Cash Ressie vs Renting Points

[saraheliz]

Help me think through this, please! I consider myself moderately Disney-knowledgable but want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious.

We are planning on going to Disney for 10 nights in August (family of 5). Currently have a 1 bedroom at BLT booked through Disney on a cash reservation. I wanted to make sure we had *something* that would work for us booked and had my fingers crossed for some sort of discount being released for some place that would work but I realize that the chances are slim (we need at least 2 separate sleeping spaces and two bathrooms to stay sane).

I initially had decided not to rent points as the cancellation policy through Disney is so much better and it just seemed to risky as we're not even 100% sure we will feel comfortable traveling (we are currently, but the quick rise of Omicron showed us that things change on a dime!).

However, I just was crunching numbers again and checking availability for all our options (basically 1 bedroom at BLT/AKL or 2 bedroom at AKL/OKW/SSR) and it *looks* like even with adding a "cancel for any reason" travel insurance policy, we'd still come out $1000+ ahead renting points (assuming there are no discounts released, or at least not ones that would have availability we need). I'd get the travel insurance through the place linked from my USAA account, so seems reputable.

Am I missing anything?
If we book through points we get less housekeeping (hypothetically in a non-covid world).
I can still book dining reservations for the whole trip on the first 60 day date? Yes?
I'll have to put more money down and pay earlier.
I'd have to buy tickets separately and link them, thus perhaps messing up my current park reservations but I don't think that would matter this far out?
It seems like even if Disney releases a discount and somehow there was availability maybe at SSR or OKW, we'd probably still be at a break even point? Is that crazy? Plus I could also save a bit on tickets through UT.

I'd love any thoughts or input. I had ruled out renting points but it seems crazy not to put that kind of money back in our pockets.

As an aside, we did consider just getting two regular rooms, but I think we'll really benefit from having the kitchen space and laundry.

 

[Best Aunt]

... I'd get the travel insurance through the place linked from my USAA account, so seems reputable.
Am I missing anything?

That's what you're missing.

Every so often there are posts on the DVC forums here about travel insurance for stays made with DVC points. People think it should work, but nobody every posts saying that it has worked.

If you are going to make plans relying on the travel insurance, be 100% positive that you understand what the requirements would be for making a claim under the travel insurance policy.

Does the policy even cover timeshare stays? Apparently some policies don't.

If it does cover them, what kind of proof would be required regarding how much money you lost?

What kind of proof would be required regarding the fact that you did not, in fact, take the trip?

If you call to discuss it with the insurance company (assuming you can even reach them directly), they might not even know what you are talking about if you say that you are "renting points." You might want to say that you are paying to use someone else's timeshare, or something like that.

I don't know if you are thinking about renting through an agency or through an individual, and I don't know if that would make a difference if you need to make a claim.

Proceed with extreme caution if your plans hinge on being able to make a travel insurance claim for renting DVC points.

 

[saraheliz]

That's what you're missing.


Proceed with extreme caution if your plans hinge on being able to make a travel insurance claim for renting DVC points.

Thank you for all of these things to think through.
It so happens that the travel insurance company through USAA is also one that shows up on the link through one of the reputable timeshare rental agencies so chances seem good that it *should* work but I would absolutely need to make sure that it would 100% work. I'm happy to pay a premium to "cancel for any reason" but you're correct, it needs to actually be usable.

 

[sndral]

Another piece of the puzzle you are missing is knowing whether there is availability for this August in a DVC unit you want to stay at - 6 months out is w/in the 7 month window & 10 days is a longer stay so tougher to find availability at popular resorts like BLT. The most likely availability will be in the more expensive view categories, so your savings over cash may not be quite as much. Also, as you’ve noted, if Disney offers decent discounts then a cash reservation can approach the cost of a DVC rental, especially for the point pricey units like the 1 br.s.
If you go w/ an AKV 1 br. be aware that AKV Kidani 1 br.s have 2 bathrooms, AKV Jambo 1 br.s do not.

 

[Sandisw]

Just a reminder before it happens, please do not sure DVC availability. We do not allow it.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I wouldn’t be comfortable renting points from someone I don’t personally know at this time. The lack of control and lack of flexibility would make me anxious right now. Might just be me though. (I went out and bought a second contract instead of renting from someone else…)

 

[saraheliz]

Another piece of the puzzle you are missing is knowing whether there is availability for this August in a DVC unit you want to stay at - 6 months out is w/in the 7 month window & 10 days is a longer stay so tougher to find availability at popular resorts like BLT. The most likely availability will be in the more expensive view categories, so your savings over cash may not be quite as much. Also, as you’ve noted, if Disney offers decent discounts then a cash reservation can approach the cost of a DVC rental, especially for the point pricey units like the 1 br.s.
If you go w/ an AKV 1 br. be aware that AKV Kidani 1 br.s have 2 bathrooms, AKV Jambo 1 br.s do not.

I've looked at one of the major websites that deals with renting DVC points to check out availability and and pricing so far there is plenty for most of the options we're considering (except a BLT 1 bedroom, which is what we have books cash- but there are plusses and minuses to all of the options). I'm using actual prices compared to what we are paying for the BLT 1 bd we have booked. Cash availability for DVC has been very slim so that's why I'm thinking a discount is not likely. I snagged the BLT 1 bedroom when someone must have cancelled it as there had been zero availability, then it was randomly there and grabbed and then there was none again.

 

[saraheliz]

I wouldn’t be comfortable renting points from someone I don’t personally know at this time. The lack of control and lack of flexibility would make me anxious right now. Might just be me though. (I went out and bought a second contract instead of renting from someone else…)

I would be renting through one of the well known brokers.

 

[starry_solo]

I've looked at one of the major websites that deals with renting DVC points to check out availability and and pricing so far there is plenty for most of the options we're considering (except a BLT 1 bedroom, which is what we have books cash- but there are plusses and minuses to all of the options). I'm using actual prices compared to what we are paying for the BLT 1 bd we have booked. Cash availability for DVC has been very slim so that's why I'm thinking a discount is not likely. I snagged the BLT 1 bedroom when someone must have cancelled it as there had been zero availability, then it was randomly there and grabbed and then there was none again.

The DVC brokers show the pricing but that doesn't mean availability unless you're looking at a confirmed reservation.

 

[saraheliz]

The DVC brokers show the pricing but that doesn't mean availability unless you're looking at a confirmed reservation.

Huh, that's odd, the site I was looking at said it was updated for availability several times per day and it showed either available, partially available, or unavailable for the specific set of dates. Obviously that's not minute to minute and not 100% but it seems like it would be a generally accurate picture?

 

[Sandisw]

Huh, that's odd, the site I was looking at said it was updated for availability several times per day and it showed either available, partially available, or unavailable for the specific set of dates. Obviously that's not minute to minute and not 100% but it seems like it would be a generally accurate picture?

DVC availability can change in a short time. That is why we don’t allow people to post here

In 24 hours the other day, I was able to change a night several times with new things showing up and others disappearing

Basically, until an owner can book, there is no guarantee it will be there minutes or hours later.

 

[sndral]

I've looked at one of the major websites that deals with renting DVC points to check out availability and and pricing so far there is plenty for most of the options we're considering (except a BLT 1 bedroom, which is what we have books cash- but there are plusses and minuses to all of the options). I'm using actual prices compared to what we are paying for the BLT 1 bd we have booked. Cash availability for DVC has been very slim so that's why I'm thinking a discount is not likely. I snagged the BLT 1 bedroom when someone must have cancelled it as there had been zero availability, then it was randomly there and grabbed and then there was none again.

I didn’t check availability, but SSR, OKW, & AKV are larger DVC resorts & thus are more likely to have availability longer than smaller resorts like BLT.
If there is availability then the question is whether you want to lock in your savings now when you’ll likely have more choice or wait & see if Disney releases discounts that would apply to one of the resorts you’re interested in.
Here’s a link showing historical discounts & when they were released https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/
Given how much has changed the last couple of years my sense is that it is harder to predict Disney’s discount offers than it used to be.

 

[saraheliz]

DVC availability can change in a short time. That is why we don’t allow people to post here

In 24 hours the other day, I was able to change a night several times with new things showing up and others disappearing

Basically, until an owner can book, there is no guarantee it will be there minutes or hours later.

Totally understand that, but given the fact that all of our choices were showing as available except for one, I'm going to guess/hope we could at least get *one* of those.

 

[saraheliz]

I didn’t check availability, but SSR, OKW, & AKV are larger DVC resorts & thus are more likely to have availability longer than smaller resorts like BLT.
If there is availability then the question is whether you want to lock in your savings now when you’ll likely have more choice or wait & see if Disney releases discounts that would apply to one of the resorts you’re interested in.
Here’s a link showing historical discounts & when they were released https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/
Given how much has changed the last couple of years my sense is that it is harder to predict Disney’s discount offers than it used to be.

Yes it makes it so much trickier to weigh pros and cons for sure! This trip was originally going to happen in spring 2021 and we were planning on booking it in spring 2020. Then we were going to go summer 2021. And here we are, so many changes but we still want to try to do the trip! My youngest doesn't understand why he's still never gone to Disney and my girls have saved up over $1500 over the past 5ish years to put towards this trip that hasn't happened yet. That's the only reason I'm even considering the cash cost of BLT....I just want the trip to happen and be a really amazing one!

 

[Sandisw]

Totally understand that, but given the fact that all of our choices were showing as available except for one, I'm going to guess/hope we could at least get *one* of those.

Absolutely you will have a good chance if you are open to anything but the more days you want the harder it will be

The point was more to understand that DVC availability changes very often and that what shows right now could be very different when you actually go to book.

The DVC website doesn’t show how many rooms there are still available so all any of us know when searching is at least one.

Just helping to give the ins/out of it all because it’s different than the way cash booking work!

 

[Best Aunt]

Cash availability for DVC has been very slim so that's why I'm thinking a discount is not likely. I snagged the BLT 1 bedroom when someone must have cancelled it as there had been zero availability, then it was randomly there and grabbed and then there was none again.

At 6 months out - I don't think you're going to see a lot of cash availability for DVC villas at "sold out" resorts. When a DVC resort opens, the points get declared into DVC inventory a little at a time. So Disney still controls more of the points and can offer cash reservations for the villas. Once all of the points have been declared into DVC inventory, then Disney does not own a lot of points, so you won't see a lot of villas being available for cash reservations. If an owner uses points for something else such as a cruise, the points being used become part of Disney inventory and results in Disney being able to offer cash reservations for villas.

For example, I just picked a random week in August on the Disney World website to look for a cash resie at DVC villas. Nothing at Grand Floridian, Poly, BLT, Kidani Village, Jambo House, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Boulder Ridge or Beach Club. Boardwalk did have studios and Copper Creek did have studios and 1 bedrooms, but that's it for the older resorts. Riviera, the new resort, had studios, 1 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms.

As a point of comparison, I looked at deluxe regular (not DVC) results for the same time period. There is availability at Grand Floridian, Poly, Contemporary, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club, Beach Club and Boardwalk. So it's not a case of that being a time period where everything at Disney is gone.

Somebody else probably can explain it better than I can.

 

[saraheliz]

At 6 months out - I don't think you're going to see a lot of cash availability for DVC villas at "sold out" resorts. When a resort opens, the points get declared into DVC inventory a little at a time. So Disney still controls more of the points and can offer cash reservations for the villas. Once all of the points have been declared into DVC inventory, then Disney does not own a lot of points, so you won't see a lot of villas being available for cash reservations. If an owner uses points for something else such as a cruise, the points being used become part of Disney inventory and results in Disney being able to offer cash reservations for villas.

For example, I just picked a random week in August on the Disney World website to look for a cash resie at DVC villas. Nothing at Grand Floridian, Poly, BLT, Kidani Village, Jambo House, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Boulder Ridge or Beach Club. Boardwalk did have studios and Copper Creek did have studios and 1 bedrooms, but that's it for the older resorts. Riviera, the new resort, had studios, 1 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms.

Somebody else probably can explain it better than I can.

Yes, I think I understand how it all works. The basics anyway. There was availability for all of those places back in the fall (we weren't ready to book then) but those cash rooms got grabbed so now it's slim. They've been popping up here and there (OKW was available for a few days, I grabbed a 2 bedroom there and then BLT popped up on a total lucky moment so I changed to that).

As an aside, I really wish there was a 1 bedroom option for families of 5 in the Epcot area. Sigh.

 

[Miffy]

As a previous poster mentioned, I also have not seen anyone on this board who's successfully used a supposedly cancel-for-any-reason trip insurance policy for rented DVC points. And there was a lot of discussion about it at the start of the pandemic when WDW was closed.

If you think there's any chance you might want to cancel--or be forced to cancel--then I would stay away from renting DVC points. My apologies to DVC owners trying to rent out their points, and certainly there are many DVC owners here who are willing to make accommodations. But sometimes an owner can't make accommodations if, say, their points are about to expire.

OP, summer discounts haven't been released yet. It's possible that they will be and that you'll be able to book something more affordable. In the meanwhile, hang on to your current reservation.

One more thing--keep in mind that you might want to cancel because you feel uncomfortable about the trip, but that might not be a good enough reason for an insurance company to refund your money. When you make a reservation renting DVC points, you pay for the entire trip upfront.

Right now with uncertainty about the pandemic, I personally would not rent DVC points, something that under other circumstances I'd do.

 

[Marionnette]

DVC Rental Store offers a cancel for any reason policy, which is included in the cost of the rental. However, the refund is in the form of a credit, not cash. And it only covers you for the DVC rental, not airfare or other travel costs. The refund is also pro-rated based on when you cancel. The closer you are to your trip dates, the smaller your refund. It might be worth looking into if you decide to go with a rental.

 

[saraheliz]

DVC Rental Store offers a cancel for any reason policy, which is included in the cost of the rental. However, the refund is in the form of a credit, not cash. And it only covers you for the DVC rental, not airfare or other travel costs. The refund is also pro-rated based on when you cancel. The closer you are to your trip dates, the smaller your refund. It might be worth looking into if you decide to go with a rental.

Thanks, yes, that's where I was mostly looking yesterday because they don't require as much money up front and also give you some sense of availability. Although I'd likely still buy an additional policy on top of that just because I feel like things change so quickly! That being said, we have airfare reserved on SW points so totally refundable if we decide to cancel.