Where have your points taken you?

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Riffing off of @TheSnowWhite_ great thread about how much we’ve spent on our DVC contracts, I think it’s only fair to balance that with all the qualitative memories and trips that spending has gotten us.

Now I know this will be very difficult for those who’ve been around for a long time but even if you can go back through the last few years, I think it would be fun to see how people have used their points and the amazing trips they’ve been able to take! Also might be interesting to see how far our points can take us.

So I’ll start, we bought just a short year and a half ago in Feb 2023- 250pts direct with Disney and since have added another 325 resale. As I’m going through this, I’m now realizing we’ve done a lot of Disney trips so far…probably (definitely) the excitement of first time members and AP holders, so I imagine this won’t be the same going forward…maybe…

April/May 2023, Welcome Home trip in a RIV studio (6n), AKL Kidani 1bdrm (1n), VGF studio (1n)

Sept 2023, SSR 1bdrm (3n)

Oct/Nov 2023, VGF studio (7n)

Dec 2023, OKW 1bdrm (3n)

Jan 2024, big family trip! RIV 2bdrm PV (5n), RIV 1bdrm PV (5n) overlapping (+2nts cash at RIV and 2nts at CSR)

Mar 2024, VGC studio (1n)

Jun/Jul 2024, Poly LV (3n gifted to family), Poly studio (8n) overlapping

Dec 2024, another big family trip! CCV studio (8n), Poly studio (5n) overlapping, +opening night at Poly Tower!

Jan 2025, first Marathon weekend and running 10K! VGF studio (4n), might change to Poly Tower if able to

May 2025, RIV tower studio (6n)

Thinking of/will book soon:
Sept 2024, OKW or SSR (3n)
Jul 2025, BCV (5-6n)


We’ve used almost all of our 2024 points and half of 2025 with all these trips taken and currently booked. I actually have a placeholder trip that I’m just waiting for family to confirm dates before canceling the other booking so there’s some extra points floating around 2024, hence my desire to go early September (flights are SO reasonable right now from NYC!), so we’ll see if that happens.

I’ll go through at some point and figure out how much all this would have cost if we paid cash (wonder if AI would figure it out for me lol), but I feel like I have to be close to half the cost of my buy-in by now.

 

[robinb]

My points paid for too many trips to list. Plus, a weekend in Chicago at a boutique hotel and 5 days at the Sequoia Lodge at Disneyland Paris.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Brand new member, my points are taking me to Hawaii in 1 month

 

[SugarSweetLee]

New member at end of June, Welcome Home trip booked for 8 nights at AKV Kidani, Savanna view studio for Marathon Weekend in January 2025 (home resort Riviera was unavailable, alas).

7 nights at RIV in February for Princess weekend, split between standard and preferred view studios (based on what was available when we got our points). Total 301 points (one borrowed from 2025).

I will confess that I thought 300 points would stretch just a little further, but I think if we are able to use the 11 month booking window going forward we'll have better luck getting more mileage out of them. I know we could stay several places for cheaper points, but the problem is I want to spend at least some time at Riviera every time

In Dec 2025 we hope to do Aulani for husband's 40th

 

[Dobermanns]

LOL I thought this thread would be about non-Disney stays with DVC points.

Way too many Disney trips taken via DVC. At the moment, there are 18 or 19 reservations on my dashboard (including a trip to AUL for my brother and his GF). Best thing about DVC? Oh I must go use those points

 

[StevieB81]

Family of 6 and like to take longer, less frequent trips. Joined DVC in 2009 at BLT. Added AKL in 2021. All the below reservations are for 2 bedroom villas.

Nov. 2010: BLT TPV, 8n

Nov. 2012: BLT TPV, 9n

June 2014: BLT TPV, 8n

June 2016: AKL std (Pembe view), 11n

June 2018: BWV pool view, 10n

Aug 2020: Split AKL SV, 5n and BWV pool view, 5n

June 2022: Split BLT TPV, 7n and AKL SV, 7n

July 2023: BWV garden view, 10n

May 2024: Split RIV PV, 5n and VGF LV, 5n (preceded by 2n at Uni, Royal Pacific)

Next trip will be in 2026 and we're considering a GV split. Not sure when or where yet, but BLT and AKL will have had refurbs completed by then, so those are the most likely candidates.

 

[RuntheMouse]

We bought in last year. Our first stay on our own points was in 4/23. Since then we’ve done BWV 9/23, CCV 10/23, SSR 11/23, a month long split stay 1/24 at SSR/BRV/HHI/AKV/BWV/BRV, RIV 4/24 and SSR 5/24.

Love all those loaded contracts we bought!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

New member at end of June, Welcome Home trip booked for 8 nights at AKV Kidani, Savanna view studio for Marathon Weekend in January 2025 (home resort Riviera was unavailable, alas).

7 nights at RIV in February for Princess weekend, split between standard and preferred view studios (based on what was available when we got our points). Total 301 points (one borrowed from 2025).

I will confess that I thought 300 points would stretch just a little further, but I think if we are able to use the 11 month booking window going forward we'll have better luck getting more mileage out of them. I know we could stay several places for cheaper points, but the problem is I want to spend at least some time at Riviera every time

In Dec 2025 we hope to do Aulani for husband's 40th

15 nights and most of those in preferred view rooms is pretty great! We tend to travel Sun-Thurs/Fri on our shorter trips to avoid the more expensive weekend nights so that’s helped our totals! And we also didn’t do MB when we first bought in so we had a lot of points to work with last year, I can already tell next year is going to be less trips as a result of our initial gluttony lol

 

[supercarrie]

I only have 253 points (so far) and purchased them in Feb 2024/June 2024. So far this is what we have booked:

-June 2024: Grand Californian studio (1 night)
-August 2024: Boardwalk 1 bedroom (2 nights)
-November 2024: Aulani 1 bedroom (4 nights)
-May 2025: Riviera (studio), likely to switch to AKV at 7 month mark and get some points back

I'm ready to add on more points, but I agreed with my husband to see what travel pattern we settle into before buying more. We are DL locals so visit DL 2-3x per month on top and have plans to visit the Asian parks in the next couple years.

 

[hhisc16]

Resale/Direct member since 2021.

DVC has taken us to HHI, Vero Beach, Every DVC at WDW, plus bonus trip to DLR with VGC/VDH.

We have enjoyed all of our DVC trips!

Maybe someday we will make it to Aulani.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

We're new members as well (1st contract back in Feb) but have some fun upcoming trips planned:

Dec 2024: 6 nights GFV Studio TP View (**wasn't able to use my FW52 at CCV so figured we should live it up at GVF instead!)
March 2025: 5 nights CCV Studio
June 2025: Hoping for 6 nights Aulani/2 nights DL split stay
Aug 2025: 2 weeks at WDW split stay (RIV 2BR + BWV Studio)
Dec 2025: 7 nights CCV

(There's also a possibility of DLP this August but not sure I will get my act together in time!!) But between @MerlinandtheMouse tips and @VGCgroupie inspirational Aulani trip, fingers crossed!

 

[SugarSweetLee]

15 nights and most of those in preferred view rooms is pretty great! We tend to travel Sun-Thurs/Fri on our shorter trips to avoid the more expensive weekend nights so that’s helped our totals! And we also didn’t do MB when we first bought in so we had a lot of points to work with last year, I can already tell next year is going to be less trips as a result of our initial gluttony lol

Oh yeah! We had some DVC rentals already booked this year before buying in (as well as a stay with a friend for WnD at POR, hubs isn't coming), meaning we have 5 trips between now and Feb. It's going to be hard going forward to only use "our points" lol

I'm not complaining about the number of nights we got, for sure! The thrifty side of me is just annoyed that we couldn't do Riviera for January and AKV/split stay for Feb to make the point expenditure slightly reduced bc of Feb's inflated charts lol. Wouldn't mind adding on just a couple more nights...but maybe we'll just buy more points (eventually!)

 

[Bucketfoot]

Bought our first contract (VGF) in mid-2023 and have had two stays so far, with two currently planned:

Sept 2022: Welcome Home trip 9 nights at BWV in a 1-bedroom
Jan/Feb 2024: Split stay with 5 nights at AKV Kidani in a 2-bedroom and 6 nights in a VGF 2-bedroom

Upcoming:

Nov 2024: 11 night stay for our daughter's wedding (Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom) at AKV Kidani in a 2-bedroom, in addition we have booked a studio the night before the wedding for the groom and 2 nights at VGF for the bride & groom to stay in after the wedding (works great since the reception is at VGF).
May 2025: Will be our first stay at the new Disneyland Villas (VDH) with 8 nights in a 2-bedroom.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Jan 2021: Kidani, BLT
Apr 2021: VGF - knew I had to get a VGF contract after this
Feb 2022: Poly, BWV
May 2022: BVW, BLT
Sep 2022: HHI
Dec 2022: VGF, BWV
Feb 2023: VGF (first solo visit and first visit on VGF contract)
May 2023: VGF
Sep 2023: OKW, HHI
Nov 2023: Riviera, BLT

Edit to add Dec 2022 trip. Can't believe I forgot that one!

 

[lilsonicfan]

My SSR points have allowed me to book at Beach Club (which sadly I had to rent as I had to cancel the vacation last min, ugh) and Grand Californian (once in 2024 and again in 2025) - but I also booked a getaway with II to Vegas and it was a great deal that I couldn't have gotten without the DVC membership.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

(There's also a possibility of DLP this August but not sure I will get my act together in time!!) But between @MerlinandtheMouse tips and @VGCgroupie inspirational Aulani trip, fingers crossed!

Haha if it makes you feel any better I just booked my hotel in Paris…and I leave in 5 days…and DLP was only booked last week for the 31st lol

 

[Chili327]

Jan 2024: AKV, BWV, BRV

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Jan 2024: AKV, BWV, BRV

Don’t be shy that was like a 10 or 11 night trip from one small loaded contract, that you bought, stripped and sold already, nice job @Chili327. What do you think was the actual cost of that trip after selling and getting most of your money back? Like $1000 after closing and dues?

 

[Chili327]

Don’t be shy that was like a 10 or 11 night trip from one small loaded contract, that you bought, stripped and sold already, nice job Chili327.

Ha, yes it was 10 DVC nights and one Good Neighbor, not wanting to waste my first night. lol

What do you think was the actual cost of that trip after selling and getting most of your money back? Like $1000 after closing and dues?

I think I calculated just under $1300 in dues (3 years worth of points).

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Ha, yes it was 10 DVC nights and one Good Neighbor, not wanting to waste my first night. lol


I think I calculated just under $1300 in dues (3 years worth of points).

Truly impressive