Renting DVC Points - How Far in Advance for AKL Standard Room?

[CarolinaGuy21]

I'm thinking about taking my girlfriend on a surprise trip in May and I was looking at renting DVC points for the first time since this seems to be the much cheaper option. I was wondering how far in advance would we have to book a standard room at the AKL? It looked like the cheapest option with DVC points so I'd imagine it gets booked up pretty fast. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Lynne M]

May 2018?

There *may* still be availability, but three months out is very short notice for DVC bookings. Timeshare owners tend to book earlier than hotel guests, and AKL owners could start reserving at 11 months out.

Start looking for someone to book with today, and have a backup plan. OKW and SSR probably still have available rooms.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Also, Standard units at AKV go faster than Savannah, and Jambo sells out in advance of Kidani.

 

[DisneyDuffer]

As I write this I just finished checking in on the DVC member website. Using the Resort Availability Tool, it would appear that the Deluxe Studios are already all but booked up for this coming May. I have found that if I want to reliably use our non-home resort DVC points that I must reserve Kidani Village or Jambo House villas when the 7-month window first opens up (i.e. for May it's best to book in November the year before). Deluxe Studio villas book up very early.

However, if you can justify upgrading to a 1-bedroom villa, it appears that Jambo House still has some inventory left for this coming May. My wife and I fly into Orlando all the way from the Pacific NW and therefore we stay about 8-nights to make it worth the long trip. For a long stay the 1-bedroom villas really come in handy.

You might want to consider using the wait list for Kidani or Jambo House. You would first need to book a stay at one of the other DVC vacation villas. There is still inventory available at the Saratoga Springs and the Key West resorts for this coming May. However you'd have to be willing to stay either of these resorts in case nothing pans out from the wait list.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You might want to consider using the wait list for Kidani or Jambo House.

Waitlist is not available for a renter, and they'd need a friend who owned who was willing to do that for them.

 

[DisneyDuffer]

Waitlist is not available for a renter, and they'd need a friend who owned who was willing to do that for them.

Actually, I don't know how the whole rental thing works since it would normally take a friend who is a DVC member to make the reservations in the first place.

 

[Hopefully]

Actually, I don't know how the whole rental thing works since it would normally take a friend who is a DVC member to make the reservations in the first place.

No
It takes an owner who wants to rent points. But many owners work with brokers and rent to strangers

 

[robinb]

I'm thinking about taking my girlfriend on a surprise trip in May and I was looking at renting DVC points for the first time since this seems to be the much cheaper option. I was wondering how far in advance would we have to book a standard room at the AKL? It looked like the cheapest option with DVC points so I'd imagine it gets booked up pretty fast. Thanks in advance for the help!

Depending on the time of year, I would say that you have to book 10-11 months in advance.

The only studio availability right now for May 2018 for a full week is at Saratoga Springs and that's toward the end of the month.

 

[DisneyDuffer]

No
It takes an owner who wants to rent points. But many owners work with brokers and rent to strangers

I was aware of that, but I still do not know how anyone other than the owner would be able to make the actual reservation. If the owner is still in the loop then would they not also be able to use the wait list?

 

[Hopefully]

I was aware of that, but I still do not know how anyone other than the owner would be able to make the actual reservation. If the owner is still in the loop then would they not also be able to use the wait list?

You’re correct. The owner does make the reservation.
I have never heard of a broker getting into the wait list business. Nor would many owners want that burden for a stranger.

 

[DisneyDuffer]

You’re correct. The owner does make the reservation.
I have never heard of a broker getting into the wait list business. Nor would many owners want that burden for a stranger.

I would agree. However, if one does not try to get creative in order to optimize the chances for success (i.e. only one active request), then signing up to the wait list would not be a big overhead for the owner.

 

[Hopefully]

I would agree. However, if one does not try to get creative in order to optimize the chances for success (i.e. only one active request), then signing up to the wait list would not be a big overhead for the owner.

It ties up the owners points. Theycan’t Rent them out to anyone else and the wait list may never come through leaving them with points they wanted to rent b

 

[DisneyDuffer]

It ties up the owners points. Theycan’t Rent them out to anyone else and the wait list may never come through leaving them with points they wanted to rent b

In this particular case, the owner's DVC points would have already been committed to the renter (money exchanged) to stay at another second-choice DVC resort. The wait list just provides a possibility of getting into the first choice if something becomes available. This scenario would make the assumption that the renter's choice of vacation time slot has priority over the renter's first choice of resort.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

As an owner, I would have to be really generous to wait list for a renter.

 

[NS8VN]

Actually, I don't know how the whole rental thing works

Then why are you going on about how you think it theoretically should work?

Renters do not get waitlisted. Getting a reservation and then waitlisted on another is a lot of work, and will likely involve two different number of points. Trying to coordinate that with a renter and potentially having them back out if their cost goes up is not a thing any broker will allow and I certainly wouldn't deal with it if I were renting out points directly to someone I don't know personally. We don't "get creative" about renting out points, we give the renter something concrete so they know they have a room for their dates and are comfortable with the financial transaction.

Anyway, back to OP: DVC really isn't designed for planning trips a couple months in advance. Generally 4-7 months in advance is ideal during the less in-demand months or less in-demand locations, up to 11 months for busy times and/or popular resorts. You could always try checking with brokers, they might have some last-minute cancellations if your dates are flexible. Otherwise, in your case I would suggest either booking a hotel room at AKL, or consider looking at some place like Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. They are larger and are not theme park adjacent so tend to have availability later than other options. (Just saw above that even that is unlikely, so a normal hotel room is your only option by the looks of it) Best of luck!

 

[DisneyDuffer]

As an owner, I would have to be really generous to wait list for a renter.

Indulge me one last time and I promise I will stop.

I just want to know how this stuff works. Not that I would consider renting out DVC points anytime soon since for the last 15-years I've always never seem to have enough.

I think I see the rub here.

The owner is renting the DVC points to a second party and sets up a reservation for the renter to stay at the renter's second choice resort which has inventory for the nights desired.

The owner gets the money and does just one last thing before riding off into the sunset with cash in hand - transaction complete.

The one aforementioned last thing would be for the owner to make an active request to the wait list so that the renter can possibly get the first choice resort if something opens up. Otherwise, the renter simply stays, as planned, at the second choice resort.

From the owner's perspective everything is no big deal unless (big unless) the DVC points required for the first choice resort is greater than the DVC points required for the second choice resort.

In which case the owner would suddenly be on the hook for more points.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Indulge me one last time and I promise I will stop.

I just want to know how this stuff works. Not that I would consider renting out DVC points anytime soon since for the last 15-years I've always never seem to have enough.

I think I see the rub here.

The owner is renting the DVC points to a second party and sets up a reservation for the renter to stay at the renter's second choice resort which has inventory for the nights desired.

The owner gets the money and does just one last thing before riding off into the sunset with cash in hand - transaction complete.

The one aforementioned last thing would be for the owner to make an active request to the wait list so that the renter can possibly get the first choice resort if something opens up. Otherwise, the renter simply stays, as planned, at the second choice resort.

From the owner's perspective everything is no big deal unless (big unless) the DVC points required for the first choice resort is greater than the DVC points required for the second choice resort.

In which case the owner would suddenly be on the hook for more points.

So, the key principle to keep in mind is that "renting points" is a misnomer. You rent a reservation made for you by a DVC owner, using the points owned by that owner. The contracts typically cover the reservation, not the points/use thereof.

A DVC owner can have up to 2 waitlists in effect at one time. To set up a waitlist for a renter assumes that the owner has no need of the waitlist for any personal use. There are also two deadlines that can be used for any given waitlist.

It also assumes that the waitlist process is not buggy, and it very often is. This would be the biggest deterrent to putting one in place for a contracted reservation rental. If it blew up, you'd suddenly have a Situation(tm). And that could be a big deal for everyone involved.

 

[DisneyDuffer]

Then why are you going on about how you think it theoretically should work?

It was not my intent to make anyone angry. I was merely throwing out hypotheticals hoping for someone to explain how things were rather than bluntly being told your wrong without explanation.

I have been asked about this sort of thing by people I know and would like to know the hazards in the off chance that at some future date I am not able to use all of my points for some reason.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Really, any rental 3 months out is likely distressed points, which means the owner wants them gone, make the booking, walk away. No fiddling with wait lists.