Booking a Disney trip in April- Need assistance

[gman4life]

Looking to book a trip to disney and want to stay at one of their resorts.

Looking to save some money if possible.

What are the pros and cons of getting a DVC rental as opposed to a TA deal?

 

[LYSE]

I'm new to renting DVC...however from what I see..

Cons:
Risk involved - you could get completely scammed or the member can fall behind on dues and your reservation canceled
No daily house keeping
No direct control over your reservation..you have to work with the owner on any changes, most of the time you can expect no cancellations and only minor changes.
full or half payment normally required up front...TA's normally take a much smaller deposit

Pros:
Way cheaper
Access to some dvc perks like movie rentals if that's your thing.

 

[gman4life]

I'm new to renting DVC...however from what I see..

Cons:
Risk involved - you could get completely scammed or the member can fall behind on dues and your reservation canceled
No daily house keeping
No direct control over your reservation..you have to work with the owner on any changes, most of the time you can expect no cancellations and only minor changes.
full or half payment normally required up front...TA's normally take a much smaller deposit

Pros:
Way cheaper
Access to some dvc perks like movie rentals if that's your thing.

if you were booking your trip, what do you think is the best way that worked for you?

 

[LYSE]

if you were booking your trip, what do you think is the best way that worked for you?

Sorry I'm not sure I understand your question?

The best and easiest way is just to book through Disney..or maybe get a quote from a TA and compare to direct from disney.

If you think the savings are worth the risk then I've used the boards here to find points to rent..or you can go through a Broker Like david's or dvc store

 

[gman4life]

Sorry I'm not sure I understand your question?

The best and easiest way is just to book through Disney..or maybe get a quote from a TA and compare to direct from disney.

If you think the savings are worth the risk then I've used the boards here to find points to rent..or you can go through a Broker Like david's or dvc store

apologize if i sound like a newb. Just new to all of this and want to make sure i have enough info.

Davids or the DVC store, are you guaranteed those rentals or do those have the same risks?

 

[LYSE]

apologize if i sound like a newb. Just new to all of this and want to make sure i have enough info.

Davids or the DVC store, are you guaranteed those rentals or do those have the same risks?

I haven't actually used them, but I believe one of the brokers has insurance you can purchase that even allows cancellations..it's kind of expensive and doesn't cover the full cost..but it's an option

 

[gman4life]

I haven't actually used them, but I believe DVC store has insurance you can purchase that even allows cancellations..it's kind of expensive and doesn't cover the full cost..but it's an option

almost appears that the stress of the unknown isnt worth it.

 

[LYSE]

almost appears that the stress of the unknown isnt worth it.

That's up to you to decide...Risk VS Reward

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Marionnette]

apologize if i sound like a newb. Just new to all of this and want to make sure i have enough info.

Davids or the DVC store, are you guaranteed those rentals or do those have the same risks?

Those companies provide the renter with some protections in case the owner flakes out on you. However, those protections only go as far as to refund your money if the reservation that was made on your behalf gets canceled. They cannot make a villa become available if the DVC resort is fully booked.

This is how those places work:

• None of them actually own the points that are used for making the reservations. They act as a go-between for renters and the DVC member who will make the reservation.
• The DVC owner contacts David's (or any other agency) and informs them that they have X number of points to rent. Their home resort is XXXXXXX and the points will expire on MM/YY. David's adds them to their pool of owners.
• The renter contacts David's with their preferred resorts and dates of travel, the number of people traveling in their party and the type of villa that they want. David's takes a deposit from the potential renter and then does a check to see if there is availability at the resorts listed.
• If there is availability, then they look to see if they have one or more owners in their pool of owners who could make the reservation (i.e. have enough points that won't expire before the renter's dates or own at the resort if there are more than 7 months until the reservation begins).
• If there are no owners in the pool that fit the requirements, David's will offer to keep the potential renter in mind should a suitable owner contact them while the desired villa is still available. Or David's may suggest other resorts that have availability and owners with points who can make the reservation.
• However, if one or more owners meets their requirements, David's will contact them to see if they can make the reservation. The first owner to respond will get the renter's information to add to the reservation.
• Once the reservation has been secured and David's has verified that it is legitimate, the renter is notified and asked to make their payment. Payment in full is required at the time that the reservation is made. No reservation number is shared with the renter until payment has cleared.
• David's pays a percentage of the rental price to the owner, keeps $4/pt. for themselves and then places the remainder in an escrow account. That money goes to the owner on the day that the renter checks in. This helps to assure that the owner doesn't cancel the reservation.
• The reservation remains under the control of the DVC member, not David's. Any changes, iif permitted, have to go thru the member. Any location requests, DME requests, dining plans must be arranged by the member. Tickets, ADRs, FPs are all the responsibility of the renter.
• Because of the way that DVC operates, there are no refunds, regardless of the circumstances. Some people will purchase travel insurance just to make sure that they are covered but many travel insurance companies do not cover timeshare rentals, so it's best to know what you're purchasing before you buy. And if there are strong possibilities that you will change your plans, a DVC rental is probably not for you. Disney has a much more generous cancellation policy.

 

[dreamer17555]

For a first ever trip, unless you really like to be super hands on with every detail (and no judgement there because I am like that), I would book with a TA. They can keep an eye on any discounts and apply them for you and also would be able to offer some insight into dining suggestions and all the rest.

 

[Lvsdisney]

April is considered Magic Season in DVC which means it costs more points (usually) per night than other times of the year. So I would do the math to see how much it'll actually save you to rent vs going directly through Disney. It also depends on the kind of unit you want. I think you generally save more with a studio than you would with a 1 or 2 bedroom. Again, do the math. If you visit MouseSavers and looks at the historical discounts, you can get an idea of what discount will be offered at the time you are thinking (not guaranteed). The other thing is you have to commit early. It's hard to get a last minute rental, especially studios.

I have rented twice (stayed once - next stay is in May) and I had a good experience. Both were rented directly from the DVC owner (found on here and another board) which is usually cheaper. I did my research and got references, so I knew they were reputable. The owner I'm working with now only required a 25% deposit up front, which I find to be rare.

 

[ceecee]

I have gotten quotes from a lot of TA but usually have saved money booking directly with Disney. A friend rented points due to them needing a large space with 4 kids one time was flawless the second not so, she told me what they paid and I thought it seemed a little expensive.