grandkids get older and can't be taken out of school.

I did call to see the DVC price on 2br and at around $790, it wasn't worth it - may as well pay the points. And with 6 people/2 kids we didn't want to move after more than one night. just too hard to pack everyone up.

 

[dizfanz]

Fortunately, my wife and I are not long vacationers. We work in the restaurant industry and rely on busy Friday and Saturday nights. We like to leave on a Sunday or Monday and stay 4 or 5 days. It is just long enough for us to have fun, not use weekend points, and not miss Garrick and Molly, our 2 year old Labs, or DPs.(Disney pups)

 

[WDWJWEB1]

We purchased enough points for exactly this reason, we did not want to move around to save 10 points here or 15 points there! We usually go for 7 to 12 days and we use points weekends and all.

Although I could use some more points now that I think of it.(hee hee)

 

[Beachangel]

Originally posted by ErinInCT
Do you suck it up and use points?

I can't justify the huge amount of points (VWL for example) for a Fri & Sat night stay. We just got back from a Sun - Fri stay & feel we need more time. I hate the idea of having to switch resorts but this time we are debating flying in on a Sat & staying offsite, heading "home" on Sun & checking out Fri & staying offsite Fri night (near the airport) & flying back on the next Sat.

Just curious as to what other people do?

I suck it up and use the points.

 

[EmptyNester]

We suck it up and use the points. Moving and/or paying cash is not worth the hassel (IMO), no matter how "easy" Disney makes it.

- Sharon

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

We're new to DVC and at this point we are jealously guarding our points. Maybe later when we get sick of taking so many trips to Disney (yeah, right) we won't blanch at the idea of spending so many points on the weekend, but right now we're thinking that we will use our DVC points only on Sunday - Thursday, and experience other Disney resorts on the first night or 2 of our visits.

In Dec, we're going to the AKL for a couple of nights before moving to the BCV for 5 nights. In March our kids and grandkids will be flying from the west coast to meet us in Orlando, and we will stay off-site, but nearby, for the first night. My husband and I can do the grocery shopping on Saturday as we wait for the family to arrive. We'll go directly from the airport with everyone to a good night's sleep and get up early the next morning to drive onto Disney property for a character breakfast and the beginning of our vacation. I'm going to encourage my adult kids to pack a small overnight bag for the first night so they don't have to pull everything they own out from their big suitcases. Then everyone can really unpack on Sunday. I'm hoping that having a washer and a dryer will help us all by making it unnecessary to pack huge amounts of clothes for the week.

Maybe we'll change our minds after trying this system, but right now I'm excited about getting to try out a bunch of different Disney resorts (over the years) for a night or 2 before moving "home".