new here first family trip and want to look into renting but not sure how it works

[DHar]

have no idea how it works but looks like its a real good thing. 1st trip to disney as a family.

me, wife and 2 daughters are going in oct from the 27th thru nov 5th. read somewhere about maybe renting a villa but have no idea how this would work...any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

 

[DVCTiff]

Hi DHar - I'm sure someone with more info than I have will help you soon, but in the meantime .... your stay "costs" a certain number of points at the DVC resorts. We happen to own Saratoga Springs Points and your particular stay there would cost 119 points in a studio (you and your wife get a bed with the girls sleeping on a pull-out in the same room) or 238 points for a one bedroom (you and your wife have a bedroom, girls sleep on pull-out in living room). Points generally rent for $10 each so you can figure out what your stay would cost. Other DVC resorts will "cost" about the same or less. The info I don't have is where you might normally stay if you were not going to stay at a DVC resort. You could call the Disney reservation line to compare what your stay would cost at the resort of your choice. The way it has worked for us when we had to rent points from someone (because ours weren't available yet) was that they make the reservation, give us the confirmation # and then we had to pay them upfront. It is a bit of a leap of faith.
One of many advantages of staying at a DVC resort is having a kitchen (or kitchenette). Having breakfast at "home," especially for four, is a big money-saver. My last bit of advice is to make this decision soon since it's six months out and everyone at any resort can make this reservation for you (we get a 7-month ressie window). That means a lot of people will be making reservations for the Fall already. Hope this info helps and someone corrects me if I have anything wrong. Good luck!

 

[Blackunicorn]

Adding:

Contracts are readily available and you can easily request that a written contract be part of the deal. I recommend that you spell out anything that you have questions about during a deal, because you never know if something will go wrong. Most members won't refund your money if you cancel within 30 days of your trip, because they will most likely lose those points. Studios don't have full kitchens, so if you are looking for one then you will need a one bedroom. You can also get a two bedroom or a grand villa, but I really think that a grand villa may be overkill, because they can sleep 12. You can see the points charts here at Disboards to see how much it will cost you.

Once you decide what you want, just post and you'll get your responses.