So how many points do you own...

[TinyTGO]

How much time does that buy you per year?

Just short of enough

We use just over 2k in points a year. I use the balance throughout the year as goal incentives for my sales reps. I wish I had thought about it waaaaay sooner. It makes things so much more fun.

 

[kboo]

Just short of enough
.... I use the balance throughout the year as goal incentives for my sales reps. ...

That is genius! wow!

 

[anneliesemt3]

My husband and I (No kids) purchased 150 at Poly, just enough for a full week in standard view studio

 

[glencoe]

I started late...had my first introduction to DVC on my honeymoon....in 1990!!! Walked away..fast forward and finally took the first plunge in 2013. Direct, BLT 150pts. Being a family of 5 and the space of DVC was such a huge selling point, we bought. Now as my kids enter the ages of 21,17 and 15, I find we are bringing friends/family and using 2 bedrooms and a grand villa in the future....so I bought another 160 at BLT resale in 2016, then another 160 BLT resale 2017.(11 month window grand villa option or two-two bedroom villas)
A trip to Aulani (had to get ocean view...7 month window) and my daughters upcoming sweet 16 in '18 has me borrowing into '19. Sooooooo the potato chip theory prevails...there might be more in my future but this time a different resort.
I am finding the 7 month window can be problematic even in slow times (are there any of those?) for simple studios/standard views.
I have had awesome rooms with great views...however sometimes I would rather save the points if possible. 7 month window doesn't really allow that.
Talk to me next year....my numbers might change

 

[bakerworld]

315 for us. Started with 160 AKL because BL wasn't selling to the 'general public' in August of '08, plus we wanted to see if the 7 month window really worked. We added 100 at BL the following year. Both contracts bought direct and both came with a years were of incentive points so our original 160 was 320 and the 100 was 200. We found by 2012 the 7 month window wasn't working for the Fall so we purchased 55 points at BC to use every other year.

Our 'sweet spot' vacation is 6N - less nights, we want to stay longer and more nights, I start really missing my own bed. We generally vacation in March and October - warm enough for the pool but not too hot. We like to vacation on our own which we've found eliminates the need for ADR's because we like to eat at the bar and more than three at a bar can make conversation difficult. We try to manipulate the AP's to encompass 2 Fall trips with the Spring in the middle. That leaves a Spring 'ticket-less' which is when we stay at AK - or SSR/OKW.

Over the last 8 years we've shared our points with family and occasionally do family vacations which require 2br villas, which really eats points. We have occasionally stayed at the Dolphin in years that are point shy. We could use more points but I have a max budget for our annual dues and we're almost there with the increases every year.

 

[dclpluto]

555 total
150 bwv
305 ssr
100 California

 

[biogirl5579]

I have 320 total both at Saratoga Springs; my first 160 was purchased directly through Disney and my second 160 was resale (before the resale rules changed though).

 

[DVC-Don]

210

 

[deerh]

Now own 533 points. Started with 190 BWV points in 1999. Then, we added 100 BWV points in 2000. Then we bought 83 points at HHI in
2000. We just purchased 160 points at CCV in 2017. We now have 3 of the 4 parks within 10 min. At BWV, we are a 10 min walk to Epcot,
a 10-15 min boat ride to DHS, and a 10 min boat ride to MK! We try to go every year to the FW Festival in September, and go to WDW in
May.

 

[jodifla]

206 points. We bought 150 points in 1996, when they dropped the minimum points required for purchase. Then I paid cash for 56 points at Beach Club Villas.

This has been a good amount of points for us. We are never overwhelmed but have enough for at least one vacation yearly.

 

[keaster]

We purchased 480 AKL points direct in 2011 (two 240 point contracts). We find it's good for now but we are hopefully going to add on (probably resale) at Aulani as we would like to have the 11 month advantage over Christmas/new year time!

 

[billsfan12345]

We have 730 SSR points all bought resale starting in 2016 right before the change with extra benefits. We bought 120 points to start and have become addicted very quickly. The biggest problem is that we keep going so we have to keep adding points. We are trying to stick to three trips in a 1 bedroom in Feb, April (easter break) and Thanksgiving. We really need to get about 100 more points before we can do those trips without bank/borrow. Also we drive from NY each time which is a lot of travel but it's a lot cheaper than three flights so it helps offset the costs.

We like BCV the best! We didn't purchase there because of the shorter deed and most importantly 1 beds are the easiest to get there and we have been able to see they are available at our 7 month window.

We are 29 days away from our next trip!

Welcome Home!

 

[Miss Piggy 1978]

We have 330 points split between SSR (150) and BCV (180). We travel from the UK once per year although next year we are going twice. We book studios as there is only the two of us and we are taking friends and family with us on trips which we love being able to do.

 

[nob]

360 total. 150 HH points, we use them 2 out of 3 years. 210 AKL. Every 2-3 years with family. Works well for us.

 

[Boardwalkin]

350 total. We started with 200 so we could book a 1 BR for 7 days each October. Then we bought another 150 point contract so we could book a 7 day studio trip in May. We now have given up on the 1 BR and switched to a studio in October and use the remaining points for a week at Aulani. I think it may be time for use to add on!

 

[Greg36]

We just recently bought 160 points at AKL. We banked 155 from our 2017 use year. We go once a year in the fall for 14 nights and we figure we can get a standard view room at AKL for a long time through banking and borrowing. That is the plan anyways, we shall see what happens at the seven month window and if 160 points is really enough We feel like 160 points will cover the types of cash trips we have been doing for a number of years now and to us this was the best way to make DVC save us money. I can see us shifting though after we have stayed elsewhere and maybe even in larger units...

 

[paults]

own 400 at BWV. 100 direct, 300 resale

 

[Bellecruiser]

We have 1385 points at: SSR- 875 pts (555 resale@$65/pt, 320 direct@$92/pt), BCV -210 pts (150 resale@$85/pt, 60 direct@$115/pt), and VGF - 300 pts (direct@145/pt). We bought about half direct and half resale (before the rules changed in 2011). We use BCV for Food & Wine In Oct/Nov. We go for two weeks in January (2BR) to get out of the cold and grey (in Jan it is soooo green at WDW!). We always stay in 1 or 2 BR. The rest of our points get used up for fun things like concierge collection, or cruising. We never have remaining points to bank . We invite family and friends too.

Like others, we started studying DVC in 1990, but couldn’t afford to buy (how stupid was THAT!). We bought our first contract in 2008, and didn’t look back. Now we really couldn’t afford to buy as we are retired.

Regrets: I wish we had bought at BLT instead of BCV.

We love our DVC!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We have 1385 points at: SSR- 875 pts (555 resale@$65/pt, 320 direct@$92/pt), BCV -210 pts (150 resale@$85/pt, 60 direct@$115/pt), and VGF - 300 pts (direct@145/pt). We bought about half direct and half resale (before the rules changed in 2011). We use BCV for Food & Wine In Oct/Nov. We go for two weeks in January (2BR) to get out of the cold and grey (in Jan it is soooo green at WDW!). We always stay in 1 or 2 BR. The rest of our points get used up for fun things like concierge collection, or cruising. We never have remaining points to bank . We invite family and friends too.

Like others, we started studying DVC in 1990, but couldn’t afford to buy (how stupid was THAT!). We bought our first contract in 2008, and didn’t look back. Now we really couldn’t afford to buy as we are retired.

Regrets: I wish we had bought at BLT instead of BCV.

We love our DVC!

If you haven't looked at prices recently you could possibly sell your BCV and buy BLT at minimal or no cost. This wasn't true in the past but at the moment with the huge BCV increase it's on the same pricing level as BLT now. You'd get the resort you wished for, lower dues and longer contract length.