Newbie questions?

[ahoyle]

Just looking into the idea of renting points for a vacation and have a few questions...

1. Is staying at the timeshare units of a particular resort the same as renting through disney? If not, what are the differences?

2. If I rent 100 points for $10 from someone, is $1000 my total expense? Is there tax or other fees involved?

I am planning a trip for next June, is now the time to start planning?

 

[meuseman]

Just looking into the idea of renting points for a vacation and have a few questions...

1. Is staying at the timeshare units of a particular resort the same as renting through disney? If not, what are the differences?

2. If I rent 100 points for $10 from someone, is $1000 my total expense? Is there tax or other fees involved?

I am planning a trip for next June, is now the time to start planning?

2 Good questions.

1. Some things are the same, some are different. You are entitled to all perks that regulars Disney Resort guests get (Extra Magic Hours, Transportation). There are some differences. Your reservation is controlled by the member from whom you are renting. If you need to change anything, you need to deal with them, not Disney. Also, the rooms range from slightly different to very different from regular resort "hotel" rooms.

2. This depends on the deal you strike with the member. If the member says $10 per point for the reservation, that's it. 100 points would be $1000. This is the norm on this board.

 

[crisi]

If you book at Wilderness Lodge, for instance, you will book a room at the hotel. You will get daily maidservice and be a regular hotel guest, Disney cancellation policies, etc.

You can also book a room at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge through Central Reservations (if available). You will be treated like a regular hotel guest with daily mousekeeping, Disney cancellation policies, etc.

You can post over on the rent trade board - or answer a post - and have a DVC member book you a room at Villas Wilderness Lodge (members can book rooms on points at many Disney resorts - not ones with DVC units attached however - but its not a good value and you'll be better off paying cash). This is a private transaction between you and the member. Members have different policies regarding downpayments, payments in advance, etc. Cancellation is trickier - even months out the member may be reluctant to let you cancel. Full maid service is only ever eight days, and trash and towel (take out the trash/replace towels) every four. You can pay more for additional mousekeeping.

 

[tamu91]

1. Is staying at the timeshare units of a particular resort the same as renting through disney? If not, what are the differences?

2. If I rent 100 points for $10 from someone, is $1000 my total expense? Is there tax or other fees involved?

As crisi and meuseman mentioned above, you can rent DVC through a member (a private transaction) or through Disney directly. Renting points from a member will save you about 40% vs. a direct reservation through Disney but it does come with some restrictions since you're dealing with an individual.

And whatever price per point you guys agreed to, that's IT. Once you pay the member, you will not pay anything else for your lodging when you check-out.
When you first check-in, the CM will ask to have a credit card on file to cover any incidental charges such as LD, room service, etc. but nothing for lodging.

 

[JimMIA]

1. Is staying at the timeshare units of a particular resort the same as renting through disney? If not, what are the differences?

Two differences, one of them no biggie for me, the other huge. The one that is not a big deal to me is the lack of daily maid service. Others have given you the schedule for that. If you WANT daily maid service, you can get it for a daily fee, starting at $25 per time and going up depending on the size of the unit. You can also get extra "towel packs" and I think the charge for them is $6.

The BIG difference is the accommodations. The smallest DVC unit (the studio) is a little larger than most hotel rooms, but it includes a coffee-maker, microwave, and other amenities including free laundry facilities. If you get a one-bedroom or larger, the unit will have a jacuzzi bathtub, a washer/dryer, a FULL kitchen including dishes, etc, and other amenities.

To see the real difference in accommodations, go here: http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/faq_hot.htm Go to the left side of this page, scroll down to the Disney Vacation Club Resorts, and look at the pictures. There are a lot of pictures of each resort, including pretty comprehensive photos of each unit type.

2. If I rent 100 points for $10 from someone, is $1000 my total expense?

Yes, that's it. Total. Nothing else unless you make calls, charge things to the room, etc. But no additional taxes or fees.

 

[ahoyle]

Sounds like this is a great option. Thanks for the replies. I need to do some more looking into this. Had never even heard of it until today.