Renting DVC Points

[cfriend416]

First off, I'm not sure if I should have posted this in the DVC threads or if those are intended for DVC members only. So my apologies if this is the wrong spot!

So I am considering renting points for our VERY tentative February 2014 trip. I have never rented points before and I don't know too much about it so I have a few questions I was hoping someone could help me with!

1) How early would I have to book? Would August be too late? Is it too late now?
2) We could probably only comfortably afford a value studio at AKL (but that's ok because I've always wanted to stay there!). We could possibly afford a studio at Boardwalk or OKW but we'd really have to crunch the numbers. Would my chances of getting a room be pretty slim without having much flexibility?
3) Is there a renting service you'd recommend?
4) How exactly does the booking process work? Does the renting service act as a travel agent of sorts? Would I add park tickets through them or directly with Disney?
5) Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance!

ETA: Our plans are tentative now, but we should know next month whether or not we're going and we would wait to book until we're sure.

 

[gabriellewatson]

Definitely following this post... I have the same types of questions about DVC.
Thanks for posting

 

[cfriend416]

Definitely following this post... I have the same types of questions about DVC.
Thanks for posting

No problem! Hopefully we get some answers and I don't sound like a total cheapskate.

 

[MonorailCentral]

I don't have the answers, but don't worry about seeming cheap. Everybody has a budget - sometimes it's higher, sometimes it's lower. As long as you are having fun, I don't care what your budget is - just have fun!

Now directly on topic, I'm very interested in thinking about renting Dvc points in the future, and have read a lot, but like to soak up all the info people are willing to share.

 

[cfriend416]

I don't have the answers, but don't worry about seeming cheap. Everybody has a budget - sometimes it's higher, sometimes it's lower. As long as you are having fun, I don't care what your budget is - just have fun!

Now directly on topic, I'm very interested in thinking about renting Dvc points in the future, and have read a lot, but like to soak up all the info people are willing to share.

 

[DebbieB]

First off, I'm not sure if I should have posted this in the DVC threads or if those are intended for DVC members only. So my apologies if this is the wrong spot!

So I am considering renting points for our VERY tentative February 2014 trip. I have never rented points before and I don't know too much about it so I have a few questions I was hoping someone could help me with!

1) How early would I have to book? Would August be too late? Is it too late now?
2) We could probably only comfortably afford a value studio at AKL (but that's ok because I've always wanted to stay there!). We could possibly afford a studio at Boardwalk or OKW but we'd really have to crunch the numbers. Would my chances of getting a room be pretty slim without having much flexibility?
3) Is there a renting service you'd recommend?
4) How exactly does the booking process work? Does the renting service act as a travel agent of sorts? Would I add park tickets through them or directly with Disney?
5) Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance!

An AKV value studio is unlikely at this point, they usually book up at 11 months. Same with a BWV standard view.

You mentioned "very tentative". Most members/rental services specify that your reservation is non-refundable.

Tickets would be separate, on your own.

 

[outahere]

First off, I'm not sure if I should have posted this in the DVC threads or if those are intended for DVC members only. So my apologies if this is the wrong spot!

So I am considering renting points for our VERY tentative February 2014 trip. I have never rented points before and I don't know too much about it so I have a few questions I was hoping someone could help me with!

1) How early would I have to book? Would August be too late? Is it too late now?

The reservation window for owner's at the resort where they own opens 11 months out. The other window opens at 7 months out. So whether or not it's too late depends on where the DVC member owns.

2) We could probably only comfortably afford a value studio at AKL (but that's ok because I've always wanted to stay there!). We could possibly afford a studio at Boardwalk or OKW but we'd really have to crunch the numbers. Would my chances of getting a room be pretty slim without having much flexibility?

Depending on who you go through, they should be able to find availability for you at any/all of the resorts.


3) Is there a renting service you'd recommend?

We have only rented from a private individual, so I can't recommend one service over another - sorry.


4) How exactly does the booking process work? Does the renting service act as a travel agent of sorts? Would I add park tickets through them or directly with Disney?

The DVC owner makes a reservation in your name as their guest. They own the reservation until you actually check in and any changes, dining plan, etc. must go through them. You would need to purchase your park tickets separately.


5) Anything else I should know?

Depending on the owner, you will probably have very limited flexibility about payment. Some private individuals require full payment (usually non-refundable) when they make the reservation. Others require a percentage (usually at least 50%) when they make the reservation, with the balance due 60 - 90 days out.

Thanks in advance!

You say that your plans are very tentative, so be careful if/when you book, or you could lose all the money you paid. I would start by looking at the DVC Rent/Trade forum here on the DIS (you have to be logged in to see it).

Hope that helps.

 

[cfriend416]

An AKV value studio is unlikely at this point, they usually book up at 11 months. Same with a BWV standard view.

You mentioned "very tentative". Most members/rental services specify that your reservation is non-refundable.

Tickets would be separate, on your own.

Thanks so much for responding! I was worried that availability would be an issue, but I was still hoping! Our plans are very tentative now, but we should know by next month if we're going or not, and I thought we'd look into renting points then. But it sounds like it will probably be too late. Oh well! Maybe we'll try on the off chance that something is available in our budget, but if not, we sure love Pop!

 

[outahere]

Just FYI - I just checked for mid-Feb and there is only a 3 point per night difference between an AKL Value Studio and a studio at OKW. The studios at OKW are pretty large and are the only studios, at any of the DVC properties, that have two queen beds. All the others have one queen and a sleeper sofa.

 

[Marionnette]

First off, I'm not sure if I should have posted this in the DVC threads or if those are intended for DVC members only. So my apologies if this is the wrong spot!

So I am considering renting points for our VERY tentative February 2014 trip. I have never rented points before and I don't know too much about it so I have a few questions I was hoping someone could help me with!

1) How early would I have to book? Would August be too late? Is it too late now?
2) We could probably only comfortably afford a value studio at AKL (but that's ok because I've always wanted to stay there!). We could possibly afford a studio at Boardwalk or OKW but we'd really have to crunch the numbers. Would my chances of getting a room be pretty slim without having much flexibility?
3) Is there a renting service you'd recommend?
4) How exactly does the booking process work? Does the renting service act as a travel agent of sorts? Would I add park tickets through them or directly with Disney?
5) Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance!

1. You should be able to book SOMETHING for Feb. 2014 as late as Aug. 2013. There will probably be some availability if you are flexible with dates and resorts.
2. An AKL Value Studio is probably not available at this point. They generally get booked up by AKV owners when the 11-month booking window opens for them. BWV Std. Studios would be the next to book up because they also take fewer points. OKW is a larger resort and less likely to fill up as fast as the others. However, even OKW's studios can fill up early during popular times such as President's Day weekend or a large marathon week.
3. dvcrequest.com sponsors the DVC forums. That would be a good place to start your research. There are others, but I haven't used any. You could also check the DVC rent/trade board if you feel comfortable dealing directly with an owner.
4. The booking process varies, depending on who you choose to go through. dvcrequest.com lays their terms out on their FAQ page. If you go through an individual owner, they will have their own terms for payments and cancellations. Some third-party agencies will also sell you tickets but don't expect an individual owner to do this for you. They will add the dining plan and set up DME for you, if you want. However, they are not travel agencies and you cannot expect them to do things like booking tours and ADRs for you.
5. Any thing else you should know? Just be aware of how "renting" DVC points differs from going through Disney. There's a sticky on the DVC rent/trade board that can be very informative. dvcrequest.com also has a good description of how it is different from making a resort reservation with Disney. Your reservation will need to be paid for in advance, even though it is essentially a room-only reservation. You will have to pay for the dining plan when it is booked, if you want it. You will not have control of the reservation as you would if you were to make it with Disney. Any changes or requests will have to go through the member. You will not be able to upgrade your view or location once you arrive at the resort.

"Renting" DVC points can be very economical for someone who prefers to stay in deluxe resorts but doesn't want to pay the deluxe prices. However, you really should educate yourself in the way that DVC reservations and the point system work. It will make for a smoother transaction if you do.

 

[francie57]

We are renting points for the first time in Jan for marathon weekend. I used Dave's rental (dvcrequest.com). The price was $14/point. If you go to their website you can put in possible dates in the point calculator and it will tell you how much the rental would be. There is a fee of $91 or so but that is taken off of your rental price. You won't be charged if they can't find you a rental. I felt more comfortable using them since they are the go between with us and the owner. You would buy your park tickets separately. You would be able to get the dining plan if you wanted. The owner would take care of that for you. We were able to get our rental (BCV) at the end of May but that was actually early since the window if usually 7 months. I wouldn't wait much longer especially since Feb. is a busy month with school systems having winter break and the Presidents day holiday (not to mention the Princess Half Marathon). Good luck - as I said, I have complete faith in Dave's rental and have heard nothing but good reviews about them.

 

[Siriusblack]

We have used Davids DVC request as well, with good results. I recommend going on their website, and taking a look around. They explain all about how the process works. You can email any questions. If your dates are tentative, you should probably wait as the cost is non refundable, but you can buy trip insurance through a third party provider. Good luck!

 

[Minniesgal]

It is probably only too late for the value studio you should be able to rent a standard view at AKV easily enough now

 

[goteamSy]

We rented DVC points a couple of years ago and it worked out great!


1) How early would I have to book? Would August be too late? Is it too late now?
- I think this all depends on availability at the resort you're interested in.

2) We could probably only comfortably afford a value studio at AKL (but that's ok because I've always wanted to stay there!). We could possibly afford a studio at Boardwalk or OKW but we'd really have to crunch the numbers. Would my chances of getting a room be pretty slim without having much flexibility?
- We booked too late to get our preferred hotel, so we ended up with the only one left, SSR, which we didn't love. I would find out availability before you buy the points to ensure you get the hotel you want.


3) Is there a renting service you'd recommend?
- I had a lot of luck through the Disboards!

4) How exactly does the booking process work? Does the renting service act as a travel agent of sorts? Would I add park tickets through them or directly with Disney?
- We waited and just added tickets once we got to the hotel. The lady we rented points from arranged Magical Express and the rest.

5) Anything else I should know?
- Renting through someone was definitely less expensive than going directly through Disney, but we didn't love the fourth day housekeeping. When we rented DVC points, it was a short trip, so we didn't get ANY housekeeping since we weren't there on the 4th day. We could have added housekeeping, but then it would have defeated the "deal" we got.

 

[cfriend416]

Thank you everyone for your responses! You've definitely given me a lot to think about! One more question about the housekeeping aspect of it - I'm not too worried about not having housekeeping come in, but if we need something like towels or toilet paper and have to call for it before day 4, will they add some sort of housekeeping charge?

 

[Siriusblack]

Not sure about the TP, but I can't imagine them not giving you enough. There is a towel package you can add for a fee, or there is laundry available.

 

[Pakey]

Thank you everyone for your responses! You've definitely given me a lot to think about! One more question about the housekeeping aspect of it - I'm not too worried about not having housekeeping come in, but if we need something like towels or toilet paper and have to call for it before day 4, will they add some sort of housekeeping charge?

I've owned DVC for over 15 years and I've never run out of toilet paper but if you had a need for more, you can get from housekeeping. Towels you would have to pay for.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you everyone for your responses! You've definitely given me a lot to think about! One more question about the housekeeping aspect of it - I'm not too worried about not having housekeeping come in, but if we need something like towels or toilet paper and have to call for it before day 4, will they add some sort of housekeeping charge?

They will provide extra toilet paper, dish detergent, trash bags for free. But they will not provide extra towels, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel for free.

 

[buzznina]

If wanting to use a DVC service I would now look at The timeshare store inc. their prices are still at $12 a point and there is no charge for using paypal.

 

[francie57]

We are going to pay for the daily housekeeping when we go in Jan. I am saving well over $1200 by renting through Dave's (we have a 2 bedroom at BC) so spending $100 for housekeeping for the trip is still giving us a huge savings over renting from Disney. If you rent a studio, you will not have the washer/dryer in the unit, you would have to find the laundry room.