How long are your vacations?

[Lisa0503]

We are planning our first family trip to WDW in Sept and 6 nights just doesn't seem like enough time but is all we can manage right now. I have read about other DVC owners taking extended vacations in WDW and am wondering how long is the average vacation? Do you stay on site the whole time? Do you use all points or cash discounts (and if you do use all points, how many points do you have per use year...) Do you use all your points every year or bank/borrow for a long trip every 2-3 years? Do you stay in a studio or suites?

So what is your DVC vacationing habits?

 

[eporter66]

We usually do 5 or 6 nights. My wife just did a short trip with her sister in January.

We like the one bedrooms much better, and since we only have 150 pts, 6 nights usually max's the points or we even have to borrow some.

What our plan is in the future is to do WDW every other year. We plan to bank points and be able to get a one or two bedroom when we go. This seems like it will work just fine. If we have extra points, we will figure out what to do, or possibly even sell them.

Eric

 

[bpmorley]

We've kind of mixed it up a little.
2000-6 nights
2004-7 nights
6/2005 - 10 nights, (wedding and honeymoon)
11/05- 4 nights
1/06-5 nights
5/06- 9 nights

 

[spiceycat]

do less than 7 night at a time - but go down 4 times a year.

 

[patsal]

We do one two week vacation every summer (drive) and usually two one week vacations somewhere in between (fly).

 

[dianeschlicht]

We usually do 10 and an occational 12.

 

[Figment2]

I didn't vote since the group I hang with usually go 2-3 times for long weekends (Fri thru Mon) and then do 9-10 days the end of Oct./beginning of Nov.

Cyn

 

[DrTomorrow]

Our trips are usually 6 nights: 1 night in a non-SSR studio (flying in from PHX) and 5 nights in a 1BR or 2BR, depending on whether it's just the two of us or we're travelling w/friends & family.

Since we make these trips 1 or 2 times per year, as DVC owners we've found that this length (6 nights) works best for us; any longer and we start to get WDW-Fatigue, where we stagger around the parks in a mental haze....

 

[Stitch1404]

Our usual is 10 nights. We don't like to wear ourselves out at the parks so this allows for days to just hang out around the villa/pool. We need 1 or 2 bedrooms.

 

[RealMickey]

Our longest trip to WDW since joining DVC in 2002 was 7 nights, the shortest was 3 nights. We usually go at least once a year to WDW. We always stay on points (never pay cash). We bank points most years (have never borrowed). There is just the two of us...we have stayed in studios, but much prefer 1BRs (or larger if we take guests). When visiting WDW we like to plan an off property activity on most trips.

A couple of things about being DVC members are...
1) You do not have to do everything at WDW on every trip, you will be going back again soon.
2) The ability to vary your WDW experiences..short trips-long trip...studios-two bedrooms...ect.

We like to stay at different DVC resorts and try different restaurants. I really like the idea of every vacation to WDW being a totally different experience.

 

[gabbysmom04]

our last trip was 12 night and our next trip in May will be 14 nights!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've read about some of the long trips, and I am always so envious. DH's job doesn't allow him to be away for more than a week at a time (he's a plant manager). So for now, we enjoy just one week in a 1 BR. Last year I stayed solo for a week after he left at a different DVC resort, 1 week at OKW eith him, then 1 week at BCV. I'd love to stay longer when we go together, but for now 1 week will have to do. But we always relax-if we don't get to do something we want to or we're just too tired to do something we'd planned, we know there's always next time.

 

[Caskbill]

I put down more than 3-weeks, counting how many nights for the year. Sometimes we've done more than 3 weeks at Disney, and sometimes less. It's not always just at DVC. Sometimes we'll use an II getaway and stay in another off-site condo, and still go to Disney.

We're retired so time is not an issue.

Sometimes we'll take a shorter 7 to 10 day trip somewhere, but most trips are in the 3 to 8 week range. Our next planned trip to Florida will be just about 7 weeks long. (Only 14 of those days will be in DVC). After that it's not back to Florida again until December for about 6 weeks (Which will have about 15 days at Disney) In between the two Florida trips, we'll do some local trips in the RV, such as going to the Smoky Mountains.

 

[sleepydog25]

We usually go to WDW for five nights, a Sunday through Thursday stay to maximize points, then we opt for a second vacation later in the year. Last year the "second" vacation was at Hilton Head. This year, we're staying at VWL for five nights in June, then doing a cruise in September. DVC is very flexible in our opinion.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

7 nights is our usual. Smaller trips to Disney would be difficult due to the distance. I am seriously considering an extended 3-4 week Orlando trip sometime in the future. Sadly, it would not be all onsite. I am self employed so my work would go with me. My husband would not be able to join me for the whole time, but only for part of the time. This is the one thing that makes me hesitate, because I think I would miss him too much. If not in the near future, then I do plan on doing something like that when we were are retired and hopefully for much longer than 3-4 weeks.

 

[newholidayx2]

Aug 05 was our first mother/son WDW vacation and our first 14night vacation.

Mar 06 was my first Solo/Girls Only WDW vacation and it was for 7nights.
In Aug DS & I are going for 7nights before DH joins us for 7nights (14 nights total).

 

[MdmMim]

During a "normal" year, I spend 30-34 days in Jan/Feb, 13 days around Halloween, and 10 days in early December, all on points, rarely leaving Disney property. Much of this time is solo--I'm retired, DH is not--yet.

Last year, we hosted a big family reunion, so that was a major points-eater. But so worth it! (But I'm definitely feeling the pinch! By staying on cash, the "old-fashioned" way, I miss my DVC a lot!)

 

[sweetinmaine]

Not long enough! We spent 7 nights there in March 2006 and today it feels like it was March 1999 that we went. One week just isn't long enough to wind down from work and enjoy the time. IMO I think 10 days would be nice!

 

[DVC-Don]

Normally we do 6 nights. Although we have done a little as 3 nights and have gone up to 13 nights a couple of times. We don't switch resorts or pay cash for weekends, just book on points.

 

[cobbler]

We tend to mix it up too. We have been as short as 4 nights and as long as 9 nights. Average about 6 nights.