Rent Points through friend or website for December?

[pixiegoose]

Hi, all! Sorry if this isn’t the right spot for this, so mods definitely move if needed.

We’re planning our next trip for December, likely December 5-11 or somewhere thereabouts. Usually we stay value or moderate but I decided to look into renting dvc points and found that we could, in theory, get a BLT standard studio for the same price as a standard at our mod of choice POR. So I did what any good Disney planner does and have researched until my head is spinning and contacted my friend who is a dvc owner at OKW. He’s willing to work something out with us if we’d like but obviously can only book OKW at this point, while I’ve really been coveting BLT. If I book with a broker site, I’d stand a much better chance of actually getting BLT, correct? What would the chances be of my friend actually being able to get BLT standard studio for us at the 7 month mark? I know December is busy for dvc. I’m so torn between saving the money and going through my friend and still staying deluxe, even if not at our resort of choice, or paying more to stand a better chance at getting the resort I really want. There’s no way we could afford to stay at a deluxe booking directly through Disney.

Any input from people in the know would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[deedubb]

You're already past the 11 month window for Dec 5 and standard studios at BLT are likely already gone. I just rented BWV for late Dec and the standard studios there were all gone. They gave a list of alternatives, and lake view BLT was still available, but not standard studios.

Edit: You're basically looking at a 1 bdrm lake view at BLT right now if you want those dates.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi, all! Sorry if this isn’t the right spot for this, so mods definitely move if needed.

We’re planning our next trip for December, likely December 5-11 or somewhere thereabouts. Usually we stay value or moderate but I decided to look into renting dvc points and found that we could, in theory, get a BLT standard studio for the same price as a standard at our mod of choice POR. So I did what any good Disney planner does and have researched until my head is spinning and contacted my friend who is a dvc owner at OKW. He’s willing to work something out with us if we’d like but obviously can only book OKW at this point, while I’ve really been coveting BLT. If I book with a broker site, I’d stand a much better chance of actually getting BLT, correct? What would the chances be of my friend actually being able to get BLT standard studio for us at the 7 month mark? I know December is busy for dvc. I’m so torn between saving the money and going through my friend and still staying deluxe, even if not at our resort of choice, or paying more to stand a better chance at getting the resort I really want. There’s no way we could afford to stay at a deluxe booking directly through Disney.

Any input from people in the know would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

You won't get the BLT standard studio for those dates because you are too late to get the standard view. They are already partially booked for your dates. You are looking at one of the most popular times for DVC members. And getting almost anything at seven months out will be difficult. Either go with your POR reservation or take up your friend's offer for OKW. Then at least you will have a reservation. If your friend can't change the reservation at seven months out, you'll still have a good reservation. Your POR hotel room may be more roomy than the BLT studio. The bathroom at BLT will be bigger and you'll have a kitchenette, but the living space will be smaller and tighter.

Even the lake view studio is partially booked for your dates. Theme park view is even more booked with only one night available.

 

[larissawbb]

OKW studios are huge! You may find that if you go there you’ll really like it. The buses are the best we have found at any resort.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If I book with a broker site, I’d stand a much better chance of actually getting BLT, correct?

Nope. They're already gone for December 2018.

What would the chances be of my friend actually being able to get BLT standard studio for us at the 7 month mark?

Basically zero. People who booked BLT Standard Studios that week are unlikely to be changing at 7 months, and if they do, their units are going to go to existing waitlists.

 

[CraigInPA]

The first week of December is the peak week for DVC. As such, standard view studios across virtually every DVC property were booked by owners at those properties with minutes or hours of the 11 month window opening three weeks ago. There may have been some higher point studios available for a while after the window opened, but those are now few and far between. In general, if you want to stay at any of the MK or Epcot DVC resorts that first week of December, you need to have points lined up to do it the day the 11 month window opens.

Now, that said, OKW is a lovely resort. I'd choose that over POR every day of the week.

 

[pixiegoose]

Thanks for all the input! Of course, to complicate things, the friends we’re going with also have friends with dvc points they can rent but they own at SSR! At this point, we’re planning on booking with our respective friends points (us at OKW, them at SSR) and re-evaluating at the 7 month mark to see if we can switch around to end up at the same place. It’s certainly not the end of the world if we end up at different resorts but always nice to have the option of the dads taking all 4 kids to the pool while us moms grab some wine or try out a spa.

Thanks again!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Since your friends won't be using their own points for a reservation and you are not an owner, neither family will be eligible for pool hopping. At first I was thinking it might work out for them to pool hop to where you are staying, but since they are not using their own points, they can't pool hop either.

Now if your friends booked OKW on their own points and you booked SSR on their friends' points, they could hop to SSR to swim with you since they were booked on their own points.

 

[deedubb]

Since your friends won't be using their own points for a reservation and you are not an owner, neither family will be eligible for pool hopping. At first I was thinking it might work out for them to pool hop to where you are staying, but since they are not using their own points, they can't pool hop either.

Now if your friends booked OKW on their own points and you booked SSR on their friends' points, they could hop to SSR to swim with you since they were booked on their own points.

Are you sure about this? How would they know?

For example, we are staying at BWV over NYE on rented points. The reservation will be in my name, and I will have my blue DVC card with me. How would they know I didn't stay using my own points if I wanted to hop to another pool (not that we will).

 

[Deb & Bill]

Are you sure about this? How would they know?

For example, we are staying at BWV over NYE on rented points. The reservation will be in my name, and I will have my blue DVC card with me. How would they know I didn't stay using my own points if I wanted to hop to another pool (not that we will).

That's the rules. You can't pool hop over NYE because pool hopping is blacked out over that holiday period for about two weeks. Other holiday times are Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving.
From the member website:

How it Works
Swim, slide, splash, play and lounge—with several unique pool options to suit your style.

When staying on your Membership at any Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World Resort or at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, you and any Guests staying with you are permitted to take advantage of complimentary alternative pool use, which provides access to:

• The pool or pools at the Disney Vacation Club Resort where you are staying
• Select pools at Disney Vacation Club Resorts
• Select pools at Walt Disney World Resort hotels

Note: Capacity limits and blockout dates apply. To find out about pool-access availability, please check with a host or hostess at the front desk of the Resort you wish to visit.

So the key word here is "YOUR" membership. If you rented points, you are not staying on your membership. If you paid cash, you are not staying on your membership. If you are staying at a non-DVC resort, you are not staying at a DVC resort at WDW or VB.

 

[deedubb]

That's the rules. You can't pool hop over NYE because pool hopping is blacked out over that holiday period for about two weeks.

I was just speaking in general, not specifically over NYE. Is it specified that you can only pool hop if using your own points? It doesn't matter much for us, as we have never actually been in the pool during any of our WDW vacations!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was just speaking in general, not specifically over NYE. Is it specified that you can only pool hop if using your own points? It doesn't matter much for us, as we have never actually been in the pool during any of our WDW vacations!

Just because you are a member, you cannot just show up at a resort and use the pool.

This is what the site says:

“

How it Works
Swim, slide, splash, play and lounge—with several unique pool options to suit your style.

When staying on your Membership at any Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World Resort or at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, you and any Guests staying with you are permitted to take advantage of complimentary alternative pool use, which provides access to:

• The pool or pools at the Disney Vacation Club Resort where you are staying
• Select pools at Disney Vacation Club Resorts
• Select pools at Walt Disney World Resort hotels

Note: Capacity limits and blockout dates apply. To find out about pool-access availability, please check with a host or hostess at the front desk of the Resort you wish to visit.

You must present your MagicBand or valid Disney Vacation Club Membership Card to use the other Resort hotel pools.”

There are other restrictions and blackout dates, but yes, you must be using your membership.

 

[Matty B13]

A lot the pools have magic band readers now to gain access to the pools and CM/Lifeguards also can do magic band checks (especially during busy times). So you would need a reservation showing up to gain access.

 

[icc2515]

Plus the fact that you cannot hop to any pool worth hopping to:

"Pool hopping is not available at the following pools—with no exceptions to this policy:

• Bay Cove Pool at Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Uzima Pool and Samawati Springs Pool at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht Club Resort and Disney's Beach Club Resorts
• The leisure pool at Disney's Beach Club Villas
• The Lava Pool and leisure pool at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
• The Copper Creek Springs Pool at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
• The pools at Disney's Art of Animation Resort"

Now it does look like if you are a member you can use the "scary clown slide pool" (my kids words) at BWV. During the summer there are only about a million kids in it.

Something I did not know also per the DVC website: "Complimentary alternative pool use (pool hopping) is not considered a Membership Extra. This benefit is offered to all Disney Vacation Club Members, regardless of how they purchased." So current resale buyers have this and access to the Top of the World Lounge.

 

[pixiegoose]

Never would have occurred to me to even try to pool hop! I’m way too much of a rule follower to even attempt it.

And to clarify, the friends we're traveling with aren’t dvc owners either- they’re renting points from *their* friends who own at SSR. We'll be renting from *our* friends who own at OKW.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Never would have occurred to me to even try to pool hop! I’m way too much of a rule follower to even attempt it.

And to clarify, the friends we're traveling with aren’t dvc owners either- they’re renting points from *their* friends who own at SSR. We'll be renting from *our* friends who own at OKW.

So no hopping for either of you.

 

[crisi]

I was just speaking in general, not specifically over NYE. Is it specified that you can only pool hop if using your own points? It doesn't matter much for us, as we have never actually been in the pool during any of our WDW vacations!

As to how they would know, forum rules prohibit posts that encourage breaking Disney rules. So as far as this board goes, its against the stated rules, end of story.

 

[deedubb]

As to how they would know, forum rules prohibit posts that encourage breaking Disney rules. So as far as this board goes, its against the stated rules, end of story.

I'm not encouraging breaking the rules. I am simply asking how they know if you're staying on your points.

 

[Matty B13]

When making the DVC reservation, the website asks if you are the owner of the contract that the points are being used to make the reservation. This is how they know if you are the owner.

 

[pixiegoose]

Okay, follow up question. My friend has officially booked us at OKW Dec 5-12. The friends we’re going with ended up being booked at BCV (apparently their friends own at both SSR and BCV and are letting them use BCV points). Do we even stand a chance of being able to switch to BCV or BWV at the 7 month mark? It’s obviously not the end of the world if we can’t switch and end up staying at OKW but is there any hope on being able to switch?

Thank you for all the help! I’m such a dvc newbie!