Question about renting DVC

[JAHokie46]

Hello, I hope this is the right sub-forum for this question.

My wife and myself are looking to spend 2017 Spring Break at Disney. We will have our son with us, who will be about 16 months old at the time. Given our budget, only a standard value or renting through one of the DVC brokers would work.

After looking at 2 online brokers, a standard Boardwalk Villa suite is within about $200 of the value so it would be great. It also fits the bill for convenience- walk-able to Epcot and DHS, and as for the other parks we can drive to since we will drive down and have our car. Also, it appears the suites there also have a couch in them, whereas Old Key West and Saratoga Springs don't when it comes time for some relaxing.

I filled out a no-obligation price quote, but the email I received returned only a Boardwalk view, adding about $350 to the total- making the overall price too much for us. SSR and OKW results were in the budget, but BWV would really work best i think.

So, can I re-submit again requesting a standard view, and hope for a matching result? How often can I do requests? Thanks!

 

[DebbieB]

Hello, I hope this is the right sub-forum for this question.

My wife and myself are looking to spend 2017 Spring Break at Disney. We will have our son with us, who will be about 16 months old at the time. Given our budget, only a standard value or renting through one of the DVC brokers would work.

After looking at 2 online brokers, a standard Boardwalk Villa suite is within about $200 of the value so it would be great. It also fits the bill for convenience- walk-able to Epcot and DHS, and as for the other parks we can drive to since we will drive down and have our car. Also, it appears the suites there also have a couch in them, whereas Old Key West and Saratoga Springs don't when it comes time for some relaxing.

I filled out a no-obligation price quote, but the email I received returned only a Boardwalk view, adding about $350 to the total- making the overall price too much for us. SSR and OKW results were in the budget, but BWV would really work best i think.

So, can I re-submit again requesting a standard view, and hope for a matching result? How often can I do requests? Thanks!

Standard views go first at BWV. When nights are sold out, members can go on a waitlist. Typically members don't do wait lists for rentals.

SSR does have the couch in a studio. OKW is the only studio with 2 queens.

 

[DisneyDiana]

I own DVC at the Boardwalk. The standard suites go right at 11 months out. There aren't that many of them and owners snap them up right away. You should not count on getting one, it is very unlikely no matter how many times you put in a request.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You're within 11 months for a Spring Break 2017 trip. Standard Views at Boardwalk are long gone, as are Animal Kingdom Lodge Value Studios.

DVC is no different than a hotel booking in the sense that availability is dependent on when you try to book, and inventory available. The reason the broker quoted you a Boardwalk View is because all Standards are booked. They will not become available in the future for a renter.

 

[bumbershoot]

a standard Boardwalk Villa suite

You mean a studio? Others are assuming it and they are almost certainly correct, but I always need to make sure.

Also, it appears the suites there also have a couch in them, whereas Old Key West and Saratoga Springs don't when it comes time for some relaxing.

If talking about a studio, SSR will have the couch, but that's also the extra sleeping spot. So if you want to relax, you'll have to put the couch back together, and if someone is sleeping on the couch that's not going to be possible.

Many people appreciate having two "real" beds in the OKW studio for the sleeping space.

 

[JAHokie46]

You mean a studio? Others are assuming it and they are almost certainly correct, but I always need to make sure.



If talking about a studio, SSR will have the couch, but that's also the extra sleeping spot. So if you want to relax, you'll have to put the couch back together, and if someone is sleeping on the couch that's not going to be possible.

Many people appreciate having two "real" beds in the OKW studio for the sleeping space.

Thanks all for the responses. Yes, I had meant studio in both of those cases.

So I guess it's clear we just ended up starting to consider and planning about 2 months too late to get a standard studio at BWV and it won't be an option.

That said, I guess we've got a few options:

1) OKW studio- Positive here is more room, balconies.

2) SSR studio- Positive here is that the room would have a couch. With a child at 16 months old, we will be spending a little more time in the room than if was just my wife and I. Shorter time in the park, more breaks, etc. A couch would make those relax times and down times more comfortable. I never feel comfy just sitting on a bed. We don't have much need for 2 beds.

3) A value resort- something I like about these is that they feel more "Disney" in the pictures- whereas other resorts seem more like any normal hotel with a theme. We would be more likely to dine in the food courts, have fun in kid areas than dine in fancy restaurants. The feel more "fun". Of course with these there's still no couch though.

4) CSR- again not through DVC, but it just looks like the best theme resort to me. Also looks some really good dining options. If we stay here might have to shave 1 night off to make it in like with the other 2 options.

Any thoughts on which might be the best option? We have never been, would be driving down and have our own car, and have a baby with us. I would prefer to spend more money on food, parks, and experiences more than lodging. A standard value would be about 300-400 less than the other options.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If budget is a real issue for you, I would just stay at a Value resort.

 

[crisi]

If budget is a real issue for you, I would just stay at a Value resort.

As would I. The issue with DVC rentals is that the money is non-refundable. So if you rent, and you cancel the trip (someone gets ill, boss says you need to reschedule your vacation, you just decide the timing isn't right) - you are out the cash.

 

[DisBuckMan]

So I guess it's clear we just ended up starting to consider and planning about 2 months too late to get a standard studio at BWV and it won't be an option.

As others have stated, standard studios at BWV pretty much is NOT an option for DVC rental...no matter when you start planning. Standards at BWV and AKV Value studios are the most highly sought after DVC properties for members due to their low point values (both), extremely small inventory (AKV Value), and location (BWV standard). They're rarely, if ever, available for rental for future reference.

 

[sneffg]

We stayed at Values our first 2 times with our kids when they were little. 18 months and 3. The only real downside with the Values in my opinion is if you stay at one of the All Stars you will be on the bus a long time. They are farther from the parks sometimes standing with the little one who is exhausted and they will sometimes have to stop at all of the All Star bus stops. The waits are sometimes much long and the pick ups are pretty far walk at the parks. Pop Century did have its own bus, while it was much better they were very crowded. It was tough some days to plan a quick trip back to the resort for naps. By the time we got there they had already napped on the bus. We just upgraded to a moderate resort and stayed at Riverside, was definitely worth the upgrade IMO. The buses were much more frequent with fewer stops, a lot less travel time. Was worth the little bit extra for the convenience. But if budget really is a major issue, plan your days and meals leaving plenty of travel time from the Values. They were nice hotels just not nearly as convenient for transportation. But either way you will have a great time! It's so fun to see the little ones reactions to all of the magic! This last time my kids are 8 and 9, it was a totally different trip! They weren't as in awe with characters more about the rides. Enjoy your trip!

 

[crisi]

Napping can be very strange at Disney anyway. We never had much luck with naps, and ended up doing "transportation naps" - riding the monorail or the bus or the MK train for an hour. In which case, it doesn't make any difference how far away the resort is - in fact, the kiss of death for my kids was the short nap. They didn't manage to sleep enough not to be cranky, but they slept long enough that they weren't going back down. And they went out like a light when they stopped, so once we got on the bus, the nap clock started. Once we figured that out, we never actually went back to the resort to nap. We just got them somewhere they would sleep for 45 minutes.

(My kids - who both now drive - were both carseat nappers - we would resort to the same idea at home if we couldn't get them to sleep - one of us would sit in the car with a book, sleeping kids, and the car running - the other would be grocery shopping).

My advice is not to weigh the "getting back to the resort for a nap/break" thing too heavily. Consider possibilities - stroller naps, pushing through and calling it a day at 2:00. Weigh in how your kids behave, what time of year you are going (hot August is not the time to think stroller naps are going to be pleasant), park hours, whether you have hoppers (if you have hoppers, you can push through at the MK or AK 'til one or two, spend two or three hours at your resort, make it to Epcot at seven, put toddlers into the stroller, and spend your evenings at Epcot - we used to do a six day trip - two mornings in AK, one in DS, three in the MK, and evenings at Epcot. We'd see most everything we wanted).

 

[jimandami]

As others have stated, standard studios at BWV pretty much is NOT an option for DVC rental...no matter when you start planning. Standards at BWV and AKV Value studios are the most highly sought after DVC properties for members due to their low point values (both), extremely small inventory (AKV Value), and location (BWV standard). They're rarely, if ever, available for rental for future reference.

I disagree with this statement. We have stayed BWV standard view AND AKV value via point rental...you just have to find an owner before the 11 month mark.

 

[Missyrose]

I disagree with this statement. We have stayed BWV standard view AND AKV value via point rental...you just have to find an owner before the 11 month mark.

The PP said those categories are rarely available for renters, not never available.

 

[jimandami]

The PP said those categories are rarely available for renters, not never available.

Not to be argumentative, but PP said "rarely, if ever" which implies pretty much never. The entire point of my post was to let other renters know you can definitely get those categories, you just have to find an owner ahead of time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Not to be argumentative, but PP said "rarely, if ever" which implies pretty much never. The entire point of my post was to let other renters know you can definitely get those categories, you just have to find an owner ahead of time.

I would argue "never via an agency," which the no obligation price quote suggests.

 

[jimandami]

I would argue "never via an agency," which the no obligation price quote suggests.

Yes, I agree with that 100%

 

[crisi]

Not to be argumentative, but PP said "rarely, if ever" which implies pretty much never. The entire point of my post was to let other renters know you can definitely get those categories, you just have to find an owner ahead of time.

There is more to it than "just" finding an owner ahead of time. For some times of year, owners have a hard time booking those categories for their own trips. There simply aren't enough BW Standard Views for Food and Wine. So the owners are walking the reservations forward - sometimes starting more than a year out. So for some of those reservations, it would be finding an owner more than a year ahead of time, who is willing to walk a reservation forward - and even then, there isn't a guarantee that room will be available.

It has gotten much worse this year than it was in the past.

Now there are probably some people willing to do that for a stranger without an upcharge, but finding them is not going to be easy - why would I bother when I can rent my BWV points easily to someone who doesn't need a standard view room in a less busy time of year for the same amount of money.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Especially when someone who is looking at a Standard, do or die, is probably highly concerned about cost.