DVC at WDW

[Snickals]

Am researching where to stay for our Disney part of the trip, if we should stay on site or off site and looking at the advantages/disadvantages...really want to stay on site but need to decide what is the best option. Every trip we have stayed at POP and love it there!

But...whilst researching I came across the whole renting dvc points thing. I have never really looked into it before but the thought of staying at a more 'deluxe' resort for less sounds appealing. Has anyone done this??? What are the advantages/disadvantages? I read about not having daily mousekeeping and that's okay but what else??? Do you still get all the other Disney 'perks'? Are you able to make dining reservations in advance and fast passes on the bands? So many questions lol

 

[Meemoo]

Hello, yes you get all the benefits for staying onsite. Every DVC resort I have stayed in have been fantastic. I haven't needed to rent points but if I needed more then I wouldn't hesitate to use something like David's DVC Rentals or another one of the popular ones. You are right, you only get mouse keeping I think on every fourth day.

 

[Royal Consort]

But...whilst researching I came across the whole renting dvc points thing. I have never really looked into it before but the thought of staying at a more 'deluxe' resort for less sounds appealing. Has anyone done this??? What are the advantages/disadvantages? I read about not having daily mousekeeping and that's okay but what else??? Do you still get all the other Disney 'perks'? Are you able to make dining reservations in advance and fast passes on the bands? So many questions lol

We are renting DVC points for our upcoming trip to Aulani.

Advantages:

• Often quite a saving from several hundred dollars up to thousands by renting DVC. We're saving about $1000 by renting at Aulani rather than booking direct with Disney. That's also assuming Disney would be having a 30% discount as well. If they don't offer the 30% then we're saving much much more.
• You get to stay 'deluxe' for the price of a 'moderate'.
• For some a kitchen or kitchenette is of benefit.

Disadvantages:

• It's not a hotel, it's a condo. This means no daily housekeeping. For stays of seven nights, 'Trash and Towel' Service is provided on day #4. For 8+ nights, full cleaning is on day #4 and a 'Trash and Towel' occurs on day #8.
• You are required to book substantially in advance. Home resorts open bookings to DVC members 11 months out. If you're wanting really popular studios in, say, the Villas at the Grand Floridian or Bay Lake Tower you'll want to jump on that early but it will cost several dollars more per point to rent. The remaining resorts open up 7 months out in which any DVC member can book. Depending on the time, there may be little availability less than 7 months out. The cheaper categories are the first to get snapped up.
• You are not in control of your reservation. You're renting from a DVC owner who effectively holds the reservation. Anything you need to request, add, amend has to go through them. It's a trust exercise. You trust them to pay their fees etc. This is mitigated by going through a reputable DVC rental organisation than through an individual off the Disboards.
• There is no cancellation or refund. You cannot change your dates. You have to feel pretty certain of your travel. This is the reason we didn't rent points for our upcoming WDW trip. We weren't entirely sure of our dates prior to the airfares being on sale. As a result we actually DID need to alter our dates. It's now within 6 months of our trip and so there's no DVC availability (other than Saratoga Springs but... just.. no). That's ok though as I rather prefer the WDW hotel rooms to the studios.
• Most DVC rental brokers require you to pay up front in full.

Overall substantial savings can be had by renting DVC points but in doing so you sacrifice control of your reservation and housekeeping. You also need to be very certain of your travel dates. If you can rent 7-11 months out, and pay in full, it works very well.

 

[ColinA]

DVC rooms get trash and towel or full housekeeping every four days, This is good as the room is then more private.

What dates are you wanting to go and which DVC resorts would you want to stay at.

DVC bookings as an owner or renter get all the perks, DME, FP and ADR's.

 

[shushh]

We've done it for several visits and wouldn't do it any other way now The first rent can be a bit scary as Royal Consort has already pointed there is a lot of trust that needs to happen!
We've moved resorts through our stay, and Disney moved our "fridge and freezer" goods as well. Very convenient.

 

[PrincessInOz]

We rent DVC points and stay on-site. Like shushh, I wouldn't do it any other way.....unless there was a 40 or 45% room rate discount.