Owners with 200 points or less: How do you use your points?

[MonaMN]

We bought 150 points last year and will make our first trip as owners in March.

Our plan was to do a trip about every other year, mostly during spring break while our kid is in school (currently in middle school).

Our plans were immediately altered though because we ended up traveling with some friends for our March trip - so we ended up transferring points and reserving a 2 bedroom… and thinking about maybe a couple days prior to a cruise for 2023.

So we shall see how it all plays out!

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We started with 150 points, planning on one bedroom villas either for a week every 18 months, or 4 days once a year. This year we decided that we really do prefer to go every year, but for longer than 4 nights, so we added on 50 points. That will get us 5 nights during busy times like Thanksgiving or 6 if we buy a few OTU points.

 

[Carol_]

We bought in Dec 2018 and have 175 points. As of Nov 2021, I've gone on 3 trips (2 with husband, 1 with a friend). We like longer trips and having the luxury of more space.

1. SSR 1 bedroom, 6 nights
2. HHI 1 bedroom, 7 nights
3. Animal Kingdom Kidani, 1-bedroom, Savanna view for 5 nights
For a family trip in June, (9 possibly 10 of us)
4. CCV (where we own) 2-bedroom for 7 nights
5. CCV deluxe studio for 6 nights

This is very nearly what we’ve done with no 2BRs and no studios (well, ok one CCV studio c 1 night)… and CCV Cabin and SSR Treehouses added to the mix.
ETA: We originally bought 150 CCV pts with thoughts of 1BRs once or twice per year then soon after added another contract at SSR.

 

[Omoreno]

We have 150 points, so we do 7-9 stays in a studio. If we have points left over we can bank and use them to get a one bedroom or two bedroom the next year. For example, in September SSR studio is 80 points which means 70 points would be banked giving us 220 points.

 

[snowhyte]

We bought 150 points in 2008. There’s only 3 of us so we do studios. We have been to Aulani twice, Vero Beach once, and Walt Disney World every year. Sometimes I’ve paid cash for rooms to extend our stay or for additional trips. We own at Boulder Ridge, but havent stayed there in years. I love OKW, SSR, BWV, and Kidani so we usually stay in one of those resorts. I do love split stays though and the only DVC I haven’t stayed at is Polynesian and Riveria. (I will be trying Riveria in April and I’m very excited) Although 150 points is not a lot, we have been able to maximize those points to enjoy a trip every year - lots of borrowing, if I’m honest lol.

 

[Lva5]

We have 100 pts at CC and 100 at Riv.

We haven't had any issues doing week-long stays or shorter weekend trips in studios.

This year we booked a 6 night 2BR stay with family and that used up all of our banked points and some of next years, but when we bought we did so with the intention of maybe going every other year so it works out.