How far in advance do you map out vacations?

[wvalx]

I've been thinking about joining DVC and have been thinking about which home resort and how many points. I was totally confused about what to do (because I also own at Hilton Grand Vacations). So I sat down and mapped out all our vacations (with different combos of HGVC and DVC points) through 2009 !!! It became a lot clearer after I did.

My wife just rolled her eyes.

Of course I stopped mapping when I totally ran out of DVC and HGVC points.

 

[disney queen]

LOL!! we have blocked in dates through next year. but we have had to borrow points for this year. the only saving grace is next december instead of our usual trip to wdw, we are taking the 10 night cruise. out of our 300 points for next year, we have about half left!

 

[lenshanem]

I've got through 2005 and a rough idea for the two years after that!

 

[mom2rb]

Last night my DH's eyes glazed over as I told him all about our cruise in Sept.2005. I have to come to this board to know I'm not alone.

 

[Granny]

With two contracts and banking and borrowing, I'm planning at least two to three years in advance. We've got it figured out pretty much until 2006.


Unless of course, we exercise that DVC flexibility and change our minds!

 

[Dean]

I try to plan 2 weeks a year for 2 years out. I plan to finalize things 11-13 months out (DVC & Marriott) as much as possible. I also have a general plan for the next 5-10 years running but it's more of a framework than anything else.

 

[timC]

Here's my approach.

I always make reservations at 11/7 month windows so our 2004 vacation plans are pretty much locked and loaded. I've even got hoop dee doo booked!

For 2005 I have a rough outline of what we're going to do. The dates and DVC resort may change slightly, but the not by much.

Through 2009 have figured out how I will bank and borrow ...mostly borrow . I have one non-DVC year planned, because we want to go to London, and we will not use our points. I'm planning on using the savings here for some big DVC-deal , a cruise or a trade to Hawaii.

Finally, one lazy Saturday I made up a spreadsheet that plots out how we would generally use my our points all the way through 2041. It was a very interesting exercise...My DS9&12 have got college coming up, and kids ahead of them. DW and I want to travel more. And there's at least one more move for us. Our use of DVC points is really going to change dramatically over the coming decades.

 

[Granny]

Finally, one lazy Saturday I made up a spreadsheet that plots out how we would generally use my our points all the way through 2041.

I don't think anyone's going to beat that!!

Don't forget that new monorail DVC they're going to open up in 2031!!

 

[pumpkinboy]

I am with Lenshanem, thru 2005 pretty well set, and a pretty decent idea for the two years after that. And like TRimC, we have Hoop-de-doo tickets reserved well ahead (for February 2005, made ressie after buying DVC in June, so less than 2 years out)

Of course I have a colleague who sufferes from her DH's unwillingness/ inability to make plans except for the last minute: e.g. she was having trouble making Memorial Day plans with him in mid-May Thankfully, my DW is even more picayune than I am on planning, which is why we can enjoy the benefits and savings available in DVC.

 

[ZerasPride]

I have our trips mapped out through 2014. I can't remember who sent me a spreadsheet (someone from this board, I believe) but it's a nice excel doc that let's me see how we will need to bank and borrow (mostly borrow) over the next dozen years or so. DH and I have decided we should probably only take DVC trips until our loan is paid off, that way we won't feel like we are paying for vacations twice. The only exception is a cruise (non-Disney) I am planning for 2006 or 2007. I have several versions of this excel spreadsheet that allows for various scenarios like taking family or extending our trips beyond our usual 6 or 7 night stays. I usually play around with the dates and points when I have some time on my hands and want to dream about future Disney trips. It's fun!!!

 

[lenshanem]

My hubby is clueless as to what i have planned out for us. A couple of times I tried to talk to him and he laughed when i todl him when the trips were for. After that I just kept to myself with my planning obsessions.
He just goes with the flow, did even before we joined DVC on other WDW vacations. I amke the plans and he goes and enjoys my work.
The only thing he requests is a baseball spring training trip each year in early March for a couepl nights at either OKW or VB. I have yet to book one so I'll be curious to see how easy or hard it will be. The game scheduel doesn't coem out until December.
I do every so often think of future possibilties. Like going on the cruise, going to Disneyland, renting out points oen year to stay at one of Universal's hotles!
It is hard to plan too far out as my kids are still so young and I'm sure future trips we be planned according to their likes and dislikes as they grow up. Like the reference to Universal. I'm sure they'll enjoy it more when they are a tad older.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by lenshanem
My hubby is clueless as to what i have planned out for us.
He just goes with the flow, did even before we joined DVC on other WDW vacations. I amke the plans and he goes and enjoys my work.

My what a good husband. I try to do the same on most issues too, as this, I sincerely believe, will continue to preserve a strong and happy marriage (14 yrs so far, and still thoroughly enjoy each other's company ). I try to be a husband with only a few requests and strong opinions for my DW to plan around; mainly I let her go to town with the planning.

 

[Jecca]

I'm planned to the date through 2006. Beyond that, I'm fairly planned through 2010. I know the season and length of stay. We just need to figure out specific dates and resorts. Those may be decided on a whim!

DH is totally uninvolved in my obsessive planning. I have an Excel spreadsheet for our vacations and one that looks JUST like the BWV point chart - even down to the colors - on my work computer so I can pull it up and dream when I'm bored at work. Its been getting a lot of glances lately, since I'm miserable that I won't be going for another 10 months.

 

[HookdonWDW]

We're mapped out through 2006, with tentative plans for 2007...

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

I've just got 2004 done. 6 days!! I'm not sure about 2005 yet, I may just back them & go in 2006. We'll see.

Allison an associate

 

[Cruelladeville]

I have planned thru 2005, with a framework thru 2009. I have to plan 2005, because I want to take 2 trips to Disney and one trip out west thru nine states, and that's a lot of money, and a lot of vacation time that I have to allow for.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm planned through 2004. Mom's 85th birthday is in Dec. '04 and its just before the holidays. We're planning to rent some 1-bedrooms and studios for family members. We're going to have to borrow for that, and I need to see just how many families will be coming to know how many points we'll have left for '05. THEY know that they have until January to tell me, and believe it or not, some of them have mentioned that that's too far away to plan. Not all of us have the Disney Gene, obviously. It's a GO for mom!

OTOH, our trip to VB in March will help us decide if we need Vero points, and if so, that's a whole new story

Bobbi

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

We always book at the 11 month window for our DVC vacations. We only look about a 1 1/2 year ahead. Here is our plans for the next 15 months...........

1.OKW+ Disney Cruise

-Feb 22,2004
2.VB

Beach Cottage- June 26,2004

3.Final Four

-San Antonio- April 3,2004

4.Vegas

-July 24,2004

5.OKW + West Palm Beach

-Dec 23,2004

P.S. Vegas and San Antonio airfare are free(using FF miles)..
thats why we always charge everything(FF miles) to get 1-2 free airfare trips per year..........the miles add up real quick over a years time.

 

[Poorman]

For the foreseeable future January ,May ,and September at WDW.

This is using 1/2 our points so I have to think about how to use them up.......

I know I have to book in Feb., June, and October. Makes it simple.......

 

[JimC]

2004 mostly done and planning 2005 and 2006 now. The wild cards are AP discounts where last minute trips just seem to appear magically on the planning sheet!