Question for folks who have rented points...

[arcadiandj]

How does the quality of the rooms compare to the non-dvc rooms? I am just beginning to consider this option for paying for a room and have seen some of the 7 in 7 videos where I see a difference in quality. What have some of you experienced? Thank you in advance

 

[Chuck S]

As far as DVC Resort rooms (Studios, One Bedrooms, Two Bedrooms and Grand Villas)....They are the same rooms you'd receive if you were paying cash. There are no "DVC ONLY" and "CASH ONLY" rooms.
The difference is in service, you will not receive daily housekeeping. If staying less than 7 nights, you will receive a trash and towel day on day 4. If you are staying 8 nights or more, you'll receive a full housekeeping on day 4, and trash and towel on day 8. If staying longer, the cycle repeats.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you mean the difference between DVC rooms and rooms that are resort/hotel rooms, the difference is typically in set up of the room, not in quality of fixtures or soft goods. If you rent DVC and expect to get a room, you will be displeased. The Villas are set up condo style, especially the 1 and 2 BR units.

Renting points isn't a magic way to get a Deluxe room more cheaply. You will be at a Deluxe resort in a different kind of room, with different services. It depends on your expectation if that still counts as Deluxe, or if the resort rooms and their mousekeeping, layout and sleep surfaces are part of your definition of what you want.

 

[JWG]

As mentioned, no difference in the quality of othe rooms. They're also serviced by the same mousekeeping staff (just less frequently). If you need a larger unit and don't want to stay at a value resort to get a family suite, this can be a great option for a 1BR or 2BR with full kitchen. If you're expecting that deluxe resort service including daily mousekeeping and a standard hotel room then just booking a resort is probably a better deal. Remember, most studios (excluding Old Key West) have 1 queen and 1 sleeper sofa versus 2 actual beds. Depending on your travel party that can be a big deal.

Though, I will say, we just got back from the Poly, it was a friend and I. I slept on the sleeper sofa and found it to be quite comfortable. The only drawback for me was folding up and getting out the bed every day. The newer sleeper sofas are not terrible. It has a 2-3" memory foam mattress and a canvas style frame (so no bars breaking your back). Maybe I was just that tired every night, but I slept great.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO the DVC rooms do not have the same maintenance and refurbishment schedule as the cash rooms. DVC has now announced that they are changing the schedule to improve their appearance.

Bill

 

[loves to dive]

I've rented points and stayed in DVC rooms as cash and have stayed in the deluxe rooms. Some of the DVC rooms have been refurbished, some have not, so they can be a little worn. But then again, so can some of the deluxe rooms that haven't been refurbished yet. My complaint with the DVC rooms are that if you are staying in a studio, the actual room is slightly smaller than a deluxe room and you get a Mr. Coffee instead of a one cup pot. I know the coffee pot is silly but since most of the time I travel solo so my options are making a whole pot of coffee and either pouring out what I don't drink or saving it and reheating it every day. They give you the sort of pod packs so if you don't take your own coffee, the option of making a half pot is just not there. The first time I stayed at BWV in a studio I was shocked. They had not been refurbed yet so the room was not in great shape, I was used to staying in BC/YC and the room was also smaller. My first thought was I felt sorry for people who bought DVC if this was the quality they received. I've since stayed in a refurb. BWV studio, an OKW studio and an AKV 1 bedroom (by far the best). If you go in knowing you are staying in a time share and keep that in mind, you will be staying in a deluxe resort for a moderate price (sometimes) so it could be worth it. Also, keep in mind which resort you are thinking of renting points at, they are not always less expensive then just going with a deluxe room.

 

[crisi]

IMO the DVC rooms do not have the same maintenance and refurbishment schedule as the cash rooms. DVC has now announced that they are changing the schedule to improve their appearance.

Bill

Yep. If I were paying Deluxe room rates for torn curtains and broken drawers, I'd be pretty disappointed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I say this so often, but there are also questions of size.

If you rent a studio at Bay Lake Tower and expect a room like one finds in the main tower or even the Garden Wing, you will be unhappy. BLT studios are smaller, sleep fewer people, and because of the kitchenette, feel/are much tighter than a CR room with two queens standard. The location can't be beat for the price, but it's not the same as a CR Tower room.

 

[Julylady]

I love being a DVC owner, but I do think there is a difference in the "quality" of the rooms. You can't favorably compare a current Beach club DVC studio to a hotel room in the Beach Club. Hotel room has much nicer furnishings and you can get a roll away bed if needed. The DVC properties compare well if they have just been refurbished, but not nearly so well if it has been several years since they were last updated.

And if you are considering renting points, really THINK about what it means not to have daily housekeeping (and check with your spouse). This is a real deal breaker for some families.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I love being a DVC owner, but I do think there is a difference in the "quality" of the rooms. You can't favorably compare a current Beach club DVC studio to a hotel room in the Beach Club. Hotel room has much nicer furnishings and you can get a roll away bed if needed. The DVC properties compare well if they have just been refurbished, but not nearly so well if it has been several years since they were last updated.

And if you are considering renting points, really THINK about what it means not to have daily housekeeping (and check with your spouse). This is a real deal breaker for some families.

For some, the deal breaker is less "housekeeping" and more "what do you MEAN there aren't fresh towels?"

 

[LisaS]

Another consideration if you rent from a DVC owner, either directly or through a broker, is that your reservation will probably be non-refundable and you may not be able to make any changes either.

 

[Julylady]

For some, the deal breaker is less "housekeeping" and more "what do you MEAN there aren't fresh towels?"

Here's the backstory. I work with a guy who rented a condo in Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago for spring break. For their family of 5 (3 young kids), he was able to rent the condo for about the same price as a regular hotel room. He thought it was a great deal. He told me they were going to cook all their meals to save money. Now I knew his wife a bit and didn't think she seemed like the "cook and clean up after 3 kids" kind of vacation person. After he returned home he admitted that he had made a big mistake. The trip was not his wife's idea of a "vacation."

It seems like he never discussed his "plans" with his wife. She had no idea he expected her to cook, clean and do laundry on vacation. The condo was three blocks from the ocean so they had to pack up 3 kids and all their beach stuff and make the hike to the beach a couple of times a day. He ended up doing most of the grocery shopping and meal preparation because his wife just flat out refused. He also said that the condo unit was a mess because neither of them wanted to spend time cleaning or doing laundry on their vacation. He said they had sand everywhere including in their beds. He asked me recently about renting DVC points and I told him it wasn't for him and reminded him about the Myrtle Beach condo.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Here's the backstory. I work with a guy who rented a condo in Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago for spring break. For their family of 5 (3 young kids), he was able to rent the condo for about the same price as a regular hotel room. He thought it was a great deal. He told me they were going to cook all their meals to save money. Now I knew his wife a bit and didn't think she seemed like the "cook and clean up after 3 kids" kind of vacation person. After he returned home he admitted that he had made a big mistake. The trip was not his wife's idea of a "vacation."

It seems like he never discussed his "plans" with his wife. She had no idea he expected her to cook, clean and do laundry on vacation. The condo was three blocks from the ocean so they had to pack up 3 kids and all their beach stuff and make the hike to the beach a couple of times a day. He ended up doing most of the grocery shopping and meal preparation because his wife just flat out refused. He also said that the condo unit was a mess because neither of them wanted to spend time cleaning or doing laundry on their vacation. He said they had sand everywhere including in their beds. He asked me recently about renting DVC points and I told him it wasn't for him and reminded him about the Myrtle Beach condo.

Well, he could rent DVC and still eat out. He'd just need to have the right expectations. Even Mousekeeping isn't going to fully clean up after the kids or fold clothes or whatever.

We've always been self-catering/condo people, so DVC works for us because it lets us blend a bit with the littles. Eating out every meal with small children is a route to madness for us, even though we have very well-behaved kids who do well in restaurants. Another factor for us is just that kid's menus at so many places are so dire and so unlike how our kids eat at home. So being able to cook helps maintain state.

 

[COscrapper]

So I JUST learned about this whole "renting DVC points" thing and have been wondering the same thing about room quality - glad to find this thread. We are planning our first WDW trip for POR, but as soon as I found out about renting points, I looked at estimated prices on a rental website and was amazed that the price of a studio at BWV or AK, or even OKW would be LESS than our POR price! After looking at the rooms, though, I am really torn...one of the things we liked about POR was the pull-down bed - we have 2 boys that will likely end up kicking each other all night if they have to share a bed. Not only would we lose that in a studio, but we would also lose the 2nd bed to a pull-out sofa. On the other hand, being within walking distance to Epcot (at BWV) sounds AMAZING... anyone have advice on regular POR rooms vs. a DVC studio?

On top of all that, I am already under the 11 month recommended timeframe for reserving something, so I don't even know if it's POSSIBLE to rent points for our trip (Oct 29 - Nov 7)? The website I looked at charges $98 before they even check availability, so I don't know if I should bother...wish I had found out about this point rental thing sooner!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So I JUST learned about this whole "renting DVC points" thing and have been wondering the same thing about room quality - glad to find this thread. We are planning our first WDW trip for POR, but as soon as I found out about renting points, I looked at estimated prices on a rental website and was amazed that the price of a studio at BWV or AK, or even OKW would be LESS than our POR price! After looking at the rooms, though, I am really torn...one of the things we liked about POR was the pull-down bed - we have 2 boys that will likely end up kicking each other all night if they have to share a bed. Not only would we lose that in a studio, but we would also lose the 2nd bed to a pull-out sofa. On the other hand, being within walking distance to Epcot (at BWV) sounds AMAZING... anyone have advice on regular POR rooms vs. a DVC studio?

On top of all that, I am already under the 11 month recommended timeframe for reserving something, so I don't even know if it's POSSIBLE to rent points for our trip (Oct 29 - Nov 7)? The website I looked at charges $98 before they even check availability, so I don't know if I should bother...wish I had found out about this point rental thing sooner!

Refurbished BWV Studios have a pull-down bed. However, the room is rather different than what you'd get at POR. At POR, you get two queens and a pull-down, with daily housekeeping, towels and toiletries. At a BWV Studio on points you get a queen, the sofa sleeper and a pull-down, with Trash & Towel service on day 4. No daily housekeeping. There is a kitchenette. Villas are built for a different kind of travel style than a hotel room.

Your dates are the heart of Food & Wine. You can assume Standard Studios are booked, and there may already be limited availability or non-continuous dates for Boardwalk and Garden View. The $98 dollar fee is refundable if they can't book you, it's more a statement of seriousness, because if a member CAN book you and then you back out, it's a nuisance for the agency and the DVC owner at best.

 

[CarolMN]

Here's the backstory. I work with a guy who rented a condo in Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago for spring break. For their family of 5 (3 young kids), he was able to rent the condo for about the same price as a regular hotel room. He thought it was a great deal. He told me they were going to cook all their meals to save money. Now I knew his wife a bit and didn't think she seemed like the "cook and clean up after 3 kids" kind of vacation person. After he returned home he admitted that he had made a big mistake. The trip was not his wife's idea of a "vacation."

It seems like he never discussed his "plans" with his wife. She had no idea he expected her to cook, clean and do laundry on vacation. The condo was three blocks from the ocean so they had to pack up 3 kids and all their beach stuff and make the hike to the beach a couple of times a day. He ended up doing most of the grocery shopping and meal preparation because his wife just flat out refused. He also said that the condo unit was a mess because neither of them wanted to spend time cleaning or doing laundry on their vacation. He said they had sand everywhere including in their beds. He asked me recently about renting DVC points and I told him it wasn't for him and reminded him about the Myrtle Beach condo.

Well, he could rent DVC and still eat out. He'd just need to have the right expectations. Even Mousekeeping isn't going to fully clean up after the kids or fold clothes or whatever.

We've always been self-catering/condo people, so DVC works for us because it lets us blend a bit with the littles. Eating out every meal with small children is a route to madness for us, even though we have very well-behaved kids who do well in restaurants. Another factor for us is just that kid's menus at so many places are so dire and so unlike how our kids eat at home. So being able to cook helps maintain state.

DVC members can pay extra if they want more housekeeping services than is usually provided. Your friend can rent DVC points - just show him the charge for daily housekeeping (varies by size of villa) and see if he still thinks it will be a good value for his family.

 

[Anal Annie]

I personally LOVE not having housekeeping every day. I don't feel like I have to tidy up & lock everything up except on Trash & Towel Day. It actually feels more like home to us that way… We are rarely unhappy with our DVC studios. They're still nicer than your local Hampton Inn….or even some other chains (like Sheraton). And I love having the kitchenette to prepare breakfasts. I don't want to "cook" on vacation either but breakfast is simple with the available toaster and we can eat every morning for a week for what 1 TS breakfast out would cost us.

 

[disneynutz]

I personally LOVE not having housekeeping every day. I don't feel like I have to tidy up & lock everything up except on Trash & Towel Day. It actually feels more like home to us that way… We are rarely unhappy with our DVC studios. They're still nicer than your local Hampton Inn….or even some other chains (like Sheraton). And I love having the kitchenette to prepare breakfasts. I don't want to "cook" on vacation either but breakfast is simple with the available toaster and we can eat every morning for a week for what 1 TS breakfast out would cost us.

You should lock up everything every time you leave your room. Housekeeping, maintenance, and others have access to your room.

Bill

 

[Anal Annie]

You should lock up everything every time you leave your room. Housekeeping, maintenance, and others have access to your room.

Bill

We usually keep our wallets & any cash or gift cards locked up in the safe all week but we don't hide the laptops or other electronic gadgets like we do on T&T day...

 

[gdrj]

Yep. If I were paying Deluxe room rates for torn curtains and broken drawers, I'd be pretty disappointed.

I have been a member for 16+ years and have never had a room that was a shambles. I know there will be other "vocal" voices who will disagree. Can there be wear and tear, absolutely. DVC is a timeshare so the refresh's are not on the same time table as the hotels. I've never felt that I was at a roadside on I-4/

I say this so often, but there are also questions of size.

If you rent a studio at Bay Lake Tower and expect a room like one finds in the main tower or even the Garden Wing, you will be unhappy. BLT studios are smaller, sleep fewer people, and because of the kitchenette, feel/are much tighter than a CR room with two queens standard. The location can't be beat for the price, but it's not the same as a CR Tower room.

Very True. But if you rent at the Poly room size is actually larger sq. ftg. than the standard rooms. If you are at OKW the room are a good size. The only one that is small is BLT. Of course you are a short walk to MK from BLT.