Pros & Cons of renting DVC points?

[PeasandCarrots]

What are the pros & cons of renting DVC points? Do those reservations link up with MDE? Any risks if using a reputable broker?

 

[Jenna319]

Pros

• Staying at a Disney Deluxe Villa resort for a fraction of the cost you would pay through Disney
• The perks of a villa rather than a hotel room (kitchenette in studios, full kitchen & laundry in 1-2 bedrooms)

Cons

• No daily housekeeping - I believe if you are staying a week, you get service on the 4th day.
• Ownership of the reservation is with the DVC Owner - Difficult to cancel because the owner would lose their points unless they can re-rent the reservation.
• If you want one of the popular DVCs (VGF, BCV, BLT), you will need to book months in advance because availability is tight especially around popular events (holidays, Food & Wine, MNSSHP, etc.)

Is there risk? Sure, you are booking through someone you do not know so there will always be some hesitation. When looking to reserve, I look for someone with a high post count on the boards. You can also ask for references. I have rented several times and have had a positive experience everytime.

 

[CMNJ]

Pros mostly covered by prev poster
Also some DVC room types/views (I believe grand villas are an example as well as boardwalk view villas at the boardwalk) may not be avail to rent directly from Disney and are only avail through a DVC rental

Cons-you do not own your own reservation the DVC owner does up until you checkin.
You can add it to MDE so you can make ADR at 180 days and FP at 60 days but you cannot make room req (other than what is on online check on form), changes to room/dates, or add magical express/dining yourself. All changes and additions must go through the DVC owner who made your reservation. If booking with a broker the whole reservation must be prepaid and cannot be changed even when made 11 months in advance (to secure highly desirable dates/resorts). Dining plans if purchased must also be paid in full when added (this is a DVC policy) but can be added up to a few days prior to trip. Using a broker is "safer" from the standpoint that if something goes wrong with the reservation they will refund your money. This does not however prevent something from going wrong. There were reports on the DVC boards this summer of 2 reservations booked through a point broker (at the boardwalk for F&W no less) being cancelled due to a "mixup between the DVC owner and DVC regarding parent of their DVC dues". The broker refunded the customers' money but they were left scrambling to find new accommodations a few months out for an extremely high demand time with limited room choices left for them.
So yes there are still risks with a reputable broker as they do not own the points/reservation they are just the middle man and their only guarantee is that you will get your money back if your reservation somehow falls through after you pay for it.
Also the housekeeping on day 4 (for stays under 8 days) is not a full cleaning. They only replace towels, take the trash, and replenish supplies.

 

[Jennasis]

I prefer no housekeeping. Don't need anyone poking around my room when I'm not there.

 

[DisneyFive]

Con: You do not get any other discounts or offers such as free dining.

Dan

 

[rwdavis2]

I prefer no housekeeping. Don't need anyone poking around my room when I'm not there.

Good point. We had some items stolen back in 1998, probably by housekeeping.

 

[ariane37]

The pros and cons have pretty much been covered already. Just wanted to add that our experiences renting points have all been positive. We've gone through private owners and a popular, reputable company. The biggest con IMO is that you can't get a refund in most cases, although the individual we are now renting from will allow us to cancel within a pretty decent time frame. Renting from individuals is all about knowing what questions to ask and what to look for, things DH learned by reading boards like these, being careful, and quite honestly just crossing fingers and having good luck the first couple times! If I feel the need for a full cleaning I'll schedule it and pay for it, no big deal. It's still worth the cost difference between paying rack rate minus whatever discount is offered to stay deluxe vs. what we pay renting points. We're renting points at BWV (again ) in Nov. and paying just under half of what we'd pay if we booked through Disney. We've gotten the DDP a couple times in the past and had owners and the rental company add it, no problem. Also no problems whatsoever having them add DME. Again its all about knowing the "signs" of a bad deal vs. a true deal and unfortunately when it comes to private owners there's always a risk factor until you get to know them. If it's something you want to try, maybe go through a company the first time

 

[Jenna319]

Also, when there is free dining, it typically still comes out cheaper when you are paying for the DDP and getting the cheaper rate on the room!

 

[disneynutz]

Finding an experienced owner with a history of renting can make a big difference whether renting through a broker or direct.

Bill

 

[Jennasis]

Con: You do not get any other discounts or offers such as free dining.

Dan

The savings on the room when renting far outweigh any other discounts or promotions.

 

[DisneyFive]

The savings on the room when renting far outweigh any other discounts or promotions.

Kinda apples to oranges because it depends on if you are fixed on ONLY staying at deluxe accommodations. In that case, DVC might save you more than the savings of free dining.

I guarantee you that if I rented points with DVC, but had to pay for the dining plan, my vacation would be MUCH more costly. Granted, I would be in a deluxe resort.

We have Free Dining later this month. For our family of 5, for 8 nights, the regular dining plan would cost $2094. There is no way I am going to save over $2000 by purchasing DVC points. Our room at Port Orleans Riverside is $1775 total for the 8 nights, for a family of 5. So free dining alone saves me more than the total cost of my room.

Dan

 

[Jennasis]

Kinda apples to oranges because it depends on if you are fixed on ONLY staying at deluxe accommodations. In that case, DVC might save you more than the savings of free dining.

I guarantee you that if I rented points with DVC, but had to pay for the dining plan, my vacation would be MUCH more costly. Granted, I would be in a deluxe resort.

We have Free Dining later this month. For our family of 5, for 8 nights, the regular dining plan would cost $2094. There is now way I am going to save over $2000 by purchasing DVC points. Our room at Port Orleans Riverside is $1775 total for the 8 nights, for a family of 5. So free dining alone saves me more than the total cost of my room.

Dan

Purchasing the dining plan is rarely a money saver.

 

[ghtx]

I looked at Boardwalk DVC. $178/night, std room to rent points. $475 per night rack rate at the hotel. I can hang my own towels and collect my own trash for ~$300 a night.

LOL. But actually, you won't get daily housekeeping service at a DVC deluxe resort whether or not you book direct at rack rate or rent points (I think). (But you do get it at the Boardwalk hotel, not the villas.)

 

[Dawn68PA]

What are the pros & cons of renting DVC points? Do those reservations link up with MDE? Any risks if using a reputable broker?

We rented 3 times before buying. Every experience was with someone from here on the DIS and was smooth. We liked the full kitchen and space with having 6 of us. Now there's only 2 of us and we still won't go back below a deluxe. We got spoiled

We found cooking in the room a couple nights and buying a Table in Wonderland card saved far more than the DDP. We do quick things like homemade soup and spaghetti.

Yes, it links with MDE.

Hope that helps!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

LOL. But actually, you won't get daily housekeeping service at a DVC deluxe resort whether or not you book direct at rack rate or rent points (I think). (But you do get it at the Boardwalk hotel, not the villas.)

We've rented villas for cash and you definitely do get daily housekeeping. It's very nice.

Our last week long trip and our upcoming trip are in DVC 1 bedroom villas. Last year, we paid close to what we'd pay to rent points (I think the difference for the week was about $200; well worth it for me), but we were also going during the peak Christmas pricing. Had we chosen to vacation even the week before, it would have been cheaper to rent directly through Disney rather than a broker. This year, with a sweet bounceback, it's actually cheaper to get a cash reservation via Disney. Our room rate is $350/night for a 1 bedroom at VWL. If I rented through David's, it would cost me $420/night. The cost savings might be there if you're staying in a studio, but once you get to the units with a full kitchen, at $14/point, David's isn't really a bargain.

 

[rwdavis2]

We've rented villas for cash and you definitely do get daily housekeeping. It's very nice.

Our last week long trip and our upcoming trip are in DVC 1 bedroom villas. Last year, we paid close to what we'd pay to rent points (I think the difference for the week was about $200; well worth it for me), but we were also going during the peak Christmas pricing. Had we chosen to vacation even the week before, it would have been cheaper to rent directly through Disney rather than a broker. This year, with a sweet bounceback, it's actually cheaper to get a cash reservation via Disney. Our room rate is $350/night for a 1 bedroom at VWL. If I rented through David's, it would cost me $420/night. The cost savings might be there if you're staying in a studio, but once you get to the units with a full kitchen, at $14/point, David's isn't really a bargain.

I was skeptical of the last sentence but you're right. I checked it out and 1 BRs or more get very pricey vs. standard/value DVC room. The prices run up pretty quickly.

 

[DisneyFive]

Purchasing the dining plan is rarely a money saver.

No arguments there, but our dining cost wouldn't be all that far off from the dining plan even if we paid OOP. (maybe we could save $500 from the $2100 cost of the plan) We're too used to having the free dining plan with a good TS meal each day as the norm, along with QS lunch, resort mugs, etc...

I haven't looked much into what I could get DVC wise for the timeframe that we go (late Sept), with a family of 5, but when I did the cost was still FAR higher than what are used to paying when look at the total vacation cost. Part of it is that we have a family of 5, and POR really nails that category for us with the Alligator Bayou rooms that sleep 5, and the real kicker is the regular Free Dining plan.

Sure, you may get DVC for the price of a moderate resort, but you lose out on the dining plan. On the other hand, you get to stay deluxe. If you planned to stay at a deluxe resort, and were paying OOP for meals, then yeah, I see renting DVC as a potential fantastic option.

Dan

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I was skeptical of the last sentence but you're right. I checked it out and 1 BRs or more get very pricey vs. standard/value DVC room. The prices run up pretty quickly.

Especially if you want to book more than 7 months in advance, which is required for some resorts some times of the year. $16/point really isn't much of a bargain.

I have rented points on three occasions, all from the same owner I met here on the DISboards, and for much less than David's charges ($10/point the first year; $11 the other two years). Doing it then was a pretty good deal, but it seems like even the private points rentals have gone up since then.

 

[jimandami]

I was skeptical of the last sentence but you're right. I checked it out and 1 BRs or more get very pricey vs. standard/value DVC room. The prices run up pretty quickly.

Yes. We love to rent points, especially for studios...which is almost always a huge money saver over paying for a deluxe. However, when you get to 1 bedrooms and a few of the 2 bedrooms, you really need to compare closely. For our spring break trip, we had originally planned to stay at OKW. With a bounceback, we would have been able to book a 1 bedroom with Disney (at 35% off) for about the same as a point rental. In that case, the flexibility/housekeeping, etc...would have made a CRO reservation much more attractive. However, last week, found a standard view 1 bedroom at BWV via a private DVC owner for just a bit more than the OKW reservation would have been....and MUCH cheaper than going through Disney. So, I really think you have to take each situation separately and crunch the numbers.

One con I haven't seen mentioned (forgive me if it's a repeat) is that DVC reservations are very different from WDW reservations in that rooms book up very quickly for certain times of the year. Ex: If you want to stay in an Epcot area resort via point rental in October, you better be ready to book at the 11 month mark. That's tough for some people to understand.

 

[nkereina]

Pros

• Staying at a Disney Deluxe Villa resort for a fraction of the cost you would pay through Disney
• The perks of a villa rather than a hotel room (kitchenette in studios, full kitchen & laundry in 1-2 bedrooms)

Cons

• No daily housekeeping - I believe if you are staying a week, you get service on the 4th day.
• Ownership of the reservation is with the DVC Owner - Difficult to cancel because the owner would lose their points unless they can re-rent the reservation.
• If you want one of the popular DVCs (VGF, BCV, BLT), you will need to book months in advance because availability is tight especially around popular events (holidays, Food & Wine, MNSSHP, etc.)

Is there risk? Sure, you are booking through someone you do not know so there will always be some hesitation. When looking to reserve, I look for someone with a high post count on the boards. You can also ask for references. I have rented several times and have had a positive experience everytime.

I think this post covers it best, and I agree with all points. Only thing I would add to the cons is that typically most brokers don't allow cancellation or changes once your booked and paid (unless you buy the insurance that only some offer), and with some brokers you have to pay for the full cost up front at time of booking. You also will likely pay more per point with a broker than you would a private owner, but a broker does mitigate some of the risk.

We are staying on rented DVC points with a private but reputable (with references) owner that rents all the time. It's been a great experience and I'll probably always rent going forward.