The Perfect Amount of Points

[FuzzyMelton]

We just became the proud owners of 200 points at AKV. We are very excited but what I am finding out is 200 points is not that much with a family of 6. What do you think the perfect amount of points is? There are many opinions and questions just looking for some advice and insight.

Thanks very much,
Fuzzy Melton!

 

[Maliki2]

We just became the proud owners of 200 points at AKV. We are very excited but what I am finding out is 200 points is not that much with a family of 6. What do you think the perfect amount of points is? There are many opinions and questions just looking for some advice and insight.

Thanks very much,
Fuzzy Melton!

For us a family of three...one of them being a 2 yr old....we only did 100 pts. Eventually we will add on. Ideal points are based upon what you want for accomodations....I don't think there is a perfect amount of points though. I mean I'd love a 1000 or so but you know

 

[Tara]

We just became the proud owners of 200 points at AKV. We are very excited but what I am finding out is 200 points is not that much with a family of 6. What do you think the perfect amount of points is? There are many opinions and questions just looking for some advice and insight.

Thanks very much,
Fuzzy Melton!

That's a tough question because I don't think there's any "perfect" number of points. It depends on how often you want to vacation, the room category you want and the time of year you want to travel.

With 200 points, you could stay 6 nights (Sun-Fri) in a 2br value room in Dream Season one year and bank 25 points ahead to the next year, giving you enough points for a 2br standard view for 6 nights in the same season.

Of course, if you travel in Choice or Adventure Season, you'd need fewer points and therefore have more options. There are so many different ways you can use your points with varying your trip length and season and banking/borrowing so that you can balance your vacation wants with your available points.

 

[mjy]

No matter how many times I have added points, the "perfect" number of points always seems to be twenty more than what I already own!

 

[Blahnde]

Even if you gave us every detail that was releavant today about your family and travel plans, trust me when I tell you that after a few years of vacationing with DVC, your plans will change! You may go more often, or stay longer, or bring extended family, or ... well you get the idea. So even if 200 worked for you today, addonitis will set in. And then on top of it all, DVC will keep adding resorts. You will then want to stay in these new resorts and you will think you need home resort priority. So 10-15 years and 3-5 resorts later you may own 500 or 1,000 points ... and I'll bet that will not be the "perfect" amount either.

Like most things in life, DVC ownership is progress, not perfection!

 

[FuzzyMelton]

I agree there are no real perfect points, I guess what I am really looking for are stories of why people upgraded. Why it wasn't enough or it was too much. Just some suggestions and things that the first time buyer and user don't know or understand.

Thanks for the replies and yes I can easily see owning 200 points in AKV, BLT, BW or BCV, and SSR (for the treehouses alone).

 

[chaoscent]

There are only two of us and we had 200 point at AKV. Enough for one or 2 trips a year. But during the pin trading events I want to stay at BW Villas in a 2 BR standard. To do that, without wait listing I was forced against my will, to add 160 BW points. So that works for a few years. Now, before I bought AKV, Wilderness Lodge was my favorite resort, so I am wondering if I need to buy some WL points in the next few year.
Penny

 

[DVC Mike]

The perfect amount of points always seems to be more than you currently have.

 

[Granny]

The perfect amount of points always seems to be more than you currently have.

And this comment coming from a 5-Resort DVC owner!!

I guess perfect would be whatever Disney legally allows as the maximum.

 

[DeeCee735]

We have 285 points, 50 at AKV (just added on), and 235 at BWV. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have added the 50 at AKV, that 285 is too MANY points for us. As my kids get older (college now), our vacation time is very different and more strict with when they are home together (only Dec 20-Jan 19) throughout college, so we don't have the time slots available to travel as a family the way we did when they were in high school - what with all the breaks they had - Pres. Week, Easter Week, Jewish Holidays in the Fall and Christmas week.

The perfect amount of points really is a personal thing, depends on your specific vacation needs/habits, but I think 200 is an awesome start. Look at OKW & BW standard points charts and you'll see how far 200 will take you

Happy planning

 

[Moeluv4u7]

We are a family of 7 & purchased into AKV w/ 200 points- During our buying process I "upped" the 160 we were told about to the 200 after going through all the point charts at all of the resorts for quite some time- We can stay at least once a year for a nice amount of time (as I looked through I never included weekends because I feel that the amount of points needed on weekends versus weekdays is not comprable) So, we plan to always stay Sunday through Thursday -checking out on a Friday- (Again as another PP mentioned over the years this may change and our ownership interests may also change)
We will always need at least a 2 BR w/ all of us - My oldest is 17 and next DS under him is 16 so in a few years we may be good with a 1 BR OR we may want to do a no kids trip just for us one time OR we may let my son go one year and take a couple friends (a studio would be all they need)-
But all in all, for us to stay one year for when we want to go, amount of time etc = 180 points- carry 20 over and bank to use with the next years points and stay in a concierge or what have you-
Sorry this post is so long but just to show the "perfect" amount of points is like another PP said- It would depend on your vacation time frames, the views you want, the time you plan to stay, etc- It will work out and if not... Add On! LOL
We plan to try out all of the resorts at some point so 7 mos booking windows and dates we want will be very important- we will, of course, also stay at our home resort AKV some times so should have more options open at 11 mos and if something gets in our way of that we will stay where there is room open- We just want to enjoy the Disney experience- Resort or parks!

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I figure that amount to be around 1000, and we're not there yet! We have begun to book a 2 bedroom and a studio for us and the Boston branch of the family when they come with us, 7 altogether. We like having the living area not to be used as a bedroom, and maybe there will be some stays when we'll just have to have a GV for those vacations. Hopefully, they'll be able to join us for 2 one week vacations each year, and then there's the rest of the extended family to book for.

Bobbi

 

[WendyinNC]

We are a family of 6. I started with 175 points which was enough to stay in a 2BR for 1 week every other year in the Summer. Well, as soon as got my points I decided that I would rather stay 5 nights (Sun -Fri) every year in the Summer. Then I decided I wanted to stay 5 nights every year at Spring Break. I added on 75 more points. Then I decided I wanted to stay 5 nights in the Summer at HH so I added on 55 HH points in order to bank and borrow for a 5 night stay. I'm up to 305 points and trying to fight off addonitis.

 

[thayes21]

We just became the proud owners of 200 points at AKV. We are very excited but what I am finding out is 200 points is not that much with a family of 6. What do you think the perfect amount of points is? There are many opinions and questions just looking for some advice and insight.

Thanks very much,
Fuzzy Melton!

It really is a product of your vacation habits currently and going forward. We are a family of three and currently have 220 SSR points and are in the process of adding 100 OKW points. We typically travel in February and November, but we don't always stay in a DVC resort. Having more points than would be necessary to stay in a DVC resort allows us the flexibility to stay on the monorail (more points used but convenient) every other trip.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Spear3909]

We started with 160 points at AKV (family of 4). We simply looked at the points chart and determined our usual time of travel and which accomodations we wanted. We did the same thing when we added BLT at 240 points. I agree with the other posters, it never seems like enough points. We have already determined we need more points at AKV!

 

[helenk]

I have to chuckle at this post because I just bought 160 points at the AKV in the beginning of September. I researched the time of year I like to go, May and December, and usually I travel by myself so I figured a studio would be fine. So that 160 seemed like more than I would need but I could bank the points and treat myself to a 1 bedroom.
Well, then I started to realize, I now have a grand-daughter who is just 6 months old, but I'll want to take her and my son and his wife on trips. Now I'm up to a 1 bedroom and my daughter in law works in a school so now my "main" vacation will have to change to June, July or August. So now I'm already thinking I NEED MORE POINTS I am seriously thinking about getting 40 or 50 more and I have not even had my points for a year!
I know that my son and his family will not go with me every year, but hopefully ever other, so I will research this a bit further before getting carried away.
But I have to tell you, this DVC ownership is very very addictive.

 

[DebbieB]

My only DVC regret is that I didn't split up my 250 points into smaller contracts. I would like to sell some of my BWV and buy GCH but I can't do that without selling the whole thing & buying less, which wouldn't make sense since I bought at $65.

 

[tink4ever]

It is true that it all depends on "how" you vacation and "when" you vacation. We currently own 250 VWL and 250 BCV pts and I don't think that it is enough. I don't think I will ever think any amt is enough so I have decided not to even think about it anymore, just enjoy the 500 pts we have.

 

[OKW Lover]

We just became the proud owners of 200 points at AKV. We are very excited but what I am finding out is 200 points is not that much with a family of 6. What do you think the perfect amount of points is? There are many opinions and questions just looking for some advice and insight.

Thanks very much,
Fuzzy Melton!

The perfect amount of points is about a 100 more than you have at any point in time.

Seriously, we struggle to keep from borrowing even with 1,000 between us and our daughter's memberships. Sure we could do with less, but that would mean cutting back on our WDW visits.

 

[Golden Rose]

We bought 165 AKV points in August with the understanding that we also wanted at least 100 points at either BCV or BWV. We knew we wanted more points from the start, but we wanted them at two different resorts and our guide didn't have our UY available in either Epcot resort any time I checked before I found a resale contract with which I was happy. We just closed on 150 BWV points bought resale a week ago.

I'm not convinced 315 points is going to be enough for us since we prefer to travel with either friends or family, but I know the 630 points (mix of developers points and banked points on the resale contract) we have to spend in the next year and a bit feels like "enough." Or, at least, as many as we're likely to be able to comfortably use next year.

We are seriously considering a BLT add on at some point, but I'm not going to pay the early adopter premium to leap in now. If they offer better incentives later, we may well go ahead and buy in. But, at least for this year, we don't need the points to spend anyway.

If Ko Olina is really built (and I'm not convinced it will be, given the current economy), I think my mother will really push us to buy there. We love Hawaii, and if they do a good job with the resort, we'd almost certainly want enough points there for an ocean view two bedroom or grand villa every 3 years.

I'm guessing we'll end up with about 500 points, bought over the course of several years. I know I'd like enough points to comfortably do the occasional cruise or adventures by disney trip even though I know they aren't great uses of points.