sorry, i know i'm really being stupid here. Earlier it was suggested that renting a week's stay might be about $1300, if i calculated correctly. I think it was about $100/point. But it cost you $23k for only 200 points???? So my thinking is obviously still wrong.
and you say you have a room guaranteed for the next 50 years for that? Literally? Or figuratively? How often/long are you allowed to stay for that amount of $? Is it for 1-week vacations, once a year? What do you get for buying $23k worth? I'm sorry, i still don't quite understand it yet. I'm just dense i guess.
So see my response below and that should help. We get 200 points each year for 50 years. For 200 points, we can do quite a lot in year, considering I have a small family now- just me, DH and my 4yo son. We can get a "studio" which is like a regular sized room at Bay Lake Tower (or any DVC property) for like 100 points for a full week during off season in a standard studio. At BLT, they offer standard, lakeview or MK view. Lakeview and MK view cost more points. It can go as high as 180 points though during christmas week. There is a points schedule for each DVC resort, and it si based on season, so busier times, it cost more points. Slower times, it cost less.
For a one bedroom, which sleeps 5 (separate master bedroom with king, pull out queen couch in living room and twin sleeper, two bathrooms, full kitchen, balcony, laundry etc.)- we did a one bedroom in 2010 with a party of 5 for 7 nights and it was like 240 something points for early december in a lakeview room. It was amazing! We had points to carry over from the prior year we had used since we only get 200 points a year.
For this coming November, we are in a 2 bedroom lakeview at Bay Lake Towers. It can sleep 9. We only 5 of us, but we chose it so my parents could have their own separate bedroom. It has two bedrooms, 3 baths, full laundry, living room, 2 balconies, full kitchen, breakfast area etc. It is costing us 365 points, but we are there for 8 nights. The weekends are more expensive. A weekend night then is like 50 points. I had to borrow ahead from 2013 points to book this. Which means we won't have many points in 2013 to use, but that's okay, we might just do a studio then or continue borrowing from ahead a year, or buy more points!
We "own" at Bay Lake Towers, so we can book there at 11 months out. We can book at other DVC resorts at 7 months out. So whoever "owns" at a certain property gets first dibs on booking, which is key sometimes- like during F&W festival time, the DVC rooms near Epcot book up fast, and you sometimes have to get on a waiting list at 7 months if you want to try and stay there, if you don't own at Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club villas. But we are guaranteed our 200 points each year for 50 years. We can hand it down to our son as well. We do pay an annual maintenance fee as you would with any timeshare- it was about $875 this year. It varies with resorts- AKL can be more due to the animal upkeep etc.
We can use our points towards a cruise, adventures by disney or even just regular hotels, but it isn't a good value to use your points for any of that really. Most folks will pay out of pocket instead for a cruise, unless they just have points to burn. We have used our points for two nights (weekend) at the
Disneyland hotel in CA last August too- that was like 86 points for two nights, but it was a weekend. That was pretty pricey but we had points to burn then, so we did it rather than paying out of pocket.
Exwdwcm, i read your reply again, and maybe i'm getting the idea now. So when you spend $xx,xxx amount on it, your just buying x amount of points? And then the room/villa is set up to cost x amount of points per night??? So your length of stay is dependent on the amount of points you own?
Yes, we paid $115 per point, we bought 200 points (per year), which came out to $23k. We get 200 points EACH YEAR to use. We can borrow from ahead a year, and carry over a year too, so you can have up to 3 years worth of points to use at a time, which for us, would be 600 points. You can't carry over more than a year though, which is why people will rent them if they can't use them, otherwise, they'd just lose them.
WE just bought in Feb 2010. So while we paid a lot for DVC, since we prefer to stay deluxe each trip and usually for 7-8 nights minimum a year, it comes out well for us. If you go at least once a year and like to stay deluxe, it is a good value. But if you prefer staying value or mod, then DVC probably isn't a good value or buy for you.
I always want to - we're BIG Harry Potter fans - but with the front loaded tickets, I've never been able to bring myself to do it. 5$ more per day for more Disney park days, or start over with a new set of tickets at Universal...
Eventually, I'll need to do it. I have one thrill-ride junkie who will absolutely love Universal, but two that are still ride-chickens.
I so wish I had figured out the room occupancy thing on an earlier trip. This will be our first trip as a family of 5, and now it will be virtually impossible to ever stay at the Wilderness Lodge. The way the Villas are set up, we have too many for a four-person villa, but not enough for an 8-person villa. I have a "Wilderness Lodge at Christmas-time" fantasy which will be very hard to satisfy with no "in-between" Villas!
I am still waiting for our new planning video. It seems like I requested it a long time ago, but it's probably only been a few days. I have been searching my cable listings for Disney travel-themed shows, but nothing... I need to my Disney parks fix!
BLT and AKL villas (one bedroom) will both accommodate 5 people. It's a great option. There is a master bedroom with a king bed and bath. Then a living area with a couch that folds out to a queen bed. Then there is a chair that folds out to a twin sleeper. My 11yo niece slept on that chair and loved it. Plus you have the kitchen, second bath and laundry. There are also the family suites at the All Stars to accommodate five too. Right now I think BLT and AKL are the only ones that offer that additional sleeper chair so that you can fit five.
) I"m starting to think about a day there. Would you do both parks or just pick one? It will just be hubby and myself.
I love that I can watch them on our TV! 
Gotta eat, ya know!? 
They have a 1/2 day today (well, DS didn't even have preschool), then Mimi & Pawpaw (my parents) are going to pick them up and take them to their favorite place (McD's) for lunch. It's the only time they get McD's. It's their special place. As much as my parents dislike it, the kids love it. The things grandparents will do for their grandchildren. I certainly don't remember them going there for ME when I was growing up. 
I'm hoping the rain will hold off tomorrow so we can go to a parade. DH's brother is in one, and we'd love to take the kids, but I'm not getting them out in the rain. 
it! 
