DVC: all POINTS bulletin
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XPI agree the added flexibility with borrowing would be nice. I borrowed points to book a trip next January, but with my use year starting in February, if I should have to cancel it (for some totally unforeseen circumstance), I’ll probably be out of luck with using those points before they expire. Of course, I might be able to find someone else who would gladly use them in my stead.
Otherwise, I’m so glad I bought into DVC!
I wish I had bought about 100 points more back when they were less expensive, but the ones I have are great! I’ve stayed at many of the DVC resorts in WDW using points. I like to experience different places, but I have my favorites in Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom, and Polynesian.So far I’ve stayed at the following:
Jan 2009 – Saratoga Springs – Congress Park – 2 Bedroom Villa – Downtown Disney view.
May 2009 – Boardwalk Villas – Deluxe Studio – Standard View
Oct 2009 – Animal Kingdom – Kidani Village – 2 Bedroom Villa – Savanna View
Feb 2010 – Bay Lake Tower – 1 Bedroom Villa w/ Standard View
Jan 2011 – Animal Kingdom – Kidani Village – 1 Bedroom Villa – Savanna View
May 2011 – Saratoga Springs – The Springs – Deluxe Studio
Feb 2012 – Old Key West – Peninsular Road – Deluxe Studio
Oct 2012 – Wilderness Lodge – 2 Bedroom Villa
May 2013 – Boardwalk Villas – 1 Bedroom Villa – Standard View
Dec 2013 – Old Key West – Old Turtle Pond Road – 2 Bedroom Villa
Feb 2015 – Saratoga Springs – Congress Park – 2 Bedroom Villa – Downtown Disney View
Jul 2015 – Animal Kingdom – Kidani Village – 1 Bedroom Villa – Savanna View
Oct 2016 – Polynesian – Deluxe Studio – Lake View
Oct 2016 – Grand Floridian – 2 Bedroom Villa – Standard ViewUpcoming:
Aug 2017 – Animal Kingdom – Jambo House – 2 Bedroom Villa – Standard View
Jan 2018 – Bay Lake Tower – 2 Bedroom Villa – Standard ViewI do wish they would change a rule about the points that are borrowed. I think that if you borrow points from your next year and then cancel your trip you should be able to return those points to that year. I can see the final transaction rule for ‘one time purchase’ points but the borrowed should at least be flexible in case you have to make a change to your vacation. Obviously banked points are awesome as they stand but I would like more flexibility. Thoughts?
You posted in an appropriate place
I completely agree with you! That rule really screwed us over on our last trip. We weren’t 100% sure of our dates, or our trip length and we were needing to borrow forward ,so we didn’t want to end up wasting points. We waited until we had solid dates confirmed, by which time there were no studios left at our home resort, so we had to upgrade to a 1 bedroom which was a total waste of points! We didn’t need a room that big and it cost more than a studio. Either way we would have ended up losing points 
they’re yours to use, you pay for them, you should have more flexibility in how you use them.
Funny story to illustrate how much we save with DVC:
My aunt, who is also a DVC member, was staying at a DVC Resort in a studio (I forget which resort) and for some reason had to be refunded for 1 night in her studio. I don’t recall why, but it was something outside her control and on Disney’s shoulders, so they tried to refund her room for 1 night and found she had stayed on points. Well they can’t refund points. There’s just not a system in place for that, so they had no choice but to pay her the night’s stay in cash. Somewhere between $300 and $400! That’s ONE night in a STUDIO!
Yes! This was before we purchased our own DVC contract. Two years ago we were taking a trip for Cammie’s birthday, we were able to rent points and stay in a studio at Kidani. Just so happens, some friends were staying at Jambo in a regular room (not DVC) at the same time. I was telling her how I wasn’t really planning on going, but since we were able to rent points for the last minute trip, it wasn’t that bad since the room was around $130/night. Her eyes got really big and she was like “I had no idea there was that big of a difference. We are basically in the same resort, paying more than twice that. And we got a discounted rate!”
We purchased a 100 point contract last year, and were able to use it to spend Thanksgiving in Disney, something I never would have considered if we were paying cash! We spent two nights at Saratoga, and the last two nights at the Poly, which has been a big buckey list item for my whole family. Never would have been able to do that without DVC. Heck, our dues for the whole year cost barely more than 1 night at the Poly!
I will say though, that Disney gets a lot of “free” money from folks who buy into DVC and then get bored of it and put it up for resale. It does have to be something where you’re going to be relatively sure you’ll want to visit at least once a year for about a week or it may not be worth one’s time. Granted I know the audience I’m talking to on here: the “why *wouldn’t* you want to visit Disney every year?!” crowd
My wife and I took the tour after the WDW half marathon in January 2014. This was something I had been wanting to do and talking about with her for a while, but it wasn’t until she was able to see for herself and run numbers that she saw the tremendous value it would be for us to become members. We purchased a 160 point contract at Bay Lake Tower on the resale market, and one of the major contributing factors for choosing BLT was that it had the lowest annual dues of all the DVC resorts (at that time). I believe it is second or third lowest now. Not to mention our home resort would be within walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. Our very first trip as DVC members was Thanksgiving week 2014 and we stayed in a deluxe studio at BLT. Since then we have been able to stay a week at Disney’s Hilton Head resort, 9 nights in a lake view deluxe studio at the Poly Villas, and my son and I stayed one night in a deluxe studio at the Grand Californian in October 2016. Not a day goes by that we regret making the decision to become DVC members. :blush:
I will say though, that Disney gets a lot of “free” money from folks who buy into DVC and then get bored of it and put it up for resale. It does have to be something where you’re going to be relatively sure you’ll want to visit at least once a year for about a week or it may not be worth one’s time. Granted I know the audience I’m talking to on here: the “why *wouldn’t* you want to visit Disney every year?!” crowd
Yes, you’re right. I can’t believe those people exist!
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