Weekends: cash or points?

[stings]

Good morning,
We are going home during the second week of October this year. My question is do we pay cash for the weekend days or use points? I had not considered paying cash before but our point total is getting low. We have ressies for a two bedroom at OKW for the 6th through the 13th, but I would like to possibly extend our stay by paying cash for a Saturday. Do any of you recommend this and if so what is the best discount code or Disney card, DVC, premium annual pass, or Disneyclub, to use? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. <IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

 

[Richyams]

Rooms at OKW for cash, especially with the members discount are not easy to get.

We spend a weekend on points every vacation. I bought the points to use them. If you look at the cost in points of one week blocks, it is still a great deal with great savings.

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs", Karl Marx,This has failed every time it has been tried, why do we still have liberals?

 

[baileybrad]

is that renting for cash is not as easy as you might think. I don't think that you can actually make the cash reservations until about 2 months out. And the off-seasons of which mid October is one aren't nearly as easy to book as they use to be. Hopefully, I am wrong and someone who has had a recent experience with mixing a cash and point reservation will set me straight.

 

[RobDoc]

If you are wanting weekend nights at OKW, be aware there are not always cash nites available.
When available, you may even get a members discount. Cash ressies thru CRO sometimes will offer AP and/or DC discounts- so it does help to ask when you reserve.

I would call MS first and see if the nights you want are available with cash. If not, then call CRO (these are from different inventories- so CRO could have availability even if MS does not!) ASk about any discounts, but you may want to keep calling to see if any discounts apply after you have the reservation.
Another thought would be to consider renting "points" (reservation) from another member thru the Rent/Trade Board here at DIS.
Good Luck!

Doc DVC Board Co-Moderator
doc@wdwinfo.com

 

[Paul in CT]

I agree with Rich. We bought the points to use them and save the cash. Besides, I think that if you use cash for the weekend you MAY have to change rooms since they come from different inventories.

However, if you have used up your points and want to stay longer, as we did once, I suggest trying one of the moderate resorts like PO or DXL for which you can often get a good deal. We still like to try other resorts when we have used up our points. So far this has happened only once since 1995.

Paul in CT

 

[Sam60]

I, too, bought the points to use them (in the sense that I would NEVER let them expire), but since I am blessed with more days off from work than either DVC points or money, I try to squeeze as many days out of my points as possible.

This certainly isn't right for everyone, but here is what my family does: We reserve a one Bedroom BWV on week days using points, and then use Priceline to reserve a room for Friday and Saturday nights. For $25 to $40/night, we get a very nice hotel room just outside the gate. There is the small inconvience having to pack up and move, but we have the comfort of knowing that we will get to stay at BWV again in a few months.

As I say, it isn't for everybody, but if your goal is to spend as many days as possible each year at your DVC property, I think this plan has a lot to recommend for it.

 

[sumessefui]

We do not like to move around when we are in WDW, so we always use points for weekends. We did an add on to make sure we had enough points. But if you wish to maximize your points and dodn't mind moving a moderate would be a good choice. Renting points at $10 a point is also a good option. Or you could take a short weekend trip elsewhere in Florida, and then come back.

 

[Peggy Sue]

When we initially purchased in 1997 we thought we had enough points to stay 1 week in a 1 or 2 bedroom. Well, as we all know...one DVC trip and your hooked and looking for ways to visit the mouse more often!!

So, we began using our points for Sunday-Thursday nights and paying cash for the weekends. Getting a cash night at BWV, HH and Vero was fairly easy, and we got the 25% member discount on the room. However, even with the discount, the rates were very expensive. OKW was another story. When we called to rent with cash, MS took our request and then we had to wait 48 hours for it to be processed by a supervisor level. (don't have a clue why) We did eventually get the cash room, but again, it was very expensive.

We then tried priceline.com and stayed outside the park the first weekend we arrived. We hated this. For us, it was very inconvenient to pack, unpack etc., plus we were so disappointed in the room after experiencing DVC.

So, we decided the best solution for us was investing in more points..which we did. Now all DVC vacations are booked with points and all stays include a weekend. We travel during the off-peak seasons, so point requirements for the weekends are managable. Don't know if we would have the same opinion if we traveled during magic season though!

If you book your cash reservations through MS, in the same size unit that you're booking for points, you will not have to move. Just ask MS to link your cash and point reservations. However, if you have a cash studio and points 1 bedroom, you will have to check out on the day your cash reservations end and check back with your points reservation. You will be without a room between the hours of 11 AM and 4 PM..unless your room is available earlier.

If you don't mind moving, I've seen lots of posts here from folks who try out the All stars or moderates for the weekend nights and then move to the DVC resort. You get to try out another resort and still be on Disney property.

Good luck with your reservations!!

Have a wonderful day!

 

[mickey7861]

If you stay within WDW Disney will move your bags for you; you just need to pack them.

 

[TeresaNJ]

We were thinking of spending cash for the weekends for our upcoming trip in October, as we are staying in a two-bedroom, and our trip encompasses two weekends, leaving Friday Oct 26, and returning Sunday Nov 4. It would have cost way too many points, but after calling CRO and finding out a two-bedroom costs approximately $650/night including tax, I thought, forget it!! I joined DVC to save money, not spend more. So what I did was use points for the first weekend, Oct 26-Nov 1, and then either switching to two studios on cash, or a two-bedroom with an AP discount if available, or stay at the Swan or Dolphin on the AP, Entertainment Rate or Nurse's Discount. I really don't want to switch resorts, so I'm hoping something comes up that's doable.

<font color=blue><font face=Disney Print>Polynesian 1985, 1990, GF 1992, BC 1995, 1997, BWI 1998, PO 1999, BWV 1999, WL 2000, OKW 2000, AKL\VWL May 2001, VWL Oct 2001, DIS CON. POR\VWL Nov 2001</font></font>