"I can't believe we're staying here!" An Feb'16 DLR PTR (TR link Post #355)

[skier_pete]

You have to remember I have to factor in Cap't Killjoy and convince him- and he has declared recently that HE would like to head West on several vacations (Yellowstone & back to Alaska).

So the offset of just renting every few years would be more appealing to him because he's not ready to commit to yearly week vacations at Disney. And possibly not even several 'shorter weekends'.

I think, realistically, it just isn't going to work and 'renting' will be the way we continue when we do go. I feel like future trips might likely be more me & a kid or two vs the whole family so Kurt will be less likely to approve. Although maybe I factor less points for just me and a kid and therefore cheaper...........

Hah - yes the Captain Killjoy factor! It really is hard to argue in favor of buying DVC if one spouse doesn't want to go! I also want to go other places as well, but for us the draw of WDW is too strong to stop.

AKV vs SSR - We also went with AKV - the MF are about 20% higher, but actually that's not enough of a factor to force us to SSR. I agree with you that I like AKV as a "worst case" scenario. However, as I watch the availability of other resorts, I'm starting to see that owning SSR does not mean staying at SSR very often. Even though we've barely used our DVC points so far, I am already considering how I would INCREASE points, and SSR is still in the mix, even though I wouldn't want to stay there regularly. BWV / AKV / and BLT are the other 3 I would consider for addtional buy-in at this stage. My current thinking is a small (50 pt) contract at BWV and then maybe some more (100-150) at SSR. Then use banking and borrowing so that the SSR points would only be used at slower times of year, and BWV for F&W season. AKV points in busier season when home resort is necessary.

Back to you, though - do you think you could convince him with a smaller contract? Again, with banking and borrowing, you can actually use your points every THREE years. If you got say a 100 pt contract at AKV, you could use the points for the occasional weekend marathon, or save points over a few years for a family trip. It's still not a cheap buy-in, but if you pointed out that it would only be $600 a year, and that it would cover a trip every 2-3 years, maybe that would do it.

 

[princessbelle2015]

I am so happy for you.

 

[Tinker326]

Back to you, though - do you think you could convince him with a smaller contract? Again, with banking and borrowing, you can actually use your points every THREE years. If you got say a 100 pt contract at AKV, you could use the points for the occasional weekend marathon, or save points over a few years for a family trip. It's still not a cheap buy-in, but if you pointed out that it would only be $600 a year, and that it would cover a trip every 2-3 years, maybe that would do it.

Yesterday I was looking at 200-250 (based on size of room we would need). Then this morning after your post I went back to thinking maybe around 100-150. 100 would allow a long weekend every year which I MIGHT be able to convince Kurt to go for! 150 would be better (in my eyes) but I may have to work with what I can do!

 

[skier_pete]

I am so happy for you.

Thanks so much!!!

Yesterday I was looking at 200-250 (based on size of room we would need). Then this morning after your post I went back to thinking maybe around 100-150. 100 would allow a long weekend every year which I MIGHT be able to convince Kurt to go for! 150 would be better (in my eyes) but I may have to work with what I can do!

 

[franandaj]

First off, congratulations on your switch to the Poly! That's awesome!

I didn't realize that yesterday was the day, no wonder the site was down. I had to try and change my online check in particulars yesterday and I tried all afternoon to get on the site, it wasn't until into evening that I was actually able to adjust the time.

Your figuring is admirable but it gives me a headache with all the thought that you have put into it. We just sort of bit the bullet the first time and bought SSR because of the on site spa. After having used our points a couple times, I started to understand and with our VGC points, I really thought it out how many weekends we would use the points each year, and tried to purchase them thoughtfully. However, that didn't work out so good as the first year they were open I blew through my VGC AND my SSR points, so we added on. Then when I realized we wanted BCV and VWL points, the date that the restrictions went into place was looming off in the distance, so we just grabbed the first two contracts with our UY even though they were twice what we wanted or needed!

Now I have some good points to rent out! Or take a lot of trips and bring people with me, if they cared to go.

 

[skier_pete]

Now I have some good points to rent out! Or take a lot of trips and bring people with me, if they cared to go.

Gosh, you can bring us if you ever want some company!

 

[JoshAndEvsMom]

Fun PTR! We're trying to rent DVC points for our next trip so its really interesting to see your cost breakdown. Gotta love it when someone else does the math for me! Lol!

Nice score on the flights! I WISH we could find flights that cheap but coming from the West coast, we'd need a miracle. (I had a friend book a flight from WA to FL last summer for $39 each way when Delta had a glitch in their online booking system! Glitches like that just don't happen to me!)

The Poly & Beach Club sound like so much fun! What a great trip you have planed so far!

 

[skier_pete]

Fun PTR! We're trying to rent DVC points for our next trip so its really interesting to see your cost breakdown. Gotta love it when someone else does the math for me! Lol!

Nice score on the flights! I WISH we could find flights that cheap but coming from the West coast, we'd need a miracle. (I had a friend book a flight from WA to FL last summer for $39 each way when Delta had a glitch in their online booking system! Glitches like that just don't happen to me!)

The Poly & Beach Club sound like so much fun! What a great trip you have planed so far!

Thanks for joining in. I'll be stopping by your PTR shortly. If you have any questions regarding DVC / rentals feel free to ask.

 

[JoshAndEvsMom]

Thanks for joining in. I'll be stopping by your PTR shortly. If you have any questions regarding DVC / rentals feel free to ask.

Thanks! I'll be following closely to soak up all the dvc info I can!

 

[PrincessInOz]

YAY for getting the Poly! How cool to be at a monorail resort. And you're right. The theming seems better than Contemporary.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Now I have some good points to rent out! Or take a lot of trips and bring people with me, if they cared to go.

Pick ME! Pick ME!

:

 

[skier_pete]

Pick ME! Pick ME!

:

Hey, I already called shot gun! (Is that a saying in OZ?)

Oh wait, you knew them first...

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hey, I already called shot gun! (Is that a saying in OZ?)

Oh wait, you knew them first...

Yup. Shot gun = first dibs.

 

[DisneyHoover]

Congrats on getting Poly! That is one of my top dream resorts to stay at one day!

 

[kcpinwdw]

I'm here following along as well. We will be taking sister trips, we are going from 8/28-9/5 and spltting between the Beach Club and Poly. Not DVC though. I already own an inherited timeshare property I trade through RCI... not enough for onsite though. Good luck with your ADRs sunday!

 

[skier_pete]

Yup. Shot gun = first dibs.

OK - you never know with the idioms we use. That one is pretty goofy...wasn't sure if it made it down under.

Congrats on getting Poly! That is one of my top dream resorts to stay at one day!

It's odd, it was never really in my sights - but now that it is...so excited.

I'm here following along as well. We will be taking sister trips, we are going from 8/28-9/5 and spltting between the Beach Club and Poly. Not DVC though. I already own an inherited timeshare property I trade through RCI... not enough for onsite though. Good luck with your ADRs sunday!

Cool! I will be looking for a couple of little ones running around. I'm sure I'll be able to pick you out.

 

[skier_pete]

First Update: A few shots from our recent trip to Copper Mountain...

















The trip was mostly a lot of fun. We had some real problems, though. Our flight out was cancelled and we were delayed a full day, then our return flight was cancelled and we were delayed TWO full days. I had trip insurance, which is good since we went about $700 overbudget on an already expensive trip. If I get the money back I SHOULD, then we will be back underbudget.

My original signature on the DIS said "One good thing about a love of skiing, they make Disney trips looks cheap." and though Disney has gone up a lot, this remains true. The cost of this trip, which gave us 4 days of skiing, will be about the same as our 11 days of Disney.

 

[skier_pete]

2nd update:

So today was the 180 day mark for our trip and time for ADRs. I logged on to the on-line system at 6:30 AM, and of course it wasn't working, so I called at 7 AM to CRO. That worked, but the system no longer lets you to book through the 180+10 of a split stay, so we were only able to book ADRs for the first 7 days of our stay.

Now, you may think that the fact that we are staying 11 days, and are DVC members and staying at the Poly and Beach Club we would have a bunch of top of the line ADRs. However, we are actually moderate people disguised as Deluxe people, and the fact that we bought into DVC has forced us to lower our food budget. We've done almost all of our trips in the last 8 years on the (free) DDP, so have eaten at many TS restaurants. However, this time we are going the other way, and only trying a few of them, and the mostly cheaper ones that we wouldn't normally eat at on the DDP.

Without going into details of our daily plans, here's the ADRs we have so far.

8/28 (Arrival day) 6:10 PM Beaches and Cream - a new one for us, we wanted to try this one while at Beach Club. Since our first day we won't be going to a park, I figured this was a good date for this restaurant.
8/29 - San Angel Inn @ 6:30 PM - we let DD pick one restaurant, and surprisingly this was the one she picked. WE haven't eaten here since I think 2006, so don't mind this choice.
8/30 - Yatchsman Steakhouse @ 6:20 pm - this is our "night out". DD will go in the kid's club, and we will get a nice steak dinner and an evening at jellyroll's
9/2 - via Napoli @ 6 PM - This is my pick. Heard good things about the pizza here, but again not a good DDP choice, so we will go for Pizza
9/3 - Be Our Guest @ 12:05 PM - Actually NOT the date I want this - but booked it as a holding spot. Will rebook.

So - as you can see, not much exciting for dining. We are really trying to keep the dining costs down. We aren't even planning any character meals! (This will be only the 2nd trip EVER we didn't eat at Crystal Palace.)

We still don't have a "yes" or "no" from the one family about taking DWs god-daughter, but figured we would make the ADRs for 3, and could always show up with 4.

 

[JoshAndEvsMom]

Wow! Gorgeous mountain pics!! I do miss seeing the mountains... I moved across the state and the things they call "mountains" over here are just really big hills.

Fun ADRs! Its about breakfast time and you're making me hungry thinking about pizza and Mexican!! lol!

 

[kcpinwdw]

We had the same problem this morning. I got all my ADRs that I wanted for our first half by calling, but feel a bit bummed to wait until the 5th to book all our MK days. You'll like Beaches and Cream, we had a great lunch there on our last visit. It is so small for a Disney restaurant, it's sort of refreshing. I didnt book it this time. Wonder if I should. Save room for ice cream!!!