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 and I'm hoping to go during the week of Thanksgiving.

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!

 

[kimara3]

We are renting at BCV for our trip this June. After doing tons of research, and watching the DVC boards here, we decided that since it was our first time renting, we would go with Davids DVC Rentals (Disboards sponsor). It was a little bit more per point than renting directly from the owner, but we were able to get exactly what we wanted because we did it before the 7 month mark. Also, a big part of that decision was the peace of mind going through him, rather than blindly trusting an owner we didn't know. PM me if you would like more info! HTH!

 

[SalandJeff]

We rented DVC points last year from someone we found here on the DIS boards (in the trade/rent forum). We paid via paypal and she sent us a copy of the reservation right away. We did not have any problems. However, it is a leap of faith. You might want to go over the DVC forums and do some reading and post questions there. Good luck.

 

[Mrs D]

I did dummy dates of Nov 21 -27 for you. Pop is $821 at rack rate. The cheapest DVC you could stay at is a studio at OKW. It would be 81 points. Via David's DVC you'd pay $13 a point. Perhaps you could find a DVC rental for $10.
It's not much of a saving with the private DVC rental and you have some risk involved. Po is cheaper than the rental thru David's DVC but you eliminate the risk.
The benefit to the studio is the Microwave, fridge & toaster (I believe it's in all now). The drawback to OKW (for some) is it is so spread out.

My neighbor rented from David's DVC had a great expereince and would rent from him again. I do think it can be a great way to go.

I've rented from private DVC members and been pleased.

I've also stayed at Pop and loved it for what it is and especially for the cost. I do like the single bus stop that doesn't go to other resort and the close proximity to the food court.

Hope this can help you decide.

Have a great trip!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

We rented points for a week in December 2009. I went through the rent/trade board here on the DIS. Once the person I was renting from confirmed it was available, she sent me a contract for it, and I sent her half the money. The other half was due 60 days before we checked in. She sent me references of people she had rented to before, so I felt fairly comfortable with it.

We liked DVC so much that we ended up buying it ourselves

 

[JennSaint]

We've done it twice. Both times were rented from Diser's here on the rent/trade board. We've paid $10.00 per point both times. One time we stayed at Beach Club Villas and last year we've stayed at Animal Kingdom Villas. Loved both experiences. It gives you a deluxe resort for about the Value price. Going with a 13 & 14 yr old I would try and rent either Beach Club or Boardwalk. My teenage boys love the fact you can walk to Epcot etc. If you are seriously considering doing this I wouldn't wait too long since you want to go during one of the busiest times it might be harder to get rooms. Also keep in mind you won't have daily maid service.

 

[bronwyn]

Yes, I have rented points from owners twice now (Beach Club and Saratoga). Both times, it was a great experience but yes, you are putting your faith in them which for me was a little unsettling. You can't even call member services to check on your reservation anymore. That being said, we had absolutely no problems and I would do it again! It's a great cost savings if you want to stay at a deluxe resort. However, the greatest savings is a Sun-Thurs night stay. Friday and Saturday nights are much higher. You can also purchase the dining plan if that is something you are interested in. I found both rentals after posting on the rent / trade board. I believe I paid half after the owner sent me the confirmation and half before the stay.

I'm not sure if you are set on staying onsite, but I have also read good things about Wyndham Bonnet Creek, which is pretty much on site, just not a disney hotel. If you check out the off site hotel boards, there is a big thread about it. It seems as if alot of people rent from Ken Price. Just another budget option!

 

[crisi]

You reduce the risk with David - you don't eliminate it. The member still owns the points, still controls the points and can still cancel your reservation (my understanding is David pays them half when he makes the reservation, and half when its done - so if they did that, they wouldn't get the other half of their money - but they WOULD have their points). I'm not sure if David would refund you in full if that happened or not, but you would be standing at registration with no reservation - and Disney will not step in.

Make sure you understand DVC cancellation policies. Most issues are not fraud, they are simply that DVC cancellation is not like CRO reservations. If you can't make the trip or need to change it, it may not even be POSSIBLE for the owner to help you. Also understand the differences between a timeshare and a hotel. Very seldom, renters are disappointed in things like "no maid service" or "you can't badger the front desk for a different view" and "upgrades are extremely rare." Also, a DVC studio is almost always a Queen bed and a full pullout. Some people would really like two beds. Or want the bunkbeds that some of the resorts offer.

Keep in mind that in the DVC world its important to book early. Bookings start happening at 11 months out. Some of the "good rooms" for a busy period like Thanksgiving have been booked up for three months already (like Boardwalk Standard View). Wait another two months and your options will contract even further.

 

[lucyem]

Renting points can be really great but like others have said it is a bit of a leap of faith. Also there are limitations such as it is usually non refundable because of the way points work.

Personally my advice is to just make the reservations at Pop. It is your first trip and you will have enough stress and planning without added worry about your room.

 

[WDWjen]

We've rented at Boardwalk, Wilderness Villas and Saratoga. All through posts on the DVC rent/trade board. Its a great way to experience a deluxe resort w/out the high costs! We paid $90 a night for a studio!! (9 pts/night @ $10/pt) There is no tax so that is the final cost!

Keep in mind:

DVC rooms book up fast so if there is something you want, do it soon. We book close to our trip so we take whatever is available, but I always wished we planned ahead a bit more... loved BW and WL but SS was too far away and too big/spread out for me.

Studios are cheapest but also the smallest - they have 1 bed and 1 pullout couch. Worked for us when we had 2 kids, but now w/3 we cannot do it anymore. The size never bothered us -we are never in our room so we didnt care.

Maid service- never bothered me that its every few days rather than every day. Like i said we are never in the room

The value resorts are great, but do not compare to the DVC resorts! If you can get a DVC for close to the same $$ I would go with renting DVC. Better amenities, like pools restaurants etc. Stick with the $10 per point reservations.. anything more and you will be overpaying.

I always spoke on the phone with the person renting. It helped to reduce my fears about fraud and I was able to explain exactly what we were looking for/dining plan etc.

Good Luck!

 

[mommytobug]

We are DVC members and have rented our points since 2003. I have people who will email me and ask of points are available and they rent again. It has always been smooth for us. The most fun rental i did was a honeymoon!! So exciting!! It is a leap of faith. I have been very very lucky with the people who have rented from us.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I rented points from the DIS rent/trade forum for my trip last October to AK Kidani. I followed all of the tips on the FAQ thread (including checking the deed registry to make sure they even had a DVC contract). There is always still a risk but with all of the emails, having references and a phone number to contact the renter, getting a confirmation (and going online every month or so to check the reservation was still there), I felt fairly confident I wouldn't be stranded without a room when I got there. I LOVED Kidani and got a great room (studio, savannah view) for less than $160 a night . Plus I like that you can add the dining plan.

 

[moredisneyplease]

I'm a DVC owner who has rented my own points and has rented points from other owners. I see the point of the person stating its not much cheaper that All Star resort but i disagree because it can be cheaper if you find the right renter (some rent as low as $8 a point) AND you're staying at amazing, amazing resorts like Boardwalk, AKL Kidani, etc etc.

 

[Golf4food]

We rented from David's for our December trip and had zero problems. You do run the risk of being non-refundable and the slight potential for the DVC owner screwing you over, but those seem to be pretty rare instances, not common.

Dollar for dollar we'd much rather rent DVC than pay for a value or moderate if the price is close, but wouldn't ever pay full price for a deluxe after having done DVC. We did 5 nights Savannah view at AKL in a DVC Studio for about what the same number of nights would cost in a moderate.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

We just got back Sunday from WDW. We rented points from a seller on ebay back in August for our trip. We paid $9 a point for a studio lake view at Bay Lake Tower at The Contemporary. The seller set up the dining plan for us as well as the Magical Express. Everything worked out beautifully and we had a great time. We absolutely loved the DVC experience and will definately rent again. Our room usually goes for $425 a night plus tax. We only paid $125 a night! What a great deal! I have stayed at POP a few times and I love their food court. I am not impressed with the room as the bed isn't comfortable at all and there isn't much space. If you can get a DVC rental close to the the price of POP, definately go with the DVC rental.

 

[gatormom2tots]

We used Davids.....no hassle, simple, worth the extra money we paid per point. 24 hours set up from beginning to end.

We saved about $2000 over a 6 night stay going through rental as opposed to paying disney's cash price for the same room.

If you know for sure the room you want (and its a deluxe villa) then renting points is the way to go.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

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[disney_dreamer77]

Thank you all for the info and advice! You guys are great!

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Our upcoming trip will be our 4th time renting DVC points. For us, it's the only way to go. I think the key is whether it's important to you to stay at a nicer resort. For us, it is. We enjoy the deluxes, especially the pools, and we like the larger rooms and having a kitchenette in the studios. We've had awesome DVC members to work with and have had absolutely zero problems. Yes, it's a leap of faith, and having a contract eases my mind a lot. I recommend renting DVC points to all my friends that are going to WDW. It usually works out to spending about the same as staying at a moderate (we rent usually at $10 per point, but this trip is $9 - think David's $13 is way too high). I think you just need to talk with the person you're thinking of renting from and get a feel for what they require and what they're willing to do for you. Ask for a simple contract if it helps you relax a bit, then enjoy!

 

[Shleedogg]

We rented points for us and my dad (2 rooms) for our trip in Nov 2009. We had a very specific contract that covered both of us, even allowing for cancellation and a full refund up to a certain point. DH and I ended up buying into DVC in July of that year and the renter was great about letting DH and I cancel our room, get our money back and still keep my dad's reservation. He was great to work with. We found him on the rent/trade forum here on the dis. I'd be happy to give you his name if you're interested.