Please Explain "Renting" of DVC Property

[dnamertz]

I'd like to learn all the details of renting nights at Disneyland's Grand California Villas. I'm not familiar with the DVC process, so I'm not sure how renting works. Do I need to be a DVC member to time from another DVC member?

How do I go about finding a property to rent? How does the process of renting DVC preporty work?

 

[chalee94]

I'd like to learn all the details of renting nights at Disneyland's Grand California Villas. I'm not familiar with the DVC process, so I'm not sure how renting works. Do I need to be a DVC member to time from another DVC member?

someone buys into the california DVC timeshare at the grand californian.

they don't need to make a reservation for themselves but their pts will expire if not used.

so they offer to rent a reservation at GCV...they make a reservation with their pts and put your name on the reservation.

you do not need to be a DVC member to rent a reservation - just remember that you don't own the reservation until you check-in, so any changes or requests would need to go through the DVC "landlord." (the price is typically based on the number of pts, so we call it "renting pts" but you do not actually get the points themselves.)

the GCV is very very small so you would likely need to rent 10-11 months out. also, there are typically no refunds if you need to cancel - you are dealing with an individual and not with disney directly, so make sure you understand what your landlord's rules are...

there is a rent/trade board here on the DIS which has owners looking to rent (only owners can book GCV at 11 months out, other DVC owners can book there if there is still availability at 7 months out). there is also david's DVC rentals - http://www.dvcrequest.com/

 

[Sandisw]

Just to add another point, when you are renting a DVC reservation, you are conducting a private transaction between you and the owner...not Disney.they will not get involved if there are any issues.

As already mentioned, everything goes through the owner and they retain control until you check in. You can certainly save money but there are tradeoffs, one of the them being much stricter cancellation polices and usually no refunds.

VGC is a very small resort so depending on the time of year, you are going to need to look well far in advance of your trip as it books up very quickly.

 

[dnamertz]

someone buys into the california DVC timeshare at the grand californian.

they don't need to make a reservation for themselves but their pts will expire if not used.

so they offer to rent a reservation at GCV...they make a reservation with their pts and put your name on the reservation.

you do not need to be a DVC member to rent a reservation - just remember that you don't own the reservation until you check-in, so any changes or requests would need to go through the DVC "landlord." (the price is typically based on the number of pts, so we call it "renting pts" but you do not actually get the points themselves.)

the GCV is very very small so you would likely need to rent 10-11 months out. also, there are typically no refunds if you need to cancel - you are dealing with an individual and not with disney directly, so make sure you understand what your landlord's rules are...

there is a rent/trade board here on the DIS which has owners looking to rent (only owners can book GCV at 11 months out, other DVC owners can book there if there is still availability at 7 months out). there is also david's DVC rentals - http://www.dvcrequest.com/

I'm already 10 months out from the potential trip. My parents 50th anniversary is next June and they've been talking for years about finally staying at the Grand Californian for their anniversary gift to each other. I want to help them out, but $400 to $500 per night is out of my budget. Unfortunately, it will probably be many months before we can lock down a date, so that might be too late to go through DVC.

 

[chalee94]

if you can nail things down in the next couple of months, it's worth checking out. but timeshares aren't ideal in some cases...

 

[Msmithmd]

A quick perusal of the point chart indicates that renting points at $15pp, VGC for next June would run $300 a night Sun-Thurs, and $360 a night on the weekends.

So unfortunately if $400 a night is out of your budget, you're probably going to need to look elsewhere for them to stay.

Very impressed with your thoughtfulness for your parents. We sent my folks on an anniversary trip a few years ago, although nothing as fancy as VGC.

It seems like over time people accumulate enough "stuff", and a gift of an experience for an anniversary celebration is a great way to go. Good luck deciding...