DVC points

[Princesspluto123]

How can I rent some!? Looking to go this summer.... any cons on going this route vs just booking a room?

 

[tourguide81]

We've done it twice and will do it again for this fall. I always use David's DVC rentals. For the accommodations you are getting it is a great deal.

 

[bradisgoofy]

I have rented points to David's and have been very satisfied. Very safe and secure.

 

[EagleScout]

The main con is general inability to modify/cancel, which is compounded b/c usually need to book VERY far in advance. But if that works for u, great deal

 

[Princesspluto123]

I have looked at David's site and it looks easy to use but was also told that the site was $14 a point. Others have told me they bought points on Disboard for $10.00....am I just being hopeful that I can get them cheaper? Thanks!

 

[Gracie09]

If you rent a DVc room you don't qualify for any discounts or specials (free dining etc ). You do not get daily maid service. For less than eight days you get trash and towels on day four. More than eight days you get a cleaning on day four and trash and towels on day eight (I believe I may be slightly off on the days). One bedroom and larger villas have a washer dryer in the villa (free you bring soap). The studios have access to free washer dryer. The one bedrooms and larger have full kitchen stocked with the essential utensils and a dishwasher. The studios have a small fridge, micro and I think toaster. You can use magic express and all other Disney transportation. You can pay for the dining plan if you would like.

As for using Dave's or another timeshare broker vs direct from the owner it's really about comfort. Dave provides a layer of protection so if there is a problem you have someone to call. If you book with a member directly there is a very small chance that they could cancel the reservation (like seriously teeny tiny) and it's really a trust game. You trust them not to cancel or change the reservation. They trust you not to damage or trash the room because they would ultimately be responsible for damage charges.

 

[jennylyn_b]

I have looked at David's site and it looks easy to use but was also told that the site was $14 a point. Others have told me they bought points on Disboard for $10.00....am I just being hopeful that I can get them cheaper? Thanks!

Timeshare store is $12 pp

 

[crisi]

I think the days of $10 a point are gone - unless they are "distressed points" Distressed points need to be used in the very short term - the problem is that availability in the short term is spotty. Plan on $12 or so here - definately $12 if you want a popular resort and are booking before the 7 month window.

Summer is not far away in DVC terms - once you are inside the seven month window - when any owner can book any resorts (before that - you can only book your "home" resort - the one you own points at), rooms at the most popular and smallest resorts book quickly. You can wait to book for summer if you want to stay at Animal Kingdom lodge, Old Key West or Saratoga Springs - all other resorts you need to commit to now - or sooner. Also the value rooms - if you are looking at BLT Standard, BWV Standard, or VAKL Value have probably been booked already for most of next summer.

Except at OKW, DVC Studios have a Queen bed and a pullout (that I THINK is a full, but may be a queen), at OKW you get two Queen beds. So if you want real beds, you either need OKW or a DVC rental isn't for you.

Don't plan on cancelling or changing your reservation, also, if there are any problems with your reservation, Disney will not get involved - its a private transaction (which is why some people like a broker, like David's - David will try his best to fix it if you show up to a cancelled reservation - you probably won't get what you booked, but he'll work to try so you aren't homeless. The chances of this happening regardless of how you book are slim - but it does exist).

 

[crisi]

Another thing to be aware of - there are several venues for finding points.

Some non-DVC owners will trade their timeshares into DVC and then rent the week - often through eBay. The problem is that this is forbidden by the RCI contract and RCI, if it is discovered, has been known to just go in and cancel the reservation, which they have the contractual right to do. Your problem is with the owner, their issue is that they violated RCI terms and RCI took their contractual right to cancel, and Disney is four entities away from the transaction - they won't touch it. Make SURE that your owner is a DVC owner and not someone exchanging through RCI.

If you are getting a deal that is too good to be true, it probably isn't true.

 

[Princesspluto123]

Thanks so much! I need my husband to commit it sounds like asap if this is the route we are going. So helpful

 

[crisi]

Another thing to be aware of is that at $14 a point, David pays me (the owner) $11 a point. And David has a shortage of points - not everyone who contacts him will get a reservation. So looking for a sub $11 point is bargain hunting - and in hunting, you often come home empty handed.

If you have flexibility and don't mind staying at SSR or OKW, David has a newsletter where he rents those distressed points. You will make your reservation closer to your travel time, and you may end up moving mid-trip, but you can get points either through a broker or on this board - if you are willing to risk ending up not getting what you want, or even possibly not getting a reservation at all.

 

[magicwishes]

You could make a room only reservation as a back-up and cancel if you work out a DVC rental. It gives you the most flexibility to cancel close to the trip (6 days prior to check in). With a package (including tickets and/or dining), you would have to cancel 45 days prior to arrival. We make a room only reservation and then cancel, once we've rented points.

We have used a DVC owner forum to rent. We have followed all of the advice to rent safely from another reputable Disney site. We get demographic information from the owners (name, phone, address), google the owners, look up the owners on the Florida comptroller web site, sign an agreement, and pay with paypal with a credit card for fraud protection. The owners have sent us the reservation information. Once you have the info, you can also tell on the Disney web site if the reservation is still booked. We have been contacted by people who did not seem legit when looking to rent. If we felt the least bit wary, we did not pursue it. We have rented from 3 different owners with a great experience.

We have stayed at OKW and AKL Kidani with a booking about 2-3 months in advance. We've even considered SSR. It's worked well for us, since we aren't looking for some of the resorts that are much harder to get.

I would personally go through a broker like David's if you don't want to go through the work and stress of working out a deal. I have paid less than David's rates by renting directly from owners. Depending on the number of points you are renting, it can be a significant difference in price. However, the price is significantly less than Disney rates either way.

Biggest drawback is not being able to cancel or adjust dates. We bought travel insurance to cover this issue, but it would be a pain if it was an issue.

Another thing to be aware of is that at $14 a point, David pays me (the owner) $11 a point. And David has a shortage of points - not everyone who contacts him will get a reservation. So looking for a sub $11 point is bargain hunting - and in hunting, you often come home empty handed.

If you have flexibility and don't mind staying at SSR or OKW, David has a newsletter where he rents those distressed points. You will make your reservation closer to your travel time, and you may end up moving mid-trip, but you can get points either through a broker or on this board - if you are willing to risk ending up not getting what you want, or even possibly not getting a reservation at all.

 

[Princesspluto123]

That's a really good idea! I could do that as a backup. Good plan

 

[Pesky]

I rented through David's and had a great experience. I put in at the 11 month mark and held it open. That worked. Be sure to get travel insurance though to at least cover that because once you've paid, you are locked and loaded and there is no refund.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Another thing to be aware of - there are several venues for finding points.

Some non-DVC owners will trade their timeshares into DVC and then rent the week - often through eBay. The problem is that this is forbidden by the RCI contract and RCI, if it is discovered, has been known to just go in and cancel the reservation, which they have the contractual right to do. Your problem is with the owner, their issue is that they violated RCI terms and RCI took their contractual right to cancel, and Disney is four entities away from the transaction - they won't touch it. Make SURE that your owner is a DVC owner and not someone exchanging through RCI.

If you are getting a deal that is too good to be true, it probably isn't true.

If the site says anything about Wyndham points, that would be an RCI trade. So avoid those sites.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I rented points from a DIS member for our most recent trip (just returned a couple of days ago). We paid $11/point at OKW, but I stalked the Rent/Trade Board and got it about 9 months out, so between the 7- and 11-month windows. It was a good experience for us. We had a Studio at OKW for 5 nights starting 12/31, for just over $700, while a Mod at rack rate (assuming no discounts for the holiday) would have been $1200. We had plenty of room for the 4 of us, and having the slightly larger fridge, plus the microwave, was great. I definitely plan to look into it again if the price is right for our vacation.

 

[Princesspluto123]

Are the pull out couches comfortable enough for an adult to sleep on? Thanks!

 

[crisi]

Are the pull out couches comfortable enough for an adult to sleep on? Thanks!

I don't think the DVC BEDS are comfortable enough for an adult to sleep on (somehow, we do, but we complain about it every time) - much less the pullouts - other people are less picky than I am and believe them to be fine.

 

[jk and ek]

we've booked with david's twice, including a split-stay on our upcoming trip.

on our last trip, we saved SO MUCH MONEY booking a 2 bedroom suite at kidani w/ rented points...it was really a no brainer. this time around, we were able to book at bay lake towers for a price we were much more comfortable with as well. we had to wait awhile for this request to be fulfilled (apparently BLT points are harder to come by), but eventually we got it! we also booked another suite at AKL this go round, but this time we are trying jambo.

we've also rented points directly from an owner at a lower rate when we decided to add a couple of extra days to our trip to hang out before having family join us. it worked out just fine, but you basically have no real accountability.

as for not getting housekeeping and such, any time we stay at hotels we prefer to never get housekeeping anyway and keep the 'do not disturb' sign up our entire stay, so this is a non-issue for us.