How do you justify non-Disney vacations when you've spent so much on DVC?

[DougEMG]

My DW isn't the biggest Disney fan and also would like to do more than just Disney, so lots of times we try and tie something else in with the Disney trip. Such as a trip down to the Keys for a few days, a couple of days at the coast or even a cruise.

Being on the west coast we also have done 2-3 week driving holidays were we only spent 4-5 days at Disneyland, the rest of the time is going to national parks, etc.

It can certainly be difficult trying to come up with a vacation that everyone looks forward to when everyone wants to do something different.

Best of luck...

 

[crisi]

One of the things I did starting out was start a list (I keep it in the front of my phonebook) of people who said "Oh, you own a timeshare at Disney! If you ever need someone to use your points!"

Since we only go every other year, we've never gone to that list. But if I owned a lot of points, and needed to take a break, I'd start calling my friends and relatives who are likely "take a trip to Disney" candidates. I'd offer them the points for the cost of the dues on them - breaking even. Or - as people have mentioned - I'd trade them or use them to pay others back for their generous invitations to use their cabins and summer homes. We have friends who take us to their cabin each year, our points would be a payback (although they aren't the Disney type - we just took them to Vegas). My son has a friend whose family has hauled him to concerts, away for the weekend - they'd be good candidates for "hey, have you guys ever thought about going to Disney?"

 

[adminjedi]

Because life is short, and you can't take it with you.

A mix of living today and planning for tomorrow!

 

[Sammie]

Yes, you're looking in FRANCE...possibly because it's actually located on tha continental land mass of EUROPE.

But if you look at the Canary Islands, you'll find 15. Just ignore the fact that the Canaries are off the coast of a completely different CONTINENT...hello!

The Canaries are pretty much European in the same sense that Curacao is European.

Haha, I meant looking in the wrong place on DVC website and RCI link from there, not looking at the wrong destination.

But thanks for the laugh. Isn't the Canary Islands where that jet crashed off shore.

Love France, want to go back.

 

[sweetdana]

RCI is perfect for you. You could go 2 different weeks to 2 different places, for 320 points.

You could make 1 a beach week, for DH. (Places like Bahama's you can go shopping, and on glass bottom boat tours, and snorkling. All not just sitting in the sun.)

The 2nd week an education week, going to see DC, or NY, or Chicago, or places with something that interests you. There are museams, or Mt rushmore, or something you want to see.

Drive to one and fly to one. If you are spending 5,500$ a yr on Dis trips besides the resort, that will get you pretty much what ever you want else where. Your points will take care of the resort, that is an incredible amount of $$ to have for food, tours, ect.

Or go with a 5 night cruise and find a port that you can use RCI for. (Maybe Key West, or Miami.) Spend a week at RCI, then take a 5 night cruise, I am sure cost will be less than 5,500$. Both of these places have tons of things to do without just sitting on the beach. (AND THE FOOD IS BETTER TOO!) This actually leaves you a over 1/2 your points. And cruises have tons to do not just sitting in the sun. You DH gets the beach, and you are not bored.

I'd try to use at least 1/2 the costs in with points. (Without a disney trip.) RCI should be able to help.

I only have 160 points, so I have no trouble using them. I transfer in points for extra trips, and kind-a planned it that way as I assume I will not always want to go 2-3 times a yr. So far I have had 1 transfer a yr. I will prolly do it again, once I figure out plans for 2012. I have had Addonitous a few times, and posts like yours, though rare assist my urges.

 

[Brian Noble]

If I could ask - why is RCI not the best usage of points?

Because in most cases, you are better off renting out your points and using the proceeds to rent from some other owner at some other resort. But, RCI can get you where you want to go at a "reasonable" cost. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy DVC with the intention of making a habit of it---there are cheaper ways---but for a once-in-a-while trip, why not?

 

[nunzia]

Because in most cases, you are better off renting out your points and using the proceeds to rent from some other owner at some other resort. But, RCI can get you where you want to go at a "reasonable" cost. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy DVC with the intention of making a habit of it---there are cheaper ways---but for a once-in-a-while trip, why not?

I don't know about OP, but I find the whole thing with RCI very confusing and don't even know how to go about looking into it..

 

[Tiger926]

RCI is perfect for you. You could go 2 different weeks to 2 different places, for 320 points.

You could make 1 a beach week, for DH. (Places like Bahama's you can go shopping, and on glass bottom boat tours, and snorkling. All not just sitting in the sun.)

The 2nd week an education week, going to see DC, or NY, or Chicago, or places with something that interests you. There are museams, or Mt rushmore, or something you want to see.

Drive to one and fly to one. If you are spending 5,500$ a yr on Dis trips besides the resort, that will get you pretty much what ever you want else where. Your points will take care of the resort, that is an incredible amount of $$ to have for food, tours, ect.

Or go with a 5 night cruise and find a port that you can use RCI for. (Maybe Key West, or Miami.) Spend a week at RCI, then take a 5 night cruise, I am sure cost will be less than 5,500$. Both of these places have tons of things to do without just sitting on the beach. (AND THE FOOD IS BETTER TOO!) This actually leaves you a over 1/2 your points. And cruises have tons to do not just sitting in the sun. You DH gets the beach, and you are not bored.

I'd try to use at least 1/2 the costs in with points. (Without a disney trip.) RCI should be able to help.

I only have 160 points, so I have no trouble using them. I transfer in points for extra trips, and kind-a planned it that way as I assume I will not always want to go 2-3 times a yr. So far I have had 1 transfer a yr. I will prolly do it again, once I figure out plans for 2012. I have had Addonitous a few times, and posts like yours, though rare assist my urges.

Thanks for your ideas. We are starting to research the whole process of exchanging through RCI. The amount of $5,500 I mentioned was if we do 2x WDW trips each year (we did that last year & this year), so for 1 trip, which we are going to now, it's considerably less. That figure also includes my dues, so I wouldn't spend an additional $5,500 on food, etc, as that would raise my vacation budget quite a bit. So, we are learning about RCI and what it has to offer. And, I think we have figured out what we are going to do - see below - and it does include a cruise! Thanks for your ideas as it is helpful to hear all opinions!

Because in most cases, you are better off renting out your points and using the proceeds to rent from some other owner at some other resort. But, RCI can get you where you want to go at a "reasonable" cost. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy DVC with the intention of making a habit of it---there are cheaper ways---but for a once-in-a-while trip, why not?

Thanks. I figured this, but was interested for occassional trades only, so that is good to know!



Good morning to all!

Hubby & I had a great vacation date last night, and we talked about our feelings about the parks tuckering us out, vacation expecations, restrictions, kids, etc. We have decided against RCI at the moment, as we don't know enough about it. Some places look ok, but then reading reviews, is another thing. Thanks to some kind Disers who sent me PMs helping me out here! We have been very happy with the DVC resorts themselves, and all that they have to offer, just need a park break, so we have decided the following:

Park vacations - 2 years in a row for 10 nights/11 days (knocked a few days off). This way, vacations can be taken 51 weeks apart for the best utilization of our Annual Passes and Tables in Wonderland card. We will bank extra points, to be used on the next park trip. We micromanage our points a lot, but now, we will have extra points to stay at BLT if we want to. At this point, 360 points isn't enough for approx. 2 weeks at BLT or Beach Club (1 bed), so now, that won't be a problem.

Non-Park vacations - we would like to go on a 4 or 5 day cruise from Port Canaveral (not Disney), and then hoping to get 1 week at Vero Beach! On our 1st trip to Vero last year, it was only for a couple of days, at the end of a long split stay, so it was a bit difficult. I did enjoy the resort itself, and will be able to seek shelter when I need to, without having to worry about really leaving my family, as the resort is very well laid out. We saw photos of the 1 beds, and they remind us of OKW, and we love it there! I am starting to wrap my head around a non-busy vacation/beach vacation, but the cruise will be a bit more busy, so this way, we all should be able to find things to keep us happy!

And, we'd like to try HHI at some point too, so that is an option. At least with DVC, we are using points, and we know what to expect, whereas with RCI properties, we don't. So, the whole exchange thing is something that we are learning about at this point, so in the future, we can take advantage of that, once we know more about it.

With the money that is saved on tickets, that will pay for a 4 day cruise for the 4 of us, so it's cool idea!

This will allow us to recharge our batteries, and as kids get older, they will want to visit the Water Parks and Disney Quest, and we may spend less park time anyway, so it will probably turn out fine.

We are grateful that we are able to take family vacations, and have been grateful for the wonderful memories we have had since joining DVC. Just need a small break from the hoopla and chaos of the parks - not sure how the kids are going to take it, but they absolutely loved Vero, and have been asking for a cruise, so for the first non-park vacation ever in their lives, we think the cruise/Vero combo will work out well, as we are familiar with Vero, so that will help out. And, it really won't cost any extra money - will probably save money over going to the parks each year. This way, if we want to go somewhere else during the year, there is that option also, as we won't feel so guilty about doing so. We think it will be a good balance for our family's needs!

Thanks again for all of your support and help. Hubby read through some of the thread last night, and said what wonderfully helpful and informative people have been a part of this thread.

Happy weekend to you all, Tiger

 

[edk35]

Every family has its own priorities for spending money. We have spent a lot on DVC (1150 points) and we do other vacations as well (just returned from Hawaii). But we are just middle class folks so that means we don't live in a fancy house nor in a fancy neighborhood. We rarely eat at fancy neighborhoods and we don't wear fancy clothes. It works for us but I'm sure some people question our choices.
OP, it sounds like you are a thinking person and as long as you are making conscious decisions then you are wise. As the years pass your circumstances may change and so may your choices. In the meantime, enjoy every Disney moment! Even if my only vacations were Disney I would still be a very happy lady!

I liked your response. We are kind of on the same page although we DON'T own 1150 points. However, we are middle class, don't have a fancy house like a lot of my friends, don't need fancy duds or need to eat in fancy restaurants all the time....but we do like to vacation at Disney and people think we are are crazy for going again and again and again. I think family time/memories are far more important than material things anyway. We are mixing it up and taking our first Disney cruise next summer. Yes it is costing BIG BIG bucks and it is something totally different for our family. We are paying cash/no dvc points involved except for the nights we are staying before/after the cruise. I am completely at peace with our decisions to go and pay cash vs. going to Disney for another summer trip.

 

[Disneyhappy]

Since we joined DVC, we go to WDW at least once a year but mostly twice. Trips are for a week or a couple of nights when we visit family in FL or visiting Universal. We also spend a week at the Jersey shore every year. I keep thinking we will eventually tire of WDW but it just hasn't happen yet. If it does, I will give the points to one of my 5 family members living in FL.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

We only own enough points to go once every three years. We also own another timeshare that we purchased really chaep ($1500) 20 years ago that we use to trade to go other places. We even traded into the Boardwalk for a one bedroom 3 weeks ago for DH and me. We have to best of both worlds this way and did not have to outlay tons of money or finance.

 

[Mississippian]

There are! And they are wonderful. We just got back from Hawaii - surfing, volcanoes - and real surfing and volcanoes - not Typhoon Lagoon and the pool at the Poly. A few summers ago it was Germany - medieval towns and castles - and real German towns and castles - not Cinderellas castle and Germany in Epcot. We went to Mexico and - well, we mostly hung by the pool and drank margaritas - but zip lining was awesome, as were Mayan ruins.

I am SO grateful we bought a small number of points and our case of addonitis was never serious. We enjoy our time at Disney - but we find its too much a Small World.

Crisi, you are so right! Most people have such a good time their first trip or two that they buy way too many points. A better strategy is to buy fewer points and then purchase transfers or rent to supplement your smaller holdings.

When I hear of people talking about going and just spending a week at one of the resorts without ever going to the theme parks, I'm lost. I mean, if you don't go to the parks, why go? If you just want to spend a week somewhere, go to Paris, or Venice and Florence, or the German Rhine, or Hawaii, or BELIZE!

Disney's great or I wouldn't be posting here, but sometimes I do wonder whether some folks have mono-vision.

 

[taaren]

When I hear of people talking about going and just spending a week at one of the resorts without ever going to the theme parks, I'm lost. I mean, if you don't go to the parks, why go? If you just want to spend a week somewhere, go to Paris, or Venice and Florence, or the German Rhine, or Hawaii, or BELIZE!

Disney's great or I wouldn't be posting here, but sometimes I do wonder whether some folks have mono-vision.

I don't know if its mono-vision, but we have found ourselves going to more 'routine' places since DS4 was born. Before he came along we used to go to Paris, for long drives around the continental U.S. (island girls always have island fever), Canada, etc (wherever my mom's airline flew basically). Now we seem to have less resources and even though we have the time its a lot harder to get to places and take long/connecting flights with the little one in tow, and once we do get there we just want to relax, so resort-style vacationing has become more appealing. For both my nephew and son, less adventuresome travel and more resort-style where they know the layout, they know what to expect, has provided for a much better vacation experience. When they get older (teen-college age) we'll probably start planning again to go farther afield, but for people with one kids the all-in-one-ness of Disney can't be beat. On some occasions I leave DS with the in-laws and go horseback riding in a more rustic setting, but for the most part, Disney provides a superior family experience.

To the original question - we always tended to do a week at Disney combined with a week of visiting friends/family or ditching the aforementioned DS and heading to another location, so we continue to do this. We have one other timeshare - Marriott, for skiing with the kids which is great, but for our Disney trip by the time we've spent 6 hours on the plane in each direction we definitely want to see a little more than DL much as we love it. Last year we went to Vegas after DL, this year we're doing a cruise before then either horseback riding or visiting friends in SF, then going to our 'home'. I guess we can justify it bc the initial buy-in was a sunk cost to us, basically we traded a nice wedding for DVC, and the MF's are less than what we were previously paying for hotel for a week. We budget for at least 3 weeks of vacation a year, and fortunately our jobs give us 4 paid; a good portion of that budget comes from the tax return (which I just got yesterday ).

 

[lisaviolet]

When I hear of people talking about going and just spending a week at one of the resorts without ever going to the theme parks, I'm lost. I mean, if you don't go to the parks, why go? If you just want to spend a week somewhere, go to Paris, or Venice and Florence, or the German Rhine, or Hawaii, or BELIZE!

Disney's great or I wouldn't be posting here, but sometimes I do wonder whether some folks have mono-vision.

Well I will answer. I'm hopeful that you really want to know. I hope "I'm lost" means you really want to be found. Passion is coming. Passion galore - you've hit a nerve. But this is SO not about you Mississippian. Obviously. Many wonder.

And first I would LOVE to go to Paris, Venice, Florence or the German Rhine or Hawaii, or Belize regularly. Love to. Easy choice. It made me smile broadly just to read your list and I started adding and adding and daydreaming. So no mono-vision here.

Airfare overseas. (even more with taxes if I choose to fly from my own country). For the family. For the group. For the couple. It's a big expense for some in vacation choices. And my dues don't come close covering it if we go there in debate. Even without buying DVC (paid in full) it is a large expense to choose for some. And one day I will be going to all the above and more. Loving DVC does not in any means one doesn't crave the rest of this beautiful world. I certainly do. And go to. Have lived in Japan - travelled to many places. To me DVC is simply my cottage. THere it is - it's my cottage. Those who own a cottage or ski chalet set.- well it doesn't mean they don't want or do travel the world. And do. A can talk to Z. Black can talk to White.

And I have respected over and over those on these boards who bought DVC for the parks. I get it. I love the parks. I love going into them. I understand completely. And I understand that that is the way most purchasers think.

But it just happened it was not how I thought.

So I'll try again to explain my side (OP - this is why I edited - at first I thought well I'll give it another go because I have a lot to offer about travelling outside WDW but then I thought why bother b/c last time I tried to express my suggestions in this area I was made fun of multiple times - even though I "get" the parks side even if it's not me. I don't feel that the same is given on the other side and I gave up despite having some good suggestions. I understand one thinking "strange" and "just don't get it" or "not for me" but I felt made fun of and that is tiring. )

DVC is not another timeshare to me. I LOVE WDW. Do I love the parks? Yes. BUT I LOVE WDW just as much or more. It's WDW I love - not Disney. It's always been that way for me. As a child I used to flip through a WDW brochure and stare at resorts and maps even more than characters or parks. I travelled there in 1975 so I became enchanted with FW, CR and the Polynesian. I'm not a Disney girl. In fact, I find the wee mouse very creepy. I'm a WDW girl. It's not like putting your money out in any other timeshare. It's just not. There are very few timeshares - and I've been to many - that are like non-park DVC. WDW allows so many options RIGHT THERE. Peace when you want it - small beaches - FW - loads of energy when you want it - BW - DD. Shopping - mulitiple resorts to visit -- dancing - movies - many swimming options - live music - water parks - boat rentals - free boats - golf right there - bikes to rent - hammocks to read the day away - many bars - cheap restaurant options onsite - signature options onsite. And all without a car if you like. I could go on and on and on. I know you think I just did. Geez I ADORE simplest of things. Airport bottles of rum and then a bottle of coke all within steps of my resort room. Heaven.

Do some timeshares you could buy outside DVC have some of these? Of course they do. But NONE have all. None - DVC without the parks is not like any other timeshare. And that's why I bought and that's why I love it.

Not to mention the "extra" fees that many timeshares add that DVC didn't have when I bought. Such flexibility with booking, changing, cancelling. Some very simple things. I went to do some of our boarding passes on a DVC trip where we took a family of 13. Two family members with two different timeshares mumbed "our timeshare would charge us for that".

And I know it's changed for many but I have always found the "guest" first way of dealing with issues comforting. For me anyway.

And the parks don't go poof. They are always there. I bought to know I would love the parks the way I love the parks.

9 I would love to have an AP every year - just not feasible for me right now. I simply can't see putting that out in my budget - wanting to have money left over to travel elsewhere. Every other year - I'm now considering)

This last vacation I had an AP and ADORED the parks. And was park heavy this time. We are not aliens us sometimes non-park DVC vacation people. I love hanging out - eating - drinking - swimming - napping - all the things that make the suite and WDW so appealing. And I can go to WDW and spend two hundred dollars total and have a fantastic time if I choose. If I choose.

I guess I feel that we can all learn from each other. Ths last trip was high season and I love to sleep. Well some park heavy vacationers said to me/kind of gently gave it to me , "well I hear that you love to sleep in and don't do rope drops ever - well maybe you could try it this trip seeing that it works".

And I listened - thought I was being single minded and did a few rope drops. Things I used to think were total blasphemy. And loved them. And how they made a busy season seem like heaven. And was grateful for another perspective.

Okay done.

 

[jekjones1558]

DVC is not another timeshare to me. I LOVE WDW. Do I love the parks? Yes. BUT I LOVE WDW just as much or more.

+1
We go to the parks less and less, even though we have APs. But we still like the overall feel of being at WDW. It feels like an escape to another reality, parks or no parks. It is hard to explain but the minute we drive through that WDW arch on the way from MCO, I feel like I am in my happy place and the other world I live in most of the year seems far, far away and not so important.

 

[Tiger926]

Well I will answer. I'm hopeful that you really want to know. I hope "I'm lost" means you really want to be found. Passion is coming. Passion galore - you've hit a nerve. But this is SO not about you Mississippian. Obviously. Many wonder.

And first I would LOVE to go to Paris, Venice, Florence or the German Rhine or Hawaii, or Belize regularly. Love to. Easy choice. It made me smile broadly just to read your list and I started adding and adding and daydreaming. So no mono-vision here.

Airfare overseas. (even more with taxes if I choose to fly from my own country). For the family. For the group. For the couple. It's a big expense for some in vacation choices. And my dues don't come close covering it if we go there in debate. Even without buying DVC (paid in full) it is a large expense to choose for some. And one day I will be going to all the above and more. Loving DVC does not in any means one doesn't crave the rest of this beautiful world. I certainly do. And go to. Have lived in Japan - travelled to many places. To me DVC is simply my cottage. THere it is - it's my cottage. Those who own a cottage or ski chalet set.- well it doesn't mean they don't want or do travel the world. And do. A can talk to Z. Black can talk to White.

And I have respected over and over those on these boards who bought DVC for the parks. I get it. I love the parks. I love going into them. I understand completely. And I understand that that is the way most purchasers think.

But it just happened it was not how I thought.

So I'll try again to explain my side (OP - this is why I edited - at first I thought well I'll give it another go because I have a lot to offer about travelling outside WDW but then I thought why bother b/c last time I tried to express my suggestions in this area I was made fun of multiple times - even though I "get" the parks side even if it's not me. I don't feel that the same is given on the other side and I gave up despite having some good suggestions. I understand one thinking "strange" and "just don't get it" or "not for me" but I felt made fun of and that is tiring. )

DVC is not another timeshare to me. I LOVE WDW. Do I love the parks? Yes. BUT I LOVE WDW just as much or more. It's WDW I love - not Disney. It's always been that way for me. As a child I used to flip through a WDW brochure and stare at resorts and maps even more than characters or parks. I travelled there in 1975 so I became enchanted with FW, CR and the Polynesian. I'm not a Disney girl. In fact, I find the wee mouse very creepy. I'm a WDW girl. It's not like putting your money out in any other timeshare. It's just not. There are very few timeshares - and I've been to many - that are like non-park DVC. WDW allows so many options RIGHT THERE. Peace when you want it - small beaches - FW - loads of energy when you want it - BW - DD. Shopping - mulitiple resorts to visit -- dancing - movies - many swimming options - live music - water parks - boat rentals - free boats - golf right there - bikes to rent - hammocks to read the day away - many bars - cheap restaurant options onsite - signature options onsite. And all without a car if you like. I could go on and on and on. I know you think I just did. Geez I ADORE simplest of things. Airport bottles of rum and then a bottle of coke all within steps of my resort room. Heaven.

Do some timeshares you could buy outside DVC have some of these? Of course they do. But NONE have all. None - DVC without the parks is not like any other timeshare. And that's why I bought and that's why I love it.

Not to mention the "extra" fees that many timeshares add that DVC didn't have when I bought. Such flexibility with booking, changing, cancelling. Some very simple things. I went to do some of our boarding passes on a DVC trip where we took a family of 13. Two family members with two different timeshares mumbed "our timeshare would charge us for that".

And I know it's changed for many but I have always found the "guest" first way of dealing with issues comforting. For me anyway.

And the parks don't go poof. They are always there. I bought to know I would love the parks the way I love the parks.

9 I would love to have an AP every year - just not feasible for me right now. I simply can't see putting that out in my budget - wanting to have money left over to travel elsewhere. Every other year - I'm now considering)

This last vacation I had an AP and ADORED the parks. And was park heavy this time. We are not aliens us sometimes non-park DVC vacation people. I love hanging out - eating - drinking - swimming - napping - all the things that make the suite and WDW so appealing. And I can go to WDW and spend two hundred dollars total and have a fantastic time if I choose. If I choose.

I guess I feel that we can all learn from each other. Ths last trip was high season and I love to sleep. Well some park heavy vacationers said to me/kind of gently gave it to me , "well I hear that you love to sleep in and don't do rope drops ever - well maybe you could try it this trip seeing that it works".

And I listened - thought I was being single minded and did a few rope drops. Things I used to think were total blasphemy. And loved them. And how they made a busy season seem like heaven. And was grateful for another perspective.

Okay done.

Thanks for explaining where your post went - I wish you would have left it up, so I could have finished reading it, but I understand that you felt the need to remove it.

I hope that I have not made you feel made fun of without going into the parks, and I'm pretty sure I haven't, but as I have explained many times, I have young kids who could not do this. Too much temptation. Plus, we also have to travel very far to come to WDW and it costs us at least $600.00 in transportation and hotels to get there, so financially, it doesn't make any sense for us to not to go the parks.

I love the DVC resorts too, but we could never go to WDW for approx. 2 weeks each summer and not go to the parks. It wouldn't work for us, for different reasons. It sounds like you have had wonderful vacations, and that is all that is important. It shouldn't matter if other people don't care for that - all that is important is that it's the best fit for you. For my family's needs, a DVC resort only/non-park vacation will not work at this point. We are contemplating just Vero Beach next year, and we aren't sure how the heck that is going to go over, but we figure without being at WDW, it will help with the kids not being too sad about not going to the parks - they are young, so the parks are everything to them, at this point.

+1
We go to the parks less and less, even though we have APs. But we still like the overall feel of being at WDW. It feels like an escape to another reality, parks or no parks. It is hard to explain but the minute we drive through that WDW arch on the way from MCO, I feel like I am in my happy place and the other world I live in most of the year seems far, far away and not so important.

But, I think it really has to do with whether one has kids, and their ages. As I explained above, this would absolutely not work in our family at all due to the ages of our kids. Plus, we go for a long stretch each summer, so we need to go the parks!

Thanks for all opinions. We are still discussing our options. Vero Beach looks very promising, if we are able to secure that at 7 months, and hubby really wants to go on a cruise. DCL is very expensive, but it is the best fit for our family. Still working out all options.

Tiger

 

[crisi]

I don't know if its mono-vision, but we have found ourselves going to more 'routine' places since DS4 was born. Before he came along we used to go to Paris, for long drives around the continental U.S. (island girls always have island fever), Canada, etc (wherever my mom's airline flew basically). Now we seem to have less resources and even though we have the time its a lot harder to get to places and take long/connecting flights with the little one in tow, and once we do get there we just want to relax, so resort-style vacationing has become more appealing. For both my nephew and son, less adventuresome travel and more resort-style where they know the layout, they know what to expect, has provided for a much better vacation experience. When they get older (teen-college age) we'll probably start planning again to go farther afield, but for people with one kids the all-in-one-ness of Disney can't be beat. On some occasions I leave DS with the in-laws and go horseback riding in a more rustic setting, but for the most part, Disney provides a superior family experience.

When our kids were little Disney was so wonderfully easy. For five years our yearly vacation pattern was "Disney-Disney Cruise-Disney-Disney Cruise-Disney." Its a GREAT place to take little ones - especially when you know it well enough to know the layout and the tricks (and where every bathroom in WDW is - well, I don't know all of them in DTD or the Value Resorts). We started when my oldest was 3 1/2. By the time he was eight and his sister seven - they were ready for sometime else already. They grow up fast - and they will likely be ready for other travel before they are teenagers - especially if you've made regular travelers of them.

By the time mine our college age, I don't expect to be vacationing with them. When I was in college, my vacation time was booked with my friends and boyfriends, not my parents. So we have about ten years to fit the world in - from eight to eighteen.

When I was nineteen I backpacked around Europe (without my parents, but with my sister). There I met an American couple in Ireland with their kids. I thought that was so cool that at that point, that became a priority for me when raising kids - to allow them to see the world if at all possible. If it were ONE vacation in their childhood to Europe, or yearly vacations to Disney, we'd have only taken one vacation. We've been very fortunate that we've been able to do Disney frequently, and other places.

 

[nunzia]

Thanks for explaining where your post went - I wish you would have left it up, so I could have finished reading it, but I understand that you felt the need to remove it.

I hope that I have not made you feel made fun of without going into the parks, and I'm pretty sure I haven't, but as I have explained many times, I have young kids who could not do this. Too much temptation. Plus, we also have to travel very far to come to WDW and it costs us at least $600.00 in transportation and hotels to get there, so financially, it doesn't make any sense for us to not to go the parks.

I love the DVC resorts too, but we could never go to WDW for approx. 2 weeks each summer and not go to the parks. It wouldn't work for us, for different reasons. It sounds like you have had wonderful vacations, and that is all that is important. It shouldn't matter if other people don't care for that - all that is important is that it's the best fit for you. For my family's needs, a DVC resort only/non-park vacation will not work at this point. We are contemplating just Vero Beach next year, and we aren't sure how the heck that is going to go over, but we figure without being at WDW, it will help with the kids not being too sad about not going to the parks - they are young, so the parks are everything to them, at this point.



But, I think it really has to do with whether one has kids, and their ages. As I explained above, this would absolutely not work in our family at all due to the ages of our kids. Plus, we go for a long stretch each summer, so we need to go the parks!

Thanks for all opinions. We are still discussing our options. Vero Beach looks very promising, if we are able to secure that at 7 months, and hubby really wants to go on a cruise. DCL is very expensive, but it is the best fit for our family. Still working out all options.

Tiger

Hi lisaviolet!! long time ano see and I always love your posts and hope I never made you feel made fun of or anything.
I think, Tiger, that you are certainly in a funk about DVC right now..and many things you say lead me to believe you are focusing so much on the 'now' you aren't seeing the 'then'. The beauty, to me, of DVC is how adaptable it is..NOW you can't imagine going and not doing the parks..you have little kids..of course that's how you feel..but THEN..further down the road in your DVC ownership, all sorts of possiblities will become possible and your 'needs' will change and DVC has the ability to change with you. That's why it's a 50 year ownership and not a 5..

 

[nolanboys]

+1
We go to the parks less and less, even though we have APs. But we still like the overall feel of being at WDW. It feels like an escape to another reality, parks or no parks. It is hard to explain but the minute we drive through that WDW arch on the way from MCO, I feel like I am in my happy place and the other world I live in most of the year seems far, far away and not so important.

Another +1. Just got back yesterday from a great trip, even with some rough weather, and we really enjoyed the resorts as much the parks. We spent almost every afternoon just hanging around the pool or exploring different resorts. This was DH's favorite trip because we weren't over planned - I didn't even realize it was early magic hours at HS on Fridayso we changed our plans and went to Epcot instead. That would have never happened before. We much more went with the flow and relaxed more. We hit all of our favorite rides, tried a few new things, and relaxed a lot more. We were there for a week and had a 6 day park hopper. DH and I both realized we would have been fine with only a 5 day one. We did rope drop 3 of the days and were able to get on everything we wanted and left the park by early afternoon to just go back and swim. The kids were happy to do that too. I can see spending even less time in the parks when the kids are older and even less when it is just DH and myself. That will change when the grandkids come way down the line, but then we will be able to see the magic through their eyes.

 

[gkrykewy]

DVC is not another timeshare to me. I LOVE WDW. Do I love the parks? Yes. BUT I LOVE WDW just as much or more. It's WDW I love - not Disney. It's always been that way for me. As a child I used to flip through a WDW brochure and stare at resorts and maps even more than characters or parks. I travelled there in 1975 so I became enchanted with FW, CR and the Polynesian. I'm not a Disney girl. In fact, I find the wee mouse very creepy. I'm a WDW girl. It's not like putting your money out in any other timeshare. It's just not. There are very few timeshares - and I've been to many - that are like non-park DVC. WDW allows so many options RIGHT THERE. Peace when you want it - small beaches - FW - loads of energy when you want it - BW - DD. Shopping - mulitiple resorts to visit -- dancing - movies - many swimming options - live music - water parks - boat rentals - free boats - golf right there - bikes to rent - hammocks to read the day away - many bars - cheap restaurant options onsite - signature options onsite. And all without a car if you like. I could go on and on and on. I know you think I just did. Geez I ADORE simplest of things. Airport bottles of rum and then a bottle of coke all within steps of my resort room. Heaven.

Well put; agree completely.