First time renting points

[Tiggeroo]

I am planning on renting points for a big extended family trip ........... from one of the large companies. We would like to stay at .........................and prefer to get the studio. Is it likely we might get our first choice? Is there any risk to renting points from one of these big companies? My sister and I are taking our parents who have never been on any kind of vacation before and I would like to be near everybody else. They are in their 70's and have never been to disney or stayed in a nice hotel... Really want this trip to be special for them. Also, my sister is staying at Beach club and has booked a room for my parents there. This is where she wants to stay. She has a good deal but would save a good deal more if she booked it by renting points. My parents have mobility issues and she really wants them near to everything so they can get around well. Could she accomplish this by renting points? How tough is it to rent points for beach club at the 11 month mark?
I am going to buy resale dvc some time this year. Just didn't decide to do it until there wasn't enough time for this trip. TIA.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Your chances of getting exactly what you want are much greater if you have lined up someone, who owns at the resort that you are interested in booking, at least 11 months in advance of the day you wish to arrive. The probability of success goes down from there.

A broker is a go-between between a renter and an owner. To meet your reservation request, they need an owner, with the right number of points, in the right use year, at the right resort -- AND the unit needs to be available. This can be a challenge to get alignment on, especially for a Boardwalk Studio in October. The broker needs to have the points, while the room is still available.

The same is true of Beach Club.

Both resorts are hard to rent points for, even at 11 months, via a broker.

 

[CarolMN]

(I edited your post to remove specific details about the resort and dates. Look for a private message for more on that).

Here's is a very helpful post on availability - it should give you an idea of how difficult it may be to get a particular villa at a particular time.

Availability at 11 months by drusba

The above thread talks about the relative difficulty of booking when the 11 month window opens. Since you are renting, your chances will also be heavily dependent on the brokers supply of points for the resort you prefer. They may or may not have DVC members signed up who own where you want to book waiting for renters. Most who do have the appropriate points will not be booking as soon as the window opens. That said, if you are not set on the least expensive views for the near park resorts, you have a very good chance of getting what you want since you are willing to commit at 11 months. Good luck!

 

[Marionnette]

I am planning on renting points for a big extended family trip ........... from one of the large companies. We would like to stay at .........................and prefer to get the studio. Is it likely we might get our first choice? Is there any risk to renting points from one of these big companies? My sister and I are taking our parents who have never been on any kind of vacation before and I would like to be near everybody else. They are in their 70's and have never been to disney or stayed in a nice hotel... Really want this trip to be special for them. Also, my sister is staying at Beach club and has booked a room for my parents there. This is where she wants to stay. She has a good deal but would save a good deal more if she booked it by renting points. My parents have mobility issues and she really wants them near to everything so they can get around well. Could she accomplish this by renting points? How tough is it to rent points for beach club at the 11 month mark?
I am going to buy resale dvc some time this year. Just didn't decide to do it until there wasn't enough time for this trip. TIA.

Is it likely we might get our first choice?

Using a broker does not give you an edge over someone else who wants to book the same reservation thru an owner privately. The brokers do not have special, secret backdoor access to the reservation system. In fact, they have to have owners with points available to book a reservation for you AND they need to confirm availability of the reservation you want even before they contact their owners to see who can make the reservation. That little delay that takes place between checking availability and when an owner can actually attempt to secure the reservation could result in missing out on the more in-demand villas. If you've directly lined up a member who has ownership in the resort you want before the 11-month window opens, then they can check availability and reserve the villa immediately with no delays in the process.​

Is there any risk to renting points from one of these big companies?

There is a little less risk when renting thru one of the online companies compared to dealing directly with an owner because those brokers will protect you from losing what you paid in the event that something goes awry and your reservation falls through. However, your reservation is still the property of the DVC owner - not the broker - and all modifications/requests/additions must be funneled to the owner thru the broker. And if that owner should fall behind on their mortgage or fail to pay their MFs, then any reservations made by the owner are at risk of being canceled. It has happened and even booking thru one of the brokers offers no protection from that. At least, you get your money back from the broker but you're still without a reservation if that occurs.​

My parents have mobility issues and she really wants them near to everything so they can get around well. Could she accomplish this by renting points?

When it comes to rooms that have modifications that makes them accessible for persons with disabilities, Disney has accommodations at every resort and almost every type of room. But when it comes to DVC, those villas are not a booking category. You can request one. And just like any other Disney room request, if that's what you absolutely need, it's better not to muddy the waters with any other requests for specific floors or views. If your parents' physical disabilities do not require a room with such modifications, then room requests such as "first floor", "near transportation" or "close to lobby" can be requested through the owner when you book. Like any Disney room request, you are expressing a preference and are not guaranteed to have it granted. Keep in mind that some DVC resorts are large and spread out to the point that a villa which is convenient to dining is not necessarily close to the feature pool. In other words, there are no villas that are going to be "near everything".​

My sister and I are taking our parents who have never been on any kind of vacation before...They are in their 70's and have never been to disney or stayed in a nice hotel... Really want this trip to be special for them.

I'm not sure what kind of room that your sister has booked already but a DVC stay on points will be different than a hotel stay, with the main difference being the lack of daily housekeeping (which means you make your own beds, reuse or wash your own towels, take out your own trash and wipe up your own spills most days). I don't know if that will make your parents' stay in a "nice hotel" any less special. Sometimes it's worth the extra money for a little bit of pampering.​

How tough is it to rent points...at the 11 month mark?

It looks like CarolMN has given you a link that will give you an idea of what availability will be like at each type of unit at all of the DVC resorts during different times of the year. Some are always going to be easier to book at 11 months than others simply due to the size of the resort. But in order to book a specific resort at the 11-month window, it has to be reserved by a member who owns at that resort. So for the smaller resorts, which by their nature have fewer owners and even fewer who will be renting out thru a third party, getting a reservation through one of the brokers can be extremely difficult albeit not entirely impossible. If you're already between 7-11 months away from your planned stay, have contacted an owner on your own, and been told that there's nothing available, you already have your answer. A broker is not going to have a different one.​

 

[CarolMN]

...........(snip)..............My parents have mobility issues and she really wants them near to everything so they can get around well. Could she accomplish this by renting points?

When it comes to rooms that have modifications that makes them accessible for persons with disabilities, Disney has accommodations at every resort and almost every type of room. But when it comes to DVC, those villas are not a booking category. You can request one. And just like any other Disney room request, if that's what you absolutely need, it's better not to muddy the waters with any other requests for specific floors or views. If your parents' physical disabilities do not require a room with such modifications, then room requests such as "first floor", "near transportation" or "close to lobby" can be requested through the owner when you book. Like any Disney room request, you are expressing a preference and are not guaranteed to have it granted. Keep in mind that some DVC resorts are large and spread out to the point that a villa which is convenient to dining is not necessarily close to the feature pool. In other words, there are no villas that are going to be "near everything"..........................................................​

I believe you can specifically book an accessible room - at least you can at the BWV. There's a box to check for that when you book online and you can always call MS. Of course, booking is subject to availability, just like everything else.

For example, here's the booking info that shows up when you request a Pool/Garden studio at the BWV (other resorts may vary) -

Accessibility Options
Please select your preferred villa type. Resort villa availability may change based on your accessible choice and only certain villa types are equipped with accessible features.


Deluxe Studio-Garden or Pool View/Wheelchair Accessible with Roll-In Shower/Option for Hearing Accessibility/1 Queen Bed, 1 Double Sleeper Sofa

This room is equipped with:

• Wheelchair accessible route in room
• Grab bars at toilet and in shower

Optional communication features, for Guests with Hearing Disabilities, include:

• Visual alarm
• Visual door knock/door bell alert
• Visual telephone call alert
• Telephone with volume control
• Electrical outlet near telephone jack
• TTY equipment available upon request at check-in

Need Features for Hearing Disabilities
Optional communication features include: visual alarm, visual door knock/door bell alert, and visual telephone call alert, telephone with volume control, electrical outlet near telephone jack; TTY equipment available upon request at check-in.



​

 

[Marionnette]

I believe you can specifically book an accessible room - at least you can at the BWV. There's a box to check for that when you book online and you can always call MS. Of course, booking is subject to availability, just like everything else.

For example, here's the booking info that shows up when you request a Pool/Garden studio at the BWV (other resorts may vary) -

Accessibility Options
Please select your preferred villa type. Resort villa availability may change based on your accessible choice and only certain villa types are equipped with accessible features.


Deluxe Studio-Garden or Pool View/Wheelchair Accessible with Roll-In Shower/Option for Hearing Accessibility/1 Queen Bed, 1 Double Sleeper Sofa

This room is equipped with:

• Wheelchair accessible route in room
• Grab bars at toilet and in shower

Optional communication features, for Guests with Hearing Disabilities, include:

• Visual alarm
• Visual door knock/door bell alert
• Visual telephone call alert
• Telephone with volume control
• Electrical outlet near telephone jack
• TTY equipment available upon request at check-in

Need Features for Hearing Disabilities
Optional communication features include: visual alarm, visual door knock/door bell alert, and visual telephone call alert, telephone with volume control, electrical outlet near telephone jack; TTY equipment available upon request at check-in.



​

I stand corrected. While not a true "booking category", the option exists to reserve an accessible room at the time that the reservation is made. I never noticed that radio button on the online booking tool before. I always called MS when I traveled with someone who needed that kind of room and made a request for one. Now I see that some of the resorts even have a drop-down menu that allows you to choose roll-in shower or tub. Very good to see this available online. I have to walk back some of my negative comments about Disney IT. This makes it a lot easier to manage reservations when I travel with my friend who suffers from MS.

Naturally, this reduces your chances of getting the resort and villa you want even further if you need one of these rooms. But if that's what the OP needs for their parents, it's good to know that there's a direct pathway to getting that room.

 

[Dean]

I am planning on renting points for a big extended family trip ........... from one of the large companies. We would like to stay at .........................and prefer to get the studio. Is it likely we might get our first choice? Is there any risk to renting points from one of these big companies? My sister and I are taking our parents who have never been on any kind of vacation before and I would like to be near everybody else. They are in their 70's and have never been to disney or stayed in a nice hotel... Really want this trip to be special for them. Also, my sister is staying at Beach club and has booked a room for my parents there. This is where she wants to stay. She has a good deal but would save a good deal more if she booked it by renting points. My parents have mobility issues and she really wants them near to everything so they can get around well. Could she accomplish this by renting points? How tough is it to rent points for beach club at the 11 month mark?
I am going to buy resale dvc some time this year. Just didn't decide to do it until there wasn't enough time for this trip. TIA.

If you plan day 1 at 11 months, it shouldn't be overly difficult but after that would depend on time of year and villa type. If you want to make this special but still control costs, a 2 BR might be a good option to do that. I'd certainly do a 2 BR over 2 studios in this situation but maybe studios for others if you need more as it sounds like you would. I agree that finding someone to work with privately is going to give you a better chance of success but might have a little more risk. BWV standard view might be something else to consider.

HC villas are across categories and are held to be reserved last so that shouldn't be an issue if done 11 months out and reserved specifically.

 

[Tiggeroo]

Everybody here is so much help. I have given the agent my name and info before the 11 month mark so she can act as soon as I am eligible. I am nervous about renting from an individual for my first stay. I am more nervous because the trip involves other family members who are not trying to book there. If I am unable to secure BWV I will go to another choice in a larger DVC resort with better odds. If that fails I will go to my old standby and take a room at POFQ which is actually a bit more expensive than renting points. If it was just myself and dh affected by my plans I would go with an owner for sure to increase my chances. My sister and my parents are staying in Beach Club so I can't get a 2 bedroom. But I'm going to double check points and see how much more it will cost to be more open to room type I get. If it's not too much more I will tell them to also look at special views... that cost a bit more but might be easier to secure.

 

[Tiggeroo]

My sister would be interested in 2 rooms in Beach Club but will not go to another resort if that isn't available. I'm a bit more flexible. I would be equally happy with something close to epcot or disney springs. Close to epcot will be helpful in coordinating family plans though as they are staying at Beach Club. I am not booking through an agent to increase my odds of getting a room. It is to minimize risk as I don't know various members well enough to be comfortable renting points through an individual.