Hmmm...need advice

[Princess_Ariel_5]

Hi guys! So my BF and I just went to Disney World (his first time) last month for 5 nights/4 days and he loved it! We are talking about going again, and I mentioned going for a long weekend in September and he said that's not long enough, he wants to go for a week next time. We have a week off from work 2/18/17-2/26/17 so I'm thinking we can go 2/18-2/25. We stayed at CBR and loved it, would stay there again in a heartbeat, but of course $$$$ comes in to play. It isn't THAT expensive, but it will be a pretty hefty price for us once you include airfare, park tickets, and dining.

My question is - are there any hotels worth staying at off-property? I know we wouldn't be able to do the dining plan, and that worked out great for us this year so I would want to do it again.

Should I look in to renting DVC points? I'm totally lost on how to do that.

I'm just trying to figure out the most cost effective way (aren't we all..lol) to plan and budget for this trip. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[HM2012Butler]

Renting DVC at that time of year could be really beneficial. A deluxe studio at DAKL could be under 100 points. Saratoga, and OKW will also be few points. That way you avoid the value resorts but may not spend as much as you would at POR. I don't know what rates would look like then if you're paying cash. But it could be something to consider. I always recommend staying on property

 

[Tara1988]

We looked at renting dvc points and it was in the same price range as the moderate resorts, so that really won't save you much money, it's just a way to get nicer accommodations for the same amount of money. So if money is really an issue, go with a value or stay offsite. But remember to add in the cost of a rental car and parking when you look at offsite prices, those add up but you still will probably come out cheaper. We stayed at pop century and enjoyed it.

 

[Princess_Ariel_5]

Thanks HM2012Butler! I'm thinking of renting DVC points. Looking into some research right now. What is the easiest and most cost effective way to rent points?

 

[katt789]

Definitely look into renting DVC points, I've done it a few times and was just pricing out stuff for Sept where a week at AKL worked out cheaper than the cabins!
-Value resorts aren't all that bad! If you can get Pop, it's a good deal and a nice enough resort!
-I personally don't like offsite at ALL! The shuttles from most of the cheaper places are totally random and usually drop you off at the TTC or Epcot, and don't start running early enough. In the past I've ended up taking taxi's everywhere, which adds up! Now, Uber would help a lot with that, BUT, there's still issues. I think between cab rides & a shuttle to & from the airport it works out to just be the same as a value resort, plus you'll get emh and other benefits if you stay on site!
ETA: I've used David's DVC rental for renting points before and had wonderful experiences!

 

[CAS239]

We always stay off property. The value resorts aren't worth being over $120 a night imo, so we only do on site if we get them for $100 or less. We enjoy staying off property mainly because we get nicer rooms for cheaper prices. But then comes into play if you have a car or would need to rent one. We always drive to Disney as we only live about 2.5 hours away. I would be willing to pay more for Disney hotels if we didn't have a car just to be able to fully use Disney transportation and not have to rent a car.

But off property..my favorite hotel in the downtown Disney area is the Best Western (they've went up on pricing considerably though lately), we also enjoy the Rosen Centre, Clarion isn't terrible for super cheap. There's a ton of good choices off property

 

[Princess_Ariel_5]

Thanks for all your help everyone! I think since we want to do the dining plan and don't want to deal with driving, looking into DVC points is our best bet. I'm also gonna check out POP.

 

[pmaurer74]

We will never stay offsite. We like being int he Disney bubble and using the transportation. Other like more flexibility. There are websites that you can safely rent DVC points.

 

[scrapquitler]

You should consider a value resort before you start looking off site. Pop is nice, and we are always very happy there.

 

[Volfan1]

My wife and I rented DVC points last June. We liked it so well we bought into DVC upon returning home. We rented from David's Vacation Rentals and the transaction was flawless. At check in, you here the "welcome home" just like you owned DVC. Our previous 6 or 7 trips we stayed off property, and being on property just seemed to go so much smoother using the Disney transportation.

 

[Dismama2boys]

I have zero interest in Disney transportation, and lots of interest in a nicer room, more space, and a washer/dryer. We stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek via Vacation Strategies. We are so close that we are practically on property, and we have a car. It's perfect for us, and extremely affordable.

 

[mjkacmom]

Isn't that Presidents' Day week? If so, you are not going to be getting any discounts, and crowds will be high.

 

[rastahomie]

I'm one of the weird ones that favors staying on-site and renting a car!

Regardless, if you want to stay at CBR but are concerned about the price, just stay at PoP. It's beautiful, fun, and I have absolutely zero complaints about it.

 

[rastahomie]

So if you rent DVC points, you can still do the dining plan?

 

[Princess_Ariel_5]

Isn't that Presidents' Day week? If so, you are not going to be getting any discounts, and crowds will be high.

Yes, it is. We went during that week this year and had a fabulous time. I'm not looking for discounts, just the most cost effective option.

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

So if you rent DVC points, you can still do the dining plan?

Yes, if you rent DVC points you can still do the dining plan. David's DVC Rental explains it all on their website. You have to go through your contact at David's DVC who then goes through the DVC owner to set it up. They recommend buying a Disney gift card instead of giving out your credit card info to the DVC owner so they can pay for it for you.