How long did you wait to begin using your points?

[imgoingtodisney]

We're waiting 14 months!!! Too long for me!!
I put my deposit down in Oct 2001. We rolled over this years points to next year. We're not planning on the Disney Magic cruise until Dec 2002! Man that's a long way to countdown.

 

[Beth]

Barb. I think the rest of us around here should start taking bets as to how long it will take you to "break down" and visit sooner than 14 months!!

You're so informed - I can't "imagine" you'll be able to wait that long!!

For us? We signed the last day of April, and visited the 3rd weekend of May - then again the following weekend!! We were too green to realize we were wasting so many points on those weekend days - but we took our family to show them what we had purchased - so I guess it was all worth it.

We visited so soon - we had to sign paperwork at check-in assuring us that, if the contract didn't close, we would pay cash for the accomodations.

Good Luck with your wait - and I have some points to rent you if you want to go sooner!!

 

[Doctor P]

DW and DSD used points about six months after we purchased. Our first family trip, and my first trip on points had to wait sixteen months!

 

[Granny]

We also banked our entire first year of points, so we won't be going until 9 months after we joined.

But with the banked points, we will be going twice next year, so that offsets the "waiting pains".

 

[rbuzzotta]

We closed in October 2000 and used points at DxL in March and then again in June at OKW and then again in July at OKW and August at VWL.........next "planned" trip is August 2002 but looking into quick weekend getaways......possibly HH in April!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We purchased in an August with a March use year, went on a first trip the next January and banked the rest of the points into the next year so we could do a GV the following January. Had a GREAT time and have been creatively using the bank and borrow scheme ever since.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Beth - that is so funny. I almost spit my cereal on my screen!
Youre absolutely right - Im getting quite informed.
We did however just go on a 9 night vacation at Wilderness Lodge Oct 5-14. But Im not so sure I can wait till Dec next year to see the mouse again. I will be seeing Disney/DVC property (Vero Beach) in 10 days before my Cozumel cruise on NCL.

 

[Disnydad]

We purchased in early December 2000 and closed in mid January 2001. Our first DVC stay was the end of August.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

We had a cash trip planned for Sept-Oct 2001. When we calculated the cash prices (even with the sales that were going on), we made the jump and bought 150pts in July. Two weeks later we realized that wouldn't be enough points and added 50 pts more. We used some of the points for 5 nights at the WLV instead of the AKL in Oct. Since returning, we couldn't pass up the MB offer and added on 100pts at HH. We just made a last minute reservation, and are going there in January. We are waiting to do a final add-on at BCV when presales are announced. We are looking forward to many wonderful vacations/memories with our family.

 

[lodgelady]

we are waiting 13 months ( 5 more to go now!) from closing until our first trip home to VWL in April '02.

 

[sueg]

We bought when it was Disney Vacation Club, not OKW, but that's another thread. We knew that we wanted to buy before we left. So we booked into DVC on cash, bought the day we arrived and converted our trip from $$$ to pts. It felt great to use our trip costs as a downpayment for DVC. Best decision we ever made.

 

[Dizzy4Dizney]

We waited 17 months! I got pregnant in Disney when we purchased DVC so couldn't hop on a plane anytime soon!

Since then, we've used the points 3 times for 3 trips in one year.
Made the most of our AP.....but now, no trips planned after Feb 02 trip till Dec 03.

 

[Lesley]

We are approaching the end of a 16 month wait. We joined in August of 2000 and our first trip home is in January! We even added on already!

It's been really rough....but now we're down to 59 days to go!

 

[dvc_john]

I'm surprised that my brother Caskbill hasn't responded to this thread yet.
Anyway, he and his wife bought OKW in the morning, and were staying there on points that night. (Back in 1993).

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Oops - I responded incorrectly! We're waiting 24 months before we go "home"
Put deposit down in Oct 2001 - not going "home" to VWL till Oct 2003
Planning on Disney cruise in Dec 2002

 

[Disney Doll]

Bought in September 1997...went in January 1998.

 

[SimplyMagical]

We purchased in April 2001 while in WDW, our first trip home will be in Feb 2002, VWL. Looking forward to it.

 

[Peter Johnson]

We probably had the shortest possible wait between when we signed the papers to when we stayed...

We arrived Thursday evening of Memorial Day weekend 1992, stayed the night at DVC (no OKW then) on points, and signed the papers the next morning Back then NH was not registered yet, so we could not do anything by mail or phone

It wasn't actually planned that way -- we were supposed to sign Thursday afternoon. But I was flying to OKW from a business trip, and my flight was cancelled, so I didn't arrive till about 8:30pm. (The last straw was that the Mears driver had no idea what DVC was, and tried to drop me at the Villas instead. DW still kids me about the mood I was in when I got there!) By then our guide and DW had worked everything out so we could stay before we signed. It was both figuratively and literally accommodating of Disney to let us do that.

It was a very "magical" start to our ownership

 

[GCM13]

We bought in March and banked all our 150 points so we could go over Christmas and New Years. My husband thought it would be fun to go over Memorial Day weekend, so we added on 112 points, enough to cover a 1 bedroom for 3 nights at BWV. We ended up going again in August because of great airfare. So, we went two times before we originally planned on going.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

We bought into DVC at WDW in April 2001. Unfortunately we are only 7 months into our 18-month wait until our Oct./Nov. 2002 trip.

We are about to book our trip home to VWL. We are expecting a new baby in January so we haven't had withdrawal (yet).