Please help! A few questions about villas!

[~pixiedust~]

Hi everyone! We have been to Disney twice (2005&2007). 2005 we stayed at WL concierge level and 2007 we did a grand gathering at Caribbean beach. We are looking into going again next year. But, this time we will be bringing a baby. Our children will be 7 yrs old, 5 yrs old and 4-5 months old (if we go in June) So we thought about maybe staying in a villa. I must say I am sooo confused about the villas.
*Can we still participate in the dining plan while staying at OKW or Saratoga???
*Do we need to rent from a DVC owner or can we just book through disney???

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
~Lisa

 

[DVC Mike]

*Can we still participate in the dining plan while staying at OKW or Saratoga???
*Do we need to rent from a DVC owner or can we just book through disney???

The answer to both questions is Yes.

It is easier to book a Villa directly from Disney; however, you can save a substantial amount of money by renting a reservation from a DVC member (there are some cons to renting, however).

 

[Chuck S]

Hi everyone! We have been to Disney twice (2005&2007). 2005 we stayed at WL concierge level and 2007 we did a grand gathering at Caribbean beach. We are looking into going again next year. But, this time we will be bringing a baby. Our children will be 7 yrs old, 5 yrs old and 4-5 months old (if we go in June) So we thought about maybe staying in a villa. I must say I am sooo confused about the villas.
*Can we still participate in the dining plan while staying at OKW or Saratoga???
*Do we need to rent from a DVC owner or can we just book through disney???

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
~Lisa

You can book through Disney, just like a regular Disney resort, and you can add the Dining Package. You will receive daily housekeeping, etc. When renting through Disney it operates as any other Disney resort.

Or, you can save $$ and rent from a member...but there are differences to be aware of. With renting from a member, you will not get daily housekeeping, and there is generally no refund or cancellation policy, it is a private contract between you and the member. If things go sour Disney will ot step in on your behalf. It is a matter of trust, and it depends upon your comfort level. The member can add the dining plan to your reservation, and you pay for it when you check-in. You are free to purchase your park tickets from any authorized reseller, or direct through Disney. There is no requirement to purchase the ticket from Disney in order to get the dining plan when staying on member points, other than that the plan is identical.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you rent a reservation from a DVC member, the member will fully control the reservation until the moment you check in. That means you can't call Member Services to make a request, to add the dining plan or to add Magical Express. The member will need to do that for you.

The member will set the payment requirements (some require full payment upon making the reservation, others allow you to pay it out; some accept Paypal, some will only accept cash). They also choose whether or not they will allow any refunds for cancellations or changes.

Many members make their reservation 7-11 months ahead of time, so you'll want to contact a member soon if you are looking at June (it's already into the 7 month non-home resort booking time). Find someone you are comfortable with, make sure you get all sorts on contact means for the member (home telephone, e-mail, etc). Also, remember while they are making the reservation for you, most of them are not travel agents and are only looking at this as a way to get their points used without losing anything. DVC members are not a charitable organization (some non-members want a really cheap trip and try to nickel and dime the members - not that I'm saying you are one of those, though). There are members out there who use their DVC points in a quasi-commercial operation. Just find someone who makes you feel comfortable about your trip.