Planning Disney family vacation 2015-DVC rental?

[Lupeix]

First of all I like to say how much I love the DIS boards!

We are planning a Disney vacation for 2015 and this time I like to avoid the mistakes we made last year (going during the 4th of July weekend with a husband that hates crowds and heat) and try to follow some of the suggestions on the DIS boards to get the best experience for our budget.

We want to stay on-site for the first time, but our budget is not that big. I am now in the budgeting phase trying to figure out how much to save and when to book. We decided we wanted to try a DVC rental rather than go to a value resort. It seems you have to get one of those way in advance, so I had some questions about it:
- We are considering low crowds seasons, either May or October. How far in advance should I try to rent if we want a 2 bedroom at AKL? standard view is fine
- What are the advantages of using David's vacation club vs. renting on the DVC R/T board? it seems that the difference in price is not that much (14 vs 12 $ a point) given the potential work of doing the rental on our own.
- If I rent DVC can I get the dinning plan?
- If I purchase the tickets with undercover tourist and rent DVC, can I get everything on my magic bands ahead of time and have them shipped before we go? Or is it better to get the tickets from Disney for everything to work?

thanks for the help!

 

[murt22]

I am also looking at 2015 (most likely early December) for Bay Lake Tower 2 BR and have the same questions as Lupeix. Would be 4 adults, 1 child and 1 infant. How hard is it to get a 2br the week after Thanksgiving? Can you ever book these through Disney? Thanks.

 

[Pattil1960]

We rented from DVC rentals and had a wonderful experience. It may cost more than making a deal on the DIS board. You should put your request in at a year so that if someone who owns at AKL can get a reservation. We bought tickets from Disney, so everything was on the bands. I have been told that once you have the tickets in your hands you can connect them to you MDE account and have them on your bands.

 

[Scottishbrit]

Could you start planning 2015? Im thinking 2015 or 16 but thought that was to far in advance to start planning?

 

[amym2]

We're DVC owners so haven't rented through David's or others so I'm no help there. But I can tell you that DVC owners can reserve rooms at their home resorts at 11mo out or from rooms at non-home resorts at 7mo out. So I would start checking at 11mo if there's somewhere you really want to stay. As an owner at SSR, I was able to book a 2bdrm standard view at AKV for our late Oct stay at exactly 7mo, but a few days later and they were gone. BLT would be harder to get, you'd want to shoot for 11mo. October has become quite busy, so do some research as to when in Oct to go (I think the first week is slower than the middle two weeks). Yes, you can book DVC rooms through Disney but they cost and arm and a leg.

Yes, you can still get the dining plans if you go the DVC route, but the owner has to call Disney to add it.

 

[Simba07]

We rent from Dave's. I just don't want to risk getting a scammer, even on a site like this with so many good people. You get more protection from Dave's and that is worth the extra money to us.

Dave's site says to get 2 br at AKL at at least 8 or 9 months, depending on view. They have been right on in their predictions for the rooms we've wanted. We had to make some compromises when we didn't get our requests in as early as they recommended.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I've done a DVC rental at AKL through an owner that had posted on the DVC pages here. All went well, the owner had clearly rented a few times and knew what she was doing. I did follow the tips listed on doing a safe rental.

My friend rented this year through David's for ease and peace of mind and was very happy.

If you call David's they will give you advice regarding the timing for booking.

 

[Lupeix]

I guess that means that if I want to go next may I have to book in august!
anyone has experience insuring their DVC rental from David's? how much does that cost?
I am concerned with the no-cancellation booking that far in advance

 

[Simba07]

We did David's in 2012. Booked at 11 months out. Our insurance for the week for 2 adults and a child was about $100.

 

[ibela]

As a DVC member that has rented in the past (not a solicitation, no extra points at the moment!), I will try to answer some questions. Also, the DVC board here is a great source of info as well.

First of all I like to say how much I love the DIS boards!

We are planning a Disney vacation for 2015 and this time I like to avoid the mistakes we made last year (going during the 4th of July weekend with a husband that hates crowds and heat) and try to follow some of the suggestions on the DIS boards to get the best experience for our budget.

We want to stay on-site for the first time, but our budget is not that big. I am now in the budgeting phase trying to figure out how much to save and when to book. We decided we wanted to try a DVC rental rather than go to a value resort. It seems you have to get one of those way in advance, so I had some questions about it:
- We are considering low crowds seasons, either May or October. How far in advance should I try to rent if we want a 2 bedroom at AKL? standard view is fine

If you know when you want to go, the earlier you can book the better. If you're renting through a resort owner, they can book at 11 months out. Anyone that owns at another DVC resort can book at 7 months out. 2br go faster than 1br. Also, there are much more savannah view rooms than standard so if you want standard to save $ then you should book earlier. If you want savannah view, you should be fine even at 6-7 months out.

- What are the advantages of using David's vacation club vs. renting on the DVC R/T board? it seems that the difference in price is not that much (14 vs 12 $ a point) given the potential work of doing the rental on our own.
- If I rent DVC can I get the dinning plan?
- If I purchase the tickets with undercover tourist and rent DVC, can I get everything on my magic bands ahead of time and have them shipped before we go? Or is it better to get the tickets from Disney for everything to work?

thanks for the help!

Before Disney changed the rules, David used to be added on to a membership and he could control the reservation. I forgot the term (business associate maybe?), but it's no longer allowed. Now only the DVC member controls the reservation. What David does is hold 1/2 the money until after the trip as collateral so that the DVC member won't cancel and leave the renter stranded.

Either way you can still get the dining plan, but the DVC member will need to add it for you. Also, you'll need to pay the member as the member will be charged for your dining plan. That's paid for in advance, not at the resort. And keep in mind if there's free dining offered, a DVC rental isn't eligible so the dining plan would still need to be paid for.

You can still buy tickets from Undercover Tourist and link them through MDE online. You will still get magic bands and so long as you link the tickets bought elsewhere online, everything should connect.

I am also looking at 2015 (most likely early December) for Bay Lake Tower 2 BR and have the same questions as Lupeix. Would be 4 adults, 1 child and 1 infant. How hard is it to get a 2br the week after Thanksgiving? Can you ever book these through Disney? Thanks.

You could potentially book through Disney but it'd be a FORTUNE. To rent at Bay Lake you'd more than likely need a Bay Lake owner because those rooms are tough to get. I own at Bay Lake and if I plan a trip within the 7-11 month window it can be hit or miss.

Could you start planning 2015? Im thinking 2015 or 16 but thought that was to far in advance to start planning?

You can start your personal planning at any time but can't book a room until 11 months out. A few weeks in advance you can either contact David's (if you go that route) or start looking for an owner at the resort you're interested in (if you go that route).

We did David's in 2012. Booked at 11 months out. Our insurance for the week for 2 adults and a child was about $100.

You can also post a reservation request on the Rent/Trade forums on this site and specify you're looking for an owner with a cancellation policy. During my past rentals, I wrote it into the contract that although I wouldn't refund the deposit paid (and every DVC member can set their own terms) I would work with the renter to reschedule for as long as those points were good for.

Overall I like to say DVC isn't the cheapest way to go to WDW but it's the nicest. The price will probably run you close to a mod hotel and if there's free dining available, you may consider going that route.

Happy planning!