Maybe a strange question...

[disneyorvegas]

I've just started investigating buying into the DVC, but I have one question I haven't seen answered - Can you stay at non-DVC Disney resorts using your points? How many points Does it typically take to stay at, say, the Poly garden view or Yacht Club? Does it make sense to stay at a moderate using points? If a time of year helps, let's just say I would be travelling in October (I wish).

This may seem strange, but my life list includes staying at all Disney resorts in my lifetime.

Thanks!

 

[vicki_c]

Yes, you can, but it's not a cost-effective use of your points. Points are very high to stay in the non-DVC resorts (they are called the Disney Collection) and you have to pay a $95 fee as well.

I think you can only stay at deluxes using your points, not the moderates.

You would be better off to rent your points out and use the cash to book the non-DVC room in most cases (and probably pocket the difference).
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I forgot, I had done this same calculation for someone a while ago on another board, so I just cut and pasted it below. The numbers might be off a bit, because I did this a few months ago. This was based on club level, not a regular room at the Poly.

I'll go look up the points for you, but it's a ridiculous amount - it would be much better to rent your points and use the cash to pay for it and pocket the difference.

The charts just say club level, they don't specify garden or lagoon.

So even in value season:

Sun-Thurs: 63 pts / night x 4 = 252 pts
Add Fri & Sat: 112 pts / night = 224 pts

That's 476 points for a week in value season, the equivalent of $4760 if you say pts are worth $10 each for renting. Plus $95 transfer fee.

Garden view club level for the same time is $495/night (and that's full rack rate - you might get a discount of some kind, esp. in value season) and lagoon view is $620/night, so 7 days at those rates is $3465 and $4340.

 

[AlaskaMOM]

you can use points for moderates as well as fort wilderness cabins and campsites. But as PP said it is not a good use of points!!! You can not use points to stay at a deluxe that has dvc attached (AKL, BC, BWI, Contemp)

 

[rentayenta]

Wow, I didn't realize non DVC Disney resort point usage was so high.

 

[disneyorvegas]

Thanks for the info! That definitely makes this a more challenging decision...