Honeymoon Help!! DVC rental and Resort Options!!!

[Marisamouse]

Hello friends!

I am beginning the planning of our honeymoon for March of 2022. The fiancé and I have decided to do Orlando as we want to do Universal and Disney! We went to WDW March of 2020 for the first time together and haven't stopped talking about it since. We are Disneyland natives, but WDW is just so overwhelming!

We are trying to pick our honeymoon resort and we just can't decide. We really want a honeymoon where we can have some fun fast paced stuff, but also go back to the hotel and relax, swim, eat, shop and maybe have a night out bar hopping! (PS: We tried drinking around the world last year and no one warned us not to start in Mexico! Eep! My fiancé almost fell into the little fountain at the San Ingel Inn LOL). I explained to my fiancé that after months of wedding craziness we should take time to relax too while we are on a theme park vacation! He agreed and so we are trying to decide what resort to stay at. We really want to stay somewhere where we can race out to the theme parks and come back and enjoy the pools, restaurants and atmosphere. We want something romantic that we can really enjoy together. We want a resort that makes us feel like we are on our honeymoon and not just another Disney trip! We are looking into possibly renting DVC points to help with the cost of the stay which would allow us to stay a nicer resort. We are eyeballing Beach Club Resort or Riviera Resort.

So with all of that said, I have a few questions and I need help!

1. How easy is it to rent DVC points? We have never done it before. What are some pros and cons?
2. When you rent DVC do you usually purchase travel insurance? I never have before but I know with the no cancellation or refund policy with DVC some people recommend it.
3. Lastly, which do you prefer Beach Club or Riviera?
4. If you took your honeymoon to WDW any recommendations? We'd love to know

 

[mouschievous]

We are trying to rent Beach Club right now. We're almost to our 7 month mark and we haven't been able to. When I talked to our rental agent, she said the issue is BC is smaller, so there are fewer owners, and most want to keep their points for themselves, so renting is harder. We're hoping we might get lucky and still be able to get it at the 7 month mark (when owners from any resort can book at BC), but I'm not counting on it.

And yes, I would absolutely get trip insurance. We're currently dealing with trying to use a credit because our 2020 trip was canceled due to the pandemic. We'd opted not to get the $500 insurance policy the rental store offered, which would have given us a 100% refund (less the $500 for the insurance). Instead, we ended up with a credit that we have to use within 2 years of our original check in date, and we're finding it hard to do!

All of that said, I would still rent DVC again. What we did for right now, while we're trying to rent BC, is make a refundable room reservation as a backup plan. If we can' t get BC, we may try to a different DVC rental for this trip, or we may see that as a sign that we should take another trip soon!

 

[joyjoy]

1. Renting DVC points is very easy. I've done it several times with no problems. The pros you know: You get a much nicer resort for less $, etc. The only con is that once you're in, you're in. You pay up front and there are no takes back. Since it's your honeymoon, though, I would think your trip is pretty much set in stone, so that's not really an issue.
2. I have never personally purchased trip insurance. In 2017 I was 3 days into my Disney vacay when Hurricane Irma hit (I had just been through Hurricane Harvey in Houston and my trip had been postponed) but we stayed anyway and had fun at the resort. That said, that was not a rented point trip, just using our own DVC points. Depending on how much it costs, it might be a good idea to purchase insurance, because of the paying up front requirement when renting points.
3. We just stayed at the Riviera a few weeks ago and it is FABULOUS. Beach Club is okay, looking a little worn, but still nice. Riviera is better, though. And the Skyliner. Just sayin'.
4. If it were me and my honeymoon - given all the things you listed you want, honestly I'd stay at the Polynesian. (once construction is done) You cannot beat the monorail, it is super vacation-y and unique, has several good bars and restaurants (once it's all opened again), the pools are FANTASTIC - just an all around great honeymoon resort. We were there for 11 days last August and even with the limited restaurants, it's still so great. My DVC home is Copper Creek at WL, so I'm a little partial to that one, too. Wilderness Lodge would be a very close second to the Poly for a honeymoon. Congrats and happy planning!

 

[Marthasor]

RIV is lovely, but if you want better access to two parks and a ton of restaurants, I would stay in the Boardwalk area. BCV is our favorite. If you can’t get a villa there, BWV is also great. I also wouldn’t hesitate booking on the resort side of BC and BW. We also love YC, water view rooms.

 

[Marionnette]

We are trying to rent Beach Club right now. We're almost to our 7 month mark and we haven't been able to. When I talked to our rental agent, she said the issue is BC is smaller, so there are fewer owners, and most want to keep their points for themselves, so renting is harder. We're hoping we might get lucky and still be able to get it at the 7 month mark (when owners from any resort can book at BC), but I'm not counting on it.

Seven months from now brings us right in the middle of the Christmas season. It's one of the most popular times for DVC owners to book. Most of us who are going in December booked our home resort right at 11 months. Even owners trying to book for themselves are complaining about the lack of availability in the first week of December. And that basically means that there will be very little movement among members switching from their home resort to another.

The chances of someone with points at another resort being able to book BCV for you at 7 months is going to be extremely small for all of the reasons given to you by the rental company plus what I added above. I hope that you get to use your credit but booking a back up reservation at a hotel is a smart thing to do.

 

[princesscinderella]

I would consider the Poly. I think that is the most romantic of the DVC resorts you can sit on the beach swings and watch the fireworks . It truly feels like you are someplace else with the beautiful landscaping too. You can walk to MK via the trail through GF and you are close to the TTC where you can hop on the Epcot monorail which I would think would be running by next spring.

edited to add: I recommend doing a split stay at a Universal hotel that gives express pass access for the days you plan to go to the parks there. It’s definitely the best value and it lessens your exposure for DVC points rental if you have to cancel.

 

[mouschievous]

Seven months from now brings us right in the middle of the Christmas season. It's one of the most popular times for DVC owners to book. Most of us who are going in December booked our home resort right at 11 months. Even owners trying to book for themselves are complaining about the lack of availability in the first week of December. And that basically means that there will be very little movement among members switching from their home resort to another.

The chances of someone with points at another resort being able to book BCV for you at 7 months is going to be extremely small for all of the reasons given to you by the rental company plus what I added above. I hope that you get to use your credit but booking a back up reservation at a hotel is a smart thing to do.

Our trip is in January, so our 7 months is in June. There's availability at the resort currently, just not an owner to rent to us yet!

 

[Marionnette]

Our trip is in January, so our 7 months is in June. There's availability at the resort currently, just not an owner to rent to us yet!

Then you stand a better chance since January is not a DVC high-demand period aside from Marathon and MLK weekends. Best of luck to you!

 

[MomOTwins]

I'm a DVC member at Riviera so am a little biased, but it is my favorite resort at WDW right now. That said, it is more of a relaxing place, and since OP mentioned wanting something a bit more lively with nightlife, and being a big fan of World Showcase, a crescent lake resort with walking distance to Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin, and Epcot may be a better bet.

 

[starry_solo]

Poly or Grand Floridian, that’s what I would choose.

 

[sndral]

OP Congrats.
I think going through a broker on a first time rental is not a bad idea, and I’d seriously consider insurance given this past year! Beware of any unsolicited personal messages offering points, there’s some great advice in disboard’s link about renting points privately https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...t-trade-policies-updated-august-2020.3734006/.
No resort gives you easy access to every park, so which parks are your favorites?
You mention enjoying Epcot drinking around the world, so the two obvious DVC resorts would be BC and BWV - w/ their convenient direct access to the country side of Epcot via the back entrance. BWV is larger than BC thus will be easier to get, but BC has the great SAB pool. BWV are closer to DHS. Riviera has Skyliner access to both Epcot (back entry) & DHS.
The MK adjacent DVCs are Poly, VGF, & BLT, of those VGF is smallest & thus hardest to get. BLT has very small studios, Poly’s studios are large & it is adjacent to the TTC w/ the monorail to Epcot - although the monorail is at the front of Epcot, so it’s a hike to get to/from the Countries. The two Wilderness Lodge DVCs are a boat ride away from MK (Boulder Ridge & Copper Creek.)
OKW & SSR are large DVC resorts located near Disney Springs.
AKV is a world onto itself in many ways and has no direct access to any park.
There are videos on YouTube showcasing all of these resorts, maybe spend some time watching them to zero in on which appeals most to you & your partner.
You are already w/in 11 months from your March honeymoon - owners can book their home resort 11 months prior to their trip, so the sooner you decide the better especially if you’re interested in a studio at one of the smaller DVC resorts. Good luck.

 

[LSchrow]

The description of your perfect resort actually sounds exactly like BWV! Upscale, romantic, places to drink/eat, great views, 3 pools (the pool by the Inn is a gorgeous oasis), etc
BCV is also nice, but can be very noisy . Yacht Club is quieter & less hectic, but isn't DVC. We find their main pool too chaotic to be enjoyable.
Riviera is definitely the most upscale, with the charm and elegance of an European boutique hotel - stunning resort!

 

[RoseGold]

March is Spring Break. The resorts and the parks can be crazy crowded. I wouldn't even consider traveling to WDW during Spring Break.

I agree the correct resort is Poly for your purposes, though.

But there are a lot of other choices, like Margaritaville, or even a REAL beach resort.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Congratulations! I will address private DVC rentals from my experience as an owner.

Full disclosure: I am an owner and have rented to guests on disboards rent/trade thread and through brokers - no points available at the moment so I feel okay giving an opinion. Do not respond to anyone who PM's you out of the blue because of your thread!

DVC members will try their best to get you your desired rental or help you with an alternative based on availability. I'd start watching the thread to get an idea of the interactions with owners. I will say I had great experiences with my guests and I believe they would all tell you the same. The plus is you are dealing directly with an owner and not a middle man. The negative is you are dealing directly with an owner and not a middle man. Your comfort level will lead you one way or the other.

Know your budget and figure out how many points you need for your desired time at the "going" rate per point. I can't tell you how many people asked about points and were totally unaware of how many points were required for their stay and the cost involved. Expectations should be realistic.

Be ready to make a commitment once you have "vetted" the owner - ask about payment policy, reservations changes etc. and get it in writing. I compare it to a first date. They are vetting you as well with several people inquiring all at once, competing for those points. People that didn't respond promptly or seriously, lost out to those that did. The reverse it true, if an owner doesn't respond and communicate well with you, they will lose out to those that do.

I ended up choosing people who responded promptly to my reply, had intelligent online conversations to check dates and confirm details and didn't ghost me. We moved forward when we were both comfortable with the transaction. I would rent to any of my guests again in a second. It's a win-win for both parties and there is now a comfort level between us for future rentals.

I hope this is helpful. Do your homework and best of luck!

 

[BeeBopp717]

Congratulations! I will address private DVC rentals from my experience as an owner.

Full disclosure: I am an owner and have rented to guests on disboards rent/trade thread and through brokers - no points available at the moment so I feel okay giving an opinion. Do not respond to anyone who PM's you out of the blue because of your thread!

DVC members will try their best to get you your desired rental or help you with an alternative based on availability. I'd start watching the thread to get an idea of the interactions with owners. I will say I had great experiences with my guests and I believe they would all tell you the same. The plus is you are dealing directly with an owner and not a middle man. The negative is you are dealing directly with an owner and not a middle man. Your comfort level will lead you one way or the other.

Know your budget and figure out how many points you need for your desired time at the "going" rate per point. I can't tell you how many people asked about points and were totally unaware of how many points were required for their stay and the cost involved. Expectations should be realistic.

Be ready to make a commitment once you have "vetted" the owner - ask about payment policy, reservations changes etc. and get it in writing. I compare it to a first date. They are vetting you as well with several people inquiring all at once, competing for those points. People that didn't respond promptly or seriously, lost out to those that did. The reverse it true, if an owner doesn't respond and communicate well with you, they will lose out to those that do.

I ended up choosing people who responded promptly to my reply, had intelligent online conversations to check dates and confirm details and didn't ghost me. We moved forward when we were both comfortable with the transaction. I would rent to any of my guests again in a second. It's a win-win for both parties and there is now a comfort level between us for future rentals.

I hope this is helpful. Do your homework and best of luck!

I’m not the OP but this was incredibly helpful. TY!

 

[Best Aunt]

We are trying to rent Beach Club right now. We're almost to our 7 month mark and we haven't been able to. When I talked to our rental agent, she said the issue is BC is smaller, so there are fewer owners, and most want to keep their points for themselves, so renting is harder. We're hoping we might get lucky and still be able to get it at the 7 month mark (when owners from any resort can book at BC), but I'm not counting on it.

And yes, I would absolutely get trip insurance. We're currently dealing with trying to use a credit because our 2020 trip was canceled due to the pandemic. We'd opted not to get the $500 insurance policy the rental store offered, which would have given us a 100% refund (less the $500 for the insurance). Instead, we ended up with a credit that we have to use within 2 years of our original check in date, and we're finding it hard to do!

Which rental company gave you a credit with a 2-year expiration date?

 

[Happy2BMommy0812]

What is your budget? We honeymooned non DVC for 2 nights at Beach Club before taking off for the Bahamas. I would not rent points for a honeymoon, you’re locked in if you rent points and what if you need to change plans? I’d personally book cash and do a club level room if in your budget.

Edited to add, all the resorts are great. I’d stay Beach Club or Yacht Club (club level) if you prefer more time at EPCOT and Polynif you prefer MK.

 

[MICKIMINI]

What is your budget? We honeymooned non DVC for 2 nights at Beach Club before taking off for the Bahamas. I would not rent points for a honeymoon, you’re locked in if you rent points and what if you need to change plans? I’d personally book cash and do a club level room if in your budget.

Edited to add, all the resorts are great. I’d stay Beach Club or Yacht Club (club level) if you prefer more time at EPCOT and Polynif you prefer MK.

Respectfully, you are only locked in if your agreement with the owner states that. Renting through a broker typically has little or no flexibility to change...definitely a question to ask.

Owners renting a year or more out have more leeway to change dates, but to be sure, it depends on how the owner wants to handle it and it needs to be stated in the agreement. Points have different expiration dates and owners renting the last few weeks or even months of a UY may not have a choice but to make the contract firm on dates. Points expire and close to the end, it is likely there is no availability so it makes sense that it is non cancellable.

Availability is an issue even if you are going direct with Disney. Though you may have a cancellable reservation, if there are no rooms available you may get a refund but have no place to stay. Good luck!

 

[Fangorn]

If the choice truly is between BCV and Riviera, then the correct choice is Riviera, without a doubt. While I do like the hotel side of Beach Club, the DVC villas are a complete disappointment imo. The room layouts are boring, and the whole villa area feels like an afterthought (which it was). The location is great for going to Epcot, but that's really the only major plus. And BTW, the same goes for BWV.

Riviera, on the other hand is a much more upscale and relaxed vibe. Rooms are gorgeous, and the staff are wonderfully helpful and engaging. It's going to cost you more than BCV/BWV - but there's a reason for that.

BUT, as others have said, the real answer to your question is the Poly. (And yes I'm a DVC owner at the Poly, so I might be biased). If you're looking for a relaxed resort that is also in the middle of the action, Poly is it. At the Poly, you have quick access to the three Monorail Resorts with all their restaurants and lounges (lots of people do the monorail pub crawl) and once it reopens, you'll have the Epcot monorail as well. The kinetic energy of the Magic Kingdom area can't be beat, yet once you're on the ground of the Poly, all that disappears and is replaced by a relaxed island vibe.

Which ever you choose, you'll have an amazing time.

Steve

 

[sndral]

If the choice truly is between BCV and Riviera, then the correct choice is Riviera, without a doubt. While I do like the hotel side of Beach Club, the DVC villas are a complete disappointment imo. The room layouts are boring, and the whole villa area feels like an afterthought (which it was). The location is great for going to Epcot, but that's really the only major plus. And BTW, the same goes for BWV.

Riviera, on the other hand is a much more upscale and relaxed vibe. Rooms are gorgeous, and the staff are wonderfully helpful and engaging. It's going to cost you more than BCV/BWV - but there's a reason for that.

BUT, as others have said, the real answer to your question is the Poly. (And yes I'm a DVC owner at the Poly, so I might be biased). If you're looking for a relaxed resort that is also in the middle of the action, Poly is it. At the Poly, you have quick access to the three Monorail Resorts with all their restaurants and lounges (lots of people do the monorail pub crawl) and once it reopens, you'll have the Epcot monorail as well. The kinetic energy of the Magic Kingdom area can't be beat, yet once you're on the ground of the Poly, all that disappears and is replaced by a relaxed island vibe.

Which ever you choose, you'll have an amazing time.

Steve

I too am not a fan of the BCVs location vis a viz. the BC/YC complex (I like the YC best of those 3.) BWVs on the other hand were built as DVC+Inn and seem better integrated to me. Plus they are closer to DHS, although it’s a big resort & depending on where in the resort your villa is can impact how close to DHS & Epcot you actually are. The advantage is that both are walkable to two parks and are especially convenient to the countries in Epcot.
I haven’t stayed at Riviera yet, but did spend quite a bit of time there last visit & ate at Toppolinos. I liked the Skyliner, but the need to get off/on at the Caribbean beach transfer station to get to/from DHS was a definite negative IMO. I wouldn’t characterize Riviera as upscale, I know that’s what DVC is marketing it as - but I think they missed the mark w/ their economy measures, especially the small public spaces & compact grounds - perhaps I’ve been watching too many design shows about architecture lately lol. That’s why photos/videos are helpful since we all have such different impressions of the aesthetics of different resorts.