Renting DVC Points

[shelbel95]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to pose this question, but does anyone have experience or insight related to renting Disney Vacation Club points on a one-time basis for a vacation? How does it work? What kind of fees are associated with it? What are the pros/cons? Etc?

 

[GaryDis]

The DVC-Mousecellaneous subforum here might be a better choice, but the question gets asked here, too. There's lots more info available by searching. Personally, I found the best info to be on the web sites of two of the major rental brokers.

Quick summary:

You can either rent directly from an owner or go through a broker. The broker will be more expensive, but simpler and safer. Most owners who rent out are perfectly honest and reliable, but there are always a few horror stories. Typically you'll be quoted a price per point and you'll need to calculate exactly how many points you'll need for your stay. Weekends are more expensive than weeknights, and obviously busy season is more than the low seasons. There are no separate fees, it's all built into the point price.

Downsides: You need to book in advance, as much as 11 months for popular resorts at popular times of the year. Usually you can't cancel, though at least one broker has a cancellation plan (for an extra upfront fee). Free dining plans aren't available. Some things, such as paying for a dining plan, have to go through the owner because Disney won't talk to you. The room sizes don't match the regular hotel sizes, which can be good or bad depending on your needs. You don't get daily housekeeping (though you can pay extra for it).

 

[mkla2015]

We have used David's and always had a great experience. The rental process is really easy- you do need to book in advance to ensure you get what you want, you have to pay in full at time of booking, and there's no cancellations so you really need to be sure of your dates when booking.

We ran the numbers and ended up saving a good amount of money and it lets us stay in DVC rooms while deciding if we want to take the plunge and buy in.

 

[patty57]

Mousesavers.com has good info about renting points.

 

[rainboots]

We are renting points at the Poly for the first time in 18 days. I added the DP & bought tickets thru undercover tourist. For my family of 4, we saved $700 compared to Stay Play Dine.

 

[BumbleB]

We just rented from DVC Rental Store for Dec. Very quick and painless process. As noted above, you only get cleaning on the 4th day, and if you want extra cleaning/towels/toiletries, you have to pay extra for them.

 

[rwdavis2]

We just rented from DVC Rental Store for Dec. Very quick and painless process. As noted above, you only get cleaning on the 4th day, and if you want extra cleaning/towels/toiletries, you have to pay extra for them.

Same here. Just completed a transaction for a deluxe room for 8 nights at Board Walk Villas in November. Cost: $1968. A big savings. But the prices are about the same for most point rental companies I've looked at.

 

[Hopefully]

Renting DVC points allows many folks the opportunity to stay in Deluxe accommodations at a Moderate rate. As posted above you will find great info on the DVC sub forum here on the DIS.
As stated you need to plan way ahead. Some popular Villa types in popular seasons are booked at 11 months in advance. Most do not allow cancellations. You are signing a contract between you and the owner.
For stays of 7 nights or less you will get "trash & towel" service. Your trash will be emptied and your towels replaced. If you need additional supplies( towels, soap, coffee etc) there is an extra fee.
1 & 2 bedroom Villas have a Master bedroom with a king bed and a bathroom with a jacuzzi tub. You will have a fully equipped full size kitchen, and a living/dining room the Villas have washers and dryers as well. There is a Queen size sleeper sofa in the living room. In some of the newer venues their is also an additional bathroom as well as a sleeper chair.
Studio Villas are about the same size as a hotel room. A major difference is that there is only one "real" bed as you will have a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. There is also a kitchenette with a small undercounted fridge a coffee maker a microwave and a toaster. Personally I think these are most comfortable for a couple vs a family.
You are on the right track to start your research. I encourage you to also head to the DVC forums for additional info
Good Luck

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think it's good to note that when you rent DVC points you are staying at a Deluxe resort at a reduced rate, but you need to understand the room type. DVC rooms are not the same as the hotel rooms at associated resorts. The sleeping arrangements generally involve pull-out sofas and chairs to accommodate guests past the first two.

Studio villas are not always about the same size as a hotel room. At Bay Lake Tower, for instance, they are considerably smaller than a Contemporary room. They also use part of the reduced space for a kitchenette.

It is also important to note when looking at points charts for the potential cost of a DVC Rental, all room types listed may not be available. Point charts are not like running a search on Disney's site for available rooms. They are a list of all room types. The lowest point cost rooms (like Standard view studios at Boardwalk and BLT, Value studios at AKL, and any studios at the Grand Floridian) are difficult for owners to reserve in many seasons, let alone reserve for rental!

 

[rwdavis2]

...The lowest point cost rooms (like Standard view studios at Boardwalk and BLT, Value studios at AKL, and any studios at the Grand Floridian) are difficult for owners to reserve in many seasons, let alone reserve for rental!

Exactly I might have been happy with a Studio at Boardwalk but it really just wasn't an option.

 

[Jhondy210]

Also if you enjoy SSR (which I do) you can generally rent discounted points last minute. I used a DVC rental site and was able to get SSR studio for a pretty cheap rate due to discounted points that were about to expire. I have found that DVC rental sites who sell discounted points usually only let you book SSR with those points because SSR is almost always available.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Also if you enjoy SSR (which I do) you can generally rent discounted points last minute. I used a DVC rental site and was able to get SSR studio for a pretty cheap rate due to discounted points that were about to expire. I have found that DVC rental sites who sell discounted points usually only let you book SSR with those points because SSR is almost always available.

That's because SSR has 432 studios.

That's a lot.

 

[Jhondy210]

That's because SSR has 432 studios.

That's a lot.

I know it is a huge resort but I have such great memories there that I'm excited after a few trips away from SSR to be going back to SSR. This will be my husbands first trip to SSR. The nice part about SSR always being available and being able to rent cheap points is I was able to convince him that we should upgrade from POP (where we were going to stay for the first time) to SSR with very little difference in price.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I know it is a huge resort but I have such great memories there that I'm excited after a few trips away from SSR to be going back to SSR. This will be my husbands first trip to SSR. The nice part about SSR always being available and being able to rent cheap points is I was able to convince him that we should upgrade from POP (where we were going to stay for the first time) to SSR with very little difference in price.

I think SSR gets an unfair rap. It's big, and a bit spread out, but lovely and serene.