Achievement unlocked! Booked our first DVC points vacation!

[Janir]

My wife and I became DVC members in 2018. It's been a bucket list item for us since we got married 5+ years ago in WDW. Today I finally got to USE my DVC membership points to book a vacation. Feels fantastic! We've managed to fulfill a dream of ours to own and enjoy a DVC membership. Can't get anything at our home property in the time window we're looking to go but a Savannah view AKL was always on the bucket list of WDW trips to stay at and that is also a achievement unlocked! Feels unusually good to have and use a DVC. My wife made me a Disney fan and having and using a DVC membership just makes it feel like we're part of something exclusive. ;P WE're even planning the DVC member party on our trip.

No if I can just win the lottery jackpot and then buy our Golden Oak's home... ;-P

 

[aliceismad]

Congratulations!

 

[nickys]

My wife and I became DVC members in 2018. It's been a bucket list item for us since we got married 5+ years ago in WDW. Today I finally got to USE my DVC membership points to book a vacation. Feels fantastic! We've managed to fulfill a dream of ours to own and enjoy a DVC membership. Can't get anything at our home property in the time window we're looking to go but a Savannah view AKL was always on the bucket list of WDW trips to stay at and that is also a achievement unlocked! Feels unusually good to have and use a DVC. My wife made me a Disney fan and having and using a DVC membership just makes it feel like we're part of something exclusive. ;P WE're even planning the DVC member party on our trip.

No if I can just win the lottery jackpot and then buy our Golden Oak's home... ;-P

Congratulations!

 

[Minthorne]

Nice! It's fun to book and plan. Hope you have a great trip!!

 

[Janir]

Nice! It's fun to book and plan. Hope you have a great trip!!

I agree that planning a WDW trip is always fun! We've learned to be a WDW trip planners and have enjoyed the anticipation. I compulsively put in calendar reminders to the day of when I can book dining reservations 6 months out to 60 day fast pass selections. We plan which days are at which parks and have fun for a few weeks of planing, then tweaking, then later making the reservations. We like to still leave some room for flexibility so if we don't have any special reservations for a day we can park hop. As we're planning on getting annual passes this year, that give us some more flexibility on the flight days. We might be willing to 1/2 or 1/4 day a park that we wouldn't otherwise spend the ticket money on.

FYI, the cost benefit breakdown for regular tickets to Annual Platinum Pass (not the PLUS pass, but probably similar) is two trips, one of 4 days and 3 days for DVC member pricing. At 3 and 3 days its still a few $$ cheaper to buy regular tickets, but one trip with a 4th day gets you over the cost of a DVC Annual Plat Pass. This is before any other Annual Pass perks. I somehow missed the discounted ticket pricing for DVC in all the paperwork and presentations or just mentally glossed over it but when the website offered me the option, seeing an annual pass for roughly $150 less than I was expecting to pay, well imagine my happiness.

 

[Minthorne]

I agree that planning a WDW trip is always fun! We've learned to be a WDW trip planners and have enjoyed the anticipation. I compulsively put in calendar reminders to the day of when I can book dining reservations 6 months out to 60 day fast pass selections. We plan which days are at which parks and have fun for a few weeks of planing, then tweaking, then later making the reservations. We like to still leave some room for flexibility so if we don't have any special reservations for a day we can park hop. As we're planning on getting annual passes this year, that give us some more flexibility on the flight days. We might be willing to 1/2 or 1/4 day a park that we wouldn't otherwise spend the ticket money on.

FYI, the cost benefit breakdown for regular tickets to Annual Platinum Pass (not the PLUS pass, but probably similar) is two trips, one of 4 days and 3 days for DVC member pricing. At 3 and 3 days its still a few $$ cheaper to buy regular tickets, but one trip with a 4th day gets you over the cost of a DVC Annual Plat Pass. This is before any other Annual Pass perks. I somehow missed the discounted ticket pricing for DVC in all the paperwork and presentations or just mentally glossed over it but when the website offered me the option, seeing an annual pass for roughly $150 less than I was expecting to pay, well imagine my happiness.

When are you going? Keep your eye open for the DVC Moonlight Magic events at the parks which are fun and free for members - but limited in attendance - as well as other DVC only events. I booked the Wave Dinner with TOTW fireworks viewing in May.

 

[Janir]

When are you going? Keep your eye open for the DVC Moonlight Magic events at the parks which are fun and free for members - but limited in attendance - as well as other DVC only events. I booked the Wave Dinner with TOTW fireworks viewing in May.

LOL! I PLANNED this vacation date around the AK Moonlight Magic date near our anniversary! It's the day before our wedding anniversary and that same trip we can also hit a MNSSHP on our anniversary, which we did a few years ago and had great fun. I suspect some of our future bookings will be around other moonlight magic days as well. Tenatively the next trip will be the 2020 spring and Fall 2021 for the the MK 50th and my 50th b-day.

 

[correcaminos]

Congratulations! I think you picked a fantastic place to stay also. I think we need to go back and visit Animal Kingdom Lodge soon too.

 

[carolina_yankee]

AKV Savannah View is awesome. AKL version was our first on-property stay, and I almost regretted purchasing DVC in 2006 due to likely not staying at AKL again - then voila - AKV!

As for your home resort, not sure which it is, but definitely be prepared to use your home resort priority, especially if it's a smaller resort with limited inventory in your desired room size/view/category. Some villas simply have to be booked at 11 months, but you can generally find some place to stay on property 6-7 months out. You'll get the hang of it and over the years, you'll make it to every resort.

Dirk

 

[FCivish3]

Welcome home. You will love Animal Kingdom Lodges. It is our favorite place, even though I also own at Poly and BLT. I never make a trip to WDW without spending at least SOME time at AKL.

 

[Disneybees]

We stayed at akl with a savannah last year and it was amazing!!!
We are also looking forward to booking our first as brand new dvc members.

 

[Janir]

Tried to get Jamo house, but by the time my booking window opened, it was already too late. I really get the difference between the 7 month and 11 month booking windows. Since we weren't originally planing the August trip at first. My first inclination was to rent my 2018 points to a friend, who said he couldn't swing it this year, I decided we got the point and they are mine, JUST USE THEM! No I'm really glad I am.