I am not a
DVC member. I have been to Dsiney MANY times and always stayed on property at a resort - usually Deluxe, sometimes moderate. This is the first year I am renting points (from a friend) for DVC.
I got a 2-bedroom at Boardwalk (made my reservations at 7 month mark).
Here's my opinion on pors and cons of renting -
PROS
Save ALOT of money. From studio to grand villa you can save alot of money on your room if you rent DVC points.
Bigger rooms with more amenities - with 1 & 2 bedroom rooms you have full kitchen and washer & dryer. Now I know many people don't want to cook or wash on vacation. But I'm going with my 2 yr old son and knowing I don't have to bring 3 changes of clothes a day "just in case" is helpful.
A new experience (never stayed at DVC).
CONS (I wouldn't call them cons as much as considerations)
Certain DVC villas book up fast and availability may not always be what you want. If you can't be felxible in where or when you stay or what types of rooms you need, renting may not be for you. There are more options of rooms and availibility if you book a regualr Disney resort.
There is not maid service every day. Depending upon how long you stay, maid serivce is limited. They do not come and clean your room, give you fresh towels, refill those little soap things, and make your bed every day. This helps keep down the costs. I am staying 6 days (5 nights) and will only get trash removal and clean towels on the 4th day. From what I understand there are places you can take your trash. And if you want additonal maid service you can get it, but you have to pay for it - and if you do that you're not saving as much as you would like. I have a washer/dryer in my villa and can throw in towels to clean if I want. Also, when I travel I usually bring my own soaps, lotions and shampoos from home so I won't miss the complimentary stuff. And I figure, I don't change my bed linens at home every day - and I can take 5 minutes to make my bed in the morning.
So if you like your room cleaned every day - like to use hotel soaps & shampoos, etc. DVC may not be for you.
A plus with no maid service is that you don't have to worry about getting out of your room for them to clean or coming back to your room for a nap to find maid service in there cleaning.
Trust to rent. Renting is a private transaction between you and the renter - Disney has no involvement at all. So basically you are giving money to a stranger hoping they will make your reservation and take of everything you need - with DVC the only perosn who can make reservations or call CS is the DVC member. From everything I've read and seen, most rentals go off without a hitch and everyone is happy. But you have to do your research. There's alot of valuable info on the Renting boards to read so you understand the process and know what to do to protect yourself. Most renters try their best to work with you and help you get what you want and need. Also be aware of cancellations - again you and the renter will come to certain agreements on payments etc. But there is no
trip insurance - it something happens at the last minute and you have to cancel, you cannot be guaranteed your money back. The renter will probably try to do what he/she can to re-schedule your trip or try to rent the points to someone else, but depending upon timing they may not be able to do either and many renters have a no refund policy.
I am happy I rented as I saved ALOT of money. I did rent from friends which helped my level of confidence. What it comes down to is how you travel. If you want the best room at the best value - I think renting is the way to go. But there are many things to consider and you have to weigh everything to decide which is best for you.
Plus the one thing I can absolutely say is that everyone on the DVC boards is great! Everyone is so helpful and so informative and I am very thankful for all there help. So if you have any questions, this is the place to go.
Good Luck...Wendybird
