Tell me about using points for non-Disney vacations

[Luv2Scrap]

I am looking into buying into DVC within the next year or two but right now I'm completely undecided about it.

How many of you use your points for non-Disney vacations? And how often do you do it? I know there is an extra $95 charge for booking these vacations. Is it worth it?

Also can someone tell me how many points per person it takes for a Disney cruise?

thanks!

 

[bwvBound]

A year or two out could bring a dramatically different landscape, but for now we're content using our DVC points at DVC resort locations and our non-DVC timeshare for trading elsewhere. It is simply a matter of money for us ... DVC is too expensive, compared to other options, to spend on non-DVC travel.

 

[kerickson]

I believe it depends on what you are looking to get out of your membership. Do you want to squeeze every dollar out of your points (stay in studios, cook in every meal, stay in the lowest point resorts only..) or do you also just like the idea of pre-paid vacations and flexibility of using your points in multiple ways.

We purchased as a way to pre-pay our vacations. This brings with it 2 benefits, 1) paying tomorrow's vacations at today's $ -only applies if you use within the DVC system- and 2) knowing you have prepaid points to use every year and don't have to budget large amounts of cash on a yearly basis. The latter forces us to take much needed family vacations when in the past we would not have due to the immediate cost.

I plan to use my points to pay for all or a portion of some non DVD trips too. We opted for a cruise this year because we had some developer points we had to use up and had banked some points from the year before. Rather than multiple Disney park trips (which would be too much for us), we opted for a cruise which we've always been dreaming of!

I don't really see any difference between using your points for a 1BR when you could really be fine with a studio and using your points for a Disney Cruise. Neither are the best value per point, but they are both wonderful vacations!

 

[TiszBear]

I have used my points for Disney and non Disney stays. I used my points to stay in Washington DC at the Mandarian Oriental and the $95 charge that I paid was oh so worth it!! I can honestly say I could never afford the type of room without using my DVC points.

I would use points for non Disney travel again. I always tell people that while I love the option of always to going to Disney it is also the other option of going to new places; ones that I want to see again and ones that I have always wanted to go to.

I will say this thou I won't use my points for the cruise because that is not cost effective for me.

if you have any more questions PM me.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

We have used our points for two non Disney trips... Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson and the Grovepark Inn in Charlottesvile. We were very satisfied with the stays and the values for our points. We have also used points to do the cruise, but I think the next time we would pay cash as we have learned this is not as good a point value.

 

[sanbornangel]

We went to Aruba in November. Aruba was beautiful and the stay for a 1 bedroom for 8 days was 124 points...however I was very unhappy with 2 things...the resort was older, not kept up and not the Disney cleanliness we are used to. Also we had to pay an "occupancy tax and utility tax" that was in the "fine print" that we DID NOT read. It was over $100.00 plus the $95.00 booking fee...
I'm not sure how anxious I am to use this service again..maybe the RCI will be better.

 

[AnnaS]

We have used our points for 4 Disney cruises. We have done the Eastern, Western, West Coast and 11 N. Md. Cruise. We have had two cabins for each cruise and have used a combination of points and cash for each cruise. We have also booked different category cabins for each cruise.

I consider our Cancun (The Royal Sands) reservation this July our first "official trade" with DVC.

We have used it mostly for DVC stays and a cruise every other year. We will wait another year or two to get some feedback regarding the whole RCI experience now before thinking of using points to trade again. If it's more positive, will trade in the near future (2/3 years). Nothing definite.

 

[Dean]

We went to Aruba in November. Aruba was beautiful and the stay for a 1 bedroom for 8 days was 124 points...however I was very unhappy with 2 things...the resort was older, not kept up and not the Disney cleanliness we are used to. Also we had to pay an "occupancy tax and utility tax" that was in the "fine print" that we DID NOT read. It was over $100.00 plus the $95.00 booking fee...
I'm not sure how anxious I am to use this service again..maybe the RCI will be better.

This is a function of Aruba, not the resort. I think the occupancy tax is $6.50 a day for Aruba. Some resorts (La Cabana for one) add a utility fee around $4 a day more. This is why one needs to investigate options considered and read the fine print.

 

[sanbornangel]

This is a function of Aruba, not the resort. I think the occupancy tax is $6.50 a day for Aruba. Some resorts (La Cabana for one) add a utility fee around $4 a day more. This is why one needs to investigate options considered and read the fine print.

I sure will read the fine print in the future...we are hoping to go to Mexico with DVC. We have been to Mexico not using our points and have loved it.

 

[Dean]

I sure will read the fine print in the future...we are hoping to go to Mexico with DVC. We have been to Mexico not using our points and have loved it.

More to my point was one needs to do independent investigation of the resort and area. MX is a great example. Many of the resorts may have great beaches but not greats swimming beaches. Or maybe they're out of town (Nuevo Vallarta/Cabo) and you won't have a car. Or for HI, at least one of the best choices for the big island doesn't have a beach at all. You want to find out things like what the unit types you're looking at are like and do they have multiple unit sizes within that type (standard vs deluxe). What are the unit assignment priorities, are you going to get the dumpster view as an exchanger (parking lot view at KBC on Maui). Any extra fees like AC, utilities, state taxes, parking; many have them. We paid a mandatory $25 a day in Waikiki last Jan on an RCI trade to the Wyndham. The list could go on and on, just investigate before accepting or listing a given exchange.

 

[FreeTime]

We have used ours on DCL twice and I didn't think twice about the value of the points. I always consider my initial investment a sunk cost. So I guess it is how you think about what DVC has cost you. So to me, the annual dues expense only was a cheap way to sale.

We have also used our points on an exchange to Marriott Timberlodge at Lake Tahoe. We really enjoyed this trip and would not have been able to pay cash for the room. For fewer points than it would have cost us in a DVC studio for 6 nights we were able to stay 7 nights at LT.

We have used it at DL as well and did not like the room they gave us. I would have rather paid cash and stayed offsite.