Okay how many DVC owners DON'T go to WDW every year and if not, do.......

[edk35]

you use your membership to take trips outside the World????

 

[ACDSNY]

I doubt we'll go to WDW every year as the cost is too high. This year we've done an II exchange to Kauai.

 

[AnnaS]

We have criuised every other year since purchasing (Eastern, Western, West Coast and Med. Cruise). We have used a combination of points and cash.

Yet I have also added same year as cruise a trip to WDW - twice renting points from someone and once paying cash (dd's track meet).

Next year we traded and got Cancun but will try to get a WDW trip in also.

 

[jerseygal]

On a II exchange, how easy is it to get an exchange if you book 11 or 12 mos out? Somewhere like Cancun, Aruba, perhaps Atlantis(Harborside) in Bahamas? Have been to both Aruba, Marriott Properties and Harborside as "revenue paying"...Lovely timeshare properties!!! Never been to Cancun though....

Much thanks!

 

[CraftyMouse]

We go to WDW two (and sometimes three) times in one year and then take the next year off. We usually start an AP in December, sometimes go again in Feb/Mar and then go in Oct. before the AP expires. Then we take the next year off, starting a new AP the following Dec. (It's more of a fiscal year than a calendar year for us.)

In the off year we sometimes take cash vacations elsewhere and sometimes use our points. We've traveled to Hilton Head using our points, used them to stay at DL and for an exchange to Sedona, AZ.

 

[gobofraggle]

trips to WDW involve a transatlantic flight for us, so we tend to dilute the cost of that by banking and borrowing to come over every 2-3 years for a few weeks... I know lots of USA people do trips of a few days - for us, we treat it more like a holiday home and make it multi-week (I guess if we stayed in a studio and had 3 years of points available, it could run into a few months - how nice!)

 

[Alexander]

On a II exchange, how easy is it to get an exchange if you book 11 or 12 mos out? Somewhere like Cancun, Aruba, perhaps Atlantis(Harborside) in Bahamas? Have been to both Aruba, Marriott Properties and Harborside as "revenue paying"...Lovely timeshare properties!!! Never been to Cancun though....

Much thanks!

Prime destinations are very hard to get especially at peak times of the year. I know Atlantis is extremely hard to get almost all year round. You will need to be VERY flexible when you call. For example, I would like to travel anytime in March....Then you may need to be ready to go at a moments notice...Sometimes 2 weeks notice if something comes up.

 

[Laurabearz]

Well our favorite DVC vacation is at their Hilton Head Resort.

As our kids get older we will be looking for other offsite uses for our points.

 

[londonderrydisneyfan]

We tend to make two long (10 day) trips w/ in one calendar year and then then take one year off. We usually end up using close to three year's worth of points in the two trips so we don't have any spare points.

 

[crisi]

We generally go every other year - though over the October - October period this year, I'll go three times - but that's an exception (we had a rescheduled family trip, points that needed using, then I had a business trip).

We only use points within DVC. We've cruised DCL for cash twice, and taken the kids other places for cash.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Our DVC trips so far have been...

HH - November '06
BWV - April '07
BWV - January '08

Future Trips...
HH - November '08
BWV - March '09 (We may switch at 7 mos.)

I suspect we will skip some years in the future. It will be 14 mos. between our last WDW trip and our next one. We have 100 points and have just used them as we had them for whatever floats our boat.

We used to go about every 3 years.

 

[vbarry]

I would also like to know about trading into II. How far in advance do you need to plan for this?

So far we have used points only to cruise and stay at DVC resorts but dh is ready to do something else so I am looking for possibly trading out summer 2010. Can you put yourself on a waitlist that far in advance??

 

[janni518]

We are new to DVC but the other place besides WDW I would consider going is Disneyland as my grandaughter lives in Cali. Does that count?

 

[CraftyMouse]

I would also like to know about trading into II. How far in advance do you need to plan for this?

So far we have used points only to cruise and stay at DVC resorts but dh is ready to do something else so I am looking for possibly trading out summer 2010. Can you put yourself on a waitlist that far in advance??

You can put your trade request in to II up to 2 years in advance. For more desirable locations (Hawaii, for example) it's a good idea to do it as far in advance as possible. If they don't have a match for you at the time of your request you can go on the waitlist.

 

[gobofraggle]

I'm looking forward to the possibility of an around-the-world Disney trip... it's already kind-of possible with Florida, California, soon-Hawaii, Tokyo, Hong Kong...and then a stretch to Paris (although having been there several times I shudder to imagine spending points on it again)... there have been rumours of Disney in Dubai, which would bridge Far East and Europe, but now with Dubaiworld it looks like they're building their own. Abu Dhabi, maybe, to go with their Ferrari theme park.

 

[edk35]

We tend to make two long (10 day) trips w/ in one calendar year and then then take one year off. We usually end up using close to three year's worth of points in the two trips so we don't have any spare points.

hmmmm so do you do two trips in one year because that is how the points work out for you? I mean why not go every year for one 10 day trip??

 

[edk35]

trips to WDW involve a transatlantic flight for us, so we tend to dilute the cost of that by banking and borrowing to come over every 2-3 years for a few weeks... I know lots of USA people do trips of a few days - for us, we treat it more like a holiday home and make it multi-week (I guess if we stayed in a studio and had 3 years of points available, it could run into a few months - how nice!)

Our kids met a boy from England...and they came over for 5 weeks. Last year 3. My kid were drueling!!!!

 

[crisi]

hmmmm so do you do two trips in one year because that is how the points work out for you? I mean why not go every year for one 10 day trip??

A lot of DVCers plan two trips in a year, skip a year, and then do it again to maximize annual passes. The two trips in a year are often 11+ months apart - so it often feels like a year (though I'd guess other people do two trip six months apart). Its very cost effective.

 

[edk35]

A lot of DVCers plan two trips in a year, skip a year, and then do it again to maximize annual passes. The two trips in a year are often 11+ months apart - so it often feels like a year (though I'd guess other people do two trip six months apart). Its very cost effective.

something to think about I guess. It does though seem to all work out the same in the wash so to speak.

 

[DisFlan]

A lot of DVCers plan two trips in a year, skip a year, and then do it again to maximize annual passes. The two trips in a year are often 11+ months apart - so it often feels like a year (though I'd guess other people do two trip six months apart). Its very cost effective.

That's what we're doing. We're going twice in 12 months (last Oct. and upcoming in Sept.) to reuse APs, golf card and DDE. We'll likely skip next year and be back in 2010 to repeat.


DisFlan