Using points on weekends?

[LisaS]

Even before we joined DVC we usually took 6-night trips, arriving on Sunday and departing on Saturday. So we just continued the same schedule after joining. We generally stay in studios or 1 BRs and go to WDW when the point costs are not very high so paying for one weekend night isn't too bad. This past May we brought my mom with us so we stayed in a 2BR. We arrived on a Saturday and stayed at AKL that night so my mom could experience that resort and then moved to BWV for Sun-Thur night. It worked out great!

 

[MrsNick]

So I guess you would sum up our strategy by saying we are mindful of the weekend point schedule without letting it completely dictate our vacation accommodation plans.

I'd say this is our strategy, too

Sometimes we've booked on cash, and others we've booked on points. It depends on what cash costs vs. what points "cost," how many points are available to me, etc.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I think that we we FIRST bought into DVC we played the maximizing points and minimizing weekends game. Moving and taking a side trip to Miami for the weekends, shorter trips, etc. We were a bit more flexible than with school schedules since the kids were younger.

That got old fast. We discovered we HATE moving around - it wasn't worth it. The kids are now also older and we have less flexibility with the school schedule since I try to minimize them missing school days. And of course, DH's vacation days are limited and precious.

Since we can go less frequently and we have to fly, I want to go longer and that means weekends to lengthen WDW days without having to take extra days off school/work.

We have gotten use to the "not thinking about the actual COST of each point," kind of like casino chips - lol! So, we just use them according to what would suit our schedule better. Time is money and all that. To compensate for the added weekend use, we did get an add-on at SSR. More money. Heck, everything costs money nowadays!!!!

Took the kids to the American Museum of History one Saturday this summer. For our family of 4, we spent $98 on admission and at least $50 on food!!!! WDW doesn't seem like that bad a deal anymore!

 

[cobbler]

We bought enough points to stay one full week. I didn't want to be restricted to weeknights only, or moving and so on.

We are going to use them an enjoy them, even on the weekends.

 

[MdmMim]

Another retiree here. I usually go for 13 days in Oct. , 10 in Dec. , then a month in Jan/Feb , staying through the weekends on points.

I look at the weekly points requirement, not the daily, so with this view, the weekends aren't bad at all!

 

[jjohnson]

Very interesting poll. I need an addon to my 150 points before I begin using 73 points per night on the weekend We need a 2 brm in Magic season for now.

 

[LIFERBABE]

We have gotten use to the "not thinking about the actual COST of each point," kind of like casino chips - lol! So, we just use them according to what would suit our schedule better. Time is money and all that. To compensate for the added weekend use, we did get an add-on at SSR. More money. Heck, everything costs money nowadays!!!!

I agree! We paid for em, so we are using em!

Moving did get old fast! We did it the first 2 years, but after that, Dh refused to do it anymore. Even for longer stays, he wants to stay put.

We've gotten to the point that we dont even want to downsize units at the same resort. To me, moving is moving, it all requires packing and unpacking and I want to do that as little as possible.

This last trip we were in a 1 bdr and wanted to add a day at the end of our stay. It was a friday night. MS had a studio or 1 bdr available. The front desk said we could stay in our 1 bed unit so we didnt hesitate to use the extra points to stay put.

 

[Beca]

It really varies with us. Sometimes we use points for weekends, and sometimes we go Sun-Fri...it really depends on how many points we have available to us. However, even if we do have a lot of points, we plan to arrive on a Fri, and stay in a studio on Fri and Sat (we feel like we don't need a washer/dryer the first couple of days we arrive), then we move to a 1bdrm on Sunday. Rarely do we "splurge" for the 1bdrm the whole time.

But, we do not EVER stay at a non-DVC/non-Disney hotel. I think it would make me really sad to think that we have spent all this money on DVC and cannot afford to stay there the whole time.



Beca

 

[prez65]

Even before we purchased DVC almost all of our vacations were Sunday to Friday. So when we saw the difference in the weekend points it did not even bother me. My DW works only on Fridays and Saturdays so she never has to use up her Vacation days for a Vacation....she usually saves them if we have a Wedding or Other weekend function. I also like the fact that when I take my Vacation it gives me a nice long weekend to unwind from the Vacation. So DVC is very nice right now for our situation. If things change who knows what we will do......

 

[newholidayx2]

This Aug we're staying Sat Aug 12 on cash discount at VWL. Then Sun-Thurs VWL on points. Thurs-Sun AKL. Sun-Thurs BCV points, and Fri 25th BCV cash discount. 2 changes as the cash disc & points are connected.

 

[kathleena]

Nice poll granny.

We travel from Maine and the Sun-Tue flights are more expensive. We pay less if we travel on Wed or Thu. We also want to maximize our time and not take a 5 day during the week vacation and use two days for travel.

So we weigh the cost of travel time vs the cost of weekend days. If we are paying more for our flights - then where has the savings on the Fri-Sat gone to - the cost of the flight.

So we try to travel on Fridays if we can find a cheaper fare, and consider staying cash for two nights, but if not, then we don't worry about it.

This is a very simple example of how it is not cost effective for us to shuffle a schedule for the weekend points.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have a studio booked at VWL for one DS in August, and this is a Sunday to Friday 5 -night stay. It costs about the same as our 5 night BWV sv studio stay in December which is from Friday to Wednesday. So, spending points for weekends does depend on the season we're in.

Someone before mentioned that they wouldn't pay weekend points for a 1 bedroom, and I suppose that would be the one "rule" we will follow!

Bobbi

 

[cjb-nc]

We fly down on Friday or Saturday night, and get a priceline or AP discount hotel for the first night. Then we stay until the following Thursday or Friday in BWV. So we rarely use weekend nights. Why? So we can get two of these 5-day-ish trips per year instead of just 1 full week on our points.

 

[Love2BinDisney]

We are staying on a weekend this trip coming up. To try and save on points we are staying in a studio for Friday and Saturday and then moving to a 1BR. We will be in BWV for both so hopefully the move will not be too much of a hassle. We just didn't want to have to borrow from next year. Hope we don't regret it.

 

[marathonmommy]

We are staying on a weekend this trip coming up. To try and save on points we are staying in a studio for Friday and Saturday and then moving to a 1BR. We will be in BWV for both so hopefully the move will not be too much of a hassle. We just didn't want to have to borrow from next year. Hope we don't regret it.

Good idea. But I don't worry about borrowing since I can always borrow the following year as well. Unless I plan on needing every point when it comes time for our DVC contracts to run out! I hope I have the energy at that age!

 

[Mr. Disney 652]

We drive down from WI/IL border...17-19 hours. Sometimes I can drive straight thru, others I'm tired and we stop in Lake City, FL. I never want to book that Sat stay if I can't make it. Our normal arrival is Sunday.

Anyone stay somewhere else the first night? Any suggestions or comments on the best way to do this, or best places to call to book the last minute night...

 

[3DisneyKids]

Nice poll granny.

We travel from Maine and the Sun-Tue flights are more expensive. We pay less if we travel on Wed or Thu. We also want to maximize our time and not take a 5 day during the week vacation and use two days for travel.

So we weigh the cost of travel time vs the cost of weekend days. If we are paying more for our flights - then where has the savings on the Fri-Sat gone to - the cost of the flight.

So we try to travel on Fridays if we can find a cheaper fare, and consider staying cash for two nights, but if not, then we don't worry about it.

This is a very simple example of how it is not cost effective for us to shuffle a schedule for the weekend points.

Hi Nancy--we are about half an hour south of you and also found that flying out of Portland was more expensive early in the week. We now fly out of Manchester (Southwest...DING!) and it is much cheaper to go on Sunday or Monday than on Friday or Sat. It would be about a 90 minute drive for you...so I don't know whether or not that is a deal-breaker for you, but just thought I'd mention it.

Plus, now that JetBlue is out of Portland, we can see what (if anything) will happen there...

 

[Holly]

We never use points for weekends. We stay the first weekend at a non-DVC (AKL or PC) and then move to our DVC resort for the week.

 

[sigillaria]

We avoid weekends, but we live within a comfortable driving distance and take between 3-4 short trips. If I had to drive 10+ hours or fly to Orlando, I'd use weekend points without thinking twice!

Ditto for me.
I live on the coast of Georgia-roughly 5-5 1/2 hours drive.
I am going to WDW in Nov.-5 nights for 40 pts. in a studio OKW
I made a res for my daughter for Jan.-weekend for 112 pts.- in a studio VWL
Another daughter in Oct. -for a weekend for 128 pts.-Cabin Ft Wilderness
Weekends definitely eat into your points!

 

[debloco]

We are very mindful of the weekend night point requirements for our one long trip per year over Christmas. A one bedroom for Fri or Sat during Premier season is 75 points! Last Christmas we paid the discounted DVC cash rate instead for those two nights, because it was around $250 less per night! We make sure there's only one weekend during the trip as well.

For our other, short trips, we try not to stay two weekend nights and/or we stay in a studio.

But one time (like our first ever trip on DVC points) we booked a two bedroom with two weekend nights! Don't think we'll do that again

We don't do the whole "move in the middle" thing.