Where to stay on Fri & Sat Nights?

[keishashadow]

Swore I wouldn't pay for pricey weekends @ DVC, have found that we've been including the Saturday as our 1st day; then Friday move to Loews/Universal for that great FOTL perc and a bit of a 2-for-1 trip.

Otherwise, we've splurged for 3 day DCL & CRMK view (excellent way to end a trip).

 

[jdvm]

This is a VERY personal question but here's my view. We've been staying at Old Key West since 1992. My kids (we have 4 daughters) have pretty much grown up there. We think of it as our second home. So that's where we stay. Period. Even when it was just one night before going on a cruise.

We also don't like to move. Yes, points are ridiculously high on weekends but we'd never consider moving to another hotel for Friday and Saturday nights. Sometimes we switch from points to cash but we never move. While a lot of people don't mind, or even like, moving, for us it's a lot of stress we just don't need.
John

 

[iluveeyore]

We usually move on the weekends, do five nights at OKW, 2 at POP and 5 more at OKW; HOWEVER, this year we are travelling with another family and needed to share a 2 bedroom, and with my AP rate I was able to get 14 nights at OKW in a 2 bedroom and pay the cash AP rate on the weekends ($225 each family per night). We could have each got a studio for $184 per night, but for the extra $40 each, we don't have to move!!! This is the first year in a while we haven't had to move, and I can't wait to unpack everything and just enjoy WDW!!!!

 

[Anthony1971]

See, I look at my DVC purchase as a "prepaid" vacation, and if I'm still spending more to stay on-site in addition to my "pre-paid" part, I don't quite see the value in it. My logic is that if you purchase the correct amount of points for what you want to do, you will be money ahead in the long run. Besides, I hate to move around that often. We did stay at PORS one night last year (a Saturday) because we changed our plans kind of last minute...I hated it! Part of it is that I just get so used to DVC accommodations, that any 'hotel' stay is annoying to me. I disliked our stay at the Dolphin for the conference this spring too.

I stayed nine nights two years ago and 4 were weekend night I ain't move'n
But now I only stay 6 nights (one weekend night) in a two bedroom and invite family and it is just easier to leave on sunday and come back on saturday with a Baby..
But the next 9 may be more night trip will be coming sooner or later and I ain't move'n
except if we can fit a cruise in somewhere

 

[alldiz]

1st trip 7 nights 1br didnt move......

Aug....I'm doing the opposite....
Arrive Thurs for 3 nights...check out on Sun...
Then I move to pofq for free dining....

Not a good use of points....but I really wanted to stay at
the beach club in the summer for the pool...
And we don't want to travel labor day weekend so it
just worked out....
Cant wait
Kerri

 

[byoung]

Well if you have an WDW annual pass - you can get a pretty nice discount.

AAA also has WDW resorts for a little discount.

the only thing your 25% discount with DVC is DVC resorts.

Agree with the AP discounts, use them as lot.

 

[Pennyguy23]

My favorite plan is to spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights on the Disney Wonder.

GREAT PLAN, I also like to do that.

But to the OP. You have to ask yourself, Is it really worth the hassle of moving? On our Dec-Jan trip we go Sunday to Sunday if we can. In March we do a Sun- Thursday just because then we have a weekend to recoop at home. In May we do Sunday to the Next Thursday for a 12night stay.

 

[JimMIA]

We live fairly nearby, so we can go and come as we please. Therefore, ALL of our trips are Sunday-Thursday.

To some extent, your choices may depend on whether you will have a car or not. If you don't have a car, your only real decision is whether you REALLY want to do something else or not.

If you want a strictly Disney trip, then stay somewhere onsite. The choice really only depends on the type of lodging you want -- choose deluxe, mod, or value, depending.

If have a car but don't want a strictly Disney trip, there are several options. One is to stay in the immediate Orlando area and hit US/Sea World/etc.

Frankly, my choice would be to explore some of Florida away from the Disney area.

For example, a trip to St. Augustine (oldest city in America, founded 1565 -- 42 years before Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims), and then Kennedy Space Center on the East Coast. (With the optional stop at Daytona for NASCAR fans).

Or, on the West Coast, Sarasota/Longboat Key or Sanibel/Ft. Myers.

For pirates, Key West. For supermodels, South Beach.

For people who enjoy more natural settings (and I am NOT making this up!) -- Miami with visits to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park banana: ), Big Cypress National Preserve and about a dozen other places.

 

[jade1]

We usually use points if we are staying at WDW for the weekend. 2 weeks from now its BCV for 5 nights and then 2 weekend nights at VWL. However we do like to move and often stay the weekends at US or Clearwater Beach. They are great spots as well so may as well do them on the weekend.

 

[wildernessDad]

We just use the points too on the weekend. Why move from VWL? You can see my point. You have your home resort or another DVC resort, all nice places in their own way. Why move?

 

[DVC Grandpa]

I may not check into a vacation club until Sunday but once I am checked in I stay in one place until we go home, usually three to five weeks. It is too much for us to pack everything up and check out for two days. We would rather spend our time doing whatever.

 

[goalie5hole]

See, I look at my DVC purchase as a "prepaid" vacation, and if I'm still spending more to stay on-site in addition to my "pre-paid" part, I don't quite see the value in it. My logic is that if you purchase the correct amount of points for what you want to do, you will be money ahead in the long run. Besides, I hate to move around that often. We did stay at PORS one night last year (a Saturday) because we changed our plans kind of last minute...I hated it! Part of it is that I just get so used to DVC accommodations, that any 'hotel' stay is annoying to me. I disliked our stay at the Dolphin for the conference this spring too.

I agree with Diane. I don't see the logic behind "saving" points on fri and sat nights and then paying cash on top of your DVC. Unless you are almost out of points and want to squeeze out one more stay.

 

[johde]

I will agree with most everyone else that deciding on what to do for the weekend is a personal thing. For my trip in December, I am staying 4 places for 3 moves. That being said, I am flying into Tampa on Saturday and spending 2 days at Busch Gardens. Switching to BWV for Sun-Thurs nights while doing WDW. Friday-Saturday I am moving up near Universal Studios. Sunday on a whim, I have a reservation to try out the AKV.

In my case, I only have 60 points so making every point count is important.

 

[Eeyore's Pride]

We staying in a value resort for the Fri/Sat at the BEGINNING of the trip. If the Week-end stay is at the end of the trip, we pay the DVC discount cash rate and stay put! We do not use points for week-end nights.

 

[KristinU]

We do a mix between cash at a value or moderate and using points from business travel at the Doubletree in DTD, as well as sometimes just staying DVC the whole time.

If we're coming in later in the afternoon or evening, I like staying non-DVC the first night then doing our grocery run the next morning bright and early and leave them with bell services when we check in to DVC. In this case we do what others have mentioned and just take in an overnight bag rather than all of our luggage.

If we're getting in on a morning flight I like to just go and do the grocery stop on the way to check in and stay DVC the whole time. We also stay DVC the whole time if we're not getting a rental car.

We've never stayed anywhere else on the tail end.

 

[bnlbebes]

Another vote for "do what works best for you." This year we are visiting family outside of Tampa on Friday/Saturday nights and then moving to BWV from Sunday-Thursday. We tend to try and make alternate arrangement for the weekends and have never spent more than 5 nights on property. Taking the weekend to visit SeaWorld or Universal or Cape Canaveral have been past options. We have never headed back to WDW after the weekend, but am looking forward to it somewhere in our future. In a future driving trip - we have flown for the past 10 years or so, I think that squeezing a relaxing visit to Hilton Head Resort would be nice.

 

[MrsNick]

Last year, we stayed at VB in OVIR for one week using 118 points.

This year, we are flying in late (getting to MCO a little after 9:30 PM), driving to VB and staying in a Best Western for the first night, then checking in bright and early Sunday morning. We will stay on points Sun - Thu in OVIR, then switch to cash on Fri/Sat. in a studio (got a better rate in the studio). This year, the same trip will only cost us 60 points.

The only resort switch is at the beginning. We literally will be at the Best Western to sleep. Did not want to check into VB that late since I figure we wouldn't have great room options at midnight, and would have much better options early Sunday morning.

I figure we are getting the same trip for roughly half the points, which is important to us since we only have a 150 pt. contract. This will allow us to take two vacations rather than one, or book a 2BR instead of a studio if we need to. I look forward to the day when we don't have to worry about not having enough points or enough cash for our vacations

That said, I also like that with a smaller contract, our money is not tied up and is available for either nights at a DVC on cash, or for other things as necessary. I think it's flexible. YMMV