Poll: West Coasters - How often do you go to FL?

[vacay77]

My family and I live on the West coast so we mostly go to DL. However, we also love WDW so I'd say we go there every other year.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Hi All,

I am in ROFR for Aulani and just booked a trip paying retail at Poly. I have never been yet but want to take the little guy to WDW for a few days before a trip on Disney Dream. After paying over $1k per night for a studio at Poly after taxes I am considering adding on a FL property and considering Poly or BLT contract. The flight to FL is 3.5-4 hours longer than flying to DLR and my little guy doesn't mind flying.

I was curious how many people live on the West Coast (I'm in Northern CA) and make regular trips to WDW. Should I listen to the inner addonitis voice in my head or should I mostly go to Disneyland in CA?

Have you considered a Grand Californian resale? They're pretty hard to find and a lot more expensive per point than either Poly or BLT, but it might be a good choice for you.

I'm hoping the Disneyland Tower DVC goes through and I can get points there.

 

[JoshF]

Have you considered a Grand Californian resale? They're pretty hard to find and a lot more expensive per point than either Poly or BLT, but it might be a good choice for you.

I'm hoping the Disneyland Tower DVC goes through and I can get points there.

I don't want to get VGC, resale prices are too high for me. I am very interested to see the DVC tower if and when it happens. I wonder what it will sell for...

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I don't want to get VGC, resale prices are too high for me. I am very interested to see the DVC tower if and when it happens. I wonder what it will sell for...

That's the question for sure! Planning for high and starting to save now - tee hee. I have to assume their points chart won't be higher than VGC. How many points do you think you'll want at DL Tower? Im thinking 300 is the magic number for us. So much money to save - they can take their time building haha.

 

[Royal Consort]

The flight to FL is 3.5-4 hours longer than flying to DLR and my little guy doesn't mind flying.

I was curious how many people live on the West Coast (I'm in Northern CA) and make regular trips to WDW. Should I listen to the inner addonitis voice in my head or should I mostly go to Disneyland in CA?

I am about as West Coast as you can get: Australia. I fly to WDW annually (sometimes twice a year) and it takes me 24 hours in the air.

I often have a wry smile when Americans talk about flight time and crossing the country.

 

[JoshF]

That's the question for sure! Planning for high and starting to save now - tee hee. I have to assume their points chart won't be higher than VGC. How many points do you think you'll want at DL Tower? Im thinking 300 is the magic number for us. So much money to save - they can take their time building haha.

That's a good question! It will depend how the Disney travels go over the next couple of years until we hear an announcement I'd imagine. My little guy is 5 now so we'll see how much he's into it. At least enough to stay in a 1BR or 2 BR for 3 nights because I see So Cal more as long weekend trips.

 

[FinnFogg]

We are on the West Coast (Canada) and own at Aulani and OKW (and are in ROFR). We primarily use our OKW points for Aulani and VGC, but every now and then we (mostly me) get the urge to go to WDW. When we do, we spring for DVC gold passes and try to get 3 or 4 trips in a year. We went last Nov, and were supposed to go in March and May (obviously cancelled). Not sure yet whether we will extend our passes and try Nov and March, or just take a refund (given the issues with borders and quarantine).

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm hoping I can. Don't know if there will be availability in April by the time my points clear the ROFR black hole. Things are moving sloooooowly in resales .

If you're in ROFR now I'd think you'd manage to have your points before the 7 month window opens for April. And April is not a difficult time to book at WDW so you'll probably be fine even if you miss the 7 month window by a little bit. I'd suggest just seeing how it goes for a bit using the Aulani points between there and WDW. If you think you'll do April trips to WDW then definitely wait. Really only if it's fall - Oct-Dec then you might want to own somewhere at WDW if you decide to do consistent trips there.

 

[Lorana]

If you're in ROFR now I'd think you'd manage to have your points before the 7 month window opens for April.

It really depends how far along into ROFR, as that’s only ~2 months from now (depending on when in April)I entered ROFR for one contract in May and thought I’d be fine for Feb 7-months in July. Here we are 2 months later, with my 7 month window on Tuesday, and I’m not even closed yet, let alone have points in my account! :-(. It seems to be taking about 3-4 months from ROFR submission to points in account at present.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It really depends how far along into ROFR, as that’s only ~2 months from now (depending on when in April)I entered ROFR for one contract in May and thought I’d be fine for Feb 7-months in July. Here we are 2 months later, with my 7 month window on Tuesday, and I’m not even closed yet, let alone have points in my account! :-(. It seems to be taking about 3-4 months from ROFR submission to points in account at present.

I wonder if brokers need to start pressing DVC a bit? The ROFR wording is that DVC needs to have a minimum of 30 days prior to closing to respond to ROFR. If they haven't responded in that time then technically closing should be able to proceed. In the past when it went past the required time frame and they were told closing was going to move forward they tended to get that response back. Of course if the contracts have closing dates that don't align to allow that to happen then technically not a lot to be done. It does seem that brokers are often hesitant to question.

 

[DougEMG]

We are on the west coast in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and we do 1 annual trip a year for around 4 weeks.

This will be the first year in ages that we won't be going to WDW

 

[LilyJC]

I did not vote as our situation is a bit different. We live ridiculously close to DLR and typically went at least once a week before the parks closed. Our VGC points were for the now (permanently?) defunct DLR runDisney events. It’s tempting to sell and make a giant profit at these prices, but no one in the family wants to let go of our VGC contracts.

Most of our WDW trips are also in conjunction with runDisney events. Sometimes we’ll get APs and go several times in a year, but other years we take a break. We don’t enjoy the WDW rD events as much as the DLR runs, so we definitely need breaks from those insanely early mornings. And we are beyond thankful we had no plans for the rD events this year or next.

I’m unsure if you mean that you’ve never been to WDW or just that you’ve never stayed at the Polynesian? If it’s the former, I’d always recommend a visit before buying in at a WDW resort. WDW is a different beast than DLR. Granted Disneyland is home for us, but it’s a much more chill experience with less insane planning than WDW. Not to mention who knows how long it will take both Disneys to get back to normal. Good luck with your decision making!

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

We are on the west coast in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and we do 1 annual trip a year for around 4 weeks.

This will be the first year in ages that we won't be going to WDW

Jealous - Victoria is such an amazing and adorable city! Dutch Bakery, Crust, Chocolat, Bon Macaron, Irish Times - did I mention I think with my stomach?
Sorry you're breaking the chain of WDW visits - hopefully it picks right back up next year!

 

[RoseGold]

booked a trip paying retail at Poly.

Ouch. Points are renting for not much, in case you haven't noticed, and Poly has lots of availability depending on when you are going. I would be FURIOUS if I paid $700 for a Poly room, and I'm a Poly owner.

 

[KPeterso]

I live about 20 minutes from Disneyland and own points at SSR, VGC, and AKV. I typically get down to WDW twice a year (March for a week and September for 10-14 days) and then do mini stays VGC (and sometimes cash at the other 2 hotels) 2-4 times a year (including VGC for the anniversary every year). I also go to the parks just for the day about 2-4 times per month. This will be the first September since 2004 that we have missed WDW. And I should be at VGC right now for the Anniversary.

 

[DonnerB]

I grew up in a Disney family in Wisconsin; we made the trip to WDW every 2-3 years on average. My parents were somehow convinced to buy a contract at SSR in 2006. We had planned to visit and stay with family friends who had moved to Orlando, but had to grab a hotel last minute when they happily decided to move "home." Having 3 teenage daughters in a hotel room, relying on an offsite shuttle vs paying to park...all definitely play into my parents' decision. Now that my parents are empty-nesters and my dad is retired, they visit probably twice a year. On one such visit in 2018, my sister and I purchased our own contract at CCV. She's still in WI, but I moved to Los Angeles in 2011. I keep telling myself I will stop booking red-eyes when flying to the East Coast, but they really just maximize my time so well. I can work, stop home for my luggage, and be at LAX...try to sleep on the flight...catch a fairly empty Magical Express and with any luck, have a room ready for me on arrival to take a nap. If not, I head out to the parks and wait for my family to show up after their morning flights. The two of us work on a once every 12-18 months schedule so we can travel to other non-Disney locales. That lets us stay a little longer or get bigger rooms when we visit. If you have ANY interest in visiting WDW regularly, I think owning points there is smart. Having the 11 month window is key if you want to ensure a specific stay during any high-demand times. I've chewed on splurging for VGC points and it just seems silly. I live 40 minutes away and can't imagine frequently planning a visit 8-11 months out, so paying that premium would be a waste for me. With any luck, I could use my Florida-based points to book a stay in California at the 7 month mark.