DVC rental

[amytaylor2]

We are planning on going back to Disney in November 2017. My husband really wants to stay at the Polynesian. I have looked into renting DVC points, but I'm unsure of how it works and if it saves money. I love how everything is all inclusive when you book through Disney, I don't want to make it too complicated. Any advice would be great!

 

[Oswin]

We've rented points and it IS cheaper than going through Disney, but we do not like the feel of being a guest of a DVC guest compared to a cash reservation guest through Disney itself. We did not get housekeeping every day, the member we rented through would not allow us to purchase the dining plan under their name (which was their call but it was a bummer), and there was a fiasco with purchasing and linking park tickets correctly for some of our party. My grandparents are DVC owners so they do big DVC trips for the whole family every few years and those stays are good. Otherwise, we generally book through Disney so we can get the all inclusive feel and pay things off over time. This year is the first year we've booked with a travel agent because we found a magical deal that we couldn't pass up at the Polynesian, and the price was drastically lower than booking directly through Disney.

 

[amytaylor2]

That's the kind of stuff that worries me! Thank you!

 

[brittanidp]

If you do want to rent, you need to find an owner with the poly as their home resort and book 11 months from your checkin, otherwise at the 7 month window (when all DVC owners can book) there may not be availability. Some DVC owners on the rent/trade boards are willing to book dining and magical express too!

 

[GPC0321]

I'm working with an owner to rent VGF for December 2017. It's my first time renting points, but so far it's been a pleasure working with this owner. I've actually been in contact with two, but the first wasn't a VGF owner (BLT) and while she was more than willing to help me get BLT, she encouraged me to keep looking for a VGF owner since we had time. I wasn't sure I'd find someone I felt as comfortable with as the first owner, but I did! I do think you have to put yourself out there and go with your gut feeling about owners. Both of the ones I've "met" reached out to me when they saw I was looking at renting points down the road. Both seemed to appreciate someone who has researched and wants to plan early. I've signed a contract and paid a deposit, and now we just wait until January to see if my owner can nab the dates we want.

We aren't doing the dining plan, but both owners were willing to do that for us. They will arrange Magical Express for us from the airport, and the VGF owner even noticed me saying it's going to be my Mom's birthday and said she'll make sure to note that when she makes the reservation. I thought that was pretty nice!

I'm excited to see how it goes. We really couldn't afford a deluxe, especially GF, without being able to rent DVC points, so I'm very grateful that there are owners out there willing to do this.

The DVC board here has a lot of good information, as does another forum for DVC owners.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Absolutely keep in mind that November is part of DVC high season, and you will pay a premium rate for booking with an owner who can book at 11 months. If you wait for 7 months, you are likely not to get the booking.

 

[sndral]

Whether renting DVC points is cheaper than going through Disney depends on how many points you'll need for your stay and how much the owner/broker charges for those points v. what discounts Disney is offering (or what deals you can find.) The problem is that Disney doesn't release their discounts early so you have to guess what the discount is likely to be then decide if you'll save by securing a popular DVC unit @ a popular DVC time of year - eg: 11 months before your planned stay.
David's, the DVC broker, has a handy cost calculator which you can use to estimate points and costs if you rent through his service. You can find historical Disney discounts via Google search to compare.
The one time I seriously considered renting points I actually would have paid the same for the villa I got from Disney w/ a discount - but that was awhile ago.
You are dealing with a private party when you rent points. You are trusting that the DVC owner will pay their MFs and mortgage if applicable (failure to pay results in cancelled reservations) and make the reservation and add ons you want. If something goes wrong Disney won't help. Most owners expect payment of the total amount up front and don't allow changes or cancelations because DVC isn't set up to handle changes and the owner risks losing their points w/ a cancelation.

 

[ArmyVet80]

We rented DVC points for a trip we took before. It was cheaper by about $1800. We too went through David's Vacation Rentals. The person who we rented from through David's was very helpful and did everything that we asked (dining plan, magical express, etc..). We are AP holders so we didn't have to get tickets but the renter was very helpful with everything.

We are renting DVC points for our Sept. 2017 trip and hopefully getting Bay Lake Tower Theme Park View. Unfortunately these rooms book very quickly about 11 months out.

We actually looked at DVC points for our Jan 2017 Dopey Challenge trip but were a little late and they did not have rooms available that we were looking for.

 

[bumbershoot]

My husband really wants to stay at the Polynesian.

Make sure you research the difference between the normal Poly rooms, the studios, and the bungalows. If he wants a normal room, and you get a studio, it might not be what he was looking for.

I love how everything is all inclusive when you book through Disney, I don't want to make it too complicated.

You normally get packages, I take it? I've never gotten one, and have been totally happy buying my own tickets (cheaper through undercovertourist, for instance), I never get the dining plan (it's not cost effective for the way we eat). I see nothing complicated about doing things separately.

We did not get housekeeping every day

Oswin I'm sure you know this, but the OP needs to know that that's normal. Timeshares rarely have housekeeping every day, and many/most owners LIKE it that way. First, it keeps our dues down. And second, it's nice to to not have worry about them coming in every day, putting away the electronics and putting bras in the drawer etc.

You CAN pay for extra housekeeping, though!

the member we rented through would not allow us to purchase the dining plan under their name

That's too bad, and pretty weird! Would have taken just a little bit more of their time. Three options; they put it on their CC and you pay them, they somehow conference you in and you give your CC to pay, or you buy gift cards and give them the numbers for them to pay it for you. There's nothing really being done under their name.

there was a fiasco with purchasing and linking park tickets correctly for some of our party

Tickets shouldn't have had anything to do with the rental situation. Glitches can, sadly, happen at any time.

 

[Oswin]

Tickets shouldn't have had anything to do with the rental situation. Glitches can, sadly, happen at any time.

Of course! I should have been clear why I even mentioned tickets in that having to separately purchase tickets and then link them lost the feel of the all inclusive package.

 

[Hopefully]

It is important to know that DVC rental dates can seldom be changed. Once you commit you can not change your dates or cancel your reservation. So you need to be certain of your travel time.
DVC point rentals do not get daily housekeeping, as stated. For a 7 night stay you will receive a Trash & Towel service on day 4. They will empty the trash and replace toiletries and towels and that is all.
Studio rooms, for the most part, have 1 Queen bed, a sleeper sofa and a kitchenette with a small refrigerator, small sink, small microwave, a toaster and a coffee maker.
Most owners expect you to sign a contract with them. Their usually is a deposit to book and the total due long before your trip. It is a legal commitment.
Most owners will definitely book the dining plan and ME for you
I urge you to visit the DVC rent trade board here on the DIS to further research this ides.
Good Luck
There is trust involved on both sides of the transaction.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm working with an owner to rent VGF for December 2017. It's my first time renting points, but so far it's been a pleasure working with this owner. I've actually been in contact with two, but the first wasn't a VGF owner (BLT) and while she was more than willing to help me get BLT, she encouraged me to keep looking for a VGF owner since we had time. I wasn't sure I'd find someone I felt as comfortable with as the first owner, but I did! I do think you have to put yourself out there and go with your gut feeling about owners. Both of the ones I've "met" reached out to me when they saw I was looking at renting points down the road. Both seemed to appreciate someone who has researched and wants to plan early. I've signed a contract and paid a deposit, and now we just wait until January to see if my owner can nab the dates we want.....

Beware of people contacting you rather than you contacting them for a DVC rental. Some don't even own DVC and are just out for your money. It is why the moderators at the DIS changed the method of posting on the Rent/Trade Board on the DIS. The moderators have asked people to let them know if they are contacted by someone they did not make contact with first by responding to a post about points for rent.

Also, hopefully you are not booking a studio at the GFV because that is very hard to get, even at exactly 11 months out. Many of the owners are walking those reservations to make sure they get them. Studios at GFV are hard to come by and booked up quickly at 11 months out. Plus, Dec is one of the hardest times to book a smaller resort. Or a larger resort with smaller number of special units for that matter.

 

[tobikaye]

I am considering doing a DVC rental in 2017, but I am worried that we may have to cancel or change something after booking. For this reason, I am seriously considering going the cash option and hoping for a good room discount. Possibly even considering an AP if they have a 35% off discount for the time we are looking to go. I did some math on some of the DVCs and if a good enough discount comes open, then the cash vs DVC points is not that big of a difference.

I figure it will be the beginning of 2017 before I can make a guess on when we would go to WDW, so I have a while to think about it.

 

[GPC0321]

Beware of people contacting you rather than you contacting them for a DVC rental. Some don't even own DVC and are just out for your money. It is why the moderators at the DIS changed the method of posting on the Rent/Trade Board on the DIS. The moderators have asked people to let them know if they are contacted by someone they did not make contact with first by responding to a post about points for rent.

Also, hopefully you are not booking a studio at the GFV because that is very hard to get, even at exactly 11 months out. Many of the owners are walking those reservations to make sure they get them. Studios at GFV are hard to come by and booked up quickly at 11 months out. Plus, Dec is one of the hardest times to book a smaller resort. Or a larger resort with smaller number of special units for that matter.

I thank you for your concern and advice. Trust me, I've heard all the doom and gloom, but nothing ventured nothing gained. That's why I started early. If VGF doesn't work out, there are other resorts. It won't be the end of the world. Our trip is only 3 nights, and we're willing to be flexible with the dates and view (yes, we're getting a studio), so hopefully that will work in our favor. I'm realistic about it though, and fully prepared to change plans if it doesn't all fall into place.

 

[rwdavis2]

We rented though a DVC rental company I'm not allowed to name but their prices were the same as David's DVC (an advertiser here). We paid $243 a night for 8 nights at Boardwalk Villas this November. Made them last January or so. No problems at all and the entire rental fee (~50%) was not required up front. I pay the balance in September.

Since my wife has to put in for vacation in October for the next year being locked into dates was not an issue. I also took out travel insurance to cover it if we had to cancel for a covered reason.

 

[lubob]

Try David's vacation rentals for renting out dvc. We have used them and so far no problems. And they are cheaper than disney. We were able to add the ddp and our reservations to my disney experience with no problems or hassles.

 

[Mousetopia]

Whether renting DVC points is cheaper than going through Disney depends on how many points you'll need for your stay and how much the owner/broker charges for those points v. what discounts Disney is offering (or what deals you can find.) The problem is that Disney doesn't release their discounts early so you have to guess what the discount is likely to be then decide if you'll save by securing a popular DVC unit @ a popular DVC time of year - eg: 11 months before your planned stay.
David's, the DVC broker, has a handy cost calculator which you can use to estimate points and costs if you rent through his service. You can find historical Disney discounts via Google search to compare.
The one time I seriously considered renting points I actually would have paid the same for the villa I got from Disney w/ a discount - but that was awhile ago.
You are dealing with a private party when you rent points. You are trusting that the DVC owner will pay their MFs and mortgage if applicable (failure to pay results in cancelled reservations) and make the reservation and add ons you want. If something goes wrong Disney won't help. Most owners expect payment of the total amount up front and don't allow changes or cancelations because DVC isn't set up to handle changes and the owner risks losing their points w/ a cancelation.

I used David's He has a near perfect rating ( I spent a lot of time reviewing before trying it..seemed scary to me!!) for things going off without a hitch. I am staying at the Poly next time for a SIGNIGFICANT discount. Last time, AKL savannah view for the cost of a moderate. The key is use a broker that you trust. I would never rent from an individual. They take all the worry out of issues with owners...like not being allowed to add a dining plan in example above. It was all very seamless. You get all the same perks ..it links up just fine in your disney experience for FP, ressies, magic bands. Upon arrival you are treat like any other guest..other than you get to use the free laundry..yaa!! You get the same mailers about your reservation from disney.
The POLY is very popular. When I put in my request for it for next march they had no availability and offered to wait list me making no promises or cancel my request. We waited and within a month they secured it for us. I would jump on this asap if you are hoping for November.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It is very important to note that getting a Poly DVC rental in March is a different game than getting one in November-December. Very different demand patterns.

For November 2017, there is absolutely no point in contacting a broker now.

 

[nkereina]

We swear by renting points, and some of the pros/cons mentioned above are (IMO) just personal preferences. It's true that you don't get daily housekeeping, but that's typical of any DVC stay. Not just one on rented points. It's not an issue for us.

While one poster may have had an owner that would not allow the purchase of a dining plan, I'd have to say that's probably rare as I've never heard of that before. It's no skin off the owner's nose to add the dining plan as long as the renter is paying for it prior to them adding it. The DVC owner would not be out anything. The only reason they may say no is because of the extra effort it would be for them to call in and add it, but every owner I've worked with has been more than willing to do that.

We are able to add the confirmation number to MDE just like any other reservation, which gives us full control to make our own ADRs and FP+'s, just like any other reservation. We always add DME ourselves online. We always buy our tickets from Undercover Tourist and have no problems linking them to MDE. And if a problem occurs with linking tickets, it's not because you're on rented points.

As mentioned, the other cons to some people would be that you're locked into the date you choose, often with no refunds or changes allowed. You also have to book pretty far in advance, especially at Poly. We've found some owners who, in their contract, state they will attempt to find another renter in the event you need to cancel. There's also a broker who offers a cancel for any reason insurance.

As long as you're aware of all the important factors, renting points makes staying deluxe much more affordable and is worth it, IMO.

 

[brittanidp]

We always add DME ourselves online.

How do you add DME? I thought the owner had to add it for you?!