Weekend stays

[tubtruck]

There is a massive difference between the number of points needed to stay at any of the DVCs on a weekend compared to during the week. A large number of people on here say that they stay only during the week because of this and the fact that they can rent their points out for more money than the weekend cash price. Is there enough locals or others stopping on a weekend to balance this demand or is there likely to be a "rejig" of the number of points requred for each of the days i.e taking either 5 or 10 points off weekend stays and balancing this with either 1 or 2 points increase on weekday stays. Just a thought.

 

[Chuck S]

It's been that way since 1991. If Disney saw a need for re-allocation it probably would have been adjusted, at least some, by now. There was an adjustment at OKW in 1996, but it didn't effect the larger weekend points vs weekdays.

 

[Boston5602]

Like alot of other people , I bought enough points for the style of vacation I do. This means usually 3 weekend nights plus the weekdays in between. This way I use the points ( although I have added days on cash ) without thinking OMG weekends are so expensive!

 

[Dean]

There is a massive difference between the number of points needed to stay at any of the DVCs on a weekend compared to during the week. A large number of people on here say that they stay only during the week because of this and the fact that they can rent their points out for more money than the weekend cash price. Is there enough locals or others stopping on a weekend to balance this demand or is there likely to be a "rejig" of the number of points requred for each of the days i.e taking either 5 or 10 points off weekend stays and balancing this with either 1 or 2 points increase on weekday stays. Just a thought.

I think it's inevitible there will be a rebalancing at some point. As long as you don't cut it too close you should be fine. For example, buying exactly the number of points (resale) for a studio in adventure season at OKW would be a risky choice where enough points for a 2 BR would give you a lot more flexibility.

 

[HockeyKat]

I would imagine there are enough people who don't want to change resorts, and don't really think about renting/cash/etc., that it remains more balanced than you might think.

I tend to think that everyone is like me... uber-researcher, price-shopper, who checks message boards and websites to find the absolute best possible deal that I can. I would imagine that most of us here are like that or we wouldn't be here!

 

[Doctor P]

We pretty much ignore the weekend point differential and just look at the points for our entire stay. We have never avoided the weekends because of the points, though since we will be switching from WDW to HH on a Saturday and HH's Saturday points are so high the thought has crossed my mind this year to stay off-site or get a cash night at HH.

 

[Starr W.]

The only place I would not stay a Saturday night would be HH. Other than that we bought enough points to cover staying put for weekends at WDW.

 

[CarolMN]

There is a massive difference between the number of points needed to stay at any of the DVCs on a weekend compared to during the week. A large number of people on here say that they stay only during the week because of this and the fact that they can rent their points out for more money than the weekend cash price. Is there enough locals or others stopping on a weekend to balance this demand or is there likely to be a "rejig" of the number of points requred for each of the days i.e taking either 5 or 10 points off weekend stays and balancing this with either 1 or 2 points increase on weekday stays. Just a thought.

I don't think it is just "locals" who would book up the weekends if the price differential did not exist. I think there would be a lot more 9 night/10 day stays - check in on a Friday, stay for the following week and the next weekend as well. We'd likely go to that pattern, and I doubt we are in the minority on that.

If that happened, availability would very very limited for weekends early in the booking period - maybe no weekend nights would be available at all as early as the 7 month window for many times of the year.

This would also impact the cost of many non-DVC options. Currently, most of the CRO-cash rentals (which are used to pay for the non-DVC options) are for weekends or at least include 1 or 2 weekend nights. That's because a significant number of DVC members prefer to avoid weekends, so DVC sends lots of Fridays and Saturdays to CRO, which is what the general public prefers if the price is all the same. If the weekend nights are no longer available to CRO, the cost of non-DVC options will increase - the general public is not as likely to rent weekday nights and so CRO will have to either reduce the price or rent out more days to cover the non-DVC option. Either way, the cost of non-DVC options will go up because of it.

IMHO, DVC has got the supply and demand equation pretty well balanced in the interest of all members. I do not believe there will be a reallocation any time soon.

We bought enough points to not worry about weekends - I hate to move. That said, we usually stay for a week (rarely stay more than 7 nights) and if our plans call for a visit to a non-Disney attraction, we plan that portion of our trip for a weekend - so we often take a 9 ay trip anyway, just not all at DVC.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We pretty much ignore the weekend point differential and just look at the points for our entire stay. We have never avoided the weekends because of the points, though since we will be switching from WDW to HH on a Saturday and HH's Saturday points are so high the thought has crossed my mind this year to stay off-site or get a cash night at HH.

We do the same, Doc. Why get in a tizzy about 24 points on a weekend and 12 points on the weekday? It averages out to about 15.4 points per day over 7 days.

 

[Muushka]

We do the same, Doc. Why get in a tizzy about 24 points on a weekend and 12 points on the weekday? It averages out to about 15.4 points per day over 7 days.

Because some people may not have those extra 24 points to burn on the weekend.

 

[MdmMim]

When booking a DVC stay, I look at the points per week, not per day. We purchased enough to cover the weekends, because moving is not relaxing for us. Also, renting points, paying cash, etc. is more involved than I need to be. (We bought the points--and don't want to spend more money on hotels.)

Some people don't mind moving, but I like to settle in.

 

[Doctor P]

Because some people may not have those extra 24 points to burn on the weekend.

One COULD argue that those people did not purchase enough points for their vacation habits then. Furthermore, the weekends, depending on time of year, are not that expensive in terms of rack rate to point cost.

For example, a studio at OKW in low season is $313.88 per night including tax. At 8 points during the week, and 20 points on the weekends, that means that the "point value" of the lodging is somewhere close to $40 per point during the week and about $16 per point on weekends (which is still at least double the out of pocket cost of the points for every member and close to four times or five times the cost for early purchasers). For a weeks stay, the cost is 80 points or $2197 cash which works out to a rack rate value of $27.46. Even if you were able to get a room at 50% of rack rate, your points would be valued at about $13.75 per point for the week. Hardly anything close to a rip off, IMHO.


Kind of at the other extreme, if you look at a 2BR preferred at BWV during holiday season (the weekend premium on GV's is not as high, so I chose to make this as "bad" as possible to be conservative in making my point), it would be $1243 per night cash and 50 pts per weeknight and 106 pts for the weekends. This works out to a value of $24.86 per weeknight and $11.73 for the weekends. Not as good a deal, but certainly not anything close to a rip off either. For a week, it averages out to $18.83 value per point. The weekends considered in isolation are not a terrible return for one's points--it's just that the weekdays are pretty much an obscenely good deal.

 

[crisi]

The airlines help DVC out here as well....with the "Saturday stay price break" (not what it used to be, but still there), what we spend in points we more than make up in airfare.

 

[Figment2]

I'm with those that do not like to move. When I get there I like to settle in.
If weekends were a concern to me, I'd only do Sun. thru Thurs. trips.

Cyn

 

[Lexxiefern]

I am one of those people who balance out the points. I am able to squeeze in a couple extra trips per year by taking long weekend trips. That way DH doesn't miss much work - we can almost sneak away for a few days. So alot of times we go thurs - mon and we like 1 bedrooms. Fortunately I have alot of points so it is ok if I "waste" some like that. I would still prefer to stay for a whole week so it evens out the average per night, but I will take what I can get.

Also, I think the weekend rates for studios in most seasons are still a good deal. If you were to pay cash for a studio it is pretty high.

 

[Dean]

One COULD argue that those people did not purchase enough points for their vacation habits then. Furthermore, the weekends, depending on time of year, are not that expensive in terms of rack rate to point cost.

For example, a studio at OKW in low season is $313.88 per night including tax. At 8 points during the week, and 20 points on the weekends, that means that the "point value" of the lodging is somewhere close to $40 per point during the week and about $16 per point on weekends (which is still at least double the out of pocket cost of the points for every member and close to four times or five times the cost for early purchasers). For a weeks stay, the cost is 80 points or $2197 cash which works out to a rack rate value of $27.46. Even if you were able to get a room at 50% of rack rate, your points would be valued at about $13.75 per point for the week. Hardly anything close to a rip off, IMHO.


Kind of at the other extreme, if you look at a 2BR preferred at BWV during holiday season (the weekend premium on GV's is not as high, so I chose to make this as "bad" as possible to be conservative in making my point), it would be $1243 per night cash and 50 pts per weeknight and 106 pts for the weekends. This works out to a value of $24.86 per weeknight and $11.73 for the weekends. Not as good a deal, but certainly not anything close to a rip off either. For a week, it averages out to $18.83 value per point. The weekends considered in isolation are not a terrible return for one's points--it's just that the weekdays are pretty much an obscenely good deal.

Anyone can do what they want of course, at least within rules and laws. However different people bought with different plans, expected usage and expectations. Some of those may have been more appropriate and realistic than others of course. I bought with the idea of never using points for weekends personally and in 12 years have paid for exactly two weekend nights using points. I think on DIS too many people assume that others should look at DVC the same way they do. Some bought larger contracts expecting to rent the extras, for example, not a popular approach on DIS.

In your examples you use rack rates, not a reasonable choice IMO. Even with discounted rack rates, how many people would pay those prices, not many I'd expect. But I think that the 25% discount is the HIGHEST price one should use in comparing DVC cash to DVC points.

 

[Muushka]

One COULD argue that those people did not purchase enough points for their vacation habits then. Snip....

Oh my. Once again, some are assuming that everyone has an unlimited supply of funds for DVC points.

For someone to make judgements against others because they choose not to use their points in such and such a manner is just wrong.

 

[RobDoc]

It's been that way since 1991. If Disney saw a need for re-allocation it probably would have been adjusted, at least some, by now. There was an adjustment at OKW in 1996, but it didn't effect the larger weekend points vs weekdays.

Basically, DVC has had opportunity to adjust the point requirements as each new resort has been added. When BWV came onboard, they did create two tiers of points (Standard and Preferred).

When VWL and BCV came onboard, DVC ignored an opportunity to modify the point charts and simply assumed the same chart used for the BWV Preferred View category - but eliminated any lower "Standard" point category.

When SSR came onboard, DVC did take the opportunity to make changes in the point charts and again with AKV some variation is taking place with variation in the villas themselves as well as the point charts.

While DVC does have the ability/authority to change the point charts (and certainly did that at OKW), I don't expect any significant change unless there is a drastic outcry from members. I would instead expect to see minor variation in the point requirements as new resorts are added to the program.

Here is the DVC point chart for OKW from 1991 - 1995. In 1996, the current point chart began and is still valid at least thru 2008. The greatest changes made were for Adventure Season, where all room types increased. All other seasons saw little or no change on weekdays, but larger decreases on weekends for all room types.

Points listed are for Studio, 1BR, 2BR, GV (weekday/weekend) respectively:

Adventure Season: 7/17 , 14/35 , 19/47 , 31/77

Choice Season: 8/21 , 17/42 , 23/57 , 37/92

Dream Season: 10/25 , 20/50 , 27/67 , 45/112

Magic Season: 11/28 , 23/57 , 31/77 , 52/130

Premier Season: 15/38 , 31/77 , 42/105 , 68/170

Current point needs:

Adventure: 8/20 , 16/40 , 22/54 , 36/88

Choice: 8/21 , 18/41 , 24/56 , 38/91

Dream: 10/24 , 20/48 , 27/64 , 45/107

Magic: 11/27 , 22/54 , 30/73 , 51/123

Premier: 15/36 , 30/73 , 41/100 , 66/162

 

[LarryKeith]

I find it interesting the way people value there points differently. When I first bought 200pts at BCV I figured Sun - Thur on 1 bedroon in peak season, after a year as a family we figured that more time there was better than more room there. So we usually go sun thru the following fri in a studio for 12 nights in the summer 204pts . I live in ohio and it works out perfectly. Wife hates to fly. Just bought 100 AKV pts and plan on going there every other year for 2 weeks (12 nights) at a time. The point is is that people and wants change as your situation changes. So to each his own. After a few years I should be able to upgrade now and then with left over point or give a studio to another family member for a week or so ( only in off season sun - thur, LOL). i love my points to much to be overly generous giving them away.

 

[Doctor P]

Because some people may not have those extra 24 points to burn on the weekend.

Oh my. Once again, some are assuming that everyone has an unlimited supply of funds for DVC points.

For someone to make judgements against others because they choose not to use their points in such and such a manner is just wrong.
Today 12:44 PM

Nice shift of the argument, IMHO. There is a big difference between making a judgement regarding how people CHOOSE to use their points and a statement that implies that someone cannot AFFORD to use points on the weekend or doesn't have the points to BURN to do so. My point is simply that using points on the weekend is not the rip-off that some people make it out to be, and that, even with the cash discount, a member would generally be far better off RENTING POINTS than paying cash for a weekend night at a DVC resort. People can do with their points as they wish in terms of using them on weekdays or weekends. That is their prerogative and I have no problem with that. Furthermore, it is a better deal to use them during the week. No question about that. It's just not a BAD deal to use them on the weekend, nor is it irresponsible to do so. My math says that there are few situations in which one does better "financially" by paying cash rather than using points at a DVC resort. Apart from the hassle factor, I stand by my statement that someone who regularly chooses to pay cash on the weekends at a DVC resort (not a moderate or a value or, in some cases, a deluxe) because they don't have enough points or don't want to "waste" the points probably didn't buy enough points because the points stays even on the weekend will generally be as cheap and usually cheaper than a cash stay. If people choose to do that, fine. No judgement except that it might be penny wise and dollar foolish.