Need help with options to use banked points

[shari2shop]

I never thought I'd have this problem but I"m not sure how to use my points. I have 125 banked points from 2011. I will be able to use them begining March 2012. I will also have 125 from 2012 and 125 I an borrow from 2013.

What are my options?

Option 1: stay at WDW in a DVC resort (or Disneyland). Don't want to do this because we can only go in the summer and it is too hot and crowded.

Option 2: Go to one of the stand alone resorts; Hilton Head, Vero or Hawaii. Thought we might do Hawaii but the airfare is $900 a person!

Option 3: Disney Cruise: Wanted to do the Alaska cruise but the port times are really short. Might do one out of Flordia but I wonder how safe Mexico really is.

So any other ideas on how to use my 125 banked points? I don't mind using current year and borrowing too for a total of 375 pt. I really hate to do nothing and loose the points.

Thanks

 

[dianeschlicht]

I never thought I'd have this problem but I"m not sure how to use my points. I have 125 banked points from 2011. I will be able to use them begining March 2012. I will also have 125 from 2012 and 125 I an borrow from 2013.

What are my options?

Option 1: stay at WDW in a DVC resort (or Disneyland). Don't want to do this because we can only go in the summer and it is too hot and crowded.

Option 2: Go to one of the stand alone resorts; Hilton Head, Vero or Hawaii. Thought we might do Hawaii but the airfare is $900 a person!

Option 3: Disney Cruise: Wanted to do the Alaska cruise but the port times are really short. Might do one out of Flordia but I wonder how safe Mexico really is.

So any other ideas on how to use my 125 banked points? I don't mind using current year and borrowing too for a total of 375 pt. I really hate to do nothing and [lose] the points.

Thanks

You wont really lose all the points if you didn't use 3 years worth. You would only "have" to use the 2011 banked points in your 2012 use year. The 125 2012 points could be banked forward to 2013 if that works better for you. You don't say where you own, but it sounds like you own at one of the WDW resorts. I guess what you really need to do is figure out what works best into your schedule. What did you plan to do when you first purchased, and does that not work anymore?

Another option if you don't think you can or want to make a summer trip, is you could rent out your points and use the money toward your dues.

 

[Brian Noble]

Don't want to do this because we can only go in the summer and it is too hot and crowded.

We did a summer trip one year where we didn't visit the theme parks at all. Instead, we bought the water park + disney quest annual pass, and just did the three "minor" parks for a week. We would either hit one of them in the morning, and then have dinner somewhere, or we'd have a late brunch, and spend the afternoon-to-close in one of the minor parks.

In many ways, it was one of our best trips ever. It was very relaxed---we never felt rushed to get anything done because we knew we had plenty of time to do everything we wanted in those three parks, and could easily revisit things whenever we wanted. As long as you have water shoes (the concrete gets HOT) and are careful about sunscreen/swim shirts etc., the water parks are great in the heat of summer, because you're pretty much in the water all the time. DQ is air-conditioned. We also got to explore some of those resort meals (like the breakfast at Boma, some of the DTD locations, or burgers and the Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream) that we never wanted to take the time to do when the theme parks beckoned.

 

[sara mom]

Cruise option.......
Just off the Magic in Cozumel...I felt pretty cafe as it is an island off the coast of Mexico. I believe future cruises have 2 stops in Mexico, you could always not get off the boat and enjoy the ship while everyone is on land.

 

[shari2shop]

Thanks for the suggestions.

When we bought we planned to just do whatever we wanted... We knew we would not do Disney every year but every two to three years. That is why we only have 125 points.

I know I will not loose anything but the 125 2011 points that are banked if not used by March 2013. I was just trying to say that I'm willing to use more than one years worth of points at a time.

Can I trade for a week though RCI or is that possible with banked points?

Thanks again!

 

[taaren]

In your place I would rent out 150 points and cruise ... totally understand not wanting to do the parks in the summer.

RCI trades are 160 points, and I think you can combine from more than one UY, but in general for best value you're probably better off renting your points then staying in a hotel or going to VRBO if you want to stay in a timeshare resort ...