New the idea of renting DVC points

[Laneyg]

I plan to do a search on this forum for more info, but since I literally know nothing about this, I want to start by asking this:

If you rent points, can you still go through a travel agent and book everything kind of as a package deal? We've been to DW twice and always used a Disney travel agent and I've loved the convenience. Would we be more on our own if we rented points?

And like I said, I do plan to do a search soon, but if anyone wants to share any beginner tips, I'd appreciate it!
Thanks!

 

[LovesTimone]

I have had friends rent through David's DVC and have been repeat customers, and I know that they are highly thought of and have a wonderful reputation here on the DIS. I am not sure about the package deal but you can most certain ask then.

I guess you could ask a travel agent to see if they can secure your ressie for you.

Dreams Unlimited is another source, I have personally used them in booking a Disney Cruise and was happy with our experience.

 

[Marionnette]

I plan to do a search on this forum for more info, but since I literally know nothing about this, I want to start by asking this:

If you rent points, can you still go through a travel agent and book everything kind of as a package deal? We've been to DW twice and always used a Disney travel agent and I've loved the convenience. Would we be more on our own if we rented points?

And like I said, I do plan to do a search soon, but if anyone wants to share any beginner tips, I'd appreciate it!
Thanks!

A TA is not going to work with you to secure a rental. However, you could work with a rental agency like David's and they can have the owner add MDE and a dining plan to your reservation and David's will sell you Disney tickets. That being said, making ADRs and FP+ reservations are your responsibility. It's not like having a TA, like Dreams, that will do it all for you.

Renting DVC is not the same as booking thru Disney. The cancellation terms are very stringent. Checking the Resorts Board here on the disboards is a good place to start for information. A lot of people think that they might want to rent a DVC reservation until they learn just what is involved.

 

[Marionnette]

Prior to buying DVC, I "rented points" from my brother and I paid him the rate that David's was charging renters. One of the big drawbacks of renting is that you get the urge to purchase DVC.

Once the owner gives you the reservation number, you can add it to MDE and verify that the names, dates and type of unit are correct. The owner can add a dining package for you if you pay them for it at the time that they add it. Tickets, FP+ and ADRs are your own responsibility. You will have all of the advantages that any Disney resort guest has (like EMH, access to the resort's theme pool, ADRs at 180+10, FP+ at 60 days prior to arrival, MBs) but none of the benefits that DVC members have (such as member discounts or events. pool hopping or the Epcot Members' Lounge).

But here are a couple of things that non-owners may not understand about DVC:

• You're not "renting points". That's a disboards term. You are renting a reservation. The points belong to the DVC member and always will belong to them. The reservation is under their control until the moment that you check in.
  
• Those units with low points like BWV std. view and AKV Jambo value studios may not be impossible to get but you are highly unlikely to be able to book the value studio and will be very lucky if you get std. view at BWV. Set your budget to cover the units that cost more points.
• Demand for DVC rental far exceeds the number of available units and owners willing to use their points for a rental. DVC is designed to be at or near 100% occupancy all year long. That means that owners will be competing with one another for the more popular DVC units at the most popular times of the year.
• DVC periods of peak demand are not the same as Disney's periods of peak demand. Marathon weekend and Sept. thru December book up quickly.
  
• DVC units are not the same as staying in a hotel room. Aside from not getting daily housekeeping, you will not get 2 beds in a studio unless you're staying at OKW. What you get in a studio is a queen bed and a full sleeper sofa. Some studios will also have a Murphy bed that is smaller than a twin bed that will accommodate a 5th person.
• An owner that is willing to use their points for your reservation has restrictions on their points. Because of the restrictions that we deal with, the likelihood of getting a refund if you change your mind or need to cancel are less than when dealing directly with Disney. If they borrowed points, used banked points that are expiring soon, are past their banking deadline or if you cancel so late that their points go into holding, they aren't likely to give you your money back.
  
• Any changes, special room requests or adding the dining plan have to be done through the owner. Dining plans must be paid in full at the time that they are added to the reservation because that's the way that DVC works.
• You cannot request an upgrade when you get to the resort. With DVC, you get what you paid for. Any upgrades would be charged to the owner (i.e. additional points would be taken from their account).
  
• The owner retains control of the reservation, even if you went through a broker like David's. If the owner is behind on paying their mortgage or membership fees, Disney can (and will) cancel reservations that they have made. Even a broker cannot control that.
• Owners are not magicians. We cannot get you a reservation for a unit when there are none available. We are not likely to "walk" a reservation in order to get you what you want, nor are we likely to add our names to a waitlist to get it for you. Your chances of getting exactly what you want are much greater if you have lined up someone, who owns at the resort that you are interested in booking, at least 11 months in advance of the day you wish to arrive. The probability of success goes down from there.
• It takes a degree of trust when renting a DVC reservation, but it goes both ways. The renter is trusting the owner to make good on their promise to keep the reservation in good standing for the renter. The renter is trusting that the DVC owner will not cancel the reservation and run off with their money. OTOH, the owner is trusting that the renter will pay in full according to the terms that they set forth in the contract. They are also trusting that the renter will not damage the property or otherwise run up a bill that the owner gets stuck paying.
• When you rent a DVC reservation, Disney is not involved in the transaction at all. They will not make good if something goes wrong and you show up at the resort without a room in your name. Sometimes, it's not even the owner's doing. There was a thread on the DVC Member Services forum concerning an owner's reservation that was canceled by DVC for no apparent reason. This happened to be a reservation for themselves but it could just as easily have been a reservation for a friend, family member or a renter. The reservation cannot be re-booked because the unit went to the next person on the waitlist. It can happen. You'd get your money back in a case like that but you would be without a reservation and Disney won't do anything to help you other than to book a room for you at the prevailing rate for whatever is available.

I'm not trying to scare you off. I just want you to be informed about the way these rentals work so that you can go into it with open eyes. Too many people look at the price calculators on the brokers' websites and think that the units are available and just waiting for them to be booked by the next lucky renter. It's much more complicated than that.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

David's is not a travel agent in the typical sense; he is a professional points broker, hooking up DVC owners with renters and giving certain guarantees to both parties for peace of mind.
Not that I would never use him but I have rented points privately many times and always have a good experience. I have found owners through the disboards and another similar site, more geared toward DVC owners.
Keep in mind when renting points, the cancellation policy of DVC points is not the same as room only or package reservations for the general public. It can get complicated with point expiration dates and such so most owners do not offer any kind refunds. Owners often want payment in full at the time of booking, or maybe half down and half due 60 days prior.

I don't rent unless I'm 100% certain our trip will happen or just get insurance that will cover our losses. Most of our renting experiences were for short, 1-2 night stays pre-cruise or long weekends so I've never had thousands at stake.

If you have a certain resort in mind or you're planning for a summer/holiday time, book far in advance. The longer your stay, the more time you should allow. The DVC owner is the one to book/manage your res so everything is through him/her. He/she can book ME and/or a dining plan on your behalf.
Owners can book 11 months out at their home resort and 7 months out for any DVC resort.
On a points reservation, you don't get daily housekeeping so that is something to be aware of.
Longer stays eventually do and I think there is trash pick up after 4th day.
I always link and check me res in MDE before sending payment but still that is no guarantee the owner can't screw you over. Maybe not intentionally but if they become jobless and are in default of their DVC loan or maintenance fees, they can still lose access to their ownership so it is a risk. If you are very risk-averse, just book through Disney directly.

ETA: Wow by the time I could get my answer typed out on the train, you got a much more thorough answer.

 

[Laneyg]

Thanks so much - you guys answered my questions and then some! That really helps me make up my mind!