Renting DVC points - pros/cons

[Sinders99]

Yep you do!

So we can still do everything we did last time as far as charging etc goes and we just settle the bill with reception when we checkout? Sorry if that's a dumb question but we're completely new to this whole DVC thing and are amazed at the savings involved in renting points.

 

[Deb & Bill]

So we can still do everything we did last time as far as charging etc goes and we just settle the bill with reception when we checkout? Sorry if that's a dumb question but we're completely new to this whole DVC thing and are amazed at the savings involved in renting points.

Yes. Just realize that DVC is a timeshare. You don't get daily full cleaning unless you pay for it. For stays of seven nights of less, on day four your trash will be removed and towels will be replaced. For stays of eight nights or more, you'll get a full cleaning on day four and trash and towel service on day eight.

Also DVC busy times are not the same as WDW. From the start of F&W Festival through the Disney marathon in January can be hard to book at seven months out or less. The first two weeks of Dec are extremely hard to get at seven months or less. Holidays and race weekends also are hard to book at less than seven months out.

You probably won't be able to cancel and you probably won't get a refund if you need to cancel. Basically, a member makes a reservation for you using their points, you pay them for the reservation and it's yours (once you check into the resort - before that the owner of the points still owns the reservation), You cannot call Disney to add the dining plan or to make requests, the member has to do that.

But you can save a bunch.

 

[LuvEeyore]

I have used DVC Rental Store twice with ease!! I have stayed at both Kidani and Saratoga Springs. Both were very easy to do and I had no problems both times. Both times were very easy and a studio was cheaper than a Value resort. For my next trip, rentals won't beat the price of a moderate. I am pretty sure it has to do with the group rate and that it is After Memorial day.

 

[Sinders99]

You probably won't be able to cancel and you probably won't get a refund if you need to cancel. Basically, a member makes a reservation for you using their points, you pay them for the reservation and it's yours (once you check into the resort - before that the owner of the points still owns the reservation), You cannot call Disney to add the dining plan or to make requests, the member has to do that.

But you can save a bunch.

All that actually works for us. We're a married couple not blessed with children so daily cleaning in a studio isn't a big concern for us and we're coming all the way from Australia so we'd definitely be booking 11 months out and have our plans locked in. The only thing I could see us cancelling for is illness or death in which case I know we can purchase a seperate protection plan for.

We were planning to visit in those first 2 weeks of December so thank you for the heads up on those dates. We'll be sure to book from that 11 month mark.

We had the dining plan on our last trip thanks to the free dining promotion but we're not going to get it this time around as we felt it was too restrictive on our time and there was too much food for us.

 

[Sinders99]

Because we're staying on property for 2 weeks we're actually considering a split stay - 1 week at a MK area resort and 1 week at an EPCOT area resort or Saratoga Springs for proximity to Disney Springs. We had anticipated returning in December 2021 for the 50th Anniversary of MK but now that we've discovered the cost savings of DVC rental we may be able to bring that forward to 2019!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The first two weeks of December are the highest DVC demand weeks of the year. Most rental brokers won't try to book a stay over 7 days until after the 11 month mark, because members can only book 7 days at 11 months, and add a day at a time after that, or wait until the end of stay to try to add the balance. For limited inventory or high-demand room types, this can be a big issue.

If you want a high-demand resort or room type the first two weeks of December, you will want to make arrangements with a private owner at a resort of interest before 11 months out. You may also have issues doing this because you'll be doing a foreign funds transfer.

 

[Sinders99]

OH NO!!! We had thought of moving our dates to early/mid November to catch the last of the F&W festival (which we loved last year but in mid September it was super hot which put a big downer on it) and still enjoy the Christmas holiday festivities. The other option would be January.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

OH NO!!! We had thought of moving our dates to early/mid November to catch the last of the F&W festival (which we loved last year but in mid September it was super hot which put a big downer on it) and still enjoy the Christmas holiday festivities. The other option would be January.

January, after the marathon, is the start of lower-demand season for DVC, although the US Martin Luther King holiday can be popular. I would still not budget assuming the lowest cost rooms (BLT Standard, BWV Standard, AKV Value) for that period, and the rules of owner booking still apply -- no owner can book more than 7 days at a time at 11 months out, and would have to wait until 11 months + 7 days to book 14 nights, for instance. A broker would wait until 11+7 for a 14 night booking, and could be longer depending on their owner/point inventory. A broker is really a matching service, and they don't always have an owner match for every renter request on the date of request.

For any dates between mid-September and the marathon in January, you should either look at lower demand properties like Old Key West, Saratoga Springs or Animal Kingdom Villas, and/or work on finding a private owner (not a broker) who will work with you for a longer stay and a foreign funds transfer. You might be okay for some properties if you aren't looking at the aforementioned lowest cost rooms, but would need to be flexible about resort preference for success. Your odds on 14 nights at, say, VGF, during the fall dates, via a broker? Highly unlikely.