How many of you have bought in and kept travel patterns the same?

[AnnaS]

(Owners since 2000) Our travel plans have definitely changed. We don't need to follow a school schedule anymore. Now, we can go whenever we want. We are not choosing summer months until or unless we go when the grandchildren start school. We also use our points now about twice a year instead of once (wether it's at WDW or Vero/HH, etc.).

 

[nicki.momof3]

I am a teacher so my vacations are locked into school breaks. Travel patterns have stayed the same. Maybe on 15 years when I retire they will change.

 

[beccasmom]

We've always done a good amount of traveling and up to the time we purchased our DVC membership in 1992, we had pretty much visited everything on our bucket list. We visit DVC at least once a year, but try to book a second (shorter) trip as we see breaks and can coordinate our busy schedules.

I guess our wanderlust has also ebbed somewhat as we've gotten more "mature" and Disney really has spoiled us, so we are vacationing a little differently. We're sharing our love of Disney with the next generation of our family now and really enjoying that so much. We're heading to Southern California for a family wedding next year and of course we're working in a Disneyland/Grand Californian detour. And though we've visited and loved Hawaii, we must return now that Aulani is there. And a Disney cruise to Alaska is probably on the horizon in a few years too, hopefully.

And it's all easier now that we have the time to do more (not retired, but I get six and DH gets five weeks vacation each year - another perk of "maturing", I guess!).

 

[Castillo Mom]

I purchased 160 points in '08 with the intention of using them primarily at WDW every other year for 10 nights during late summer/early fall. Fast forward, we now have Aulani, my eldest got married and my SIL/BIL moved to South Carolina so Hilton Head has been great for family bonding; I also now have two nieces and a nephew who love Disney. So...my travel patterns will change once I add on next year (hopefully). My goal is to add on approximately 200-250 points resale. My new pattern would likely be WDW every other year and a visit to Aulani and Hilton Head during non WDW years.

 

[wisbucky]

We bought in originally to go once a year. We ended up adding on numerous times and now we go to WDW 4-5 times a year. Our style of vacationing at WDW had changed. We have gone from rushing every day starting early in the morning to now we take our time. We enjoy the room and the view in the morning. We take more time to relax and walk around theme parks enjoying sharing the experience with each other. We have also increased our lengths of stay from 5-7 night to now 9-14 nights each time. Once we retire we plan on going to Hawaii.

 

[ParrotBill]

We bought our 300 points before we had a child. We went 2-3 times a year for 5-7 day trips. Once we reached middle school, we decided no more taking her out of school for vacations, and we had 6 years of August trips only, plus the every other year school music trip to Disneyworld. It was tough ... rationing the points at a high cost time period, but we did it without buying more points. In 2 weeks, we are free again! She graduates and we can go whenever we choose. But of course I have a business trip to Florida 2 days after she graduates. So what do I do? I book 4 nights in SSR and take her with me... at the beginning of summer season. LOL

 

[loveswdw]

Bought in 2003 and we average a trip every 18 months or so. Never added on. Haven't increased our number of trips. Actually have talked about scaling them back to every 2-3 years. When a 4 day hopper for 4 people costs around $1800... Disney has just about out priced this family.

 

[Judique]

Started out with two trips a year during school breaks, at Xmas and Easter. Then we added points at Hilton Head and Vero.

We continue to use our HH points mostly there and our Vero points to extend WDW stays.

Usually I get a January/February trip and a Food and Wine trip in. Some years it's also a flower and garden and a few times we've gone in summer.

Been doing this since we bought in 2000 so lots of trips.

Retirement is planned for summer 2019 and I will have 16 weeks of vacation time to use between now and July 1 2019. I have only 2 Disney trips booked so I will be adding a few more.

We do other trips also and will be doing a lot of travelling in the next few years, not all to Disney, but we will manage to use all the points!

 

[Murron]

Patterns change as you (and your families) age and go. From 1991 to about 2004, we had the same pattern of going to WDW with our children once per year at the end of August between when day camp ended and school began. From 2004 onward, (children in college), we went every May and September. When we got to 2014, we saw the crowds, the increasing difficulty in getting the room you want, etc. That year we also retired and decided to see the world. I won't l name our favorite cruise line, but it's incredible. We use our Disney timeshare now once per year...usually Vero Beach or Hilton Head....sometimes my beloved Boardwalk. We'll be back hopefully. This is a break we need, but I do want to see Pandora. It's a sickness. Really.

 

[hjgaus]

We purchased 450 points for the Beach Club in 2008 so we could stay at least 2 weeks in a 1 bedroom for Christmas/New Year's at least every other year BUT then it changed when they opened up DVC at The Grand Californian! In the beginning I thought surely we don't need to use ANY of our DVC for Disneyland considering
we LIVE ONLY 20 to 30 minutes FROM the park......well not so !! By pairing DVC stays with AP's it's been so GREAT!!! We bought at VGC 160 points just in case we wanted to reserve special /specific dated at the 11 month out time! We have become SO SPOILED by doing it this way!!
We LOVE that we can share this with friends & family minus the flight!! Sometimes they opt out on the actual over invite so they can just join us during EMH or just hang out for a swim and BBQ !!! I have recently been & will be planning two day stays in 1 or 2 bed villas for VGC once OR once every OTHER MONTH for the past few years!! Bonus that it's mostly for just my husband and I with our young adult sons joining in for few visits! Our friends that have their own AP's LOVE this little occasional invite we share with them as well!!
Other uses for our DVC have been 1 trip to Aulani and 1 short Disney Cruise to the Bahamas! After they build up Star Wars Land perhaps we will go back to Aulani OR FINALLY try the DVC member cruise!!!

 

[bwvBound]

Our DVC usage is far, far, far different than when we first started. Our original requirement was "1 week, 1BR unit at BWV for an annual work conference in January." At first we traded in via II and later purchased SSR pre-opening in early 2004. We never had any particular difficulties obtaining the required BWV unit using SSR points. After 20+ years of conducting business at the Dolphin, Swan Yacht Club and Boardwalk conference centers, the event moved away from WDW after the Jan 2015 session. Okay ... what now?

Last year we used some points for a DCL cruise. We've twice visited Aulani and periodically snag a couple nights at the Grand Cal. Not really certain, at this point, how we'll use the points. I'll likely bank the balance of our 2016 points (>80%!) into our 2017 UY ... but that seems to put lots of pressure on us to use them next year. Hmmmmmmmm. We'll see, I suppose. No need to worry about that today?

Answering the other part of the OP's question -- we seldom visit WDW but often visit DLR. However, visiting DLR is usually a day trip or 1-night event. Not exactly "vacation" as much as "social experience shared with visiting friends." Our vacation habits lean to cruising, conferences/workshops and timeshare in mostly-remote locations (desert or mountain). We visit SW Colorado annually, using timeshare, for horsemanship clinics or workshops. We are working on our "world-cruise-in-pieces" and added a nice long chunk last fall sailing from San Diego (home port) to Sydney, AU. We stayed a week in Sydney using one of our other timeshares and then flew home on airlines miles. Sweet -- it was a near perfect vacation consuming the entire month of Oct.

SOLVED!

We did roll quite a high percentage of our 2016 UY points into 2017. And then we splurged! We will start our 2017 UY with a Pacific Coastal Disney Cruise (DCL Wonder) and then return to WDW in January 2018 (our typical travel window) for 4 nights relaxing in a Copper Creek Cabin. Whoo-hoo. The cabin looks gorgeous.

 

[Blondie Wolf]

DH and I just bought into DVC in April of 2017. Prior to buying in we used other people points to travel and stay at DVC resorts because we like the accommodations and the price point it allowed us. We stayed for 3 weeks our first DVC trip (May) and a cruise, and then a 10 day trip (October) with a cruise, and then a 2 week trip this last time before we bought in. We will be back down for 2 weeks this December and another 2 weeks in April of 2018. We probably won't be back til 2019 because we will cruise in the fall of 2018. We both enjoy Disney and its our home away from home. Dh and I are only 30/31 but enjoy being kids at heart. We feel it will be a few years before kids and want to get our adult time in before we need to cut back.

 

[jbh275]

We still hit VGC twice a year. We try and keep our points to 4 nights and sometime book a hotel on the day we fly in. Figure we're loosing a day checking in at 8 pm. or so. But even as our kids get older, we just make do. That's what's great about DL, you can get out and see and do a lot in 4 days. DW, which we try and go every other year. Seems you need a good 7 night to really make the most out of your trip.

 

[edk35]

Ours have definitely changed. We purchased in Jan. 2007. For the first several years we always got a 2 br. villa when all 5 of us were together. Now our kids are 26, 23 and 18. We have brought friends, bf's and gf's over the years too. We have let our older two have studios with their friends and bf's/gf's. We have NOT all been on a trip together at the same time since 2013. Maybe two of the kids will tag along one trip during a given year and the next trip that same year 1 or two will go. College and work schedules now dictate who goes on which trips. Now our older two will actually take trips on their own without US staying in the regular resorts. LOL For the FIRST TIME EVER (been going to Disney since 1992) my husband and I are going for our first COUPLE'S TRIP. So now we are staying in more studios and 1 bedrooms since we are never all on the same DISNEY PAGE.

 

[edk35]

IMO in the beginning of ownership members are learning the ropes, they are excited and they increase the number of Disney vacations. After a few years, and because Disney/DVC has changed, growth, increased ownership, more crowds results in less park time and more resort time along with increasing the room size. Later less Disney time often happens and vacations are scheduled during Disney and member events.

Bill

I agree. We are now going more during Flower and Garden and Food and Wine.