Questions in regards to renting

[aimo7149]

My husband would like to run the Disney Marathon in 2013. I am interested in renting in order to obtain a villa for the 5 of us (3 adults and 2 children). I would appreciate if anyone could answer these questions for me in regards to renting points from someone:

1. If I want to book, when is the best time to post my request for points on the Dis Board or look on the board for people trying to rent points out?

2. What do you recommend-BCV, Saratoga Tree Villas or AKV? Why? DH wants to do BCV because it's close to Epcot where the race starts and ends, but I LOVE AKL and it looks like my kids might like the treehouse villas with the bunk beds...not sure what to do here.

3. Say I will need 200 points. Do I have to rent from someone with at least that many points to give out? What about the people selling say 25 points?

I'm brand new to this so I hope these questions do not sound too silly. Thank you in advance for all your help!!!

Edited by Chuck S to remove specific rental info

 

[Chuck S]

My husband would like to run the Disney Marathon in 2013. I am interested in renting in order to obtain a villa for the 5 of us (3 adults and 2 children). I would appreciate if anyone could answer these questions for me in regards to renting points from someone:

1. If I want to book, when is the best time to post my request for points on the Dis Board or look on the board for people trying to rent points out?

The Marathon is a very popular time for DVCers. DVCers may book their home resorts 11 months prior to check-in date, so you should probably start looking for an owner about a year prior to your desired time of travel.

2. What do you recommend-BCV, Saratoga Tree Villas or AKV? Why? DH wants to do BCV because it's close to Epcot where the race starts and ends, but I LOVE AKL and it looks like my kids might like the treehouse villas with the bunk beds...not sure what to do here.
I don't think any location is necessarily better than any other. Pick a resort that you think you will enjoy the most.


3. Say I will need 200 points. Do I have to rent from someone with at least that many points to give out? What about the people selling say 25 points?
You really don't "rent points" you rent a reservation from a DVC owner. Points from different owners can not be mixed for any one night. It would be simplest to deal with a single owner that has enough points to cover your entire reservation.

I'm brand new to this so I hope these questions do not sound too silly. Thank you in advance for all your help!!!

You may find the following threads helpful, but please know that our Rent/trade board posting policis have changed since these threads were started.

Considering Renting from a DVC Owner? and

DVC Point Rental Primer

For the latest Rent/Trade board posting rules, please refer to the sticky threads near the top of the Rent/Trade Board.

My personal answers to your questions are shown in Green in the post quote above.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My husband would like to run the Disney Marathon in 2013. ...
2. What do you recommend-BCV, Saratoga Tree Villas or AKV? Why? DH wants to do BCV because it's close to Epcot where the race starts and ends, but I LOVE AKL and it looks like my kids might like the treehouse villas with the bunk beds...not sure what to do here....

I'm brand new to this so I hope these questions do not sound too silly. Thank you in advance for all your help!!!

Edited by Chuck S to remove specific rental info

If you stay at BCV for the marathon, your husband will still have to ride the bus to the start and from the finish. Unless you meet him at the finish with his ticket. None of the Epcot resorts are close to the start because the race starts outside the park in the parking lot and the park isn't open. Actually OKW is much closer to the start than the Epcot resorts.

All of the resorts have buses to the start, but the last must leaves for the start (for the runners) at about 3:30AM. It was very sad seeing all the runners trying to get to the start from the Epcot resorts at 4:45AM last year running along the side of the road. My runners took the bus from OKW, but I drove to the start from OKW and it took me over an hour to get there. And I got very lucky to get past the Orange County Police stationed at the stop light at Buena Vista Drive and World Drive. They were turning most of the cars away.

There were a lot of runners who missed the start trying to get to the start.

 

[aimo7149]

Thank you Deb for your reply. I just showed my husband your response and he is very thankful. As I'm sure you are aware, my husband can have some stress and anxiety right before the race and I would like this to be a wonderful memory for him. If we don't stay at a villa, what Disney resort would you recommend?? Grandma is going with us so I have to take her into consideration as well? Thank you again.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you Deb for your reply. I just showed my husband your response and he is very thankful. As I'm sure you are aware, my husband can have some stress and anxiety right before the race and I would like this to be a wonderful memory for him. If we don't stay at a villa, what Disney resort would you recommend?? Grandma is going with us so I have to take her into consideration as well? Thank you again.

In the past, the monorail was operating to get runners to the start of the race from the MK resorts. But with the changes to the monorail schedule, it might not be operating. But since the road closes to traffic, they will have to have the monorail operating. That might be a good question to ask the marathon people. Or at least check the 2012 marathon.

And if the monorail does operate during the early hours of the marathon, I'd choose a monorail resort. And you might be able to see him run past the monorail resorts and the MK. You might try for BLT or the Contemporary. Then you can also walk to the MK to see him run down Main Street.

 

[aimo7149]

Thanks again Deb. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[LindaBabe]

In the past, the monorail was operating to get runners to the start of the race from the MK resorts. But with the changes to the monorail schedule, it might not be operating. But since the road closes to traffic, they will have to have the monorail operating. That might be a good question to ask the marathon people. Or at least check the 2012 marathon.

And if the monorail does operate during the early hours of the marathon, I'd choose a monorail resort. And you might be able to see him run past the monorail resorts and the MK. You might try for BLT or the Contemporary. Then you can also walk to the MK to see him run down Main Street.

Let me second MONORAIL RESORT. They *will* have transportation for the runners in some form, but for YOU the spectator a monorail resort will be MILES easier and give you greater flexibility during the race than any resort served by a bus. (take it from me -a sad team mom whose entire team finished the half while she was stuck on a bus)

From BLT, for example, you could watch them come by the contemporary, then rush over to MK to see them there, then take the boat to the Poly to see them again - THEN hop the EPCOT monorail to get to the finish. Oddly enough, Wilderness Lodge is ALMOST as easy, because they have boat transport to the Contemporary AND the Magic Kingdom.

The goal is to stay off the roads!