How far in advance have you planned your vacations?

[lacool]

DH and I sat down last night with pencil and paper to plan our next couple of Disney trips. We then calculated that 2006 will be our non-Disney summer, as we are planning to take family down for Christmas 2005, and will need a lull to catch up on points again.

I have never known years in advance what I'll be doing for vacation. Especially because we are military and don't know where we'll be living one year from the next. I find it both amusing and reassuring that I am positive I'll be back in WDW in the summer of 2007.

How far in advance have you all sat down and planned out the use of your DVC points?

 

[JimC]

Through 2006 but that is only because we have a lot of events going on during this period. Normally about two years out.

 

[timC]

I recently sketched out our vacation "pattern" extended out to 2041. It was an interesting exercise to think about what to do when... kids become teens, kids go to college, kids have kids, etc... Also, I wanted to see how to maximize my DVC points, and start planning for a non-DVC timeshare, to fill in some blanks.

My real plans are mapped out through 2005.

 

[JVL1018]

I just have through next June's HH trip planned.
I know that we'll be back in WDW next fall and HH the following spring etc for the foreseeable future, but no set plans.

 

[SheriB]

I think I've got our plans through 2006. Nothing is solid yet. But we're thinking about a DCL cruise next year (borrowing points from 2005). No trip 2005. DD will be graduating high school and will be going to Disney on her senior trip and won't want to go again that summer. So we'll go again in 2006-with or without her.

Sheri

 

[KNWVIKING]

We have plans on going every May,Oct and Dec. I own at three resorts,use 11 month window for all ressie's.

 

[lacool]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
We have plans on going every May,Oct and Dec. I own at three resorts,use 11 month window for all ressie's.

My blue eyes are turning green with envy!!!

 

[gmboy95]

We usually only plan out 2 yeras in advance...so much can change in that time frame....we are leaving next week for our yearly trip, and even this trip has gone through so many changes....my wife loves to plan years in advance. she ends up making a bunch of reservations that end up getting changed anyway. I think she just enjoys planning, and could care less what actually happens

 

[sgtpet]

I have tentative plans up to 2005 although 05 is still very flexible and may change. 2004 is pretty much set up already.

I never planned further than 6 months outside my honeymoon for vacation prior to purchasing DVC.

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

I have 2 trips planned in my head. One in 2005 & 1 in 2006. Going to HHI this October!

Allison
Offically DVC 7/23/03
Resort Home: BCV

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

2004 is completely planned. We have an outline for 2005 but may change it slightly.

HBC

 

[Disney Doll]

Usually about 1- 1 1/2 years out. I like to have one planned while I am there, so I know that when I leave, it's OK, because I'll be back in "X" months.

Right now, we just returned home on August 1st from a lovely 7 days stay at OKW.

I am now looking into next year's point usage.

 

[CK1]

Out to 2042.

I have it all in a couple different EXCEL spreadsheet formats, showing ages of each of our kids, dh and my wedding anniversaries, etc. I show roughly what trips are in the works -- I'd say true trips (date, how long, which resort) are planned to 2008, definitely.

To be honest, it was in doing this that I was able to argue my point about an add-on; I was able to clearly show that for what we liked to do, our current pts just weren't enough. It made deciding exactly how many pts we needed very simple. (Not easy -- because I "WANTED" lots more... but simple and more in line with what we "needed"...)

THe planning is my best purchase in DVC. My dh does not understand how I can sit and play with points and calculate best pts usage, banking, borrowing, etc. for hours on end, set up vacation plans, get on boards like these to ask about a particular dining place a year before we plan to go, etc. I can't seem to help him understand that planning is one of the true pleasures of DVC for me! We are only on vacation for a matter of days out of every year... but this way I'm in a vacation state of mind 24-7, 365.25!

Cindy

 

[disrailfan]

DW and I actually have things planned out for the next 5 years. One of the years includes a trip to Hawaii hopefully. If the HI falls through we will settle for disney for our 10th Anniversary.

 

[AnnaS]

We usually have two summers (years) planned. 2004 all set, just waiting for window to book and we are tentatively/planning for 2005. My kids would like to do the Eastern Cruise again - just got back from the Western and OKW stay. We shall see Spring of next year where we are exactly with points and finances. One of my ds is starting college end of August.

 

[kathleena]

I have DVC trips planned for Mar 2004, Dec 2004, May 2005 and Dec 2005. Hopefully a cruise somewhere in there (not points, but a trade with my other timeshare week) and a trip to Norway (all cash) and maybe one to France (if not the cruise).

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Since we just purchased this past October, we are not sure how often we will go. I have this November and next April booked. I am planning a trip with a friend and her DH and DD to join us for Thanksgiving 2004.

As far as the planning, I have it planned that after the 2004 trip, we bank any left over points into 2005, and since we have a June use year, we have until May 2006 to use the points. So tentatively, we have it planned out to 2006, skipping a trip in 2005, but knowing myself, I will probably end up booking a trip for 2005. We just can't stay away!!!!

 

[disneymom99]

Tentatively, we have our vacations scheduled through 2006. Although so much can change in that timeframe, we basically know what dates we'll be there, which resort and how many points we will use. It's almost necessary, since we have points left over and need to know how many to bank and how many we'll need to borrow. Besides, it gives us something to look forward to!

 

[mitymott]

DEC 2004. And I think I sold my DW on DL in DEC 2005