How far ahead do you plan?

[MickeyMcMouse]

After booking our first visit 'home', we seem to have gone slightly mad and started to organise the next three !!

Do all DVC'ers do this or are we just getting over excited for the next 40 odd years of vacations !!

 

[Doctor P]

We have our DVC vacations planned through 2005.

 

[mac_tlc]

Whoo !! Doctor P !! 2005!!!

I thought I was a planner.... We have always planned about 2 - 3 years out. We always try to secure our home resort 11 months out, even if we have every intention of changing it to another resort at the 7 month window. Better to have someplace booked than risk it, especially if we wnat to travel during a busy time...

mac_tlc

DVC '92

'74, '75, '76, '77, '79, '80, '83 (hunnymoon), '85, '90, '91 off-site
'92 DVC
'93 DVC, DVC
'94 DVC, DVC, DVC
'96 OKW, OKW, OKW, VB
'97 OKW, OKW, VB
'98 OKW, OKW, VB
'99 WL, OKW, OKW
'00 OKW, Magic, VB, OKW
'01 DCA, VWL, BWV, Magic

 

[imgoingtodisney]

WOW - I have just given myself permission to plan our next big vacations for the next 4 years! A great winter diversion
Our next big vacations include Disney Magic Cruise, WLV (our home), Vero, Hilton Head
Last March I was sick at home for over a week and the Dis boards is what got me through it! I had a great time planning our 9 night stay at WL Oct 5-14.

 

[jimh13432]

We've got them planned out through Dec of 2003!

and only 43 days until our next trip!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

The winters are long here in Minnesota! I too have plans through 2005 that are fairly firm and even some thoughts about 2006! Of course, the joy of this is that it can change 10 times before then!!! One of my favorite things to do on a winter night is dig out the guidebook and "plan". Even though our next trip is not until January, and our following trip isn't until the next January, I can't help making those other plans! I even go so far as to ask possible guests what would work for them. We have our guests for 2002, 2003, and 2004 all set all ready. The 2002 group has been planned for 2 years, the 2003 for one year, and the 2004 group has been planned for 3 years! The 2004 group is a total of 12 people who shared a GV with us our 2nd DVC trip. We planned then to return as a group in 2004 when the oldest of their youngsters would be a senior in high school.

 

[rbuzzotta]

Hey guys, it's called DVC-itis!!!! You get it once you get your membership into DVC. Don't worry though, as of right now, it only lasts about 41 years!!!!

Have fun planning..................I surely do.........

next planned trip------august 2002 ----------but working on a sooner fix!!!!

 

[Dean]

We usually plan about 2 full years in advance. Lets see, Thanksgivind and spring break in Orlando coming up. Then 2 weeks in HI next year with timeshare exchanges, frequently flier mile airlines for four and already have some activities and restaurants scoped out. Then there's 2003 with 8 oir 9 days at Paradise Village (Puerto Vallarta) and two 2 BR units at Marriotts Grande Ocean after that. Since I don't have many points for a while, not much planning for DVC yet for the next 2 years beyond the upgoming trips in the next few months. I feel that anyone who plans less than a year with timeshares including DVC is selling their chances short.

 

[TnRobin]

I have plans through 2003 and ideas of plans through 2004.

Vero this March
WDW in Sept
Hawaii in 2003
HH in Fall 2003

 

[Doctor P]

Frankly, depending on the number of points you have, you have to plan at least three years out. The way I figure, I need to know what I plan to do with my 2002 allotment of points. That means I need to have an idea of what I wish to do with my 2003 and 2004 points in order to determine whether I need to bank the 2002 points to use for a big trip in 2003 (which is exactly what we are going to do!!!)

 

[BobH]

The farther ahead you plan the better, but as a minimum know where you are going far enough ahead to take advantage of the 11 and 7 month windows. So far I have gotten 4 reservations with no problems following this method. I would also encourage you not to make reservations for the last two months of your use year unless you definitely plan to use them or give them away. You don't want to cancel with only a month or two left in the use year and then lose your points because you can't go somewhere else. Good Luck!

An example would be having a June use year and making reservation for some time in May. Even if you cancelled 31 days prior (in April for example)to the arrival date you still might not have too many acceptable options left to you at this point and you would be past the banking dates.

 

[Muushka]

Lets see. For us, we plan on the first or second week of December from now until 2042, so I guess that's the next 41 years are planned! We always went those weeks, long before we joined DVC.
Our wedding anniversary is the last week of April, so,,,,,,,,, Ahhhhh.

Don't you love having a plan!

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Thanks for all your replys ! It's good to see I'am not (that) mad at all. but totally convinced, that with all the problems lately, we have made the right choice by joining our fellow DVCers and are looking forward to the next 40 years of vacations !!

 

[cgcw]

We plan for the next 2 years or so. And DREAM about every vacation from now until 2042. They will all be wonderful!! The problem comes in with not having enough points to do it all (add-on, add-on, add-on!!).

 

[travelbug]

I have plans made through Jan. 2004. I may change them as I go along, but I do like to have an idea of my next few trips so I can "budget" points accordingly.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been over some of the point charts so often that I have a couple of them practically memorized! Is that obsessive or what?

 

[wdwnut]

wow: i'm kind of jealous of all you organized people! our work and our youngest's high school schedule don't always allow us to plan that far in advance. we generally try for a couple of trips a year if possible, one of which is planned near the 11 month mark and another on a bit shorter notice.

 

[Towncrier]

We have figured out our DVC vacations until around 2012. But plans change and if I get my way, we'll be throwing out those plans and heading for WDW in July 2002 instead of waiting until 2003 to take another 7-day cruise.

 

[mareka]

Well -- we love to plan - we coing down feb 01 to BW and next year probably WL (home) haven't been there yet.
But we really want to go on a cruise. Trying to figure if its worth it to use the points. We're will to sarrt with a 4 day.
We did a Princess Grand cruise this year and we were jealous when the Disney Magic pulled in behind us at ST MArtin. I'd like more info on the cruise (other that what Disney Brochures tell. Like what activities are on board. How's the food. etc
If anyone has any info i'd appreciate it.
Thanks
mareka

 

[chris1gill]

I think you are typical of a member LOL... Always knowing that next trip is coming!! Pretty much I have a plan... We prefer to vacation in Early December, and then the following November... those are perfect times... But starting in 2003 we'll have to change our habits as our son will be in third grade by then, and won't be able to miss 2 weeks of school at a time... Starting in 2003, we'll go 2 weeks in March & then 2 weeks the following February (to coincide with school vacations - only missing one week) - So I'd have to say our big trips are planned for many years to come!!!

 

[lsutigger]

I guess I'm pretty normal. Have "soft" plans thru '04. Have already been this year (just back two weeks ago), next yr at same time, '03 is uncertain (plans to be made) and cruise for birthday in '04. Life is good!!!