Economical to rent points????

[fomocowife]

Does it really save money to rent points from vacation club members???? Wanted to get some info on it and really cant find anything??? Thanks

 

[natfrac]

I think it's a good deal. We've been renting points for years and figure we usually save at least half on the room. Plus it's nice to have a kitchenette.

 

[chalee94]

here is a link to point charts that show "per night" point costs for the DVC resorts:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml

more info on renting can be found here (this broker is a DIS sponsor):

http://www.dvcrequest.com/?oid=29_1

here is a thread that discusses rentals in a little more detail:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3219219

 

[Marionnette]

Does it really save money to rent points from vacation club members???? Wanted to get some info on it and really cant find anything??? Thanks

It's really going to depend on how you like to vacation and when you go. There are times that renting points for a studio unit is a better deal than staying at a Value resort, but those times are very rare and not the most popular times of the year. You're more likely to get a better deal on a hotel room at a Value Resort with a discount code.

If you're used to staying in an offsite resort, a vacation home rental or a condo somewhere in the Orlando area, you're definitely going to get a cheaper price than renting points.

However, if you like to stay onsite at Moderate or Deluxe Resorts, then renting points for a studio unit is definitely a better deal almost any time of the year. Your biggest challenge will be to find an owner who has the number of points you need and can make a reservation for the resort you want. You might want to check the DVC-Rent/Trade Forum for information on renting privately (note: you must be logged in to see this forum).

There are drawbacks to staying on points, so make sure that you are aware of what they are and that you are comfortable with the terms.

 

[wendow]

We have rented points twice. It is NOT cheap. We'd have saved money getting two value rooms rather than a DVC villa. But we wanted to stay on the monorail due to have two little ones in strollers who needed mid-day naps. It was a price we were willing to pay for the convenience. But it was certainly not what I would call 'economical'.

And like the pp mentioned, there are drawbacks and risks involved with renting points so make sure you understand the process very well before going into it. You almost always have to pay for the entire reservation upfront and do not have any cancellation policy. You are also dealing with an individual or a broker and trusting this person with your vacation so be very careful who you rent from. Also, you do not have mousekeeping everyday which to some is important. For us, that is completely a non-issue but it is something you should just be aware of.

 

[kamik86]

If you really want to stay in a deluxe resort (want to stay at beach club or boardwalk so you can walk to Epcot, want to be on the monorail, want to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and see the animals) then renting points will get you into those spaces cheaper.

We just rented out our points for this year (decided to do San Diego and Disneyland instead of Disney world.) DH actually saw what they paid and thought it was high but when I pointed out that they would need a suite or two rooms anyway (5 people over 3) and the price for the rooms at a deluxe he realized it wasn't a bad deal for them.

Wasn't a bad deal for us either. The amount we got for the rental will cover over half the cost of the vacation I am taking instead!

 

[usd2bmd]

We are a family of three and are looking at going back next summer (mid to late August) and will be staying value. For us it would have been more expensive to rent points (even at the least expensive DVC option).

Depending on where you usually stay when going to WDW it may be less expensive. I priced out several options for outr next trip and value was the least expensive for us.

Good luck.

 

[timmac]

Answering whether or not it's "economical" largely depends on what you're trying to compare against. Renting points for a studio vs. paying Disney rates (even with a bit of a discount) for a standard hotel room, and renting points will be cheaper almost every time. If you're comparing against a value resort, then renting points is typically the more expensive option; though rented points are always at a much nicer resort, so it's not at all an apples-to-apples comparison.

When you start looking into larger families that need either two rooms or a family suite, the calculations can get a little more murky and the answer isn't always cut and dry. Points for a 1BR are nearly double that of a studio, and a 2BR weighs in close to triple the cost of a studio. Since a 1BR holds no more than 5 (some resorts it will only hold 4), a family of 6 is looking at needing a 2BR. Again, ignoring that the accommodations and amenities aren't directly comparable, getting a family suite at ASMu or even AoA is likely to be cheaper in most cases.

Really what you need to do is look at the dates you're thinking about going, consider how many points it would cost (there are plenty of points calculators online), multiply by a reasonable cost per point (typically about $12 if you find someone on the boards, $13 through David's), and compare what Disney's rates look like--be sure to include tax to Disney's rates when doing your comparison.

Then, decide which you feel is the better deal, optionally taking into consideration the amenity level of the resorts, if that is a consideration.

 

[crisi]

One thing to make sure of - you will take the trip - DVC rentals are often final (it depends on who you rent through) - and if you have to cancel your trip and lose all your money it is MUCH more expensive than booking directly.

 

[mistysue]

As another said, the calculation is more complicated if you are more than 4 people. We've been going last August and every year I price things out to find renting points would cost us more.

 

[howardlee2]

the points required per night is cheaper sun through thurs compared to fri/sat. studios are close to 1/2 the points as 1BR yet sleep virtually the same # of people in most cases!

 

[crisi]

Also remember you don't get two real beds - except at OKW, until you are in a two bedroom - DVC studios are almost always a queen bed and a full pullout (VWL and GFV have a murphy bed to sleep a fifth in their studios and OKW has two queens). One bedrooms are a King bed in the bedroom - a pullout couch in the living room (queen, I think, but I could be wrong) - some have a sleeper chair in the living room as well.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

It is definitely cheaper than paying rack rate for the same room.... however, it's generally not cheaper than value or even moderate accommodations. If you normally are a deluxe resort person or really want kitchen facilities, renting points is a comparative bargain....

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It becomes economical when you planned to book the similar accommodation via cash. If a 2 BR villa is 35 points and you can rent it for $10 per point, that is a deluxe accommodation for $350 per night when the room would have been $500 but likely way more. How much you pay depends upon the resort points chart and some resorts are way more expensive for points than others (say VGF compared to OKW). Also, owners get priority at 11 months at their home depart and 7 months all others. Very important of you have your heart set on a popular DVC at a busy time.

We own so are well aware of the point values per night and we only fit in 2BRs at this point. We have owned for 7 years.

One "catch" is that you do not get regular mouse keeping. You need to take your own trash to the trash chute. We haven't ever stayed long enough in one place for mouse keeping to activate. I believe they will do a full clean every week and trash and towels on day 4. Not sure how long your stay must be for that. Mouse keeping service (trash and towels or full service) can be added to tidy stay for a fee. But even with points rental it is likely to be cheaper than a cash room booking of the same or similar accommodations. Not so much if values is your standard booking.

 

[Dean1953]

I plan on getting AP's during our holiday vacation, and then coming once or twice during the following 12 months. Are there AP discounts on the rates offered by the value resorts? I plan on trying to get a DVC unit through RCI, but if that doesn't work, would a discounted value resort be the next best option, price wise?

 

[ellochka]

As many have said, they may or may not work for you depending on your requirements. If you don't mind staying up to 4 people per room or staying in a value hotel, then DVC points are probably not for you. If you only have two people and like nicer resorts or you would like to have more space, then you should consider them. We have a family of 3, and normally we would try to get 2 connecting rooms. The price of 2 value rooms was a little lower then the price of 1BR DVC. Add to that a nicer resort, more convenient location, and DVC won. However, we could have stayed in a single value or moderate room at considerable savings.

DVC is also more involved. You will likely have to book 7-10 months in advance, figure out which resort points you should rent based on the time and availability, and the reservation is very hard to change.

 

[leebee]

I can't do a direct comparison because BWV are sold out on our nights, but I checked my dates in a comparable accommodation (studio villa) at OKW. Price at OKW is $312 a night, tax included. I am paying $200 per night (includes paypal fees) for a studio villa at the Villas at the Boardwalk Inn. OKW has 2 queen beds, BWV has 1 queen and a double sofa bed, which is fine for us as we are a party of 3. I am saving $112 a night over similar accommodations at OKW, and we will be on the Boardwalk, during the Food & Wine Festival.

We are normally value/offsite people; there's nothing that I like better than figuring out how much money my WDW DIDN"T cost me! I rationalized staying at the BWV for this trip thusly: It's DD's 21st birthday celebration, and that only happens once in a lifetime. Also, I'll spend $200 a night to stay in Times Square when we go to Manhattan, so when I have to spend big bucks on hotels, I guess $200 is my budget limit. It worked for this very special trip to WDW, so I am good with it. However, for our "usual" trips, it's strictly value if it's just DD and me(or offsite if I get a sweet deal on a rental car), or moderate with a deal or offsite if DH joins us.

 

[Pooh2]

Does it really save money to rent points from vacation club members???? Wanted to get some info on it and really cant find anything??? Thanks

We rented through a broker for our upcoming Aulani trip. We save about 50% off rack rate for the same room. No refunds makes us a bit nervous but hoping it goes smoothly!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I can't do a direct comparison because BWV are sold out on our nights, but I checked my dates in a comparable accommodation (studio villa) at OKW. Price at OKW is $312 a night, tax included. I am paying $200 per night (includes paypal fees) for a studio villa at the Villas at the Boardwalk Inn. OKW has 2 queen beds, BWV has 1 queen and a double sofa bed, which is fine for us as we are a party of 3. I am saving $112 a night over similar accommodations at OKW, and we will be on the Boardwalk, during the Food & Wine Festival. We are normally value/offsite people; there's nothing that I like better than figuring out how much money my WDW DIDN"T cost me! I rationalized staying at the BWV for this trip thusly: It's DD's 21st birthday celebration, and that only happens once in a lifetime. Also, I'll spend $200 a night to stay in Times Square when we go to Manhattan, so when I have to spend big bucks on hotels, I guess $200 is my budget limit. It worked for this very special trip to WDW, so I am good with it. However, for our "usual" trips, it's strictly value if it's just DD and me(or offsite if I get a sweet deal on a rental car), or moderate with a deal or offsite if DH joins us.

Slightly OT but what hotel do you get in Times Square for only $200?!?

 

[stacy~**]

We rented points from a Disboard member in March and again from a rental agency for a trip last week. Both transactions went great and saved us a lot of money (the trip last week was a "last minute special" and we paid comparable or less than a value for a studio at SSR).

I agree with the warnings others have listed...no cancellation, only 1 bed in studio rooms, often limited availability, and having some trust between yourself and the owner.

Renting isn't something we will do for every trip given those limitations but I wouldn't hesitate to do it under the right circumstances.