Need help determining best deal

[Inmyhappyplace]

I was checking out renting the dvc points when i go to Disney in Jan for the 5K. Is it actually more cost effective? What are the pros and cons. I was looking at the AKL studio. Do I loose benefits I might have by booking a room through Disney? Not sure if this is the right thread but it is a budget and benefit issue to me. Thank-you

 

[kbonner]

I was checking out renting the dvc points when i go to Disney in Jan for the 5K. Is it actually more cost effective? What are the pros and cons. I was looking at the AKL studio. Do I loose benefits I might have by booking a room through Disney? Not sure if this is the right thread but it is a budget and benefit issue to me. Thank-you

You will not loose any benefits that you would get booking through Disney. You will not get all the benefits of a DVC member though. As far as it being cost effective depends on what you are comparing it to and what the rental price per point is. Typically you are going to come out ahead renting points.

 

[Marionnette]

I was checking out renting the dvc points when i go to Disney in Jan for the 5K. Is it actually more cost effective? What are the pros and cons. I was looking at the AKL studio. Do I loose benefits I might have by booking a room through Disney? Not sure if this is the right thread but it is a budget and benefit issue to me. Thank-you

Which AKV studio are you looking at? The Value Studios in Jambo house? If you are, you need to be aware that there are very few of them and they go very quickly. You would have needed to have been in contact with a DVC member who owns at AKV and they would have had to book it this past February for January of next year.

Any other AKV studio, you might have a shot at, but I wouldn't wait too long to try.

Now the pros and cons.
Pros.

• It can be more affordable than staying in a moderate resort.
• You will have a kitchenette, including a microwave, real coffeemaker and a toaster.
• You get all of the perks of being a Disney guest.

Cons.

• Your reservation is in the control of the DVC member who made it. Any changes and requests have to be made through them.
• You must pay in full upfront in most cases. You are also much less likely to get a refund if you need to cancel.
• You will not get daily housekeeping unless you are willing to pay extra for it.
• Studio Villas (except at OKW) have one queen bed and one full-size pullout sofa.
• You do not get the same perks as a DVC member, such as pool-hopping and merchandise discounts.

 

[AquaDame]

We have rented three times so far, twice at Jambo House, all have been fine. As others have said, the reservation will be "owned" by the DVC member so you need to go through them to make any changes to it or add on a dining plan/tickets/ME. You will not be eligible for any DVC discounts on those things that may arise. You can make your own reservations for dining/FP+. Canceling is most likely not possible - that would depend on the owner taking pity on you/being able to re-rent the points they used for your reservation. There are a lot of rules to how and when they can use those points so its nothing malicious, its just how it is. Most will say absolutely no cancellations and they mean it - if you think you may need to cancel I would recommend taking out trip insurance that will cover the reasons you may need to cancel if you need to be able to get your money back.

You will not get daily house keeping - they come on the 4th day for trash and to resupply shampoo/paper dishes in the studios and do a more thorough cleaning the 7th (I htink?) night. There is one queen bed and a pull out couch in the room but they are nicely sized rooms and you can get the room for less renting points than you can for a cash vacation. We've not been able to get either a value studio or concierge at 11 months out even though we have tried in off season, so by nicely sized I mean the regular studios. If you rent through David's there may be a foreign transaction fee that should also be taken into account since he is in Canada (depending on your banks' charges at least). Honestly other than the housekeeping we haven't noticed any difference between cash & DVC. We only want/need one bed since its just the two of us and we do appreciate the kitchenette you get in the studios but it wouldn't be a dealbreaker by any means.

 

[Inmyhappyplace]

Thank you so much. All this information is extremely helpful.

 

[ancestry]

We are staying at a DVC property (OKW) in a few weeks in a 1 bedroom for 7 nights/8 days.

Personally I found it (slightly) cheaper to book directly through Disney with the AP discount that was out at the time. By renting through Disney I didn't have to worry about losing my money if we needed to cancel or needed to change our dates (which was an issue for us since we have a hockey player traveling with us and didn't know when playoffs/tryouts would be for him). In addition by booking through Disney we will get daily housekeeping during out stay (if you rent points you don't get housekeeping every day).

Price out all options and weight the pros and cons and then make your decision.

 

[Inmyhappyplace]

thank you. all the info is very helpful in determining the best deal.