Any correlation between cash availability and point availability?

[Anthony Vito]

We are currently booked for Pop Century from 4/25 - 5/2 as we are trying to save money this time (did Polynesian in August for 9 nights). However, I was discussing with my wife whether to try to rent DVC points, if even possible at this point, so that we could step up to Deluxe (having a balcony was huge last time - kids are 5-1/2 and almost 4), so having a little retreat from them when they were sleeping/napping made the trip a lot easier. Location is also a huge consideration, and being closer with less bus time would make a large difference.

As I said, we're looking to try to do this more affordably this time, especially since we're looking at a much closer travel window (decided this may be our only chance to go for our daughter's birthday at the end of April since our son starts school next year). As such, we are debating how much more we'd be willing to spend to move up. Our thought right now is that Boardwalk would probably be worth it for location, but probably not available (Beach Club would be our first choice, but we know there's no way that would be available).

As we are not DVC members, we've never even seen what the search for rooms is like. In others experience, is availability for renting a villa room for cash any indication of whether there may be availability for renting with points? Before we even go down this road, I'm wondering if even trying is futile and laughable, and thus just a waste of time and energy (particularly the energy on trying to decide if we want to try for the increase in cost and the energy figuring out what resorts to request if we did submit a deposit and request - probably would try through dvcrequest).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I haven’t looked at availability for your dates, but my own dates in may have already very limited availability. Only 1Br are available for those.

I think you can get a 1Br at beach club or boardwalk but no studios. 1Br is more points and therefore more money when renting. A rule of thumb is that a 1Br compared to a studio at the same resort is twice the points.

The DVC cash availability is a completely different set of inventory and has nothing to do with DVC inventory for members.

I haven’t stayed at POP so I don’t know the prices but my guesstimate is that you will pay more to get a 1Br at beach or boardwalk. A single night in a 1Br is around 37 points and when renting those points at $15-17 pr point you are looking at $555 - $629 Pr night.

 

[kristenrice]

Saratoga Springs is currently the only resort that has availability for your dates. The standard studio is 105 points for the week. All of the other resorts on property have either no studio availability at all, or only 1-3 nights available. At $17/point, you are looking at about $225 a night so it would still probably be quite a bit more than Pop Century, but you are also getting more too. You would not be saving any money by renting points over staying at a value resort.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Could probably rent for less than 17 per night, though, if he could find an owner with distressed points. 90 days notice for a Saratoga studio might be able to find $10-14 points.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Cash villas (direct from Disney) and staying on points are two different inventories, and are not much correlated.

Disney withholds 2% of available inventory during the initial sale of the resort so they can have rooms for maintenance etc. This is required by law. They can't sell 100% (or more than 100% as some timeshares have done).
Also, when someone uses their DVC points for something other than DVC, like a Disney Hotel, or a Disney Cruise, or an Adventures By Disney Trip, those points go into an inventory that Disney can rent out for cash.

It is possible to rent points from a broker (or directly from an owner). In this case you are renting from the large pool of rooms that are available to home resort owners at 11 months, or any DVC member at 7 months. So in this case, the availability is exactly the same as for owners.

 

[crisi]

The Epcot resorts and MK resorts are futile and laughable.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

As mentioned the cash availability does not have anything to do with point availability. You're starting the search a bit late in the game - maybe even 2 months ago might have offered a couple of options but now you should figure it would be SSR as your resort. It's the largest by far so usually has availability after others have filled.

 

[deedubb]

It costs nothing to try to make a reservation with David's. They charge a deposit which is completely refundable if they cannot secure a room, so it doesn't hurt to make a request and they will let you know if anything is available.

 

[DisBuckMan]

It costs nothing to try to make a reservation with David's. They charge a deposit which is completely refundable if they cannot secure a room, so it doesn't hurt to make a request and they will let you know if anything is available.

Buuuuut....have your mind made up if you decide to go through David's. The $112 deposit is not refundable if they do find you availability and you decide not to go that route.