Family vacation for Sept 09

[smithmom]

I need some help. I am helping to plan my familys' vacation for 6 adults and 3 children (under 5) to Disney for September of 2009. We have all been to disney before but never all together (with the grandchildren). That said... I've read a lot about renting points from DVC members - but I've never done it - nor do I know anyone personally who has. So I have some questions.

I am looking for one of the 3 bedroom villas and I've been told there are only a few of these available. Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. Are these the only resorts with these rooms? What is the likelhood of getting one of these very few suites through renting DVC points?

I am willing to explore other types of rooms - just looking for the most cost effective way to go with giving all of us the best Disney experience I can.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you from all of us! Have a great day!

 

[Caskbill]

OKW, SSR, and BWV all have the 3-b/r villas, which are called Grand Villas.

AKV will be having them also, but I don't know if any are currently available in the AKV construction that's been completed.

The points at OKW are the fewest, therefore the most popular. In any case, the GV's go fast so you will probably need to rent from an owner at the specific resort you want so they can reserve during their home resort booking window.

To see the number of points you would need, download my dvc-chart program (see link in signature below). You can check the different resorts and your dates.

Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $12 per point.

When you're ready to commit, be sure to read ALL the sticky posts on the rent/trade board before posting your request. Renting a DVC reservation from a private owner is totally different than making a regular WDW reservation. There are a lot of issues involved. You'll want a definite contract with the person you rent from, and be sure you agree to all the terms.

Neither Disney nor the DISboards are involved with any rental agreement. It's strictly between you and the owner, so a great amount of trust is involved.

There are always a number of discussions regarding rentals so scan through the various DVC-boards (Mousecellaneous, Planning, Operations) for more information.

September is a popular time due to low point requirements. You'll need to get your post up on the boards more than a year ahead.

This will get you started.

 

[disneynutz]

I need some help. I am helping to plan my familys' vacation for 6 adults and 3 children (under 5) to Disney for September of 2009. We have all been to disney before but never all together (with the grandchildren). That said... I've read a lot about renting points from DVC members - but I've never done it - nor do I know anyone personally who has. So I have some questions.

I am looking for one of the 3 bedroom villas and I've been told there are only a few of these available. Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. Are these the only resorts with these rooms? What is the likelhood of getting one of these very few suites through renting DVC points?

I am willing to explore other types of rooms - just looking for the most cost effective way to go with giving all of us the best Disney experience I can.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thank you from all of us! Have a great day!

You can add AKV and BWV to your list. Your best bet is to decide where you want to stay, then contact a owner at that resort as soon as possible. They will need to make your reservation 11 months prior to your vacation.

 

[salmoneous]

There are 3BR Grand Villas at SSR, OWK, BWV and AKV. There are only a handful at BWV and AKV, so those are the hardest to book. The ones at OKW require many fewer points than the others, so they are also hard to book.

There are other threads will lots of details on renting, but in a nutshell, you are paying an owner to use their points to make a reservation for you. An owner can make a reservation at their home resort 11 months out, they can make one at any resort 7 months out. When you are trying to get something that is hard to book, it's best to have an owner at that resort already lined up and willing to try and book exactly 11 months out. Note that you'll probably have to pay more than the standard $11-ish/point to get the right person.

This isn't manditory. Especially at SSR, it's possible to get a GV later on if it isn't a busy time of year. But the longer you wait, the more risk you take.

The other thing that's tricky about GV rentals is that the require a lot of points. Only some of the people renting points will have enough to make a reservation that will cover the whole trip. You can't combine points from two different owners. All you can do is find one owner to make a reservation for the first days of your trip, then another (or two) to make reservations for the other days you need. If you can pull that off, you'll probably get to stay in the same unit the whole trip, but there's no guarantee. You may have to move.

An alternative is to rent two rooms - a studio and a 2BR. That requires less points and is easier to book. Everyone won't be in the same unit - which can be an advantage or disadvantage. The other thing you give up is having one big common room with a dinning table that can seat everyone. If you don't plan on spending a lot of time hanging out and eating meals all together, getting two rooms will make your life a lot easier.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...An alternative is to rent two rooms - a studio and a 2BR. That requires less points and is easier to book. Everyone won't be in the same unit - which can be an advantage or disadvantage. The other thing you give up is having one big common room with a dinning table that can seat everyone. If you don't plan on spending a lot of time hanging out and eating meals all together, getting two rooms will make your life a lot easier.

At OKW, you would have a dining room area big enough to seat all nine people in a two bedroom villa. So if a GV isn't available, opt for a two bedroom and studio (like salmoneous suggests) at OKW. The second bedroom at OKW has two queen beds in it. And so does the studio.