Renting DVC points vs. "regular" resort ressies

[CleveRocks]

I'm not new to WDW but I'm completely in the dark about renting DVC points. My question isn't about HOW to do DVC (if it was, I'd have posted this in the DVC forum). My question is about comparing staying at a traditional DVC property such as OKW or SSR versus staying at a moderate such as CBR (which I've stayed at) or POFQ (which I've never seen).

From what I can tell, studio rooms at SSR and OKW have a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. A regular room at a moderate has 2 full or queen beds, and NO sofa beds.

DVC wise, a studio room for my targeted dates (Nov. 7-12, gotta be these dates) at SSR would be 75 points, and studio room at OKW would be 66 points. Assuming I can rent for $10/point, the room would cost us $750 for SSR or $660 for OKW. Compare that with about $875 for a preferred location room at one of the moderates.

Can anyone explain to me why I'd want to spend $215 more (over 5 nights) to stay at a moderate rather than rent points and stay at OKW? What am I missing here? It seems too good to be true to stay at a "nicer" resort for less money.

Are the sofa beds as bad as regular sofa beds anywhere else? I know that with DVC there isn't daily Mousekeeping service, and that's not a deciding factor for us. As long as we arrange for fresh towels daily we're good to go.

THANKS!

 

[ptrbryant]

We've done it 2x before and are doing so for our trip beginning 5/15/06!!! Really, the only downside to it is that you can't cancel your reservation without putting the renter in a bad situation...chances are they wouldn't be able to rent points at the last minute and could lose them. We basically make absolutely sure of our dates first and then rent the points needed.
For us, it's the best deal possible. We love, love WL and had stayed there before when you could get room-only discount codes that brought it to $119 per night (2001, 2002)for a Woodsview Room. At$130 per night, we couldn't be happier. Last year, there wasn't any availability at VWL, so stayed at SSR instead, which was new and beautiful.
Another bonus is that, last month, they just started allowing DVC members and renters to participate in the Dining Plan and it is not tied in any way to ticket days, etc.

Karla B.

 

[geffric]

Last time I stayed at a studio at OKW, there were 2 queen beds, a small kitchen area with a mini fridge, coffee pot and mirowave pus some dishes. Also you can do laundry for free.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

That's correct -- the studios @ OKW all have two queen beds. Also, many of the DVC properties have converted to a new sofabed that is actually very comfortable. Congratulations...you have just figured out what is really "the best kept secret" at WDW!

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks for the above responses.

Anyone know the SIZE of a studio at OKW? I know that CBR is 340 sq. ft., so I'm trying to compare from that perspective.

THANKS AGAIN, AND PLEASE KEEP ANY MORE OPINIONS COMING!!!

 

[geffric]

Deluxe Studio: The Deluxe Studio offers 2 queen-sized beds, nightstand, armoire, TV, table with 2 chairs and a decent sized closet, in a 376 square foot room. Full bathrooms have ceramic tiled floors and storage area in the vanity under the sink. The kitchenette area includes an under the counter refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker and small sink. A start-up supply of coffee is provided in addition to coffee mugs, glasses, paper bowls and plates, and plastic cutlery.

from http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/okwrooms.htm

 

[fitzperry]

Can anyone explain to me why I'd want to spend $215 more (over 5 nights) to stay at a moderate rather than rent points and stay at OKW? What am I missing here? It seems too good to be true to stay at a "nicer" resort for less money.

Nope. I don't think you're missing anything. We considered renting points for our trip last Oct. and decided against it because we wanted to do the dining plan. Stayed at POFQ instead and were very pleased. We're returning in Nov. This time we're renting points at OKW and get to do the dining plan to boot. Honestly, the only downside I see is the risk inherent in the rental transaction, but that risk seems rather minimal to me. Well, that and the lack of daily maid service, but for that kind of savings, we'll suffer through.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Does anyone know how comfortable the pull out sofa beds are in the DVC studio rooms?

 

[Deb & Bill]

There are currently two types of sleeper sofa. The older one still found in most of the DVC resorts with the bars underneath - not too bad for sleeping. And the newer version found at SSR and a few other random villas - these are the memory foam type mattress.

The biggest concern would be your dates. This is about the end of the F&WF, Jersey Week and Veterans Day. You might have difficulty getting an owner who can still get a reservation for those dates.

Also, lots of members are now charging $11-13 a point.

Clean towels and trash removal costs about $10-15 a day. That is all they do. You will automatically get clean towels and the trash removed on day 4 if you stay less than 8 nights.

You will get four bath towels, two hand towels and four face cloths in your studio (also the same in the one bedroom), no extra unless you pay for them.

 

[Sammie]

As Deb and Bill stated the new memory foam sofa bed is only available in all villas at SSR. A few have been added to OKW, the rest of the DVC properties have the traditional bar in your back, thin mattress and no they are not comfortable. Kids can probably survive on them, but definitely not comfortable.

Also as stated if you want towels daily you will have to pay extra.

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

We're renting for the first time too!! It seems like it's too good to be true!! One more week to go! I was wondering about the sofa bed at BWV. This is the one with the bar in the bacK? Hope Ds can handle it I'll alternate with him if it's that bad.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents!

We will be renting points for a third time this October. It really is an amazing deal. The only negative I see is it is not really such a great deal if you stay over the weekend. We rent points when we know we can stay during the week (Sun-Thurs.) If we have a weekend trip, we stay at a resort (but only if we get a FL Res rate!)

We don't care about the lack of daily maid service, but then again, we are only a small family of 3 (DD is 7) so we don't make too much of a mess.

We stayed at OKW once and the rooms there are big! I will admit that at OKW I did not feel as "disneyish" as other resorts. But, at 8 points a night ($80 a NIGHT!!!!) we were thrilled to be on WDW property. We stay at BWV for $11 a point...so we will be walking distance from F&W Festival, with a studio and kitchenette, for a measley $110 a night! Gotta love it! We check into WL on Friday, and right now I have the room reserved at rack rate (waiting for FL Res Code) and it will be over $600 for two nights! Doesn't seem fair, does it? $550 for 5 nights at a BWV studio, and $600 for TWO nights at WL??????

Sorry so long winded. In summary....YES, it really is a great deal and NO you are not "missing" anything!

 

[mom2my3kids]

We are renting points for our october stay. We are doing a split stay 4 days at OKW and then moving to POP for 2 nights.

 

[fitzperry]

The only negative I see is it is not really such a great deal if you stay over the weekend. We rent points when we know we can stay during the week (Sun-Thurs.) If we have a weekend trip, we stay at a resort (but only if we get a FL Res rate!)

It is kind of surprising how much more Fri. and Sat. cost in terms of points. We are staying the full week though, because I'm too lazy to do a split stay. It's tempting to move to the Poly for the weekend because I've always wanted to stay there, but my parents are coming with us, and I don't think my dad would be too wild about changing resorts. That, combined with the prospect of having to move all the kids' stuff, was sufficient to convince me to stay put. But we're getting a 2 br villa at OKW for about the same price as 2 rooms at a moderate, which sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[spiceycat]

you are renting from a person - not Disney.

that means trust.

lots of people have a problem trusting other people while they can trust a corporation (disney).

Yes it is a great deal for both you and the owner you rent from.

 

[beattyfamily]

I'm not new to WDW but I'm completely in the dark about renting DVC points. My question isn't about HOW to do DVC (if it was, I'd have posted this in the DVC forum). My question is about comparing staying at a traditional DVC property such as OKW or SSR versus staying at a moderate such as CBR (which I've stayed at) or POFQ (which I've never seen).

From what I can tell, studio rooms at SSR and OKW have a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. A regular room at a moderate has 2 full or queen beds, and NO sofa beds.

DVC wise, a studio room for my targeted dates (Nov. 7-12, gotta be these dates) at SSR would be 75 points, and studio room at OKW would be 66 points. Assuming I can rent for $10/point, the room would cost us $750 for SSR or $660 for OKW. Compare that with about $875 for a preferred location room at one of the moderates.

Can anyone explain to me why I'd want to spend $215 more (over 5 nights) to stay at a moderate rather than rent points and stay at OKW? What am I missing here? It seems too good to be true to stay at a "nicer" resort for less money.

Are the sofa beds as bad as regular sofa beds anywhere else? I know that with DVC there isn't daily Mousekeeping service, and that's not a deciding factor for us. As long as we arrange for fresh towels daily we're good to go.

THANKS!

Wow, even with a Fri/Sat stay you are getting a great deal over moderates. That's great. So many people say they won't stay on weekends due to the amount of points it takes but I still think it's a better deal then the cash price. I am a DVC member and I still stay Fri/Sat if that's what I want to do. It still comes out as a better deal then paying cash most of the time.

You aren't missing anything. It IS a great deal renting.

 

[Goofy4WDW1964]

We have always stayed at the moderate resorts and loved them. Two years ago, we rented points from a friend of ours and stayed at Old Key West. We loved this resort. I can see how people don't think it is very "Disney", but we loved the theming of this resort. It was very quiet, which is a big issue for me, and we got to park right in front of our room. Another big issue since I am the one who usually carries our luggage. The rooms are bigger than the moderates and you do get two queen beds instead of double beds in a studio. The bathroom is much bigger too. And, we got our own private patio. Also, right across from our room was a private pool with a hot tub.

Last year, we stayed at Saratoga Springs. Really liked this resort as well. The rooms have a queen bed and a queen sofa. Again, the room is bigger, we had our own private balcony and you get deluxe amenities in the resort.

This year, we are staying at Saratoga Springs again. We wanted Old Key West, but no studios available for when we are going to be there. We have rented from people on the DVC Rent/Trade board here on this sight the last two years. Yes, there is a trust issue. But, we insist on paying through Pay Pal because it does offer you some protection. But, the seller is at risk as well.

Give it a try and if you don't like it, then switch back to another resort for your next trip. Every family is different and what my families likes may not be what your family likes.

One of these years we are going to plan a trip early enough to get into the Beach Club so that we can try that resort.

 

[fitzperry]

Wow, even with a Fri/Sat stay you are getting a great deal over moderates. That's great. So many people say they won't stay on weekends due to the amount of points it takes but I still think it's a better deal then the cash price. I am a DVC member and I still stay Fri/Sat if that's what I want to do. It still comes out as a better deal then paying cash most of the time.

I've priced out numerous combinations at various times of year, and a full week in a DVC studio at $10-11/point always comes out comparable to a week in a mod resort at rack rates (we're not AP holders, FL residents or AAA members, though I'd join AAA to get the discount if the savings made it worthwhile).

It also seems that staying Sun-Thurs on points in a DVC resort and Fri/Sat in a standard room in a deluxe is comparable in price to a full week in a mod. But splitting a stay doesn't appeal to my lazy side, and with work and school schedules, it's usually easier for us to arrive on a Sat, which makes the split stay kind of difficult because there's no way I'm moving twice.

 

[beattyfamily]

I've priced out numerous combinations at various times of year, and a full week in a DVC studio at $10-11/point always comes out comparable to a week in a mod resort at rack rates (we're not AP holders, FL residents or AAA members, though I'd join AAA to get the discount if the savings made it worthwhile).

It also seems that staying Sun-Thurs on points in a DVC resort and Fri/Sat in a standard room in a deluxe is comparable in price to a full week in a mod. But splitting a stay doesn't appeal to my lazy side, and with work and school schedules, it's usually easier for us to arrive on a Sat, which makes the split stay kind of difficult because there's no way I'm moving twice.

I'm the same way. Although I have split my stays in the past, it wasn't due to the points; it was that I wanted 3 days at BWV and 3 days at Contemporary.

I prefer staying in one place so I just made sure I bought enough points to be able to stay Fri/Sat.

 

[brownhouse]

I am getting different answers directly from Disney on this one. We are thinking about renting points from a dvc member. The member (who we've not met) keeps pushing us towards SSR. We'd rather stay at a different resort and it doesn't have to be a villa. The question is...if we get her points can they be used at ANY resort or just the Villas. Can they used on any room including standard rooms or just the suites. The member is telling us we'd have to stay at one of the Villas but Disney gives us yes and no answers depending on who we speak to. IS ANYONE 100% SURE OF THE ANSWER? PLEASE clear this up for us!THANKS!