Just curious how many pts you have?

[gryfoxmama]

We bought four contracts direct from Disney with a total of 570 pts in 2009-2010.
Never realized there was the option to rent, afraid of resale, and learned the hard way the cruises are not a good use of our points. All that being said- still glad we bought DVC!!
We are waiting for our first re-sale contract (AKV 240 pts) to pass ROFR.
If all goes well that will give us a total of 810 pts total BUT.........I find myself already looking for the next contract.
Disney is addicting!!
We don't do Christmas presents anymore.
Hubby and I now take our seven children and their families on a big vacation every year!!
Making Memories!!!
I was curious how many pts most people have and what kind of vacations they plan?
Would love to hear your stories!!

 

[NH Disneyfan]

I have 220 OKW that we've had since 2009....

....and 160 VGC that we're almost closed on.

Time to sell the OKW, 220 was perfect for 5 years, but we're not going as often and our vacation habits have changed.

 

[gryfoxmama]

I have 220 OKW that we've had since 2009....

....and 160 VGC that we're almost closed on.

Time to sell the OKW, 220 was perfect for 5 years, but we're not going as often and our vacation habits have changed.

I thought we had to many pts until the Christmas "vacation" started. First year it was 10 people. We just booked our 7th Big Family Trip and have 20 people confirmed and counting!!

Crossing my fingers on your VGC coming through without a problem

 

[lovinwdw]

We are first time buyers! Just had a resale contract accepted and waiting on Disney's ROFR. We have 180 points at SSR

 

[calypso726]

We started with 180 and are up to 1100. If the resale we just made an offer on passes ROFR we will be at 1200. It's just the two of us but we go to Disney a LOT! Every so often we treat our extended families to a large family trip. This year we are using points to stay in the Disneyland Paris Hotel after our ABD trip to London and Paris. This will be the first time we use the points for something other than an actual WDW stay.

 

[gryfoxmama]

We started with 180 and are up to 1100. If the resale we just made an offer on passes ROFR we will be at 1200. It's just the two of us but we go to Disney a LOT! Every so often we treat our extended families to a large family trip. This year we are using points to stay in the Disneyland Paris Hotel after our ABD trip to London and Paris. This will be the first time we use the points for something other than an actual WDW stay.

I'm Jealous!! Can I come to London and Paris also?
The resort is still the cheap part. All the other expenses add up. My husband and I have businesses and we have double frequent flier miles on our charge card.
That helps take the sting out of it.

Do you do a lot of little trips or longer vacations? Where is your favorite place to date?

 

[DizBub]

We have 3 contracts 470 points total. Bought 210 BLT in 2009, added 100 at BLT a year later, both direct. Picked up 160 at BCV resale in 2012.

Because we drive from IL we plan a minimum of 7 nights each trip.

Always plan 1 trip a year in a 2 bedroom with family, typically in the fall, this year it was June.

Usually a week in May and another sometime during winter in studios. The last 3 years we have rented points from other members for yet another trip trying to get our money's worth out of the APs and PAPs.

Our youngest DD and her husband are DVC members also with 210 points at BLT and 60 at VGF. We meet up with them a couple of times a year in the fall and May.

Would love to have more points because we would certainly use them. If nothing else we would be able to splurge on 1 bedrooms occasionally.

 

[gryfoxmama]

We are first time buyers! Just had a resale contract accepted and waiting on Disney's ROFR. We have 180 points at SSR

Lot of people don't get it!! I am so excited for you and hope your FIRST contract goes well.

 

[gryfoxmama]

We have 3 contracts 470 points total. Bought 210 BLT in 2009, added 100 at BLT a year later, both direct. Picked up 160 at BCV resale in 2012.

Because we drive from IL we plan a minimum of 7 nights each trip.

Always plan 1 trip a year in a 2 bedroom with family, typically in the fall, this year it was June.

Usually a week in May and another sometime during winter in studios. The last 3 years we have rented points from other members for yet another trip trying to get our money's worth out of the APs and PAPs.

Our youngest DD and her husband are DVC members also with 210 points at BLT and 60 at VGF. We meet up with them a couple of times a year in the fall and May.

Would love to have more points because we would certainly use them. If nothing else we would be able to splurge on 1 bedrooms occasionally.

We are from Illinois also!!
We paid cash for our first couple of trips. I don't regret that. Makes me really appreciate what we get from DVC.

We do garage sales and put the money in our "travel fund". My youngest grandson, 5 yrs old, told me a month ago we shouldn't go out for pizza but save the $ for vacation. I think we have another generation hooked

 

[calypso726]

I'm Jealous!! Can I come to London and Paris also?
The resort is still the cheap part. All the other expenses add up. My husband and I have businesses and we have double frequent flier miles on our charge card.
That helps take the sting out of it.

Do you do a lot of little trips or longer vacations? Where is your favorite place to date?

LOL! After our Scotland ABD last year I was hooked on ABD trips! we did the DVC exclusive to NY last month and that was amazing!

DH and I have made a hobby of "travel hacking" so we basically accumulate miles and points in order to fly free or nearly free. It certainly does take the sting out of international trips and affords us to fly first class which we wouldn't pay out of pocket to do.

We do lots of weekend trips since we are only 3 hours away. It is an easy way to escape reality. We also like to go for special nights, passholder events or Tables In Wonderland events. For instance, we are going up for 4th of July weekend because the fireworks should be cool. Harambe Nights the weekend after that. The the Food & Wine preview event the following weekend, Villains Unleashed in August and F&W just about every weekend plus MNSSHP.

My favorite is Animal Kingdom Lodge. I absolutely LOVE the resort. DH's favorite is Villas at Grand Floridian. We aren't picky about where we stay though. Many of our weekend trips are booked with very little advance planning so we'll take what's available. However, for some of the family trips, 4-8 days in a Grand Villa, we do like them to experience a particular resort and plan 11 months out. I gotta say for F&W BCV is very convenient which is why we are adding on again. It's not like we're not going to go.

 

[gryfoxmama]

LOL! After our Scotland ABD last year I was hooked on ABD trips! we did the DVC exclusive to NY last month and that was amazing!

DH and I have made a hobby of "travel hacking" so we basically accumulate miles and points in order to fly free or nearly free. It certainly does take the sting out of international trips and affords us to fly first class which we wouldn't pay out of pocket to do.

We do lots of weekend trips since we are only 3 hours away. It is an easy way to escape reality. We also like to go for special nights, passholder events or Tables In Wonderland events. For instance, we are going up for 4th of July weekend because the fireworks should be cool. Harambe Nights the weekend after that. The the Food & Wine preview event the following weekend, Villains Unleashed in August and F&W just about every weekend plus MNSSHP.

My favorite is Animal Kingdom Lodge. I absolutely LOVE the resort. DH's favorite is Villas at Grand Floridian. We aren't picky about where we stay though. Many of our weekend trips are booked with very little advance planning so we'll take what's available. However, for some of the family trips, 4-8 days in a Grand Villa, we do like them to experience a particular resort and plan 11 months out. I gotta say for F&W BCV is very convenient which is why we are adding on again. It's not like we're not going to go.

Explain "travel hacking"? For YEARS I paid most everything by check just to keep control of spending. Once we got our 2X frequent flier miles I have become fanatical about charging anything that doesn't impose a fee to do so.

We live in Illinois which is still a 2.5 hr flight from Chicago to Orlando. Still cheaper than it could be if we lived elsewhere.

Do you end up using that many points or do you rent a lot out?

Is there a list of acronyms somewhere? There are some that I can't figure out!!

 

[quandrea]

We have 860. Started with 200, then the family grew. We love it. Tend to take thre trips per year. Two at about two weeks and a shorter one. Can't get enough. It's a second home. For the first time ever I am treating my best friend and her kids. We will share a two bedroom at kidani--our favourite--in April. Beyond excited. It feels so good to give them that treat.

 

[gryfoxmama]

Accidentally moved this off the main page. Any ideas on how to fix?

 

[cwdefouw]

We started out in 1999 with 162 at BWV, that was the exact amount needed for a week in a standard view 1 bedroom in lowest season.

We then added on 68 at BCV a couple of years later for a total of 230

Then in 2009 we added 170 at BLT as founding members at that resort.

In 2010 we added 100 at AKL to give us a nice round number of 500 pts total.

It is just the two of us so we mostly stay in studios and one bedrooms, but we use our points for a lot of cruises. Right now the only thing that is really out of reach would be long stays in Grand Villas, and using points for both people for the long ABD trips. At this point we really don't have to borrow to much for the trips we like to take and even if do have to borrow, there is always enough left for nice trip the next year.

 

[gryfoxmama]

We have 860. Started with 200, then the family grew. We love it. Tend to take thre trips per year. Two at about two weeks and a shorter one. Can't get enough. It's a second home. For the first time ever I am treating my best friend and her kids. We will share a two bedroom at kidani--our favourite--in April. Beyond excited. It feels so good to give them that treat.

You are a great friend to share the MAGIC!!
200 hundred sounds like a lot to start and than we get spoiled!!
I started always booking cheapest but than.....
view, villas and more......we are spoiled!!

 

[gryfoxmama]

Thanks to you all for sharing your DVC stories!!
I am getting great ideas just reading your replies.
What is the largest gathering you have booked?
Did it go well and what would you change next time?

 

[calypso726]

Explain "travel hacking"? For YEARS I paid most everything by check just to keep control of spending. Once we got our 2X frequent flier miles I have become fanatical about charging anything that doesn't impose a fee to do so.

We live in Illinois which is still a 2.5 hr flight from Chicago to Orlando. Still cheaper than it could be if we lived elsewhere.

Do you end up using that many points or do you rent a lot out?

Is there a list of acronyms somewhere? There are some that I can't figure out!!

I have rented out to close friends a couple of times like last year when I was trying to figure out how to pay for the Scotland ABD (Adventures by Disney) after they announced the trip. Of course we found ourself in perpetual borrow mode but it was worth renting out about 400 points to help pay for the best vacation EVER!

We discovered travel hacking when I was trying to figure out how to pay for the Scotland trip that wasn't in our vacation budget since it was announced well after we made our vacation budget for the year. Travel hacking is a hobby now which involves accumulating air miles and points to be used for travel. This is accomplished through credit card sign up bonuses, maximizing the points earned on the things we buy by knowing where to buy, how to buy it and which card to use. Some of it is manufactured spending, especially when trying to meet spending requirements with some of the credit cards to get the bonus. DH and I have over 2 million miles between us now. I never use cash or checks. My credit score has gone from low 700s to 800 so this doesn't adversely affect credit score when done the right way.

Thanks to you all for sharing your DVC stories!!
I am getting great ideas just reading your replies.
What is the largest gathering you have booked?
Did it go well and what would you change next time?

Last year we treated extended family, 14 of us in a GV and 2 bdrm at AKV both savanna view. I would not do this again. Everyone changed their arrival and departure dates without notice. We had a grand villa for just DH and I for 2 nights.

 

[seelyt2]

Not as many as I'd like

We have 185 points at AK since we make yearly trips for about a week at a time.

 

[com_op_2000]

1st purchased OKW in '93 with 200 points.
Added on direct in '97 with 25 points.
Added on resale in '11 with 121 points.
Total 346, right now.
Want to get enough points before retirement to have enough points to go once a month for 2 - 5 days per stay.

 

[Candy Orlando]

Purchased all direct from Disney 300 points SSR. 100 points OKW. Four 25 point contracts OKW. Total 500 points.

Last May we saw the VGF model the day we were going home and decided to sell all 500 points and buy 750 VGF points. We bought 6, 125 point contracts, 125 points is enough for a studio for a week. We can stay 6 weeks in a studio or 3 weeks in a one bedroom.