Renting DVC points

[disney_dreamer77]

I've been researching different ways to save as much as I can for my first trip to Disney World. I read about renting DVC points and wondered if anyone else has ever done this before. Is it safe? Has anyone had a bad experience doing this? Can anyone offer me any suggestions or advice?

I will be taking my 14 year old daughter and 13 year old nephew.

Should I just break down and pay for a week at a value resort like Pop Century instead of worrying about renting points and taking a chance of it not working out?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There arer several forums on DisBoards related to DVC. One of them is specifically related to rents/trades and is very closely monitored. I would suggest looking there.

 

[f.chadw]

I haven't personally rented, but my sister has. She had no problems with it each time she did.
I have never looked into DVC for a party of 4 but, in looking at doing that for my family of 5, it was cheaper to get a room at a moderate resort than to do the point rental.

If you are looking to save money on the trip, my bet is it will be the same for you. That all depends however on how many points you will need to get the room. At $10 or $11 dollars per point if you need 100 or more it could be well over $1000. I think you can get a value resort for a week for less.

 

[mickey50]

I am actually researhing renting point for March of 2012. Let me know if you come up with anything and I will do the same. My family of 4 has stayed at Saratoga and loved it. My hubby says he will only stay at a deluxe villa. Hope you find someting.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

i've had one great... and one not so great experience.

the not so great one involved them saying what i wanted was available, we made our deal--but she didn't book it until days later and nothing i was interested in was available. she didn't call and tell me this until a week later. i had already sent a boatload of $$ and ended up settling for something i didn't really want. my fiance was so pumped when he thought we were staying somewhere else... then i had to let him down. on the flip side, we got a room for even cheaper and that's what matters.

 

[Rotti955]

We rented once and we rented a room for my dad once. We both had good experiences. In fact he tried to book a studio and it was not available so he was wait listed. The owner then gave him a lower price per point because she had to book him a larger room. In the end his wait list came through and he ended up with a studio but the owner was very nice to him. Our owner had to check several rooms/dates for us to find one that was available. He was very nice about it and we ended up having an awesome suite much less than it would have been on Disney.

I would agree to look for specific threads on the rent/trade board regarding renting. There are a lot of good experiences posted and great advice. You end up having to trust the owner with your money to book the room. So I would highly recommend researching other's advice and experiences.

We asked for multiple references - and checked them. Having a signed contract is always a good idea. We had our owner's information (address/phone number). We used paypal to do the money transfer. The owner mailed us a copy of the reservation confirmation and then sent us the hard copy in the mail.

Good luck !!

 

[disneygirlinnh]

I am a DVC owner and I have rented to non-DVC members numerous times. The advantage for the renter is that you can get larger rooms (2 Bedroom, Villas, etc.) for a large party and you also get to stay in some resorts that are really nice. I've never had any trouble with any of my renters because they know where and when they want to stay and this makes it very easy for me when making their reservation.

I've been renting for over six years, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!

 

[disney_dreamer77]

Thanks for the replies! Even though I haven't decided what to do yet, I'm so excited!

 

[catra121]

I'm sure you can't go wrong either way...it just depends I think on how important your resort is to you. You get a great deal by renting DVC points (will be doing this for the first time for September 2012 solo trip) and get to stay at an amazing resort. But I stayed at POP with my mom just this past September and we had a fantastic time and booked through Disney so we had all the "control" so to speak. We knew the vacation at POP had nothing to do with resort other than wanting to stay on property and use the money saved by booking a value resort to spring for Deluxe Dining.

We don't use pools when at Disney...but if you do and want hot tubs then I recommend renting the DVC points. If you just plan an occassional use of the pool then the value is fine if you just plan to sleep and shower there. Also...if the kitchen/kitchenette is important to you then go with the renting points. Really comes down to what it important to you for this vacation.

I loved Pop and I am sure I will love renting the points to stay deluxe too...but when I do that I will be alone so the studio fits my needs perfectly. With 3 people...it might not. And then you're looking at more money for a bigger villa...and then are you spending too much even if it IS an awesome value? Just make a list of your priorities and talk it over with the kids (unless it's a surprise of course) and then it will make the decision easier. Look at all the layouts, resorts, and the pros and cons of each resort to make sure you are fully informed.

I see so many people who complain about stuff that "ruined" their experience and it is a shame because it was something they would have been prepared for if they bothered to do any research at all. You definitely don't seem like that sort of person...but if you are involving the kids in the decision make sure THEY know what the pros and cons are of each and which they would be okay with.

I don't think it really matters in the end where you stay or what you end up doing...every DIsney vacation can be magical. But renting DVC points is something I personally am looking forward to for an awesome solo trip.

 

[Indynanny]

We are also wanting to rent points for a 2 bedroom villa....other than checking on the rent/trade board, how do you find an owner at the paticular resort that you want at the 11 month window???
I still have a few months until that time but want to be sure to get a DVC owner lined up, I know the villa's book up real quickly....

 

[mickey50]

I am also going to be a first timer with renting. My friends have told me to go with a older DVC owner, or with Davids vacation club. I will problaby go with David I feel a little safer.

Good luck

 

[Snow Shoe]

When renting DVC points, there has to be a great amount of TRUST between the renter of the points (DVC owner) and you who are renting the points. This is a private contract between you and the owner, and if something goes wrong, disney will not step in and resolve the problem for you. The DVC owner, owns the reservation, even though it's in your name (they should send you a copy of it), and you cannot call DVC Member Services to inquire, change or add to the reservation. The DVC owner must do it for you. If you want to add any of the dinning plans to the reservation, then the DVC owner has to do it, up to three days before arriving, and you have to pay for it right then, not at check-in. I suggest that you have a written contract between you and the owner spelling out specific costs, payment dates and their (owners) cancelation policy. Cancelation is a biggie for DVC owners. If you cancel 30 or less days out to arrival, it causes signifcant problems for the DVC owner in how they can then use those points you just canceled on. I've known contracts that do not accept a cancelation and you forefit all of you money, and this needs to be spelled out in the contract. Again, renting points can be cost saving for you, getting you larger rooms, but it involves lots of trust between you and the DVC owner.

 

[Mrs D]

I have rented points through a DVC member and my neighbor has rented through David's Vacation Club Rentals (the company is a DIS sponsor). Both have been positive experiences.

You can use David's site to determine how many points you will need to the resorts you are looking into.

I can almost promise that if it's cost savings you are looking for Pop will be less expensive than any DVC rental (private or thru David).


Here are a couple of primers and FAQs.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/RentTrade-FAQ.htm
http://www.mousesavers.com/dvc.html#rentpoints
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1255828

And should you rent privately you may check out the DVC owner at the FL comptrollers site.
And may confirm a reservation is in the Disney system at https://secure.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/_framework/components/processEngine?process=false&pageRender=true

HTH!

 

[novembermagic]

I, too, have rented from DVC owners (I have had a good experience- use PayPal, get a contract, have them book dates first) and have stayed in several of the Disney resorts- value, moderate and Deluxe.
I have 2 small children and although, you may be able to find an amazing deal at the Pop, I have found that the space and the convenience of the DVC resorts are worth every single penny! Staying in a resort on the Boardwalk has proven to be a favorite- really making it feel like a luxury getaway. The kids have their own tv and dvd player in the living room and we have our own master suite with a tv and jet tub in the 1 bedroom villa! I love having a washer/dryer in my room, and a full kitchen! It's just so nice to have some space to decompress after long days in the parks.
As someone above included, there are hot tubs in these resorts! :The higher the level of resort, the better the bedding (pillows, mattresses, etc)- so comfortable, the towels, the soaps, the amenities in general.
It's really all about what matters most to your family.
I have visited several times so I take time to enjoy the resort, if you intend to only be in the room during the night, maybe a value resort is the best choice.
I consider transportation, especially with little ones and strollers (you do not have to fold strollers on the monorails or you can walk to Epcot & HS from the Boardwalk hotels). The time of year is also a consideration because in low peak/value seasons/less traveled seasons, the value resorts will not be as crowded- it's very kid friendly and affordable, therefore, longer lines for buses in peak seasons . Just a thought....

 

[jsthomps]

For value for your dollar renting is the way to go. You can get 1/2 to 2/3 off the regular price of a resort if you rent

 

[momabaarjo]

I found a great person to rent from on this board! I told her what I wanted, and she was able to book it for me. The downside was that I had to pay her in full (rented at $11 per point), but for me it came down to location of resort. I really wanted to stay at an Epcot Resort, but the Beach & Yacht club for a family of 5 was too pricey, the Swan/Dolphin too cramped...I was able to get the BWV for about $500 more than POR-Riverside for the 7 nights. To me this was a deal because I get to stay in area that I want, not what WDW does for families of 5. Now that DVC has relaxed a little with allowing families of 5 stay in a 1 bedroom life is even better!

When renting:
1. Get a signed contract
2. Pay with cashier check and photo copy
3. Get a hard copy of resort reservations that include reservation number and all information
4. Print and keep all email correspondance

 

[kstrong001]

We've rented points from others to try it out before we bought into DVC ourselves. You obviously have to trust the other party, DVC won't talk to you to confirm anything if you aren't DVC owners.

A couple things you can do to feel better about it--get the other parties name/address and look them up on the internet (assuming they aren't unlisted), look on the FL comptrollers website to confirm they are dvc owners, and you can see can confirm the reservation exists on one of the Disney websites if you have the reservation #, date checking in, and last name I believe.

Be careful, especially if you rent a one bdrm, it's hard to go back to a standard room!