Helping friends stay near us at BCV

[Tooneric]

I'm looking for the best deal for friends who want to stay at BC or BCV to be near us next Feb. We are DVC members and have APs as well. We're staying in 2BR with inlaws. Here's my options so far:

1. Rent 68 points for 4 nights BCV Studio. Cost appx $680 or $170 per night @ $10 per point. Never rented before so I'm a little leary, but this seems to be the cheapest choice.

2. Book BC now at $294 per night and hope for AP discount. Current AP discount at BC is $199 per night through 12/25.

3. Book BCV studio through MS for cash. Cost ??? Anyone know where DVC cash rates are listed? If not, I'll call MS tomorrow.

Questions: Can I reserve a room for cash through MS for friends? Can I reserve a room for friends getting AP discounts, since we are the AP holders? Is renting the way to go? I know people do it, but it seems somewhat risky...

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

[stacy6552]

Me? I'd wait for the deals to come out. You know they'll have some. And the BC is so close to two other disney resorts (plus S&D) that they are sure to get a room nearby at a good deal if they watch for them.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Tooneric
I'm looking for the best deal for friends who want to stay at BC or BCV to be near us next Feb. We are DVC members and have APs as well. We're staying in 2BR with inlaws. Here's my options so far:

1. Rent 68 points for 4 nights BCV Studio. Cost appx $680 or $170 per night @ $10 per point. Never rented before so I'm a little leary, but this seems to be the cheapest choice.

2. Book BC now at $294 per night and hope for AP discount. Current AP discount at BC is $199 per night through 12/25.

3. Book BCV studio through MS for cash. Cost ??? Anyone know where DVC cash rates are listed? If not, I'll call MS tomorrow.

Questions: Can I reserve a room for cash through MS for friends? Can I reserve a room for friends getting AP discounts, since we are the AP holders? Is renting the way to go? I know people do it, but it seems somewhat risky...

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

To book a room through MS for cash, the member must be staying in the room. I suppose you could put your name on the studio reservation in addition to your friends'names and then just be there to check in.

You may reserve a room with the AP discount - you'll need to be there to check in and I believe your name will need to be on the reservation in this case as well.

If it were me, I'd rent the points. I'd look for a member with BCV points who was willing to transfer the points to my account. This is actually the least risky way (IMHO) to rent points - since the points end up in your account, you will have complete control of the reservation. You can accomplish the transfer via a 3-way call with MS, you & the other member (after you agree on terms). Since you are a member of this forum, you are probalby a pretty savvy DVC member and I would be very surprised if you ran into any serious problems paying for and accepting a point transfer.

Best wishes -

 

[Tooneric]

Thanks to both of you! I will watch for deals to come out, and I will consider renting.

CarolMN, you said to look for a BCV member and have the points transferred to my account via a 3 way call with MS. Just curious, does it have to be a BCV member or can any member transfer points to another's account? I'll have to look into that. I agree that seems like a safer way to rent than relying on a stranger to control your ressie. Thanks for your help!

Eric

 

[DISNEYWORLDBORN2SHOP]

They would only need to be BCV points if you needed to utilize the 11 month booking window. If you booking at the 7 month window, then you can rent points from any DVC resort.

We did this for our upcoming BWV family reunion and the transfer was very easy.

 

[Sammie]

Some things to consider. I don't know how close you are with the friends, but based on personal experience and the experiences that many have shared here you might want to be sure your friends understand the difference in booking a DVC room with points and being able to book through Disney with the 5 day cancellation.

Be sure that they understand the differences in the cancellation period, and what happens if they for some reason decide not to go or can't go. It's never safe to assume they understand the policies.

Also if you book a room for them with your AP, be sure when you check them in you are clear on in room charges, paying for the room etc.

I would hate for their to be misunderstandings between you and the friends due to these policies.

 

[tjkraz]

A few other things to consider:

- Regarding the AP discounts, I followed some of the conversations shortly after the last round of discounts were released. Must have been morbid curiosity. Anyway, it seemed to me that there were a LOT of reports of people not getting the rooms they wanted literally within HOURS of the AP codes hitting the streets. People reported waiting on hold (toll call) for 2 and 3 hours only to be told that no discount rooms were available. This seemed to be most prevalent at the Deluxe resorts.

So, factor that into your decision regarding the code waitout.

- If they end up with a standard YC / BC room, they will not have the kitchenette of a DVC studio. I believe I read that they are installing mini-fridges in all of the Deluxe resort rooms, but the DVC Studio has a few additional amenities.

- If you rent points and they stay at BCV, they will not receive daily housekeeping. If they pay cash at BC / YC, daily housekeeping will be included.

- Don't for get to add in 11.5% tax when considering the cash rates. At $199 per night (perhaps more for 2005), you tack on another $23 when paying cash.

- Finally, I just want to reiterate Sammie's comments about the cancellation policy. If you decide to go the rental route, make sure your friends understand that the transaction is final. Technically, if they cancel before 31 days out, the points are yours to use as you please if you complete a transfer with another DVC member. But I wouldn't put yourself in the position of leaving your friends with the impression that you could "fix it" if if necessary. Renting points will probably save your friends a couple hundred dollars, but make sure they understand that they either take that trip in February or they lose their money.

 

[Lisa P.]

Before you rent points, call MS to be sure there's a room available at BCV or BWV for your dates. It'd be a shame to rent points only to find out that you're on a waiting list!

Consider a room at the Swan or Dolphin. They're very nearby, an easy walk. If anyone staying in the room is a teacher, police/firefighter, nurse or military, you may want to see if there is an appropriate discount available for them. These hotels have offered good discounts for these folks in the past, much lower price per night than you've quoted. HTH!

 

[jennypenny]

I don't know when you are going in February, but I called Friday to add another studio to our trip (Feb 12-22) because my sister wants to go, and they were booked up at the BCV for President's day weekend.

Jenny

 

[Tooneric]

Thanks for all the great tips! I hadn't thought of all the different consequences, so this has been helpful in my thought process.

We're going early Feb, so I think availability won't be a problem. Still, better to book something like Swan or Dolphin than to not have anything lined up!

I'll check back and post any updates on what I end up doing.