New where to start?

[momto4princesses]

We are very new to this whole DVC thing. I am considering renting the points since we are a family of 6 and it is nearly impossible to find resort accomodations for larger families. So I wanted to look into DVC rental to see if this might be the way we should go from now on.

Can anyone share any info? How do I get started? How do I know how many points we'll need? etc

Thanks,
Rhonda

 

[ccigliano]

Welcome Aboard. Go over to the DVC Rent Trade under DVC and with 6 you'll need to book two studios or a two bedroom. There's lots to consider like location and ages of children assuming all 6 are your immediate family. If they're young you may want to stay at a MK resort like the Wilderness Lodge Villas (boat to MK) or BLT (monorail or walk to MK). If you want to walk in and out of EPCOT then Boardwalk or Beach Club villas is your spot. If you like to see animals grazing outside your window morning, noon and night then Animal Kingdom Villas is your choice. If you need a lot of space for the 6 that you have then OKW, the first timeshare resort, has the most spacious accommodations. If you give us some more info we can better provide some input.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are very new to this whole DVC thing. I am considering renting the points since we are a family of 6 and it is nearly impossible to find resort accomodations for larger families. So I wanted to look into DVC rental to see if this might be the way we should go from now on.

Can anyone share any info? How do I get started? How do I know how many points we'll need? etc

Thanks,
Rhonda

Welcome Aboard. Go over to the DVC Rent Trade under DVC and with 6 you'll need to book two studios or a two bedroom. There's lots to consider like location and ages of children assuming all 6 are your immediate family. If they're young you may want to stay at a MK resort like the Wilderness Lodge Villas (boat to MK) or BLT (monorail or walk to MK). If you want to walk in and out of EPCOT then Boardwalk or Beach Club villas is your spot. If you like to see animals grazing outside your window morning, noon and night then Animal Kingdom Villas is your choice. If you need a lot of space for the 6 that you have then OKW, the first timeshare resort, has the most spacious accommodations. If you give us some more info we can better provide some input.

Couple of things. DVC members start booking their home resort 11 months out, so from Oct to early January is already getting booked up.

Another thing. You won't want two studios because studios never connect and you and your spouse will need to split up with the kids because a studio only sleeps four plus one under the age of three. But five in a studio is rather crowded when you have to set up the pack and play for a baby.

One more. When you book a DVC points rental, you are purchasing a reservation that a member made with their points through Member Services. You aren't booking a stay with Disney so all the Disney offers (like free dining or kids stay free) and rules go out the window. The member sets up their own payment plan and it might be pay it all once the reservation is made. Some may not accept a credit card and require cash payment. And few offer any cancellation or changes. Kind or like a Priceline reservation. You pay for it and no changes and no refunds.

Read the sticky threads at the top of the Rent/Trade Board (you'll need to be logged into the DIS to see it). And if you get any private messages or e-mails based on this post or any others, report them to the Webmaster. A few people on the DIS have gotten burned by scammers looking for innocents on the DIS.

 

[DizBub]

Welcome! First, you will want to know exactly how many points you need. At the top of this page you will find DVC point charts. They will be able to help you with the dates, resorts and size of accomodations you might want. There are popular point calculators out there but not sure they can be posted here. If you aren't comfortable renting from individuals there are also reputable point brokers that can help you. Points can easily be rented in the $10 to $13 range.

Good luck!

 

[mjc2003]

Rhonda, I recently pointed a family of 6 in the direction of renting points and not only were they happy about the money they saved, but they loved the large villa.

As others suggested, look at the points chart at the top of the page. The Timeshare Store (sponsor at the top of the page) and Davids Point Rental (google it) are both very highly regarded and established point renters. You will pay about $13 a point, probably $1-2 more than you would if you went direct to an owner, but for the first time you might want to spend the extra few bucks for the peace of mind.
Good luck.

 

[momto4princesses]

Thank you.

We are myself, DH, then 4 daughters ages (13, 10, 8, and 2). Our most recent trip we did the two rooms at Pop but I just don't like the split up thing. Even with the adjoining rooms I was very nervous with the girls sleeping in a room that had a separate entrance/exit from outside without us in the room. For this reason I'm thinking a villa would be better. Atleast I hope. We are FL residents, although no where close to WDW (about 7-8 hours away), so we buy annual passes and we never do the Dining plan. We prefer to use TIW instead.

I'm headed to check out those point charts.

I'm a little confused now about how far in advance would I need to rent the points to book the stay?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you.

We are myself, DH, then 4 daughters ages (13, 10, 8, and 2). Our most recent trip we did the two rooms at Pop but I just don't like the split up thing. Even with the adjoining rooms I was very nervous with the girls sleeping in a room that had a separate entrance/exit from outside without us in the room. For this reason I'm thinking a villa would be better. Atleast I hope. We are FL residents, although no where close to WDW (about 7-8 hours away), so we buy annual passes and we never do the Dining plan. We prefer to use TIW instead.

I'm headed to check out those point charts.

I'm a little confused now about how far in advance would I need to rent the points to book the stay?

11 months out is not too far. But, be aware that some two bedroom villas are lockoff villas. Meaning a studio and a one bedroom connected. So lockoffs have two entrance just like two connecting hotel rooms. BWV only has lockoff two bedrooms. Jambo House only has two bedroom lockoffs. BCV has a few dedicated two bedroom villas, but more lockoffs. So you would always want a dedicated two bedroom villa. And those go more quickly than the lockoffs.

Some other lodging that you may want to consider is the Ft Wilderness cabins that sleep six. Also the All Stars family suites sleep six as do some of the family suites at AoA.

 

[Lynne M]

Thank you.


I'm a little confused now about how far in advance would I need to rent the points to book the stay?

The closer to 11 months, the better your chance of getting the accommodations you want. Timeshare owners tend to book much earlier than hotel guests, and DVC is no exception.

For certain resorts and times of year, it's essential to book at 11 months. For instance, if you're looking for anything from Thanksgiving through New Years at any resort, you'll want to be working with an owner earlier than 11 months out, so they can call the day their booking window opens.

If you're looking for BWV or BCV during the Food and Wine Festival (late Sept- early Nov), you'll also need to book that at 11 months.

For most other resorts and times of year, you should be OK at 7 months out.

Oh, and one clarification - 'renting points' is a bit of a misnomer. What actually happens is that you make arrangements with a DVC member to make a reservation for you. You, yourself, can't make reservations with points - only the owner of those points can do it.

 

[moredisneyplease]

Dont forget about the cabins at Fort Wilderness. They aren't DVC but they can hold 6 people and they are about as close to DVC style accommodations ( as you can get (larger, full kitchen, grills, sleeps 6, etc). I know some people get confused with renting or even concerned about other people (not Disney) booking their reservations so if you want to handle it yourself those cabins are another possiblity and you'd get those perks (like free dinning) if its during a perk time.

 

[DizBub]

Another suggestion. I'm not certain they will let you book this BUT the 1 bedrooms at OKW, Kidani and BLT sleep 5 with a sleeper chair in the LR. Your 2 year old may be able to sleep in the pack and play. It could save you some $ before your youngest turns 3.

Added bonus of Kidani and BLT is that they both have 2 full bathrooms. OKW only has 1.

 

[momto4princesses]

THanks all. WOW didn't realize the timeframe I'd need to work with. So won't be for a bit we can do this then but perhaps for our 2013 trips. In the meantime I'll look into some of the family suites.

 

[crisi]

THanks all. WOW didn't realize the timeframe I'd need to work with. So won't be for a bit we can do this then but perhaps for our 2013 trips. In the meantime I'll look into some of the family suites.

Also, although its heresy to mention it, you might want to consider an offsite condo. Bonnet Creek is very close and can be booked more readily than DVC. There are lots of resorts available via Skyauction that are very affordable for families - you generally need to rent a car and pay for parking, but people have managed to book entire weeks for a few hundred dollars in two bedroom unit.

 

[castleri]

THanks all. WOW didn't realize the timeframe I'd need to work with. So won't be for a bit we can do this then but perhaps for our 2013 trips. In the meantime I'll look into some of the family suites.

Depending on which resort you want you may still be able to do something this year if you do it soon. If you should get a lock off you should be able to lock the doors with the security lock that is usually quite high up on the door. You could also get one of the portable door alarms that travelers use if you are really concerned. Good luck with your planning.

 

[chipdale74]

I would check out the boards where you can rent points from members. Depending on where you want to stay and when will determine when you can book your trip. Everyone has a different home resort and points available. Point value is also determined by view and time of year. The resorts are also different points also.