Renting points over Xmas

[Zosha]

We are going to Disney in December 2016 and will be staying over Xmas. I have never used DVC before but I am thinking it might be a good option for our family of 4. We will have 2 teenagers when we travel who won't share a bed. What would our chances be of getting DVC accommodation at this time? And is there a time limit on how many nights you can rent? We would be looking at 14 nights. Appreciate any information or advice - thanks.

 

[disneynutz]

For that many nights I would consider staying at two different resorts. One in the MK area and one maybe in the Epcot/DHS or AKV. It will be like two vacations.

If you rent from an owner at 11 months you will get what you want, finding an owner with enough points may be a challenge.

Bill

 

[robinb]

How old are your kids? Is one a girl who is shorter? The GFV and the WLV both have murphy beds in the studios but they are only OK for kids and smaller adults. My 5'4 DD fits in one OK, but she would not if she were taller. Be aware that Christmas is the most expensive time for WDW and also for DVC. It's not clear that you would be saving a whole lot of money over using a promo like Free Dining and staying in a standard room with an air mattress.

 

[Zosha]

The kids will be 12 and 14 but they are both tall. The (now) 10 year old girl is already about 5'5 so I don't think she will fit a murphy bed. I'm just trying to figure out the most economical way to cater for the whole family. We stayed at CSR last year and it was lovely but just not big enough for our family for an extended period of time. We are coming from Australia so I don't think I'll be able to bring an air bed My partner and I are also getting married in the US first and then heading to WDW after, so I was hoping that using DVC might let us get a bit nicer accommodation than what we would normally shell out for. Are room discounts typical in December?

How would I go about finding an owner who would have the points available?

 

[vicki_c]

There is a Rent/Trade board here where owners list their offers, and you can respond. You can also go through a third party broker. David's Rentals is a board sponsor and well thought of here.

I have a family of 4, with two teens, and we have started staying in a one bedroom at Animal Kingdom Kidani for our trips. The one bedroom has a BR with a king bed, a living room with a sofa bed (queen I think) and also a sleeper chair (twin size), and best of all, 2 bathrooms! Not all DVC 1 BRs have 2 bathrooms. And 1 BRs all have a washer/dryer which is great too

 

[robinb]

The kids will be 12 and 14 but they are both tall. The (now) 10 year old girl is already about 5'5 so I don't think she will fit a murphy bed. I'm just trying to figure out the most economical way to cater for the whole family. We stayed at CSR last year and it was lovely but just not big enough for our family for an extended period of time. We are coming from Australia so I don't think I'll be able to bring an air bed My partner and I are also getting married in the US first and then heading to WDW after, so I was hoping that using DVC might let us get a bit nicer accommodation than what we would normally shell out for. Are room discounts typical in December?

How would I go about finding an owner who would have the points available?

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!

Now I'm confused. So, are there 4 or 5 of you? I now count 5, 2 (honeymooning) adults and 3 kids. With more information, I think you will need a 2 BR villa *or* connecting studios at the Polynesian Villas (PVB). A 2 BR will get you a king master bedroom, a second bedroom with 2 beds and a foldout couch in the living room. Each PVB studio has a queen bed, a fold out couch and a murphy bed. It *might* work for your 10-year old DD. No other resorts offer connecting studios. David's DVC By Request will rent you points at a higher price than individuals on the rent/trade board, but many people are satisfied with his service. Here is his website with a point calculator: http://www.dvcrequest.com/. Consider those prices to be "worst case" but also be aware that renting points is usually a final transaction with no cancelations and no changes. You can click on "show poit amount" so you can see the number of points needed if you want to rent from someone else.

As for regular WDW resort discounts, here is a chart with historical discounts: http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codetrends

Another option for you is to rent a villa over at Bonnet Creek. It is practically on Disney property near POP and CBR and people *love* it. Here is a thread: http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-we-loooooove-bonnet-creek-thread-part-4.3366139/ . They do provide shuttles at $6 per person per day, so budget another $30 in shuttles (or rent a car).

 

[hakepb]

I think it still sounds like 2 children. They are now 10 and 12 and will be 12 and 14 by the planned trip.

It would seem that the minimum options would be a Kidani or BLT 1BR (both have 2 pullout and 2 bathrooms... Both of those have great master "suites").
An OKW 2BR might be even better in terms of space and not too many more points.

 

[robinb]

I think it still sounds like 2 children. They are now 10 and 12 and will be 12 and 14 by the planned trip.

It would seem that the minimum options would be a Kidani or BLT 1BR (both have 2 pullout and 2 bathrooms... Both of those have great master "suites").
An OKW 2BR might be even better in terms of space and not too many more points.

Thanks! I think you're right . I agree with you on the choice of resorts. Adults can easier fit in the sleeper chairs so she can put one kid in the chair and one on the couch and they can take the master bedroom .

 

[Deb & Bill]

How old are your kids? Is one a girl who is shorter? The GFV and the WLV both have murphy beds in the studios but they are only OK for kids and smaller adults. My 5'4 DD fits in one OK, but she would not if she were taller. Be aware that Christmas is the most expensive time for WDW and also for DVC. It's not clear that you would be saving a whole lot of money over using a promo like Free Dining and staying in a standard room with an air mattress.

14 days in a studio sounds awful. I'd go for a one bedroom at the least.

Does Australia offer any special deals like the UK does? Often OKW is included in the UK deals.

 

[robinb]

14 days in a studio sounds awful. I'd go for a one bedroom at the least.

Does Australia offer any special deals like the UK does? Often OKW is included in the UK deals.

I suggested that when I thought that the OP had THREE kids who would not sleep together instead of TWO. And I suggested two connecting studios since a 1BR would not fit 3 kids who would not sleep in the same bed. When someone corrected me that there were only 2 kids, I agreed that a 1BR would be best. Then again, IIRC you don't ever stay in a studio so any time in one would sound awful to you LOL!

 

[ldo]

OKW 1Br also has a sofabed and pull-out sleeper chair. OKW units are very large. I would also recommend splitting 1 week each in 2 different resorts. I would do AKV 1BR for one week and then either OKW or BLT for the other week. You can look on allears.net to see photos of all resorts.
You will need to rent from someone who owns at each resort and book prior to 7 months out. both AKV and OKW 1BRs should have availability still at less than 11 mths out--say up to 8-9 months out. BLT might need to be booked closer to 11 mths out.

 

[Zosha]

You guys are legends, thank you for all your advice and responses. And yes, it is 2 kids who will be 12 and 14 and two honeymooning adults who would like some privacy... LOL ;-) It's great to have a starting point now to look at otherwise it all feels a bit overwhelming.

 

[Zosha]

One more question... When's the earliest that I should make contact with David's? Is there any point doing it now, or do I need to wait until the 11 month mark exactly?

 

[Fastpassminus]

1 bedrooms at BLT or Kidani are probably the best choice for your family with the 2 bathrooms. & sleeper chairs ( only OKW has sleeper chairs as well but not 2 bathrooms in a 1 bedroom)

Points at AKV are lower so you could do a 2 bedroom standard view & for 7 nights & then a 1 bedroom Lake view at BLT for 7 nights.

Congrats on your wedding & have a great trip!!

 

[CarolMN]

If you haven't already, browse around David's website - www.dvcrequest.com

There is a wealth of info there and if they are online, you can "chat" with them. They are very nice and will give you good advice. Depending on the resort you choose, you may not need to commit right at 11 months.

That said, for the very popular Christmas season (basically the entire month of December), it's best to get your lodging nailed down during the home resort booking window. Given the cost of airfare, you may want to nail that down first and then figure out the lodging.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Have fun planning!