deluxe vs. dvc question - Polynesian

[Mikie]

Sometimes I'm a good internet searcher, but today i just seem to be going in circles. Hoping I can just get the quick answer from knowledgeable DISers.

I have never stayed deluxe and my dad has asked me to get estimated October prices for a room at the Poly for 2016. I asked Villa or room and he didn't know there was such a choice, so he wanted me to find both. I went to MouseSavers for rack rates and historical discounts to do an estimate of a room, and David's Rentals to see what a studio DVC rental would run. 1) Are these good sources for pricing, or do you recommend others? (strangely, Disney's own web site seems to be the most cumbersome to search and of course won't predict any possible discounts for me)

2) Is a Studio DVC comparable to a standard room? Specifically at the Poly, but I'll generalize it to other deluxes since I can assume I will get more questions from dad. What is a good site to easily see info about room sizes, amenities, pictures? Like I said, of course Disney has the info, but I don't find it easy to use at all and hope some other site has done it better somewhere.

Thanks!!

 

[thisismyusername]

As DVC members, we have stayed in the regular rooms at the Poly, and the DVC studios. The DVC studios are converted hotel rooms, so they do not differ in size, but they do differ in decor, bathroom arrangements, and sleeping arrangements, as well as a few small room amenities. The hotel rooms have two queen beds, one sofa daybed, and one bathroom (sink, toilet, tub all in one room). The studios have one queen bed, one queen sleeper sofa, one pull-down daybed, and two bathrooms (one with a shower stall and sink, and another with a toilet, tub/shower combo and sink). There are also a few differences in the amenities of the rooms as well (microwave, coffee pot, storage, etc.).

The DVC rooms are available via cash reservation just like the hotel rooms. Or you can rent points through David's. Please keep in mind that it's perpetuated throughout these boards that renting is ALWAYS cheaper than doing a cash reservation, and that's simply not true. There are times when a cash reservation with a good discount is cheaper, and there are times that renting is far cheaper than a cash reservation. Renting is not a guarantee either: To really guarantee availability, you need to have points from a Poly owner and make the reservations as close to the 11 month mark as possible. You also will not receive daily housekeeping with a DVC rental and your cancelation/modification options are usually very restricted as well (often absolutely no option of cancelation). I would suggest doing quite a bit of research to understand the differences between renting a DVC studio, vs. doing a regular reservation through Disney.

At this time, it's hard to predict what the discounts will be for the Poly moving forward: The latest round of discounts was not very normal and did not necessarily follow the patterns of the years before. I think it's fair to say that Disney will, for the foreseeable future, be offering some sort of discount at the Poly on the hotel rooms (with the normal blackouts around Christmas and Easter), but the DVC studios will be hard to predict since they are new to the inventory.

Tikiman is a great resource for further information on the resort and pictures of the rooms. You can find him on Facebook, through a Google search, and here on the boards.

 

[Mikie]

The DVC rooms are available via cash reservation just like the hotel rooms. Or you can rent points through David's. Please keep in mind that it's perpetuated throughout these boards that renting is ALWAYS cheaper than doing a cash reservation, and that's simply not true. There are times when a cash reservation with a good discount is cheaper, and there are times that renting is far cheaper than a cash reservation. Renting is not a guarantee either: To really guarantee availability, you need to have points from a Poly owner and make the reservations as close to the 11 month mark as possible. You also will not receive daily housekeeping with a DVC rental and your cancelation/modification options are usually very restricted as well (often absolutely no option of cancelation). I would suggest doing quite a bit of research to understand the differences between renting a DVC studio, vs. doing a regular reservation through Disney.

thanks so much for all the info, especially the info about renting points! I do know that cash reservations are possible, and would do much research before booking, but I definitely would have started with the assumption that points are always cheaper and may not have kept an open mind. My dad's got a lot of medical situations going on, so the flexibility of reserving through Disney would be a big benefit, and it helps to know that discounts can bring the price within reason. Of course, the trade-off is that you can't know for sure you'll be able to snag a discount at all, or specifically at the resort or room type you want. That's why I think I'll also do some looking at other resorts/villas so that he has some backup choices if he moves forward. Thanks again!

 

[rainboots]

We are going 1/30-2/5. Purchasing all of the components of a SPD package separately, renting a studio on points has saved us $800 (on one room - 2 adults/2kids)compared to SPD.

I am more nervous about renting points, and still nervous about health issues (we are a group of 10, my parents and aunt are older, and my mom is never in good health!). We did add trip insurance, so that helps.