If live local, how do you like to use points?

[justme0729]

We are moving to FL and will be about an hour/ hour 20 min away from WDW! If you live local, how do you like to use your points? Do you prefer 1 night, weekend, or longer stays? We have 110 points which is only 5-6 nights per year but I’m curious to hear how people like using points when living close to WDW.

 

[Pyotr]

I live about an hour and a half away from Disney and we usually do weekends or 1 night stays.

 

[bakerworld]

My daughter use to live in Tampa, Florida and she'd always stay over Friday and sometimes Saturday depending on how busy she was a work.

 

[LilyJC]

We are local to DLR and own at VGC. We usually stay two nights at a time. We have stayed one night a few times, but honestly it’s really not worth the points in our opinion (at least not our precious VGC points...). Maybe if you grabbed a cheapie night at OKW, SSR, or one of the value studios, it would be ok.

 

[brewcrew]

Live about 35 minutes from WDW. Usually use it for 1 or 2 night weekend stays . Used them on birthdays, July 4th, Christmas, Food and Wine, and when we just want a weekend away. Sometimes use then when visiting a park and some times not. Been to about every DVC resort, including Vero and Hilton Head. Used points to go to Aulani and a cruise to Alaska to pay for one of two rooms.

 

[71 Truck]

We do one and two night stays. We like to look for reservations at hard to get restaurants (California Brunch). We would book a Saturday night stay then pay for the Deluxe dinning plan for the one night. This gives my wife and I three sit down meal credits, refillable mugs and snack credits. This gives us a one credit sit down dinner on Saturday night and leaves two credits for brunch at the California Grill on Sunday.
This year we had it all planned out for our anniversary that we would have several one and two night stays starting in April through the end of the year. Most of that did not happen. We have been able to rearrange most of our plans and everything worked out.
We also like to invite friends out from the east coast and stay in a two bedroom over the weekend. We usually get to the resort early Saturday, find a place around one of the DVC pools at the resort and bring food and drinks. We do this while we are waiting for our room to be ready.
Over the summer this year we stayed at Boulder Ridge. There are BBQ grills by the cabins. We grilled steaks for dinner one night.
We do most of our stays during lower point times of the year when we can to get the most out of our membership.

 

[com_op_2000]

We live 1 hour away from WDW.
We take one to three night trips multiple times per year.
We take one 5 night trip each year.
We have specific times of the year we like to travel "off season"/least number of people in the area. We have gone every year since '93 during the first two weeks of Dec for DW's birthday get-away.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We're three hours away in SW Florida and we usually go for three or four nights during the weekdays. We have the weekday annual pass, so weekends won't work on our ticket anyway.

 

[skeeter31]

We’re in Tampa and have flexible jobs, so we love to go for 2 night stays during the weekdays (especially at non-peak times) to maximize our points.

 

[cindy_k]

I live 30 minutes away from WDW. We go for short trips to WDW or over to VB for Beach weekends.
I also have traded out my points to RI for trips to other locations (North Carolina Mountains).
I have also rented my points and used that money to book other vacations/cruises.

Even if you only go 30 minutes from home, you are still 'Not Home'. Its a vacation with a cheap travel budget.

 

[cindy_k]

Oh I forgot a Perk of being so close. Those Magical Member nights? I was on track this year to have gone to each one of them (excluding DL). I had already gone to two and had confirmation for the next one.
I don't have to try and match it up to a vacation, I can just go.

 

[IAmDis]

Live about 10-15min, and me being new to DVC I envision doing a 3 night Xmas stay every year (doing 5 nights 23rd-28th coming up), 23rd-25th, as I do not want to spend Xmas Eve checking in and starting the staycay. Then 1-2 nights for NYE, 31st-2nd, and the rest of the year or for special events 1-3 night stays, especially late Disney Springs nights for Saratoga or OKW.

I do imagine me picking up a 2nd resale contract at some point to extend the stays or do more of them. Think my overall goal is 10-15 nights total for the year. I definitely want one long (5 nights or more) and 3-4 short ones.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Last year we booked a few nights when Moonlight Magic was happening to give us better chances of getting in. This year, banked em. Might go up to Hilton Head or out to Vero for a few days to use some. Also I’ve been renting some out.