Renter/Member Beware (be aware)

[Sammie]

I have seen multiple posts on social media and here about guests that rented points and were supposed to have checked out today and can't due to the airport being closed and upset over not being able to extend their stay using points.

Disney really can't extend a stay on points due to the fact those points do not belong to the guest. The best they could do is offer 20% off rack rate and let some downsize their rooms if they had to them offer. Some have complained that this is price gouging but considering they are giving them a discount off the rack rate, it truly isn't

Going forward those that rent points for stays during hurricane season might need to factor that into their decision. You might end up in the same situation of being required to pay cash rack rates to stay.

 

[BillPA]

Or they should look into travel insurance.

 

[Sammie]

Or they should look into travel insurance.

Yes, Bill very good point.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for sharing. I guess it’s just another example of anything can happen to impact a trip, and understanding the differences when renting for tImes like this

 

[SLThomas318]

We are members, but had to extend our stay 1 night during Dorian. They were able to keep us in our value 1 bedroom at AKL. We were given the option to use points or pay cash. We paid cash because we had trip insurance. Flights were with Southwest so that was an easy change. Trip insurance covered the room and food for the extra day. I wouldn't travel to WDW during hurricane season without trip insurance!

 

[peabody58]

Here now at the BWV using our DVC points. We check out Friday, but was looking to extend if needed. Front desk said 25% Weather Discount for Cash rate, but the room cost was still close to $650 for our 1 BR villa. Looked at OTU points and borrowing, but just decided to drive home Friday as originally planned. We'll get so Epcot love in on Friday after we check out.

 

[Slippery Yak]

Some credit cards also offer travel insurance as a perk. Worth calling the credit card company you booked the flights and rooms with and see if they can help you out in any way.

 

[jbh275]

Yes, Bill very good point.

Are you sure trip insurance covers hurricanes? Some trip insurance coverage won't cover "acts of god".

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I have definitely seen some renters having tantrums about being asked to pay to stay, and also when they were looking at extensions they were last in line for room offers, because their deal wasn't with Disney at all.

 

[quandrea]

Yes, renting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, for both owner and renter. I’ve decided I’ll never rent again after some difficult renters this past year. I’d rather let them expire if it ever came to that.

I wonder what happened to agreements where renters were unable to check in as planned? Does the owner give the money back? This hurricane would have surely qualified as force majeure? Doesn’t David’s require the money be returned?

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I'm sure there are some agencies that try to make this right but it's not disney's problem to solve. And truthfully, the agency is likely limited in what they can do as well. Any guests who rented points that's complaining disney didn't help them must not understand the nature of what they booked. It's like me complaining that the hilton didn't help me when I booked my stayed at a marriott.

 

[Lewisc]

I wonder what happened to agreements where renters were unable to check in as planned? Does the owner give the money back? This hurricane would have surely qualified as force majeure? Doesn’t David’s require the money be returned?

Was the renter unable to check in because their check in date was during the time Disney wasn't allowing check ins? A refund is probably appropriate.

Otherwise probably a possible travel insurance claim or trying to work with the owner.
JMO, circumstance such as this the owner should accomodate any change allowable using the same points.

 

[J-Dog]

I guess maybe some renters just aren't experienced enough, but isn't it Disney Vacation 101 that, if you are visiting during hurricane season, you need to have travel insurance or a back-up plan?

IMO, those complainers have nothing to complain about. Disney didn't request that a hurricane screw everything up.

 

[quandrea]

Was the renter unable to check in because their check in date was during the time Disney wasn't allowing check ins? A refund is probably appropriate.

Otherwise probably a possible travel insurance claim or trying to work with the owner.
JMO, circumstance such as this the owner should accomodate any change allowable using the same points.

I wasn’t affected by the hurricane, just thinking aloud based on how things went down during the Covid closure. My issues were more along the lines of excessively irritating renters with a multitude of changes/additions.

 

[Sandisw]

Yes, renting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, for both owner and renter. I’ve decided I’ll never rent again after some difficult renters this past year. I’d rather let them expire if it ever came to that.

I wonder what happened to agreements where renters were unable to check in as planned? Does the owner give the money back? This hurricane would have surely qualified as force majeure? Doesn’t David’s require the money be returned?

I think anyone with a Sept 29th check in date might have some level of case for a refund for that day, but the resort is open today.

So, this is a unique situation in that the resort didn’t close but for yesterday.

I know I updated my terms last year that include weather terms.

In terms of David’s? Again, renters would have lost just one day do not sure how it would be handed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I've also seen cash guests complaining that Disney wasn't "magical enough" during the hurricane, which, like, lolwut. You're dry and not on fire, that's doing well.

 

[Yardbird]

I've also seen cash guests complaining that Disney wasn't "magical enough" during the hurricane, which, like, lolwut. You're dry and not on fire, that's doing well.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm not quite certain what there is to complain about nor that it falls in a "rental warning". This potentially applies to any visitor caught there. FL travel being interrupted or extended during hurrican season is something to consider of course. Most likely they had a nice rental rate that didn't come close to what Disney would have charged them for the trip. The discounted cash rate obviously proved that if there were complaints. That they got caught and had to extend a day or two, if someone actually thinks about it a bit, should make one appreciate renting points more.

What was interesting is that we've seen that Disney isn't going to be so accommodating in these ituations as they have been in the past. Now that's a sad "warning".

 

[Sammie]

I'm not quite certain what there is to complain about nor that it falls in a "rental warning". This potentially applies to any visitor caught there. FL travel being interrupted or extended during hurrican season is something to consider of course. Most likely they had a nice rental rate that didn't come close to what Disney would have charged them for the trip. The discounted cash rate obviously proved that if there were complaints. That they got caught and had to extend a day or two, if someone actually thinks about it a bit, should make one appreciate renting points more.

What was interesting is that we've seen that Disney isn't going to be so accommodating in these ituations as they have been in the past. Now that's a sad "warning".

I did not say it was a "rental warning" It was a heads up of buyer beware or be aware.
The thing is the rental situation was different, in that those that paid cash were offered to extend their stay at the rate they paid when they checked in. That was not offered to renters nor could it.
Yes it showed many how much money they actually did save by rental when rack rate or even 20% off was shared.
The warning is not so much don't do it, just be aware that if this situation occurs you are not going to be allowed to stay on rental points.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I did not say it was a "rental warning" It was a heads up of buyer beware or be aware.
The thing is the rental situation was different, in that those that paid cash were offered to extend their stay at the rate they paid when they checked in. That was not offered to renters nor could it.
Yes it showed many how much money they actually did save by rental when rack rate or even 20% off was shared.

Buyer beware is a warning in my mind and it was directed at renters.

There were a LOT of iterations to Disney's offers including starting out that people would have to find other locations off site because Disney wouldn't allow a new reservation which is what they said an extension was. They did eventually allow point stays to extend on points, yes? Maybe the "warning" is to establish a rental relationship directly with an owner who might be able to help in this type of circumstance. Otherwise the only real warning is that if one has to extend a stay for any reason there is no particular rate that can be counted on. One cannot count on Disney offering cash extensions at the rate that was booked either.