Usage of points after having kids.

[vnovabri]

We just had our first (7months old now) and trying to forecast how many points we should have. We've owned 160 points at AK since 2015 and we have always had banked points (thanks to a loaded contract). We recently bought 125 at GF to give us walking access to MK. With the new points we definitely have more than we will use over the next few years, especially while she is so young.

Has anyone gone from a single/couple to having young kids and see a change in frequency and duration of trips? We are debating selling our AK points to offset the cost of the GF points but really not sure if we should expect to use more or less points over the next 10-20yrs. I expect our usage of point won't change much (although GF is more expensive) while she can use the Murphy bed and doesn't have a sibling, but I really don't know.

 

[kanerf]

Just rent out the points you won't use. It is very easy to do.

 

[Twohsieh]

When the kid(s) start school, it is really hard to travel during school session especially when they enter junior high and high school. We usually have to travel during the peak times in the summer, winter or Easter break when the points and fares are the highest.
Also, as the kid(s) get older, you'll really appreciate the extra bedroom(s) and bathrooms.

I would keep the AK points and rent them out if you do not need them. We rent our points out if we are planning a non-Disney vacation.

Reference: Purchased 300 points VGC 2010, purchased 270 AUL 2020

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Has anyone gone from a single/couple to having young kids and see a change in frequency and duration of trips? We are debating selling our AK points to offset the cost of the GF points but really not sure if we should expect to use more or less points over the next 10-20yrs. I expect our usage of point won't change much (although GF is more expensive) while she can use the Murphy bed and doesn't have a sibling, but I really don't know.

We went from zero trips without kids to 2-3 times a year with kids. And from my experience, you should ALWAYS expect to use MORE points, not less. Once you stay in a 1BR villa, it will be hard to go back to a studio, especially as your kids get older.

 

[Sandisw]

We bought when our kids were already older...one in college, one a Junior in HS, and one in middle school. But, we were a once a year family and it didn't take long to go more than that.

Now DH and I are retired, and I go a lot. I think as your child grows up, you will find that going more often could indeed happen!!

 

[theaterguy]

We just had our first (7months old now) and trying to forecast how many points we should have. We've owned 160 points at AK since 2015 and we have always had banked points (thanks to a loaded contract). We recently bought 125 at GF to give us walking access to MK. With the new points we definitely have more than we will use over the next few years, especially while she is so young.

Has anyone gone from a single/couple to having young kids and see a change in frequency and duration of trips? We are debating selling our AK points to offset the cost of the GF points but really not sure if we should expect to use more or less points over the next 10-20yrs. I expect our usage of point won't change much (although GF is more expensive) while she can use the Murphy bed and doesn't have a sibling, but I really don't know.

after kids it was once every three years. but we had three kids and that takes some planning. enjoy. dont go when they are less than two. very hard on them and nothing they will remember. super tough in the summer. just came back last week and the babies were miserable in the 90 plus weather.

 

[Brian Noble]

Has anyone gone from a single/couple to having young kids and see a change in frequency and duration of trips?

For us, the biggest change in going from a couple to being parents was that a single hotel room (aka studio) wasn't going to cut it for more than a night or two. Having a door that locked between parents and child(ren) became very important. Our eldest was a light sleeper, so separate spaces helped. Maybe more importantly, it was our vacation too, and we wanted to...be on vacation. (@crisi calls this the "nookie tax").

When the kids were super young, we tended to travel a little less due to the hassle and logistics of it all. Once they were a little more self-sufficient (pre-school or maybe grade school) we did a lot of travel. Things tapered off a bit once they got more involved with extra-curricular activities in high school, because it was harder to get away without missing band camp/summer conditioning/team trips/travel ball/etc. etc. etc.

 

[RoseGold]

Weird choice to buy the 125, because now you can't sell the AKL without losing your Blue Card.

It's A LOT easier to travel without a school schedule. You'll have no trouble using them when they are young. It's when that pesky school wants them to show up every day, you'll have issues.

Especially if you can work remote, this many points when your kiddo is little could be really neat. It's what I did. Just worked for a week in low point season. Worked weekdays in Disney, traveled to visit family and friends on weekends. But MCO is a very easy trip for me, and we have APs.

This is a problem for future you, once you know what's up with kindergarten and work and all that, and that's a long way away. For now, hold it and use it!

 

[TinkB278]

Great question! I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. We have a three year old and another due next month. I want to travel as much as we can before they start school. For those with older kids, what is typically allowed as far as pulling your kids from school? When I was little a week vacation was no big deal.

 

[crisi]

We bought with young kids - it was an every other year vacation for us from the time my youngest was two until middle school. But in middle school, life changed for us - it became harder to pull the kids from school for a few days (and I'm a crowd avoider - no Christmas or Easter for me), so we were moving to Summer - which is HOT and HUMID. We had taken advantage of a state wide Fall break to pull the kids for three days and get a full week when they were in elementary school- that stopped being advisable. And then the kids got involved in activities and jobs. Sports - well, you need to be around in the Summer for football camp. Drama - well, there is a Summer play. Band Camp. Scout Camp. My kids weren't even THAT active and you had to make choices - and the kids' choice was not another Disney trip. And then jobs. And friends. And then college. (Yes, I know, your baby is a baby, it will move fast).

There was also the added expense. Disney tickets for two kids/two adults quickly became Disney tickets for four adults. Airfare for four. Dining for four. Plus just the added expense of kids. Daycare costs, camp fees, car insurance(!), tuition. So yeah, you can take a family and go a lot more often - it was a new experience every time with kids and delightful. Or the reality of resource allocation - time (yours and kids) and money - may mean you end up going less.

 

[Brian Noble]

For those with older kids, what is typically allowed as far as pulling your kids from school?

This varies wildly from district to district. It will depend what your state and local rules and policies are.

As far as I know, Michigan (and Ann Arbor) are pretty tolerant of family vacations. However, we decided pretty early on--before our eldest started kindergarten--that we would try to never pull our kids out of school for a discretionary trip. We stuck to that, and it worked out well for us. During the calendar year there are 15 full weeks when the kids were not in class, plus a couple of almost-weeks (Thanksgiving, Fall break). With some advance planning and prioritization, it was not hard for us to take 2-3 weeks of family vacation per year. One was usually a Disney trip, and the other(s) something else.

Most years, our "Disney trip" was to either Orlando or Anaheim during the kids' winter break in mid-to-late February. We also did one Orlando trip during spring break, and a couple of summer weeks. One summer we spent a week in the water parks, Disney Quest*, and visiting the resorts, completely avoiding the heat of the theme parks. Another year was the DCL Alaskan cruise in August. One year was a week in Paris in an apartment in the 14th arr., followed by a four-night stay at DLRP for the first half of July. We even did Christmas week at WDW one year--not something I want to do all the time, but it was great fun to do once.

There were lots of other trips to lots of other places: Hawaii, Washington DC, the Smoky Mountains, the Outer Banks, Sedona and the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, etc. etc.

Other people pull their kids and don't think twice about it, and that's fine for them. But, we decided we were going to avoid it, and were able to do so without sacrificing our ability to take plenty of vacations, Disney and otherwise. Some of them might have been a little more crowded and/or a little more expensive than they would have been if we'd been willing to pull them, but we figured that was just part of the cost of having kids.

Once our oldest started grad school, it got much harder for us to all be somewhere together. (She's spending most of her summer digging in caves in South Africa!) With her brother now also starting grad school this Fall, it will get harder still. But, we still manage. They were both able to join us for a 10-day trip to Boston and Northern Vermont this June. We'll spend a week with each of them separately during their respective spring breaks, and we've invited them to join us for our two weeks in the Hawaiian islands next summer. Turns out the nicer the plans, the more they work to make it happen. ;-)

----------
*: Yes, I'm dating myself.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

My kids school said ”no you can’t take them and the teachers don‘t have to give them the work early or let them make it up!”

the teacher gave then the work early, an excepted it as on time….

pretty sure i was able to get the school to count the days as excused absences because it was a family obligation.

bottom line, you are the parent, you decide what is best.

i promise you my kids did better on the years we went on extra vacations than the ones when we stayed home….

the brain needs fun too

 

[crisi]

In elementary school it wasn't a big deal. And neither of my kids struggled a bit through elementary school By middle school it was. Missing three days meant missing a lot of school. Unless you are ready to coach a 7th grader through Algebra because he missed something important (teachers are overworked without catching your kid up because you went to Disney)..... And a lot of teachers didn't accept late work and wouldn't do packets for discretionary work - so they got zeros. But as Brian says, it will vary by state, by district, by grade, and by teacher. And you can homeschool and free yourself from the restrictions of a community wide school calendar.

There is something else worth saying, and that is if you treat school like its optional, and if you have something better to do that is more fun, you can skip it, don't be surprised when your kids treat showing up to their college classes as optional, or showing up to their job every day as optional. Your kids are learning something when you let them skip school for a vacation - when they have plenty of vacation days where you could take vacation. I sort of regret pulling mine - I think they would have had stronger work ethics had I said "no, its a school day, you go to school on school days" even though we had stopped it by sixth grade.

 

[DeeBee3]

I'd say don't sell unless you financially need to. Obviously, your needs at home and for your family are far more important than spending money at Disney.

I would advise traveling while they are young because 1. Tickets are FREE and 2. Schedules are easier to figure out before school.

I know some people say traveling while kids are young is worthless, but I'd say toddler age/preschool age is priceless. Yes, they get tired and you have to have different expectations. You can't be all commando and think it's going to be fine. As they get older they can do more and you can all decide fun stuff like what rides and places they want to go.

I don't think I would go with a baby under 12 months, but everyone is different. I would have loved to own DVC when they were a tad younger so I could have planned vacations in the non-scorching summer or busy vacation seasons.

 

[jo-jo]

You may need extra points when you go on that first baby trip and bring a grandparent along to babysit.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

When my son was <9 years old and needed more sleep than us and especially when he still took naps we absolutely loved having a one or two bedroom. It was so nice to have a place to be awake without having to lie quietly in a dark studio while the beast child napped or went to bed early. We also happily took him out of school up through 6th grade when crowds were lighter.

Now that he’s older (12) he goes to bed the same time we do, and school and sports get in the way more, so we are happy in studios and can use less points.

I wouldn’t sell your akv contract. See how things go for you for a few years, it’s easy to the rent the points, but will definitely be more expensive if you sell and then want to buy them back.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

In elementary school it wasn't a big deal. And neither of my kids struggled a bit through elementary school By middle school it was. Missing three days meant missing a lot of school. Unless you are ready to coach a 7th grader through Algebra because he missed something important (teachers are overworked without catching your kid up because you went to Disney)..... And a lot of teachers didn't accept late work and wouldn't do packets for discretionary work - so they got zeros. But as Brian says, it will vary by state, by district, by grade, and by teacher. And you can homeschool and free yourself from the restrictions of a community wide school calendar.

There is something else worth saying, and that is if you treat school like its optional, and if you have something better to do that is more fun, you can skip it, don't be surprised when your kids treat showing up to their college classes as optional, or showing up to their job every day as optional. Your kids are learning something when you let them skip school for a vacation - when they have plenty of vacation days where you could take vacation. I sort of regret pulling mine - I think they would have had stronger work ethics had I said "no, its a school day, you go to school on school days" even though we had stopped it by sixth grade.

Mmm,

I let my son skip school to go on vacations

He is now in college full time and working full time. He learned very quickly when he turned 18 that getting to play hard is expensive.

You have to work hard to be able to afford Disney trips, new cars, computers, etc….

If they are motivated, have good values, and have had parents not “friends” raise them, then missing school is not the end of the world….

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

We bought when the kids were 5 and 6, 100 points, then added on 200 on our Welcome Home. Since we bought Riviera, each time got us the previous year’s points. We took advantage of cheap Covid airfare and no real attendance policy to do two trips a year. Now we’re spoiled and will be out of points by our July, 2023 trip and have to regroup in 2024, .

I definitely wouldn’t sell AK! The kid(s) will love the animals, and DVC is a GODSEND with littles, especially one-bedrooms and larger with full kitchens, a bedroom door for privacy/naps, and laundry to clean up messes. You don’t have to do the parks. You can have a fabulous, relaxing trip and skip the parks. We did that in February, 2021, and had a ball poolside and eating out.

‘’Echoing PP, missing school up to 3rd grade is oh-Kayyy, but this trip in December (3rd and 4th grade) I am sweating them missing school for a week, honestly, but everything is bought/arranged, so c’est la vie.

If the kids burn out on WDW/DVC, we plan to do Vero and Alauni and DL, or else rent points for a few years and use the cash somewhere else.

We’re definitely spoiled having a home away from home with restaurants on site, shopping, lovely pools, spas, etc.

I have to say, renting a house on the Cape or Maine coast is easily $3,000 for only a decent house, and you’re still cooking and schlepping linens and towels most of the time.

Everyone complains how expensive Disney is — and it is — but we love our time at the resorts and convenience of wonderful restaurants and parks at our fingertips, not to mention golfing, Sea World, Space Coast, etc.

Jersey shore/Cape May/Wildwoods are expensive. IDK. I’m sure all-inclusive resorts may be cheaper, but can you keep the kids occupied and fed the stuff they’re used to without a hassle?

If it’s not a financial burden, keep them is my vote. Enjoy Jiko and get babysitting to come to your room so you can enjoy the resort a little bit.

 

[crisi]

Mmm,

I let my son skip school to go on vacations

He is now in college full time and working full time. He learned very quickly when he turned 18 that getting to play hard is expensive.

You have to work hard to be able to afford Disney trips, new cars, computers, etc….

If they are motivated, have good values, and have had parents not “friends” raise them, then missing school is not the end of the world….

Glad it worked for you - it works for a lot of people. My son ended up being a sort of marginal student and marginal young adult - it took a while but he's coming around. And when you have a kid who ends up struggling, then maybe the "good value" they ended up getting was play is more important than work. Sometimes what we teach our kids is what we didn't intend to teach our kids and as parents it can be easy to question ourselves. Its hard to tell when they are six and seven whether they will be motivated. And of course you work hard to be able to afford Disney trips - my husband and I both had professional jobs when they were growing up. It, unfortunately, isn't that simple.

 

[havoc315]

As you grow a family, usage can change in any direction.
You may find you travel less often, between the expense (getting more and more expensive as your family grows) and hassle (travel with a young child is never easy, and when they are too young to even appreciate Disney....)
You may find that Disney is such a family friendly destination, that it replaces other travel you may have done, so you go more often. (with WDW trips replacing that romantic weekend B&B getaway, or that adventure to Europe).
You may have a surge of WDW trips, followed by feeling "Disney'ed out," and need to significantly cut back on WDW trips..
Or, as your young child becomes an adolescent, they may become addicted to WDW trips.

There is no one-size-fits-all. Knowing you can always buy more points, rent cash rooms, rent points, I'd recommend against overloading on points, better to err against over-estimating your needs, until you're sure of what you need.