DVC vs. paying for your stay: what's the difference?

[steve_w]

I apologize if this is a FAQ, but I couldn't think of any good keywords to search for...

Since Disney offers stays in OKW and BWV via normal channels (i.e. paying cash), how does this differ from using your points? Are they the same set of rooms, or is one part of the resort set aside for normally paying customers and the rest for DVC? Are there any amenities that you do or do not get by using DVC? And if you can't use all your points and decide to rent out some days, do your guests get all the amenities that you would?

Looking at the page for OKW, I noticed that the different time periods for paying guests don't exactly match up with the DVC zones (for example, with DVC, Thanksgiving is in Magic season, but with cash customers, it's in the lowest-priced range).

 

[eva]

Being a member and paying with points is a whole lot cheaper than renting with cash. Right now a 2-bedroom goes for over $500 a night. We calculated our expense when we purchased in 1997 and we are paying less than $200 a night for a 2-bedroom using DVC points. Since dues haven't gone up since we joined we are still paying the same amount. Inflation raises cash reservations every year. That's the advantage to DVC.

 

[steve_w]

I'm going to bump this back up because I suspect that a lot of people here could answer it, but I'm going to rephrase, since Eva didn't really answer what I was asking (but thanks for responding anyway).

Suppose I dropped you off in a studio at OKW or Boardwalk and said "have a good time, see you in a week". How would you be able to tell (if you could at all) if the room was booked as a hotel room or through the DVC? Are they different sets of rooms? Are the amenities different?

 

[drusba]

Disney retains 4% of the unit ownership at any DVC resort and sells 96%; it also rents out rooms not used by members (not booked, or people have traded out). There are no particular rooms reserved for owners or non-owners and thus either can get any room in the resort. All are treated the same except as follows:

1. DVC members do not get maid service (they tidy up the room, empty trash on 4th day). Renters from Disney get maid service (members can purchase it separately while there).

2. DVC members have certain extra benefits--they can go to any pool at any WDW resort; they get 10% off a length of stay pass, they have various restaurant and merchandise discounts; they don't pay for use of excercise rooms if the resort has them.

You can rent out leftover points (or bank them). The person to whom a member rents will also not get maid service and that renter is not supposed to get the benes mentioned in 2 above unless they are another member. The "seasons" for members using points and renters through Disney do differ somewhat. That was the way it was set up and likely based on a belief that members (who are repeat goers) may follow a somewhat different demand pattern than the overall general public