DVC or resort?

[babiipiggiex3]

How do you guys decide on whether to book directly with the resort or to rent points for DVC? I have never stay onsite, so I've never done either and wanted to plan something for my DH and I for Sept. Thanks for all inputs!

 

[KateMW]

I like using a travel agent to do my dining bc it stresses me out immensely so I have never done DVC points but I have friends who swear by it! I also like having the option to pay it off as we go, so that's another plus of booking through Disney. I don't usually have a couple of extra grand since we only use debit cards or cash. And yes I could save up and then book, but that sounds too responsible.

 

[sbd78]

I've never rented points because you usually have to book it very far in advance, pay upfront, and you are locked in so it's not very flexible. (Although you may be able to get vacation insurance in some cases?) It can save a lot of money on a deluxe stay, which is why a lot of people do it. I personally prefer to stay in a less expensive resort booked the traditional way so I have more flexibility.

 

[momto3pirates]

If you are talking about this September you are late for a DVC reservation. Availability will be limited.

 

[Minnie1222]

I have not rented points but my highly-educated, wealthy and frugal neighbor swears by it. That was all he talked about at our most recent gathering. The only downside, he said, was the lack of daily housekeeping. However, there was an in-unit washer/dryer to wash towels and sheets as many times as you like.

 

[Denise W]

I have not rented points but my highly-educated, wealthy and frugal neighbor swears by it. That was all he talked about at our most recent gathering. The only downside, he said, was the lack of daily housekeeping. However, there was an in-unit washer/dryer to wash towels and sheets as many times as you like.

Just be aware the washer and dryer are only in the one bedroom units and larger, none in the studios (although you have free use of the laundry area in the building).
Denise

 

[Lynne M]

I think you're talking about a couple of different decisions here.

First, there's the choice between the deluxe villa (DVC) resorts and the value/moderate/deluxe resorts. They're all Disney resorts, and can all be booked directly with Disney, but the deluxe villa resorts have room configurations that are different from a typical hotel room. Some rooms in the DVC resorts may have a sofa bed instead of a second bed, a kitchenette, separate bedroom(s) or even a full kitchen.

...which brings me to the second decision. If you opt for a deluxe villa resort, you have two ways to book. You can reserve your stay directly with Disney as you would any other Disney resort, or you can pay a DVC member to book a stay for you with their points (commonly called "renting points"). If you book with Disney, your stay will be no different than a stay at any other Disney resort - you'll have the same cancellation policies, you'll have daily housekeeping. If you rent from a member, you will likely pay a lot less, but there will typically be a no-refunds-on-cancellation policy and you will need to book 7-11 months in advance of your stay, depending on the season, resort, and room type. Changing your dates or resort once you've booked will probably not be possible. You will be on a limited housekeeping schedule, but will be able to pay out of pocket for additional housekeeping visits.

 

[Sara_H]

We have rented points 3 times and have loved it. I have used the same owner all 3 times so I trust him. That can be an issue; finding an owner you trust since they are the ones who actually make the reservations for you. I'm sure 99% of the owners out there are trustworthy but you just never know. One time we made a relatively last minute reservation; maybe 5-6 months out and it worked out just fine. That being said, that time we weren't picky, it was summer and we wanted to stay at AKL which had availability. The last two times we booked 11 months out because the owner I've worked with has his home resort at the one we wanted to stay at. We have enjoyed the Deluxe resorts at a less than moderate resort rate...we have been spoiled. Although, in the future I do see us trying other resorts too.

 

[Sandiz08]

There is lots to think about. Finding an owner and then trusting the transaction. With Disney you have flexibility to cancel. If you are short on time, going Disney is probably your best bet if you are set on a particular resort. People mention lack of housekeeping, but the two times we've rented points , we've had people come in to clean more frequently than is outlined. If you are doing a dvc studio, you do not get two queen beds. Its a queen bed and a sofa bed which may be uncomfortable for some. We have kids and they really don't mind it. This may be a deal breaker for some. You are putting down more money upfront or all upfront with a DVC room, whereas with Disney you can make smaller payments. We have found DVC works for us, but for our upcoming trip we might do a split stay with a room through Disney and DVC because we have different needs throughout the week. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Ksquared]

We typically rent DVC points when staying Deluxe because of the savings. We've never had an issue but we did have to switch a trip from April to August this year and I was with a different owner than I normally book. Unfortunately, life happens and we were lucky to be able to move the reservation although at the time, I did want to just cancel and was unable - it was move the trip or lose my money. In the end, what we have planned works but it's something you need to be aware of. Unless you have an owner that will work with you if something comes up, you need to have your dates set in stone before booking.

 

[Tigger's ally]

We have rented points once, and it worked well. However, the last several trips one of us payed the extra $300 and got an Annual Pass. With that we booked a room for our time almost a year in advance and then waited for the AP discount rates to come out. We leave in 54 days and here is a breakdown of what we did this time.

June 2018- Booked three rooms @ Port Orleans for six nights @ 229 per room per night= ($687 per night)
When the AP rates came out, they didn't start till our second night so I reserved OKW two bedroom villa for $489 per night for 5 nights. Basically saving $200 a night and the layout works for us.
Used older AP discount rate for one night on our arrival day in a Lion King Suite which I got for $320.

Those prices don't have tax included but they actually do save us money over renting points. I made back the $300 from the AP easily on hotel alone not to mention the $$ I save eating and on purchases too. We eat one TS meal and one signature a day and we drink so we also use the AP to buy the TIW card that gets us 20% off food and alcohol.

Depends on how long you are going to stay, what you intend to eat but you might look into buying one AP.

 

[mckenk]

We book DVC because we love staying deluxe, but Disney prices are out of our budget. However, the flexibility can be an issue. We are renting points for a stay this September. However, when we booked, our daughters' school hadn't released their schedule. We booked it for the last week in September because the school has ALWAYS had a fall break the last week of September and the first week of October. And, they just released the schedule and changed the break to the first two weeks of October. At least they are young and missing a week of school shouldn't be a big deal!

 

[Miffy]

OP--There's a lot of good information on this thread. I've never rented points for a few reasons. One is that I don't want to be locked into a reservation so far in advance of a trip--or, really, at all. That's why I always book a room-only reservation, which can be canceled up to 5 days before check-in. Even after that 5-day mark, you're charged only the one night's deposit if you end up having to cancel.

I've had a trip where I had to completely rearrange the trip twice less than a week before arrival (weather/transportation issues) and doing it with my WDW reservation, made through WDW, was incredibly easy and painless. If I had booked points, I woudln't've been able to move the dates at all and I would not have gotten a refund. I've also had a trip where I had to leave earlier than planned. If I had booked points for this trip, I would've been out the entire amount of the stay. This could happen with WDW as well, but the front desk was very understanding and charged us only for the days we were actually there.

Yes, you can buy trip insurance, but whether it would cover your particular reason for needing to move/change/cut short your reservation is another question.

WDW almost always has discounted room rates. Last year the general public discount for dates in September came out around the 3rd week in April. Check out mousesavers.com, which has a lot of information about this.

For your first time staying onsite, keep it simple. Book it yourself, through Disney. Take a look at all the different resorts and price ranges, decide on what you can afford and what you like Read allnears.net and mousesavers.com.

And have a fun trip!

 

[LovingPooh]

We are DVC members, and we have not had enough points in the past and rented DVC points from a reputable company. We didn't have any issues and appreciated the fact that we could still stay in DVC much cheaper than if going through Disney to book a room.

 

[ScubaCat]

We booked it for the last week in September because the school has ALWAYS had a fall break the last week of September and the first week of October. And, they just released the schedule and changed the break to the first two weeks of October. At least they are young and missing a week of school shouldn't be a big deal!

Have you asked if they can move it for you? Depending on the resort it may be impossible at this late date ("late" as in DVC-availability-wise) but as an owner who has rented to people before, I'm always happy to accommodate where I can. I'd at least ask

 

[_auroraborealis_]

f looking for THIS September, I'd not look at any DVC rental calculators and pick "ooh what a low price" and expect it to be available. You're looking mostly at Saratoga and OKW at this stage of things.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Have you asked if they can move it for you? Depending on the resort it may be impossible at this late date ("late" as in DVC-availability-wise) but as an owner who has rented to people before, I'm always happy to accommodate where I can. I'd at least ask

October is Fall Frenzy. Likely not much available this late.

To the OP: DVC is a timeshare. Owners book their home resort at 11 months out and non-home resort at seven months out. They can only cancel up to certain dates and often it is hard to rebook at a later date, especially from mid-Sept until after the Disney Marathon in January (plus other Run Disney events and holidays). Summer tends to be a bit easier because it's not all that popular with owners because of the weather (unless they have school age kids and can't go during better times of the year).

 

[babiipiggiex3]

Thank you all for the input! Lots of good information to think about. If we are definitely going this Sept, it'll most likely be booked directly with Disney at a moderate resort. But our dates are pretty flexible so I am just seeing why I would choose one over the other.

 

[mckenk]

Have you asked if they can move it for you? Depending on the resort it may be impossible at this late date ("late" as in DVC-availability-wise) but as an owner who has rented to people before, I'm always happy to accommodate where I can. I'd at least ask

Thanks for chiming in I didn't include the fact the we are considering changing schools (to one that has no fall break), so we've just decided not to worry about switching our dates.

 

[WDW_Diane]

How do you guys decide on whether to book directly with the resort or to rent points for DVC? I have never stay onsite, so I've never done either and wanted to plan something for my DH and I for Sept. Thanks for all inputs!

I have rented DVC points ever since I discovered renting them. It basically allows me to stay at Deluxe resorts on a teacher’s salary. I used to always stay at Moderates, which were great, but renting at DVC resorts has opened up new experiences and resorts for us.
My blog shown below has an article about stays both by renting DVC points and another using credit card points. There are so many options out there!