Taking 2 Years Off--How to Use Points?

[gdrj]

We havent done that but we have used our points this way:
1-Non park trip, just enjoyed hotels, restaurants, Disney Springs, FT Wilderness.
2-Vero Beach
3-Hilton Head
4-Disneyland
5- We had Aulani scheduled but 2020 happened

We also have brought family and friends or gifted to family.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

We havent done that but we have used our points this way:
1-Non park trip, just enjoyed hotels, restaurants, Disney Springs, FT Wilderness.
2-Vero Beach
3-Hilton Head
4-Disneyland
5- We had Aulani scheduled but 2020 happened

We also have brought family and friends or gifted to family.

Nice! I love that you say you enjoyed Ft. Wilderness on a non-park trip. We LOVE the fort! I could spend a whole day there. LOVE that idea! Sometimes when I think about a non-park trip, I feel like I can't do it. But really I think I would love it.

We aren't big Vero Beach fans, but we go to HHI every year. If anything, we can use up any extra points by taking a second trip there.

We had also thought about going to Aulani this year. So glad we decided not to book it!

 

[k_hase]

This is the way we've traveled since buying DVC 10 years ago. We get an annual pass, and book two lengthy trips slightly less than 1 year apart. We also usually take a long weekend trip or two, depending on our points and schedule.

I don't have a concrete methodology, other than I bank and borrow. You have to be aware of your points and use year but in the end it's not hard. I sometimes have to purchase some one time use points.

This lastest effort was a little different, given quarantine. We went for a long trip in August 2019, two nights in November, and then for a week in February. This used all of 2019 points (plus some that was banked) and 2020, plus some borrowed from 2021. We decided to borrow a bit more and go for a few nights in August before our APs would expire. Of course, quarantine/closure pushed the end date of those passes out to December, so we rebooked that August trip for December.

2021, if there are vacations will be other vacations, including a trip to Turkey and to Amsterdam. We will have to wait until 2022 to get enough points for a big trip again, we'll push that out as far as possible to use the banked 2021 late in our 2022 year. If we'd done it as planned originally, it would be two years between trips.

We also have a small BWV contract, that we use for FWF. We bank those too, using them on years we have annual pass.

Really, you just have to stay on top of your points. I think I've lost points in the past, but never more than 1 or 2.

 

[Travel60]

You are much more a planner than we are. We have several contracts, all March YE at HHI. We tend to do one one-week extended family trip every year or two usually in 3 BR at HHI. DH and I use various points at DVC, Concierge Collection or REI trades as we go about other travels (often "away" college football games or spring baseball). Along about September we look at our points and figure out if we have some that must be used by March or if we need to bank some. This has led to Jan/Feb trips to use up points and once to a last-minute cruise to use points. We gave DD 300 points for honeymoon one year. Will likely do same for DS. Probably not the most efficient use but works for us without all the angst.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

You are much more a planner than we are. We have several contracts, all March YE at HHI. We tend to do one one-week extended family trip every year or two usually in 3 BR at HHI. DH and I use various points at DVC, Concierge Collection or REI trades as we go about other travels (often "away" college football games or spring baseball). Along about September we look at our points and figure out if we have some that must be used by March or if we need to bank some. This has led to Jan/Feb trips to use up points and once to a last-minute cruise to use points. We gave DD 300 points for honeymoon one year. Will likely do same for DS. Probably not the most efficient use but works for us without all the angst.

Yes I am definitely a planner! I do like having a plan to use the points but I also know I have to be flexible because many times the best made plans blow up in my face!

 

[MICKIMINI]

We're hoping to do our first month long retirement WDW trip in January 2024. I plan to bank all OKW Oct 2022 points into 2023 to use in 2024. I also have June points at BRV but will keep it simple and only use current points rather than try to bank and risk losing them. First year we'll have tons of points and possibly bank some into 2024 or just buy more points...it's so much cheaper than buying a condo in FL. I've already printed a Jan 2024 calendar to lay out a tentative schedule (3+ years out LOL!)

We've never had AP's but if we are to buy them 2024 is the year. If we don't use them until mid-January, we can use them for the first two weeks of 2025. Thanks to OP's for the tip! That's a big money saver if we only buy every other year especially since we plan on doing at least 4-5 nights at VB during that time, have family to visit and just enjoy hanging out at the pool or resort hopping on the monorail.
Thanks again to the "planners" for the tips!

 

[Tamar]

For years, we have gone in early November year 1, and late October year 2 (all on one annual pass), and then we take 13 months off and start over. We've never missed a F&W festival until we cancelled our trip this year.