Paying cash for weekends

[ascardino]

Since using points for Fri and Sat nights uses double the amount of weeknights, do many of you pay cash for the weekend nights? If so, do you know how much a 1 bdrm runs on those nights? Is it possible to get an AP discount on those nights?

I am assuming they will let you link the reservation together so you do not have to change rooms.

Or would you just rent additional points to pay for the weekends if you didn't have enough?

Trying to plan how many points to purchase as an add-on is why I am asking.

Thanks,

 

[spiceycat]

sometimes DVC gives DVC member a 25% discount.

other times yes the AP is your best deal.

I don't stay at a DVC resort for the weekends - either go to a value resort (okay I am cheap) or stay offsite ......

 

[Figment2]

Friends and I (who also own DVC) use our points on the weekend. We don't like to move and we have the points so why not.

Cyn

 

[Didney Daddy]

Everyone agrees the points are expensive over the weekend but the differnence in price between renting them and paying the going rate with a discount is usually not worth the effort for us most of the time. We just do a quick calculation and usually if the savings is $200 then we will rent and pay the rate. If less than $200 I have found that dealing with MS and renters can take 3-10 hours of my time and at that hourly rate I would rather just use our points and invest my time elsewhere.

Everyone has a value to their time - do a quick check on the benefit and then evaluate that benefit versus brain damage involved in renting and then make the call. Good luck!

 

[DVC Mary]

We have 250 points & to stretch out points out, we generally pay cash w/ AP (best) or DVC discount.

We don't like to move resorts. Just make sure they link your ressies & you should not have to move rooms. We don't want to deal w/ the renting hassle for so few points.

 

[disney junky]

At this point, we just use points. When we purchased it was with a certain amount of time on site, including weekends. It wasn't until I found the DIS and the DVC boards that the idea of point stretching ever even occurred to me.

Sometimes I feel that I should be more frugal with my points, and there may come a time in the future that I can use them differently than I do, but for now, I really can only afford the trips we take, in both time and money. We bought DVC so we would never, never have to pay for accomodations again. So far, it's worked out that way.

 

[LSchrow]

this vacation, we are using points for sat night (hemmed & hawed: considered our 1st value resort stay (decided it wasn't worth moving), considered cash w/25% discount (less than $50 diff if i rented out the points, & once again, the possibility of moving), decided to just book the whole thng with points.......seamless & we added on another night of dining

btw, we had booked a "mixed" ressie a few years ago (linked points & DVC cash 25% off ~ booked thru MS, all standard view). when we got to the resort (BWV), found that the resort was "overbooked", & they had "upgraded" the fri/sat DVC cash portions of our ressie (starting with preferred, moving to standard, then moving to preferred) . after a few hours of pleading, got the moving down to one ~ first night preferred, then the balance in standard.
we are "living proof" that moves are possible when using the cash discount. (just another note: wound up in one of the incredible SV 1 bdrms at the end of BWVs with HUGE LR balcony & another for the Bdrm, views of TOT, PI fireworks, & lotsa ducks ~ best room we've ever had )

 

[Deb & Bill]

There is no guarantee that a reservation booked with AP and one booked with points will be for the same room. You may have to move. However, if you book a cash reservation with MS, they can be linked.

 

[MagikMom]

When we go to WDW we usually go for at least 10 days. We usually stay the first weekend at a value resort to save on points.

 

[Cruelladeville]

We take 4 vacations per year on our points, because we pay cash for the weekends with our AP rates, and I have never moved rooms since 1997 when we bought in. The only time I use pts on the weekend is if we have pts left over--we are using pts at Christmas, because our October trip is cash with free dining. We always link our ressies by telling MS and CRO about the other reservation, and having it noted, then telling the front desk at check-in. Never had a problem. Costs differ at different times of year, we can usually get a studio for about $159, and a one bedroom for $250.

 

[ascardino]

Thanks for all of the info. I guess I will have to weigh it out at the time. If I can save points and get a good deal on weekends with cash, I'll go that route. Otherwise, I'll just use the points and not worry about it.